Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Super Secret Fake Insider "CHUCK Versus the Anniversary" Spoiler Free Review


Here's a totally super and secret and fake but somehow accurate spoiler free ninja review of the first episode of season 4.  Each category is scored from 0 to 100.  Two categories are scored on levels of negativity where the higher score means lower levels of negativity.

Story: 91 - It functions as an introduction to the season and so suffers slightly in not being able to do more with it.  Otherwise, it works.  We are introduced to the general theme of the season; a new badass character; a recurring character; a new and improved base of operations; an incoming new character; and the general atmosphere of the season.  Two different missions that are not resolved, and Chuck's penchant for lying and loving.  Some might argue that this is the best premier episode of the series.
Drama: 91 - There is good stuff here and a great moment at the end that will get people talking.
Action: 90 - Hey, it is CHUCK.  They give these cats Emmys for this category.
Romance: 93 - Thousands of fans will be deleting their hate letters to Schwedak after this one.
Comedy: 94 - Anyone who thought season 3 lacked the fun of previous seasons will be dancing in the streets.  Those who think the comedy on this show is too silly... too bad.  If you be laughing, then you be happy.
Stunt-casting: 94 - This show rarely screws that up.  Though, anyone expecting a ton of screen time from a certain hottie nerd herder might be disappointed.
Villains: 90 - They work.  They are villainous.  Not comedy relief.
Angst level: 85 (the higher the number, the less annoying it is) - Hey, it is CHUCK.  They could get Emmys for this stuff!
Number of lies by Chuck:85 (higher number means less lies) - He lies to everyone.  He even lies to a 411 operator who is just asking him for city and business name.  He lies to a lamppost and the ghost of Christmas past!  He lies and lies and lies and lies!  He lies to everyone,  except Morgan, because they are soul-mates.  I may be exaggerating the lies.  I don't think a 411 operator makes an appearance.  But the ghost thing is totally true.  Santa scratches him off the "Nice" list (it is possible that I am exaggerating).


Overall Rating
90.3 out of 100
A-

CHUCK returns with a very good episode.  Morgan continues his scene stealing ways.  Sarah gets to do some cool stuff.  Casey is Casey.  Chuck is Chuck.  Several great scenes.  Chuck and Sarah cuteness.  And best of all, it begins a storyline that is actually going somewhere. 


36 comments:

  1. Thank you for that. Heightened my excitement.

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  2. *standing ovation*

    The question is, is the super secret, fake, but really real, but fake, maybe real review...real?

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  3. Diane says...

    Thanks. That truly made my Monday.

    Love the "lies" category. Brilliant.

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  4. I cannot answer that question for a very good reason... which should technically answer that question for you. :)

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  5. You wrote:
    And best of all, it begins a storyline that is actually going somewhere.

    With all due respect, Magnus, you also were raving about the Shaw character and the arc last year. Until, of course, it became plainly obvious that they had lost their way.

    So why should anyone assume the Season 4 storyline is "going somewhere"? We won't know that until we see how it plays on screen. If you learned anything from Season 3, it should have been what seems good on a storyboard, what sounds right in a script, may flop on screen.

    I don't say this to be critical, just realistic. Besides, I'm not all that interested in Mama Bartowski. They are going to have to gin up a real interesting arc to keep me intrigued.

    Anonymous might be my real name, but I, too, have super secret and fake insider credentials to protect.

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  6. Well, anonymous, then this is going to be a very boring season for you. And I am well aware of the promise of last season and how they dropped the ball. I am not worried about it.

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  7. I so hope it has a season 2 flavor... As far as the Chuck lies and all the bitching about it... bla bla bla bla bla! It's a spy show people. Chuck never used to lie. Now he lies because he is a spy and the woman he loves taught him how to lie. Big Woop! The writers arent going to make us hate our hero all of the sudden over little white lies in what will probably be the shows final season.

    HJ

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  8. awesome!!!!
    I am a crazy shipper so I think this season is gonna be for us if I am not wrong.
    But I am worried about the promos. What do you think?

    Greekfan

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  9. I love putting idiotic comments into the spam folder. I never have to moderate that IP address again. ;)

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  10. Magnus Anton Lekay said... I am well aware of the promise of last season and how they dropped the ball. I am not worried about it.

    That might be the best thing I've heard coming into S4. Thanks Magnus.

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  11. :) I am getting more and more excited! Thanks for the post.

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  12. Hi Magnus,

    When you say " Thousands of fans will be deleting their hate letters to Schwedak after this one." in the romance section, do you mean that fans are going to see a salami/colonel/honeymooners type of episode where it is full of passion, romance and action. If so then whoohoo, finally we are getting as fans what we all wanted, chuck and the rest of the team b with their chemistry working side by side with a little romance thrown in and it is awesome. I always hoped that season 3 would be just that, team b, chuck and sarah and awesomeness! Well I am excited by the prospects of season 4!

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  13. Luke, not exactly. But at least now, when Chuck and Sarah are not together, it is clear they are missing each other.

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  14. Hi Magnus,

    Yeah at the end of season 3 in the finally chuck did kind of just lay it out to her that he was quitting without any big discussions, and they have worked together for 3 years so I suppose she would miss him and actually so would casey as well. I do hope that they do actually delve into that a bit how he just told her he was quitting, I hope they can work it out sweetly between themselves, and Ellie will just have to be kept in the dark, which considering she is pregnant is the best place for her to keep her safe.

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  15. I am so happy that Gomez is in top form, saw the blooper reel the other day and he was so funny especially when Sarah/Yvonne accidentally called him chuck and he said thankyou tall dark and handsome. I like you would have wept and been. Inconsolable anything happens to Morgan, I love Gomez portrail of morgan

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  16. I am glad that the romance is going strong into season 4. I have heard in your podcasts where you reference that Ali Adler loves love and watching the season 3 DVD she admitted that herself and she said the word like a lot, sarah fell in love, sarah loves, etc. so that is good that even though she is gone some writers are taking up that mantle. The action, drama and adventure well since the new writers have come from that background it looks like that will be solid as well so looking good.

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  17. Hi Magnus,

    Have you seen an advanced screening of the premier, because you also gave other guy a 91 and other guy was good but not great, so is this premier going to live upto expectations?

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  18. I gave Other Guy that high of a score? In my defense, I had not seen those back six yet. So, I was more generous.

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  19. Hi magnus

    Last year before the season 3 premier you as host did a Q & A with your fellow podcastors can you do something similar again?

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  20. I am recording a podcast on Sunday... if I remember to do that, I might consider it.

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  21. Hey thanks for the review. I follow the podcasts pretty closely so there weren't any surprises but this is a good summing up.

    Have you seen the episode?

    And I ask again: why isn't Hans Zimmer credited in your Chuck Inception video? The only reason "Inception" is part of the title is cause you used his awesome music.

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  22. The track I used was done by Zack Hemsey for the movie TRAILER, and NOT HANS ZIMMER. It is a common misconception that the trailer music was done by Zimmer. He scored the MOVIE, not the trailer.

    And I wish people would just do some research before asking me that same question again. It is annoying. I do my research before crediting. You should too before accusing someone of not crediting correctly.

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  23. Ok I stand corrected. But I still think Hans Zimmer's music and your video are awesome.

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  24. Hi Magnus,

    Just checked out the sneak peeks for the premier and one word AWESOME! I do love the chuck and sarah part where they miss each other, but I have to say I love Casey man, especially when he manhandles chuck and says flash and you know he loves chuck even sarah says he missed you. So looks like the chuck mmay be back in the CIA since the president and government has blackballed him from getting any job apart from being a spy and based on what josh Gomez said he will be a spy in the buymore too, so awesome, everything is shaping up to be epic.

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  25. Hi Magnus,

    I forgot to say that I love morgan in his russian hat he looks so cute and my mind is just running wild with thoughts of him and chuck just being so funny and cool while they are on missions together, I did kind of think hey I want team b together with casey and sarah but if they do the odd mission with chuck and morgan just being hillarious then I will be more than happy with that, Morgan looks so cute and adorable and funny.

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  26. Hi Magnus,

    It looks from the sneek peaks that chuck was wearing a suit because he was going on job interviews and probably, lol, he could not get a job because the government has put a stop to that, lol. I also love how casey being a lover of ronald regan is going to get his chance to take those "Damn Commies" out, oh what awesomeness and fun, I am glad that they are making chuck go back to the CIA again and morgan as well, but how do they get big mike and jeffster back in, my best guess would be in ep 2 morgan realises that the flaw in the buymore is that there is no civilians to make it authentic and so he gets them back in, I love morgan.

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  27. Very nice, Luke... but you should type SPOILERS!!!!! before typing out spoilers, so people can avoid reading any. Some people are very sensitive to that. :)

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  28. SPOILERS!!!!!!!!

    I just saw chuck and morgans sneek peak when they arrive in russia and say they are part of the ring. Man those two are hillarious especially morgan when he says I am michael carmichael and that we are brothers. I love that when morgan says stuff like if you can get sarah then i can get carina and that he actually thinks that chuck and him are on the same level in the looks department and that they could be brothers, and chuck never says buddy I am an adonis, tall, dark and handsome we are not on the same level not by a long shot, but he just goes with it, I love chuck and morgan, they are so awesome.

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  29. Yeah.. fun stuff. I think NBC should just leak the whole episode online at this point.

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  30. Well I suppose as fans we can sometimes complain about the lack of exposure when it comes to chuck and promotion (it must be difficult to find a happy medium). So although they have given away about 6-7 minutes of the episode I will go with it because I am so excited about season 4.

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  31. Come to think of it they could be like brothers, twins actually, like Arnold and Danny in the movie twins, lol. They are such an awesome duo, I mean watching them together while they do their mission is so awesome.

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