There was a lot to recommend about this episode, though it's probably one of the weaker episodes of the season (but it's been a really awesome season). Here, Jordana Brewster's three-episode arc ends, and I have to say, I appreciated her casting as Chuck's ex-girlfriend Jill because I really did believe that Jill would leave being a Fulcrum spy for Chuck. Brewster did a good job deceiving me convincingly, and I think her being carried away in handcuffs allows for her return in later episodes, though hopefully not any time soon. The episode was too much plot and not enough dorkiness, but I did enjoy some smaller moments of the episode like Morgan's subjective slo-mo of Ellie cutting the turkey (is fantasizing about Ellie or the turkey?) and Chuck's note reading "Unleash the Casey." I can picture that line sprawled on t-shirts.
One question about this episode: Was Jill's text message about "Uncle Tobias" a reference to Arrested Development's Tobias Fünke? The writers are certainly dorky enough (they had a Vogon poetry reference last week!), so I hope this was intentional.
I am worried about the Sarah-Chuck storyline, though, because Chuck intelligently showed the audience that Chuck and Sarah both realize they can't be with each other, despite their feelings. But it seems like Sarah's feelings are starting to compromise her job, and I fear that the will-they-or-won't-they dynamic will come back. The they-can't-but-they-want-to dynamic is much more interesting, namely because it's character-driven rather than plot-driven. If the story is going where I think it's going (and hope it's going), Sarah will be put on a leave of absence to get her act together (which allows for Tricia "Number Six" Helfer to appear as Sarah's temporary replacement). This will be good so that Chuck and Sarah can have relationship issues outside of one another. They've been handled appropriately this season with Sarah's high school identity and now Jill, but there should always be an outside source that causes each other to pine for the other.
Quotes were scarce, but here are some highlights:
Ellie: The Awesomes are coming, and they make their son look Mildly Impressive.
Chuck: (to Jill) You already broke my heart. Do you have to shoot it too?
Chuck: You're under arrest, Jill, and I'm breaking up with you.
Morgan: (after wishing for Chuck and Sarah to patch things up, Chuck and Sarah walk through the door together and he realizes his "Christmas miracle" powers) I can ask for anything... (looks at the door in anticipation) a DeLorean, a flying DeLorean...
As promised... my totally awesome opinions of the TV season thus far.
The Office: This show used to be my favorite show on television, but in all honesty, it's lacking something. It's lacking change. I appreciate that they're going forward with Pam and Jim (aka Jam, aka PB&J), and I think the writers are handling their relationship quite intelligently (see above clip for squeal-worthy perfection), but I don't understand why Angela, the uptight Christian, is cheating on Andy and stringing him along with false wedding plans. Also, where are spotlights on the other supporting characters -- Creed, Stanley, and Oscar? Meredith and Phyllis have had their moments to shine, but this season has been dominated by Holly Flax (the fantastic Amy Ryan, who should be brought back to the show at any cost). The goods: Michael's humanization, Holly's Yoda and beatbox impressions, Kelly's tapeworm (from "Weight Loss"), and the proposal, of course. The bads: The show is too episodic, and the storylines aren't paced out as well. The storylines are too divided -- Jam over here, Dwight and Andy and Angela (Dwangelandy?) over there, and Michael and Holly somewhere else. It's like Season 1 but without the freshness and innovation.
Chuck: I don't know if you've heard, but Fox is looking to add House to the Monday at 8pm lineup -- yes, opposite Chuck, Gossip Girl, Sarah Connor Chronicles, and CBS's Big Bang Theory and How I Met Your Mother. As much as I enjoy these other shows (and I've watched House since the beginning -- minus the David Morse episodes), Chuck wins out. It is the smartest, funniest, and best written show on TV. It would be easy to dismiss this gem as light fluff (easy to do because it's hyperreal spy spoof comedy), but the characters are extremely well written and there are more jokes than you know what to do with. In fact, some of the best jokes are THROW AWAYS. Case in point, last week Lester says, "I was born ready," to which Jeff responds in the most brilliant deadpan, "I was born premature." The goods: This show does an excellent job of having Chuck's Buy More life mirror that of Chuck's spy world life. The smartest thing this show did was around episode 3 or 4, Chuck realizes he can't have a relationship with Sarah, his handler, and so he needs to stop pining after her. Of course, viewers are well aware that Sarah has feelings for him as well, but she also knows that he's correct. So now there's a sadness to Chuck and Sarah's relationship, but this show allows for 5 minutes (tops!) of sentimentality, and the rest is all fast-paced comedy. Also, the writers have been able to incorporate guest stars without their storylines undermining the show (ahem, I'm looking at you, 30 Rock). And lastly, Captain Awesome is completely deserving of his nickname. I love that guy. He could've been a one-note joke, but he really is just awesome. The bads: More John Casey (Adam Baldwin), please. Although, the Casey-Chuck kiss was just as fantastic as the Oscar-Michael Scott kiss.
Grey's Anatomy: This show is certainly back on track -- minus the surprise firing of Brooke Smith (can ABC be homophobic if their parent company Disney is pro-gay?) -- and the writing is much sharper. I absolutely loved the episode where Richard, the Chief, was upset that his hospital was ranked at #12 and vowed to get it (and his surgeons) back to #1 -- an obvious analogy for the way Grey's itself used to be #1 and then slipped to roughly the #10 spot. Luckily, after the first few episodes, Cristina finally told Meredith what everyone's being wanting to say ("Shut up about Derek already!"), and everything that annoyed me about last season is gone. No more Gizzie -- but without a physical relationship, can't these two still be friends? No more Derek's-a-good-guy -- because, let's be honest, he's sort of a jerk. No more Alex-the-softie. But I do find it odd that Izzie is JUST NOW coming to terms with Denny's death. She spent an entire episode crying on the bathroom floor, then had flings with both Alex and George, and THEN starts seeing Denny's ghost? I think the writers are pretending like Season 4 never happened. The goods: The writing is better. The storylines are more interesting. Bernedette Peters was involved in one of the most heartbreaking storylines: She and her two friends were in a car accident, but one friend suffered trauma and only has a 30 second memory break. She kept asking for her husband, who actually had died in the next ER. Her friends had to keep telling their friend that her husband had died... until Izzie finally smiled with tears in her eyes and said, "Yes, he's on his way. He's just around the corner." Such a good episode. The bads: Although I was not a fan of Callie and Erica together -- I didn't like the way the writers handled Callie's sexual fluidity, although I do understand the necessary juxtaposition to Erica's character -- I don't like how her character was dismissed. Also, I absolutely do not like Melissa George, who joins the show for a multi-episode arc as Meredith's old friend. (Also, Mary McDonnell of BSG fame is joining as a doctor with Asperger's... though, from what I've seen in the previews, I have a real problem with people taking her seriously as a surgeon. She looks completely spaced out.)
Bones: I was really irritated by the whole Zach's-the-apprentice-but-psych!-he-didn't-kill-anyone storyline, but now that that's wrapped up, I can focus on Booth and Bones. Cameron is also really growing on me, and there is a small part that wants her and Booth to sleep together again. Can't you picture them as casual sex partners? I sometimes have trouble with how separated from reality they write Bones to be -- she doesn't know the difference between saying "put them on bail" and "bail them out"?? -- and I'm also wary of the episodes where Bones and Booth are the comical characters, but tonight's episode, "The Con Man in the Meth Lab," was so pitch-perfect that I'm willing to excuse the other episodes. Booth is guarded and protective of his brother... Bones doesn't understand the psychology of guardedness and passes it off as a hierarchical alpha male thing... then Bones learns a little more about Booth (through evidence, of course), and at the very end, the episode closes on Booth's line: "My father drank." No justification. No opening about it. No story. Just a matter of fact statement. So perfect. Although I love me some PB&J, Booth and Bones are my favorite TV couple -- the actors are naturalistic around one another, and their dialogue is completely believable. The goods: I'm especially enjoying the inclusion of Dr. Sweets this season, and the fact that Booth and Bones don't listen to his profiling advice is just hilarious. I'm also enjoying the rotation of graduate assistants, though I do prefer the guy who rolls his eye whenever anyone talks about anything personal. The bads: I hated the episode where Bones dated two men. Seriously, a grown woman couldn't rationalize on her own why dating two men wouldn't work? I also thought Hodge and Angela's breakup was artificial -- I even forget why they broke up -- though I do enjoy their post-relationship attempts at working together.
House: I loved the way the season started because I really needed to understand why in the world Wilson was friends with House. He's a misanthropic jerk who always put his entertainment before the betterment of others, including Wilson, so I needed the funeral episode in order to appreciate their friendship and how they work together. I also loved the private eye, Lucas, and would love to have him back on the show. He was like House's conscience, but much hornier and funnier. I still can't stand Thirteen and feel like she's more of a gimmick than an actual character, which is a shame because I like the actress, Olivia Wilde. I didn't care about Cameron or Chase -- until this Tuesday's episode where I realized how well Cameron's incessant goodness was a perfect recurring obstacle for House's amoral methods. His new peons are just boring and don't stand up to House. And shouldn't Foreman be doing more? But yes, the kiss between House and Cuddy... it was a long time coming, and I'm one of the few people who really loved how it unfolded. House would never kiss Cuddy. Cuddy would never kiss House. It had to happen when both of them were vulnerable. It had to be awkward and uncomfortable. Were people really hoping for a romantic kiss? And the writers developed the post-kiss reactions very realistically. House would never ring Cuddy's doorbell and admit his feelings. (Though I feel bad for Wilson -- he was serious when he talked about always having feelings for Cuddy, wasn't he?) And Cuddy would shrug it off and assume that House & Wilson would be playing games with her (she wasn't entirely wrong). The goods: House is developing as a character. He's not necessarily progressing to being a better human being -- as he was with his ex-wife Stacey -- but he is developing into a three-dimensional misanthrope. I like Wilson more now, especially post-Amber. I do miss Amber. She was an interesting antagonist for House. The bads: Seriously, I can do without Chase, Cameron, Foreman, Taub, Thirteen, and... Kal Penn's character. What's his name? Doesn't matter. They're boring. They're all boring.
The Mentalist: The episodes are still not as perfect as the premiere, but dang, I love Simon Baker and Robin Tunney on this show. This last Tuesday's episode was particularly amusing. Patrick bought everyone gifts with money he won at Black Jack (where he counted cards), and even though the girls gave back their jewelry and the guys noted how ugly their watches were, the guys wore those watches the entire episode. Yay, continuity! I also like this show because the red herrings are actually good, and everyone's suspicious of committing the crime for different reasons. Sometimes they look at Patrick weird, and he knows they did it. Other times, they do or say something, and Patrick knows. So as the audience, we never know what he picks up on. I do try to figure out the ending, but not too hard because I do like for the narrative to unfold before me. (I ruined The Prestige for myself by figuring most of it out by the end. That's what I get for being an active audience member...) The goods: Simon Baker and Robin Tunney? Yes? Also, the episodes have enough heart and humor to help me through. I tend not to like procedural shows (other than House and Bones, and even then I have difficulty with them sometimes) because they're so formulaic. And The Mentalist is definitely formulaic, but Baker is so hypnotic that you completely believe that he is a psychic and a master of psychology. Also, the supporting characters have just enough to do to keep me interested in them. I don't think any of them should be spotlighted any time soon; I definitely appreciate the one-line quips they provide. They support the structure of how their group is organized. The bads: The other female character (don't remember her name) irks me a bit, but I can't pinpoint why. And the episodes are uneven in their storytelling. I don't think that the show casts the killers very well...
Just behind Battlestar Galactica, The Office, and Mad Men, Chuck is one of the best shows on television (and you can watch the full premiere above). There were some problems with the first season -- like how the espionage storylines never paralleled Chuck's real-world Buy More life -- that this season seems to consciously be fixing. In the premiere, Chuck, who has CIA intel stored in his brain (the 'intersect'), is told that the CIA has an actual intersect chip and that Chuck is no longer needed. The entire episode follows Chuck as he dreams about what he could potentially become, a man beyond Call of Duty 4 and the Buy More, and his growing excitement about the possibilities of the future get you excited. Of course, as the omniscient viewer, you know that CIA agent Casey (the ever-fabulous Adam Baldwin) has been given the assignment to kill him. (You can't have Joe Schmo running around with classified intelligence in his brain, now can you?) The episode sets up the ending so wonderfully -- even if Chuck wins (his life), he still loses (his freedom). Even if he loses (his freedom), he still loses his life (because he'll be a slave to his brain-intersect and the CIA).
One of my biggest critiques of this show is that I don't like Sarah, Chuck's so-called romantic interest. Chuck has more chemistry with his sister Ellie, but that's not Zachary Levi's fault. He's giving 200%. I don't like the actress who plays Sarah -- she doesn't seem to know how to balance sexiness from kick-assery. On their first date, Sarah practically makes Chuck fawn over her with compliments and she puckers her lips and tries to be seductive (with chopsticks, nonetheless), and this rang really false with me. She couldn't be normal for once? She had to be the seductress? Why couldn't she just be Sarah? On a date. Normal. There was ONE MOMENT from Season 1 where Chuck asks her to tell him something true about herself, and when he's out of ear shot, she whispers her middle name. (Or was it her favorite color? Something like that.) I'm not saying they should overly humanize Sarah -- because I like her and Casey in the roles they've been given -- but it would be nice if every now and then she was something other than a CIA agent or Chuck's fake girlfriend. Maybe once every three episodes, they can show a vulnerability? Yeah?
But don't get me wrong. I loved this episode. (After accidentally seeing Captain Awesome's man package in the shower, Chuck is eating the Nuts & More cereal. Brilliant!) There are a lot of visual and audio parallels -- like Chuck getting out of bed with hope and then without a hope in the world, the Huey Lewis songs, being caught by Michael Clarke Duncan and hung upside down by his feet, etc. -- that work really well. And the Morgan storyline with Call of Duty was beyond amazing... and besides, it showed that Chuck can be in a tough situation and actually handle it, albeit in his own dorky lovable way. But I deduct points for the awkwardness that was the Assistant Manager interviews. Despite the Wikipedia joke and the resume napkin, it kind of bothered me. Although Morgan's cage match solution almost made it worth it. Almost.
Rating: A. Solid premiere. (By the way, I voted for Chuck as my TV husband. Don't understand why he's better than my original fake husband, Jim Halpert? Watch the episode above. Trust me.)
Some memorable, noteworthy quotes:
Chuck: Do you have a second? Casey: Not right now. I have a single white female pining for the Beastmaster.
Ellie: Any ideas about what you're going to do next? Chuck: Yeah, a few... Ellie: If you say pilot the Millenium Falcon... I will hit you. Chuck: What...? Why... why would I say that? That's absurd. I'm going to be a ninja assassin. Ellie: No, try again. Chuck: Uhh... olympic... Ellie: Uh-uh. Chuck: A secret agent.
Mr. Colt: I need you to come with me. Sarah: And why would we do that? Mr. Colt: Because I assume you find me imposing. Don't worry, be honest. I'm going for imposing. Chuck: Mission accomplished.
Chuck: The Moo-Goo Gai Pan is pretty expensive here. We could go dutch. How much do bad guys usually tip?
Chuck: "Somebody order drive through," huh? Did you think that up as you were racing over to save us? "Hey, maybe I'll say this after I CRASH INTO THE RESTAURANT!"
Chuck: What is this? Is this trash? Am I supposed to throw this away? Jeff: It's my resume.
Casey: (masking the fact that he likes Chuck by mocking him) What? You don't want me here to catch you when you fall? Chuck: I'd rather you be flying around in jets blowing stuff up.
Morgan: (MCing a cage match to determine the new assistant manager) One of them will be the new assistant manager! And one of them... will be Jeff! The fates will decide!
Chuck: Those pea shooters you're holding might as well be sharp sticks and strong language.
Chuck: (a nice nod to Cool Hand Luke) 90? Nobody can eat 90 Twinkies...
I often wonder why real-life men can't be like their superior TV counterparts. How great would it be if every awkward moment had a laugh track? How great would it be if guys actually said eloquent expressions filled with honest feelings? Men should really look to TV to see what women want. We don't need the knight in shining armor that is presented in most romantic comedies (and any woman who needs that is just lazy), and we certainly don't want the swearing-because-they're-manly gun-toting grunting-passes-for-an-answer guy that is displayed in action films (as cool as John McClane may be, no self-respecting woman actually wants that, as expressed by Holly Gennaro's absence). Besides, I think film is evolving into the next stage beyond "is it reflecting reality or is reality reflecting it," so it's not a good source for internalization of the male ego. TV, however, is one of the most accessible art forms; it certainly doesn't take a genius to understand MILF Island. Men should look to TV to find inspiration -- not necessarily to find a woman, but just to become a better person overall.
The following is a list of men I would marry without hesitation.
5. Dave Foley's Dave Nelson from Newsradio I'm not going to lie. Dave Foley actually kind of creeps me out (and reminds me of Issabella Rossilini). He didn't age well, and I've always found him to be a bit effeminate (while hosting that poker show, I thought he had suddenly embraced his inner homosexual), but Foley still makes me laugh, like when he was a BBQ expert on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson. And I imagine the comedian is not entirely unlike Dave Nelson, who I just adore. His character is stabilized by the fact that he's smart (who else could win a battle of wits against Bill McNeal?), but he also understands and can dish out sarcasm. All situations are funny, even when Lisa is mad at him for calling her a bad word (the b-one), and he's addicted to coffee. His little hurried walk around the office is also adorable. Dave Nelson was best during Season 1 and, just for fun, check out Bill McNeal's "hypothetical interviews" sketch.
4. Matthew Fox's Jack Shephard from Lost To all the people who dislike Jack Shephard: Shut up. You're wrong. Intelligence is the numero uno necessity for me (which explains why I'm so unimpressed with most people I meet), and, unlike other characters on Lost, Shepard's progression has been natural and relatable. He didn't ask to be the leader; he just took charge. And he didn't take charge because he's a doctor; he's a doctor because he has an innate need to help people. He's why the phrase "people are born leaders" exists. Jack is juxtaposed with Sawyer (the outlaw, literally the outcast of their island society) and Locke (who bares little resemblance to the philosopher of the same name and pursues a mystical existence), and it is Jack's logic, however failing or negative it may be, that defines his role. He doesn't just come up with a plan. He has a back up plan and he understands the multiple ways in which his plans could potentially unfold. Forget the island setting; this is a trait that I find sexy in everyday life. I don't want someone like Boone who, although physically beautiful, is completely useless and gets himself killed by making stupid decisions. I don't want someone like Sawyer who makes selfish decisions for the sole purpose of irritating other people (namely Kate, ugh, hate her). I don't even want someone like Bernard -- he does whatever his wife, Rose, wants to do? Jack is strong and independent and logical (except in the future -- err -- present). Nevermind his love for Kate (which is completely illogical, she ruins everything) and nevermind his weird and trusting relationship with Juliet (seriously, why doesn't he question her more?). His intelligence comes in a nicely wrapped package (dirty pun intended).
3. Nathan Fillion's Malcolm Reynolds of Firefly Malcolm Reynolds is an upgrade on the Han Solo archetype, and he looks damn fine in those goofy-looking pants. Nothing translates on screen quite like sacrifice, and as I've mentioned before, Mal's love for his ship is so beautiful. He's a hard character to read, but he is one of the most loyal people I've ever seen. He doesn't want people to risk their lives for him, but he wouldn't even hesitate to give his life for one of his men (which mechanic Kaylee even points out in one episode). "Why did you come back for me? You don't even like me," Simon asks him. He responds, "You're on my crew." All of the characters have really great lines in the show and, because of the seriousness of the role, some of Fillion's brilliant lines are often overlooked, but he is one oddly moral bad-ass hero. A fan made a top ten countdown of Mr. Tightpants's greatest moments here (#6-10) and here (#1-5). But outside of the 'Verse (the Firefly universe), I think having an argument with Mal would be both infuriating and rewarding. He could hold his own. I mean, he would probably just walk away and refuse to express any feelings... but there would never be a dull moment with him.
2. Zachary Levi's Chuck Bartowski from Chuck Zachary Levi is honestly one of the most beautiful people I've ever seen. His face is symmetrical (which equals beauty, apparently), and his smile and Adam's apple are desirable. But beyond looks -- and this list is definitely not about looks -- Chuck Bartowski is everything I look for in a guy. He's smart and cute (the term is "nerdy hot"), and I would enjoy playing video games with him and Hellboy just as much as I would like sitting awkwardly on a romantic date, too nervous to say anything in fear that everything would come out wrong. He appeals to my inner geek, and he's absolutely goofy. He makes out with mirrors (for practice, of course!) and hits on deli girl Rachel Bilson by erotically describing sandwiches. He would be completely loyal as a boyfriend, and his self-deprivation humor is actually cute and not at all tiring. Sigh. He's close to perfect for me...
1. John Krasinski's Jim Halpert from The Office Jim Halpert is the awesomest awesome that ever awesomed. His pranks on Dwight are the highlights of any episode, and nothing will ever beat the Gaydar from "Gay Witch Hunt" (my favorite episode). Truth be told, my favorite stand-alone scene is Dwight testing the Ben Franklin, but regardless, Jim Halpert is the heart of this show. He's the smartest one in the office (did I mention I value intelligence?), and he's the only character that doesn't really have a gimmick. Stanley is the grouchy one. Meredith is the sex-obsessed alcoholic. Creed is the weird old guy that says weird things and wears weird clothes. Andy is the brown-noser. Dwight is the "how did he make it this far in life" guy. Pam is the introverted love interest. Phyllis is the person who gets kicked around. Angela is the tight-ass Republican. Mindy is the most obnoxious person in the world (every office has one). Toby is the quiet and insecure guy. And Oscar is the guy that's too good for the office. But Jim? Jim is real. He's an actual person with goals and ambitions, and his best moments are not when he's pining over Pam or when he's making faces at the camera. His best moments are when he smiles because he finds genuine joy in something. When Michael wants to make a mix CD of m3ps and Jim corrects him, it's funny, but when Jim loses out on a deal with a client, he still calls it "a pretty good day" because Pam fell asleep on his shoulder during a conference. My favorite Jim and Pam moment is when Jim is annexed to the back and he keeps wanting to talk to Pam, who keeps getting visits from Roy, and he checks his messages at the end of the day and smiles when he hears Pam's voice, "Hey, this is Pam again." Out of all of the TV shows I watch and obsess over, Jim and Pam are the only couple I actually truly, sincerely care about. (When Pam cries in front of Dwight over missing Jim, I cried too. Broke my heart.) He's a simple guy who isn't very complicated and knows how to fun with such a trying world. And he can put up with Michael Scott. Jim Halpert is... perfect.
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