We're given more insight into Sarah's (Yvonne Strahovski) life before becoming a spy, when the con artist father she used to assist as a child, Jack Burton* (Gary Cole), re-enters her life and causes a whole heap of trouble. Jack's recently conned an Arab Sheik out of millions by promising to sell him a skyscraper belonging to non-existence German businessman Mr. Lichtenstein. When Chuck's (Zachary Levi) curiosity gets the better of him regarding Sarah's mysterious dinner-date with an "older man", he too becomes entangled in Jack's sting when Sheik Rajiv Amad (Anthony Azizi) arrives demanding his money...Turns out Amad's on the CIA's watch-list, so Chuck and Casey (Adam Baldwin) are assigned to help Jack and Sarah keep the con up-and-running, by pretending Chuck's a German businessman and owner of Nagamichi Plaza**, in an effort to get the Sheikh's account number so the government can freeze his assets.
In the obligatory Buy More plot, we're given something less retarded than usual that progresses Morgan's (Joshua Gomez) character somewhat. His girlfriend Anna (Julia Ling) demands an expensive weekend away, so Morgan is loaned the money by Captain Awesome (Ryan McPartlin) -- who believes it will help Morgan reach a new level of maturity -- only for him to immediately blow it on a geek-bait Delorean one of the Buy More's customers is selling. While the story doesn't really develop terribly well, making you wonder why the episode is named after this iconic vehicle, it belatedly dovetails into the A-story quite nicely, which is exactly what these frivolous Buy More subplots should always aim for.
The only real frustration with "Chuck Versus The Delorean" is that the con itself was so naïve and, frankly, not the kind of trick any sane person would ever fall for. We're accustomed to con's featuring mind-bending twists and exciting developments (in TV's Hustle, the Ocean's saga, or classic The Sting) that this episode felt threadbare in comparison. Clearly, it takes a certain set of writing muscles to craft a convincing scam for TV, and writer Matt Miller's skills don't stretch that far.
Still, it was great to see Gary Cole because he's been one of my favourite actors since the short-lived American Gothic, and is someone who can steal entire movies given the chance (see: The Brady Bunch flicks or Office Space). Somehow though, the father/daughter relationship between Jack and Sarah never clicked as well as it should. There were some nice individual scenes between Cole and Strahovski, but I never really sensed a tight familial bond. Conversely, Jack's gradual acceptance of Chuck (or "Charlie", or "Schnook") as a worthy boyfriend for his daughter, was nice to see -- and I'd certainly like to see more of Jack Burton. And that does seem likely, given the storytelling possibilities over the fact he's unaware his daughter's on the CIA's payroll. Hopefully next time they'll come up with a more plausible scam for him to pull.Overall, "Chuck Versus The Delorean" flirted with greatness but came up short, although it made a refreshing change of pace. The story was broadly similar to most Chuck adventures, but the set-up and involvement of Sarah's dad gave it a different spin, and it was nice to have a Buy More subplot that didn't feel totally superfluous. I also appreciated the Ferris Bueller moment, when Morgan and his friends set eyes on the dreamy Delorean to the "Oh Yeah" track.
11 August 2009
Virgin1, 9pm
written by: Matt Miller directed by: Ken Whittingham starring: Zachary Levi (Chuck), Yvonne Strahovski (Sarah), Adam Baldwin (Casey), Joshua Gomez (Morgan), Scott Krinsky (Jeff), Vik Sahay (Lester), Bonita Friedericy (General Beckman), Julia Ling (Anna Wu), Ryan McPartlin (Captain Awesome), Sarah Lancaster (Ellie), Gary Cole (Jack Burton), Anthony Azizi (Sheik Rajiv Amad), Debbie Campbell (Porter), Dominic Comperatore (Translator), Alexander Fazel (Thug #1), Gil Glasgow (Guard #1) & Stefanie Scott (Sarah Walker, age 12)
* Named after Kurt Russell's hero in Big Trouble In Little China, as coincidences this geeky don't occur naturally.
** In an episode packed with references, this was no doubt so-named because it sounds like Nakatomi Plaza from Die Hard.
