CHUCK vs. First Class

“I’m alive and I have the key. Unfortunately I didn’t get to use my nunchucks.”

Despite absolutely loving last night’s episode of CHUCK, I’ve encountered a bit of writer’s block trying to sum up my thoughts to share with you.  I considered taking my sister’s advice and simply writing “CHUCK FU%#ING ROCKS”…..Now it’s you’re turn to tell me what YOU thought of Chucks first solo mission.” But having waited all day for me to post, I thought you might want a little more than that. (Although to be honest, that sums it up quite nicely).

Expletives aside, Chuck vs. First Class did indeed rock. In what I thought was the strongest and most fun of the first five episodes, writer/co-creator Chris Fedak set out to prove that the Nerd Herder had evolved into a real spy. Mission accomplished.  But what I thought was even more telling was the subtle reminders throughout the episode that although Chuck might be comfortable in his new role as international spy, he’s still Chuck Bartowski.  He can order as many martinis (shaken not stirred) as he wants, but James Bond he is not. And it’s James Bond that I never want him to be.

“Let me be a great spy. Let me out of the car. I’m ready.” Is Chuck Bartowski a real spy? He goes on missions. He often saves the day. But a real spy? Can he get the job done and fend for himself without Casey and Sarah there to back him up? Last night we got the answer to that question. And the answer is…kind of.

Talk about being thrown in the deep end. Chuck was not only given his first solo mission but he was facing two Ring operatives 30,000 feet in the air. And with no tranq gun in sight. (And no, a tranq pen is not the same thing as a tranq gun.) Maybe things didn’t go as smoothly as they would if it were Casey or Sarah in his position, but Chuck got the job done. And most importantly, he put the mission before himself. Faced with death he didn’t give up the key. He relied on his team to help him out, because he knew that his team was there with him even when they couldn’t be physically fighting along side him.

CHUCK continues to showcase fantastic guest stars.  ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin as Ring Operative, Hugo Panzer, was quite intimidating. That man is large. And how about former ‘Charles in Charge’ star Josie Davis as Serena, the Ring for Hire operative who poisoned our boy Chuck? I didn’t see that coming. But I could see the love connection between Chuck and guest star Kristin Kreuk coming from a mile away (and I had been spoiled early on, so that was a big hint too.)

Why am I more weary of the women Chuck encounters than Chuck is? I tend to avoid CHUCK spoilers when I can, so I don’t know for sure what Hannah’s story will be.  I do hope that she doesn’t turn out to be another love interest turned bad spy. They’ve played that card already and I think the writers are better than that. But I could see why they would bring Hannah back to Burbank. The twosome had incredible chemistry. And when two computer fixin’ too hot to be nerds make a connection at 30,000 feet, it just can’t be ignored.

What the introduction of Hannah means for Chuck and Sarah, I don’t know. I’d imagine that Hannah will spark a certain jealous streak within Sarah, and maybe she’ll start looking elsewhere for love.  I feel like I should duck and run for cover after writing this, but I’m not too concerned with the love connection between Chuck and Sarah.  I don’t mind their angsty ways.  There will come a time when enough is enough, but the writers have given me enough to keep me satisfied with their will they/won’t they dance for a bit longer.

The setting for most of last night’s episode seemed a bit off-putting at first. We usually find Chuck in these larger than life worlds, so to see him confined to a plane took a little bit of getting used to.  Kudos to production design and the set decorators for pimping out that plane. Here I thought the mood lighting in Virgin America was pretty cool. A full on wet bar? Sign me up.

If I’m being honest, I wasn’t really sold on Brandon Routh’s Agent Shaw until his final scene in this episode. It seemed very abrupt to have this outsider calling the shots for Team Bartowski. Who was he? Why does the CIA trust him so much? How does his hair stay so perfect all the time? Pressing questions and I wanted answers. Perhaps I didn’t get all the answers I was looking for, but what was revealed was the more human side to Agent Shaw. We now know why Shaw is so hellbent on bringing down the Ring.  They are responsible for killing his wife. For a guy that seemed so by the book, we learned that he too broke the number one rule of spying, he fell in love.  (Don’t you think it’s about time that something else gets bumped up to the #1 slot? Seems all these agents do is fall in love. Maybe the #1 rule should be something like, don’t shoot your partner in the foot while on a mission. You know, something more realistic.)

Although I did miss Ellie and Awesome last night, we got a solid story from the Buy More.  I’m glad the writers nipped the whole ‘Morgan being tormented by the Buy Morons’ in the bud. As I’ve said before, it’s not the first time this particular storyline has been played out, and it’s time to move on.  But bravo on giving us such a spectacular ending to it all. Casey brainwashing Lester? Brilliant!

Given how long it’s taken me to actually get something up about this episode, I say we just skip all the formalities and just talk about our favorite moments of the episode.  Continue reading my favorite bits of Chuck vs. First Class while I go learn a few new moves from the Yale fencing team.

• Poor Morgan. Not only did he get glued to his chair, but he got tranq’d…for the second time this season. Has the boy not considered that his fainting could be a medical issue?

• Kudos for Chuck for finally taking Sarah’s advice by telling himself “Don’t freak out!”

• Favorite exchange of the night – [Chuck calling Casey from inside the coffin.]
  Chuck: I’m in a little bit of a pickle right now. I’m currently trapped in a coffin with a recently deceased elderly man and a very large bad guy trying to find me.
  Casey: Aren’t you still on the plane?
  Chuck: Yes, I forgot to mention that part. The mission is on the plane. I have the key but the Ring operative is right outside. What do I do?
  Casey: You get taken.
  Chuck: What?!
  Casey: The Ring agent is going to find you because you chose the single dumbest place to hide.
  Chuck: Well gee, thanks. Criticism is always welcome.
  Casey: When he does you act like your little girlish self. Scream like a banshee so he doesn’t think you’re a threat. When he pulls you out you find a weapon and then FLASH.
  Chuck: What if I don’t flash?
  Casey: Then you’re dead. So flash.
  [Cue Chuck’s girlish scream]

• Really glad to know that fencing was in the Intersect.  What wasn’t built into that thing?

• Did anyone else expect that the plane would be from Oceanic Airlines? I’m not sure how the writers resisted that one?

• I think how Chuck handled himself during his fight with Hugo in the cargo bay was a perfect example of the blending of the two sides of Chuck. The Intersect gave him the fencing moves and the ability to fight off Hugo, but it was Chuck’s own wisdom that led to him strategically cutting the luggage straps to knock out Panzer. Well played, Bartowski.

• Who knew that Sarah could fly a plane? Is there anything they don’t teach you in spy school?

• The moment I started to like Shaw: “My people are never alone.” The other moment? When he put on his Clark Kent glasses.  Nice…I liked it.

• Lester: Morgan Grimes is the kindest, warmest, most understanding human being I’ve ever known in my life.

• “Sometimes he sounds like Bond, other times he’s like a Jerry Lewis movie.” Exactly.

• Morgan: See that? How do you do that? You command respect.
  Casey: No, I take it.

• Casey: You give me five minutes running this popsicle stand and we’d be ready.”
  Morgan: Ready? Ready for what?
  Chuck: The Russians.

• Casey: “Insurgents. I hate insurgents.”

Thoughts on Chuck vs. First Class? Were you riding the friendly skies while watching? How did you think Chuck did on his first solo mission? Did you miss seeing him, Casey and Sarah working together?  Was there enough Buy More to satisfy those who missed the green shirts last week? Are Sarah and Chuck shippers ready for Hannah and the triangle she’ll create?