WRITERS: Allison Adler & Phil Klemmer (story by Matt Miller) (3.18) & Josh Schwartz & Chris Fedak (3.19)[SPOILERS] If there's one thing that impresses me about Chuck it's the show's ability to pull off consistently excellent season finales that manage to freshen, evolve and incrementally mature the series. "Chuck Versus The Subway" and "Chuck Versus The Ring: Part II" were two of the best episodes Chuck has produced, which is remarkable considering we've just finished the third season of a show that felt in danger of early suffocation...
DIRECTORS: Matt Shakman (3.18) & Robert Duncan McNeill (3.19)
GUEST CAST: Brandon Routh, Scott Bakula, Scott Holroyd, Bonita Friedericy, Jadin Gould, Mekenna Melvin & Joshua Rush
This week, Chuck (Zachary Levi) caught sight of the supposedly-dead Agent Shaw (Brandon Routh) at a flea market and traced his movements to a top secret Ring base, which was revealed to be the CIA offices Justin (Scott Holroyd) is keeping Ellie (Sarah Lancaster). In a fine twist, it was revealed that Justin has been telling the truth about who he works for, as Chuck embarrassed himself by interrupting a CIA meeting of top brass where General Beckman (Bonita Friedericy) was trying to defend "Operation Bartowski" to prevent its cost-cutting closure.
Shaw was also present, revealed to have been a double agent who believes that Chuck's erratic behaviour and psychological report is proof that the Intersect's damaging his sanity and he'll cause problems for the CIA if he stays active. However, Chuck noticed that Shaw himself "flashed" on a piece of information contained on a presentation (indicating he has an Intersect lodged in his mind), but his attempts to alert everyone to Shaw's deception fell on deaf ears and he was arrested. After later escaping with the help of his father Stephen (Scott Bakula), Chuck vowed to expose Shaw and rescue the incarcerated Sarah (Yvonne Strahovski) and Casey (Adam Baldwin), but after realizing The Ring have infiltrated the government's intelligence agencies Chuck faced a serious setback when Shaw crushed his resolve by shooting his father dead in cold blood.I'm not going to recap further, but suffice to say these were fantastic episodes. A criticism with Chuck (that I agree with) is how there's never any stakes to situations, or a sense that any harm will come to its main characters, so seeing Stephen die was all the more powerful. He may not have been a regular character, but he was an important part of the show's mythology and someone whose death will have a lasting effect on Chuck and Ellie. It was just a refreshing change to have something that raw and ugly happen on the usually upbeat, lighthearted Chuck. It immediately gave "... Ring: Part 2" a sense of gravity the series rarely delivers.
"This shit just got real," to quote Bad Boys II.
There was also some excellent work from Sarah Lancaster, whose character Ellie has benefitted the most from this final mini-arc of season 3. She's been given things to do that are part of the central storyline for once (not a distracting marital/domestic subplot), and rose to the occasion beautifully. It was a relief to see Ellie discover the truth about Chuck, but even better to see her take a proactive role in coming to his rescue with an ad hoc plan involving Devon (Ryan McPartlin), Morgan (Joshua Gomez) and Casey's tricked-out car. Flashbacks to Ellie and Chuck as youngsters setting up the idea (bluntly, mind) that Ellie once promised her father to keep Chuck safe.
The idea that The Ring have taken over the CIA/NSA was a weighty threat that felt suitably impossible to fight against (even Casey was all for going off-the-grid forever, rather than try to reverse the damage), and the resolve of Chuck to avenge his father's death gave the finale a real sense of passion. It was also great that so much of these episodes took place in the "outside world" (a market, a subway, winding roads), which again gave the show added verisimilitude it doesn't always have. Too often Chuck jumps around sets with the occasional exterior (often a warehouse), but this was the first time it felt like the characters were really existing in our reality. I'm not sure the budget will stretch to regular location shoots in season 4, but it really was a treat to see here.
I was also pleased to see the show take clear steps forward in so many key areas. Casey's long-lost daughter Alex (Mekenna Melvin) was returned to, as it became clear Casey frequents the café she works at just to be close to her, and she inevitably got involved in the storyline on a small level. It was especially fun to see Morgan take a shine to Alex -- even getting her phone number, to the hilarious consternation of possessive dad Casey. There's certainly a lot of potential in the idea of Morgan dating Casey's daughter, which I can't wait to see play out next year. It's actually surprised me how much funnier and likeable Morgan has become this season, simply because he's aware of Chuck's secret and has become the comic relief part of "Team Bartowski". It makes you wonder why the writers were so reticent about letting Morgan know the truth about his best-friend, because doing so has breathed life into Gomez's role. He's now genuinely funny and relevant, plus there's a great double-act forming between Casey/Morgan that never quite took off between Casey/Chuck.
Second of Strahotness: ahem, eyes up
Perhaps the most surprisingly development was ending the season with the destruction of the Buy More, a location I've long disliked and has become gradually less relevant. I can only hope that the Buy More's fiery demise won't result in a brand new (budget-shrunk?) version being built for season 4, as I'd love to see Chuck move away from his "cover" entirely. Only Jeff (Scott Krinsky), Lester (Vik Sahay) and Big Mike (Mark Christopher Lawrence) aren't aware Chuck's a spy now, so is it really worth persevering with? Funnily enough, the Buy More storyline (a fake "closing down" sale to juice profits) actually worked well to provide breathing space from the A-story, and was even funny on occasion (Jeff answering a silent phone because of his tinnitus to end a dramatic moment.) The season ended with them both as fugitives suspected of arson, which will hopefully lead to an amusing manhunt scenario, for a few episodes at least.
The mythology of the show was also taken to a deeper level, when it became clear via flashback that Chuck had downloaded a proto-Intersect from his father's computer in the '80s (did that give him any abilities?), and a posthumous video-message from his father revealed that Stephen was involved in fighting a threat above the capabilities of the US government for the past 20 years. The final scene found Chuck directed to his family home, revealed to be the front for a secret underground room full of case-files protected by lasers, where half of a necklace he broke as a child rested on a desk... the other half belonging to his missing mother Mary Elizabeth Bartowski.
Overall; thrilling, emotional, and keen to once again revolutionize itself, Chuck's two-part finale was just about perfect. The exciting thing is that the show is changing shape into exactly what I've wanted since season 2 (Chuck/Sarah together in love, Morgan's in on Chuck's secret, no stupid Buy More) and there have been other fantastic changes that immediately strengthen the show (Ellie's fully appraised of the truth, Casey's less one-note now he has a daughter.)
Where are we headed for season 4? My guess is that Chuck will honour his sister's request to quit the spy-game, perhaps joined in civilian life by Sarah, but the lure to continue his father's work will be too great to resist and he'll of course want to find his mother. But will she be a villain, hence the reason she left Stephen and her young family? I also get the impression Chuck will be more of a lone superhero-type next year -- alluded to by the Superman T-shirt he wore as a kid, and symbolized by him defeating "Superman" Brandon Routh?
Whatever happens, I'm glad Chuck's coming back for another season. These episodes revitalized the show for the third time in its lifespan, which is kind of amazing when you remember how simplistic and potentially tedious Chuck's concept was back when it started. I love a show that doesn't rest on its laurels and is always improving.
Asides
- Random trivia: did you know Bonita Friedericy (General Beckman) is married to John Billingsley, the recognisable character actor probably most memorable as Dr. Phlox in Star Trek Enterprise (co-starring with Scott Bakula)?
- It only just dawned on me that the first half of Stephen J. Bartowski's name is probably in honour of Stephen J. Cannell, purveyor of many '80s TV series like The A-Team and 21 Jump Street.
- The Chuck vs. Shaw (Intersect vs. Intersect) fight in the Buy More was well done, given a fun Western overtone thanks to Jeffster!'s cheesy cowboy-inspired music video playing on televisions. Black/white T-shirts hammered home their good vs. evil symbolism, too.
- As I mentioned above, any theories on what the proto-Intersect did to Chuck as a boy? He never "flashed" on anything until Intersect 1.0 was sent to him by Bryce, so... did the prototype not work in the same way? Will this be explained?
- More of Casey's gadget-equipped car, please. It's kind of strange the show hasn't done much with the gadgetry aspect of the spy genre. Too clichéd even for Chuck?
- Place your bets: if the Buy More reopens (god forbid), Alex will be working there within five episodes. But can the show stretch to making her a semi-regular, budget-wise?
- If the Buy More is definitely rubble, is Castle likewise history?
- Ellie doesn't want Chuck to be a spy, but will she change her mind if she's told of the important work her father's been doing these past 20 years? Something must happen to let Chuck return to duty, obviously.
- Was it just a coincidence that, in one shot, it looked like Chuck had a literal cape of the Stars & Stripes flag? I couldn't help sensing a superhero vibe to these episodes. Removing "The Governor" watch is effectively Chuck's kryptonite now, too.
- Any suggestions for who will play Chuck's mother next year? The show tends to cast recognizable faces, particularly from genre shows. Is the actress who appeared as Chuck's mother here definitely who they're going with, or just a shadowy stand-in until they properly cast her?
