Categories
Episode Reviews

Chuck Versus The Zoom

Chuck and the gang return for the final season!

The improbable 5th series return of Chuck picks up shortly after last season’s gripping finale with the Bartowski clan in yet another jam from a botched mission. Fortunately Morgan the intersect is there to save the day!

I have to admit, I’ve missed Chuck these past few months during the off season. There’s something satisfying about the non serious way the show presents itself with just enough drama mixed in with goofy comedy to make it appealing to the nerd types such as myself. In “Chuck vs the Zoom,” we get a lot more of the same formula that’s made the show work so well.

Without the intersect, Chuck’s life is a lot harder now as he attempts to make Carmichael Industries succeed without resorting to working for the government that ousted him. It hasn’t been a good time though, as none of their jobs have been successful, and the crew is in dire need of a good payday. This payday comes from the hands of Woodly (Ethan Phillips, Star Trek Voyager), a lawyer whom Roger Bale (Craig Kilborn) has stolen millions of dollars from the worlds most dangerous people.

In typical Chuck fashion, the mission goes on with plenty of setbacks and improvisation. The main difference is now Chuck isn’t the all in one tool the group needs to get out of the jam, as it’s Morgan’s Intersect skills that help move things along. It’s an interesting play, as we found out in last season. Previously, with Chuck mastering his skills and turning into a true master spy, the team dynamic, and the show itself, has gotten a bit complacent. It seems as if this whole season will deal with the idea that Chuck must come to terms with the thought that it wasn’t just the intersect that made him great but his natural skills to begin with.

The episode of course leaves off with more foreshadowing into what will be the gripping final confrontation between Decker and the CIA versus Carmichael Industries for the final endgame, and I can’t wait.

Other Observations

  • Not much play from the buy-morons, but we did see Jeff and Lester up to their usual scheming ways.
  • Morgan wants to call his flashes “Zooms” to not step on Chuck’s toes.
  • They quickly did away with all the groups money, which is kinda sad. Having millions upon millions in cash would have been handy.
  • Ellie has been trying to reactivate the glasses, but has had no luck.
  • “I’m dying to take on a case with moral ambiguity” – Casey
  • “Did you know I’m a trained spy that’s knows when someone’s keeping a secret, especially when that person is my husband?”
  • Operation Toes In The Sand.
  • The first villain, Jean Claude, was special guest star Mark Hamill.

Gratuitous shot of Sarah Walker

  • Of course whenever Sarah tries to break Chuck, she breaks every guy who is watching the show, and really, who could last under that type of interrogation.
  • Her black dress was also killer.

By Kien Tran

Based in Dallas, Texas, Kien Tran is an avid television enthusiast. After spending hundreds of hours wasting away on a couch, he decided to actually do something creative with his hobby and created this very blog.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *