Writer: Allison Adler
Grade: B
This was a vast improvement over the previous episode, but still not great. I liked the spy plot, and I enjoyed the attention to Chuck’s growth as a spy and the way it’s changing him. I wish the show had enough depth for that to be the core conflict between Chuck and Sarah, and between Chuck and his family, but no, we still have to have boring temporary love interests and Ellie’s nosy spy hijinks…
Unfortunately, I can’t stand Ellie anymore. When Chuck apologized to her, I was screeching, “What?! You don’t owe her an apology! You need to tell her to get some therapy!” The man is 29 years old, and if he wants to date a girl for a bit before telling his family and friends, he has that right. It doesn’t make him a bad friend or family member. Are we supposed to think her behavior is cute? It’s not. I do understand her being concerned that he’s been distant and seems troubled, but obsessing about the fact that he doesn’t tell her everything anymore, spying on him, and then guilt tripping him about the things he’s kept from her is neurotic, invasive, and annoying. I’m really tired of seeing Chuck reinforce her behavior by apologizing—he has a right to some privacy.
I'd like to see her stop, take a deep breath, and realize that, well, Chuck is an adult. He has the right to some privacy, has the right to go through some changes and dark times on his own, without leaning on her. Her behavior infantilizes him. There's wanting to remain close with your sibling, and there's wanting him to tell you everything the way he did when he was 13, even though the man is almost 30. If he were 21, it would make more sense, but he's not, and the way she's still glomping onto him for dear life is creepy to me.
I can’t stand Shaw with Sarah in any capacity, and it’s not because he’s getting in the way of Chuck and Sarah (haven’t cared about that for a while now), but rather because it’s forced and not particularly well-written. A few episodes ago, Shaw lectured Sarah about the dangers of getting involved with people you work with, and now he’s pursuing her? Do the writers actually read each other’s scripts? Do they realize he’s a hypocrite? The whole Sarah/Shaw relationship just feels weird and nonsensical, and I think that’s partly because the writers really botched the takeoff with Sarah admitting to enjoying Shaw’s creepy, aggressive, borderline sexual harassment come-on in the previous episode. I’m not opposed to Sarah having a non-Chuck love interest, but this guy sucks, and no amount of pining looks from him is going to change that.
I really could have done without Shaw defending Sarah’s honor by punching Rafe, too. Maybe I was supposed to think that Sarah found it sweet, because people don’t do that sort of thing for her much—they know she’s tough! But my immediate thought was, “Sarah’s tough and can take care of herself. She doesn’t need your help, you archaic douche.” There was something slightly smug under the surface with Shaw, like he did it to impress her but was trying to make it come off like he was doing it because he's a chivalrous knight at heart. I think that's my whole issue with him—I feel like everything he does with Sarah is bad role-playing rather than genuine.
So many things were wrong with the scene where Chuck-as-Rafe was supposed to shoot Shaw.
1. Shaw answering the door in a towel was either skeevy (if he knew it was Sarah knocking) or stupid (even if the world thinks you’re dead, you’re still an international spy… don’t answer the door in a fucking towel, moron).
2. I’m supposed to believe a directional mic could pick up Sarah and Shaw’s hotel room conversation from half a mile away? And why was audio even necessary for a sniper assassination?
3. Sarah reveals her true name to SHAW?! Are you fucking kidding me?! Talk about coming out of left field. That moment felt forced and out-of-character. I understand what she meant about wanting to hang on to her real identity, but that’s still a shitty reason to have her reveal her true name to a character that viewers loathe. I had a very difficult time connecting with her and understanding where she was coming from not only in that scene, but throughout the episode in general. The writing is really coming up short this season, which means Yvonne is having a hard time nailing Sarah down in the acting department, and we're left having to fanwank Sarah's feelings and motivations.
4. Sarah has shut down Shaw’s advances multiple times, and she’s just told him that she’s worried about Chuck. He thinks it’s a good time to lay one on her? That’s a classic sketchy “make a move on the emotionally vulnerable girl” move, and yet we’re supposed to think Shaw is honorable and decent? These characters make no sense!
I had high hopes that Sarah had an ulterior motive to play along with Shaw, and I held onto that hope even after she revealed her name to him, but that scene at the end where she left and came back with food and a Crock Pot ruined it for me. I really didn't get a calculated vibe from her at all. It seemed like she sincerely decided to just go for it.
I’m also a bit baffled as to how Ellie listened to Chuck’s speech about not feeling like himself anymore and made it all about Sarah and Hannah. His relationships are the only significant aspects of his life that she knows about, and Hannah is most recent in her mind, but her advice still seemed like a non-sequiter, and Chuck’s acceptance of her misinformed advice was even more confusing.
As if that wasn’t enough, Chuck slept with Hannah. Then he had her over for a nice dinner with family and friends. Then he agreed to meet her parents. He showed up, introduced himself to them, then pulled Hannah aside and dumped her. What a douche! I can relate, because yes, it would suck having to sit through that dinner with her parents, knowing he was going to break up with her. But that’s just it—he chose the easy way that would be most convenient to himself. He should have gritted his teeth and endured the awkward dinner, then broken up with her later, because at least then he wouldn’t have mortified her in front of her parents.
Other Stuff
- I really would have liked to know whose idea it was to clean Chuck’s apartment and make dinner while he was finishing his spy work. Was it Sarah, or was it Shaw? I tend to think it was actually Shaw, which is certainly a point in his favor, but it would be nice to know for sure. Either way, it was very sweet of both of them to do that for him.
-As annoyed as I am with the Chuck/Sarah romance, Jeff’s little poetic speech was hilariously perfect. Definitely one of the episode’s best moments.
-Given the reference to Casey as “Alex Coburn” and Chuck’s subsequent flash, could that be his real name, or at least something that will come up again later?
-Speaking of Casey, only he could be proud of someone for pulling out his tooth.
-The mobsters were weirdly adorable and I wouldn’t have minded seeing them again, so I was bummed that Rafe killed them.
Quotes
Chuck-as-Rafe: “Is this stuff sterile? … I take pride in my work, all right? I wanna kill him, not some secondary infection.”
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