Well guys, this is it. The last time we will be watching a season premiere of Chuck .*sob*  As we all try to come to grips with every episode being one closer to the last, let’s focus on our favorite super spy in Chuck Taylors and the sticky situations he and the team found themselves in this week.

chuck season 5

The Force was not with them
The opening sequence provided a pretty good idea of how things are going for Carmichael Industries. As Chuck puts it, they are still working out the kinks. Sarah and Casey are still pretty awesome spies. Chuck is still the brains. And Morgan, well, Morgan has the intersect and only kinda knows how to use it.

He can flash…. oh I’m sorry. He can zoom. But as for all the times when he isn’t using the intersect to learn Kung Fu or the Tango, well it’s not going so hot. He’s still Morgan Grimes after all.

At the start they steal a vase from Luke Skywalker. Oh, I’m sorry, my sources tell me Mark Hamill was playing someone named Jean Claude. Anywho, Jean Claude is not happy that Chuck and Sarah are trying to steal his Ming Vase. So he tries to kill them, then Casey gets caught as well. Cue Morgan who takes down all the henchman and Jean Claude…. but then promptly breaks the vase. Sigh…

Missing the Flash
Along with working out the kinks, they are also trying to work out the finances. That vase was a $6 million payout that they now don’t get. They are hemorrhaging money thank to the rockets and Morgan’s penchant for eating fresh shrimp on the private jets. It’s bad. They take on a case to get more breathing room. A businessman, Bale (Craig Kilborn – always fabulous when playing a d-bag)  is swindling from investors. Their client is a skeevy lawyer, but he’s giving them lots of money, and Bale deserves to be taken down so they take the case.

The case serves two purposes. One is to show how much Chuck misses the flash. Every time Morgan zooms, or frankly anyone even says the word ‘zoom’ he gets the sad sad face that just makes me want to hug him. I know what you’re thinking. When is there a time I don’t want to hug Zachary Levi? Well, you’re right. There really isn’t a time… but that sad face! Anyway, the intersect glasses only had one restore as it were, at least according to the real brains – Ellie – and it was used on Morgan. But as super supportive Big Sis points out, the intersect just gave Chuck the chance to be the super awesome spy/friend/husband he is today. He doesn’t need it anymore. But he still wants it. Of course, his super smarts and creativity helped to save the day anyway. And that’s the point, isn’t it? That Chuck is special, intersect or no.

The other purpose of the case – making sure we realize the true big bad. Not Hamill or Kilborn, but that darn Clyde Decker (Richard Burgi) at the CIA.

It’s All About the Buy More
Decker uses the fact that Carmichael Industries had to front some of their own money into Bale’s accounts to freeze all of their liquid funds. The only assets the group has now: The Castle and The Buy More. Which means that Chuck’s secret project of buying Sarah the perfect house is put on hold. Although it did provide lots of cheap laughs as Project The Bluffs (TB) – getting Sarah a house on the bluffs – turned into Project Toes In The Sand (yeah…that’s the acronym). Of course, Sarah didn’t want any of that. She just wanted the perfect mid-century home with the red door and the white picket fence. Good news: Chuck found it. Bad news: he didn’t buy it before Decker froze their funds. So the new plan: have the Buy More turn a profit to support both until Carmichael Industries gets back on their feet. And that’s how the Buy More stays an important part of the picture.

chuck vs the zoom

CHUCK -- "Chuck vs. The Zoom" Episode 501 -- Pictured: (l-r) Adam Baldwin as John Casey, Yvonne Strahovski as Sarah Walker, Joshua Gomez as Mogan Grimes -- Photo by: Chris Haston/NBC

What they don’t know: Decker has decided the number one priority of the CIA is stopping Chuck Bartowski. Really, dude? Really? I think you need to sort out your priorities, but whatevs. So now along with trying to make money, work out the kinks and save the day, they are dealing with this guy. Of all the Big Bads, he is certainly the most annoying. But he is only one, as there are a myriad of Bads on the way for Chuck this season!

And since we are talking about the Buy More (well, we were anyway), normally, I find the Buy More stories to be ridiculous, but this week it was perfect. Simple. Quick. Funny. Because Chuck and Morgan are busy being spies, they don’t check in very often. So they don’t realize that Jeff and Lester are running a scam – pretending Jeff is paralyzed so people will donate money. Oh Jeffster….. When Chuck and Morgan find out they talk of coming up with a plan to prove Jeff is fine. But they don’t need to because about 5 seconds later Jeff gets up out of his wheel chair and climbs a ladder. End of scam. End of side story. And I laughed.

Stuff I loved

 

  • Now, as you may have heard, there was a baseball game airing opposite this episode. I guess it was a big one. The timing of that made this little monologue from Morgan, trying not to ‘premature zoom,’ all the more amusing:

“Baseball? Why baseball? I mean, come on, it is so boring. Just pitch the damn ball already. Enough talk with the statistics. Do you know what a slugging percentage is? Because I don’t know what a slugging percentage is. And honestly, who the hell cares?”
LOVE IT!

  • Morgan and Sarah’s secret “we kick ass” hand shake thing on the squash court.
  • Every adorable Chuck/Sarah moment where they talk about being married.
  • The throw back to Chuck being stuck in the van.
  • The throw back to Chuck using his Nerd Herd status to save the day.

Did everyone love the first episode back? Is everyone else still a little upset it’s ending?? Yeah, me too. I’m also upset that there was no Awesome in this one. I love him so much I watched that not so great TV movie with him in it over the summer. But Awesome will be back and Awesomer than ever! I promise. And what do you think: will Chuck get the intersect back? Do you want him to?

Ok, last question: that building that was “Bale Industries” – they’ve used that before, right?? Or am I losing my mind?

Written by Melissa Miller. Find her on Twitter @serrae

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