Chuck (2/1): "Chuck vs Nacho Sampler"

Time once again for our favorite spy to roll into action. Last week’s episode was full of throwaway pop-culture references, from the obvious (Brandon Routh in Clark Kent glasses) to the obscure (Charles in Charge?). Chuck is definitely a show that rewards paying attention to the small details.

This week, according to the previews, Lana, er, Hannah joins the Nerd Herd. [I just realized how similar the names “Lana” and “Hannah” are.] Prepare to have your mind blown by the fanservice. Also,

Awesome is forced to lie to Ellie when she begins to ask questions about Chuck.

Morgan and Ellie are on to Chuck. Can’t wait to see how this plays out.

Does anyone else think that Chuck looks like he’s aging at a faster than normal pace?

The Hannah fanservice would have been awesome in any other episode, but then Sarah showed up in a tiny “Frak Off” tank top. Consider my mind suitably blown.

It was only a matter of time that Morgan and Ellie get suspicious about Chuck’s doings. That they would team up to do something about it is going to be amusing to watch.

And Jeff and Lester are going to be spying on Chuck.

Chuck likes saying he’s an agent too much.

I know that I’m supposed to suspend disbelief, but if an intersect filled me with all that fight knowledge AND too over muscle control, I’d still pull 100 muscles pulling off those moves (though my punches would be much more effective than Manush and maybe even Chuck). Thinking back to Chuck avoiding the laser alarms going into a safe, no way Chuck, as presented, is limber enough to be easily doing splits without tearing lots of muscles (the Sarah massages afterward might be worth it, though - but only if there is any feeling left!)

That was even more loosely-plotted than most. Showing up at a Weapons show and just randomly being able to display Super Sunglasses, but also claim you were just making bad choices - so let’s forget the whole thing and let me go?

…at least Ellie/Sarah Lancaster got a few scenes so she got to do that knee-wob-inducing eye-flash thing she does (did I say that out loud?)…

Yep, it was a strange dichotomy of an episode. The plot was barely coherent, and that whole “Weapons Expo” segment was patently ridiculous.

And yet, it did feature some important character development, and an intriguing turn in the overall arc, what with Ellie and Morgan now getting suspicious. I’m anxious to see what happens next!

(And I still predict that Chuck will log his first kill before season’s end.)

I hope not.

Casey had my wife and I laughing out loud this episode. Unrelated A. Baldwins are stealing shows on NBC. Nice Untouchables homage during the Mexican stand-off.

I thought this show was trying to save money. Bringing in Superman and Lana Lang can’t be cheap, and I miss my Anna Wu, who had to be cheaper than either of them.

Exactly - it was in service to long-term plot twists, so the near-term storyline of that episode was just twisted to fit as needed.

I swear - Chuck is more like a *Telenovela *than any other story form I could pick out…

I agree, but enjoyed it anyway, thanks to Casey. I loved Casey’s kid-in-a-candy-store attitude towards the expo. “This year, I can write it off as a business expense!”

Did we really need the flashback to Sarah picking up Chuck from the first episode? I think we all pretty much got the parallel between that situation and Chuck having to do the same thing with what’s-his-name.

The look on Sarah’s face when Casey said he could write off the WeapCon trip as a business expense this year: Priceless

And yeah, a lot of the ep was silly and unrealistic and all, but this is Chuck, not 24. I don’t care so long as it’s fun and fits the not-overly serious tone.

The one thing this year that did bother me was when they killed off Tony Hale’s character. Buy More people aren’t supposed to be actually harmed ever. WORLDS ARE COLLIDING.

Funny, I use the same words to describe both shows. They just achieve it in different ways.

I don’t care how friendly you are with some guy you barely just met when he tries to sell a super weapon to terrorists any doubt about tossing his ass into some jail cell goes out the window.

It’s too early to say for sure, and I don’t want to jinx them, but both Chuck and Community are listed as “likely to be renewed” on tvbythenumbers.com.

Of course, in light of recent events at NBC, beggars can’t be choosers and Chuck hauls in the male 19-49 crowd.

I liked this episode a lot.

Awesome seemed to overreact a bit with the Paris tickets. Why interpret those tickets as having “strings attached,” instead of being some sort of payment for his service?

It was a reference to earlier when Chuck was saying that there are always strings attached.

eh. still an overreaction imo. he got roped into the spy game last time just by doing his job. there’s no way he can extricate himself at this point, so why not get a week of paris out of it? it was just so unnatural and contrived - probably to accelerate the story arc of morgan and Ellie getting into the amateur spy game on Chuck.

Nah, Awesome is a big Boy Scout who has spent his life, when he’s not being awesome, with his nose in a book. His dangerous hobbies still leave him and his skills in charge of whether he lives or dies. Being a rookie pawn in the spy game freaked him out because he’s not used to not being in control of the situation.

Or lying.

That Hannah is very pretty, but she doesn’t really look human. Or maybe she looks Human 2.0. I think I will like watching the species get upgraded.

Great episode. “Frak off” was hilarious. The show has brought a whole new level to the term “fan service.” Manush the douche. What? Was I the only one saying that the whole show?

I love how Casey is proud Chuck is becoming hardened enough to be a spy, while Sarah feels bad about it. Chuck helped Sarah recover a bit of her humanity and feelings, now she’s going to have to do the same for Chuck.

Awesome? Yes, even when he’s the world’s worst liar. “What are you hiding?” “That I love you? Gotta go!” Perfect.

I’d have taken the Paris tickets, but then I"m much stupider than Awesome. Based on his experience, there would be strings and more than likely they’d be flown to Paris as part of some sinister assassination plot or something. No way “they” would just give the two of them a free trip without getting their money out of it.

Ellie & Morgan? It’s about time really. C’mon. Chuck spends way too much time on yogurt break and out on “installs.”

I so wanted to see a Manush vs. Chuck intersect fight. Well, Manush the douche isn’t dead, so it could still happen.

Still don’t like Chuck having the flash effect every damn time he picks his nose. What, there’s really an hors d’œuvres-fu fighting style? Couldn’t he just have a general “combat mode” flash instead of a separate flash for every move?

Do not trust Hannah for a second. Puh-lease. She’s probably Clark Kent’s accomplice. I don’t trust him for a second either and they’ve both got the far too perfect and seemingly nice thing going on.

He was flashing on discus throwing.