Chuck Review: Do What You Are Afraid To Do

Things got back to normal on Chuck this week, seeing as there was no turncoat mother or villainous head honcho in disguise to worry about. “Chuck vs. The Fear of Death” felt more like a typical episode of Chuck, where there’s a mission and a “one hour-solvable” goal, sans all the mythology and I appreciated the change of pace.

Chuck didn’t have mommy issues to worry about this time either, but since last we saw him, Chuck had unearthed a few Intersect suppression problems and possible solutions. This is where Agent Jim Rye came in, played by Rob Riggle. I learned that Riggle, according to Wikipedia, “is currently a Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Marine Corps Reserve and served in Liberia, Kosovo, and Afghanistan. He is currently a public affairs officer with the New York City Public Affairs unit and is a recipient of the Combat Action Ribbon. Riggle joined the Marines in 1990 after getting his pilot’s license, intending to become a Naval Aviator, but left flight school in order to pursue his comedy career.” There can’t be many Hollywood resumes that look like his. (Plus, I remembered him from his military analysis on The Daily Show.) Evidently, he was made for this guest spot on Chuck. He basically tortured and forced Chuck into facing his fears and even death in the hopes of awakening the dormant Intersect inside Chuck’s brain. The man’s dedication to spydom and serving his country was evident, but his whole aura was extremely jovial and spontaneous too. It was a fun combination. Things may not have ended well for Agent Rye, but I would have been happy to have Riggle around for much longer.

Of course, all the drastic measures Jim took to help Chuck did not sit well with Sarah. It’s hard not to sigh at the fact that anytime there’s nothing big going on in the mythology of the series, the writers decide to rely on the tired plot point of causing “issues” between Sarah and Chuck. I hate that they repeatedly fall back on this device, as if there can never be a normal couple who goes one week without a problem of any kind. However, this was the first time we saw Chuck and Sarah really air out their business in front of their co-workers AND boss. It was a great scene for Yvonne Strahovski, and I enjoyed watching Sarah scream in front of Beckman and Casey that Chuck was not a spy without the Intersect because really it was her emotions getting the best of her. That almost never happens! This time, Sarah was shocked by Jim’s suggestion that Chuck and he go on a mission alone without any backup. Jim knew that Chuck used Sarah as an emotional crutch. Every time that he was in danger, Jim noticed Chuck would call out for Sarah. According to Jim (just wanted to write that since who knows when I’ll get another chance!), she was the reason that he couldn’t unblock his clogged Intersect, and until he believed in himself as a spy, instead of being the boyfriend of a spy, he’d never regain the Intersect. Beckman agreed with her helper spy, however, so the two ended up in Switzerland on a mission to capture the Belgian and his faux diamonds, that actually hid a lot of secret US intel to sell to the highest bidder.

When Sarah figured out that Chuck and his Intersect brain was also on that intel, she zipped over to the Swiss Alps, but it was already too late. Chuck had been captured, unable to flash even in the most death-defying situations, and Jim had been shot dead. She was warned, via cell phone, to not follow, or Chuck would be killed. And that’s how we ended one of the more typical episodes of this season. With a killer twist! I didn’t see it coming for a second that Chuck would remain in danger until next week or that the next baddie would be so Intersect-obsessed. Okay, that I should have seen coming since it was basically all plot lines for seasons one and two. Though it wasn’t the funniest or meatiest episode, I think it served as a fine transition away from Volkoff and Frost, at least until after the holidays.

ON A SIDE NOTE: I’ve officially turned on the G.R.E.T.A. storylines. They’re a simple excuse to bring in guest stars and keep the Buy More relevant. I understand why the writers ran with this idea, but I don’t have to like it. I am way more excited to see Morgan, Casey and Sarah team up to find Chuck, than anything Jeff and Lester had to do this week. Their quest to uncover the truth behind Greta, played by the Summer Glau (Firefly reunion!), was funny for a while but fell flat after about 30 minutes. Maybe it’s because everything happening to Jeff and Lester had already happened to Morgan. (This is not to say that Scott Krinsky and Vik Sahay don’t kill whatever they are given.) Maybe it’s that their ridiculousness should come in small bursts and not as the B-story for an entire episode, even if it involved Casey and Morgan siding with the freaky twosome and kicking the newest Greta to the curb.

For another opinion on this episode, read I Bet I Know How He Likes His Waffles by Mallory Elis.

Season 4, Episode 8: Chuck vs. The Fear of Death (originally aired November 15, 2010)

For more on Chuck, click here.

Mondays at 8/7C on NBC

Images courtesy of NBC Universal.