With the return of NBC’s Chuck over the past two weeks, we’re back as well with reviews of both episodes, titled “Chuck Versus the Anniversary” and “Chuck Versus the Suitcase” respectively. With my DVR fritzing out, I wasn’t able to get to the premiere in time, but that gives you readers a special edition double review – more bang for your buck people!
With last season ending with Chuck finding out his mom was a spy as well as well as telling Ellie that he himself was done with the spy game. How does that bode for this new season?
Find out after the jump.
Synopsis: In the first episode, Chuck and Morgan go across the world to find Chuck’s mom on a secret, under-the-undercover mission, while Sarah and Casey are trying to recover a mobilized EMP that an arms dealer named Volkoff (who will be the big bad for the season) has created. Those two storylines predictably blend in, as does the new and improved Buy More – now operated by CIA Agents.
In the second episode, a model is also a spy and is selling “smart bullets” on the black market to Volkoff. It’s Chuck and Sarah’s job to stop the deal and recover the bullets during Milan Fashion Week (although Casey can’t join because of a previous incident involving a stiletto and Yves St. Laurent. Meanwhile, Morgan begins sorting out why the Buy More is so broken (because it is well operated), while Casey and Sarah both have issues committing to Burbank being home.
What Was Good: With Chuck and Sarah now living together, perhaps the biggest issue of the season was going to be “how will that work?” As my boy Alan Sepinwall over at HitFix pointed out, it’s working very well. The things that in the past have annoyed viewers about their relationship now work because of the transition from “will they or won’t they” to “full out couple.” If it weren’t for the fact that they were together, Chuck constantly apologizing to Sarah during the mission in the second episode about his obsession with her unpacking would have become grating – but it didn’t. Somehow it worked, and their relationship led to some of the best and funniest moments of the first two episodes.
It’s still touching, but I love the addition to the humor game it’s giving the show through two episodes.
That’s one of the things I have to note about the first two episodes: no matter what the formula is, Chuck is without a doubt one of the most consistently entertaining shows. Whether it’s Chuck and Morgan’s adventures across the globe (and the heavy credit card fees they are incurring in the process), the upgraded Buy More (complete with Isiah Mustafa as a ridiculously efficient Buy More/CIA Agent), Jeff and Lester’s fugitive diaries, or things like Sarah and the model villain duking it out on the catwalk, Chuck brings the fun harder and more often than any other show on TV.
The guest stars have been inspired so far this year, with Lou Ferrigno, Karolina Kurkova, Dolph Lundgren (!!), Linda Hamilton and the aforementioned Isiah Mustafa all bringing their A game to the show.
Speaking of Hamilton, I’m really pretty sucked in by Chuck’s search for his mom, and the handling of it in the first episode was sublime. I can’t wait to see where they take it from here, but as of right now the combination of Volkoff and the search for Chuck’s mom will be one that is extremely interesting for me.
Something else I’m really digging is the ascension of Morgan in terms of import – making him the Buy More cover safekeeper (the way he demonstrated the scary efficiency of the Buy More to General Beckman was a series classic moment) was inspired, and I can’t wait to see what hijinks happen with it now that the classic Buy More crew will be blended with the CIA Agent laden team. It should be a hell of a thing.
Because I don’t want to trivialize something so glorious, I have to mention this: is there a show with more hot women running rampant than Chuck? Good god, these first two episodes were loaded up! It’s a pretty show, and I’m not talking about the camera work.
Continued belowWhat Was Bad: I’d say my two biggest problems thus far are this: the complete absence of the search for Chuck’s mom in the second episode and the continued mitigation of Casey. Both are completely understandable, as Casey was heavily involved in the first episode (and his emotional reaction to the potential death of Chuck was one of the best moments of the premiere), but when Awesome and Ellie reappeared in episode two, Casey’s screen time went down the drain. I know this is something they’ve had to do in the past and Fedak and Schwartz have balanced it well, I just love Casey and want him there all of the time.
The search being completely absent was a bit disturbing though, especially considering as we stand now the show only has 13 episodes to work with. If they are going to tie that arc up, they don’t have a lot of time to waste on filler (even if it is entertaining filler that ties a bit into the Volkoff deal).
Overall: Who am I kidding, this show has given us no signs of stopping its momentum as the most entertaining show on TV. It’s a dork guy’s delight – hot girls, dorky, relatable guys, fun spy stuff, techno talk, Isiah Mustafa, and a believable relationship between a geek and a hot girl that gives us all hope. I welcome back Chuck with open arms, and I hope all of you do the same.
