CHUCK 2.21 - "Chuck Versus The Colonel"
Continuing from last week, Chuck (Zachary Levi) and Sarah (Yvonne Strahovski) have gone AWOL to rescue Chuck's father Steve (Scott Bakula) against CIA orders. Steve (a.k.a Intersect architect "Orion") is being held prisoner by Fulcrum sympathizer Ted Roark (Chevy Chase) in a desert base beneath a drive-in cinema, tasked with completing the Intersect 2 for enemy use. Elsewhere, Casey (Adam Baldwin) has been tasked with retrieving his rogue partner and "the asset" by General Beckman (Bonita Friedericy), with the promise of promotion to Colonel if he's successful -- but will his pathological adherence to command structure hold up against his feelings of loyalty to his friends?
At the Buy More, newly-promoted Emmett (Tony Hale) is twisting the knife in Morgan (Joshua Gomez), who unwittingly helped oust Big Mike (Mark Christopher Lawrence), by offering him a position as his "Ass Man" (ahem, "assistant manager"). As Morgan faces alienation from his friends over his Judas-like actions, is there a way he can win back their approval? As Buy More stories go, this was pretty decent, mainly because it didn't steal much time from the A-story, and the climax worked emotionally -- with Morgan earning himself an ovation from his friends as he quit the Buy More, walking bare-chested to embrace his girlfriend Anna (Julia Ling) and deciding to make a dream come true by moving to Hawaii as a Benihana chef.
But the real delights were to be found in Chuck's story. In particular, there was a heart-swelling moment in a motel, where Chuck and Sarah were forced to sleep in the same bed together (not for the first time), but waking up the next morning it suddenly dawned on them that they can act on their repressed feelings for each other. Amusingly, Chuck's libido was deflated when he discovered an I.O.U signed by Morgan in place of his last condom. Still, considering the fact Chuck and Sarah are both aware their feelings for each other are sexual, and Beckman recently admitting it helps missions if Sarah's attracted to Chuck, it's difficult to see how the writers can keep the pair apart much longer. Will the show jump the shark if there's an openly loved-up spy duo next season?
The only slight deficiency of this episode was the Steve/Roark scenes, which were again rather slight and unbelievable. Why would Roark allow Steve technical access to the outside world, through which to contact Chuck and aide a rescue? Why would Roark trust Steve to create a working Intersect without testing it on someone first? And again, Chase's involvement in the episode didn't really amount to much, which is odd considering he's the biggest name in the credits. Still, it's always a pleasure watching Bakula on-screen, who has charisma to burn and is immensely likeable and believable as Chuck's dad.
Second of Strahotness: rockin' the blue dress
Another huge development for the series was seeing Captain Awesome (Ryan McPartlin) grow suspicious about Casey's concern for the missing Chuck and break into his house, where he discovered all his spy paraphernalia. Later, when confronting Casey, Chuck and Sarah about his find, Awesome became the first person in Chuck's life to be told the truth ("You're a spy Chuck? Awesome!") This is a progression I've been waiting for, and it's a good idea to make Awesome the keeper of Chuck's secret, as his character is amongst the least relevant to most episodes. But now, he'll assumedly be able to cover for Chuck with Ellie (Sarah Lancaster) when needs be, and will likely end up participating in a few missions next season. Again, there are dangers in changing the format of the show this way, but this feels like a necessary evolution and will certainly stoke up new avenues to explore.
But perhaps the biggest alteration was the surprising removal of the Intersect from Chuck's brain, as his dad had actually been working on a way to erase the existing Intersect while in Roark's custody. With Fulcrum agents lined up in open-top cars to receive a mind-dump of information via a giant outside cinema screen, the imagery instead removed all the government secrets from Chuck's brain. With a CIA-sanctioned air strike destroying Roark's "Black Rock" base and Steve rescued and back in time to surprise Ellie on the eve of her wedding, the denouement felt rather conclusive in many ways: with the Intersect erased from Chuck's head, Intersect 2's cube in CIA possession, and Fulcrum apparently destroyed (they were a small operation, it seems!), their mission is over. So the show is over -- no?
Well, no. A third season is filming now, so the Intersect will undoubtedly end up residing in Chuck's brain again -- if not next week, then early next season. Considering the fact ".. Versus The Colonel" aired as a penultimate episode at a time when Chuck's future looked bleak, I'm puzzled about how well-suited to a grand finale this felt. Will next week's episode be akin to a long denouement, albeit one with the surviving Roark likely threatening the smooth-running of Ellie and Awesome's nuptials?
Overall, this episode was about as good as Chuck has been. It could have been funnier, the Buy More storyline could have been stronger, and Roark's masterplan could have been tighter, but it was oodles of fun and offered the audience a few leaps forward in terms of its mytharc and relationships. Perhaps the episode's lasting legacy is in effortlessly reminding us how brilliantly the core triumvirate work, as scenes with Chuck and Sarah kissing in bed, or Casey choosing to accompany Chuck to a social gathering (with no work excuse for doing so) were genuinely touching and rewarding moments. For me, the dynamic between Levi, Strahovski and Baldwin has always been the core reason I watch Chuck and put up with the juvenile Buy More larks.
A really excellent episode. Next week's finale has an uphill struggle on its hands trying to surpass "... The Colonel."
27 October 2009
Virgin1, 9pm
written by: Matthew Miller directed by: Peter Lauer starring: Zachary Levi (Chuck), Yvonne Strahovski (Sarah), Adam Baldwin (Casey), Joshua Gomez (Morgan), Scott Krinsky (Jeff), Vik Sahay (Lester), Bonita Friedericy (General Beckman), Tony Hale (Emmett), Ryan McPartlin (Awesome), Sarah Lancaster (Ellie), Mark Christopher Lawrence (Big Mike), Scott Bakula (Steve Bartowski), Julia Ling (Anna), Arnold Vosloo (Vincent), Chevy Chase (Ted Roark) & Ron Poniewaz (Truck Driver)
