CHUCK “Chuck Versus the Dream Job”: What A Special Snowflake

Oh, Chuck. We asked you not to do this. We specifically asked you not to do this. Yes, Scott Bakula is a hoot as Chuck and Ellie’s long-lost father. Yes, we like that the Intersect storyline is moving along at a good clip. But part of the show’s charm was that Chuck was a an [...]

Squee! It’s…

Squee! It’s Andy Richter up to no good tonight on Chuck. You may recall Andy Richter from his time as Conan O’Brien’s second banana, his short-lived NBC spoof Andy Barker, P.I., or guest spots on everything from Malcolm in the Middle to Arrested Development to 30 Rock and a recent stint on Bones. [...]

CHUCK Returns Tonight with Surprisingly Super Bowl-esque Gimmick

It was a little surprising to see The Office get the plum post-Super Bowl slot, which has often been used as a springboard to promote the networks’ new darlings (granted, this hasn’t always been true–NBC gave the slot to that little show Friends once, and Fox recently handed it to House). The Office used the [...]

CHUCK “Chuck Versus the Santa Claus”: Times to Break the Rules

We’ve said before that the delights of Chuck can be found in the sizzle rather than the steak. The sizzle is even more fun than usual this week, which suggests they should work harder to get all the main characters in the same room more often. From Casey being told an electronics store isn’t Basra and [...]

CHUCK “Chuck Versus the Sensei”: Big Damn Heroes

As much as I enjoyed the Awesomes and the Chuck and Ellie bonding, I have to admit to being a little worried that Chuck’s quest to find their father so he can walk Ellie down the aisle will reveal that said father left because…he, too, is a spy. Hey, Chuck’s best friend and girlfriend both [...]

Squee! It’s…

It’s a veritable smorgasbord of squee tonight on Chuck. Just having Carl Lumbly show up as Casey’s turncoat mentor would have made us happy, as we adore Lumbly for everything from Alias to Battlestar Galactica to Cagney and Lacey and EZ Streets (those were the days) to Justice League (he’s The Martian Manhunter’s voice, for [...]

CHUCK “Chuck versus the Fat Lady”: It’s Powdered Fruit Punch, Dumbass

It’s probably not fair to expect plot consistencies from a show like Chuck. After all, the entire premise hinges on the idea that every scrap of knowledge the intelligence community holds could be accessed inside the skull of a guy who works retail. The whole “ex-girlfriend is back in Chuck’s life, but she’s a spy!!!1!” [...]

CHUCK “Chuck Versus the Ex”: That Was the Only Syringe?

Chuck perhaps made even less sense this week than usual (and realism is not exactly why we tune in to this show, so that’s saying something). While it’s fun to see different constellations of characters interacting, getting Ellie and Captain Awesome hooked up with the Buy More crew took some pretty pretzeled logic. The plotline concerning [...]

CHUCK “Chuck Versus the Cougars”: People Besides Teenage Boys Watch This Show

I like Chuck, I really, really do. Zachary Levi is perfectly cast, and his touching portrayal of the way Chuck is trying to find himself grounds an otherwise ridiculous show. We’ve discussed Adam Baldwin’s greatness before. I even like the Buy More crew (and could stand to see a little more of last episode’s kick-ass [...]

CHUCK “Chuck versus the First Date”: Single White Female Pining for The Beastmaster

Oh, John Casey–that single white female would be me.
The story of a big box employee who accidentally uploads a CIA supercomputer into his head, Chuck had an extremely charming first season. With adorable actors crafting lovable characters, silly but fun plots punctuated by cleverly chosen music, and ridiculous jokes, our only concern–other than the less-than-stellar ratings–was [...]