Villainess Review: Alice Westergren (Monk)

Hard to believe a week has passed since Lucifer came to its definitive end. I truly loved that show; Lucifer aired its first three seasons on Fox before an abrupt and unceremonious cancellation that led to the famous "Save Lucifer" campaign that resulted in Netflix resurrecting the series (thank you so much, Netflix!). Netflix added three more seasons of the series, with the sixth and final season released on September 10, 2021.

Among Lucifer's great and amazing cast was Rachael Harris, who portrayed therapist Linda Martin throughout the entire series. Harris has been in several different TV shows and films, including "Mr. Monk and the Secret Santa," from Monk's fourth season. In the episode, Harris played Alice Westergren, who served as a corporal in the San Francisco police department. As the episode revealed, Alice was engaged in an affair with married fellow cop Terry Chasen; an affair that lasted seven months...until Terry decided to go back to his wife.

The breakup left Alice fearful over the thought of spending the rest of her life alone, and in a fuming rage, Alice turned heel and planned to kill her ex-lover. Her evil scheme began with her suggestion to Capt. Stottlemeyer regarding a Secret Santa exchange, and once that was approved, Alice put the centerpiece of her murderous plan in motion. Alice laced a bottle of port wine with strychnine and wrapped it up as a gift for Stottlemeyer, doing so knowing that he doesn't drink port. She later snuck into Stottlemeyer's office and stole his intended gift for Terry (a hair trimmer), and when he couldn't find it, Alice suggested the bottle of wine as a replacement. Terry received the wine, drank some of it, and ended up succumbing to the scorned Alice's handiwork.

Because of the circumstances involved in Terry's sudden death, Stottlemeyer believed that he was the target, and that the culprit was Frank Prager, who blamed Stottlemeyer for the death of his brother. Alice's plan was working like clockwork, but like every killer before her, she didn't count on the efforts of Adrian Monk, who (along with Stottlemeyer, Randy Disher, and Natalie Teeger) appeared at Alice's home as she was baking cookies, and outed her as Terry's true killer. Her affair with Terry was discovered, as well, after which Alice confessed and even revealed that the poison she used was in the basement. Alice asked Monk what gave her away, and Monk's answer: Christmas cards. Alice was Monk's Secret Santa, and she gave him a whisk broom (which Monk loved) as well as a card, but the card was too big for the envelope she used; Alice had to fold it. Regarding the card connected to the poison wine, it was too small for that envelope, meaning that Alice had mixed them up. Alice was left stunned over making such a small mistake, adding that she was usually so organized while adding that she couldn't live without Terry.

"Mr. Monk and the Secret Santa" aired on December 2, 2005, and was the first of the series' four Christmas-themed episodes that aired between Seasons Four and Seven. To no surprise, Rachael Harris really shined as villainess Alice Westergren; a character who was truly elaborate and vengeful in her crime of passion. Alice's reveal saw Harris act out her character's heartbreak and her insecurities to absolute perfection; performances like this are why Rachael Harris is in literally everything.

Many fans know Rachael Harris from her appearance in The Hangover as Melissa, the harridan wife of Stu Pryce. She later played another villainess, Megan Kupowski, on CSI, and she has also appeared in episodes of Curb Your Enthusiasm, 8 Simple Rules, and New Girl (among many other shows).

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Click here for Alice Westergren's profile on Villainous Beauties Wiki!