TV Series Lounge

Good thing this is just season 4 finale and not the series finale. Why? Because I will be really disappointed!

Episode 24 of Chuck titled “Chuck Versus the Cliffhanger” gave us an astonishing hour and guess what, there’s a cliffhanger! Fortunately, we still have 13 episodes for next season to settle everything.

TV Fanatic: So when “The Cliffhanger” ended the way it did, with Team Bartowski all fired by the CIA, the group starting as free lance spies, Chuck being told all that has happened to him was an elaborate plan, and Morgan downloading a new intersect, I thanked my lucky stars that it didn’t all end like this.

As a season ending episode it was fantastic, but a series finale?  It would have been disappointing.  Never to see Morgan show off his kung fu skills, which he so perfectly uttered to the crew in Chuck season two finale fashion, would have been brutal.  Now we will get to see our favorite spies go rogue, and they will do it with the help of an intersected Morgan Grimes.

On the other hand, if it all had ended around 8:50 p.m. ET, I probably would have wished it had been cancelled.  Immediately following Chuck and Sarah’s wedding everything was wrapped up quite nicely, and I was satisfied with it ending right then and there.  Sarah was saved from the Norseman, the two love birds got their happy day, and the Volkoff story also came to a nice conclusion.

One of my main concerns was that they weren’t going to be able finish the Volkoff/Hartley business before the end of the season, but stick a pair of sunglasses on him, and it makes things a lot easier.  Having Clyde Decker* swoop in and take Volkoff away did two things.  It sped up the “Chuck has to save the man his father ruined” story, but it also created a nice obstacle for Chuck and the gang to overcome in order to save Sarah before the end of the episode.

*Decker was played perfectly by Richard Burgi, who is a household name in the Forcella household for I was a big fan of his roles on past favorites Las Vegas, Harper’s Island, Point Pleasant, and his infamous time as Kevin Carroll aka Alan York on the first season of 24.

And the fact that Chuck was trying with all his might to save the woman he loved was one of many reasons why “The Cliffhanger” was just a great episode in and of itself.  It covered all of the bases of the Chuck Triple Threat, and for the first time managed to make me believe in Vivian Volkoff as a character.

The scene in which she is struggling to figure out who she is and what she should do next as Chuck and Hartley plead with her, was very well done.  Lauren Cohan played scared but in desperate need to please her father, and yet also with a new found love of power, extremely well.  I’m glad Vivian made the right decision and gave Chuck those 50 or so Russian spies, so she could leave this show on a high note.

Action
That moment when all the Russians came down from the sky was momentous but it was not as nerve racking as watching Sarah fight for her life in an ice cold tub at the emergency room.  The honor for best action of the night was once again held for John Casey, after he took care of Decker’s men with the old table flip move.

Comedy
Speaking of the Colonel…how funny was that Reagan bit?  Here’s a question.  Who love Reagan more?  John Casey or Jack Donaghy of 30 Rock?  Tough one.  While they didn’t try too hard to land a bunch of jokes, they didn’t have to because Timothy Dalton playing an innocent scientist just episodes after seeing him as the ruthless Alexi Volkoff was comedy gold.  Add a bunch of great Morganisms, like the fact that he likes to improvise his spy moves and getting choked up during Chuck and Sarah’s ceremony, and it was a very funny episode.

Heart
Those flashbacks?  Come on!  That’s why I kind of wish they ended it right there.  How are they going to be able to top that from a chills stand point?  It must have been much colder in my place than normal, because the hairs on my arm started to stand up during the Chuck and Sarah flash backs.  It was a very sweet wedding, but the memories of a simpler time, and a not so simpler time, were what made it that much better.

Moving Forward
So where does the final 13 episodes go?  It goes wherever Morgan Guillermo Grimes tells it to go, thank you very much.  Now that he is the intersect he will lead the way.  Are we all on board with the fact that Chuck should have no intersect in the final season?  It will just be the perfect way to finish his evolution as a spy.  Like Casey said, he’s the second best spy that the Colonel ever worked with.  He is a great spy now, so he doesn’t need the help of the intersect.  Morgan still does.

So what are your thoughts on Chuck season 4 finale? What are your expectations for season 5?

You can check other Chuck Season 4 Reviews and Spoilers HERE.

Promotional Photos:

• Episode 11: Chuck vs The Bullet Train

Spoilers:

• Tim DeKay as Kieran Ryker
• The Office and The Shield Stars Coming
• Cameo Appearance for Danny Pudi
• Smallville and Lost Stars are Coming
• Carrie-Anne Moss as Gertrude Verbanski
• Craig Kilborn as Roger Bale on Premiere
• Mark Hamil as a Villain
• Final Season, Spy Company, Time Jump
• Buy More, Character Mythology and More Morgan
• 13 Episodes for Last Season

The good news is Chuck was already cleared for season 5. The bad news is that this is going to be the last season for Chuck Bartowski and his friends at the Buy More.

As a fan of the show, I’m totally cool with that – One issue the show has faced through the years is uncertainty, and the writers doing their best to deal with never knowing how much longer the series would go. Now they can go into Season 5 firmly knowing they’re heading towards The End.

Chuck once again got a thirteen-episode order, just as it did the last two years. But the last two years also involved NBC then ordering more episodes, which led to some odd structural issues, with episode thirteen clearly designed as a finale. I’m guessing that won’t happen again this year, and more so, I kind of hope it doesn’t, as letting Josh Schwartz and Chris Fedak design a thirteen-episode final story sounds appropriate and allows them to end the show on their terms.

So what are the things or events that you expect on the last season of Chuck?

You can check Chuck Season 5 Reviews and Spoilers HERE.

Episode 24 or the season 4 finale of Chuck titled “Chuck Versus The Cliffhanger” promises exciting events. According to spoilers, operation Bartowski will race to take down Vivian Volkoff as she threatens Chuck and  Sarah’s wedding. Want more spoilers? Read below.

You can check other Chuck season 4 spoilers below:

• Before he can kiss the bride, Chuck must enlist his wedding party to take down Vivian Volkoff (guest star Lauren Cohan) and stop her from destroying the big day.
• When he turns to Alexei Volkoff (guest star Timothy Dalton) for help, the CIA sends its toughest agent, Clyde Decker (guest star Richard Burgi), to stop them.

“Chuck Versus Agent X” reminds us of why we love Chuck.

TV Fanatic: Ellie taking forever to figure out that Chuck was still a spy, and Chuck continuing to keep it from her, was a plot that was running rather old this season.  The heartfelt chat between Chuck and Ellie about the fact that she was using the Orion computer and he was still a spy was sweet.

But we all knew that was coming.  What was great was that they wrapped that up quickly, figured out who Agent X was, surprised me in that moment, and then created an entirely new heartfelt conversation between brother and sister about how their dad wanted them to not only find Agent X but help him.

And because we are running out of time on the season, I’m not sure if it would be a good idea or not to have Chuck and Ellie team up and seek out Volkoff so that they can turn him into a good guy.  If they get another season, I would gladly watch Alexi Volkoff internally battle between the evil persona his original intersect turned him into and the scientist gun-hating guy he grew up as.

While the ideas for the future of Chuck made “Agent X” interesting, the episode itself was filled with entertaining material as well.  We will take a look at how the Chuck Triple Threat played out, but first go chase some tail.

Action
There was a bit of a change of pace from the past few episodes, as plenty of action was put on screen.  The conversation begins and ends with the crazy old lady that ended up being Alexi Volkoff’s mother.  The woman wasn’t afraid of anybody, or maybe she was.  Why else would she have such heavy artillery everywhere you look?  Watching the old lady fire that machine gun, while Casey fed her the bullets with a smile, was absolutely fantastic.

Casey also took out every member of Volkoff’s crew – minus Ray Wise – one by one while Awesome and Morgan chatted and made spears.  The mud on the Colonel’s face was a nice touch.  And then there was Chuck showing Ellie his flashing ability with a sword.  To quote Rob Schneider in Surf Ninjas, “He could get a job as a sushi chef, no problem.”

Comedy
Well all of the obvious mix ups between Las Vegas and Las Vecas worked beautifully.  Once they ended up in the woods, it made a lot of sense.  Awesome did not seem like the Vegas type, and the fact that Jeff was pleased with the mix up made the whole thing that much better.

Before they made their way to the wonders of Las Vecas, Lester was on fire.  His entire discussion about making it rain, or snow, because it was Canadian style, was hilarious.  Obviously he’s too cheap for dollar bills, so he was throwing up “dolla, dolla, coins y’all.”

And while I am not a fan of the clichéd move to have the strippers dressed up like cops seem like they are actually cops, it almost worked here.  It’s never funny, but it was much more difficult to hate on Chuck, because the fact that they were dressed as spy operatives made it that much more believable.

Heart
Like I mentioned at the top, there were a couple of good conversations between Chuck and Ellie.  I do hope that they become a bit of a duo at some point, because it will be a nice new dynamic for the show.

Other than that, the only other heartfelt moment was when Morgan came up with the perfect excuse for Big Mike so that he could go on the bachelor party with them.  It was the greatest thing a white person had ever done for Big Mike, and it was nice to see the step father and step son bond a bit.

So what are your thoughts for this episode? Did you like it?

You can check other Chuck Season 4 Reviews and Spoilers HERE.

• Chuck and Sarah’s wedding prep includes one final detail: ensuring that the mother-of-the-groom (guest star Linda Hamilton) makes it to the ceremony alive.
• Morgan’s responsibilities as Best Man include his most dangerous mission yet, as he faces Vivian Volkoff (guest star Lauren Cohan).
• Ellie tends to the last details of the rehearsal dinner and seeks help from an unlikely source.
• Adam Baldwin, Ryan McPartlin, Scott Krinsky, Vik Sahay, Mark Christopher Lawrence and Bonita Friedericy also star.

What can we say about episode 21 of Chuck? Well, lets just say that “Chuck Versus the Wedding Planner” is a fun episode. The storytelling part is also commendable. So what else happened? Read below.

TV Fanatic: Sarah’s problems with her father, which lead to dramatic scenes by Yvonne Strahovski, are certainly always some of the best stories on the series.

So before we take a look at how the Chuck Triple Threat played out this week, give somebody a “spy high five.”

Comedy
No one character carried the load, as almost everyone got in on the action.  Let’s start with the bearded one, who coined the new phrase “spy high five” after Sarah knocked out one of the Klug brothers. Morgan also tore it up with his statement that the wedding invitations looked Socialist, and slid in the fact that he’s been doing Casey’s laundry for good measure.

Let us move along to the fantastic sequence of events that occurred as Chuck and Sarah succeeded in convincing Beckman that their wedding planner was a person of interest.  After Chuck fails miserably at recreating his flash face, Sarah has me grossed out yet slapping my knee with her impression of the face.  Then when telling Beckman about Daphne Peralta, neither of them could act to save their lives.  What?!?  Isn’t acting something they do on the job all the time?  I understand Chuck might still be mediocre at it, but Sarah should be a pro.  And it all concluded with the General kicking the mission up a notch and getting every agency in the U.S. involved.  Boy, that escalated quickly!

Add Awesome challenging Jack to a race with baby Clara on his chest, and Jack getting weirded out by all of Chuck’s video game and comic book stuff in the apartment, and this was a pretty funny episode by all accounts.

Action
There wasn’t a whole lot of action, but we got to see Casey shoot Daphne with a giant net and Sarah take out a bunch of Klugs with a dinner plate.  Then there was the parking garage scene.  Just oozing with tension, it was great to see Jack Burton save the day as he talked Father Klug out of putting a bullet in poor Morgan’s bearded head.  Which brings us to…

Heart
There were two really good, heartfelt story lines here.  While Casey’s got pushed more to the background of “Chuck Versus the Wedding Planner,” it was just as emotional as Sarah’s.  Casey having to deal with Alex’s mother Kathleen has been something that has been building up a lot recently, and it didn’t disappoint here.

Kathleen being so disappointed that Casey left her for a part time security gig and moonlighting at the Buy More, made it that much better when she saw him in action as Colonel John Casey: NSA.  What kind of relationship will Casey, Kathleeen, and Alex have now that everything is out in the open?  All I know is that it better not disrupt Casey and Morgan’s laundry and breakfast situation!

Then there was the main event.  Our main man Jack Burton, who is so brilliantly played by Gary Cole, has returned to help Sarah and Team Bartowski get revenge on Daphne and eventually take down the Klugs.  We all know how difficult the relationship between Sarah and her father has been, but he is always so sweet to her.

The flashback scenes of Sarah idolizing her father were so nice to see, because they prove that at one point she loved him so very much.  And as he asked her to dance at that wedding, and then left her that special piggy bank full of money, it was obvious that she still loves him just as much.

Moving Forward
When this Bartowski/Walker wedding actually does happen, Jack Burton better be there to walk Ms. Walker down the aisle.  I don’t care if he never shows up for her, he better this time.  If Mama Bartowski can settle down and be a grandma, Jack Burton can show up to one important event in Sarah’s life.

There is no doubt that episode 21 of Chuck is a fun episode. Thanks to Gary Cole?

You can check other Chuck Season 4 Reviews and Spoilers HERE.

According to spoilers, Chuck will feature a bachelor party on episode 22 “Chuck Versus Agent X.” Additionally, the said event will become more interesting upon the arrival of the uninvited guests.

Below is a guide for episode 22 of Chuck:

• Chuck ans Sarah put aside spy work to have a weekend of debauchery, but Awesome’s plans for Chuck’s big night don’t go quite as expected.
• Ellie’s investigation into her father’s computer leads to a life-changing discovery.
• Joshua Gomez, Sarah Lancaster, Adam Baldwin, Scott Krinsky and Vik Sahay also star.

Season 4 episode 22 of Chuck airs on May 2.

You can check other Chuck Season 4 Reviews and Spoilers HERE.

After the short hiatus, Chuck returned with an excellent episode! Thanks to Timothy Dalton who played the role of Alexei Volkoff as he made episode 20 “Chuck Versus the Family Volkoff” a spectacular one.

TV Fanatic: When you can have almost an entire episode of Chuck without Morgan Grimes, and not realize he’s been missing until there is only 10 minutes left in the program, you’ve done your job of working smoothly around acting budget cuts.

And Dalton was the reason that the lack of the Bearded Wonder wasn’t so bothersome.  I’ve always been a fan of the Volkoff character, but as he straddled that line between evil bad guy Alexei Volkoff and 12 step program, sappy father Alexei Volkoff in “Family Volkoff,” he was even better.

For the first time in weeks, the Chuck Triple Threat was in full force.

Comedy
This is where Timothy Dalton shined once again.  He easily made up for the lack of Morgan and the other Buy Morians, as he admitted to cutting the cafeteria line in prison, apologized to the pirate immediately after threatening him with a knife, and commented on how his grandmother always said to wear a coat over your vest or “you’ll look like a jerk.”

That’s not saying that Chuck didn’t have his own moment of comic glory.  The UNO line was so perfect for the situation, and such a Chuck-esque line, that it had me pausing the DVR to laugh out loud.  Only Chuck would ask evil pirates if they had UNO, and only pirates on Chuck would actually have it and be willing to play it for Chuck’s life.  The only thing that would have made that sequence better is if they had kept playing more games until the pirate finally won like in Bill and Ted’s Bogus Journey.  Best five out of nine?

And although he was not in much of the episode, Morgan did come through while he was around.  Him and Casey doing everything exactly the same may have been creepy for Chuck, but I’m sure everyone watching got a good laugh out of it.  Casey can hate on Morgan all he wants, but these two dudes go together well.

Action
Not much on this front, but enough to get by.  We had all of the pirates pointing their guns at Chuck before the rousing game of UNO went down.  Volkoff went back to his old self for a second in threatening Elias with that knife, but then reverted back to the Volkoff in therapy as he kissed him on the cheek. Exciting and funny!

And I certainly was nervous about what was going to happen when Volkoff had to take down the computer in chess!  Thank God Chuck’s ridiculous pep talk allowed for Volkoff to win or those two would have been toast.  And then there were all of the twists that went down at the end.  First Volkoff thinks his daughter and him had the whole thing wrapped up, and he so blatantly claimed “this is what we call the twist,” but then it was Vivian that got the last laugh as she stole the final piece to the weapon and left her dad and Team Bartowski there to die.

Although everyone saw this Vivian turning bad thing from a mile away, it still doesn’t make much sense.  I really can’t see the character that we met earlier in this season becoming such an evil person.  And we haven’t seen her grow enough since then to warrant such a change in character.  Albeit a lot of stuff in Chuck doesn’t always make sense, but when you are able to predict the nonsense that will occur, there may be a problem.

Heart
There was  lot of good stuff in “Family Volkoff” that dealt with Family Casey.  The Colonel and Alex are really making some progress in their father-daughter relationship, and it continues to be enjoyable to watch Casey be a good father.  He was able to do so thanks to Sarah and her talk about how difficult her parents made things on her, but at the end of the day, Casey and Alex MAY have decided to tell her mom the truth.  That could make things tricky moving forward.

Sarah giving Chuck a prenup was the story that undercut the entire episode, and I enjoyed it.  What’s great about Chuck is that they can take the most obvious tv plots – like a prenup – and put their own very different spin on it.  Spies aren’t going to use prenups in the same way as normal people, and Chuck did respond to it in the way that any other tv character would have.  In the end, his new, utterly romantic fake prenup was a great way to end the episode.

Moving Forward
The Ellie-Awesome-Mary storyline was pleasant enough, but only lends itself to interesting things in the future.  Ellie continuing to look on the Orion computer and come up with a little more each time isn’t very exciting.  If Chuck had told her the truth when he said he was going to, that would have kicked things into gear.  Him allowing her to lie to his face, and keep this story building slowly?  Kind of boring.

I’m as interested in the Agent X stuff, and Ellie getting involved, as much as the next guy, but let’s get to it already.  I’m getting antsy.

So what do you think of this episode?

You can check other Chuck Season 4 Reviews and Spoilers HERE.