Strahovski and Broken Hearts
They say Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, and I’m expecting we’ll see a seriously scorned Sarah as she fights to get her job back (and Chuck).
I certainly wouldn’t want to be on Sarah’s bad side; nor Yvonne Strahovski’s for that matter.
It’s time to review Episode 2.18 – Chuck Versus the Broken Heart.
“Time to flush out your system, dude!”
Wow. This episode was painful. And grand at the same time. I don’t think I’ve hated a character as much as Agent Forrest ever.
I thought I hated Jill, but no. Jill is a frickin’ nun compared to Forrest. I know Casey was making googly eyes at her all episode, but Casey can do so much better than that chick.
I can’t believe Sarah settled for a shoulder bump! Forrest deserved a Chuck Norris-style roundhouse to the face. And she didn’t even back off at the end when Sarah basically saved her career!
This, of course, is not intended as an offense against Tricia Helfer. The fact that I hate her so much is surely indicative of fine acting.
“Ooooh! Astronomy snap!”
I really like when the Buy More plots are closely tied into the spy plots. It makes the whole Chuck world much more seamless and reminds us that you can’t be a super secret spy without that making trouble on the homefront.
I was sad to see no Big Mike, relieved to see no Emmett, and pleasantly surprised at the way they managed to bring all of the worlds together.
It’s a little bit odd to get Casey in the mix because he’s thus far been removed, but he meshed pretty well and the scene at the beginning with the gun was classic.
“Do you wanna tell me if your pants stayed on?”
Ouch. This one hurt. Ellie and Awesome have always been the perfect couple. Awesome is the fiance who took over the whole wedding to-do list and bought her a big screen television.
On the one hand I hate these contrived scenarios. We know Awesome is, well, awesome and would never cheat on Ellie. It was totally irresponsible of Agent Forrest to allow those pics to be taken (and Casey for that matter).
On the other hand, seeing Ellie and Awesome getting truly and deeply hurt by the spy shenanigans brings a level of realism to the universe that we often don’t see. What Chuck is doing can hurt people.
I liked seeing Awesome more integrated with the plot. There were some close calls with him and Beckman which made for some good laughs. I like that Morgan is now ‘General Beckman.’
“She’s the best damned partner I ever had.”
Although the ‘broken heart’ obviously references the pacemaker, and then Ellie’s unfortunate situation, I like to think that Casey also ended up with a broken heart.
The way Baldwin played the gushing over Helfer all episode was well-played and appropriately downplayed. I was impressed with the subtlety with which Baldwin kept his ‘I’m an NSA agent’ exterior while drooling over Forrest at the same time.
But his heart had to break when he stepped in to defend Sarah on more than one occasion. With a character like Casey, this sort of thing is a huge payoff. We finally break through the tough guy and see what we’ve always expected — he loves Chuck & Sarah.
“That’s odd; I think I hear Chuck laughing.”
Although I’m pretty sure that nitrous oxide wouldn’t really stop someone intent on killing you from doing so, the whole scene with the laughing gas was pretty fun. It’s the perfect way for Chuck to actually succeed in completing a mission without guns or subterfuge.
It also led us to the return of Sarah which really is what made the whole episode payoff. Did I mention that I absolutely loathed the character of Agent Forrest?
“Sarah? Is that you or am I really stoned?”
Yvonne Strahovski is a master actress. For her young age and relatively little experience, she does amazing things with her face. Sarah wouldn’t care if Chuck was stoned and covered in wax paper — she was so happy to see him that the chemistry was palpable.
This episode was also important for her character because we finally saw her breakdown and give up on ‘the system’ that she fights so hard to maintain. The system failed her, and her keeping her feelings in check hurt her anyway.
So she did for Chuck probably one of the sweetest and nicest things she could have done. It will be interesting to see the ramifications of that action in future episodes.
“No. It dries my hair.”
And we’re left with Chuck & Sarah together, on their own away from the glitz and glamour of the spy life. But it’s not all sugar and gumdrops with Chuck’s dad getting involved.
That’s a heck of a way for Sarah to meet the parents for the first time, eh?
I’m sure that we can all agree that we hate Agent Forrest, but there’s tons more to talk about. Are you more interested in meeting Chuck’s dad or seeing the fallout of Sarah so quickly disobeying orders after being reinstated?
And do you really believe that Sarah’s apartment is bug free? Not bloody likely imo.
Screen captures should be up tomorrow afternoon. Until then, let’s mend our broken hearts with some voracious Chuck talk!
March 30th, 2009 at 9:23 pm
Another great review Lykaon! I’m glad you had the hairdryer comment in there. Next week can you try another stream of consciousness review? I liked the last one.
March 30th, 2009 at 9:24 pm
I feel so bad for Ellie and Awesome as well. If only Ellie could have heard Awesome say that he loved his fiance and would never do anything to hurt her. But Sarah coming back for Chuck just proves how much she cares for him. And of course Papa B just had to open the door before the kiss. Cheap. Great review Lykaon! Keep up the great work!
March 30th, 2009 at 9:26 pm
I loved the “No, it dries my hair.” quote!!!!
Amazing review, Lykaon. I knew I could count on you to summarize most of my thoughts about the episode!!!!!
Thanks!!!!
(Maybe I’ll leave a more coherent review later.)
March 30th, 2009 at 9:30 pm
Wow, you do update fast. Not half an hour has gone by, and already the new post is up. I’m thinking that you write these as soon as the episode ends.
Argh! You forgot the best quote from the episode! “Wow, you two are a match made in a very frightening part of heaven.”
So, Ellie was still mad at Awesome at the end of the episode… now what?
March 30th, 2009 at 9:32 pm
@Mike: I gotta be fast to satiate the hungry fans! Guys like Sepinwall get the watch the episodes in advance, but not me. I’m just that fast.
I guess we’ll see some patching up of Ellie and Awesome in future episodes. It’s good to have a little bit of relationship drama other than Chuck & Sarah…
Which actually leads me to wonder — where the heck is Anna again?
March 30th, 2009 at 9:33 pm
lykaon, do you dislike agent forrest?
…haha…great review as always…this episode was definitely directed more towards the emotional aspect of the show…great to hear casey acknowledge that captain awesome is essentially a ken doll…haha…i’ll have a more in-depth analysis of this episode later
March 30th, 2009 at 9:36 pm
Great review for one not so good episode in my opinion, maybe the two previous and fantastic episodes spoiled me but i didn’t find this one as good as the others.
March 30th, 2009 at 9:44 pm
I freaking hated the Forrrest character, but I loved the episode. Next weeks looks amazing. Chucks dad looks pretty epic. The beginning of the episode was hilarious. I was thinking to myself if I John and I couldnt shoot them with my gun id find the next best thing, and he did. I cant wait to see what is going to happen…
March 30th, 2009 at 9:49 pm
Ok my in-depth review:
The episode started off with a bang. I thought for sure that FULCRUM was capturing Chuck and that Casey would come out guns blazing, but the fact that it was the Buy more crew made it funnier. And the fact that the “you had that coming” look on Chuck’s face when Casey was spraying them with the water hose made it priceless. The only reason I can guess that they didn’t object to John Casey having a gun is that he is always a little uptight at the Buy More, so they think he is ex-military or something.
I liked the Awesome/ Ellie aspect of the episode, but damn Agent Forrest for screwing that up. She will forgive him eventually, but I am sad that they are on the outs. I thought that maybe Chuck would say that he found Devon’s badge in Casey’s car or something.
I like how Chuck is evolving into the secret agent we all knew he could be. He saved Awesome’s life by pretending to be him and he did it so willingly you know that he really cares for his future brother-in-law.
I can’t believe we didn’t get another Sarah-delivered smackdown this week. I thought for sure she would f*** up Agent Forrest for tranquillizing random civilians. But in the end it was okay that there wasn’t a fight.
The “General Beckman in the computer” situation was a good comic relief for the episode. Chuck played it off nicely and the look on Beckman’s face when she saw Awesome was pretty funny. The whole “Agent Carmichael” password to bring it up obviously needs to be tweeked, but that is forgivable. The reason I think Chuck put the book down face up is that he didn’t know where Beckman was => he couldn’t knowingly know where to put it.
I believe Chuck vs. the Broken Heart was the best Charah episode in a while. Their real world relationship is growing by leaps and bounds. I believe that Papa B. sees the bracelet next week and Sarah actually wants to have it on, not just as a cover. I think by the finale we could see the equivalent of a Bryce/Sarah relationship between Chuck and Sarah. She has already chosen Chuck over several men and Chuck has chosen her over Lou and Jill. Jill’s return in a few weeks might be a test for Chuck, but I do not forsee that.
To conclude, I F***ING HATE AGENT FORREST! Lykaon was right: we now have a new definition of hate.
“One of them is Chuck’s dad and the other one is a cold-blooded killer” <– fantastic. I hope they promo the crap out of this next story arc.
March 30th, 2009 at 9:51 pm
@Loki
They didn’t see Casey’s gun. If you watch again, he put it in his pants really fast before they turned around. There was a definite intention to show that Casey didn’t want them seeing him with the gun.
March 30th, 2009 at 9:56 pm
@Lykaon
ok. I thought that he cocked it when he pointed it at them. I haven’t rewatched it yet, so I am still going off first impressions. Thanks for the explantion though
March 30th, 2009 at 10:37 pm
OMG! I re-watch these episodes just to catch the looks on Sarah’s face.
She can say so much with her expressions, not just on one level but she can convey two different emotions or thoughts on her face at the same time. Like when the general was chewing her out.
I have to say that I respect her acting big time.
EVERYBODY: This is the time to contact NBC and tell them you want more Chuck. Lykaon posted the address on this website so please send a letter before it is too late. We literally have one week or two at the most before the show could be cancelled or renewed. Please!!!!
March 31st, 2009 at 12:10 am
Lykaon, I agree with you on most part. But I still hate Jill more. At least Agent Forrest wasn’t acting/pretending to be all nice and innocent/be fake.
March 31st, 2009 at 12:29 am
Great review once again Lykaon!! I absolutely hate Agent Forrest. I literally almost threw my remote at the tv a couple of times. I agree that Sarah is so sweet for doing that for Chuck. I really hope that Sarah doesn’t get in trouble too bad for using the CIA’s database. Great job on the quotes Lykaon. I really hope you have some caps of Yvonne in the Porsche. She looked so adorable and angelic, wow I haven’t used that word in a while. But I only use that word to describe Yvonne anyways!
March 31st, 2009 at 12:30 am
I think it definitely goes without saying that we, as a Chuck community, totally and completely hate Agent Forrest. I have to admit though, I did thoroughly enjoy the scene where Casey and Forrest are cleaning their weapons together, I thought that was quite amusing.
However, I had more issue with the fact that Beckman brought Sarah back on so quickly. During the commercial break after the bank vault scene I was very puzzled because I didnt see a way that they could bring Sarah back in without it seeming a little implausible, and I wasnt that satisfied with the way they did it, not that I mind at all that they did it though.
And wow was I disappointed that Mr. B chose that moment to open the door. I was really expecting a great finale in the form of a kiss comparable to “Chuck vs the Seduction”. But hey, thats just me. Any one else agree?
March 31st, 2009 at 12:46 am
I loved this episode and your review!!! I didn’t find as much hate with forrest as I did with Cole. I think that was just because Cole was actually jeapordizing Charah, in his first episode. And he did sort of redeem himself on the chuck front, but never on the Charah side. He was trying until the end with her. I loved seeing Casey drool over someone new and not let it get in the way of his partnership with Sarah.
As for Ellie and Awesome, hopefully we can see Casey save the day on that one, like have a talk with Ellie after she is so sad in the store and show her a video of what Awesome said to forrest…that would be kinda cool imo.
The buymore crew was pretty cool this episode. I also thought that Fulcrum got Chuck until I saw the green shoes..lmao. That was fun…then Jeff and Lester actually getting to go to a bacchelor party, without crashing it, was a nice touch.
Overall I liked this one…especially with Sarah coming back and repeatedly showing love for Chuck!
March 31st, 2009 at 12:53 am
TasyTreatDarts, I think they are just building all these “almost” moments up for the big finale.
I do agree that Forrest was harsh but couldn’t you argue that she was a good reality check for Chuck? He’s been on the fence lately with the trust issue, the jealousy thing (Barker), and then the whole attitude about moving in together. Maybe seeing the stark contrast between Sarah and Forrest will finally get him to stop questioning/doubting/wondering about Sarah and just make his move. He’s obviously not going to get the kind of TLC she’s dishing out from anyone else.
I look forward to seeing how this plays out next week since their off the radar starting next episode.
March 31st, 2009 at 1:14 am
Great review, Lyakon. I really liked the episode. I thought the laughing gas thing was pretty funny even though, yeah, it really isn’t plausible, but I don’t care. I laughed a lot throughout the entire episode and I can’t wait for next week. I hate Agent Forrester, also. And thank you Sarah for coming forth and pretty much admitting your feelings for Chuck by finding his dad. Also, we really have to thank Casey for saving Sarah. I have always loved Casey and I thought that in this episode he was such a great actor and it kind of got more into his character this episode.
March 31st, 2009 at 2:54 am
WOW! this was an amazing episode, and that review is superb, as always. What a cliff hanger though. Chuck is not likely to throw huge cliff hangers in there like that but man! cmon! I want to know soo badly! Anywho, thanks for the review, and Chuck support.
P.S.: I hate agent Forrester too. It’s hard to like her.
March 31st, 2009 at 7:36 am
I loved tonight’s episode and rate it as being in the Top 10 or even Top 5. The writers outdid themselves. However, I want to point some things out that bugged me.
AGENT JOHN CASEY: Sorry I couldn’t wipe the idiot grin off your face
That’s from “Chuck vs. the Alma Mater” Episode #2.7. It’s where we find that Casey stole Chuck’s Stanford ID so that he could go into the Stanford Library for the intel that Professor Fleming left for Bryce.
I was under the impression that Casey has some skill level when it comes to making Fake IDs. If that’s the case, why do Agent Forrest, Agent Casey, and Chuck have to go through this whole big production snagging Captain Awesome’s ID Card?
If the CIA Database has the ability to locate Chuck’s dad which appears to be Top Secret, wouldn’t that same database be able to pull up the records of surgeons at that particular hospital where the guy is? Then just you could just Agent Casey buy a Laminator from $150.00, print out a photo ID with one of the surgeon staff from the hospital and use that as an ID?
WRITERS WHO CAN’T SEE THE FORREST FROM THE TREATS
Don’t get me wrong. I’m just playing dumb right and pretending I don’t see the gratuitous Tricia (Hamburger) Helfer Stripper Scene using Captain Awesome’s meat incorporating actor Ryan McPartlin, the Buy More staff, and seeing Tricia in a naughty Law Enforcement Outfit.
I just kind of wish that the writers did a little bit of dialoguing saying why it couldn’t be done. Any lame excuse would’ve worked for me, and I would’ve bought it.
However, for CIA and NSA Agents trying to protect Chuck where they know Fulcrum is aware that Buy More is a suspected CIA Sub Station, I don’t think Fulcrum Agents working in the CIA are that stupid in noticing a pattern where their Fulcrum Agents are mysteriously dying or getting captured around Buy More where Chuck works and then a successful case with Captain Awesome as the surgeon who worked on the guy “coincidentally” happens to be the host where Chuck lives.
It’s all the more reason why they should NOT have used Captain Awesome’s ID. They should have taken another surgeon’s ID.
“CHUCK VS. FORREST DUMP”
They should have named that episode “Chuck vs. Forrest Dump.”
First, you have Agent Forrest as 49B do an assessment and dump Sarah. Then it turns out that Agent Forrest is going to be the responsible for the rift between Ellie and Awesome. It’s left open-ended where Ellie looks like she’s going to dump the groom.
One thing I really liked about Agent Casey is that he vocalized how Agent Sarah Walker is the best partner he’s ever had. It’s nice to finally hear Casey profess his feelings for Walker.
If you think about it, Casey was in a position to be a real ass completely ruining it for Chuck and Sarah by not sticking up for Chuck at the end forcing Beckman to listen.
Casey had everything to gain by keeping his mouth shut and following orders.
Agent Forrest would have been the new partner for Casey. They were perfect for each other, but his sense of duty and respect for both Chuck and Sarah won out over his personal feelings.
It is a valid point. Chuck would’ve been miserable without Sarah. He’d pretty much lose his reason to work with them. As the Intersect, Chuck’s happiness really does matter.
It’s also a decent episode that shows Chuck and Sarah about their feelings. This is important in laying the groundwork for further development of their relationship. The government was always in the way. However, now that it’s out in the open and Beckman seems to tolerate it, that is a major milestone.
MORGAN & AWESOME BROMANCE
While I really liked the focus of the Chuck and Sarah Romance and seeing Agent Casey lust after another agent who knows how to erotically clean a firearm making his soldier stand at attention (with a Forrest Lump?), I think the really moving scene is Morgan’s loyalty to Captain Awesome.
We already know about Chuck and Sarah. That’s nothing new. That’s always a major point. However, the scenes where Morgan still respects Captain Awesome as the chosen mate of Ellie Bartowski whom Morgan has yearned for his entire life is a true testamant to character. It shows the reason why Chuck’s best friend is Morgan.
When Ellie walks up behind Morgan and wants to know what happened, Morgan was at a crossroads. He could have said just about anything that would have torched the relationship between Ellie and Awesome giving him the ability to pine over Ellie without Devon in the way. However, he didn’t.
That’s what is great about Morgan. He may be flaky and do some bonehead things as well as get on Ellie’s nerves, but he’s honest.
Let’s not forget, he even told the Truth about only being in Awesome and Ellie’s bedroom to steal the CPR Test Answer Key and not Ellie’s panties. If that’s not a mark of integrity, I don’t know what is
.
SPIES LIKE CHUCK
The character Emmit Milbarge is similar from the movie “Spies Like Us” with Chevy Chase as Emmett Fitz-Hume and Dan Aykroyd as Austin Millbarge.
That “Doctor” Scene is taken from the movie.
I was wondering if anyone knows whether the writers gave Tricia Helfer the name Agent Forrest because actor Steve Forrest played General Sline in “Spies Like Us.”
It just seemed interesting to me since Steve Forrest is born 9/29 like Zachary Levi who plays Chuck.
March 31st, 2009 at 7:39 am
so does that mean Sarah and Chuck are sort of boyfriend/girlfriend??since they already told beckman that they care about each other???
March 31st, 2009 at 7:49 am
@ann
I was wondering the same thing!
March 31st, 2009 at 8:07 am
That was an AMAZING episode! Casey is just hilarious as always.
Wow, you wouldn’t BELIEVE how badly I want to slap Agent Forrest until she couldn’t walk a straight line! How dare she treat Sarah like crap?! I was practically jumping up and down on “Then there’s nothing stopping me from kicking your ass.” Priceless!
Chuck’s gotta be renewed for a third season. I just can’t get enough of Sarah Walker!!!
March 31st, 2009 at 9:24 am
Great episode…hate is such a strong word…how about dislike deeply to the core…well Agent Forest is right up there with Brice Larkin as far as I’m concerned.
I think it’s great that the relation ship between Chuck and Sarah has finally been outted. The end of the episode was great with both of them going together to find his father and that Sarah did get the address for him in the first place.
In previous episodes I was getting tired of hearing Sarah always responding “Of course Chuck you deserve that” he asked about getting the Intersect out of his head and getting his life back and living the life he wanted…meaning a life with her. Maybe now we’ll hear Sarah express her feeling for Chuck to Chuck once in a while.
March 31st, 2009 at 9:31 am
“Screen captures should be up tomorrow afternoon.”
Lykaon your totally awesome!
P.S. Loved the review.
March 31st, 2009 at 9:37 am
Rodillon,
Awesome’s ID badge wasn’t JUST a photo ID. It’s a coded key-card as well. He has to swipe the badge through the lock, which reads the embedded code and unlocks the door. The system PROBABLY also logs who is going through that particular door.
The problem they ran into was that the security coding was updated before they attempted to break in, and it would have taken them too long to try to crack it in a place as busy as the hospital (as Casey found out, there would be too many interruptions). Easiest solution was to get hold of an ID badge with sufficient access. Sarah, I’m sure, would have recommended lifting it from someone other than Awesome. It was a way to emphasize (as if we really needed another one) that Forrest really doesn’t care about Chuck’s personal life, and all that matters to her is the mission.
Oh, and I second the love for the Casey/Forrest erotic gun-cleaning. That had me ROFLing out of my chair!
March 31st, 2009 at 9:52 am
yeah remember the way Sarah holds Chuck’s face at the end well it seems that way right?, like real boyfriend/girlfriend..besides when Chuck told Beckman that they care about each other Sarah’s facial reaction says like she coundnt agree more…btw your web is amazing…i like everything on it!!!great job lykaon!!
March 31st, 2009 at 9:57 am
I think charah is free to continue their relationship bec gen beckman seems to tolerate it….She even liked the idea that their close relationship is what makes their missions successful and keeps chuck safe which is comp0letely true….as gen beckman said: “their feelings for each other is not a liability but an asset to the Asset”…or something like that…
sarah/chuck moments in this episode;
in the castle..when chuck said they have great professional connection, sarah’s smile was priceless
in the vault, when sarah opened the lock, she immediately went for chuck and took his hand, that was priceless, it showed she really cares for chuck,she wont forgive herself if something happens to him…
after the mission, when chuck was explaining to gen beckman about their closeness, sarahs face was blushing, she was like “WTF chuck, stop talking already, im blushing”…
Sarah’s place…sarah stealing secret govt information to help chuck really showed chuck is more important that her job..shes willing to compromise herself for chuck…
The windy scene…sarahs hand on chucks neck and going for a kiss………she loves him!!!!!!!!!!!!!
FORREST SUCKS!………WALKER ROCKS!
March 31st, 2009 at 10:19 am
Lyakon, great review as always and I agree!
Some thoughts to add:
- They keep getting us better and better episodes! The last one was one of my favs and this one is even better!!!
- I FRICKIN HATE AGENT FORREST! But she had a purpose and Tricia Helfer played her perfectly, thats why we hate her! Also I am thankful this wasn’t part of a 3 ep arc or something cause that would really screw us up…
- Many broken hearts as we speculated on. So no more Sarah/Chuck angst, now we get Ellie/Awesome angst.
- Even though the shippers might have wanted a kiss this episode was a big step in Sarah/Chuck relationship. Sarah didn’t even object a singel time when theire feelings were discussed, not even in front of Beckman!
- Casey stepping up to defend them!!!
- The nitrous oxide part was great and another classic part, as the doctor, doctor, doctor… and doctor!
- Only thing I missed was Sarah actually kicking Forrests ass. That was a missed opportunity imo. But it all played out nicely anyway.
March 31st, 2009 at 11:31 am
Great recap and what a fantastic episode, gggrrrrrr how could you not get annoyed with Forrest! But the rappour between her and casey esp the hilarious gun cleaning scene, oh if only she could stay in some capacity!
Im glad that things were exposed, except prehapes awesome and the story moved on…..
I hated that Ellie and Awesome had their relationship rocked just as chucks and sarahs moved on..
Look forward to next weeks episode and yeh Yvonne knocked it out of the park again this week!
March 31st, 2009 at 1:08 pm
this episode was freakin’ awesome. the whole characters were totally in sync. I love that Sarah finally did something about her feelings, and she did it in a big way. First finding Chuck’s dad,2nd making the first move to get intimate with Chuck with the whole hand on Chuck’s neck thing, and 3rd defying the entire command to do what she thinks is best rather than what is right. I so love Sarah Walker and John Casey dynamic, too bad Chuck hasn’t heard Casey admit to Agent Forrest Sarah’s the best partner. Chuck’s reaction would be so damn funny. Well I really felt bad for Capt. Awesome and Ellie, but knowing a wedding’s coming I’m sure they’d work it out.
March 31st, 2009 at 2:01 pm
Ambaryerno:
Yeah, very true about the Photo ID. I’m really just being more argumentative over a trivial point.
It’s just that I find the little stuff such as this funny. Agent Casey can summon a GPS-Tracking Satellite to locate Chuck, Cole Barker, and Walker on a minutes notice. They can spend millions or of dollars on troops out in the Middle East hunting that guy.
Yet, they can’t scrounge up some money or resources to forge a whole new Key Card and Photo ID that could be done in probably 2 hours vs. making a big production waiting till night time to hijack Captain Awesome.
I would assume that the CIA could’ve had a key card already made in the 5 – 8 hours time that they went through the entire production of targeting awesome.
It’s like wondering how Superman could get caught near Kryptonite when when he could just hover far enough away and use his heat vision to melt the Kryptonite.
Or wondering why the Flash doesn’t just carry a Sniper Rifle on him and peck off all of his opponents off to death.
For the record, I acknowledge I’m just making a dumb argument about nothing really that important and it shouldn’t take away from the fact that the episode was superb.
I actually liked Agent Forrest.
If I had to choose between Agent Alex Forrest and Agent Cole Barker, I would always choose Forrest.
Maybe this is purely selfish from a guy perspective, but the reason why I feeel “safer” with Agent Forrest is because you see Sarah as the one fighting for Chuck. Sarah is normally playing the role of being apathetic or having to put up a front that she doesn’t care.
As a guy, it’s nicer for me to watch seeing Sarah as the one doing the squirming and fighting for her man vs. beefcakes thrown in that make Chuck wonder if he’ll ever measure up. Seeing Sarah, as the beautiful female, fighting for Chuck is more of a novelty than seeing the insecure geek or nerd squirm over losing the girl to a handsome guy because you can watch that in real life any time.
When you throw in Agent Forrest, it forces Sarah’s hand where she’ll start doing things that fall in that morally gray are that affirms her affections for Chuck that she hides so well. It’s showing how far Sarah really would go for Chuck, which is an indirect expression of her affection. Chuck always makes it clear how he feels about Sarah, but Sarah is the one who does not to express her true feelings for Chuck because of her job.
Maybe that’s the whole romance of it and why Geeks and Nerds of the World are such fans because it waxes their ego knowing that a beautiful woman is the one doing the chasing.
When you have someone like a sauve debonaire Agent Cole Barker, you have to see Chuck squirm in his insecurities and jealousy, which already is there. Sadly, it also makes Chuck look like less of a man worthy of being with someone like Sarah.
AGENT SARAH: I’m not into nice guys…because all they want to do is talk about their feelings.
If you want to bring it full circle, it’s like me belaboring the point of how the CIA with its billions of dollars of taxpayer dollars and resources seeing urgency of a National Security Threat could have easily created their own key card resulting in a big production of having to steal the one from Captain Awesome vs. just enjoying the show where you get to see Tricia Helfer dressed as a naughty Police Officer on a Stripper Pole in Buy More.
“Dude, it’s just a show. Just enjoy it and stop analyzing every little aspect.”
Truly metaphor for relationship advice if you ask me.
On a side note, I was a little worried at the end when Chuck showed up at Sarah’s doorstep wanting to express his frustration.
I was cringing a little bit wondering if it was going to be another painful whining session that poor Sarah has to sit through. From a psychological perspective, it’s not healthy for their relationship for Sarah to continually play a mother role to Chuck nursemaiding and soothing him.
“Chuck vs. the Sensai”
AGENT CASEY: I don’t care if it’s your time of the month, Bartowski. GET DOWN HERE.
March 31st, 2009 at 2:56 pm
Forrest was made to be dislikeable and it worked.
Cole was meant to be likeable once you give him a chance. The guy hardly knew Sarah and he took bullets for her. Chuck on the other hand had just dumped Sarah again.
I get it that Chuck looks wimpy next to Cole but that is because the writers are taking WAY too long to build Chuck’s character into that of a spy. Chuck still insists on doing the wrong thing, like letting the baddies capture him in Devon’s doctor suit at home WITHOUT contacting Casey first. His stupidity in all situations is starting to be a weakness to the plot IMO. I mean how many times are they going to let Chuck screw the pooch in every possible situation.
I see the Forrest episode as one more example of Chuck being pushed around. All he had to say was “bring back Walker or I am done playing spy games”. But chuck just has not got his spine yet. Beckman NEEDS him and not the other way around.
All I am saying is that the Cole character and Forrest character have nothing in common and I know which one I like and which one I never want to see again, fake boobs, botox, and all. Good riddance.
March 31st, 2009 at 4:02 pm
@Dave
I don’t think Chuck being captured was his stupidity, but smart and brave. He knew that if Awesome was captured the CIA/NSA would not be too concerned and probably not rescue him, but if Chuck was captured they would do anything to get him back. Also I’m pretty sure Chuck did call Casey, but Casey/Forrest were too interested in their EKG/bug to pickup or hear the phone.
Chuck may be foolish and wimpy, but he is rarely stupid.
March 31st, 2009 at 4:16 pm
I just rewatched that part of the episode and Chuck did call Casey, but it was about getting Awesome’s key card back. His decision was a little rash, but I still think it was a rational decision like I said earlier.
March 31st, 2009 at 6:34 pm
Great episode, great review and great comments by all. Only one thing to add:
Did anyone else see this as reversing the theme of the breakup episode in that Sarah can protect Chuck even though, better yet, because of her feelings for him. So at this point not taking the shot in breakup doesn’t matter anymore. She can protect him obviously better than anyone else and I think both Sarah and Chuck see this now.
March 31st, 2009 at 6:41 pm
Lykaon another great review.
Agents Forrest.
I think that I am probably the only person here that does not hate her. Let’s face it what male here when Sarah knocked us back for a date would not approach agent Forrest on the rebound not to mention the females that swing that way.
John Casey
Why you old softie! I love Adam Baldwin. Check out the expression on his face when he tells Sarah, in the castle, while Chuck is defending her to Beckman, “No it’s not alright ……let him finish”. It is a look of compassion, which coming from Casey is so totally weird but he sells it. This coming so soon after cleaning the weapons so Stoic.
Charah
Well I guess its full steam ahead. Yvonne did say in an interview that the last three eps. of the series would see things getting more hot and steamy between them so put on your seat belts and enjoy the ride.
March 31st, 2009 at 10:45 pm
Was the 49B a set up by Beckman to force Chuck into a position to “own” his spy identity? For Sarah to be honest about her feelings? Was Casey in on it? Sometimes it takes the threat of losing that which is most precious to you to force you to honestly face your feelings and act upon them.
Casey reminded me of an indulgent father when he interceded for Chuck’s testament to his affection for Sarah; this with nary a peep from Beckman. Then Beckman summarily dismisses Forrest with an “I hope we don’t see you again too soon.” Forrest, far from looking bewildered, angry, resentful, etc., if anything looked bemused, as if she knew this was how it was going to turn out all along.
The Ellie-Awesome story line, while painful to watch, at least brings some reality to their Pollyanna-ish relationship. It also opens the door for Chuck to, in some fashion, let his family in on his secret. On the one hand, to ease Ellie’s hurt, and on the other, to answer the questions beginning to form in Awesome’s mind.
Chuck really does need to quit whining about how mistreated he is and, as commented above, Sarah should not mother him. A friend and lover would try to help him redirect his emotions. In a way, Sarah did this, by offering the information about the location of Chuck’s father.
From looking at the preview for next week’s episode, I think Chuck’s dad is going to be a great character. And, no, I don’t think he is Orion.
April 1st, 2009 at 12:02 am
The end of the episode with Sarah touching Chuck’s neck and face was perfect. Her acting was, as usual, spot on. I’m hopeful they’ve found a way to end the “on again, off again” which worked well for a while, but was starting to become ordinary and wear me down. If Beckman knows, and Casey supports it, maybe it can be “real”. There probably can’t be a season 4, but there HAS to be a season 3, and they’ve got to use it to tie some of this stuff off. Like, I’ll bet a ton of money Jill’s a “good guy” and always has been, and I just hope they don’t use that to inject new angst into the (hopefully) progressing Chuck/Sarah relationship. And is it just me, or does Casey get better and better every episode? Still all “let me clean my gun” but with a little humanity thrown in. And always funny. I still laugh at “High C” all the time. “I wasn’t hatched”. Classic.
April 1st, 2009 at 1:08 am
I love this episode! I can watch it over and over again!
Yvonne totally owned the eppie! Yay! Thanks for the fantastic review, Lykaon.
* It’s good to know I too have a sub machine gun like Sarah! Lol!
April 1st, 2009 at 11:41 am
well I sent a renew Chuck letter to each of the 3 NBC addresses provided by lykaon….hope everybody sends one letter at least. ASAP!