What I’m Watching: Chuck

Chuck: Season 3, Episode 5 “Chuck Versus First Class” (B+)

I’m so glad that I was right about this season after the first three hours felt a bit fluffy. After last week’s Awesome episode, Chuck’s sister and spectacular brother-in-law are nowhere to be found but the hour is still insanely exciting. Chuck’s first solo mission is a great idea, and he performs fantastically. His ability to be both impressive and obnoxious at the same time in the execution of his mission is pretty astonishing, and Zachary Levi plays the part marvelously. It’s a pity he didn’t get a chance to use his nunchucks, but it was very funny to see both of his nemeses knock each other out. It’s fantastic that he turned to Casey in his great time of need when Shaw wouldn’t let Sarah answer his call for help. The bonding between Shaw and Sarah was also nice since it enables Sarah to open up as well as the seemingly strong Shaw to break down. Chuck’s new love interest is a welcome addition to the show, and Kristen Kreuk performs perfectly. It’s essentially the same role she played in the first season of “Smallville,” as Clark’s distant love seen only through the lens of a telescope, and it’s terrific to have her on the show. Hearing her talk about the way Chuck talks about Paris made for a wonderful dramatic moment, and I’m looking forward to more of that. I’m not so sure about her working at the Buy More, but at least she’ll be sticking around for a bit. The Buy More is also capable of delivering decent plotlines, like Morgan turning to Casey for help managing his unruly subordinates. The way Casey’s face lit up when he thought about them as insurgents was great, though it was more than a bit creepy to see him abduct and brainwash Lester. Oh well, it comes with the job, I guess.