Chuck Review: Chuck vs. The Improbable Gender Stereotypes

I’m almost inclined to give Chuck a pass this week. Since last week’s episode functioned as a season finale, this episode was bound to be a self-contained story arc. It didn’t have to be as bad as it was, but given that last week saw Volkoff’s proposal, the birth of Ellie and Awesome’s baby, and Chuck and Sarah’s engagement (not to mention the fact that there are only three episodes left – hardly enough to introduce a new plot line) it’s not surprising that we got a heaping bowl of filler.

John Larroquette returned this week as Roan, whose seductive patter is so shticky and tired that building an episode around his legendary prowess with the wimminfolk weakened an already thin plot. The idea of an all-female band of mercenaries is repeatedly played for cheap laughs – they’re lady criminals! With guns! Like bad guys, only hot and easily distracted - in a way that might have been cheeky and daring in 1954 but just rings hollow now. Even the General gets into the irrational lady-business, deploying multiple CIA agents into numerous life-threatening situations to set up a showdown with her ne’er-do-well on-and-off beau (Roan).

Sarah and Chuck have an ongoing argument over whether or not they should elope, which is a plot point that seems to come up in almost every television engagement of the past fifteen years, always tending toward the same end. What executive would sacrifice a big sweeps wedding special for a quick, low-key commitment ceremony in Morocco? Chuck, on Morgan’s advice, attempts to say “no” to Sarah more often in a series of predictable and unfunny situations (Sarah: “Do you want some water?” Chuck: “No.” Repeat ad nauseum). Perhaps if their butting heads had been given more time to develop, rather than a cursory five-minute wrap-up, it might have been more compelling.

The B-lines don’t fare any better in the way of advancement, as Ellie suggests that Mary return to spy work and Casey reveals that he still hasn’t told Alex’s mother that he’s still alive. The status is very much quo at the end of the episode, which isn’t necessarily bad in itself, but the cheesy accents, exotic and vacant-eyed belly dancers straight out of Central Casting made for a dull stop along the way. Here’s hoping that the road to the real finale gets more creative.

For another opinion on this episode, check out The Seduction Irrelevant by Desiree Neall.

Season 4, Episode 14: Chuck Versus The Seduction Impossible (originally aired February 7, 2011)

Catch Chuck on Mondays at 8/7 central on NBC

Images courtesy of Chris Haston/NBC