Dale "The Whale" Biederbeck

Dale J. "The Whale" Biederbeck III is a supporting antagonist of the USA series Monk. He is a crooked, very wealthy financier who is a long-time nemesis of the brilliant detective Adrian Monk. He is also known for his gross obesity, hence his nickname.

He is played by three actors in each of his appearances during the series.

Origins
Dale was a brilliant, corruptand arrogant businessman who practically owned half of San Franciso at the height of his power. Despite his success, he was a gluton who feasted on endless supplies of food. He cared only about himself. Unlike most rich men, he avoided publicity and simply bought newspaper companies to keep his name out of them.

Later, a Trudy Monk wrote an unflattering article slamming Dale and in his rage would sue the publsher she worked for just to mess with her and her husband, Adrian Monk, who in his words was a difficult time for them (they were forced to sell their house and Biederbeck bought it store his adult films in). Trudy called this the worst year of her life and ironically her last which is why Monk hates him.

Murder of Judge Catherine Lavinio
In 2002, Biederbeck became the primary suspect in the slaying of Judge Catherine Lavinio, who had issued a costly antitrust ruling against him. Several clues left behind identified him as the killer, but the police were baffled because he couldn't leave his bedroom. However, Monk eventually deduced that Biederbeck had recruited his personal physician to commit the murder, and then leave clues behind, both to confound the police and to taunt them - in Monk's words, Biederbeck wanted them to know he had done it, and gotten away with it. But he didn't: the doctor turned state's evidence on Biederbeck, who was convicted of murder and sentenced to prison. Before being arrested, he then tried to strangle Monk in revenge for foiling his plot, but his immense girth left him unable to reach up to Monk to do so. Monk then took the opportunity to add insult to injury by deliberately leaning towards him as he's doing so.

Blackmailing Monk
A year later, Monk visited Dale in prison and was upset to find that he had adjusted to life behind bars quite easily: as immobile as ever, he still enjoyed the use of his luxurious furniture, a television, racy photos on the wall, and an inmate to feed him mountains of specially delivered takeout food. The only thing he lacked was a window. After a condemned prisoner, Ray Kaspo, was poisoned to death less than an hour before his execution, suspicion fell on Biederbeck, to whom the dead man owed $1,200. Both he and Monk knew that Biederbeck wouldn't kill anyone over such a petty sum (as he said with a laugh, "I wouldn't bend down to pick up $1,200 - I mean, even if I could") but until the killer was caught, the prison refused to install Biederbeck's window. He offered Monk a deal: find the killer, and Biederbeck would share what he knew about Trudy's murder.

After Monk solved the case, Dale revealed that Trudy was, contrary to Monk's belief, indeed the intended victim of the car bomb. He sent Monk to New York City with the name of the man who built and planted the bomb, Warrick Tennyson. As a plane headed east, Biederbeck smiled to himself as he was able to see it with his new window, "Bon voyage, Mr. Monk."