ChuckTV.net The CHUCK archive
Written by Rafe Judkins & Lauren LeFranc
Directed by Patric Norris
Ch-ch-ch-ch-Changes
(Turn and face the strange)
Ch-ch-Changes
Don’t want to be a richer man
Ch-ch-ch-ch-Changes
(Turn and face the strange)
Ch-ch-Changes
Just gonna have to be a different man
Time may change me
But I can’t trace time
~
David Bowie
‘You ready to die today?’
Tis the season of change in the Chuckverse. Even for a show where events often occur at a rapid clip, Chuck Vs The Tic Tac places characters on their own personal precipes on a scale never encountered before. To wit, five of the main cast members are left at the end of this episode faced with life altering changes:
- Chuck
- Sarah
- Casey
- Devon
- Ellie
The quoted line is the question asked of a young Alex Coburn who must chose to serve his country or return home to his loved ones. Coburn choses to serve his country and in the process gives up who he is ie dies and is reborn as John Casey.
In Tarot, the Death Card is misleading. It signifies death as not an end but an agent of change. Or a new beginning. Redemption stories are about the death of the past. Coming of age stories are about the death of the child. So all stories begin at a point of change for a character. All stories are really about death in terms of change.
‘I know you’ll make the right decision. You always do.’
So Colonel Keller tells John Casey. But did young Alex Coburn really? Its a tough question where there is no clear answer. Casey certainly seems to think so. Was his decision to serve his country altruistic or did he see it as an opportunity to hide from feelings which he and his girlfriend acknowledged he has trouble dealing with. The answer is not clear and maybe this aspect of John Casey’s life can be explored in the future. Maybe Chuck will show a new path to John Casey.
The background reveal of Casey’s backstory explains much of his character. Quite a nifty piece of work as it sheds new light on Casey’s history of intolerance for the relationship tension between Chuck and Sarah since Team Bartowski came into being. Casey was often quick to express his displeasure when the relationship spilt out into missions and he always delighted in making Chuck and Sarah painfully aware when the other’s attention was diverted elsewhere. But he was always there to give both of them a nudge too when he saw things heading in bad directions. His actions in previous episodes take on a different light now because of his back story.
Most significantly for Chuck, making the right decision is at the basic core of his character too. We have seen Chuck do this time and time again even when it comes at his personal happiness. For Chuck, and for Sarah, to see the personal price that Casey has paid is hopefully a revelation that will play some part in the final outcome between them.
‘Don’t give up on the things that make you great.’
What Tic Tac does is crystallize the issues running between Chuck and Sarah. There is an accepted conceit that Sarah, and Casey, believe that in order to be an effective spy one has to make personal sacrifices. For Chuck to be a spy, Sarah believes that he will lose the very qualities that attracted her to Chuck in the first place. This is the challenge Chuck faces. To prove to Sarah, and maybe even to Casey, that the two lives do not have to be mutually exclusive. That being a spy does not mean giving up the essence of who you are. For Chuck has an ace card up his sleeve. The Intersect. With it, if he learns to control it properly, he has the power to prevent that from happening.
The catch to mastering control of the Intersect is he needs to have someone watching his back. Not so much in the physical sense but the emotional one. Someone to share with. To keep it simple. To keep it real. This is what he and Sarah need to discover together.
Episode Flashes:
- Robert Patrick by just being himself, which is all his role asked, was still cool
- Morgan spying on Casey
- Team B working their way through 15 levels of CIA security
- Castle debriefing scene which starts out with Chuck goofiness and quickly escalates into the most intense scene in the series to date – a Showcase sequence that demonstrates Chuck at its cross genre best
- hats off to Fitzroy’s ability to quickly upgrade CIA security
- Chuck’s smash into plexiglass wall and Sarah’s reaction due to said upgrades
- Sarah’s applauding of Fitzroy’s upgrades to defuse the situation and turn it to their advantage
- Fitzroy and Morgan. Is it just me or would these two together not be hilarious?
- Fitzroy revealing he is a big fan of Carmichael’s and his glee at Chuck kissing Casey back in Season 2
- Sarah’s punchout of Fitzroy and her exasperated ‘Yes’ to Chuck for it being necessary
- Devon and Morgan circling one another as they feel each other out as to how much they each know about Chuck
- Morgan agreeing to help Casey if he gets a codename like Condor or LadyFingers
- Chuck promising Sarah he still is that guy that Sarah met three years ago
- Sarah and Chuck helping Casey despite the potential consequences
- three excellent fight scenes:
- Casey getting to do a Terminator toss of Robert Patrick
- Sarah getting Casey’s back and taking out 5 baddies on her lonesome
- Chuck’s slomo/speedup drug enhanced flash fight
- Sarah seeing her nightmare version of Chuck, echoed by what she saw in Casey’s fight, the perfect emotionless spy and confirmation she wants no part of that version of Chuck
- Casey’s discovery that he gave up much more than he realized
- Casey giving Chuck advice about him and Sarah. Can a Casey and Sarah talk be that far away?
- Ellie telling Chuck that her choice in Devon was her best choice regardless of the sacrifices made
This is an entertaining and intense episode which marks the impressive writing debut of Rafe Judkins & Lauren LeFranc. They blend together those cross genre elements of the show with deft ease. The debriefing scene in the Castle after the first mission is genius. To take something that starts out as a piece of Chuck charming goofiness and turn it into the most intense scene in the serie’s history is writing prowness at its best.
Add on to that some true comedic moments for Sarah, long overdue and most welcome, coupled with some kick ass action sequences and great scenes with Morgan, Ellie and Devon and it is all the more impressive. The cast continues to shine this season with Yvonne and Adam getting to extend their acting chops. Zac was stellar as usual.
The only quibble would be around the use of Laudanol by Chuck to suppress his emotions to better use the Intersect. While the intent is clear; to show Sarah the nightmare version of Chuck she dreads; the implementation was weak. Maybe budget restrictions were the true culprit here but for Chuck to be freaking out about having to fight too many guys, when he easily handled a similar number the episode before, undermined the purpose of those scenes.
‘Walker is a good woman.’
If anyone had any doubts about whether the Chuck and Sarah romance storyline is headed for imminent resolution, Casey’s speech to Chuck at the end of 3.10 is a big, flashing neon sign. It is has been a long running hope of mine that Casey would play an important part in resolving the Chuck and Sarah relationship and it looks like that is going to transpire.
Do not be surprised if John Casey has a similar moment with Sarah soon.
“I know you’ll make the right decision. You always do.”
Didn’t Bryce Larkin make a similar statement to Chuck in season 2? Although in that case he (Bryce) wanted Chuck to break up with Sarah in order to protect her.
Very good review of a very good show. I think you are right about John (Casey)[it sounds so funny to use Casey’s first name] giving some heart felt advice to Sarah. The sooner the better, but I suspect it will be in 3.12 when Awesome, Morgan, and Casey are on a mission to bring those two damaged love birds back together.
Excellent review, and I couldn’t agree more. I loved this episode, every minute of it. I can’t wait to see what LeFranc and Judkins come up with their next time up to write, because this first effort from them was amazing.
As usual Lou, great review, it actually trumps the “professional” reviews out there.
Happy, considering they wrote 314 together with Ali Adler i’d say they might reach even greater hights.
For all the grunting and teasing that Casey dished out to C & S about their relationship over the episodes, it’s refreshing that he really did see what everone else saw. Except C & S themselves!
Good review on the Casey and Chuck front,
I loved almost every minute of the episode but I can honestly say the WTWT is way past old and now is just being downright iritating. So drop the Sarah and Shaw stuff and this episode would have been perfect.
Speaking of that major plot point, why would you leave out the biggest issue that most Charah fans have out of your reivew when you were so adamant that the PLI had a purpose. The fact that Sarah was flying off to spend some quality time with her new man means that Sarah is really serious about moving away from Chuck. That is all what is wrong with this season. She meets a new guy now all of the sudden she is flying across the country to be with someone and when Chuck questions her she gets all pissy with him. Now we don’t know if Sarah ends up in DC for romance or the new job or both but since you were all about the PLI’s pushing Chuck and Sarah I would have thought you would mention that.
Also my problem with this whole season and I am sure I am not the only one is that Sarah can be with an emotionless spy who chokes people, shoots people in the back and is willing to blow up the man Sarah loves. But Chuck is changing into a spy oh no, he is not the man I love anymore.
Really Sarah you are thinking about moving to DC to be closer to a block of wood and farther away from a man that in his darkest day will have more compassion and heart than the inanimate object that is dragging the season down ever could. They wonder why people are no longer care about Chuck and Sarah. I think GMMR said it best, the writers follow a WTWT checklist every episode and it never changes.
But the rest of the episode rocked. Just drop the Chuck is changing act already because he was the Chuck we all know and loved and he is not even remotely close to the nut job that is Daniel Shaw.
I pay as much attention to the relationship and PLIs in my reviews as feels warranted. Plus I have already written an article on it.
Forums discuss this material ad nauseum and frankly, at this point, it chucking bores me. That teat has been squeezed dry. I suggest you go to those places.
Good point.
Then what you intended to review and the impact it had on Casey and Chuck is well done. Changes is definately the correct word. Also it is great to know Casey wasn’t hatched and that he has a real past that changed who he was and he gave up love in the process. He scarificed his love for her twice. One to give up the normal life for her to be a spy and the second 20 years later to give up the spy life for her and his daughter. It was a great thing to see and it really fleshed out Casey’s character. Chuck may face a ceratain decision in the future and this could be some great foreshadowing.
OD,
Great review. One thing that did bother me, and I think Sepinwall may have commented on it, was that Casey’s backstory seemed to contradict things we had learned about him earlier. In Santa Claus he refers to himself as “Johnny-boy” when calling his mom, and in Angel de la Muerte Goya knows him as Casey – the man who tried to kill him in the 80’s.
What are your thoughts on the creating conflicts in a character’s backstory, particularly in the same season?
Also, did you find it problematic that with Casey benched, and Sarah and Shaw in DC, Chuck was left without surveillance and someone to watch his back?
I agree with the plot hole of leaving Chuck without a backup or any help. In the previous episode the Ring came looking for Chuck and found the Castle. Perhaps the CIA/NSA “blocked” the transmission of data, but if the Ring found it out so easily, then surely they could do so again. Yet, the CIA/NSA are now comfortable giving Sarah a well-deserved break to ponder her “future” in D.C. (presumably, in part, with Shaw), Shaw in D.C. doing who knows what, Casey selling appliances and a not-yet-fully-qualified-as-a-spy Chuck to man the castle and defend Burbank all on his own? Seems way out of place. It also shows to me exactly what Maureen Ryan pointed out in her review of Fake Name and that is that TPTB inserted Shaw in a way that they did not need to. Forget the angst angle or the other problems; Shaw’s storyline has focused on his LI with Sarah (not well done) to the expense of other regular cast member time and interaction, and in my opinion, more importantly on the story telling. In order to play out the Shaw romance, we now have a completely inconsistent set of facts that goes against every previous episode of the show. That bugs me.
nycfan – Casey’s backstory chronology and details is window dressing stuff which does not fuss me. Stuff that is easily explained or… unimportant.
I am sure that Chuck is under constant surveillance when the primary team is not around.
This is a show about emotion, not plot. The writers do whatever makes dramatic sense for a particular episode. They often don’t even try to be consistent. I just ignore plot details and enjoy the interactions among the characters.
Old Darth – Stellar review. Thanks for taking the time to think clearly and critically about each episode. I especially appreciate the insight regarding Chuck needing to find a way to prove both Sarah and Casey wrong about having to sell out to one way of life or another. One question…could you offer a suggestion or two about how else Sarah could have seen the possible “nightmare version of Chuck” so quickly and clearly without the Laudanol?
I feel that, had Chuck gone to that place without some kind of “chemical enhancement,” we would have concluded (and more importantly, Sarah as well) that Chuck was totally failing to make progress in rediscovering the heart of that guy she met three years ago. With the drug in the mix, his moment of weakness was only choosing to take the drug, not choosing to actually be someone he never wants to be…It’s a bad decision more that he’s actually a bad guy. (Am I making any sense here?)
The problem was not the Laudanol it was the scenario in which Chuck took the pill. There should have been a dozen, two dozen men. But then, would somebody send that many to kill someone?
Well, we all know that Chuck cannot flash when he is panicked or stressed. He was certainly that when he took the pill. With Casey’s loved one at risk, I think he was a little desperate. But with the aftermath and realizing who he would become if he was emotionless (and mirrored perfectly in Sarah) I seriously doubt he would ever take the pill again.
I love your reviews:). Every week I look forward to reading them.
Most kind. Glad you enjoy them.
Yeah, same here. Thanks, Lou. GREAT episode. I can’t wait for Monday!
darth – I am cutting and pasting your own words:
#
* Sarah getting Casey’s back and taking out 5 baddies on her lonesome
* Chuck’s slomo/speedup drug enhanced flash fight
# Sarah seeing her nightmare version of Chuck, echoed by what she saw in Casey’s fight, the perfect emotionless spy and confirmation she wants no part of that version of Chuck
so sarah can shoot 3 and punchout 2 ‘baddies’, but chuck can’t take out 4 ‘baddies’ to protect an innocent civilian? He should have had a gun with him and done to them what sarah did to her ‘baddies’ – help me understand why this issue gets a free pass in the show
Free pass?
Chuck’s unwillingness to use a gun has been a season long issue. Expect it to be addressed by the end of the first 13.
Great review, killer episode!
I was willing to see past any plot hole-ish stuff because the episode was so gripping, intense, funny, and entertaining.
I agree, it had some of the most intense moments of the entire series, and amazing hand to hand combat choreography and stunt work — hard to believe we got all of that in a single episode of a television show. As a matter of fact, there was so much of everything packed into this episode, it felt like a 90 minute show packed into 60 minutes, yet it flowed well and didn’t seem rushed.
If this is the first episode for this relatively young writing team, I can’t wait to see what they being us next!
We’re in very good hands…
Cheers,
Gray.
Thanks Gray.
Very excited to see the Rafe and Lauren’s next writing effort.
LOOOOUUUU: [ I can imagine this blog being just like the Gold Medal hockey game – Can vs USA – with the crowd chanting your name : ) ]
Stellar review – which is why I love this site!
Why do you think there has been so much upheval and chaos in the lives of Characters in the show this season?
Yes – there’s the arugment about developing the story…. but do we need 5 or 6 weeks in a row of unresolved issues?
[ 3.09 was an excellent example of what the show can accomplish in one hour]
I think the merri-go-round of relationships and plot details have had an impact on the ratings too … Its certainly not the silly fun Chuck that lit up our hearts the past 2 seasons. Not a criticism – because the stories have been fantastic – its just an observation about the pace and context.
Do you expect that we’ll get a follow up to the Casey saga anytime soon?
Or was all this just a plot manoever so Chuck and Casey would have a more substancial heart to heart?
I agree completely – I’d love to see Casey wade into the Chuck and Sarah triangle… hmm – a man to man between Casey and Shaw would be highly entertaining – with Casey acting as Sarah’s big brother.
Loved Fitzroy – however we keep meeting these adorable characters that dissappear too quickly…. hmmm – but we have Shaw to look forward to.
Do you think there are too many ingredients in the pot all at once?
Excellent episode! Also, very good review! I too thought this writing team did a great job! I loved how 5 of the characters are left contemplating their future at the end as well!
Regarding Chuck taking the Laudanol- I think it’s the evil you know versus the evil you don’t know. Last week, Morgan decided to take action and forced the duo (well really Chuck) to deal with the group of bad guys that had been in the Buy More all episode. Remember he wanted to wait for backup, but Morgan forged ahead. 🙂 This week Chuck didn’t know what to expect, didn’t know how many were there. He only knew that these men worked for tough huy Casey/ Alex’s former CO. He was there to get Alex’s old flame out of danger and instead walked right into it. I think Casey knew that would happen, hence giving Chuck the pill.
Another thought, Chuck had been intrigued about the Laudanol from the beginning of the episode. This season seems to be about him wanting to become a real spy. So I wasn’t surprised when he took the pill. After breaking up with Hannah, seeing Shaw and Sarah together, no real future at the Buy More, and Ellie and Awesome moving overseas – he only has his spy life left (or so it appears at the moment). I can see him taking the pill and becoming the ultimate spy he has always wanted to be. My question is, after this experience does he still want to give everything up to become that spy? OR in true Chuck fashion will he be able to realize he can become a real spy without sacrificing who he is? Fun show! 🙂
I get the impression from Chuck feels he only has his spy life left, so he wants to do anything he can to make that succeed. Buy More doesn’t offer him much of a future. Sarah and Shaw seemed to be an item when he wanted that normal life with Hannah (only to discover – his lying isn’t right for her). I think it’s an intriguing storyline
LOL oops Sorry that last paragraph were supposed to be deleted. My reply stops after Fun Show! 🙂
Great episode! Great review Lou! Annette my thiking on Chuck taking the Laudanol is to supress them emotions he’s dealing with hurting his family and friends seeing Sarah and Shaw together and Sarah revealing her real name Sam to Shaw and not to him.
You saw the way Chuck looked at Sarah when he had that ring agent up against the wall choking him and was about to break his neck. Sarah called Chuck to stop, the look he gave her was a look of anger,heartbreak,and dissapointment.Not only in himself but he is also dissappointed in Sarah as well.
Awesome review. I loved this episode Adam Baldwin truly shined as Casey.
I’d love it if Casey and Sarah have a heart to heart. And loved it when Casey came out of the shipper closet in the end. Always did think he was into them being a couple:
Chuck and Casey’s interactions through out the episode made me smile with pleasure their relationship through out the series have been love/hate at best especially in Casey’s opinion. This season and this episode proved it was much more then that. I sensed a brother- like relationship between them now. It showed how tight those two had become. I love those two.
And I seriously doubt Casey will be out of the game for long. 3:12 anyone? Epic episode again I loved it.
I’m probably the only one who feels this way, but Chuck vs the Tic Tac ruined the character of John Casey for me. Alex Coburn didn’t fake his death in order to protect his fiancee or to avoid a dishonorable discharge. He went through with that cruel hoax in order to get what he wanted. Being able to serve in a black ops unit meant more to him than anything or anyone else, including the woman who is supposedly the love of his life. I don’t understand why he would then risk his career, freedom, and possibly his life for her after 20 years. Couldn’t Team Bartowski have handled protecting Kathleen and Alex Jr. without Casey’s act of treason? What really bothered me, however, was the fact that John/Alex was more upset about losing his job than losing his family. After all, he told Chuck that he made the right decision back in ’89. I’ve actually reached the point where I hope Adam’s screen time is limited for the rest of the season.
Well his choice may seem selfish, but it actually parallels the choice that Chuck made on the platform in Prague when he chose not to run away with Sarah because he thought he could save lives. John Casey decided all those years ago that his duty to his country was more important than having the American dream, and although that may have been utterly devastating for his fiancee, it was the right choice for him (or so he says).
If he seemed to care more about the loss of his job rather than his family, it may have been because he gave up everything so that he could serve his country, and now his country doesn’t want him. As televisionwithoutpity.com puts it, “Casey finds out he has a daughter, but he chooses love of country. And then his country fires him.”
In addition, Team Bartowski couldn’t have just gone and protected Kathleen and Alex because even knowing that John Casey was Alex Coburn was treason–after all, the government didn’t know about him until he became John Casey, so having a secret identity with ties to a Colonel with Ring affiliations and a dishonorable discharge might have jeopardized his job anyway.
What really bothered me in this episode was the lack of continuity and all those contradictions. Maybe it would have been better if they just pushed his story back ten years, like 1979 or something. That would have still been plausible, wouldn’t it?
Sorry for the super long comment.
Lieutenant Alex Coburn could have continued serving his country, but he decided to do something utterly cruel in order to pursue his dream. The military is his one true love, not Kathleen (or Ilsa). There are plenty of people in the army, navy, air force, etc. who are able to balance work and family. Is their service any less valuable because they have spouses and children? I’m sorry, but I just don’t like John Casey very much anymore.
Well, John Casey didn’t know he had a daughter or that his fiancee was pregnant, since Colonel Keller cut his phone call short. He’d probably think that after she heard he was dead, she’d just move on.
In addition, you can’t exactly convince someone not to go out and save the world by saying that there are already other people doing stuff like that, especially if they’ve just been told that they have special qualifications for a special black ops team.
And also, this is almost exactly like Chuck’s situation–leaving Sarah at Prague so he could go save lives, especially since, being the Intersect, he could become the ultimate spy. It also seemed pretty obvious that he was ready to abandon Morgan since he no longer wanted to work at the Buymore, so that must have seemed a bit selfish to you as well. After all, there must be tons of spies out there that can do what Chuck can do and more.
But I can see that no matter what or how much I say/type/write, I won’t change your opinion that John Casey is a bad man.
Unlike Casey, Chuck didn’t fake his own death so that he could go forward with spy training. I can’t imagine him doing something like that because he knows how much it would hurt Sarah, his family, and his friends. Also, I thought Sarah saw Chuck’s confession in which he explained why he couldn’t run away with her. Didn’t he admit that he was essentially going through the process out of love and respect for her?
I could understand Alex’s decision a little bit better if he had no one in his life, but he seemed to have no trouble abandoning the woman he supposedly loved. While he may have been a good soldier, he wasn’t as unique as Chuck is. It wasn’t absolutely vital that he join Keller’s group, but he did so anyway. Soldiers don’t need to be part of an elite unit in order to do important work around the world.
If you truly love someone, act like it. I guess Ilsa faking her death and making John suffer was karma.
The whole point of the Casey backstory was to show what Chuck will turn into if he loses Sarah. Casey’s life is Sarah’s nightmare scenario for Chuck. Casey’s advice to Chuck at the end suggests to me that perhaps Casey has begun to regret the choice he made. I think we’re seeing Chuck’s influence on him here. Casey has a very dark past, but a more compassionate future. I don’t think this ruins Casey at all.
Even if you’re right about Casey beginning to regret his past decisions, I doubt that we’ll ever see Kathleen or Alex Jr. again.
IMHO, in a way, it was a wise decision to not have Casey running back to Kathleen and Alex(andra) at the end of the episode. As it stands, that would have come across as after having been rejected by the country he loves, just settling for a life with an old love and a daughter. The choice to go to them in the aftermath would effectively turn them into the second-best consolation prize “rebound girl”. (“If I can’t have what I love I guess you’ll do”.) And that’s a lousy, lousy way to go about a relationship.
If Casey goes to them in the end, I think it needs to be in a scenario where he’s already regained what he’s lost and then chooses them because he simply wants them to be in his life, not because he’s suddenly lost and rootless.
I don’t know that it would happen, but it would be a great scene for the season finale.
I like your thoughts on this, Doctor Joe. Casey’s advice to Chuck suggests that their (Casey’s & Chuck’s) relationship has evolved as well. They’ve come a long way over the past 2+ years. I love that.
Rich said earlier on something about how Sarah falls for these heartless guys but rejects Chuck because he is showing slight signs of a true spy. Although Bryce and Chuck were friends, how can she fall for the both of them? One is cold, and although caring and geeky, the opposite of Chuck. This season Chuck is becoming Bryce. And Sarah pushes him away because of it. Now the new Bryce is here, and now she suddenl trusts him with her name, and runs off with him after some months of working with him? I would like to hear other thoughts on why this is so.
Sam C H you are dead on. Also she said “Trust me Chuck” in the pilot episode, and never let up with that, even going so far as to be “hurt” when Chuck went looking for Orion and didn’t tell her. He “should have trusted” her, blah blah. So what does Sarah do after telling him to trust her all this time? Doesn’t trust him with personal info about herself after 3 years, but trusts Shaw with it after little more than a month. Gag!
I could be WAY off here, but I’m still of the opinion that Sarah is suspicious of Shaw and only “playing along” with this whole relationship thing. Maybe I’m just a conspiracy-theorist, but I just think there is something up that we will find out later.
However, I ALSO think that Chuck has severely rocked Sarah’s life, and I have gotten the feeling throughout this whole show that she is continually confused about her own emotions. Think about it: she’s spent MOST of her life lying, and all of her career being a heartless spy, and now her whole life is changing. I can completely understand why she seems fickle. I’ve had my own world rocked before, and it DEFINITELY made me question everything I thought I knew. I’m sure I drove people nuts changing my mind all of the time while I was trying to figure my heart out, too!
All that to say, I trust the writers, and I won’t judge this story arc until I’ve seen the final episode.
hazel, i hope you’re right with that first paragraph. I would like it to be revealed that Sarah’s been playing Shaw the whole time. But, if that is the case, they’re running out of time to reveal it. It needs to be revealed soon.
the central theme of the Final Exam will undoubtably be does Chuck choose love or country. I believe he will be able to balance both using the Intersect, because I believe I remember Schwartz saying that Sarah’s the key to whether it works or not. This brings me to my next point. Something that has been bothering me all season is the Intersect has stopped working twice and both times neither Chuck nor the team was able to figure out exactly what got it to work again. The first time was going from the Three Words to the Angel of Death. The Intersect went from not working at all to working very well and nobody even noticed the change or asked what caused it to start working again. The 2nd time this happened bothered me even more. In the Beard, the Intersect wasn’t working and when it started working again Chuck got the diagnosis wrong. He said he was a spy again because he had his best friend back. But, the correct reason was because Morgan made him admit to himself that he truly loved Sarah. So, I’m thinking that they might finally learn that Sarah is the key to it in the Final Exam. I’m also thinking that it might have something to do with Chuck’s problems with shooting people.
On to my next point. There was one part of the Final Exam promo that bothered me. The part where Chuck said “if I pass this test (and therefore become a spy), then we can be together.” Then Sarah leans in to kiss him. What?? As far as I know they’ve been heavily stressing the fact that Sarah fell in love with the normal Chuck, not the spy Chuck. So why would she want to kiss him after he says that? I thought about this, and I think I figured it out. I believe that scene will resolve something that has been totally pushed aside or into the background this season by them stressing so much that Sarah likes the normal Chuck and therefore she hasn’t realized a very important thing. And, this something also happens to be probably the biggest obstacle that there relationship faces. So, what is the “something”? Well, until Chuck becomes a real spy, he’s technically still Sarah’s asset, and as long as that’s the case, they can always use the old “unprofessional” excuse to keep them apart because their relationship will always be asset and handler. Therefore, Chuck becoming a real spy is the only way to change that relationship to spy partners. This is what Sarah has failed to realize so far. Although she loves the normal Chuck, she has to allow him to become a real spy in order to eliminate the whole “unprofessional” thing so that they can be truly together for real. I believe that this is what gets resolved in that scene from the promo.
On to my last point. I know most of this season has been trash so far. It all started with the mistake of having Chuck break Sarah’s heart in the premiere. That event should never have occured because it didn’t fit the storyline. Now I understand that the purpose of it was for Chuck to choose country over love at first. But, like I said, it didn’t fit the storyline and was forced in to keep them apart for longer. If it had fit the storyline, then fine. But it didn’t. Do I think the storyline of this season has been a good one so far? Yes. However, did they play it out the right way? Hell no. Hell to infinity no. I can understand Shaw being there to mentor Chuck. But to also make him a love interest for Sarah was a huge mistake. Especially since Sarah was willing to talk about the train station incident with Chuck after it occured. If she was willing to talk about that, then why wouldn’t she be willing to talk to Chuck about how she doesn’t like the way he’s changing? Inconsistent storyline there. I’m also still trying to figure out what Hannah’s purpose as a LI was. I have an idea, but I’m not sure if it’s correct so I’m not going to share it. I think the love interests for this season were very poorly handled. Anyway, I’m looking forward to this season finally starting to get better and for the show to start pulling itself out of the trash can. Oh, and my favorite quote of the month: “a Shaw-less episode is a flaw-less episode.” Terrible pun, but quite true. Thanks to the person who posted that on the NBC discussion boards.
My unhappiness with the vibe and character development in season 3 causes me to desperately cling to some fantasies:
-Sarah is playing Shaw because she smells a rat. Just by hitting on her in front of Chuck was bound to upset him, and damage unit cohesion. Why would Shaw try to damage the unit’s strength?
-The “Sam” confession was the “Fake Name” to which the title referred. She used it to placate a suspicious Shaw, and would never tell anyone but Chuck her real name, because she’s in love with Chuck, per Carina. I know the PR that Adler sticks by it as the real name (she gets to mislead us if she so desires) and that Yvonne got to pick the name (the actors can be misled, too. They haven’t seen scripts for season 4 yet).
-Hannah was on the plane next to Chuck for a reason. Her computer-geek persona was the “connection”. That and some Chuck-league cuteness. There were 3 Ring agents on the plane, Steve Austin, the Stewardess and Hannah. Shaw set it all up, sending Chuck on a flight with a tranq pen that doesn’t work at high altitudes!
Right on point Dr.Bob on “THE FIRST CLASS” I have always beileve that Shaw set Chuck up on to go on his solo mission knowing there were 3 Ring agents on the plane(includes Hannah) Then she comes to buymore,next her and Chuck are together,then they slept with each other. I never saw a woman move that fast on a man and I been on plenty of dates with woman who never moved that fast on me and I did not want them to.It’s not natural especially if Hannah knew that Chuck is still going to see Sarah who broke his heart and amd Chuck played into that situraton as well not knowing that Shaw was playing him to look bad in front of Sarah.
I think Sarah is playing Shaw as well that will be revealed in ep.12 or 13 Shaw could betray Team B.
Goood point Tyler! Sarah and Chuck cannot be together until he becomes a real spy. Chuck is still the asset property of the government and Sarah is still his handler. it’s unprofessional.
Sarah is Failing to realize that or does she? At the end of ep.10 that what Casey is telling Chuck when he said you have a choice to make,either you become a spy and truly be with Sarah or failed and stay at the buymore and become the asset of the government and be Sarah’s handler which means that Chuck and Sarah can not have a real relationship together.
So even if Chuck has decide to runaway with Sarah in Prague it would have been a loss cause. You can’t out the CIA/NSA not with them secrets in his head.
Besides you can have normal life but if true story is told, you dont leave the CIA once you are in there they got you for life.
Bernard, I’m not sure I understand what your saying about the choice that Casey is telling Chuck he has to make. For the Sarah thing, maybe she did realize it in the Fake Name and that’s why she fell for Shaw and they just didn’t have her say anything about it. When Casey’s talking to Chuck at the end of episode 10, that’s not the choice he was talking about. Casey was telling Chuck that he had a choice: either choose to be a spy and serve your country and NOT be with Sarah or choose love with Sarah. They haven’t discovered yet that Sarah’s the key to making the Intersect work, which is why Casey explains to Chuck that that’s the choice he has to make as of right now. The Intersect and its glitch is going to give Chuck a middle option to choose between those 2 extreme options. Because it doesn’t always work, he’ll always be partially normal, which is what Sarah wants. But, when necessary on missions, she will have the power to calm him down so he can flash and therefore be a real spy. The pill in the Tic Tac was a one-time substitute for Sarah calming him down. I noticed big time that she didn’t get a chance to calm Chuck down because Casey interrupted and told Chuck to take the pill. Only problem is, none of them have discovered this yet. One of my theories is that in the Final Exam, Chuck will finally discover that Sarah’s the key to it but she won’t make the same discovery. That will set the stage for the next episode where Chuck is determined to get her back, and if my theory is right, for good reason.
I do agree with your last 2 statements. That’s one more reason why it was a mistake to have Sarah think that running away was a possiblitity.
Fitzroy was awesome. Oh, and the rest of the episode wasn’t a slouch either. 🙂 The episode is excellent enough that the plot holes were easily overlooked.
You’re review was excellent per usual.
Thank you for the review Lou it was very enlightening. I have been feeling that Casey has been the Heart of this season to date and per your review there is more to come. Casey’s subtle quips and remarks are so pointed that his writer is simply amazing. Lou you turned an ugly feeling in my stomach about Chuck into a good feeling. I now realize Chuck and Sarah needed this journey to establish a relationship that will work for them being spy’s. This also points to even 20 years later even the most emotionally constipated spys have to at some point deal with their emotions. All of the separation and Pli’s are not ment to break them but to make them realize that the spy world is their world and they need to live and work in it together. I enjoyed the chemistry that Clare Carey and Adam Baldwin had, and I hope they exploit this, and if Chuck and Sarah get together I am sure things will rub off on him (cupid) and that things in life happen that one can not control (like Casey being fired. I saw the preview to final exam and I hope that the kiss being portrayed is not the kiss as in the “First Date” but a kiss like the “imported hard salami” And I hope Casey gets his job at the NSA back. Long Live Season 4.
Bree excellent point!Chuck and Sarah needed this journey together to establish a relationship that will work for them in the spy world to evolve emotoinaly and prfessionally.
The articles that Lou Sytsma came out with in C/S it’s not WT/WT It’s TW/WT is starting to come into shape now with each passing episode.
For Chuck to remain in spy world he needs Sarah in his life as his equal and she needs him as well as her equal.
You’re absolutely correct. Without Chuck sleeping with another brunette, Sarah inexplicably falling for another guy she works with, and a continuance of their inability to talk with one another it would have been impossible for Chuck and Sarah to establish a functional relationship of equals. The PLIs were the only manner in which Chuck and Sarah could possibly have been made to realize that the spy world is their real world and that they need each other to navigate within it. Personally, I consider ten or eleven episodes insufficient to accomplish this PLI catalyzed transformation. They should definitely provide another love interest for Chuck and extend Shaw into the the inevitable fourth season in order to further the growth of the relationship between Chuck and Sarah. Without the liberal application of PLI fertilizer, the blossoming romance between the two is doomed to shrivel and die.
More Shaw? Life’s too short to watch paint dry.
Provide another love interest for Chuck and have Shaw in season 4? I agree with you that 13 episodes was not enough time to show the journey the right way, which is why this season has been trash with the exception of a few episodes. But if they bring in another love interest for Chuck or have Shaw in season 4, that would kill the show immediately. The fans were already very resistant to having love interests in this season for good reason, and the love interest arcs were played out very poorly. Especially the Sarah and Shaw love arc. I haven’t seen a worse set up, contradicting, pinballing, more rushed storyline that made no sense in a long time. There’s also the fact that pretty much all the fans hate Shaw by now. Routh doesn’t have good on screen chemistry with Zach, Yvonne, or Adam, and it’s been quite noticeable. I can understand Shaw being a mentor to Chuck. But making him a love interest for Sarah was easily the biggest mistake of the season. It wasn’t necessary because of Sarah’s willingness to talk to Chuck about their problems early in the season. I also now understand why NBC ordered the additional 6: so the fans would get more of what we wanted to see. The show’s definitely going to have to save itself in those six. One thing that’s really annoying me this season is the show takes a great episode like the Tic Tac and almost totally ruins it in the last few scenes. Also, about the Schwartz tweet to the fans to get organized, hate to say this, but to be totally truthful, as of right now the show doesn’t deserve to be saved again. I would like to see a 4th season, but only if it’s going to be good and played out in a tolerable way.
Routh was a bust. And Schwartz said that the budget cuts wouldn’t be noticeable.
This was one of the best episodes to date. I like how the show uses different elements from other shows/movies/real life news and incorporates it into the show.For example the terminator toss followed by the wolverine growl & voice was excellently done.The whole episode seemed to flow smoothly and did a great deal on explaining how Casey(Alex)got where he is today.
all in all i think that this episode had many twists and turns and by the end we all were left with our jaws on the floor.Very nicely done guys & gals
Okay, so I’m stupid.
At the beginning of the episode, 20 years ago when Alex Coburn made the decision and then they cut to Casey in the present, no problem. But then I rewound it, and instead of that being two different scenes like I originally thought, you could see Coburn in the same scene as they were panning across to what looks like a younger Casey the second time I watched it.
I’m assuming I’m just flat out wrong, but I’m trying to figure out if I’m missing something, and Coburn and Casey were both there 20 years ago, and if so, how that makes sense.
Not much sleep last night, so go easy on me if I’m missing something obvious!
i don’t think so,,,,,PLI even in season 4 ,,,,,,,i hop there’ll be at least a handful of fans to watch the show then.
Wow. One of my favorite songs, and my favorite show together in an episode review. Awesome.