CHUCK Recap: Chuck vs. The Wookie
October 16, 2007 by Kath Skerry
Original Airdate: 10.15.07
GMMR Recapper: SB
Oooohhhh … you guys, this one hurts a little. I didn’t like it as much as the first three. I mean, I still LIKED it, but I was just way more meh this time. But I’ll get into it after I get ye olde plot synopsis out of the way.
So there is a DEA agent in town (WTF? Since when are DEA agents badass? And since when does Microsoft Word recognize “badass” as an actual word? That is so badass.) and she breaks into Sarah’s apartment to have a gratuitous chick fight and to tell her that she needs her help stealing a diamond. Sarah and Casey get briefed by their bosses on the situation and tell Sarah and Casey to help Carina get the diamond (which they think is connected to a drug ring) but not to let her have it. Sarah and Casey both have a history with her, Casey’s being a little more sordid and involving Prague and her being a bit of a … wildcard. By the way, I have never heard the word “wildcard” sound any hotter than it did right there. I mean, it was so hot that it made hell sound like a cold shower.
Anyway. They go to a party that sounds like Ocean’s Eleven and looks like Entourage and get caught scoping out the diamond. The girls play it off like they’re stupid, hot sisters and Chuck is their brother, and the pervy (not to mention hairy) Arab who has possession of it leads Sarah off to look at paintings. Meanwhile, Chuck figures out how the security system works and stupidly tips Carina off on how he’d get around it, and she knocks the diamond off by spraying a fire extinguisher at it. Security guards, thugs, fighting, blah blah blah and they make a getaway to the beach. By this time, Carina has spilled the beans to Chuck about Sarah and Bryce’s relationship, and he is upset with her, and throws the diamond to Carina, who hops on a remote controlled jet ski and makes her escape.
Casey has a tracking device on Carina’s phone and follows her to a hotel, where Morgan is waiting with flowers after their double date that Sarah arranged. Carina kisses Morgan in the sluttiest way possible and slips the diamond into his messenger bag. Chuck of course finds it later, realizes that it’s terrorist related, calls Sarah, and finds out that they have her at gunpoint and he needs to bring her the diamond. Where is Casey during all of this, you ask? Handcuffed to a bed in his underwear, “just like Prague.” Carina breaks into Chuck’s house to steal the diamond back, but he convinces her that she needs to help save Sarah, so they go to the standoff, fight some bad guys, and Chuck ends up alone in a room with some FedEx packaging and a mail slot. He accidentally mails the diamond, but it turns out fine since it gets to Sarah and Casey’s bosses. Chuck tries to find out anything real at all about Sarah, but all he gets is his own observation that she doesn’t like black olives. He walks away to get napkins and she whispers that her middle name is Lisa. Ooooh, revealing. Not half as revealing as that little bathrobe you were wearing earlier, though, hot stuff.
So, here’s the thing. This episode had way too much of everything I don’t like and way not enough of everything I do like. Morgan was just … ugh, everywhere. And the thing is, I think there are way worse “wacky sidekicks” on TV than Morgan (I’m looking at you, Reaper) and I think he can be really funny, but he’s SUCH a “small doses” character for me. I got two laughs out of his scenes last night—the one where it was revealed that his worst nickname was “Organ” (hee!) and where he told Chuck that if their relationships didn’t work out they still had each other, and they both agreed how sad that was. Also, are we now going to have someone every week telling Chuck that Sarah likes him? I get it already. I think even Chuck gets it. So WHY? And Carina? SIGH. I get her role as a plot device who tells Chuck about Bryce, but she took way too much time away from Casey and wasn’t remotely funny enough to make up for it. My best guess is that she was supposed to be some eye candy for the boys and to add to the chick fight action sequences, which are also for boys, so … I guess someone in that demographic will have to testify as to its effectiveness because it wasn’t doing anything for me. And isn’t that really what it’s all about?
Meanwhile, there was no Nerd Herd plot and my beloved Jeff did not even get one funny line! What is up with that? (Speaking of, I hate the stupid “TV Juniors” for Bee Movie.) Ellie and Captain Awesome were all but MIA, and I hate to look a gift horse in the mouth, but could Casey’s underwear have possibly looked anymore like what my grandpa sleeps in?
There were good things, too, though. I loved the part with the goldfish. As soon as it got knocked over I got so stressed out that they killed it, and I yelled, “Nooooo! NOT THE GOLDFISH!” and Billy jumped for his go-to line whenever I get upset about seeing an animal die on TV: “He’s okay! It’s not real! That goldfish lives on a farm in California!” So when I got to see them put it back in the fishbowl, it was a huge relief.
The game at the beginning was a fun way for the characters to get to know each other and for us to get to know them, and I loved the gleam in Casey’s eye when he stole the SUV from the bad guy. Even his anti-smoking campaign was kind of funny within the context of the show, and while I laughed a lot at him telling the guy to go read a newspaper (from the sixties), I laughed even harder at the guy blowing smoke in his face. Plus, come on! We had a Star Wars reference in the title! I will always award bonus points when it comes to referencing Star Wars.
And finally, I thought the FedEx product placement was really good. I am generally not a huge fan of product placement but I accept that it is here to stay, so I do appreciate when it works within the context of the story and I notice it, but it doesn’t feel out of place.
And, as I am sure everyone agrees, the scene at the end with Sarah and Chuck was really sweet. And actually, it was weird because I was wondering before Chuck started how a show like this could jump the shark, and I remembered this article I read on Saved by the Bell and how the episodes that people hated the most were usually the most realistic. So in my mind, I’m thinking, does Chuck jump the shark when it becomes too real? But then that scene at the end was really touching, and of course the circumstances aren’t very realistic or at least relatable to most people, but the characters seemed very real and very human, and it was especially, I thought, the best acting by Zachary Levi so far. And it was so far from a shark jumping moment. I was really pleasantly surprised that it just added to the depth and realism of the characters and served to make the viewer that much more invested, without it feeling like a cheap ploy for emotion. It was really nicely done.
It looks like next week is more back to normal, with Chuck doing a stakeout and Casey knocking him backwards with a swift hand to the forehead. I wonder if, somewhere, Casey has a little brother who he perfected that move on. These are the questions that keep me awake at night.
SB has many interests, including photography, her pets, entertainment, traveling and writing. She does have a day job, but that mostly amounts to her being a sarcastic young woman with a lot of time on her hands, which is why she appreciates the opportunity to recap.
Related Posts
Filed under Chuck, Chuck Recaps
[…] reading this post by: Give Me My Remote For more… RSS […]
Thanks for the recap!
You give plenty of love to Casey and Chuck, nothing wrong with that because Chuck is funny and I really like Casey (especially from the Firefly days), but as a “boy” I’d like to show some love for Sarah.
My Sarah highlights:
– Sarah fighting Carina in a bathrobe
– Sarah at the party wearing that black dress. Hot!
– Sarah changing out of the dress into her Wienerlicious uniform in the back of the SUV. Hot. Chuck and Casey also made that scene funny.
I liked this episode a lot. It was good to see a somewhat more competent Chuck and I liked him finding out some of the other negative aspects of spy lives. And I’m glad Chuck knows about Sarah and Bryce.
But I think I might be the only one who doesn’t care about a relationship between Chuck and Sarah. Not that I hate them, I just don’t feel the chemistry yet.
Arthur, thank you for the testosterone perspective, which I definitely do lack! I forgot how amazingly hot Sarah looked at the Entourage party, and about the changing in the back. Both great scenes! What do you think of all the chick fights?
I really liked this episode. i did miss more Casey and I didn’t really like the DEA girl either, but I suppose that happens. This episode made me decide to keep this show permanently.
My husband loved the fight scene with the girls and the short robe. Sara went flying through the air, and it was almost like the girl was naked up under that robe. The next thing I know my husband is rewinding to watch it again – and then again in slow mo until I gave him the look that made him put it back on at regular speed.
I couldn’t believe that Chuck gave her the diamond. Even he heard the debriefing about not letting her have the thing. But other than that. i also liked how he spotted the spy cams cause they sell them at buy more.
I really liked this episode. I don’t know if the diamond plot was my favorite – but I guess I don’t watch this show for the spy plots. The bomb in the comptuer to kill the military guy in pilot, the Dr. Evil who came to steal Chuck, La Ciudad who tangoes before she steals plutinoum lined painting frames – they are all kind of silly in a good way.
I watch for Chuck, the romance, the comedy and (and this is rare in a comedy) the emotion. The OC at its best made you care about the characters no matter how wacky the situation and CHUCK can do that as well. The first five minutes of that Newlywed Game, Morgan and Chuck ruminating on their lives without women, and the last 5 minutes were all so heartfelt and emotional. I think the last 5 minutes was the best scene I’ve seen all year.
Also, Sarah is all kinds of hot and vulnerable and mysterious. Carina, while not my fave, provided a good foil to show what makes Sarah so great. And it put Chuck in some hilarious situations. So, maybe not as great as last week which for me is the most enteraining episode of a new show this year (Pushing Daisies pilot excepted, since that’s more like a movie) but a very strong episode. Different from the last couple, but the end slayed me and made me ship Chuck and Sarah for good.
My favorite Morgan scene was when he was so depressed at the end and he wanted more soda (was it grape?), and some pizza, and a video game. It was funny that he kept listing more things Chuck could bring him to make him feel better.
I also enjoy watching Chuck delve into some of the emotion about how his life is both great and totally sucks. He gets to have all of these nifty adventures, but he has to live a life separate from his family, and full of secrets. It’s interesting because unlike Sara and Casey (as far as we know) he didn’t choose this life. Good ol’ Bryce chose it for him.
I wasn’t as thrilled with this episode either. I felt like I was watching Charlie’s Angels. I’d rather see the little funny moments at the Buy More with the Nerd Herd. Chuck is so adorkable. He should meet Jim Halpert and discuss hair styles…
Is anyone else having trouble downloading the episodes from NBC.com?
No problem! Just trying to balance things out.
I thought all the chick fights were entertaining. How the heck did Sarah keep her robe on during her fight with Carina. Saving the fish was a nice touch.
Overall I’m not too critical of the fight scenes because I consider Chuck a Comedy/Action/Drama. A comedy with some action and just a touch of drama, a ComActionAma if you will.
As long as they focus on the comedy and it stays funny Chuck will be my favorite new show. This shouldn’t be hard because with the characters there is plenty of opportunity for the show to be funny. You have Chuck, The Nerd Herd, Morgan, Captain Awesome, and Harry Tang (The “face full of Tang” quote floored me).
Can’t wait for next week!
P.S. Did anyone else think it was funny to see Big Mike on Heroes? Is he type casted as a store manager?
I wondered if that was Big Mike too! I’m glad I’m not the only one.
I liked this ep the best so far. Though it had very limited Captain Awesome and that could be sole reason.
I wasn’t thrilled with this episode either. I was saying to myself several times during the episode “ugh, why are these people behaving like such idiots??” The whole whiny Chuck griping about how he can’t trust Sarah so he hands the diamond over to the shady agent made me dislike him. I can definitely see the Josh Schwartz stamp on this show: His wimpy leading men are supposed to be goofy but endearing but in this premise, I can see myself just getting frustrated with Chuck.
I kind of loved last night’s episode. It had me hooked at the cold open. Although others disagree, I think Sara and Chuck have great chemistry and I like seeing them try to work through their faux-relationship.
I would have liked to see less of Katrina and more of Casey last night, but I have no worries about the screen time Casey will get in the future.
A tad bit too much Morgan for me. His guy crush on Chuck is a bit too over the top…tone it down and it would be almost sweet.
More Ellie, Captain Awesome and the Nerd Herd would be just fine for me. And yeah, they better give big Mike something to do or they’re going to lose him to the kids over at HEROES.
Still LOVING Chuck!!!
I have really enjoyed the last 2 episodes moreso than the first 2. Plus and minus for the show is you can miss it and know what is going on…but you can miss it. Just carefree, fun tv. And since you bring it up, WTH, when did Seinfeld become so NOT funny? His 30 Rock gig was terrible and these Bee movie shorts are horrible.