“Much as I respect your code of honor, there’s nothing I can do about it. Orders before honor this time.” I usually don’t love the BuyMore interludes on Chuck, but I really enjoyed this episode. Maybe my previous distaste was due more to the odd ways the B-story and A-story would fit together? Either way, this was a great episode, and not just because Anna’s hair got progressively more odd.
The real emotional heart of this episode was Chuck’s relationship with Morgan, which has all the makings of a true bromance (as the kids say). Chuck’s hints about his parents’ utter non-involvement was interesting, too... but even more wonderful was Chuck’s unassuming willingness to spend the rest of his life paying Morgan back for some cheesecake. “Don’t you know who you are to me, what you mean to me, all that you’ve done?” Awww.
But it wasn’t all Chuck and Morgan—in a way, this episode felt more like a Valentine’s day love-a-thon than last week’s ironic send-up. Sarah’s horror at the exploding Nerd Herd vehicle was quite touching, as was Chuck’s willingness to be her best friend. Just a mission, eh? Anna and Morgan are meant for each other the way only lovable losers can be (and in fact, the same goes for Jeff and Lester). Even Ellie and Awesome got some luvin’.
The spy stuff felt very by the book and was, for me at least, quite unmemorable. Josh Schwartz, you know it's OK to occasionally switch up the format, right? We can handle a week without exploding tennis balls and mint-flavored knock-out gas. Then again, maybe you should keep the spy stuff in: those two devices were pretty cool.
Random thoughts:
“I’m meeting Condoleezza for cosmos.” Shudder.
“The heroic imbecile took the bomb with him.” Casey seems to like Chuck a bit more lately.
Loved Jeff’s inspirational Eminem quote. And was “sibilants” from the Aerosmith Wayne’s World sketch with Tom Hanks?
I’d really hoped that Jeff and Lester would astonish everyone with their skill, a la Jack Black in High Fidelity. But maybe this was better.
Three out of four Sibilants.
Josie Kafka is a full-time cat servant and part-time rogue demon hunter. (What's a rogue demon?)
I thought it was interesting that Chuck didn't think to just tell Morgan that he was going to pretend to be Jason Wang's friend to sabotage the relationship. That would have made sense.
ReplyDeleteInteresting that Chuck didn't hug Sarah when she was weepy at the thought of him all blown up
I like Casey's character growth as well as Chuck's. That's what makes the show enjoyable is how these people interact with each other and change. Static characters are not fun, slow gradual and organic character growth always grabs my attention.
I think what I love most about this show is that it always makes me smile and laugh. No matter what heavy emotional stuff lies underneath all the spy antics and friend/family drama, every week serves up something completely ridiculous to make me laugh out loud. I think that's why I stopped caring when the B-story and the A-story don't really intersect logically. It used to bug the heck out of me, but now I just go along for the ride.
ReplyDeleteThis week, I loved the Jeffster stuff. Their performance of Toto's "Africa" had me rolling! I, too, wondered if they'd actually be good, but I think I enjoyed their hideously bad (but earnest) performance better.
Manos, I have to agree that I couldn't understand why Chuck didn't just tell Morgan he was going undercover to ruin Anna's new relationship. It seemed like a no-brainer solution.
On one level, this show is too predictable and pat. But, what keeps me hitting the "Next Episode" button is the heart -- especially Chuck's. This one was all heart, enough that I was able to ignore the cheese factor and silliness of the plot.
ReplyDeleteThe scene that stood out for me was the one between Sarah and Chuck when he was blasting her for not understanding what being a friend meant. I loved her quiet response, and his reaction to it. It made the scene at the end that much better.