Chuck finds himself Intersect-less and up against everything from ninjas to intense Russians in this week’s episode, “Chuck Versus the Fear of Death.” The pursuit of the Intersect and the return of his spy skills is the focus of this week’s episode.
Check out what I thought after the jump.
Synposis: Afraid that his latest setback is driving a wedge between him and Sarah, Chuck resolves to prove himself by going on a dangerous mission with the overeager Agent Rye. Meanwhile, Morgan and Casey scramble as the “Buy Morons” attempt to uncover the true identity of Greta.
What Was Good: From an overarching plot standpoint, I love the direction this episode took. With Chuck’s Intersect powers gone, he goes through a series of tests to try and get them back. This leads to Chuck pairing up with the aforementioned Agent Rye, a Psy Ops agent played by Rob Riggle whose enthusiasm for pain and violence based psychological techniques is remarkably entertaining. That it leads them to Switzerland and then to Chuck getting captured by the bad guys is a fantastic turn, especially for what it does for Sarah.
Yvonne Strahvoski does an excellent job in this episode, as her genuine fear for Chuck leads to some touching moments and frustrating ones for Chuck fans (she looks epic in her badassness next week). Granted, Riggle’s Agent Rye does a good job of being the devil on Chuck’s shoulder, and convincing him that Sarah could be causing his mental block becomes a major point for the entire episode. And it’s believable too – I even believed it until it was too late. It leads to a lot of superb drama and fun moments.
Riggle killed it on this episode, as his Agent Rye was filled with madcap energy that entertained me to no end. He was believable as both a secret agent and a psy ops one, and his special blend of humor was a major highlight.
As was Summer Glau’s hotness was another top feature, as she served time as the latest (and greatest) Greta of Buy More. Her ability to disappear and reappear both entertained myself and acted as a point of contention for Jeffster, and Morgan had to work overtime to not get them killed by her. Her appearance made Greta more than just a random hot girl, and she did a great job as a femme fatale relegated to retail.
More props are out to my favorite Adam Baldwin on this episode. Casey admitting to his daughter that he’s gone soft and made friends was a big moment for him, and the fact that he was backed into a corner by the loss of the Intersect (and the prospect of having to leave Burbank) was an exciting turn for the character.
Big props to Chuck staff as per usual: the usage of Alexi Murdoch in this episode was wonderful. Good work.
What Was Bad: It was kind of interesting to see Chuck buying Rye’s story over Sarah’s argument when just last week he learned his lesson when his mom burned him. It seemed kind of like he had either selective memory or rather short-term memory. Granted, this happens all over the place in this show, but still, it’s frustrating.
Overall: I have to say, this was one of my favorite episodse of the season so far. With superb guest stars in Riggle and Glau, an awesome plot that takes the show in an exciting direction, and just a ton of fun. It was an exciting episode, and I can’t wait for the next one.
