She Said: Chuck 4.22 Chuck vs Agent X

Chuck 4.22: Chuck vs Agent X

Chucksters,
Once again as the season winds down, the stakes are raised and we get more answers to the questions that we’ve had all season. Those of you who follow my reviews and read my Burning Questions Friday Five a while back will remember that I was pretty sure that Vivian Volkoff wasn’t really evil and would redeem herself eventually. I think I’m finally ready to let go of that misconception and I’m looking forward to a showdown between Volkoff and Vivian when she figures out who Agent X is. More on the big reveal later…

I think I speak for all fans when I say how overjoyed I am that Chuck *finally* came clean to Ellie about everything! I’m also glad that she was so supportive and interested this time around rather than being mad. It’s clear that subconsciously, she realized what Chuck was doing, even if she didn’t know about the intersect. Even better, she seemed both proud and really excited to finally learn the whole truth about her family. For the first time since the glimpses we got in Chuck vs the Subway, Ellie has become a vital part of Team Bartowski and is starting to fulfill her family destiny. The last scene of the episode suggests that Chuck and Ellie are going to be carrying on their own covert mission to try to “fix” Agent X as the season wraps. Sibling spy action = win!

This week’s installment was certainly not without the humor we’ve come to expect from our favorite show. Although the whole “Las Vecas” plot had been pretty much given away in the promos and wasn’t terribly funny to begin with, I couldn’t help but laugh at the fact that Jeff was apparently the only one who knew where they were headed and was absolutely thrilled to be there, not to mention the fact that despite his “torture” (or likely in part because of it) he had a fabulous time on the trip. Also very funny were Devon and Morgan sharpening sticks and discussing splinters while Casey used the diversion to take out all the mercenaries. Meanwhile, back in Burbank, the scene with Sarah sitting on the stool with her gun in her waistband, talking on the phone while the commando strippers gyrated around her was absolutely hilarious. The shout-out to the “Weinerlicious girls” and the C.A.T. squad (in Libya!) was also appreciated.

The scene in England, while important plot-wise, was kind of odd. I was reminded of the scene in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows where Harry and Hermione go to visit Bathilda Bagshot and run into Voldemort instead. The whole scene just had the same anxious, creepy kind of vibe to it. Turns out that there was nothing to fear inside the house, but something evil was definitely headed their way in the form of Riley, his evil henchwoman and more hired goons, courtesy of Vivian. Mrs. Winterbottom (AKA Rambo Granny), is one of the more entertaining minor characters to come out of the Chuckverse in a while. Like the mother Casey never had, she’s street smart, suspicious and well-versed in both espionage and weapons, yet at the same time she manages to be maternal and the stereotypical English. Setting off the grenade using yellow yarn was a nice grandmotherly touch. If only the bomb was made of knitting needles and treacle tart…

Now onto the big reveal… Volkoff is Agent X. I’ll be honest, I really didn’t see it coming. As a matter of fact, a few minutes before the review I was explaining in the livechat all the reasons why it couldn’t be him. Once again, I was wrong about a “Volkoff”! Papa B intersected his best friend and created a monster. Mama B left her family and went undercover for 20 years trying to control him (save him? protect him?). The only person that Volkoff ever feared was himself. Definitely goes a long way to explain his wild mood swings and seemingly split personalities – the cold-blooded killer and merciless boss versus the puppy painter and ice cream eater that children just love. (I guess it’s no wonder that Vivian ended up being such a piece of work.) I do still wonder why it was that Mama B ever introduced Chuck to Volkoff (as Tuttle) in the beginning – to save herself, hoping that Chuck (or Ellie) could save Volkoff? She seemed surprised that Papa B had given all the information to Ellie in the laptop. Perhaps some of the gaps will be filled in during the next two episodes.

Speaking of the next two episodes, they are looking pretty AWESOME, as we’ve come to expect from the end of a Chuck season. Next Monday just can’t come fast enough!

Funny bits and quotes:
Chuck’s naivete about Las Vegas
Casey’s Osama Bin Laden targets – what a crazy coincidence
“I’ve never hiked in a tie” – Morgan
“Like the mother I never had” – Casey to Rambo Granny
“Ooh, um…is that a gun?..no” – Sarah on the phone while strippers dance around her
“Like this? ‘Cause I got 3 more where that comes from” – Jeff, waving a $1 at Riley’s evil henchwoman
Yvonne once again proves that she can do any accent
“What? I knew we were going to Vecas! This place is amazing! They grow some magic fungus up there in them hills!” -Jeff, upon arriving in Las Vecas State Park

So, what did you guys think? Did you know all along it was Volkoff?