CHUCK vs. The Predator
March 24, 2009 by SB
Alright, I’m just going to say it—it’s hard for me to concentrate when I know Six (Tricia Helfer) is going to be on next week. Hello! She is le hot. And le badass. Nonetheless, we had a plot-laden episode and it’s time to get down to business!
The Jeff that I know and love was in full force this week. My favorites were when Lester said they’d never have to buy toilet paper again, and he said, “Why start now?”, and when Emmett was saying that the Beverly Hills Buy More was so fresh and clean and Jeff suggested that it was like a douche. Hee! And that office! It totally reminded me of Chi McBride’s cell in Let’s Go To Prison. I think I was one of about five people who saw that movie, but I thought it was hilarious and I am now the proud owner of the DVD.
I feel like they did something a little different with the Buy More plot this week, and I liked it—it started out kind of joined up and crossing paths with the spy plot, and then went its own separate way. I felt like it really worked, and I loved how the beginning with the laptop was like a shout out to War Games, the 80’s movie starring Matthew Broderick and featuring globothermonuclear war. Yay! And I liked how it was easy for Chuck to figure out who had the computer, because hello, it should be.
Everyone breaking into the Buy More to steal the computer on Emmett’s watch was a little screwball comedy, and I’m not usually into that but I found myself really entertained by the whole thing. I think the characters make it work, and them switching up partners cracked me up. Also cracking me up was that Chuck outlawed guns and Casey and Sarah both had guns. Because, as Casey tells us, he ALWAYS has a gun. Of COURSE he does. It would be unprofessional not to!
Speaking of that, that shot of Chuck at the window with a gun to his head was amazing. And I really believed that Chuck was thinking he was going to die right there. Nice work from our boy ZL.
As for Orion … that scene of him in Hong Kong reminded me, for reasons I’m not sure I can explain, of Inspector Gadget. Maybe it was just seeing the back of him, or maybe it was the hat. But I did like Orion, and I liked his weird hybrid of high tech and lo-fi communications. I mean, seriously, some of that stuff looked straight out of Pretty in Pink, where Molly Ringwald and Andrew McCarthy are IMing in the library. And yet it scanned faces! Seriously, though, I would think that Orion would be smart enough to see a trap and not get caught, and to go on more than Chuck typing “it’s safe” to show up somewhere. This is one of those things I can’t think too hard about, or it’ll make me crazy. I’m just going to assume he’s computer smart and common sense stupid. I think we all know people like that, so it’s not too far out of the realm.
From a story standpoint, though, it was nice that they eliminated Orion so that Chuck (and the story) couldn’t be too fixated on him, but left the possibility open that Chuck can get the intersect out of his head AND he can do it himself. I like the dynamic of the CIA and Fulcrum being at war, and Chuck being at odds with all of them.
I was glad that Sarah stood up to the Tiny General on Chuck’s behalf, and I wish he could’ve seen that part. It’s obviously going to cause problems for Sarah, but in the meantime, I thought it was also great how she asked Casey if he thought Sarah was up to the job and he stood up for her. And I like how Casey can always respect qualities in people that might offend anyone else, like not trusting anyone or following orders to a fault. It’s in keeping with his character, and I feel like they find ways to do it that don’t make him seem like a bad guy. He’s definitely got a set of principles, even if they’re extreme and, let’s face it, weird.
I’m not really feeling the Morgan/Big Mike thing so much, and when is he going to move out? I would’ve thought Anna would be all over that, and he already had an apartment picked out! But that’s my only real nitpick.
All in all, I think this was a really good set-up episode for next week, when we get Tricia Helfer and see Sarah relieved of her duties (hopefully temporarily!). Chuck has an actual mission, and the general might be a bad guy, or at least a gray on the black and white scale of good and evil. And Buymorea has a sworn enemy! (Also, as a sidenote, I thought it was hilarious that the Beverly Hills guys thought being in Burbank should be a crime.)
Now it’s time for your thoughts! Will Casey recover from being told that the 80’s are over? Did Sarah have any right to be mad at Chuck for keeping secrets from her? Are you thinking like I am that Fulcrum’s new intersect is in Los Angeles, the capital of all things spy, government, military, and secret? And are we taking bets on the minute marker where Sarah and Six have a sexy girl fight? Discuss!
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.
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Thanks for the recap. I liked this episode. I don’t think that Orion was on that helicopter. Maybe it’s just me. But he has been awfully smart about evading capture for years and years and years. I just think he probably escpaed. Don’t ask me exactly how. I loved Jeff’s office. Hilarious. And Big Mike and Morgan’s Mom listening to Making Love Out of Nothing At all and poor Morgan right on the other side of those paper thin walls. I would so be living on the street just so you know.
Maybe I have watched too much Alias and Lost over the years 🙂 but I thought the opening scene of Orion in Hong Kong setup how clever he was at escape leading me to believe he isn’t dead. Seemed like he hit his little arm computer and turned invisible and I thought he probably did the same thing on the roof.
I’m CONVINCED Orion isn’t dead. We didn’t see him climb in that helicopter, and in Chuck the case is normally that if you didn’t see them die, then they’re not necessarily dead (the same holds true to those who you DO see die, as we saw in this past episode. Also, Bryce Larkin anyone?) I think I’m convinced of this fact mostly because I’m absolutely certain that Orion is actually Chuck’s father; Orion disappeared, Chuck’s father disappeared around the same time with no explanation (when he was young; while Sarah “was still in a training bra”). Chuck’s father was an engineer. They refused to show us Orion’s face or even let us hear his voice properly. IMBD has no one listed as playing the part of Orion (ok this is a bit of a stretch as they also don’t credit the guys who played the Beverly Hills crew, but hey, I can dream).
Any thoughts?
I thought for sure that the pixellated black and white image of Orion was going to utter the words, ‘Chuck I am your father.” So I’m with you guys, but it won’t be revealed until the season finale. Why else would this total stranger leave the materials with Chuck and seemingly care about him?
Count me in with those who don’t believe Orion is dead, and that yup – he’s probably Chuck’s dad. It’s all lining up too well. Clearly they’re into throwing us a number of curve balls lately.
Well … you guys might be onto something. 🙂 I believe things pretty easily most of the time, which I try to think of as a good quality because then I’m always surprised. But now that you mention it, how DID the maps and CD get under Chuck’s pillow … ? Alright, sold.
Loved Emmitts attempt at a growl
Mark me down for an 11 as well. The show just dialled everything up to the max and beyond.
Doubt if that was Orion that showed up at the meeting to begin with at the hotel. No way would someone who has eluded both the CIA and Fulcrum since ‘Walker was in a training bra’ show up at a meeting when there is so much ‘spy’ activity going on.
Another sign of beauty with this episode was that there was little relationship drama in the episode and it was not missed at all.
What was there lay in the scenes between Sarah and the General. Nicely handled.
If the remaining episodes are at this level or higher then we are in for a heckuva of a ride!
Oh, growly Emmett. It’s especially contrasted with all the growling Casey does. I also liked his animal whimper at the general. 🙂
Da da da da Inspector Gadget da da da daaaaaa. Sorry the song is stuck in my head after I read your comparison. ha!
Onto the show. Loved it! I don’t really have much to add except that I agree with the others. I’m thinking that Orion might be alive. I mean if the Fulcrum dude can survive a blast and a gun shot, Orion should be able to survive a helicopter explosion.
Next weeks looks so exciting! I can’t wait to see Sarah kick some butt.
Also note that the message from Orion at the end only sad that ‘something bad’ had happened to him. Not the usual ‘if you see this I will be dead’ from Star Trek.
Orion’s not dead. No way. I still think Orion is Chuck’s father. He’s got a spy gene in there somewhere…
Wasn’t the baddie the same actor who played a major evildoer on ii a few seasons back?
(Sorry, that was supposed to be ’24’, the html didn’t take).
dudes, i really believe orion’s not dead.
i mean, he can “hear through” computers, right?
he probably heard “baldy” threatening chuck to tell him it’s safe.