This week, terrorists are after the code to an orbiting satellite that could trigger WWIII -- but they need security codes the satellite's creator Mr. Morimoto (Clyde Kusatsu) hid in the last-level "kill screen" of classic arcade game Missile Command. And, wouldn't you know it, the one-time '80s champion of Missile Command was none other than balding, monotone oddball Jeff. The question is: can Chuck (Zachary Levi) befriend Jeff and persuade him to make a gaming comeback, just so he can retrieve those vital codes before the terrorists?Possibly inspired by cult documentary The King Of Kong, the backdrop of arcade gaming is a snug fit for Chuck, and a plausible way to give Jeff a slightly more interesting facet. Oddly, considering the potential to work some magic on Jeff's two-dimensional character, the script is content to just make him the butt of endless jokes (as usual) while transforming him from harmless goof into a creepy saddo who should be sacked for sexual harassment. In one scene we learn that Jeff has been taking surreptitious photos of co-worker Anna (Julia Ling), to create a "music video" slideshow to salivate over in private!
Second of Strahotness: someone call Tech Support?; courtesy Strahotski.com
I sympathized with Scott Krinsky here, an actor who isn't given the opportunity to take Jeff into fresh territory, despite the implication of being this episode's focus. The storyline doesn't even give him a cathartic triumph in the climax to compensate for all the jibes he's tolerated beforehand. No, the show is called Chuck for a reason, as Mr. Bartowski is the go-to guy for all geeky heroism at the eleventh hour. Thunder has never been stolen so cruelly, actually…
In a minor subplot, efficiency expert Emmett Milbarge (Arnold Vosloo look-alike Tony Hale) is the latest outsider to cause consternation at the Buy More. He's yet another stiff, beaurocratic prick who's amazed by the low working standards and incompetent staff he encounters. Obviously, in the end, Milbarge agrees to stay on to whip the Burbank branch of Buy More into shape -- an ambition that's become a cliché without the writers even realizing.
Fortunately, "Chuck Versus Tom Sawyer" (the strange title coming from a Rush song with last-minute relevance) manages to overcome its limp subplot and annoying treatment of Jeff thanks to a simple, fun, silly, unashamedly geeky idea at its heart. There's just something inherently amusing about the idea of top secret codes hidden inside a retro arcade game that can trigger the end of the world, let's face it. While this episode didn't stretch beyond its easy reach, it was entertainingly told for the most part. And no, it didn't hurt that Sarah (Yvonne Strahovski) got to dress up as an IT tech support girl in a tiny skirt for another slow-motion sequence that demands a few rewinds. Phewee.Overall, this was solid but workmanlike stuff that coasted along on its fun premise, but didn't take a step into greatness. It was a shame the story mistreated Jeff with cruel jokes at his expense instead of real development, although a few gags hit their target (Jeff's "drinking pants" and ID in case of a blackout.) "Chuck Versus Tom Sawyer" was fun filler with an amusing premise, but nothing more.
7 July 2009
Virgin1, 9pm
written by: Phil Klemmer directed by: Norman Buckley starring: Zachary Levi (Chuck), Yvonne Strahovski (Sarah), Adam Baldwin (Casey), Joshua Gomez (Morgan), Ryan McPartlin (Captain Awesome), Mark Christopher Lawrence (Big Mike), Scott Krinsky (Jeff Barnes), Vik Sahay (Lester Partel), Julia Ling (Anna Wu), Sarah Lancaster (Ellie), Bonita Friedericy (General Diane Beckman), Clyde Kusatsu (Mr. Morimoto), Faran Tahir (Farrokh Bulsara), Mitchell Fink (Airman) & Tony Hale (Emmett Milbarge)
