Chuck - Verses Operation Awesome (S3Ep4)
Now that was a proper episode of Chuck. Just the right mix of family, work and spy hi-jinx, with the added bonus of Chuck getting to show us some proper secret agent moves. We've come a long way from his reluctance to even let someone else tranq a guy. As usual the Buy-More is the main comedy strand with several laugh out loud moments (loved Chuck kicked Lester in the face), but even this gets added depth with Morgan taking his first steps to growing up. The action quotient is amply filled with Chuck leading Devon on a mission to infiltrate a penthouse and kill the occupant at the bequest of The Ring, the intersect 2.0 kicking in at just the right moments. At first I thought they were making it so that Sarah needed to be there for it to work, but i may have to extend that to friends and family in danger.
Only minor quibbles are the too quick and simple resolution to last week's cliffhanger (Devon walking into the Buy-More is certainly surprising, but it's also something of a let down) and Brandon Routh doesn't quite nail all his scenes (though it looks like he's here for a while so fingers crossed the teething problems get ironed out quickly).
The final scenes of Chuck getting together with his friends and family while Shaw (Brandon) puts on his wedding ring, sat alone in castle, are both uplifting and poignant. I'm looking forward to seeing more of Shaw's back story, even if Brandon could do with a touch more rehearsal.
4.5/5
