Chuck -3x12 -"Chuck vs. the American Hero"-Discuss/Grade <SPOILERS>

[the Dagman]

It's Chuckday again. Here we are at episode 12, what was supposed to be, possibly, the second to last episode of the series when originally ordered. Remember, the series only barely survived cancelation last season with a 13 episode mid-season order.

Fear not however. We did get a reprieve and NBC ordered six additional episodes for a total of 19 this season. So we have seven more to go after tonight.

But the six extra episodes ordered did not change what was already done. Meaning that this week's episode is building to an episode next week of the caliber that they'd have felt comfortable ending the series on it. So these changes we have seen, or that have been hinted at, may actually stick. And, there has to be some developments that will... well, if it is the level of work we are accustomed to on this show it should knock our socks off. Like the "I know kung fu" scene did for us last season. Yes, my expectations are high.

And now...

Spoiler: the official NBC episode description

Chuck uses an undercover solo assignment to try to steal Sarah's heart back from Shaw. Brandon Routh guest stars.

 

[Obiwanshinobi]

Re: Chuck -3x12 -"Chuck vs. the American Hero"-Discuss/Grade <SPOILERS

Somebody's got a case of the Chuckdays!

 

[Sheep]

Re: Chuck -3x12 -"Chuck vs. the American Hero"-Discuss/Grade <SPOILERS

Should we expect a cameo appearance from William Katt?

 

[RoJoHen]

Re: Chuck -3x12 -"Chuck vs. the American Hero"-Discuss/Grade <SPOILERS

Why am I working tonight?! Booooooo!

 

[Brent]

Re: Chuck -3x12 -"Chuck vs. the American Hero"-Discuss/Grade <SPOILERS

Someone explain this to me, why don't they just put Chuck through spy school?

I just got into Chuck recently, and have gone back and watched every episode, and am now watching the new season. I understand everything they've done, and this 3 years has been kinda like training, but isn't it all kinda like putting the cart before the horse? Yes, he has the Intersect 2.0 in his head, yes, he can, somewhat on demand, gain new skills, but he is NOT trained as a spy, he lacks spy knowledge! It is like all the sudden they just put a regular joe guy out into the field and say ok, you are working with us now on real missions. WHY not send him to spy school, and make him go through the SAME process, in order, like all other spies have to do.

Sorry if this is off topic from tonight's episode, which was very good BTW.

 

[Sheep]

Re: Chuck -3x12 -"Chuck vs. the American Hero"-Discuss/Grade <SPOILERS

I'm always complaining about people giving unwarranted "excellent" ratings to every single episode. Yet here I am with what might be my third or fourth "excellent" episode of Chuck in a row. I will officially STFU now about the overuse of the "excellent" rating.

I don't even care about how predictable the newest revelation in the Sarah/Shaw storyline was, the crutch of Jeffster's stalking to get Chuck in the right place to save Shaw and Casey revealing he was the one who killed the mole so quickly. I enjoyed seeing things move along nicely and in a very believable way. Yup, I have my Chuck-vision goggles on and am now more wrapped up in the characters than the plotlines.

Just one more thing of note (or not): That Shaw sure lacks a gag reflex, doesn't he?

 

[elaithin]

Re: Chuck -3x12 -"Chuck vs. the American Hero"-Discuss/Grade <SPOILERS

@Brent - Chuck actually had four months of spy training, between seasons two and three. What keeps holding him up is actually pulling the trigger.

I was very pleased with this episode, and am now very curious about the implications of Sarah's red test. Her handler was Tony Todd though, or so we were led to believe - so does that mean he was a Ring agent? Or was Eve Shaw really a Ring agent herself?

 

[Yoda]

Re: Chuck -3x12 -"Chuck vs. the American Hero"-Discuss/Grade <SPOILERS

Loved the ep. My only nit would be that the B2 bombing run looked pretty ridiculous, but once again it's not that serious of a show so I can let it slide.

"Love is a Battlefield"

 

[Sheep]

Re: Chuck -3x12 -"Chuck vs. the American Hero"-Discuss/Grade <SPOILERS

I was very pleased with this episode, and am now very curious about the implications of Sarah's red test. Her handler was Tony Todd though, or so we were led to believe - so does that mean he was a Ring agent? Or was Eve Shaw really a Ring agent herself?

I forget, but is it still possible that Eve Shaw was incorrectly pegged by the CIA and Sarah wound up killing an innocent (or at least a "not who we thought she was")? That'd be what I'd expect from all of this.

 

[the Dagman]

Re: Chuck -3x12 -"Chuck vs. the American Hero"-Discuss/Grade <SPOILERS

This was a great episode. Another Awesome rating, although I'd say the episode directed by Zach Levi where Morgan found out that Chuck was in the CIA is still my favorite for the season.

Chuck should have Jeff and Lester go with him to Rome as the stalk... surveillance specialists on his new team. Neither Shaw nor the Ring agents, all highly trained covert operatives, even knew they were there. And Casey should go as well to pose as his butler. Casey would rock as a young Alfred Pennyworth type to Chuck's Bruce Wayne/Rome cover.

Next week's episode should prove quite interesting. A definite "must see".

 

[Goji]

Re: Chuck -3x12 -"Chuck vs. the American Hero"-Discuss/Grade <SPOILERS

Above average.

As a standalone episode, this probably deserves an "Awesome" rating. But I have some issues with how it seems to be handling the story threads that have been building all season. My issues are with Shaw and The Ring. Their relationship has been hinted at in almost every episode since Shaw's introduction and unless the next episode drops some mind-bogglingly awesome twists on us (which it may), it's all looking like a massive disappointment. Shaw's dead wife hasn't even been mentioned once since the fifth episode of the season. I didn't even know that Shaw was "searching for answers" to her death, as the Ring director put it. Ever since "Chuck versus the Mask", Shaw has been used primarily as an obstacle to the Chuck/Sarah relationship, and to pull the "dead wife" card back out of the deck at this late date seems very contrived to me.

I'm also not a fan of how The Ring seems to have no plan (or even a basic mission statement) other than screwing around with Team Bartowski. Again, there is time for the next episode to change things, but if the Ring director himself is heavily involved in a plot to turn Shaw against his teammates (killing maybe a handful of CIA agents at best), what does that say about them as an organization? They really don't have better things to do?

I realize that most of Chuck's villains are one-dimensional evildoers, but even Fulcrum from last season had a clearly defined goal (capture/create the Intersect) and went about it as well as one-dimensional evildoers can be expected to do such things. I don't watch Chuck for the espionage storylines, but given the buildup between Shaw and The Ring, I did expect more. Hopefully the next episode will do more.

I also have still not for one second bought into Shaw/Sarah as a real couple. I couldn't care less about the relationships on this show or who is with who, but every time I see them together it gets a little more obvious that there's no chemistry between them.

On the positive side, there's everything else. I loved the Awesome/Casey/Morgan team-up in the first half of the episode, and Jeff and Lester trying to out-stalk them in the second. Chuck got to be a hero, carrying Shaw out of the burning building in a truly spectacular shot. I liked Mark Sheppard as the Ring Director (please give him more to do in the future!), the Get Smart-inspired coke machine elevator, the season's best explosion and more screen time for General Beckman, who was distressingly absent for a number of episodes in the middle of the season.

I also noticed that Ida from The Middleman had a thirty second appearance in the first part of the episode, which was fun.

It will be hard to wait another week to see what was originally supposed to be the end of the season. I admit I have high expectations that probably won't be completely met, but I've been enjoying the ride so far and I hope to see it continue for some time to come.

 

[Othello]

Re: Chuck -3x12 -"Chuck vs. the American Hero"-Discuss/Grade <SPOILERS

Shaw needs to kill Sarah. :>))

 

[elaithin]

Re: Chuck -3x12 -"Chuck vs. the American Hero"-Discuss/Grade <SPOILERS

Quiet, you!

 

[the Dagman]

Re: Chuck -3x12 -"Chuck vs. the American Hero"-Discuss/Grade <SPOILERS

You know, I really liked the scene where Ellie gave Chuck the sisterly pep-talk. Sarah Lancaster really sold the scene well. The look in her eyes, the tone of her voice, it all reminded this little brother of many talks that I have had with my own sister. And that's what it boils down to, I can totally buy them as brother and sister. And the way the camera angles switched between their faces there, I could see the resemblance those two have that the people who casted them must have seen.

And I have to say that every time I see Ellie and Devon together it makes me think Wonder Woman is hooking up with Captain America. I know, I know, Ryan McPartlin did not get the Cap role. But I can't help but think he'd be perfect for it. A Patrick Stewart born to play Charles Xavier kind of perfect. A Sarah Lancaster as Princess Diana of Themescryia/Wonder Woman kind of perfect. Still, it's pretty hot to think of Wonder Woman and Captain America hooking up just for the sheer impossibility of it...

 

[Sheep]

Re: Chuck -3x12 -"Chuck vs. the American Hero"-Discuss/Grade <SPOILERS

Sarah needs to kill Shaw. :>))

Fixed that for you.

 

[Starbreaker]

Re: Chuck -3x12 -"Chuck vs. the American Hero"-Discuss/Grade <SPOILERS

Awesome!

Probably the best episode the show has done so far. I've had the wool pulled over my eyes all season long about Shaw. Never would have guessed this.

 

[RoJoHen]

Re: Chuck -3x12 -"Chuck vs. the American Hero"-Discuss/Grade <SPOILERS

Holy crap, that was awesome! If it wasn't for the Shaw story, it could have served as a fantastic series finale.

I chuckled when I saw Badger/Romo Lampkin/whatever his name is. That guy is popping up in everything!

 

[JD]

Re: Chuck -3x12 -"Chuck vs. the American Hero"-Discuss/Grade <SPOILERS

I went with Above Average for this one, only because it had one major issue that really bothered me. In order for Chuck to flash on the soda machine, the code would have needed to be in the Intersect, which means that the government would have known code. So if they knew the code then wouldn't that mean that they knew about the base already, and could have gotten at any time?

Other than that I loved pretty much everything about the episode. It was really nice getting to see everyone get in on the action again. I especially loved the trio they set up with Devon, Casey, and Morgan, and really hope we see more of them as a group. I also thought it was pretty good that Jeff & Lester's stalking ability managed to save the day.

 

[elaithin]

Re: Chuck -3x12 -"Chuck vs. the American Hero"-Discuss/Grade <SPOILERS

I figured that the Ring, like Fulcrum, uses plenty of CIA/NSA equipment. So maybe that specific coke machine wasn't in there - just the plans for it? Or maybe it's something that all the coke machines of that type are hard-wired for that code? Not sure.

 

[the Dagman]

Re: Chuck -3x12 -"Chuck vs. the American Hero"-Discuss/Grade <SPOILERS

As a standalone episode, this probably deserves an "Awesome" rating. But I have some issues with how it seems to be handling the story threads that have been building all season. My issues are with Shaw and The Ring. Their relationship has been hinted at in almost every episode since Shaw's introduction and unless the next episode drops some mind-bogglingly awesome twists on us (which it may), it's all looking like a massive disappointment. Shaw's dead wife hasn't even been mentioned once since the fifth episode of the season. I didn't even know that Shaw was "searching for answers" to her death, as the Ring director put it. Ever since "Chuck versus the Mask", Shaw has been used primarily as an obstacle to the Chuck/Sarah relationship, and to pull the "dead wife" card back out of the deck at this late date seems very contrived to me.

I'm also not a fan of how The Ring seems to have no plan (or even a basic mission statement) other than screwing around with Team Bartowski. Again, there is time for the next episode to change things, but if the Ring director himself is heavily involved in a plot to turn Shaw against his teammates (killing maybe a handful of CIA agents at best), what does that say about them as an organization? They really don't have better things to do?

I think you have possibly forgotten a few details. Remember it was those files that the Ring agents were after when they broke into Castle and blew Chuck's cover to Morgan. They had said they were able to upload those files to the Ring while they had Castle supposedly under a communications lock down, making Team Bartowski think they had kept them secure. All of the Ring's actions with Shaw have revolved around those files of Shaw's dead wife. That's their "in" with him.

As for what the Ring is up to, I think all their actions this season are merely prep work for what they are really up to. I get the feeling they have either turned or are working on turning Shaw. They wanted to turn Devon when they thought he was the Intersect. Casey's old C.O. was trying to turn him. They seem to wish to bolster their ranks with skilled CIA agents. Maybe the reason why will be explained in the final six episodes of the season.