“I need you to believe that I’m not crazy.”This episode had so many meta-jokes: Awesome’s love of (all 15 seasons) of ER; Monday night TV wasteland; Chevy Chase; the cable-news motif; “Merlin.” But the highlight of the episode was definitely the mere presence of Christopher Lloyd, who is the coolest septuagenarian working in TV today. It introduced an interesting dramatic twist to three seasons of blissful Intersectiness, too. What will this mean for our hero?
I’m not sure how I feel about this new possibility that Chuck may experience psychological side-effects from having the Intersect in his brain. On the one hand, it makes sense. On the other hand, this plot feels like it has dropped out of the clear blue sky to provide us with a one-off (but emotionally weighty) episode, and then put back into reserve for future use if needed. Plus, what’s up with the dreams? They almost seem like seeing the future, which certainly can’t be contained in a year-old Intersect. Is that the new direction Chuck is headed? Psychic spy? (And would that make him a spy-chic?)
If we see this thread woven into the next few episodes more organically, I’ll probably get behind it. If it just pops up now and again for dramatic effect? Not so much. In this episode, though, it did give us the chance to watch Chuck and Sarah cross that oh-so-important line of telling each other that they loved one another. And Casey showed his love, too: when he showed up to argue Chuck’s case with Christopher Lloyd, I almost teared up.
I wouldn’t hate seeing the crazy incompetent CIA pysch (spych?) ward again, either. It’d be interesting to put Awesome in there for an episode—the cardiologist who knows too much.
In other news: wow! Ellie and Awesome are back in LA already. I didn’t expect it to happen that fast: I had thought Ellie was taking poor Awesome to the nearest hospital, not all the way to Burbank. Their quick return just brings Ellie one step closer to accidentally betraying her country, her father, and her brother in one swoop. The Ring certainly is nefarious.
Speaking of evil deeds: Shaw. Is he coming back? Is Chuck’s spychic flash correct? At first, I’d thought it was funny that Shaw was delivering the Zamibian food (and I was mentally drafting a line that read: ‘the only way they could bring back Shaw and have us not hate it would be in a dream sequence.’). Then, with that final flash, we got a hint that Chuck follows the third rule of television viewing: if you don’t see the body, don’t believe anyone is dead. While I don’t dislike Shaw as much as some fans, I’m not sure he adds anything to the show.
Which brings me back to Christopher Lloyd. It was great to see him (and great to see him looking so great). But, just like with last week’s Swoozie Kurtz and Fred Willard, he felt a bit wasted in the role: it was the appeal of the actor that made it neat, but he wasn’t given any great lines, and didn’t have any flashy kung-fu skills (my secret hope). I hope to see Christopher Lloyd again, and I hope the writers make better use of him next time.
Bytes:
• Chuck: “Monday nights can be a bit of a wasteland.”
• Chuck: “Sweetheart, I’m not actually planning to learn everything about being a spy from Chevy Chase and Dan Ackroyd.” Tee-hee!
• Christopher Lloyd: “I’m a CIA psychiatrist. I know everything about you.”
• Jeff: “It is Anna Wu. I knew the day she broke Morgan’s heart she’d come back to break mine.”
• Casey: “You take Bartowski. I’ll take the little elf.”
• Chuck: “Everyone here... spies like me.”
• Chuck: “The tooth is the key. The truth is in the tooth.”
And Pieces:
• It’s so cool that the writers haven’t forgotten that Ellie thinks Casey is a deadbeat, slightly wonky drunk. And that they factored that into her reaction to the news that Casey is an evil spy.
• Morgan giving Anna the brush-off, and not even realizing that he was doing it…way to go, Morgan!
• I mean no offense to our Zamibian readers (or Zambian readers), but would the Zamibian president’s visit really get that much news coverage? Then again, I don’t watch cable news.
• Casey and Morgan cuddling at the symphony.
• A Freudian-influenced analysis of tooth-falling-out dreams is that they are caused by castration anxiety brought on by excessive masturbation.
2.75 out of four Zamibian teeth.
Josie Kafka is a full-time cat servant and part-time rogue demon hunter. (What's a rogue demon?)
Am I the only Chuck fan who likes Brandon Routh? :)
ReplyDeleteWhat bothered me about this episode was the same thing that's really bothering me about Smallville these days -- that Lois (or in this case, Ellie) is the only one who doesn't know the truth and it keeps putting her in danger. It's sort of an artificial dramatic cop-out. If they get past this by the end of the season, like they just got past the will-they-won't-they, I'll be very pleased.
I agree with Billie.
ReplyDeleteI'm a chuck fan and I love Brandon Routh/Shaw. :) He lives!! Shaw is really the best villain the show has, so it makes sense that he's back to continue his revenge not only on Sarah, but also on Chuck, team B. and the CIA.
ReplyDeleteThe big finale should be great.
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