Chuck v the Role Models

Phil Klemmer had a tough job, write the script to follow the wonderful, satisfying “Honeymooners”. He crafted a solid episode with “Role Models”. It wasn’t my favorite, not by a long shot, but it was fun and had its inspired, clever moments.

Chuck & Sarah - My favorite aspect for two reasons.
· The Real Discussions – In the midst of all the jokes, Chuck and Sarah had a lot of true couple moments where they were honest with each other. After so many episodes in which they didn’t tell each other the truth, it was rewarding to see the couple be so forthright… even if Chuck had to admit his stress reliever is cleaning.
• The Bickering – I love Sarah and Chuck arguing. Period. I loved it in “Hard Salami,” “Crown Vic,” Cougars,” “Mask,” and now this episode. Those scenes are always funny to me and Yvonne and Zac play out those scenes and play off one another really well.

• Swoosie Kurtz & Fred Willard – Need I say more? These two are fantastic on their own and together they make a super pair. WWTD indeed. Although they don’t knock off Roan as my favorite older spy, the scene with the Turners wrestling on the floor brings them mighty close.
• Sarah – I could just leave at that and no one would question me but I did put her down for a specific reason. This episode highlighted Sarah’s competitive nature. She clearly did not get the big deal about the Turners . Frankly, why would she? I mean she is Sarah Walker. After two seasons with few humorous scenes for Sarah, I love seeing Sarah in funny situations like that last scene with Otto.
• The Parallel – Comedic comparisons to the Turners galore, as Chuck and Sarah clashed between his awe of them and her obvious horror of becoming them. Serving also to emphasize how well our couple works together, despite a few bumps.

Casey & Morgan: I’m still digging this bromance. The dialogue was neither as funny nor as clever in this episode as the previous but the laughs still delivered. I’m not that big of a fan of the emotional bonding between Casey and Morgan. I much prefer Casey’s physically harming the little bearded man, but it is good to know they’re friends (well, friendly-ish).

Ellie & Dr. Super Fantastic White Person: Didn’t love this. A) It really wasn’t believable to me and B) the only part that contributed to the plot was the end. I do understand that it brought “closure” to the Doctors Without Borders plot but I would have been happier with less.

Some final thoughts:

• The opening scene is perfection. I’ve never seen “Hart to Hart” (until now) but just the overly obvious winking and smiles paired with a montage won my heart over.

• Is it bad to still think Ryan McPartlin is smokin’ when he is all sweaty from disease?

• Very pleased with the end of the episode as it finally seems like we’ll learn more of the Ring. So far the Ring storyline has been disappointing; they just don’t seem much of an evil, villainous group. Worse yet, the Ring hasn’t added a thing to the story.

• Anyone catch a slip of Yvonne’s accent when she said “… normal life” during the discussion about moving in? I don’t know why but it made me happy.

• At the end of the episode Chuck remarks how he and Sarah never will live a normal life. It shows just how far these two characters have come from what they initially wanted. For two seasons Chuck spent most of his time trying to get his old life back while Sarah seemed to progressively want a normal life herself. Now these two have finally accepted who they are and what their purpose is. *
* The transition between Chuck rejecting being a spy for so long to wanting to be one was never clear to me.. Same goes for Sarah realizing she can’t live without the spy life as she seemed pretty willing to run away and give it up, twice. I would have liked to see that “in-between” stage where Sarah realizes that normal isn’t really what she thought it would be but that is neither here nor there.

• Did Africa look a little familiar? Anyone who has had the pleasure of going on the WB tour can recognize that little patch of “jungle”… or anyone who has watched “Cougars,” “Sensei,” “Three Words,” “Tic Tac,” and more multiple times.

• I really enjoyed the back-and-forth cut-scenes between Chuck with the tiger and Morgan trying to steal the card. Kudos to Klemmer, very clever.

• Best Line: The note saying ”You Disgust Me!!!” Again I went with a non-spoken line but it was hysterical.
o Runner-up: “You said he was majestic."
“He is a little majestic.”

So it looks like the days of lighthearted Chuck have returned. Personally I’m digging this balance of humor, comedy, action and romance. What do you all think, are you happy with the back 6 so far?

Rules of Commenting:
1. Be Nice!
2. No whips… tigers, however, are allowed :)

- Emily

Chuck vs. the Tic Tac Recap

If you're a listener of the podcast (and if you're reading the blog and this recap, I think that you are) you may have come to know me as the stickler ho. I've given the past few episodes the lowest score out of the 6 of us and while I'm not necessarily alone, I can be a bit hard on them.

Not this one, my friends.

Maybe it was the lack of exposure ahead of time, maybe it was just that I wanted something awesome to cling to, but this episode knocked the wind out of me and I've already watched it three times by now. It truly did have everything that I'd hoped for - action (holy mother of pearl), comedy, and while not heavy there was still a little romance. Not only that, but we had some amazing amazing set up and reveals as well. For me, this was one of the hands-down best episodes of the season.

The theme this week seemed to clearly be choices and their consequences. Casey made a choice between love and love of country, and the choice came back to haunt him once more. Even in a nice parallel with the B-story of Ellie and Devon, Ellie has to make a choice - her dream fellowship or Doctors without Borders with Devon. But I digress.

Let's take it back a little. In the "Fake Name" we were clued in to another persona of Casey's, Alex Coburn. At that point, we didn't know who he was, who he could've been, or what he was doing, but Casey clearly didn't want to talk about it. Now, as the episode opens, we're treated to a flashback, Casey-style, and introduced to Alex Coburn. A young, spry, Marine lieutenant who just wants to do good for his country. It's good, as I'm sure any Adam Baldwin fan would agree, as it gives us all something to chew on for our favorite NSA agent.

It is here we also meet Robert Patrick's Colonel James Keller, the big bad for the episode. Now, I've not seen anything else Patrick has been in (I know, start throwing stuff now) so I can't really comment on his talent, but I will say that I'd like to see some deleted scenes from this episode, if only to see why he was so underused. We could've gotten some great history from him, but it might've bogged down the episode and this one was a-racin'.

Colonel Keller is revealed to have been the voice on the other end of the Ring phone call that Casey got at the end of "The Beard." He's meeting with Casey to enlist him on a super secret side mission to go along with the team's upcoming "trace cell" mission. Team Bartowski is set to infiltrate a CIA controlled vault to test their security systems and Keller wants Casey to get something from that super secret vault and give it to him.

What is it that Colonel Keller wants? An experimental drug called Laudanol, developed to help soldiers repress emotions in the battlefield and fight without fear, making them stronger and faster. Hey now, they mentioned emotions! That seems to be a good buzzword for our boy Chuck here and you know that pill is going to come into play for him later on. Especially after he reverently observes, "I could work... perfectly."

The whole mission is cool, if only because I was excited to see not only the return of the Parkour flash but also the arrow from the Pilot (anyone else catch that? Just me? Oh okay) while Team Bartowski sneaks in through 15 levels of security to get to this super secret vault. Chuck spots Casey steal the pill and eventually, accidentally and in his very own Chuck way, outs him as the drug's thief to General Beckman (who I have also missed in some of the previous episodes). Beckman orders Sarah to relieve Casey of his weapon and he is arrested, taken to a cell back in that CIA facility they were already in. I knew there was a reason they learned about the place's security measures!

Through his own means (meaning he flashes on the guy) Chuck finds out that Colonel Keller is a member of the Ring and is playing Casey! He tells Sarah and they team up to break Casey out of his holding cell. While not nearly as cool as before, we did get some of the comedy here. I cracked up when a) Chuck flipped right into a plexiglass panel and b) we were "graced" by the presence of the engineer behind all the security measures. While he entered with a whole lot of bravado for yet another tech nerd, he lost it quickly when he revealed himself to be Chuck's biggest fan. Good move on the writers for bringing him in to inject a bit of lightness into the moment as he gleefully asked about the mission in season two when Chuck decided to kiss Casey to save him only to find out that was a stupid idea. I'd all but repressed that episode if only because of Jill.

The team successfully gets to Casey, only to realize that Keller is there as well. Chuck tells him he's a member of the Ring and Casey's only response is that he knows and goes off with Keller. Uh oh. That can't be good. As Chuck and Sarah are leaving, though, they're captured by a couple of Beckman's men, bringing them to Castle for her to order them to capture Casey, dead or alive. Uh oh. That's certainly not good. But through this Sarah realizes that the only reason Keller would still want Casey is if he doesn't have the pill. So if they can get to the pill before Keller can, they can save Casey and clear his name. Only Casey hid the pill in a place that he, now, can't get to. Enter Morgan's moment to shine. Or mess everything up, either way.

Casey enlists Morgan to get the pill from a DVD case in the Buy More, and Morgan - all eager to please and join in like a new puppy - excitedly does so. Until he's intercepted by Chuck. Chuck gets the pill from Morgan and returns to the apartment, only to find Casey waiting in the shadows. Here it is revealed that Casey is doing all of this... because The Ring has his long-lost fiance and they threatened to kill her if he didn't cooperate. Alex Coburn was engaged, once upon a time. Say it with me, awwwwwww. There's a touching team moment where Chuck and Sarah throw in their services to help get Kathleen, Casey's ex-fiance, safe and to keep Keller from getting what he wants. Chuck goes to Kathleen, while Sarah and Casey face Keller.

I've missed Sarah and Casey working together, and hadn't really realized how much until this episode. There was a very cool scene of Sarah revealing herself from beneath the car that Casey took to the meeting (he was told to come alone) and Casey leaving a hint for her as to who she's up against. We finally got to see Sarah win a fight this season! Sarah's kicking butt while Casey is inside, confronting his old commander. He tosses Keller the case that held the pill, only to have Keller open it and reveal... a Tic Tac. Of course, Ring agents don't like to be messed with and this lead to a right smackdown between Keller and Casey, ending with Casey snapping Keller's neck.

Meanwhile, Chuck is doing his darnedest to protect Kathleen, posing as a meter-reader for the gas company, only to have the bad guys arrive just as they're escaping. They go back into the house, Chuck shoves Kathleen into a closet and bolts the door with a chair, and proceeds to panically call Casey and Sarah. They, of course, tell him to flash and fend off the bad guys until they get there, but he's too freaked out. Casey tells him to take the pill... conveniently placed in the pocket of his shirt. After some hesitation (naturally - this is a prototype pill!) Chuck takes it and is immediately pistol whipped by one of the bad guys. But he flashes! He launches himself up, announces that he's not afraid of them, and proceeds to beat the mess out of each agent in the house. There is one pesky agent, that won't go down, and Chuck starts to strangle him (almost exactly like Casey had done to Keller), seemingly completely unaware of his actions. That is until Sarah comes in and yells at him to stop. He comes out of the flash-haze and drops the agent, staring at his hands in almost terrified awe.

Casey tends to Kathleen and tells her they've called the police. As the team settles and the police arrive, so does a teenage girl, running to her mom. Kathleen wearily tells her, Alex, that she's fine. Alex? Triple uh oh. Casey has a daughter! Another flashback reveals that Kathleen had some news to tell him when he returned from his last mission, before Keller hangs up the phone roughly and announces that Alex Coburn would die in battle that night and from then on, he would be John Casey.

The team returns to Castle with Casey, ready to face Beckman, but she gives a sentence neither of them expected. She gives Casey a second-second chance... as a civilian. He is stripped of his NSA job and Chuck is told to escort him off government property. While Sarah has a moment alone with Beckman, she brings up Sarah's request for a reassignment earlier in the season. There's an extra seat on her flight back to DC if she'd like to discuss it there? And the episode ends with Sarah in a cab in DC, saying she's thinking of moving there. Say it isn't so!! (We all know it's not, but it's a good ending).

With the spy A-story taking up much of the time this week, there wasn't a lot of time for a solid B and C story, but I think the inklings of what's to come for the Bartowski-Woodcombs is exciting. There were no Buy More hijinks, as it was Jeffster and Big Mike's turn to take a break in this episode and Morgan had fleeting but adorable appearances. But, as I said earlier, the parallel came through Ellie's choice between her dream fellowship and Doctors without Borders, the first thing Devon's been excited about in weeks. What do you think she'll choose?

Some other thoughts:

• This episode did a very nice job of setting up what's to come, again, but I can't help feeling like I need a release of some sort. They've set up a couple things that could go some big places later on, but there's also the worry that they'll forget all about some things.
• I think it was a big deal in revealing that Ellie's dream fellowship is in neurology. We all know that neurology is the study of brains, right? Curious, very curious.
• The Laudanol pill. I thought that was a great, great plot device. It's effects on Chuck were very interesting indeed and I wouldn't be surprised if Beckman had ordered it to be developed for him as well as other soldiers. I would love to see it come back into play later on in the season, but I know it won't and that makes me sad.
• Kathleen and her daughter or should I say Casey's daughter. Now that Casey is a civilian, do we think he's going to follow up on that? Doubtful. But it was still a nice little way to say that he loved, once. Even if that was the whole point of the "Undercover Lover" in season one. Eh. I'll take what I can get involving Casey at this point.
• Another interesting thing to note: correlation between this week's episode's awesomeness and the lack of Shaw?

What did you guys think?

Chuck vs. the Fake Name: Thoughts from a Ho

Coming into this episode I did not know what to expect. From the pre-screener’s warnings to the few somewhat discouraging words from the critics and the awful fan reaction to the Mask, I prepared myself for the worst. Maybe since I was prepared for the worst, I ended up quite enjoying the episode. No it wasn’t perfect nor was it was my favorite of the season, but for the most part, it was a strong episode and Ali Adler as usual did not disappoint.

One of this season’s major themes: Being a Spy Has Consequences. From the very first episode, Sarah (yes I’m afraid my fingers are too used to typing Sarah) told Chuck that if he went off to become a spy he “wasn’t going to be the same person.” This episode epitomizes that warning. In stark contrast to “First Class” a few weeks ago, Chuck jumps into leading this mission with confidence and a willingness to get the job done at all costs. I mean he pulled a tooth out with only slight hesitation. To sort of steal from Casey’s sentiments, who would’ve thought our boy would be capable of that a few years ago?

Over the past few episodes this “new” Chuck has been evolving from lying to forcing Manizzle into witness protection to his break-up scene with Hannah. Punching Hannah in the face in our BOOM BOOM POW game seems kinder than what Chuck did to her. Seriously, who breaks up with a girl in front of her parents after being seemingly on board with the whole relationship!? However, I’m going quickly brush aside the fact that Chuck was a dick to move along to the bigger aspect of the scene. Chuck finally realized how true Sarah’s words were and in that instant Chuck understood how valid Sarah’s concerns are. Watching Chuck’s speech to Hannah, it felt as if I was watching a déjà vu with a role reversal twist since it reminded me of so many previous talks and unvoiced thoughts between Chuck and Sarah. I hope that because of Hannah’s verbal bitch slap, Chuck finally fully appreciates Sarah’s constant struggle in the first two seasons and gives her the credit she deserves (as she never was this much of an ass). However, I do think Chuck’s douche level will be brought down a notch because Hannah calling him out was just the icing on the cake. I’m of course talking about the reveal of Sarah’s real name.

Now I realize there are issues with this whole scene in general. Yes, even though it doesn’t bother me, I accept that Sarah would have more chemistry with a __________ (you can fill in the blank here) and Shaw is a life-size wooden boy. And yes, the name reveal was probably not done in a way that any fan planned it (though let’s be honest – Chuck would have taken the shot at Shaw if it were up to the fans). Despite the reveal not being a romantic tender moment between the two as a symbol of trust that might have occurred in a season past, the reveal in this episode had the same emotional meaning. I believe Sarah did not say her name was Sam to Shaw as a sign of her trust in him, but rather as a sign of her desperation to hold onto her dream of a real life. However, the best part of the scene for me wasn’t involving ‘I’m Not a Real Boy’ and Sam (yeah I finally said it) but rather Chuck’s reaction to the whole reveal. Credit to Zac because I definitely felt this scene and the cold-water wake up call it was for Chuck. In an instance Chuck was no longer Rafe, or the dick that had Sarah cook for the girl he’s sexing up (and practically bragged about), but he was the Chuck who remembered why he downloaded the new Intersect in the first place- for Sarah. So yes, the reveal wasn’t between just the two of them nor was there a romantic reward, but the emotional impact was still big enough in my opinion.

Right now I think what we are seeing is Chuck’s struggle to find that perfect balance between great spy and that guy he used to always be. He hasn’t quite found it yet, but he’s getting there and I’d think by the end of this “season” he’d be there. I know that some don’t feel this way, but I’ve personally liked this journey and aspect of this season. Whereas some find it angsty and unnecessary, I think that this darker side of the show has brought some great scenes and given the characters greater depth. I like that the writers didn’t take the easy way out and make Chuck a superspy but rather show us how a guy like Chuck would fair in a world full of lies and no-win scenarios. Chuck isn’t the same guy we once knew; he is growing up and it isn’t always pleasant.

On a lighter note I felt that this episode brought some of the laughs I was missing and much needed after last episode. From the two villains analyzing the relationship to everything that Casey said or did was breath of fresh air. Also, the Buy More guys talking about the ladies in Chuck’s life and how he gets them was hysterical.

Some final thoughts:

• Chuck had sex with Hannah. Surprisingly this didn’t upset me like I thought it would. Perhaps it was because I thought Kristin Kreuk was adorable as Hannah, but I think it is more the fact that I never saw her as sort of a rival to Sarah. In the end I think Hannah’s purpose was to show Chuck just how far he’s come along in the spy world, and not always for the better. (As a side note, I’m happy Hannah turned out just to be a girl as too many people turn out to be spies in Chuck’s life.)

• Finding out that Jeff wants Chuck to be with Sarah as much as the fans do alone was priceless.

• Why is Sarah with Shaw? Honestly. Yes, I’m sneaking this in here now but it is a valid question. Shaw was not a hero in this episode or the guy that has encouraged Chuck who I’ve come to like. He was cocky and seemed like an ass when he went to punch Rafe (and please, Sarah can take care of herself). Basically, Shaw is a spy and everything that Sarah seems to hate (she gave a whole speech about it)… so again I ask, why is she so into him? Also it seems that the cheesiest scenes and lines usually involves these two. “You don’t look like a Sarah.” Seriously? I want to play the BOOM BOOM POW game for that alone.

• Best Line: Chuck in his Christian Bale Batman voice- “Yeah. I know where that is. Across the street from the cupcake place. Because I like cupcakes, that's why. Who doesn't like a good cupcake?”

This episode wasn’t the strongest, funniest, or most romantic (still waiting for something to top Colonel) but it was a solid episode. More so, I feel like it was an episode setting the stage for what is to come, something that the “Mask” failed to do. How Sarah’s real name, Sam, will come into play and the identity of Alex Coburn are only two of the questions lined up for upcoming episodes. Add the fact that the next episode has gotten rave reviews across the board and we are in for a treat.

To wrap up I’d like to point out that these are just my thoughts on the episode. I did not cover everything since I’m pretty sure you don’t want to ramble on when I’ve probably said too much already and barely in a coherent sense. Please add your own comments as I’d love to hear your own views on the episode, what you noticed, and what you disagree/agree with.

Rules of Commenting:

1. Be nice!
2. No throwing cheeseballs ;)

Remember check back and stay tuned for a podcast with a group Ho discussion on the episode coming later this week!