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Chuck: Chuck versus the First Kill

“NSA, Fulcrum, the CIA—they’re all the same. They all lie.”

Things are really heating up for Chuck. His attempts to get his father back led to his first, and second, kill (the Morgan really is a doozey), as well as a firefight to end all firefights. Enemies united in an attempt to save our hero, and Casey got to act like a window-washing badass. All good things and great television.

But Operation Moron, as Casey calls it, is going to be shut down, and Chuck secreted away to a secure facility…unless his far from fool-proof plan to track down his father in the desert actually works. Sarah’s willingness to commit treason for her beloved speaks volumes, but it’s got me a little worried: if this really is the end of Chuck, how can guns, treason, deadbeat spydads, and a mysterious location called the Black Rock possibly lead to a happy ending?

What would a happy ending even be? Chuck making use of his Stanford degree to get a real, non-spy job, I guess. Although I’m starting to think that all of LA is one big spy city. Sarah leaving behind the intelligence game and settling down (as a…what? Second-grade teacher?) to be with Chuck. The death by boiling water of Emmett the Usurper. Casey, of course, would still be a spy. Can the show possible get from where it is now, to there, in just two episodes?

At the BuyMore, Emmett’s Machiavellian machinations led to the coup de tech, with some residual fallout between Morgan and Big Mike, his almost-stepfather. Everything is falling apart.

Bytes:

Emmett: “You test me, and you’ll be flippin’ burgers in Encino for the rest of your life.”

Casey: “And since the new administration discontinued waterboarding, Fulcrum agents don’t talk.”

Casey: “Congratulations, Bartowski. You now qualify for conjugal visits.”

Chuck: “You can’t shoot us, because the whole family will hear it.”
Uncle Bernie: “You’re right. But I can beat you to death.”

Emmett: “Every many has a weakness to exploit. Mine is Renaissance Faires.”

Chuck: “Please tell me where my father is.”
Fulcrum Guy: “Or what, you’ll drop me?”
Chuck: “Of course not—that’s a horrible thing to do.”
Fulcrum Guy: “Really?”

Casey: “Operation Moron is over.”

And Pieces:


Morgan’s logic in the anti-Emmett planning scene resembled Vizzini’s from The Princess Bride.

Jill’s parents were bizarrely clueless. Like something out of a John Cheever story that accidentally went undercover.

Fulcrum calls its new recruits “comrades,” and one of their posters said “None of is us as smart as all of us.” It’s a nifty callback to shows like Get Smart and the Red Scare of worldwide brainwashing.

Morgan and Big Mike kissing: can a scene be both Godfather-y and really disturbing?

This episode was such a cliffhanger that it’s almost a two-parter. I’m worried, fearful, biting my fingernails in dread and concern. And I want to reserve judgment on the emotional fallout until next week. Hopefully by then, or the week after, everything will come up roses.

Four out of four Comrades.

Josie Kafka is a full-time cat servant and part-time rogue demon hunter. (What's a rogue demon?)

7 comments:

  1. Good review, Josie. I, too, am concerned about how they are going to resolve things in the next few weeks. Ideally, the show gets another season and they don't have as much resolving to do. I'm sure that's what the creators were hoping for, so I doubt we'll get complete series resolution. But even for a season, there's still a lot to resolve. I don't know how they are going to get Sarah out of this one.

    I'm kind of glad Emmett pulled off his massive coup de tech (funny!). I like what he brings to the Buy More scene, so I'm glad he'll still be around wreaking havoc.

    Re: your question about Morgan and Big Mike's Godfather scene. I distinctly remember a number of intensely disturbing scenes in 'The Godfather' (horse head in the bed, anyone?) So, yes. A scene can be both Godfather-y and really disturbing. :)

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  2. Somehow, it just doesn't feel like Chuck is going to be canceled. I don't know what it is... I'm definitely worried about Dollhouse, but not Chuck for some reason. Maybe I'm in denial. He is the love of my life after all :-)

    I don't know why, but the Buy More scenes didn't gel for me this episode. I liked the little surprise at the end, with Emmet's promotion and all, but otherwise, I just wanted to get to the Chuck scenes. I think its because there was almost NO Chuck interaction at the Buy More. The Buy More is part of Chuck's life... without that aspect, it just feels kind of forced. AND WHERE WAS SCOTT BAKULA???

    I really liked Jill in this episode. They've done a good job of making everyone a potential spy that you don't trust anyone, a la Alias. Makes for good drama.

    (BTW, my name is Serena. Pumpkin's my dog, and Serena + Pumpkin is the name of our blog :-) Just so you don't have to type all of that in the future.)

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  3. Thank you, Serena--it was getting a bit long. And I kept wondering if Ms. +Pumpkin was the preferred nomenclature...

    The BuyMore scenes did feel off, or at least out of place. But they had such an strong sense of finality, or at least of one chapter ending, hopefully for another to begin.

    I liked Jill more in this episode than in her mini-arc, but her bangs are still driving me crazy. Yeah, I know: nitpicky to the end.

    And Jess: the horse head in bed thing is disturbing, but I saw a spoof of it (in The Jerk? I don't remember) before I saw the real thing, so that lessened the shudders. But Marlon Brando with the orange in his mouth has always disturbed me, even before Lost.

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  4. I've only recently gotten into Chuck (because of your reviews, Josie) and have only seen season one. And I also have my fingers crossed that it isn't canceled. You know, that's Billie's television rule number one -- if I really like something, it gets canceled.

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  5. Stop liking it, Billie!! ;-)

    BTW, I don't know if any of you watch CSI, but if you don't, check out this last week's episode. They did a total send up of BSG, with a cameo by Grace Park and a pretty hysterical wink-wink by Ron Moore.

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  6. The window washer take down was just terrific.

    I'm also wondering where on earth they're going to go with this Chuck and Sarah off the grid thing. And I have the foreknowledge that there is indeed going to be a season three.

    I'm so glad she did it, though. If Sarah had let them put Chuck in an NSA cellar somewhere, I don't think their relationship would have recovered from it.

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  7. The last few episodes have really amped up the tension. Even though I know there is a season three, I have no idea how the writers are going to get our two out of this one. I'm so, so glad Sarah didn't betray Chuck's trust. I agree with Billie -- that would have been the end.

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