My birthday was yesterday, and NBC thankfully celebrated it by giving me the return of “Chuck” with last night’s “Chuck Versus the Balcony” (okay, maybe it didn’t have a lot to do with me, but it was still a nice present). This is the first episode in a little more than a month. Did it slow down the momentum the show had picked up before the break?
Find out after the jump.
Synopsis: Chuck embarks on two secret quests. As he tries to locate a nano-chip in the vineyards of France, he also attempts to stealthily concoct a romantic getaway for Sarah. Meanwhile, Lester pesters Big Mike to help him sort out his troubled love life.
How Was It?: This was an interesting episode, but also a very good one. There were numerous moments that made me groan a little bit, but because of the inherent charm of the actors and the cleverness of showrunners Chris Fedak and Josh Schwartz, the show manages to pull off each and every scene in entertaining fashion.
Before I go past them, the moments that bothered me were a few been there, done that parts (namely the opener in which Chuck found another roadblock to proposal as well as the surprise turn in the last scene in France) as well as a few really ridiculous lines. Example: when the primary bad guy of the episode hears a sound, he instructs his henchmen by saying “Someone is here. No one leaves here alive.” Really? Seems like a bad plan.
Despite those issues, this episode kills because the four main stars are just so fantastic. In particular, Yvonne Strahvoski is given ample opportunity to excel here, as she takes every scene and runs with it. The episode really makes a turn for greatness once she gets involved with the proposal plan that Chuck and Morgan are crafting, and the moment between Chuck and Sarah on the balcony and the cell back in Castle are two of the most touching moments of the entire series (not going to lie, it got a little dusty in the Harper household).
Adam Baldwin also shined in his small scenes, especially when he proved he really cares for Chuck during the proposal scene as well as his advice he gave to Chuck post-mission. With so much happening in each episode, sometimes Baldwin’s John Casey gets left behind, but in this episode he was given a few special moments and he killed them all.
In the even lower levels of the cast, we get a very entertaining subplot involving Lester’s arranged marriage to a gorgeous Canadian with Hindu ties. That this somehow brings out Jeff playing a sitar and one hell of a Jeffster! appearance makes the whole subplot worthwhile, even if the Buy More is becoming even more increasingly pointless these days.
The plot overall is pushing forward in a very exciting way, although one that was expected. That’s the beauty of Chuck though. No matter how obvious things are, the execution is always so good that you can’t possibly be mad at it. I’m very glad to have Chuck back in my life. I can’t wait to see where the rest of this season goes.
