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'Chuck': A series of hysterical events
Chuck 2: The Return of Chuck proves to be just as much fun as the first hour. We've got drunken hijinks, MammaryCam, proposals, pathos, death-defying fights and more. Plus, Big Mike discovers the power of positive thinking. Genius!
It's not a fish, it's a spoiler.
Here are the basics:
- Chuck finds a shoddily-placed bug, and is appalled that Casey's standards are slipping.
- Captain Awesome asks for Chuck's permission so he can propose to Ellie. He also gives Chuck his great-grandmother's antique ring for Chuck to hide until Awesome can figure out the best way to propose.
- Chuck has an advance copy of Call of Duty, and Morgan wants it, he wants his precioussssss. He is denied.
- Jeff and Lester are pervs. Shocking, I know. They've been videoing cleavage willy-nilly.
From these insubstantial threads, a fabulous episode is woven.
The bug that Chuck found isn't one of Casey's. Fulcrum, that secret inter-agency cabal that Bryce busted, is spying on the store! Now it's a race to figure out who's doing the spying, and where the receiver that bug was transmitting to may be. Because if they can't find it, Chuck will be rendered into secret spy agency custody, for his own safety. He'll never see his friends and family again.
The collective might of the US spy agencies decide to find the receiver by completely stripping the store in the middle of the night. They take everything. They find 29 bugs, but no receiver. Eventually, they figure out the receiver must have been hidden in the 4-foot taxidermied marlin in Big Mike's office.
Slight problem: A drunken Jeff and Lester stole the fish. They stashed it in Chuck's house so they wouldn't be caught. Which leads us to slight problem, part two: The fish isn't there -- Morgan broke into Chuck's locker for the video game, brought it back to Chuck's place to play, found the ring, went nuts because he thought Chuck was going to propose to Sarah, and then fled the scene, taking both the fish and the ring. He stashed the ring in the fish, and the fish was stashed in the Wienerlicious freezer.
Chuck figures out that the Fulcrum agent is the perky, busty delivery babe who's been bringing in the daily schwarma and falafel. Fortunately, while Jeff and Lester were filming her cleavage, they also got her face, and Chuck is able to transmit that image to Sarah. Unfortunately, Pita Girl kicks Sarah's butt in a delightfully staged chick fight and loots the fish. What's worse, when Chuck tries to shoot Sarah out of the walk-in freezer, where Pita Girl imprisoned her, he's caught by the cop investigating the Buy More robbery and taken in.
Turns out that cops is the CIA agent ordered to take Chuck into hiding. While Casey goes after Pita Girl, Sarah races to save Chuck. They share a touching scene on a rooftop, but CIA Cop insists it's time for Chuck to come in. Pita Girl interrupts -- she listened to the receiver and knows Chuck is the Intercept. She also found, and is wearing, Awesome's ring for Ellie. Cue Chick Fight Part 2. This time, Sarah wins -- after both women fall off the roof into a dumpster.
Chuck is saved from being spirited away and he gets the ring to Awesome, who presents it to Ellie. Everyone's happy -- except Sarah, who, as Casey reminds her, knows that Chuck won't be able to play at being a happy, normal civilian forever. One of these days, he's going to have to disappear -- and Sarah may be the one who makes that happen.
Highlights
Again, we're spoiled for choice with highlights this episode. A few standouts:
- Editor extraordinaire Andy provides this fact: "GLG-20 [the name of the bug Chuck found] was the code name of the Chevy Chase/Dan Aykroyd team in Spies Like Us." Thanks, Andy!
- Chuck tells Morgan he's not getting the game without "adult supervision." "Chuck, I'm almost of the age when I should get my prostate checked out annually." Morgan replies. The look of horror on Chuck's face at that mental image is priceless.
- Awesome shows Chuck the ring. When he opens the box, there's a choir of angels-type sound effect. Hee.
- Casey does a great job of breakneck exposition when they're talking about the bug with his superiors.
- How incredibly, well, awesome is it that the picture that appears on Chuck's phone when Awesome calls is of Awesome kissing his own bicep? That's such an Awesome thing to do!
- Casey breaks the news about Chuck's potential fate gently: "You'll be stored in an underground bunker for so long you'll forget what fresh air smells like." Thanks, Casey!
- Big Mike is reading a tabloid on his way into the store: "When are these ladies gong to learn: If they don't want someone take a picture of their private business, put some drawers on!" Amen, Big Mike.
- I love how Big Mike walks through the cleaned-out store, completely oblivious. If they hadn't taken his keyboard, he might not have noticed the store was empty.
- Big Mike is most concerned about finding his marlin: "The merchandise is insured! That fish cost me $200 on eBay!" Morgan is agog: "You bought it on eBay? What did you use for bait, paypal?"
- Big Mike gets into the interrogations, swiveling his underpowered desk lamp into everyone's face when he questions them.
- Morgan explains his rationale for taking the video game: "Now, I don't considering it stealing, since I see Chuck and I more as life partners and therefore, community property."
- The MammaryCam footage is on a CD labeled "Boobies! Boobies! Boobies!" Subtlety, thy name is Jeff and Lester.
- Awesome's ring falls off into a dumpster, and Chuck and Sarah search for it. Sarah suggests they buy him a new ring. Chuck insists it has to be that one, "even if it's covered in coffee grounds and miscellaneous DNA." Ew.
Again, another great episode, with too much fun stuff to mention. What was your favorite part?
Happy Chuck returned for a brief stint, not happy the Buy More came with him.
Corey | Jan 24, 2008 10:03:29 PM | #I think my favourite part of the ep was the reveal that Big Mike bought the marlin on eBay. The Paypal crack was terrific.
Rishi | Jan 25, 2008 3:32:50 AM | #Where's Anna?
Lisa | Jan 25, 2008 5:49:15 AM | #I love the Buy More gang! That provides some of the best stuff on the show. I also missed Anna. I hope she comes back if they can get back to new episodes before the end of the season. This show really is clicking so well. They managed to balance the spy stuff, Buy More and even Sarah and Capt. Awesome perfectly over these last two shows. They really hadn't used Awesome that much until now. I didn't even know his name was Devon until last night. Hope they can get back to making new episodes soon.
Steve | Jan 25, 2008 6:04:41 AM | #I'm surprised they didn't bring up the fact that Casey will be ordered to kill Chuck once the new intersect is operational. This was the last thing mentioned before this Chuck sandwich. Are they not going to pursue this storyline?
Yossarian | Jan 25, 2008 6:09:36 AM | #I don't think we've heard the last of what happens to Chuck when the new intersect is ready ...
However from a usefulness point of view it seems odd they would want to kill Chuck. Afterall he can go into a party and various other places and interact and do the "intersect thing". A stationary computer is not going to have that capacity.
I hope Anna is back when the series returns. Her reaction to Morgan taking care of Ellie would be priceless.
Lisa | Jan 25, 2008 6:32:05 AM | #Chuck is an amazing feel-good show; it makes me feel... like I don't need a prostate exam. The mix of comedy and spy-fantasy, with bits of sex and action thrown in really work wonders with this crew. (Has everyone seen all the NBC promo clips for this week of Chuck? Click nbc.com to find more hilarious spots on a Chuck sandwitch!)
Anyone know if these episodes were released in order of production or in chronological order? It seems like the "new intersect" should have been a season-ending cliffhanger.
pakopako | Jan 25, 2008 6:44:53 AM | #What didn't I love about the episodes! Nothing! In the last hour I squealed "I love Chuck!" several times. I have to say the Amen to Big Mike (put some panties on.) as well and loved the miscellaneous DNA comment. heh. Chuck rocks. I'm looking forward to when the strike is over and new eps air. Go writers! They deserve their portion of internet revenue.
| Jan 25, 2008 10:23:31 AM | #Chuck is such a great show. I felt these 2 episodes were some of the best it has done.
Darius | Jan 25, 2008 10:29:53 AM | #I absolutely LOVED this episode-- it had a good balance between the Buy More people and the spy action, as well as some screentime for Awesome and Ellie. This show wouldn't be half as funny without Morgan and his Buy More co-horts. However, shouldn't Morgan be spending more time with Anna, instead of trying to prevent Chuck from marrying Sarah?
It was fairly predictable that the spy would end up being the pita delivery girl, but I enjoyed watching all the different characters chasing after the missing marlin. It still doesn't make any sense why Morgan hid the diamond ring inside the marlin, as opposed to just taking the ring home with him?
I had assumed that this episode was the last one filmed before the WGA strike started. I remember reading that the producers changed some parts of the script because they believed that they would not have new episodes to film for quite a while. I think that is why they wrote so much dialogue about Sarah wanting to pursue a relationship with Chuck, but she could not since they are still working together. Then Casey reminds Sarah that they can't prevent the CIA from eventually taking Chuck away from his family. It seemed like a good mid-season cliffhanger: when the Intersect computer is ready, can Casey avoid having to kill Chuck, just like he avoided having Chuck taken away by the CIA in this episode?
The GLG-20 reference was great and I think there was also an EM-50 reference which was the Urban Assault vehicle in the Bill Murray classic "Stripes"
chuck | Jan 25, 2008 11:09:55 AM | #I must take a moment to bow in awe at the incredible exotic beauty that was Pita Girl. *pause* Okay, moment's over. I quite honestly lost a few minutes of the plot as soon as she showed up, because I had to grab a few rolls of paper towels to wipe up the drool. *slaps self* Damn, was she fine, and those shorts! *applies clamps to various sensitive body parts* Whew, enough of that. Anyway, this was my favorite of the two episodes, and not just because of Pita Girl. There were numerous plot problems (including how Morgan was able to get into Wienerlicious and stow the marlin in the freezer, given that Sarah is a well-trained agent who probably had the place wired to explode if somebody like Morgan broke in), but it was still an awesome episode. I've had a couple bosses like Big Mike, who are oblivious to all but their presence on the ladder of success. In short, you could steal their moustache off their face and they wouldn't notice. I also thought it was hilarious that Mike's prized marlin was bought on Ebay and not caught by the man himself; also typical of certain kinds of bosses (I do like Big Mike, even if he is a stereotype). And even though I didn't care for Captain Awesome when the show first started, I really dig his character now, and it's so cool that he and Ellie are getting married. That of course depends on whenever the writers get off their dead asses and do their damn jobs as to when or if we see the blessed event. Knowing NBC and the face that it's being run by a bunch of hamsters that lost their exercise wheel sometime back when Clinton was getting blown by Monica Lewinsky, I do not see Chuck being given much chance of renewal beyond another season, if even that. NBC wouldn't know a good show if it crawled up their legs and chewed off their jock straps. And since too many morons keep watching shows like American Gladiators, NBC doesn't have to provide quality TV. After all, mediocrity rules. In any case, great episode, and I do hope Chuck comes back soon. The show will be missed.
Dark Disciple | Jan 25, 2008 7:39:36 PM | #Thanks for helping me validate the GLG-20 reference. So glad Chuck and the gang are back.
fellow chuck-ite | Jan 25, 2008 8:11:13 PM | #
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