ChuckTV.net The CHUCK archive
Alan Sepinwall’s review of “Chuck vs. the Mask” is already up (that guy is speedy!) and it’s pretty positive. I agree with him on pretty much all counts. It starts getting hairy in the comments, as you might expect, so he lays it all out far more eloquently than I could:
Guys, let me make three points:
1)If you’re only watching the show for the chance of Chuck and Sarah getting together, you’ve spent more than two years missing an awful lot of other good stuff happening on this show.
2)I have seen many, many, many, many shows completely, 100% futz up the will-they-or-won’t-they thing. I’ve become an expert at reading the signs for when it’s being handled exactly right (The Office), when it’s being bungled (Ed from season 2 on), and when it’s somewhere in between – which is about where I’d put Chuck right now. They could screw this up, or they could be using Hannah and Shaw as the final barrier to the inevitable coupling, and/or the thing that actually causes them to get together. We shall see. Which leads me to…
3)Patience is a virtue with this kind of thing. I know you want it now-now-now-now-now, but there are, in fact, times, when the destination becomes more rewarding from a longer journey. To bring it back to The Office, I remember there were Jim & Pam fans ready to storm Greg Daniels’ office early in season 3 when Jim was living in Stamford and flirting with Karen, and in the end virtually everyone agreed that the show ultimately nailed it with how, when and why it brought PB&J together. You may be mad now, but this particular configuration of the rhombus might wind up paying off wonderfully. (It could also be a trainwreck, but we’re far from there at this point.)
Oh, and one more…
4)Again, this is a quite awesome show in a lot of areas, and if your only reason for watching is to see those two as a couple, well… I’m sorry you’re not getting out of it what so many of us are.
So there’s that. Now who wants to talk about the intervention-like moment when Shaw, Sarah and Casey informed Chuck that he was meant to be an autonomous agent and they were just his training wheels?
Updated: Daniel Feinberg at HitFix has his review up now.
Absolutely, I agree with Alan on all counts!
As I said on Twitter, to those upset about tonight’s episode… the best roller coasters have both ups and downs, and unexpected twists, but you feel great at the end of the ride. A straight, flat roller coaster ride is as exciting as a freight train.
Plus, keep in mind that Kristin Kreuk and Brandon Routh are only guest stars, and will not be here forever.
– G
The episode was awesome (as always), but also was very inconsistent in respect to Shaw and Sarah, and Chuck for that matter. For instance, the final dialogue between Chuck and Sarah was like they had just finished up their 20 years relationship and got over it. I think the direction of the show could have just instructed Zac and Yvonne to make sure that there was still some conflict there.
One thing though, Kreuk’s character is developing great, you can’t tell how it’s going to play out.
Still.. I have faith, Chuck and Sarah will have lots of kids together..I’m sure!
Totally agree with Alan Sepinwall’s comments. If Sarah and Chuck are to become a permanent couple this season, they need the huge dramatic challenge to overcome. Of course I had to meditate several hours to calm the shipper in me to realize this. lol
That being said, I definitely want to discuss with Alan about Chuck going solo. Will that be the big game changer of 3.09?
Take Alan’s 4 things, add Gray’s, and I that is exactly what I’ve been thinking for some time. In fact, the whole “want it now-now-now-now-now” thing in regard to Chara is what drove me from the forums.
I still follow the front page, and if I hear that there was pubic shout out (Zach on Conan, for example), I’ll hit the forum to get the details.
Count me in the group that thinks the more realistic “bouncing around” is better than the instant gratification.
This part reminds me of one of my favorite LOTR monologues…don’t remember if it’s direct Tolkien or Jackson’s Tolkien, but it sums up good stories well…and Chuck is a good story.
“I know. It’s all wrong. By rights we shouldn’t even be here. But we are. It’s like in the great stories, Mr. Frodo. The ones that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger they were. And sometimes you didn’t want to know the end. Because how could the end be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad had happened.
But in the end, it’s only a passing thing, this shadow. Even darkness must pass. A new day will come. And when the sun shines it will shine out the clearer.
Those were the stories that stayed with you. That meant something. Even if you were too small to understand why. But I think, Mr. Frodo, I do understand. I know now. Folk in those stories had lots of chances of turning back only they didn’t. They kept going. Because they were holding on to something
That there’s some good in this world. And it’s worth fighting for.”
I agree.. Chuck is awesome and i dont want to see the show come to an end all because Sarah and him actually become an item. Thats now what Chuck is all about, yes he is a stud and gets all of the ladies. But he is really becoming a good spy That is the reason why the two love birds dont need to be hooked up right now. Watching Chuck as really brought out the neard in me.. lol besides Hannah is really hot!!! Superman might be taking Chucks girl.. but he is returning the favor.. lol Rock On Chuck..
I concur- And I think it is kind of funny that Mel is trying to get out in front of the fans and try to calm them down.
This episode will most likely become one of may favorites, because without we are not going to be able to appreciate the payoff that the writers have planned on all fronts.
So- Can I assume that we might start seeing more than one spy mission per episode?
My first thought was “fan forums are going to be freaking out”.
lol i like the way you put it Brandon Johnson, ‘Superman might be taking Chucks girl.. but he is returning the favor’. I admit these knew love interests have been done better than i thought it could be done. It shows both sarah and chuck acting mature about the other one being in a relationship, do i like it…no, but it’s not as painful to watch as the others were. The only problem i have is that i feel the sarah/shaw relationship was to rushed in the last 10 minutes. Oh well i hope this bring chuck and sarah close than ever before. Mel you might know does it ring them close together?
Looking at the spy stuff i really like the way chuck is developing into a real spy
Treat the fan’s with respect. The fan’s have done nothing but wait. This episode brought in Chuck and Sarah clones and proceeded to become something completely different than we have been watching for 2 years.
I agree with you. Every season they put some random person in as a road block and Chuck and Sarah choose each other in the end. I was hoping they would change it up a bit but no. Hanna reminds me of the sandwich girl in season 1 and Shaw reminds me of the British agent from season 2… Plus these people they bring in never measure up and the audience is left scratching their heads because it doesnt make sense that Chuck and Sarah are with anyone but each other.
“..Plus these people they bring in never measure up and the audience is left scratching their heads because it doesnt make sense that Chuck and Sarah are with anyone but each other.”
I disagree. I quite like the pairing of Shaw/Sarah and Chuck/Hannah. They make more sense to me than Sarah and Chuck. I’m shocked about it actually.
I agree with Alan. Wait they will be together, the characters just need to do some growing.
Honestly, my complaint isn’t so much that they’re dragging out the WTWT thing, but that they’re now doing it seemingly at the expense of the characters. It doesn’t speak too well to Sarah for her to fall for yet another guy she’s working with. Is that her only criteria to be interested in a guy? Bryce, then Chuck, now Shaw, and debatably you can throw in Cole as well. It just starts to diminish the impact of her feelings for Chuck after a while. And her they just haven’t done a good job of selling us on her attraction to Shaw as of yet. Great, they have the fact that they’ve both learned the hard way that falling for your partner is a bad thing. That’s about all they’ve really shared up to this point and it just doesn’t feel like enough to have pushed them together. If they’re not ready to bring Chuck and Sarah together yet that’s fine. Just don’t degrade the characters while they keep us waiting.
Wow it’s great to not see the hostility here that’s showing up on so many boards! I’m one of those people that just really like the show and enjoy the laughs and fun it brings each week, but I really have to disagree with Mr. Sepinwall’s review of the last 10 minutes. Not becuase I’m upset about the the PLI’s – I actually like them but the direction switch for Sarah and Chuck seemed really contrived and out of the character for who they’ve been setting up the characters to be. I really liked the episode overall but felt that the last 10 minutes felt forced and really poorly executed Sarah’s character does a 180 in 1 episode?
” I really liked the episode overall but felt that the last 10 minutes felt forced and really poorly executed Sarah’s character does a 180 in 1 episode?”
Not sure exactly what you mean with the last part of your statement, but she’s been mad at Chuck ever since he stood her up in Prague because he wanted to be a spy instead of running away with her. I don’t blame her.
These kinds of reviews are patronizing. All three of his points are patronizing, assuming people who didn’t like what the writers did simply don’t “get it.”
I, for one, enjoy Chuck for more than C&S. I understand the points he’s trying to make, but what about the position of….this lobotomizes the characters? Like….completely? Set aside the viewpoint of “Chuck and Sarah together now now now!” vs. “The journey is more rewarding, be patient” and analyze just how contrived the end of tonight’s episode was.
Shaw tells Sarah that they both made the same mistake by falling for spies, and later tells her about losing his wife. Sarah learns earlier in the season why Chuck acted the way he did in Europe, sees the evidence on the security tape first hand, cries. Yet they’ve decided to be friends because….why exactly? And Sarah, who obviously isn’t “over” Chuck yet and is obviously jealous of Hannah, decides to relent to Shaw’s advances while letting Chuck get with Hannah (after seeing him actually say he loves her earlier)? She wouldn’t fight for him? And Chuck just lets it happen?
Um….unless there’s some big twist coming, I’m sorry, it’s all very lame to me. Very, very lame. And this isn’t coming from a point of view of “I want C&S together NOW!”; rather, it’s coming from me being tired of seeing this every season. Lou, Bryce, Jill, Cole, Hannah, Shaw….why?
There’s no way that this episode could be this bad. Sarah and Chuck can’t be that lame. They must have become suspicious and are working covertly together on this.
I really think this just looks completely awful, contrived and sloppy. It has to get better. Where art thou Ali Adler?
Shaw and Hannah have to be frauds.
I totally agree with you. I guess that’s part of my complaint that I didn’t really eloquently get across in my previous post. One of my favorite things about Chuck has always been that the characters always seemed to have emotional responses that are reasonably in line with how real people behave. I feel like with this episode they’ve moved more toward having the characters behave in unconvincing fashion simply for the sake of serving the story. Sure, it helps them go where they want with the story, but it’s at the cost of making the characters less believable and even likable.
I Couldn’t agree more
He makes great points.
The problem is that JS has said himdelf, that this relationship is the center of the show. So if it goes bad, then the rest of the show is soured.
THe relationship is the show. JS said it himself.
He said that Chuck and Sarah are the soul of the show while Chuck and Ellie are the heart.
Close enough for me
OK then.
I got into this show because I loved the concept of the nerd saving the glory and getting the girl.
The nerd certainly won glory for himself in this episode (by his very nerdiness yet) and he is also getting the girl, just not the girl we expected.
It still is the heart of the show, as shown by the passion it stirs up among the fanbase. They don’t HAVE to get them together. But to have the characters act in such a forced and artificial way, against the run of what’s been revealed this very season (not to mention what they’ve gone through in previous years)….I don’t think the show needs that. But then again, what do I know? According to reviewers like Sepinwall, I don’t get it.
So, after last week’s lecture from Sarah on seducing and using assets, and the entire show of her saying how spies can’t have relationships, she suddenly does a 180 on Shaw once she learns he’s flirting with her. They also seemed to go out of their way to show the reversal with the stir stick bit.
We also have the ring killing the agent who saw Shaw alive. For a group who just went to pretty great lengths to kill him, they’re not too surprised he’s alive.
Shaw’s arc ends with 3×13. 3×11 is “Chuck vs. The Final Exam”. 3×12 is “Chuck vs. The American Hero”, and 3×13 is “Chuck vs. The Other Guy”. Given some choice comments regarding Shaw being a hero, and Chuck being set to work solo…
I’m sensing a theme here, and I like it.
Aside from the character brain lobotomies, I too like the main story arc direction. But it will be interesting to see if they pick up the “We’re pushing Chuck too fast” thing again if his “final exam” is just 4 episodes away.
(Mel): Now who wants to talk about the intervention-like moment when Shaw, Sarah and Casey informed Chuck that he was meant to be an autonomous agent and they were just his training wheels?
*whimper* Casey?
Here’s my take.
1. Every character on this show did a complete 180. Shaw went from relationships are bad and get you killed to hitting on Sarah. Sarah went from jealous of Chuck and Hannah to being cool to it right away. She went from repulsed by Shaw to liking him in a snap. Chuck went from jealous of Shaw and Sarah to accepting it right away. Did anyone realize that he went from being in complete love with her to being OK with her dating their CIA boss just like that? Casey doesn’t do anything anymore. When was the last time he kicked someone’s butt this season? How could Ellie be a doctor and be so dim-witted? She went from rooting for Chuck and Sarah to get back together to being happy that he’s sneaking around and making out with someone else. Huh?
2. I get that the show has an end in mind and we’re supposed to enjoy the ride. But, no one told me the ride was going through a crappy neighborhood. Where last week’s episode was so good in character development, this one went backward. The problem is the PLI’s. Shaw was not a part of Nacho Sampler and Hannah was in the Buy More backstory, and you had my favorite episode of the season. This week, the writers had to create the PLI relationships, and they rushed them. The Shaw/Sarah one was especially forced upon us.
3. So, if we are getting a Charah story-book ending in episode 13, how will it happen. Will Sarah just break up with Shaw in episode 12 and get back with Chuck just like that? I didn’t fight to get Melrose Place renewed.
In short, tonight’s episode was the worst ever. Instead of character and story development, we got regression on both ends.
I’ll be back to watch it after the Olympics, but I am hoping for better writing then. Ali Adler wrote episode 8, so I have faith.
I agree and this makes me doubt if Alan S really knows what he is doing. I mean if this can happen then Chuck himself can be degraded to a kid again like he was in season 1. I hate when writers does something hasty like this just to make a point. How can you expect us to believe what you want to tell us about the characters in the future if this happens?
One easy answer: we establish early in the episode that Sarah chewing on swizzle stick = worried Sarah. The stick in the first act has to go off in the final act, right? So why is she chewing on the swizzle stick in the final segment? She’s worried Chuck is making out with Hannah!
Frankly, we expect way too much of Sarah as a woman in her late 20s to not get laid for like 3 years at this point. She has limited options because she thinks/knows she can’t date someone who doesn’t know who she is… soooo fling with Shaw looks reasonable if Chuck is unavailable.
This is my first time ever commenting at this website. I have been a Chuck fan since the beginning and I worked on getting the show back for season three. I’m in college and don’t really have time to watch Chuck on its normal schedule but I make time. And every week, it’s been worth it. Until tonight.
Gambs, Kevan, and Scott, I agree with your points. I was so incredibly disappointed by this episode. As most of us have pointed out, we don’t just watch Chuck to see him and Sarah get together but the relationship has become the heart of the show.
Not only is it just plain nice to see Chuck and Sarah together but the way in which their relationship evolved over the first two seasons also showed how much Chuck and Sarah developed as individuals. It’s one of the best written TV romances I’ve seen in a while. I don’t mind the relationship getting drawn out and having to be a patient fan but only with the understanding that Chuck and Sarah won’t be compromised as characters. Tonight I actually disliked Sarah and thought Chuck was in fact a “weirdo” as Hannah called him.
Everyone else has already touched on why this episode was one of the worst, if not the worst, ever. I just wanted to agree and add my own two cents. The only way I could see this working out (if indeed I just don’t “get it” as some of the reviewers seem to think of us disappointed fans) is if a couple things happen: Shaw and Hannah turn out to be nefarious characters in league with each other (remember that Shaw is the one that put Chuck on his first solo mission where he met Hannah) and Sarah is suspicious of Shaw so in order to get close to him she starts acting like she’s interested in him and over Chuck.
Anyway, I’ve spent way too much time already thinking about this! All I can say is that ending on this episode leaves a bad taste in my mouth.
I totally agree with you. The last half of this episode left me wondering where the real Chuck and Sarah went.
I thought that this was the worst episode ever. I can buy Sarah and Chuck deciding to go their seperate ways and then realizing a few episodes later that it wasn’t meant to be. But the way they did it tonight felt rushed (like within the last 10 minutes) and contrived.
I’m sure we are in for some good episodes down the line, but except for the first 10 minutes and a few scenes afterwards I did not enjoy this episode.
That being said, every show is entitled to have a stinker once in a while, and up to this point I have enjoyed S3. I am really hoping that this episode was the one stinker for the season and that we see some major improvement in the writing for the next episode.
I was realling looking forward to this episode, and the promos looked great, but compared to the rest of the season this was total crap.
The only thing I’m wondering is if they planned this to be like a Truth/Beefcake episode to be followed by a Hard Salami/Lethal Weapon type episode. Of course the difference is that I loved the Truth episode, and really compared to some didn’t mind the beefcake episode all that much.
I guess the good news is that this show obviously has a tremendous impact on the fans or many of them wouldn’t be so upset with this episode.
Something really good just better happen in 3.08. It doesn’t have to be Chuck and Sarah getting back together, but I want some of the fun back.
Well been saying it for months this show was going to jump the shark they have killed the characters by making them look so flaky there is no way they can get together.
The show runners should be sacked for this, they have betrayed the fans.
For the spy stuff i rekon this episode was pretty good, i really do enjoy seeing chuck develop as a spy….it’s a refreshing change from season 1 and 2.
Unfortunately i like alot of other fans have a bad taste in our mouths after the end of this episode. I feel what the characters have done is just completly out of character, especially sarah. How can she go from thinking she can’t be with chuck because it’s dangerous to now being with shaw, i just don’t by that he’s in the same league as me so it’s ok, and if you look at chucks development i don’t think he needs much protection anymore.
I also don’t like the fact that chuck can go from ‘i love you sarah’ to having such intense make out session with hannah.
Even tho i like the spy stuff, the love interests(we can no longer call them ‘POSSISBLE’) have made this for me one of the worst episodes. I will tune in to episode 8 but if that’s like this episode i don’t think i’ll tune in until the shaw arc is over, or until i hear the angst is over.
after this episode, id really cant stop asking…….
are you kidding me? youve got to be kidding me….
sarah and chuck got this strong feelings with each and i didnt
see that to this episode. i am really dissapointed.if they dont want
sarah and chuck to be together. then dont…but dont play stupid with us.
what happened to their emotions?
what happened to the other characters?
i dont like shaw in the show hes boring.
and what happend to casey? i like the team bartowsky than team shaw.
team shaw is really boring….
after this episode, id really cant stop asking…….
are you kidding me? youve got to be kidding me….
sarah and chuck got this strong feelings with each and i didnt
see that to this episode. i am really dissapointed.if they dont want
sarah and chuck to be together. then dont…but dont play stup*d with us.
what happened to their emotions?
what happened to the other characters?
i dont like shaw in the show hes boring.
and what happend to casey? i like the team bartowsky than team shaw.
team shaw is really boring….
After watching this episode, I felt hollow. I had to think about it for a while to figure out why. The spy stuff was pretty good, but I don’t know why they let the scar guy get away (where was casey?). But the relationship between Sarah and Chuck is suppossed to be based on LOVE. Only a few episodes ago he was totally in love and she was too, but she was mad about the running away thing. Love takes time to get over. After taking 2 years to get to a certain point, it doesn’t go away so easily and at the end it felt gone, not just supressed.
Also what about Chuck’s inability to shoot others, do they really think he could be an agent by himself? Like when he didn’t shoot Sidney or even Shaw to save his family? Still wondering about Capt. Awesome too. I really liked how they had made him nervous and unawsome after his contact with spydom. How is he?
the writing is what has made this show great. I hope they can keep up the quality that was there for so long. I am worried.
In my notes from the episode, I have “They let scar guy get away? Emotions = distractions!” Of course it set up the scene at Ring HQ, but I think it also showed us that Chuck, Sarah and Shaw all made a major blunder by letting their emotions get in the way during a mission.
I didn’t mind the emotional manipulation during the previous two seasons but now it’s getting to be a bit too much of going to the same well too often. Chuck has a loyal base and the numbers for that don’t change too much and we fought pretty hard to get this season, so we deserve some pay off…honestly its getting to the point where I enjoy the show but getting tired of the C&S retread love story part.
I am not advocating for instant gratification but if they seriously want to keep playing the WTWT thing…do something fresh, find a way to bring in something new. If not stick a fork in C&S and let it be done.
Hi,
hasn’t anyone experienced the very real phenomenon of a “rebound” relationship? And how long do they generally last?
Also, please keep in mind that while Chuck and Hannah were making out, Shaw was only rubbing Sarah’s shoulders.
Lastly, the Home Theater Room was clearly a very important plot point for Morgan, whose relationship with Chuck is also one of the core relationships on the show.
Perhaps this was a very necessary piece of the puzzle for ALL of the relationships —
— drive Morgan to find out Chuck’s secret
— drive Chuck to see that Sarah is really the one he wants, and vice versa.
Maybe story-wise, the very thing you want couldn’t happen without this brief (stress “brief”) lapse in their judgment.
And no matter what, I never want to see the show follow in Lois & Clark’s footsteps, when it tanked in season 4 after the lead couple got together.
Ali Adler is a master, and her episode is next week. Be patient and all will turn out well.
– G
Maybe Lois and Clark didn’t tank because they got together.
Four years is a very good run for any show; perhaps that’s all there was.
Lois Lane is supposed to be a top reporter. Clark loves Lois and she loves Superman. It’s not conceivable that she was eventually going to figure it out and/or he was going to crack and tell her the truth?
But in all honesty. You have to admit the Shaw and Sarah relationship is rushed. Sahrah went from telling him to keep his cheesy moves to himself to getting a back rub. When exactly did she become attracted to him. When he screwed up and released the gas. Oh yeah, that’s a real turn on.
Right. Sarah is no nitwit. And she doesn’t fall THAT easily for anyone. I think she’s playing Shaw, and she was forced to play it up to him quicker than she had hoped because well, even though she has faith that Chuck will come through, she doesn’t have a lot of time.
And maybe she thinks this is a chance for Shaw to buy her advances. She’s just been gassed, she’s apparently weak, her guard and defenses are down.
We know this gas is deadly, but we don’t know if it has any truth elements. But we know from vs. The Truth that Sarah was expertly trained to withstand the effects of truth agents.
LOL, because Chuck NEVER screws up, right?? I think a lot of people are very biased and only see what they want to see.
It’s not what Chuck and Sarah were doing, but how they got there that is troubling. We get it. Chuck and Sarah both granted permission to the other to get involved with other people. The writers were pretty clear on that, so it Chuck and Sarah aren’t exactly wronging each other by pursuing other interests. The problem was how the writers got them to the point of indulging other interests. There was some indication of interest on Chuck’s part when he first met Hannah, but last week there was not spark and this week it was pretty clear he was still into Sarah when they were partnered up, but he ends of swapping some serious saliva with Hannah by the episode end. Sarah’s actually a little worse, even though the deed was far less. Somehow she goes from irritated and icy to warm and willing. She even goes so far as to tell show she liked his expression of physical affection.
Also, putting characters together is generally the last desperate gambit of a show that’s running out of ideas and ratings and by the time it actually happens what’s left of the audience doesn’t care as much, the old audience doesn’t come back, and the show is still out of ideas. I’d prefer that if Chuck and Sarah are to be put together, that the writers do it before they run out of interesting stories to tell.
I only agree on 1 thing, SHAW IS BORING!!! He maybe good-looking but he is really BORING…Hope he’s off the show soon…I want Chuck and Sarah’s chemistry back….
This was my least favorite episode of all time. It did not feel like a Chuck episode to me. But too the Charah nation, please relax. I’m really looking forward to the episode where Shaw throws it in Chuck’s face about having a chance with Sarah and not taking it. I believe Shaw gets a Bartowski knuckle sandwich. It was on a promo! I thought this episode didn’t have a flow to it. Dare I say it felt sloppy, too many leaps for me. One minute Sarah is, “We are professional.” After the commercial, she’s head over heels and expresses herself to Shaw in ways she hasn’t with Chuck or Bryce for that matter. I really wish they wouldn’t have gone with the love interest angle this season. It would have been a fresh obstacle if Sarah didn’t wan’t to be with Chuck because she blamed herself for Bryce’s death. She choose Chuck, which left Bryce alone. I’m still not giving up on the show. It’s still my favorite.
I really really don’t like these love interests, i honestly see no logical purpose to them, because everything they achieve (bringing sarah and chuck close together) can be done in other ways that don’t torture the fans.
Is it really logical for Chuck and Sarah to be so easily distracted from one another, i don’t think it is.
This episode has got to be in my opinion one of the worst ever, it basically just contradicts everything chuck and sarah have done and said to each other over the past three years, and on top of that for the first time ever i have critisize yvonne’s acting, that scene when she says ‘i liked when you touched my neck’ was just so corny, don’t get me wrong i love yvonne and think she is a better actor than most of the other girls on tv, i really just didn’t like the way she deliveered that line. Maybe the writers are to blame for the part
Maybe she was in disbelief that they were actually having her character say something like that.
i think this is a good episode of chuck… Hannah and Shaw may affect the chuck-sarah loveteam but it may have advantages… Chuck getting jealous with shaw and sarah, sarah getting jealous with chuck and hannah… its’s quite nice; it spices things up a bit… plus it would be better for both chuck and sarah to grow more before they get together. imagine both of them thought that it would be better if they fall in love with people who seemed perfect for them because they do the same things, but then they’ll eventually realize that them (chuck & sarah) being different is what they love the most about each other…
plus i’m really happy seeing kristin kreuk on tv again ^_^
viva la buy moria!
it’s called rebound people
First of all, i’m a Charah fan.
I just saw the episode and here is my reaction : what the heck?
I know that Shaw and Hannah are here to mess up with Chuck and Sarah but just like that in half of the episode?
In the first part i saw something that i haven’t seen for a long time, Chuck and Sarah being jealous. And then they fall for Shaw and Hannah? That’s not right.
Only Gray saw how affected was Morgan at the end?
And why is that? Perhaps we will see a change?
This episode was sad.
The problem with this episode is not the relationships but rather the story telling done and the character manipulations needed to get there.
I think they did the best they could, otherwise the whole romantic angst would occupy 6 episodes solid. Sarah still hasn’t gotten over the way Chuck broke up with her in Prague, so her actions in telling Chuck to move on while inviting Shaw to explore the possibility of a romance make perfect sense.
Now we’ll see how Shaw and Sarah work things out. Shaw claims to be the safe choice, but Sarah knows from past experience how dangerous it can be.
That is the burden the show has to bear. The longer they keep the two leads apart the more setup work they have to do to start up new relationships.
Agreed, Sarah. I really liked the ep and the new LI, btw.
That’s where I’m coming from too. Look, I really, truly don’t care whether Chuck & Sarah wind up together (heck, we all KNOW it’s gonna happen anyway). I just don’t like using tortured & tired means of getting them there. I used to just be apathetic about the relationship. Now I’m closer to being opposed to it. Maybe the writers will surprise me, but I’m expecting some “self-induced vomiting” moments when Chuck & Sarah are forced back together. I can already almost guarantee they won’t have viable options at the time. They’ll be together just becvause they’re “supposed to be.”
Mel, your post and Alan’s merely underscore that this was indeed a poor episode, or at best 3/4 of a good episode concluding with 1/4 of some of weakest writing to ever see the small screen. Instead of pointing out all the good aspects of the show and illustrating how the actions of Chuck, Sarah, and Shaw were consistent with the characters that have been established on Chuck, the two of you build up straw men and empty both barrels into them. You and Allen are both better than this.
Points 1 and 4 attempt to paint all discontent with this episode as a function of being solely invested in one aspect of the show, getting Chuck and Sarah together. Those who disliked the episode have no appreciation for all the other excellent things the show offers. Frankly, I’m getting a little tired of this sort of characterization as it borders on a personal attack. If someone doesn’t like the show, they’re crazy shippers too stupid to see the writer’s purpose, too dense to appreciate the hero’s journey and too blinded by their goal of seeing Chuck and Sarah together to enjoy all that is right about the show. Let’s set it straight once and for all. Whether you’re a crazy, frothing shipper, a committed normal view, or an ultimate fanboy/fangirl with you lips super glued JS’s posterior you knew that this was coming. The reaction isn’t because fans aren’t happy seeing Chuck and Sarah with other people, or that they don’t understand the need for the Chuck and Sarah to grow. This reaction stems from a Little Big Horn of a character massacre with our heroes playing the role of General Custer, complete with the utter stupidity and self destructive tendencies only a cocky, last in his class West Point graduate could muster.
I agree with Sepinwall’s points number 2 and 3. The problem is that they don’t apply to the disaffection with this episode. The crux of the issue isn’t the existence of other love interests, but rather the sloppy and destructive manner in which they thrust them to the fore in this episode. They not only managed to run rough shod over the Chuck and Sarah characters, but they actually cheapened and abused Shaw and Hannah as well.
Every single thing Shaw has said and done this season would suggest that he’s not open to a romantic partnering with anyone, particularly a subordinate. Sarah’s run the gamut from neutral to frosty with him, but somehow he develops warm fuzzy feelings for her. The guy lost his wife to the Ring. He’s still pining for her and he develops interest for another spy who has shown no interest in his advances.
Chuck abandons Hannah and sees him meet up with and go off with Sarah, leaving her to contend with a computer emergency. She rebuffs him coldly, but all is forgiven because he shows up to rescue her from the vault?
Chuck professes his love for Sarah in episode two, is obviously jealous of Sarah and Shaw in this episode, but by the end not only is he OK with Shaw and Sarah, but he’s sucking face with Hannah. He’s not at all upset about Ms. and Mr. Hypocrite developing a relationship?
Sarah’s been cold and indifferent with Shaw throughout the show and she’s irritated by his advances during the first half of this episode. This somehow all changes, and not only that, Sarah Walker the unspeaking confesses to actually liking physical contact and indeed welcoming it at the end of the episode. Of course this openness only seems to extend to Shaw who she’s known for all of a handful of weeks while she is still keeping her distance from Chuck who she’s only known for 2+ years. Of course, this all make sense given she’s not interested in the relationships the spy world has to offer, Shaw’s her boss and these sort of relationships get one killed in the spy world.
I believe the points we’re trying to make is that while the last 10 minutes may ring false to some viewers (and it is only some, not all), both of us have enough experience with the particular storytelling techniques of television to know that there is a trajectory for relationships on TV shows and, so far, we’re not upset by this one.
Right, but the path taken in about 15 minutes in this episode is generally carried out over multiple episodes in most series. We basically went from full reverse to full steam ahead at the tail end of the episode. It’s a little grating, and made the characters look flaky and inconsistent. It just wasn’t good story telling. They needed to develop the PLI relationships over multiple episodes, but with Shaw absent and Hannah basically reduced to window dressing in episode 6 that didn’t happen. The compounded it when Sarah and Chuck completed Shaw’s mission together. They worked too well together and their was too much of a spark between them to buy into the about face at the end of the episode.
Now, my now not so secret confession. I actually liked this episode. There’s a fair amount of heart in it, and it rescued the Morgan and Ellie characters. Last week, it seemed like they were spying on Chuck out of pique over not being told about Paris as opposed to honest concern over Chuck’s well being. This episode fixed that. There was a lot of good interaction between Chuck and Sarah. Whatever else can be said about the treatment of their characters, the tenderness, affection, and mutual desire that the other find happiness came through in this episode. The Chuck and Casey dynamic was excellent and pretty much destroys any credibility the that a lone Intersect is the most effective method of deployment. The power of the old Intersect coupled with Chuck’s own skill set was on display in this episode as the physical skills flashes take a hiatus. Chuck and Hannah also make a good, but tragically doomed couple.
I agree, those last few minutes were a lot of forward movement, even for a show like Chuck that crams 3 episodes worth of plot into 1 on a regular basis. Hello, whiplash!
Glad you mentioned Chuck and Casey – that was another item in my notes. I’d like to see more scenes with just the two of them working together. Chuck hatching the plan and Casey stopping the van to grab the smoke grenades, that was a terrific scene.
I suspect we’ll see more Chuck and Casey interaction when Casey does a bad, bad thing. What form that will take is unknown. I expect some Sarah and Casey interaction as well.
I think we’ll get that when Casey does his bad, bad thing. Probably some good interaction between Sarah and Casey in the same episode.
There is one point that I don’t agree with and that’s the patience part. Patient? All of us that like the romantic undertone of the show have been patient. I have no problem remaining patient but make it more believable. Give the viewers some credit. Those of us that are die-hard fans should be given something more than I love you one minute and let’s hook up with other people the next. I’m tired of the excuse that ‘we are spies so we can’t be together’. Seriously, the only men Sarah has ever shown any attraction towards have been spies, except for Chuck. So Chuck is a no-no but Shaw is ok. Really? How does that make any sense?
The let’s keep them apart argument has been done to death on tv. I applaud the writers of the Office for coming to their senses and putting Jim and Pam together finally. I was a Friends fan until the on again, off again Rachel/Ross part of the show just started getting on my nerves. But even they had periods of times when they were together. It’s another story that they kept breaking up, but at least it gave the viewers a glimmer of hope.
I know that eventually they will be together, I just want it to be believable in terms of why they can’t be together now. This is also my least favorite episode in 3 years. I’ll continue to be a fan of the show, that’s not going to change, but I wish the writers would take a different route with character development in terms of the C/S dynamic.
The story line for this ep was awful. I wouldn’t mind the PLIs in this if they had done it right. It doesn’t make sense for Sarah to go from hating Shaw to liking him the next. Out of character for Sarah. Chuck and Casey were also out character. Chuck just seemed off for some reason and why the hell did Sarah and Casey suddenly seem happy about Chuck getting on his “big boy bike” and working alone. Wasn’t it just last week were they (well at least Sarah was) pissed that Chuck was moving too fast in the spy world. Now there all jolly about. This ep seemed rushed though I did like it (its hard not like Chuck). It to me is the weakest of all the eps in the entire series but it opens up the plot and Ali Alder has done the next ep so they should make up for this rushed and totally out of character ep. The only good things coming out of this ep was the Elli and Morgan team up which I thought was great. The whole Shaw and Hannah out hacking each other with the opening and closing of the doors hiding the mask while Chuck is dangling from the ceiling was freakin’ hilarious. The ending with look on Shaw’s face after he tells Sarah he’s the safest guy in the world only leads me to believe he’s up to something for that was just the look of someone hiding a dark, DARK secret. I don’t mind the whole Hannah and Chuck pairing though that was out of character for Chuck as I already mentioned before. And did anyone else notice that the scene where Chuck and Sarah are talking about the fact that they are ok with each other being with other people that there was no chemistry between Yvonne and Zach which is a first I might add and very, VERY hard to believe. Even they knew this ep was out character for them. Anyway, now I am stuck obsessing about Chuck for two weeks until it returns till March. Can’t wait till then. ïŠ
And by the way I am not complaining about the fling Shaw/Sarah and Chuck/Hannah are having for I like there characters. They add an interesting twist. Its the damn story that was rushed and totally tossed all over the place (10 mins. of this went on) that totally ruined those guys hooking up. If only they hadn’t rushed. If only there had been more eps leading up to this one then this ep would feel right, but hey I can’t complain for I just got to watch another ep of Chuck which as usual made me happy despite its lack of story in this ep.
I agree with you about the mess that occurred at the end of the episode, but actually thin Zach and Yvonne had decent chemistry in that scene, it just wasn’t the same type we usually see. Their was a feeling of affection mixed with melancholy and a mutual desire for the other person to be happy.
Ehh, just euthanize C/S…PLEASE. I am so tired of the soap opera. Let’s get back to having fun. I know it’s just one person’s opinion, but I don’t watch Chuck for romantic drama, even though it’s crammed down my throat. I watch it for Casey one-liners (too damn few this season), pop culture references & humor. C/S just pops the balloon on all of it for me. People should be impressed w/ Yvonne’s non-verbal acting & Zac’s longing glances because there’s so damn much of it. I used to just tolerate C/S, but now I’m just downright antagonistic about it. Congrats, TPTB: you’ve made me despise the central relationship on the show.
I agree with all of the above to an extent. Yes I have the tendency to be a Chuck/Sarah Flamer but if we step back and take a look at this, the writers have us right where they want us. Listen to all this talk, positive or negative the show has got us talking. And what better way to leave us for three weeks then talking.
The problem is too many people are talking about not watching the show going forward. Now, given the population of individuals invested in the relationship that was probably unavoidable once they chose to use PLIs, but they still needed to handle the situation deftly to satisfy the rest of us. They did not by almost any objective measure.
It is nice to see Chuck grow. First everyone was mad because he was so “emotional”. Now everyone gets to see a hardened Chuck. I can see why people are pissed that Chuck gets together with Hannah. I originally did not like the idea either. But the more I thought about it who wouldn’t want to get involved with someone who is attractive and with new “Bond” like abilities you would think you were the second coming of Casanova. Chuck knows that his relationship with Sarah is cold at the moment. Instead of getting super jealous his growth allows him to deal with it. Ya, the last ten minutes moved things really fast, but it had too. Like everyone else said this is just one step along the journey. Who knows, in two months this might make all sense because it turns out that Shaw was after Sarah because she is as important to the Intersect as Chuck. Just a thought.
3.07, together with 3.03, are the worst episodes of the entire series. Just too contrived, implausible. If the Ring is so powerful, and penetrated all elements of US government with all its capabilities why would they import some old gas from Syria, in such a small quantity??? Seriously? This is beyond ridiculous.
Why would Chuck want to risk Hannah’s life with each second probably the fatal one, and stop Casey from blowing the vault doors?
I don’t mind Chuck and Sarah having love interests if they were to be developed in a plausible way. This is the under-fives version.
I enjoyed this episode just like I enjoy every episode of Chuck. However, I have to agree that the Chuck-Sarah aspect was disappointingly executed. I drew four dots on a piece of paper trapedoiz-like and asked my 3-year-old neice to connect the dots. She did. Sloppily. In crayon. I feel the writers did much the same thing with this episode.
I have no problem at all with the love trapedoid plot and I clearly see how it serves the story. But it was poorly introduced. It made no sense within the context of the story. Did I skip an episode? Chuck vs the Missing Sublpot? At what point did Chuck and Sarah give up on each other? The impression I was left with after 303 was that Sarah needed time to heal and Chuck was willing to wait, focusing on becoming a spy in the meantime.
The audience is left with the impression that Chuck will fall for any pretty girl who smiles at him. Are we meant to conlcude that Chuck’s feelinsg for Sarah are largely due to the fact that she’s hot? What happened to all that deep, meaningful love from 302? Hannah expresses interest and Chuck instantly forgets about Sarah. Hard to buy that one…
Sarah and Shaw? For two years, Sarah played the “it’s not professiona” card to explain why she won’t get involved with Chuck. Since when is it “professional” to get involved with your boss?
I know the writers only had a 13-episode season to work with when they crafted this, but they definitely skipped a step here. I assume this trapezoid plot concludes in Episode 8. Alas, that’s 3 weeks away. I’ll be there on March 1, but I wonder how many viewers will still be there with me.
Can’t Sarah sue Shaw for sexual harrassment in the work place?
Absolutely! Chuck vs. the Civil Trial. He flashes on some mean legal skills and gets Sarah a nice settlement.
I won’t get too deep since others have already delved into the (seemingly?) obvious problems with vs. the Mask.
Did anyone else notice a bit of ambiguous weirdness in Shaw’s expression in the closing scene as he was rubbing Sarah’s shoulders? He was behind her, out of her view, and my morning-after recollection was a sizeable WTF? at the look on his face.
I haven’t re-watched the DVR copy yet so maybe I’m just imagining things. I guess I need to start taking notes during the episodes…
You’re not imagining anything. It’s dark, disengenous, scary – fraudulent if you will.
And Sarah looks none too pleased. Good thing the phony hunk can’t see her expression.
Hannah isn’t so obvious. She might just be some innocent civilian who was charmed by Chuck. But I’m thinking not.
Shaw is either a complete fraud or using Sarah to complete the last piece of Chuck’s training. And that is to toughen him up and/or force him to pick Sarah.
I think Shaw has been putting something in Sarah’s coffee or on her stirrer stick. I’m not sure what Hannah has been poisoning Chuck with. I suspect that Shaw and Hannah are working in tandem, either for the Ring to break up the effective Walker-Bartowski team, or for Beckman, to test the endurance of the Chuck-Sarah partnership.
HAHAHA that’s awesome about the coffee! I didn’t think of that!!!
Do you think maybe it’s some kind of super-aphrodisiac? That would explain Sarah’s quick change from indifference to apparent attraction. That made me want to perform a Shawtopsy on him.
-K
I’m with you, DoctorJoe – I wondered if I had accidentally missed an episode. I couldn’t figure out why the dynamics had suddenly changed.
I think what Alan and others aren’t taking in to account in their reviews ARE the really diehard, patient fans. I wasn’t angry last night because Chuck and Sarah are becoming interested in other people, I was angry because I felt like Chuck and Sarah weren’t be written as Chuck and Sarah, merely as MakeTheGuestStars’ArcsQuick. It’s the WAY it’s being done, not what’s being done. I believe in the roller coaster, I just want to make sure they didn’t switch the ride on me.
For instance, Sarah’s approach to romance has been very slow and steady. Her relationship with Bryce was built on the strength of MANY missions as partners over an extended time period. Her feelings for Chuck developed slowly and she fought them for quite some time. Why then would she now, knowing so little about Shaw, fall into a relationship so soon after Chuck stomped on her heart a little bit? If it were only about making Chuck jealous, she could find a Civilian. Her interest in Shaw seems flimsy to me, forced into fruition too quickly.
On the other hand, Chuck really does have a problem with falling for any pretty girl that smiles at him. (Remember Lou?) I can understand his interest in Hannah. However, when he was dating Lou he was under the impression that Sarah had no feelings for him whatsoever. I just don’t believe he would enter into a new relationship so quickly when he knows Sarah loves him. A flirtation, sure. But a relationship? I’m not buying it.
In summary, it’s not the roller coaster I have a problem with; it’s the speed they threw Chuck and Sarah at other people with. I realize the writers only have 13 episodes, and the guest stars are only there for a set number of those – but honestly, if this is Chuck’s last run, can’t we expect the best from each episode?
This is just not going to be an episode I look back on thinking, “Wow. That. Is. So. Chuck.”
-Katie
P.S. WHERE WERE AWESOME, JEFF AND LESTER?? I MISSED THEM!
I never thought I’d say this, but I’m looking forward to the Olympics now. Bring on the hockey tournament.
I watched the episode. Then I read the comments. Then I watched the episode again. I really do not see why there is such negativity about it here—I thought it was a fine show—the end, where Sarah and Chuck have a little conversation about Hannah and Shaw, is poignant and I think nicely sums up the feelings Chuck and Sarah have, if one closely observes the scene. All is not yet lost, shippers!
The 2-hour Chuck season–please someone say season, not series–finale is a nice birthday present to me. Thanks NBC.
the Chuck vs. the Mask
Well… I don’t know where actually the makers of this TV Show heading, but one thing is for sure, I mean this show is not a real James Bond, come on… who we kidding:) and the idea of this show was based on love.
So I was watching this show only because of those two characters and all these passion things which were between these two couple. And I must say that in this Show, the love thing was described really good, and I’m sure that 90% of viewers are agree with that. In all movies, and in the real life, the best things which are happing between lovers are at the beginning, I mean, how the love going on when you are togather, is not itresting. The beginning’ loves people. So what happened in the Chuck vs. the Mask, is campletly opposite of the Idea in this Show. The Chucks reaction relatively for Hannah, corresponding to that character, because Chuck is very naive, and its acceptable. But Sarah behaviour relatively for Daniel Shaw, wasn’t really good at all. In my opinion, I would let Sarah to reject Daniel Shaw, because, I see Sarah more emotional than Chuck, and if Sarah will fall out from this relationship, this Show will ended.
Guys!!!! Did we missed some seasons???:) Whats happened to Sarah and Chuck????!!!!!!!!!!!
I have been a Chuck Fan since the beginning and Monday night is Chuck night at my house as it is the only show that my wife & 17 year old daughter watch religously together. Everyone in the office knows where I am at 8 PM LOL.
I thought last night’s show was well done up to the point of the Chuck/Sarah/Shaw/Hannah trainwreck which really was jarring. One of things I have enjoyed with the show is their relationship slowly progressed instead the contrived gyrations you see in soaps, but the ending last night wasn’t even consistent with the first half of the show, let alone the series.
What I think is that to save money they ghosted out the writing to some out of work soap hack.
Color me DISAPPOINTED>
I went and looked at the extended promo again…if I remember correctly, what Shaw says leading up to the punch only implies he’s talking about C/S. We have been led to believe Shaw doesn’t think there was a “love connection” between C/S.
I wonder if Chuck finds out Hannah is a plant…he’s been played as part of “training”…he doesn’t know who’s telling the truth anymore–including Sarah– and punches Shaw. If indeed, (in this episode) Sarah is supposed to tell Chuck her real name as a show of faith…it may be to convince him that she wasn’t “in” on the deception…
I really like this theory. That would be enjoyable to watch and makes sense.
Nice. I hope this is the route they take. I’ve been waiting for that punch since the promo.
I think the creaters have very good explanation for whats happened in Chuck vs. the Mask.
Confused is the best word to describe how I felt after last night’s episode. Which, made me start thinking about why I was confused. I choose not to believe that the writers, who have been pretty consistent so far in being careful with how the Chuck/Sarah relationship unfolds, collectively lost their minds for the last 10 minutes of last night’s episode. Instead, I choose to believe that we aren’t getting the full explanation for why the Chuck and Sarah characters are behaving the way they are. I have noticed that in this third season, there have been a few times already when we don’t fully understand the motivation and mind of the characters on screen. This is not typical in the way the show was written in seasons 1 and 2. Even when it came to Sarah, there used to always be a scene that revealed, at least to us as the viewers, how she really felt and what was motivating her behavior. Chuck, as a character, has always constantly explained and shared his feelings with someone, making it very easy to know what kind of emotions he’s experiencing, and why he’s behaving certain ways. This season, however, there has been more ambiguity in understanding both of them…especially Chuck. We don’t know precisely why decided to “burn” Manoosh. While he shares that it was a hard decision while talking to Sarah and Casey, he doesn’t really talk about the details of how he’s feeling. And when he drinks whiskey at the end of that episode, the audience still isn’t precisely sure of why he’s feeling so badly. Is it Manoosh? Is it his relationship with Ellie? His relationship with Sarah? Is he trying to gather strength to keep becoming more and more the kind of spy he thinks he needs to be in order to save the world? Or is he regretting his decision to download Intersect 2.0? It is one of those motivating reasons or all of them? We aren’t told.
In light of this example, and I could give others from this third season…I think that many of us are jumping to a premature conclusion if we think we know why Sarah is acting so warmly towards Shaw so abruptly. I just don’t believe that Sarah’s truly interested in him because she’s tired of trying to make it work with Chuck in an impossible situation. I think she’s seducing Shaw to find out more about him. And I also think he may be attempting to do the same to her. In last night’s episode, Sarah only acts truly warm towards Shaw when they are (supposedly) under the effects of the poison gas…when he can see her face. In every other scene, she seems very unhappy that Chuck is moving closer to Hannah, and also unwelcoming towards Shaw’s advances. This is especially true as Chuck turns around to walk away from Sarah after their DTR talk near the end of the episode. For starters, she opens with the exact same response she used on Chuck when they were discussing his relationship with Jill in season two: “She seems like a nice girl.†Sarah was jealous then and she’s jealous now. She barely even agrees with him that she has a “type” of man she’s attracted to, and the word for that type is “hero,” which we all know Sarah sees Chuck as, and has told him so. It’s why he downloaded the Intersect 2.0.
I feel confident that Sarah is trying to play Shaw, on her own, without telling anyone, because she needs this to work without anyone blowing her “cover.” I may be wrong, but that’s my take on why things seem contrived last night…they were contrived. The Sarah/Shaw thing is fake…and we all sense it, and that’s why it feels out of place compared to everything that has come before it.
All of that being said…I am a bit nervous that if someone were to have started watching for the first time this season, that person would not have seen nearly enough chemistry between Chuck and Sarah to care if they are together or not. All along, I have felt like the writers this season were attempting to do a bit of a “reset” on the entire show so that it would have broader appeal to new viewers. Because of this, I have been willing to put up with several scenes in season three that scream, “We’ve seen and heard this all before!” And, while I have also enjoyed the quick pace of this season (due to an initial order of only 13 episodes), with significant progress being made in the larger, over-arching storyline of the series, I feel that the pace has also left out the funnier, more tender, natural moments that made Chuck so much fun to watch, almost laid-back. Most of my favorite Chuck and Sarah interactions happened in those quieter, normal, everyday moments. Sitting in his living room. Talking in his room. Sharing thoughts around the fountain in the courtyard. In those kinds of situations, you could believe that they would find a way to be together. You pulled for them to find that way. You knew that they were growing closer and closer to one another. This season, Sarah has either seemed angry at Chuck or scared for Chuck’s safety, or both. Things are tense and the stakes are high, all the time. There just haven’t been any “normal†scenes to help a new viewer understand that in between missions, these two really enjoy one another’s company, and trust each other more than anyone else in the world. I really miss those scenes, and am worried that without them, a new viewer wouldn’t know to pull for them as a couple anyway. What that means, to me, is that the show is changing. That is always a dangerous shift to make, and I’m not at all sure I’d like it.
It’s obvious from reading comments, not just here, but other places… that people are really upset about what happened in the latest episode of Chuck, and I just feel the need to say some things in defense of the show. Let’s not be too quick to judge what happened in Chuck vs. the mask. Let’s take it at ‘face’ value, so to speak. This is the spy world after all. Things aren’t always what they seem.
I know a big concern is that Chuck and Sarah acted out of character… are they, or is that just what it seems like right now? Could it just appear that way now but be part of a much bigger picture – a picture that we can’t see right now, but will make sense later on?
I don’t know about everyone else, but I’m still waiting to find out what everyone’s motives are. Take Hannah for instance, is anyone sure of the real reason she came to Burbank? Is Chuck the only reason? How about Shaw? Shaw to me seems to be someone who is very deliberate in his actions and has a reason for everything he does. So, I have to wonder, what is his real reason for pursuing Sarah? After all, when we first met him, he was adamant about not letting feelings get in the way of the job. So why the sudden change? Is it really about Sarah, or is he using her for something else? What about Chuck and Sarah? We all know how crazy Chuck is for Sarah, and I have no doubt will see him pining for her again soon enough. And Sarah, well she might have acted the most out of character, but is it real? What if it is her that is playing Shaw and trying to discover what the real reason for him being there is? These options may not be right, but are things to consider nonetheless.
Sarah and Chuck might not be where they were at the end of season two – a lot has happened between them – but they are where they need to be right now, like Lou has mentioned in previous articles. They are growing up. That was evident in their conversation at the end of Chuck vs. the mask. And so was the fact that they still care deeply about each other.
Let’s step back and look at the big picture. Let’s not get so focused on the outcome, that we miss out on the journey. Trust the writers, producers, etc… to come through. After all, they are the same ones who brought us this show that we’ve come to love and fought so hard to bring back.
People may be upset about what they saw happen last episode and upset about where they ‘think’ the story is going, but that is by no means a reason for people to jump ship and give up hope. If anything it’s presented a new challenge to see how Chuck and Sarah are going to come out on the other side of this. And while what’s happening right now might not be popular, and is certainly difficult to watch at times and emotionally thought provoking, the bottom line is that we’re talking about it. This latest episode evoked passion, a passion that shows we care about what happens. If we didn’t, there wouldn’t be such controversy.
Good shows have great characters, but great shows make us care about those characters and what happens to them. And from what I’m reading, good or bad, it’s obvious that a lot of people care about the show… and isn’t that the point?
I completely agree. I can’t wait to see this journey and enjoy it. Some parts ARE hard to watch–but still rewarding in the end. I will continue to watch and continue to love this show for all it brings to the table. Finally–someone who gets it.