That, however, would not be the most responsible or professional thing to do, so I’m going to instead review the penultimate, best, most awesome, unbelievable episode of Chuck ever – Chuck Versus the Ring.

There may be some pretty huge spoilers implied, so read at your own risk.

“Thank you for saving my life at least once a week.”

Maybe Chuck didn’t save our lives every week by invading our living rooms with amazing television, but I feel like this quote pretty much sums it up, doesn’t it?

For the last two seasons now we’ve watched the old Chuck.  We’ve watched a premise not unlike the ‘Get Smart’ universe, with a bumbling spy, a shadowy anti-spy organization, and a hot agent 99.

But now we get the new Chuck.  The improved Chuck.  The OMG I can’t believe I just saw that Chuck.  Wow.  I know it’s just touchy feely descriptions, but this episode of Chuck was spectacular.

I didn’t think they could make better episodes than what we’ve seen, but this episode has taken the show to a whole new level.

“You look like a real bridesmaid.”

The one level of disappointment that this episode brings, of course, is the Charah dynamic once again being interrupted about a billion times.  It seems Sarah is never going to be able to express her feelings to Chuck.

If Chuck could read Sarah’s face like we could, he’d know she’s crazy about him.  He needs to take a little Yvonne Strahovski 101 so he can get the message.

With the stuff at the end now, what kind of Chuck are we going to get?  Will he be as lovable to Sarah in the future?  Will he be as lovable to anyone, for that matter?

I don’t know, but Sarah really has rotten luck when trying to get it all out.  Now if Chuck can just figure out how to shut the hell up maybe he’ll get somewhere.

“Without further ado I present to you — Jeffster!”

What a triumphant return of Jeffster, eh?  Only Chuck could pull off a gun fight in a wedding reception room with a black ops team jumping through the skylight, all set to Mr. Roboto.  Honestly, what other show could pull that off?

The Buy More crew had very little to do this episode, and it’s unclear whether they have a place in next season’s Chuck but if not it was a nice send off to our ragtag bunch of green shirts and herders.

Morgan really would do anything for Chuck.  It’s a good thing Chuck confessed about putting Morgan up to it, because I feel fairly certain that she would have never forgiven Morgan.

I was surprised to see that Chuck convinced Ellie that it was his fault solely on forgetting the rings.  I thought for sure he’d have to spill the beans.

“No, no, no – that clashes with the bunting.”

I like this new Casey.  He’s awesome, manly, and in touch with his feminine side.  “Wedding Planner” Casey was hilarious, and it’s great to see him to take the same level of pride in his work no matter the goal.

He also had his ‘You Rang?’ line which was pretty much requisite after that entrance.  As much as Yvonne Strahovski and Zachary Levi bring to Chuck, Adam Baldwin is every bit as necessary for the show to work.

I love Adam Baldwin.  I will shout it from the rooftops… okay maybe I won’t, but still — the man is awesome.

“Dad – I love her.”

I was really scared that they were going to kill off Papa B in this episode but I was relieved to find out that there is an opening for his return next season.  I really hope we’ll see Scott Bakula back because he really adds a lot to the show.

And how awesome is it that he is also an old fart of an intersect?  With the revelations from the end of the episode, this has the potential to set up a particularly interesting dynamic between the two.

I don’t imagine they can afford Scott Bakula full time but if he can make regular appearances, I’ll be a happy man.

“Guys… I know Kung Fu.”

Wow.  So Chuck is back with style.  He could probably kick Casey’s butt now.  I really really really loved the homage to the Matrix — it was done almost frame for frame.  Amazing.

I had to get up and stand up for the last fight scene because I was just that excited.  And while the fight was going on, I totally told my wife, “He better say ‘I know Kung Fu’”.  I’m glad he didn’t let me down.

They wrapped up both the Jill and Bryce storylines, but it remains to be scene whether Bryce will return from the dead yet again.  It would be interesting to find him resurrected in some form fitting with the show.  They’ve done it before, right?

The writers have also left an opening for a new, darker and ultimately scarier version of Fulcrum.  That’s also where we got our double meaing — I was waiting for it all episode — when we learn that the Fulcrum is just part of the ‘Ring’.

“Our brains only screw things up.”

I wonder if that quote is foreshadowing for how these changes to the intersect and Chuck may screw things up for him in a lot of ways.  How do you not get an ego with that kind of power?  I think we may find that it impedes forward-motion on the Charah front.

There was also brilliant foreshadowing when Ellie told Chuck that sometimes she thinks he has super powers.  The writing in this episode really was quite superb with things tying up very nicely.

And at the end we get a “To Be Continued…”  Is that a guarantee for a 3rd season?  I wouldn’t take it to be a guarantee, but it does mean they have lots in store.  Let’s hope NBC takes the bait and brings back our girl, Yvonne Strahovski, for another go at it.

Yvonne was, by the way, as splendid as ever and we got to see her in a variety of Wedding chic.  I’m sure that will make some great screen capping.  Just goes to show that you don’t have to put the girl in her underwear to get our attention — she is beautiful in all that she does.

But enough about my rambling; I have a feeling there’s going to be some very lengthy discussion on what this all means.  When Chuck comes back for Season 3, can it ever be the same?

Screen caps should be up tomorrow evening.  Until then, let’s talk it out.  Is this everything you hoped a season finale of Chuck would be?

I can’t really imagine a better setup for a good time, so let’s just get to the review of Episode 2.21 – Chuck Versus the Colonel.

“Your country thanks you, Colonel Casey.”

I don’t usually start with Casey, but tonight he deserves it.  After Chuck betrayed Casey a few too many times, I was really having a hard time imagining Chuck not taking a bullet to the brain.

But Adam Baldwin is a masterful actor and brought Casey’s cold shoulder paired with his deeply buried warm heart in full force.  His quips are always to die for, but tonight we got closer to Casey than we have in 2 seasons of Chuck.

If it were any other script or any other actor, I think I would balk at the speed with which Colonel Casey forgave his charges and joined their cause.  But I bought it, and I loved it.

Three cheers to Adam Baldwin.  In an episode full of Charah, he stole the show.

“Because the floor is gross…”

Now for the Charah.  We knew it was coming from the promos, but it didn’t disappoint.  I felt a little sorry for Chuck at first.

Sarah deciding to sleep in her panties was just downright mean if she wasn’t going to seduce him.  She should have slept in her jeans if that’s what it took.

More than the overt make-out session, though, Yvonne Strahovski did her usual best with emoting even when she wasn’t ‘with’ Chuck.

When she found out what Chuck’s Dad had done, the look on her face made me think she was going to tackle Chuck right there in the backseat with Papa B and Casey watching.  Classic Strahovski expression.

“I don’t even know where to get the knives.”

I’ve always liked how the Buy More plots mirror the spy plots, and this week’s was well done with Morgan’s emancipation.

I could have done without seeing J-Go topless, but I’ll let it slide since Anna is hot and I respect Morgan’s defiance.  I’m always happy with anyone who sticks it to Emmett.

“From one stalker to another; I’m impressed.”

Not being well-versed in the Godfather movies, I’m sure there are a lot of Buy More references I missed at the beginning with Big Mike and Morgan.

The Buy More plot was pretty decent this time around, and I really liked the way the three plotlines tied together.

‘Stalker’ Casey was totally awesome (yes, that was intended) and I liked that Devon’s investigation led him to the Buy More.  Stuff like that just makes the whole universe feel more connected.

It’s fun to entertain the possibilities of how the strange relationship between Casey and Chuck is viewed by outsiders.  They’ve toyed with that on the Sarah & Chuck front often enough, but I’ve always wondered why no one questioned Casey’s sudden appearance on the scene.

“Not bad for a frat boy.”

Captain Awesome was totally radical (don’t wanna overuse the ‘A’ word) in this episode.  I’ve long wished for a plotline involving Devon and Chuck’s secrety spy life.

The way in which is came out was totally perfect.  As a geek, I know that one thing all geeks love to talk about is superhero match-ups — could Wolverine take Spidey?  Would Batman have a chance against Superman?

That same nerve was hit when I got to see Captain Awesome square off against John Casey.  I didn’t really think Awesome stood a chance, but it was still neat to see.

Coincidentally, we got the same treat when we got to see Sarah Walker versus John Casey.  It was a banner geekgasm night, indeed.

I was a little disappointed that Devon lost all his cool when confronted by Ellie the first time, but he came through at the end with a nice little speech.

“I had no idea Tron was so popular.”

With all of the amazing character development, it’s actually surprising that the episode managed to advance the plot at all.  But oh did it advance the plot.

It was good to see both Chevy Chase and Scott Bakula back in their roles.  I do wonder why Roark would give Papa B so much leeway while under lock & key, but I guess it was necessary for the plot development.

For the sake of remaining as spoiler-free as possible, I’ll just say that Papa B’s handiwork was quite the gamechanger.  Some people saw it coming, but it’s hard to imagine where they go from here.  I assume the only way forward in this case will be back.

But in the meantime, at least we’ll get some new stuff and some different character interactions.  This episode really tied up the ‘arc’ of the second season.

I’m definitely hoping for that 3rd season, but this episode would be a fitting series finale if it isn’t in the cards.  So much so, that I really worry that next week’s episode will mess up the fairy-tale ending.

“I’ll go warm up the Vic.”

I get carried away with the episode sometimes and forget to dedicate a section to Yvonne Strahovski.  It is her who this website is dedicated, and it is remiss of me to not spend more time for her.

Her acting is such a staple of the show that it’s easy to overlook the subtlety and perfection with which she plays her role.  She got a fair amount of screen time this episode, and she handled it all well.

Not only that, but she looked stunning in her rehearsal dinner dress at the end.  Chuck Bartowski is having one heck of a night.  Let’s hope he cashed in that IOU from Morgan.

What did you guys think?  Is it everything you could possibly want out of the season and even the series if it came to that?

Screen caps should be up tomorrow.  Until then, let’s talk about the Colonel, the Charah, and the future.

I’ll take my intro this week to remind everyone to write your letter to NBC — Chuck has to come back or I will be lost and roaming this world with no purpose.

But for tonight I have a purpose; for tonight we focus on first kills.  Time for my  review of Episode 2.20 – Chuck Versus the First Kill.

“It’s time to try our latest flavor – Obama Guava.”

This is a fitting quote to this episode because First Kill was a completely different flavor of Chuck.  I don’t know what they were smoking when they scored this episode, but the music placement was atrocious.

It was also sadly another episode with not nearly enough Yvonne Strahovski for my taste, but at least she got one of her coolest gun fights to date near the end.

I’ll talk more about the pacing and music near the end of the review, but let’s get to the content of the episode.

“Here they are — Mr and Mrs. Bartowski!”

So here comes Jill again.  She wasn’t nearly as hateable this time around, but she certainly wasn’t likeable either.  I feel like the writers felt like they need to ‘finish’ the Jill storyline and worked her into a plot she didn’t need to be part of.

I have nothing against Jordana Brewster, but does she always talk as if her jaw is broken?  Maybe there was a bad accident on the set of Fast and Furious or something, but she barely moved her teeth the entire episode.

She provided a pretty convenient plot device to get Chuck defiant, but the chemistry that the two had in the earlier episodes was completely lost this time around.

I guess that’s to be expected, but at least she redeemed herself and created a reason for Beckman to get mad.

“Emmett is the straw that gently stirs the Buy More drink.”

The Buy More plot wasn’t half bad.  As usual, it mirrored Chuck’s life, but this time I actually feel like the Buy More plot had more painful consequences than the spy plot.

So what if Jill got away — Big Mike got demoted!  It’ll be interesting to see how this plays out.  I can only assume he’ll get his job back.  I’ve always hated Emmett, but this seemed particularly low even for him.

I enjoyed the Princess Bride-esque reasoning when the Buy More crew was trying to figure Emmett out, and seeing everyone dressed to impress was a good time.

It’s always good to see Anna make her semi-annual appearance, but she wasn’t used to any great effect.  She certainly looks better in the ‘whore’ skirt than her business suit.

“You can always deploy the Morgan.”

The most reliable part of Chuck is Adam Baldwin and he didn’t fail to disappoint in this episode.  Few characters can go seamlessly from cheating on a test to wrestling a shotgun from a baddie.

Baldwin does it with ease and wit, and I’m not ashamed to admit that he’s the reason I ever started watching this show.  The writers know what they’ve got with Baldwin and I like to see them flaunt it.

“Talk about beauty and the beast; you must be loaded!”

Not much to say except — EWWWWWW!!  Sarah can’t be Chuck’s cousin.

And I’m a completely heterosexual male, but I’m pretty sure Adam Baldwin doesn’t qualify as a beast.  He’s plenty man-pretty in my opinion.

Sure he doesn’t stand up to Yvonne Strahovski, but who does really?

“Good luck on the test, Comrades.”

The action near the end was really top-notch.  It started with Casey kicking butt, but it segued into some of the best Sarah Walker butt-kicking we’ve seen in a while.

As many of us cube-dwellers have learned over the years with nerf gun fights, cubicles make excellent cover.  Yvonne Strahovski put it to some good use with rolling and shooting that any action star would be proud of.

It’s not often that you get to see a woman so capably play the action hero part, and I applaud the writers for giving that to us.  Yay Yvonne Strahovski!  Someone should start a fan site about her…

“We’re not gonna take it!”

Okay, so that’s not exactly a quote but the background music was so ridiculously distracting this episode I’m sure you will all recognize what scenes I got it from.

Seriously, I don’t know if there was a technical error or what but the music in this episode was an epic disaster.  It completely destroyed the pacing by overpowering what should have been simple conversation.

The music was fast when it should have been slow, loud when it should have been quiet, and cheery when it should have been serious.  I didn’t check the credits on this one, but someone seriously misjudged something.

Whether it was editing, scoring, or simply bad mixing I don’t know, but it really ruined what I think could have been a much more enjoyable episode.

“Take off your watch.”

All of the shenanigans in First Kill really lead up to that final scene in the Buy More with Chuck and Sarah.  It’s a perfect setup where we can see the couple on their own, plus we get to see Casey do what he does best — play the hunter.

I’m super excited for this plotline, and I hope it turns out to be everything I’m hoping for.  Although I’m sure it will turn out okay in the end, it’s hard to imagine a world where they get back in Casey’s good graces.

It will be a fun chase, though, and I can’t wait to review that one next week.

Until then, let’s talk it out.  Glad to see Jill free?  Did you find the music and pacing as distracting as I did?

Screen Caps will be up tomorrow, but until then it’s time to talk about Chuck’s first kill.

Unfortunately nobody’s paying me, but I’ll just continue to love Yvonne in my free time and give you my humble review of Episode 2.19 – Chuck Versus the Dream Job.

(don’t read this review if you don’t want to be spoiled; some pretty big spoilers were unavoidable)

“I’m sorta freakin’ out here.”

I’ve been banking on the fact that Sarah actually recognized Papa B and I was immediately proven to be wrong.  I guess Yvonne’s look was because Chuck’s dad was a crazy old man.

I really liked the opening sequences with Chuck’s dad.  Scott Bakula did a really good job of playing the unkempt, eccentric dad.  I couldn’t quite imagine it before the episode but now I’m sold.

“You said you were going to make pancakes!”

Man Ellie’s had a rough couple of days.  I’ve never even been particularly drawn to her character but the poor chick has just been run over by everyone in her life lately.

I’m really starting to feel for Ellie and I’m glad at least the Devon situation is resolved.  It was all a bit contrived to begin with, really.

And then to have daddy abandon her again?  Ouch.

“Your daddy issues gonna jeopardize our mission?”

This is the first episode where we really got almost no Casey & Sarah.  Sure they were there from time to time, and they both make adorable little nerds, but for the most part they were largely absent.

I suppose it was necessary to make room for two huge guest stars like Chevy Chase and Scott Bakula, but being that I’m all about the Yvonne Strahovski, it was a bit disappointing.

At least Casey got in a few good ones; especially when tranqed by Chuck.

“Access Denied.  Have an amazing day!”

Morgan also got very little screen time this epsiode, but I think it’s worth mentioning his little bit in the beginning when Lester tells him that Chuck has a new job.

That scene when Morgan hangs up the phone may well be the hardest I laughed this episode, which was mainly serious actiony spy stuff.

Another good laugh was to be had when Jeff laid a huge block for Chuck when he was trying to escape the auditorium.  Buy More football, anyone?

“Don’t worry, Chuck, I’m not who you think I am either.”

As I said earlier, Bakula did an amazing job at being Chuck’s eccentric old man but then all of that was shattered with the not-so-unpredictable revelation of Papa B’s true identity.

To tell the truth, I’m a little disappointed in the direction the writers went with this.  It was far too obvious with no huge payoff.  They could have done better, and they are lucky that they had Bakula to sell it so well.

If it wasn’t for solid action and a fast moving plot, the identity of Chuck’s dad would have been a total flop.  It feels far more like a poorly realized Macguffin than the huge reveal it should have been.

“Man this place is awesome!”

As well as Bakula played Papa B, I thought Chevy Chase also did an admirable job as Roark.  I was worried that Chase would play him way over the top, but he reigned it in a gave a believable performance as a Steve Jobs kind of fella.

It was good to see the plot leave it open for both actors to be back since both played their parts so well.  I can only hope that they make good use of them in the future.

“You’re entering a world of pain, Chuck.”

So no real Yvonne Strahovski to speak of.  At least we got the patented ‘Chuck’ smile at the beginning of the episode in Papa B’s trailer.  That’s always a screen capture-worthy event.

This episode primarily set up the end of the season, with very little to stand on autonomously.  It was good to see Chuck take charge again and stand up to Casey, but then slightly unbelievable that he could tranq six armed guys so easily (maybe Papa B helped him out?).

At least everything is in place for one huge showdown to take us into what is hopefully only the season finale.

It will be interesting to see where this plotline leaves Chuck at the end.  Should be an interesting jump-off point for Season 3.

Did anyone else notice the doors at the end ’swooshed’ just like the Star Trek doors?  That totally had to be an intentional nod to Bakula’s Captain Archer.  I had my eyes peeled for my Trek references, but didn’t catch any others.

Well there was the one that was a long shot where they talked about arrows, which are shot by archers, which is the name of Bakula’s character in Enterprise.  But I’m pretty sure that’s just wishful Trekker pattern matching.

What did you think?  Great episode or just some filler to set up some plot?  Did you miss the Charah?

Screen captures should be up tomorrow, but until then I have two assignments for you: talk about the episode right here and go help save chuck by writing a letter to NBC!

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!

Usually time flies, but when we’re waiting on a glimpse of Yvonne Strahovski it just seems to stand still!  There’s just not enough Yvonne in the world, is there?

Cole’s gone, Strahotski.com’s down with the music, and now we’re left with nothing but my modest review of Episode 2.17 – Chuck Versus the Predator.

“No more plumbing on future missions.”

Wow.  It’s a good thing the episode started on a lighter note, because our trio of spies didn’t get a whole lot of guffaws on this outing.  Even Chuck can’t afford to yuck it up in such trying times.

I don’t think I can write this review like I have the others because this episode was so different than recent episodes.  The stakes are higher, Chuck is playing for keeps, and not even Major John Casey can stand in his way.

“Sarah… You’re in the little boys room!”

The only humor we really get this episode is courtesy of the Buy More gang.  And in this episode, gang is definitely the most apt term to describe them.

We’ve heard about Jeff’s “office” before but I had no idea it was going to be that nice.  Where do the poor disabled people use the restroom!?

It was brief, but we also got to see the return of Morgan’s Mom for one of the funniest scenes in the episode.  I don’t know why they’re waiting so long to fully cash in on this plotline.  I love it.

“Okay team — we should run now.”

Emmett wasn’t such a drag this episode, and I really liked the Buy More gang coming together for a common good.  It’s a little strange that neither Chuck nor Anna were involved, but we can let that slide for some hilarity.

The Beverly Hills gang is a lot of fun and I hope they bring those back for future installments.  There must be a Buy More picnic every summer, right?  Potato Sack Racing.  I’ll say no more.

“You should have trusted me.“

Right from the get-go we get this new dynamic of Sarah chasing Chuck.  She wants Chuck to trust her and love her, but he can’t right now and you can tell it’s eating her up inside.

I really like how Yvonne Strahovski played this.  She seemed distant and annoyed the whole episode, even when she was trying to bond with Chuck at the end.  This is exactly what we need to bring Charah to fruition, and I’m happy to see the whole thing take a backseat for some crazy action.

“Wake up Casey, the 80s are over.”

Poor Casey.  Beckman pretty much has him quiet and stiff this episode, and ouch on the quote above.  You’d think Beckman would at least be nice to him.

“Oh wow — Beckman’s tiny!”

Bringing Beckman to Burbank is a bold move.  Those who have been keeping up with the promos and spoilers new it was coming, but I don’t think I was prepared for the impact she had on the whole operation.

She’s always been terse, but she’s downright mean in this episode.  You can kind of see where she’s coming from with the mission as grave as it is, and it’s an interesting dynamic to see Casey and Sarah put in a situation where they have their hands tied.

It’s the perfect opportunity to see Chuck take the reigns without it feeling forced or silly.  Unfortunately, the General’s appearance is going to cause angst for us fans of Yvonne Strahovski next week.  Let’s hope Sarah follows through on her promise from the promo.

“Your search for Orion was a rogue operation.”

How about this new Chuck?  He’s not quite James Bond, but at least he’s directed, focused, and deadset on getting what he wants.  This is the kind of Chuck that we all wish would pursue Sarah’s love.

Orion was awesome as a Morpheus-like shadow.  The episode may have been called Versus the Predator, but I think Versus the Matrix would have been a better title.  This episode conjured up a lot of Matrixy vibes.

There was the nod to Predator with Orion’s wrist-computer, but other than that the Predator seems to be referring the UAV that he commandeered.  Not as cool as more Governator references, but enjoyable nonetheless.

“That sounds like a fun class.”

And here we are.  We have Chuck intent on decoding the intersect, and Casey & Sarah on the defensive.  Neither of them can relate to Chuck like they used to and neither of them are really Chuck’s favorite people right now.

This whole dynamic creates a lot of palpable tension that we haven’t had on Chuck for a while and it makes the whole plot seem much more imminent.  Something’s gotta give and I can’t wait to see what it is!

This episode was a really big departure from previous episodes, and although I did miss Awesome and the humor, I really appreciate the gusty direction that this plot has taken the show in.

Next week we see Sarah replaced as Chuck’s handler and who knows how long that will last.  Before we get too bent out of shape on that one, let’s talk Orion and the Intersect!

Screen caps will be up tomorrow afternoon.  Until then, let the commenting begin!

If you’re going to be seeing it for the first time, or if you just wanted to take a walk down memory lane, you can check out my original review of the episode.

And because I wanted to throw something new into the mix, I’ve concocted a new wallpaper in honor of the episode which I’m sure all will enjoy:

It’s may not be as fun as a new episode of Chuck, but I hope it fills the void left by a repeat episode.  I especially like that on some resolutions her right hand is right on your taskbar.  Beautiful!

But don’t stop there!  You can also check out the Seduction Gallery over at the new photo gallery where you can rate the images and leave comments.

Feel free to talk further about the episode in the comments, and check back later in the week for a special music-related addition to the site!

But even with Cole gone, I must press on and write my review for Episode 2.16 – Chuck Versus the Lethal Weapon.

“How’d you sleep?”

Well the episode certainly started with a bang.  Just as predicted by many a forum-goer (and some previews), Yvonne was smokin’ in her t-shirt and boy shorts.

I actually really enjoyed that whole opening scene.  They seemed at least somewhat comfortable with each other for the first in a while and that was nice to see.  It’s sad that it was so short lived.

We didn’t really get a lot out of it in the long run, but Chuck trying to dance around the Cole issue was sorta fun.

“When did you get an office, John?”

You’d really think that Morgan would start wondering why Chuck and Casey seem to be so close.  As far as Morgan knows, Casey is just some random dude who started working at Buy More.

Yet, Chuck & Casey seem to spend a whole lot of time together.  They need a whole episode where Morgan gets jealous of their friendship.  Surely he’s noticed by now.

“Me and Cole, Cole and Me.”

I have to say that my absolute favorite part of this episode was the relationship between Cole and Chuck.  It’s really awesome that the writers chose to bring in a non-combative romantic adversary.

Cole is so charming, that even Chuck seems to like him just like we do.  I really enjoyed that Cole looked out for Chuck and seemed to genuinely want to help him become a better agent.

They need Casey for the gruff laughs, so I don’t know how to work it in but it would be nice to see Chuck start getting some formal training.

“We’re dead, Bartowski’s got a gun.”

Okay.  Not much to say about Casey other than he was awesome as always.  I just wanted a reason to use that quote.  We knew it was coming from the previews, but it still delivered.

“Laugh it up, fuzzballs.”

I actually enjoyed the Buy More plot this week which is a rare occurrence.  This week actually pushed Morgan and Anna’s relationship further, while also sort of mirroring Chuck’s predicament.

I still wish they could do a little more with Anna, though.  She’s too often just an oddball foil for whatever Morgan is cooking up.  She doesn’t really seem to own her own personality very often.

“I saw the way you looked at him when his life was in danger.”

I sort of like where we’re at with Charah at the moment.  They’ve both acknowledged it in their own ways, and they both understand that it just can’t be.  And it’s not fair; but that’s life.

It’s sad that we won’t get the fun of them moving in together.  You can just see the total frustration of them both trying to deal with the situation.

As I’ve said before, we know what we want to happen but imagine how much more confusing it must be for the characters of Chuck and Sarah.  It must be maddening.

“Sarah, I’m not going to move in with you.”

So no more adorable boy shorts, but at least we got to see Voyager’s EMH and some fun action scenes.  I feel that the characters grew as characters and we’re in a good place to kick off the rest of the season.

I’m glad Cole didn’t die and I hope to see him back some time in the future.  He’s too good of a character to let go entirely.

I’m sure you guys have tons to say about the way things played out, so let’s hear it!  Last week’s comment count was over 40.  Let’s see if we can break the record again!

Screen caps should be up tomorrow afternoon, as always.

Well now we know the answers and they aren’t pretty.  Time to talk about Chuck Episode 2.15 – Chuck Versus the Beefcake.

“Big Mike’s boning Bolognia?”

Let’s start with the Buy More plot this week.  It was downright boring.  Not even remotely funny in my opinion.  I really wish they could have done more with it.

They had gorgeous women, afterall.  Couldn’t they come up with something other than Jeff in a bathrobe?

I was disappointed we didn’t get more follow-up the Big Mike/Bolognia romance.  That subplot is comedy gold, and I wanted to see more Patricia Rae!

“The bearded buffoon sleeps au naturale.”

The Morgan/Awesome/Ellie plot was better.  It didn’t really advance any plot points, but Ryan McPartlin is just awesome at reacting to situations in hilarious ways.

I guess it was also necessary to make everything work out.  Ellie pushing Chuck to break up with Sarah gives Chuck a reason to push Sarah away without us blaming him.  A necessary plot development, I suppose.

“I’m not into nice guys.”

It’s going to pain some of you to hear me say this, but I actually like Cole.  He’s smooth, cool, and the perfect antithesis to Chuck.  He’s like the show’s version of James Bond.

Given that Chuck just kicked her to the curb, it’s easy to understand how Sarah could fall for him.  He’s the kind of guy Chuck can never be.

You and I know that that’s exactly why they can’t end up together, but if you get into the characters’ head, it really does make a lot of sense.  I love that Sarah was enamored.

“This is pre-torture?”

The fulcrum plot was pretty interesting but obviously designed to put together this love triangle with Cole, Chuck and Sarah.

I particularly enjoyed the torture scene which I felt was the closest Chuck and Cole will get to ‘fighting’ over Sarah.  Chuck wants to be what Cole is, and it looks like we’ll see the culmination of that in next week’s episode.

I only hope that they all come to realize that Sarah doesn’t want Cole, and she certainly doesn’t want Chuck to be Cole.  But I think her getting with Cole is a necessary evil for her character development.

“Seeing something you like down there, Bartowski?”

Baldwin was without effect this episode for the most part.  That’s a shame, because I do so love me some Casey.  He had his usual one-liners, but nothing overly spectacular.

I know Casey and Chuck have an antagonistic relationship, but I feel like some of his comments about Sarah and Cole getting it on were low even by his standards.  Casey must have some love for Chuck by now, right?

“Believe Me — Sarah’s the one.”

And the truest words of the episode were of course uttered by Morgan; the wise little bearded sage troll man-boy.  Way to go, J-Go!

I really like the direction they’ve gone with ‘Charah’.  It makes sense for the characters, and it hurts a little but I don’t think any of us are under the illusion that it won’t come full circle.

It should be interesting to see how the living arrangements work out with Sarah and Chuck living together.  I really think they should add Morgan as their roommate for extra comedy gold.  Then they’d have to sleep in the same room.

What do you think?  Was this episode as heartbreaking as you feared?

Screen caps should be up tomorrow; until then let’s talk it out!

To me, that’s what ‘Chuck Versus the Best Friend’ was.  It was a breath of fresh air in an otherwise overly serious and awkward season.

“Drive-thru when you’re used to fine dining.”

That quote is perhaps the best explanation for this episode.  Sure we’re used to deep Charah stuff, but sometimes you just want a burger, ya know?

I thought the ‘Charles Carmichael comes quickly’ was scandalous last week, but this whole exchange between Awesome and Ellie took it to a whole new level.

Nonetheless, I’m sooooo happy to see Awesome back, as well as his relationship with Ellie.  He brings so much to the show and I feel like they’ve forgotten that since the first season.

I’ve said it before, but I initially got into this show for two reasons: Adam Baldwin (from Firefly) and Captain Awesome from the first episode.

“Idiots on the move.”

Not only were we treated to more Awesome & Ellie, but we also got a heavy dose of the whole herd.

Jeffster was pretty funny and it was nice to see Jeff and Lester carry almost an entire plot point by themselves.  They weren’t just support for other characters.

And then there was Anna.  I’ve been missing her and she got more lines in this episode than she’s gotten in the whole series.

As much as I loved seeing her, though, I felt some of her lines seemed a little bit too story-serving.  I’m not sure it was all consistent with the Anna we’ve come to love.

“You’re like the poster child for friendly fire.”

Casey’s always funny but tonight was a particularly fine episode for him.  He actually had me convinced when he was supporting Chuck’s love of Morgan.

It was also nice writing to see the Semper Fi reference weave through the episode so well.  It’s fun to see Casey slowly come to respect Chuck, however fleeting it may be.

“He’s not a spy; he’s a stalker.”

Poor Morgan.  He really got slapped around this episode.  I have to say, though, that his integrated part in the plot was a welcome addition.

I was watching the first couple of episodes from the Blu-Ray set this week and they’ve really lost some of the Chuck/Morgan love since that first season.

It’s important to remember that it’s not just Chuck & Sarah that have a relationship.  Chuck has Morgan and Ellie, and even Casey.  If the show is to survive, it has to embrace all of its characters, for it is the characters that make Chuck great.

“Shame I gotta mess up that face.”

You know what gets its own section tonight?  That awesome fight scene in the cab of the car.  Just wow.

That was some creative choreography in there, and I especially loved the attempted CD stab.  Whomever planned that out (I’m gonna guess Fedak), did an awesome job using every bit of a car for a fight scene.

Sure it was a little bit Jackie Chan, but I loved it.  When’s the last time you saw a bad guy taken out by an intentionally deployed airbag?

That’s quick thinking on Sarah’s part.  Color me impressed.

“Was the woman born with stars on her shoulders?”

The writing on this episode was just amazing.  I’m a big fan of character driven stories and this one was about as character driven as it gets.

The developed every single character who made an appearance in the episode — even General Beckman!  That’s just great writing that I hope they can stick to.

The episode flows so much better when we have so much to take in.  In comparison, previous episodes seem drawn out and too focused.  We need the multiple plot lines if we’re to deal with a 60-minute comedy.

“Yeah you do.”

And even with an episode so full of character development, there was time for Chuck & Sarah.  My favorite of the parts was the subtle laugh from Yvonne when Chuck was fumbling over his words with the General.

Yvonne did have to lecture Chuck a bit on putting things in perspective with Morgan.  I thought it was actually well done, and probably even justified.  It might have stung a little, but it wasn’t relationship-damaging.

The car explosion was obvious, but they played it well where Sarah wouldn’t have known Chuck knew about the remote control.  Our girl Yvonne Strahovski really sold that scene with her emotion.  I don’t even think Chuck realized how big of an impact it made on her.

And we get a nice bow around the present with the conversation during Jeffster’s debut.  If we’re going to dance around them being together ad infinitum, this is the way to do it.

Screen captures should be up tomorow afternoon; until then let’s talk it out!  Did you like this episode?  What was your favorite part?