No More Mr. Nice Spy
Tonight I watched Chuck vs. Operation Awesome semi-live. I didn’t start live but by the time I fast-forwarded through the commercials, I was definitely live by the end. I have to say without breaking down each little thing that’s going on, I really like the subtle changes that have occurred since last season. Where previously the writing was uneven at times I feel a sense of what should happen and a crescendo through these first four episodes that really works, for lack of a better word. In Pink Slip, Chuck failed out of spy school and loses the woman he loves. He’s in a worse funk, I’d argue, than he was when we met him in season 1 when he was still hung up on Jill. But he gets taken back into the fold and Operation Bartowski is allowed to resume business as usual. Of course Sarah’s mad at him for choosing the job over running away with her, and Casey’s none too thrilled to be back on “the team.”
While Chuck still is, in many ways, his old self, he’s grown up quite a bit and he has really done some incredible stuff, such as acting as Captain Awesome’s handler in the aptly named “Operation Awesome.” It was really interesting to see Chuck be a fish out of water mentoring the bigger fish out of water that was Captain Awesome in the spy game. I thought that Ryan McPartlin really did a great job of portraying someone who’s normally awesome at everything in situations that really take him out of his comfort zone.
Considering we’re four episodes into this season I’m sure I could wax lyrical for pages and pages but let me just say this: If you haven’t given Chuck a chance yet, now’s the time. I think the steady plot progression that has been exhibited thus far, the subtle enhancements to the characters (wardrobe, for instance), tone, and other aspects of the show have the potential to broaden the appeal of the show that many have known and loved since 2007 without alienating any of the existing fan base.
Comments