Tuesday, November 22, 2011

What I’m Watching: Chuck


Chuck: Season 5, Episode 4 “Chuck Versus the Business Trip” (B+)

It’s a bit of a strange idea to have the Intersect not be a part of this show, but this installment indicates that the show is capable of functioning just fine without it, though the direction that we’ll now be headed in its remaining nine episodes is unclear. I’m somewhat perplexed about Chad Decker’s role in all this and his publicly professed glee for the fact that there was still a hit out on Morgan, but it did provide a good setup for a fun and somewhat unconventional episode. Chuck and Sarah have gone undercover together before, but there was something about this time that felt different, partly because they were actually thinking about whether this could be their real life. That’s the theme of this season, and if it weren’t for bunny-loving partiers, strangling-prone bartenders, and duplicitous would-be friends, they might actually have a shot at peaceful bliss. It was a treat to see Catherine Dent from “The Shield” as the Viper, and I would have enjoyed seeing her in a recurring role. It seems, however, that lifelong spies Casey and Sarah have managed to handle that problem swiftly and immediately, enabling everyone to have a few moments of rest and relaxation as they gather together at Awesome and Ellie’s place. That would be the case if not for one of two major arrests at episode’s end, which found Casey being taken into custody for murder by Chad and Lester arrested at Jeff’s suggestion as well. In an episode full of action, the supporting humor involving Casey’s movie recommendations provided some nice comic relief.

No comments: