CHUCK 1.4 – "Chuck Versus The Wookie"

Writer: Allison Adler
Director: Allan Kroeker

Cast: Zachary Levi (Chuck Bartowski), Adam Baldwin (Major John Casey), Joshua Gomez (Morgan Grimes), Yvonne Strahovski (Sarah Walker), Sarah Lancaster (Ellie Bartowski), Bonita Friedericy (General Beckman), Tony Todd (CIA Director Graham), Ryan McPartlin (Captain Awesome), Scott Krinsky (Jeff), Vik Sahay (Lester), Don Abernathy (Traveler), Iqbal Theba (Peyman Alahi), Chris Dotson (Scooter) & Mini Anden (Carina)

Chuck has to help raid a Malibu mansion to steal an expensive diamond being used to fund terrorism, at the behest of Sarah and an untrustworthy DEA agent...

"Chuck, I know what a third wheel is. I know it's me. Give, give me a
chance here, man. Let, let me be a fourth wheel for once.
Or maybe I can be any other even number."

-- Morgan (Joshua Gomez)

Well, that was better. I still can't remember a single joke, or anything that made me properly laugh, but the storyline justified its runtime (just about) and Allison Adler's script was more entertaining and watchable than the previous three episodes combined. And not only because lovely Yvonne Strahovski had to compete with Mini Anden's tendency to strip down to her undergarments...

The show is currently more successful at the personal drama than the espionage stuff, as Chuck (Zachary Levi) and Sarah (Yvonne Strahovski) exhibit a great deal of charm and chemistry together. The episode opens with Chuck and Sarah faking their way through a social gathering with Chuck's sister Ellie (Sarah Lancaster) and best-friend Morgan (Joshua Gomez) with an evening of party-games. The simple dynamic of Chuck having to lie to his friends about his (faked) relationship with Sarah, while secretly enjoying pretending to be Sarah's boyfriend, is by far the most engaging aspect of the show. Unrequited love; always good drama.

This episode pleasantly complicates the Chuck/Sarah "relationship" with the arrival of sassy DEA agent Carina (Mini Anden), who needs Sarah's help in stealing a diamond owned by Peyman Alahi (Iqbal Theba) before it's used to fund terrorism. Carina and Sarah have a troubled working history together, as does John Casey (Adam Baldwin), which gives the agent-triangle some added spark. It's not long before Carina demands her own undercover identity, so Sarah advises she becomes Morgan's girlfriend – a role she accepts and approaches with cheeky enthusiasm, to Chuck's dismay and Morgan's delight.

As I said, whenever Chuck deals with the duality of Sarah, Chuck, Casey (and now Carina's) lives, it really knows what it's doing. The comedy is commendably restrained and it was nice to see Carina enjoy giving Morgan a little thrill. It would have been easy and cliched to have her cringe whenever he turned his back, but the show writes Chuck and Morgan as genuinely pleasant and normal guys. Compare and contrast this pair to The Big Bang Theory's stereotyped, exaggerated oddballs.

It was also very interesting to see Carina secretly despair at how her Sarah can put up with the boring lifestyles enjoyed by Chuck and Morgan. It's the first time we get a sense that Sarah's actually "slumming it" with this mission, and Carina is presented as the type of agent Sarah would ordinarily be: forthright, fiercely independent and a bit of a mischief-maker.

Once the diamond storyline kicks in proper, it's actually quite entertaining -- despite being simplistic. It all boils down to Chuck (in a Miami Vice-style white suit), Sarah (in a little black dress) and Carina infiltrating the Miami mansion owned by bad guy Alahi (the titular "wookie", because of his body hair) to steal his prized diamond. Casey takes a backseat throughout this episode, only providing backup as a fake chauffeur for the team's getaway.

But their planned getaway doesn't go according to plan – as Carina doublecrosses Sarah and escapes with the fist-sized diamond herself, after a sequence of her running (Baywatch-style) across a beach to a remote-controlled jet-ski. The slow-motion was totally unnecessary, but if James Bond is the male fantasy brought to life, Chuck is trying to filter it down further for the geeks amongst men. It's even amassing its own "Bond Girls" now. Or should that be Chuck's Chicks? A strong echo from Charlie's Angels 2 also arrives after the doublecross; with brunette Carina very much the naughty Demi Moore to blonde Sarah's beatific Cameron Diaz. Not that the Charlie's Angels movies are a particularly good cultural touchstone to have, but it's probably an indication of the viewership Chuck's after: youngster who like sexy, vibrant silliness.

Events begin to coalesce with Carina offloading the diamond into Morgan's bag when Casey tracks her down, while Alahi's and his men try to recover the stolen diamond. Unsuspecting Morgan is trapped in the middle of the situation, puzzled as to why Carina dumps him, as Chuck finds the missing diamond and has to persuade Carina to help rescue Sarah after she's captured and held hostage by Alahi's men.

Overall, it's great to see Chuck improving after a limp start. I have a sneaking suspicion it's never going to tickle the funnybone as much as it should, but Chuck Versus The Wookie proved it can at least be entertaining, and the performances are the show's saving grace. I just wish these actors had funny material to really sink their teeth into, and the fight sequences weren't so damned repetitive.

Still, Levi and Strahovski work well as a duo (loved their tender scene at the end, with Chuck wanting to know more about the real Sarah), Baldwin's lizard-eyed glowering makes me grin, and Gomez was better utilized in this episode -- thanks to Carina, who was a memorable, manipulative "villain" thanks to guest star Anden's avoidance of caricature. It still didn't elicit many belly-laughs (and will Tony Todd be stuck on a viewscreen forever?), but everything else was a notable step in the right direction, and the Yvonne Strahovski fanclub got their fill with that pre-shower scene...


28 April 2008
Virgin1, 10.00 pm