Chuck -3x17 -"Chuck vs. the Living Dead"-Discuss/Grade <SPOILERS>

[the Dagman]

Welcome to the second to last Chuckday of season 3.

First things first:

Spoiler: this episode

As Chuck and Morgan tackle their first real mission together, Chuck's father returns with a plan to save his son. Scott Bakula guest stars.

And now for some good news: Chuck has been renewed for season 4!

It is reported that NBC has renewed our favorite show about the nerd turned spy for at least another 13 episodes with an option for an additional back 9. So we can all relax, enjoy this week's episode, and look forward to next week's two-hour season finale. All without worrying that this won't be the last we see of Team Bartowski and the BuyMorons.

Remember that last week a Ring agent targeted the weak link of his circle, Chuck's sister Ellie, and are using her ignorance against her. That apartment complex of theirs is now the home of four secret agents and Ellie is the only one living there who is not aware of it. So she has to find out, and the sooner the better. But just how will she react when she finds out she is the last to know that both her father and brother work for the CIA? And they have basically brought their work home with them and didn't bother to say anything? I think Big Sister Bartowski-Woodcomb is gonna be pissed off something fierce!

 

[TheBrew]

Sorry, her name is Ellie Awesome, not "Bartowski-Woodcomb".

 

[the Dagman]

Yeah, yeah, they're Awesome for sure. Just consider their real last name as an answer to a Trivial Pursuit question. Not even Jeffster can remember it.

 

[elaithin]

Yay on the renewal!

I gave this one a 'Big Mike' - mostly because it all seems like setup for the two-part season finale. I liked everything in the episode, pretty much, including Morgan's reaction to whether or not they saw Shaw's body. Bakula's return was very, very welcome, of course.

 

[Sheep]

I gave it a Big Mike too.

The episode was a bit lukewarm until the last third when things really picked up. I really thought the Ring was going to get to Casey while he was knocked out or even do harm to Chuck's dad when Chuck was hugging him. Then I remembered there's still a few more episodes before the real cliffhanger-y stuff kicks in.

 

[auntiehill]

I gave this a "Big Mike," too because it's a good set-up; I'm looking forward to seeing how this plays out.

Please, please dear GOD, let Ellie in on the secret. Everyone else already knows, so what's one more?

 

[Yoda]

Good episode, nothing blew me away even though it had a lot of good elements. I'm expecting a very strong conclusion to the season.

 

[BenRoethig]

Is superman supposed to make an appearance during the last two?

I like how they've linked the back six to the original 13.

 

[intrinsical]

A lot of setup for the finale. I think Chuck's going to encounter his first arch-villain!

 

[Koinek]

Intercept versus Intercept! Dear god, this is going to be phenomenal!

I'm a little annoyed with the whole perfect ignorance setup of the situation as in how Casey only managed to tap into Ellie's phone long enough to think she was having an affair. Why not listen longer and hear more about Justin?

The fact that they didn't do a Dad or Chuck abduction was welcome. I think that storyline would have been a bit hackneyed and forced. I'm waiting to see how Awesome in going to be involved in the finale. I really think they're building up to an end where the entire Bartowski clan is going to be involved in the op to rescue Ellie.

Overall I thought the episode was good but not perfect. Still, a great setup for what should be a unbelievable Monday night next week.

 

[Temis the Vorta]

Wow, season finale next week already? Up against 24. Screw 24, I'll stick with Chuck. If I hear 24 rocked, which I don't expect at all, I can always get it off iTunes...

I just checked the fall schedule for Chuck's timeslot, wouldn't ya know it, there's all of three network shows so far that I'm planning to watch next season and two of them are in conflicting timeslots - Chuck and The Event.

 

[watermelony2k]

Is superman supposed to make an appearance during the last two?

I like how they've linked the back six to the original 13.

instaed of feeling tacked on, the last 6 so far feel pretty organically developed from ep 13 which was originally intended to be a season (OR series) finale.

 

[Goji]

I just checked the fall schedule for Chuck's timeslot, wouldn't ya know it, there's all of three network shows so far that I'm planning to watch next season and two of them are in conflicting timeslots - Chuck and The Event.

I'm pretty sure The Event is on the same network as Chuck, right after Chuck, so they shouldn't conflict at all.

I liked this episode, a little less than the last one though. Everything was setup for the finale, which does look amazing, and it will be hard waiting a whole week to see it.

I also thought it was interesting that the clip of Ellie hitting Casey in the face with a frying pan, taken out of context in the original promo for the back 6 episodes, was pretty fun. But in the context of the episode it was painful to watch. Funny how editing works.

 

[TheBrew]

Even though it was setup, it was a pretty great episode, IMO. Chuck dealing with being a spy is actually way more interesting to me than Chuck wanting to be a spy. Plus I thought that Scott Bakula did a really great job in this episode. He really sold the entire character through his actions and not his words.

 

[Temis the Vorta]

Is superman supposed to make an appearance during the last two?

I like how they've linked the back six to the original 13.

instaed of feeling tacked on, the last 6 so far feel pretty organically developed from ep 13 which was originally intended to be a season (OR series) finale.

I'm glad they didn't end the series there! I really feel like they've finally stumbled onto a really great premise, as opposed to Chuck not wanting to be a spy/wanting to be a spy (that transition didn't quite come off plausibly) and the hokey UST plotline.

I'm pretty sure The Event is on the same network as Chuck, right after Chuck, so they shouldn't conflict at all.

Hey you're right, yay! I was thinking The Event was ABC.

 

[RoJoHen]

Man, I love Scott Bakula in this role! I'm not generally a huge fan, but I think he's perfect as Chuck and Sarah's father (although a couple of my friends noted that their mom must have been super tall, because Bakula is so much shorter than either of them!).

I love that they've finally gotten Ellie involved. And not just involved. She's kind of a bad guy!

Man, next week is going to be awesome. Ellie is going to be so pissed when she finds out she's the only one whose been out of the loop this whole time!