Friday, December 23, 2011

CHUCK Versus the Santa Suit: 5.07 Discussion

The greatest episode in show history just happened.

Discuss it below. Anonymous commenting enabled, as always.

144 comments:

  1. Let me just be the first to say:

    "It wasn't the best episode ever!"

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  2. This is the first episode in a long time that I am planning on staying away from the internet from the time the show airs to when I watch it. That's my plan anyway :)

    That said, given all the praise for the episode, I don't know how it can live up to my expectations.

    JT

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  3. You have already seen the episode?

    or are you just using that sarcastic humor of yours?

    I am confused.

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  4. Everyone is hyping it up, but the only person who had me raise my eyebrow was McGee. He has as I said before been tearing into every show he has reviewed this year. So for him to say this is the reason he has stuck with this show....oh man what time is it on east coast?

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  5. I'm anticipating the reaction to the cliffhanger by the shippers more than I'm anticipating the episode itself.

    I hope I'm not disappointed.

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  6. One thing that also has piqued my interest is how everyone has pretty much ignored chuck (media wise) is now singing this particular episodes praises. Hmmmm

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  7. Gina--
    My theory on that is that because something actually happens in this episode.

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  8. I hate Todd VanDerWerff. What a pretencious prick, I cannot believe he just bashed Chuck on the AV Club for no good reason. Telling us that NBC cannot wait to get rid of it and forget it ever existed...idiot, why let a recapper who is a poser at best write tv recaps.

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  9. MediaSavant do you hate shippers? Are you a CS shipper? And I mean just a shipper, not a crazy shipper as you and Razorback group some as.

    I'm curious because I've noticed most of your comments refer to shippers and not in a positive light.

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  10. All shippers are crazy.

    But not all shippers are crazy shippers.

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  11. Gina, what is funny about his comments is that they are so blindly ignorant of the truth that he is clearly just trolling for attention.

    If anything, NBC was the most hopeful that CHUCK would do well this season.

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  12. Gina--I read the same thing Todd wrote. I didn't take it the way you did. He was bashing NBC, not Chuck. This is a burn-off, you know.

    Anon--
    Don't hate shippers. Stealing something from DR, I'm a romantic. The relationship between Chuck and Sarah is an important element of the show. I'm a "hero's journey" person and success at romance is an important ingredient in the story.

    What I dislike about shippers is that they are happy when nothing important is happening. I'm only entertained when SOMETHING is happening.

    Shippers liked "Business Trip". Enough said.

    Ultimately, I find the reactions of shippers and crazy shippers to be entertaining. They take this stuff so seriously. I can't hate someone who gives me so much entertainment. They particularly amuse me with their pronouncements about how their views are the views of all Chuck fans.

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  13. How many ninjas said this was a great episode?

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  14. Enough ninjas have said it is a great episode.

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  15. Yes, Todd was bashing NBC, but without knowledge of what NBC has done for this show.

    His comment was harsh, but the truth is the January 27th finale date was set to take place before sweeps.

    NBC really hoped Chuck would do better this season than it did. The promotion they gave the premier this year was much greater than last year, but, then the viewers didn't show up. What's a network to do?

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  16. It just bugs me when people crap on NBC when they are the last group that should be on anyone's hate list. No entity did more to keep CHUCK on the air. Sure, WB made sure to keep the show on the air by lowering the licensing fee, but NBC could have dumped the show any time it wanted.

    Yet another reason why it so bugs me when fans try to take credit for something they had nothing to do with... because they have no idea what went on behind closed doors.

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  17. Wow, that was difficult to watch... too far...

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  18. Yeah Shaw gave Sarah a hiding...I have never seen the intersect be so efficient and ruthless. That is why we love Chuck.

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  19. That is not Sarah's baby but someone else's that she is protecting...dun dun dah!

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  20. Great Episode. Confused as hell about that promo. whos kid is that?

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  21. great to see chuck stepping up. AMAZING ap but what's up with the baby? going to far with sarah dislike :(

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  22. Top to bottom, one of the best Chuck episodes ever. I hear it was written by a new writer. What a debut.

    The execution was also good. I don't know who directed the episode, but the fight scenes were really well done.

    I think Magnus has said "Chuck doesn't need the intersect" a few times and this brought it to fruition. My boy can kick some butt.

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  23. And now, if you read through the final Dear DR again, you will pick up on all the subtle spoilers I gave you that most missed because they weren't in your face stupid like the one those girlies posted.

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  24. That being said, the ending didn't reveal as much as I was expecting, but it certainly did a good job of creating a mystery and offering up a meme (baby!) to freak some people out.

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  25. Oh and enter all the crazy shippers who can't handle the episode.

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  26. Yeah.. Chuck definitely doesn't need the Intersect. He just needs competent writers like this one to do him justice, and justice they did. Holy crap that was amazing.

    As for the promo.. yeah. I was like "Wait..what?" Thinking she was just protecting the baby..but the way Shaw mentions it, it makes it seem a bit more intimate, and clearly he knows about it.. whether it's from him reading her file at night or she telling him.

    Such an outstanding episode though!

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  27. Ellie taking down Shaw was great. I thought she would somehow get the intersect, but I guess she didn´t need it.

    I also loved Casey and Beckman´s dedication to saving Sarah.

    And Chuck was smart this time and managed to switch out the Omen. He was acting really differently to last week, though. Hard to reconcile that. Maybe he just gets much more panicky when Ellie is in danger.

    I didn´t like the way they played Sarah telling Chuck about Shaw kissing her. They made it look as if it was a confession and if anything it was an assault on Sarah and not something she needed to be sorry for.

    I liked that Shaw mostly wanted revenge on Sarah, but the outcome was still kind of a replay of Ring II. Just with Ellie knocking out Shaw instead of Sarah.

    I also wouldn´t have minded Chuck showing a little more concern about Sarah throughout and maybe getting a scene of him coming to her rescue in Castle.

    I liked Casey´s message to Alex and that he managed to save himself and Sarah just with that bear.

    The preview does not have me excited. I would love it, if that was somehow deceiving. If Sarah seriously had a baby and that was never hinted at, it would feel very much like a retcon.

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  28. I highly doubt that's sarah's kid that would change my views on her character a lot. I'm just curious why she can't even tell chuck about this? i mean its kind of hypocritical of her. sarah makes chuck tell her EVERYTHING.

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  29. The shipperpocalypse is not disappointing me, so far.

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  30. This was the best episode todate. So many twists, I was on the edge of my seat then at the end I was tearing up, then I was like What The.........

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  31. If that's Sarah's kid, the show has officially lost it and it would honestly make me hate her character.

    "I also wouldn´t have minded Chuck showing a little more concern about Sarah throughout and maybe getting a scene of him coming to her rescue in Castle."

    I agree. The writing for Chuck and Sarah the psat two episodes has been underwhelming to say the least.

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  32. It was a good episode. I thought Brandon was actually really good. He brought the creepy and the menace that was needed.

    The only real problem I had was the weird tone the last Chuck and Sarah scene shared. The emotion of the experience just wasn't there. All the other scenes felt properly emotional (Casey/Alex, Chuck/Ellie) that I was just kind of baffled by how they choose to play that.

    All the call backs to the previous Christmas episode were nice.

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  33. That is not Sarah's kid, lol. Think about it, who else is guest starring in the episode? Her former handler. Maybe when Sarah was a young agent she had feelings and so protected an assets or criminals child because she wanted to either a) protect the child or b) prevent the child being used as a pawn in a bigger game between evil people.

    Anyhoo great episode and I like where the story is going and best of all Sepinwall loved it and so did McGee and he gave his first "A" to Chuck ever...so good times.

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  34. The way I looked at the last Sarah/Chuck scene was.. they'd been through so many of these sort of situations that it was pretty much 'been there, done that' sort of feeling and they were ready to just spend Christmas together. Not trying to defend the writers, of course.. but I suppose you can't please everyone. Those who are fans of the more 'shipper/fluffy' episodes will most likely not like this episode, lol

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  35. i liked this episode.

    Shaw was alright and Ellie was good in it.

    If it's revealed Sarah had a baby and left the child with her mother i don't see the big deal.

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  36. I am not going to talk about NBC because I would rather talk about how Chuck and beckman kissed which I thought was so funny. I like John Casey's role. I think it's getting better from season and season which makes me like his role from mostly known for grunting to showing more emotion towards people like Morgan, Chuck and anybody else that he has gotten close to. I like that Shaw was just back for one episode because I think if he was in the show any longer might have hurt the ratings because not a lot of people like Shaw when he was in the 3rd season. I thought it was cool that Stan Lee was in this show I bet everyone who was on the set that is a true nerd freaked out. I love that Morgan has started talking like Big Mike and you can really see that in this episode. Even though I see this happening I really hope Morgan and Alex get back together and I think Casey giving that little nice thing say that give morgan another chance was a great thing. Sarah was great in this episode but she really was not in a lot of this episode but I think she is going to have more of a role in the up and coming episodes though.

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  37. Where's Ali Adler when you need her?

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  38. I thought Chuck's tone in this episode was just like the Chuck I want to see. It was the opposite of the last episode, which felt wrong. I never thought that Chuck was unconcerned about what was going on with Sarah, but that he was appropriately focused on his plan. For his plan to work, he couldn't let emotion sabotage him like it did in the last episode.

    That being said, he wasn't cold. It was very clear to me that Sarah was on his mind, but he was suppressing his usual wearing of his emotions on his sleeve.

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  39. The last scene between Chuck and Sarah was a little wierd but I think maybe they were going for...Chuck trusts Sarah and knows she would never cheat or do anything to hurt him....maybe that is what they were going for. All season Chuck has remained calm where it concerns douchebags touching his wife...he has faith and trust in her and maybe that is great character growth. Maybe some stuff was left on the cutting room floor, I mean it did seem like a scene was missing here and there...

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  40. Shaw worked really well as a villain. He was creepy and menacing and Brandon Routh sold that very well.

    But I already liked Shaw as a villain in season 3.

    I would have enjoyed Chuck´s actions more, if his actions last week hadn´t been the total opposite. Everyone was rationalizing, that he couldn´t confide in Sarah or come up with a better plan, because his first response is to panic, if someone he loves is in danger. He didn´t panic once this week. I like this Chuck much better, but I find it hard to reconcile those different sides.

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  41. I agree. I don't think it is her kid. Promo was done to create "buzz" just like the one two weeks ago.

    Jennifer

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  42. Yeah. Normally when it's all "SarahSarahSarah", he can't think straight as it is, so it was nice to see Chuck focused on having his plan work so he could actually save everyone and get them all out of this mess. He's a better character when he's like that.

    Also.. someone just called this episode 'bad fanfiction'

    Hard to please much?

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  43. But still an awesome episode and it was great the reaction Sarah gave when she found out that Beckman kissed Chuck....oooh Sarah does not like anyone touching her man...Happy now shippers!

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  44. Does anyone know the network has pulled full episodes from online?

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  45. I would have enjoyed Chuck´s actions more, if his actions last week hadn´t been the total opposite. Everyone was rationalizing, that he couldn´t confide in Sarah or come up with a better plan, because his first response is to panic, if someone he loves is in danger. He didn´t panic once this week. I like this Chuck much better, but I find it hard to reconcile those different sides.

    Maybe he just learnt from last week? Not to let emotions get in the way?

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  46. Unless I badly misread something, the last Dear DR also said that Sarah wasn't previously married or pregnant. so all the crazy shippers need to do to assuage their fears is read Magnus' blog. the irony off this makes me all warm and fuzzy inside.

    Jim

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  47. The tone I'm talking about was the very casual nature of the conversation. The "Hey, thanks." "For what? Kicking Shaws a** again", That didn't feel very natural to me after what happened. Other people may feel different though.

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  48. Am I seriously the only one who thought this episode sucked ass?

    The plot makes NO sense. Why does Shaw still have an intersect? How on earth does some like Decker who has enough juice to do an end run around Beckman let himself be blackmailed by a guy in an 8 by 8 box?

    Decker Removed the intersect from Chuck. If shaw was blackmailing him just de-intersect the dude problem solved. It's not like Shaw had this as a back up, he stated that he Flashed on Decker as he tried to interrogate him.

    The plot of this episode falls apart if you look at it for more than a minute.

    Please tell me what I'm missing.

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  49. I hate the character Shaw for all the right reason, he is a great bad guy! I've never hated a character more than him. He was a pain in the butt when he foiled Chuck and won Sarah , then when he became the Ring operative, it was full on hatred. LOL I give props to the writers and to Brandon Routh for creating such a great character that invokes feelings of rage when his name is mentioned.

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  50. I'm all for casual conversation. Plus I liked Chuck there trying to make it seem like it wasn't a big deal. We've gotta remember there's so much we don't see behind closed doors, though I wish we could at times. Some nice bedroom talk would be great.

    I'm looking forward to Magnus's review, though. Wanna see what sort of rating he tosses this one.

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  51. "Maybe he just learnt from last week? Not to let emotions get in the way?"

    That doesn´t quite work, because he acted this week very much like he acted in Cliffhanger. He seemed to already have had learned that lesson. And I liked that. My problem is more with last week´s Chuck and how jarring the change was. I guess he just regressed last week, so they could get move the plot they way they wanted.

    I also didn´t think Chuck was cold, but I would have liked to see it make some kind of bigger impact on him when Sarah is in danger. It wouldn´t have to be a big scene or make him act any less focused. His plan and the execution was awesome.

    It would be fine for me, if such a scene were shown after the immediate threat is taken care of. We already didn´t get to see that in Cliffhanger, because they wanted to include the stupid funeral joke.

    He could have gotten Sarah out of Castle after Shaw was detained. Or the scene with Sarah telling him about Shaw kissing her could have had a bit more about Chuck being concerned how Sarah was dealing with what she went through. Instead he made light of all the saving going on and they made it look as if Shaw kissing Sarah while he had her bound and nearly frozen to death was something Chuck needed to forgive her for.

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  52. Maybe we are seeing stuff fans loved in season 2...Chucks ability to have the same calming influence that Sarah has on him. He tried to make her laugh and maybe he tried to calm her down after the ordeal she went through. Sometimes it is best to not talk about things you know that hurt the people you love. Chuck knows that Sarah feels guilt for killing a woman a man loved dearly and knows that it might haunt her and that the woman Chuck loves does not like to talk about that kind of stuff and he just gave her a break and an easy time. Again! Maybe that is good growth for Chuck and we should appreciate that.

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  53. Top 10 episode for me.

    I'm waiting for the wailing and sobbing from the shippers jumping to the conclusion that Sarah had a baby! (And OMG, bet it's Shaw's!)

    Cor

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  54. @awelle - Awesome points, and a fun read. Obviously there's a lot of things we wish the writers would put on Chuck.. but sadly, we can't have it all the time. :/ Gotta take what we can get, you know?

    Also... allow me to say I really, *really* can't stand 'fanfiction' writers. I mean seriously.

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  55. Great episode but yeah that last CS scene was kinda lame

    ellie and awesome are a hotter couple than CS, its official.

    Really curious to see next weeks outcome cause my view of sarah's character could be altered.

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  56. I think they could have gone in the direction of staging some emotional aftermath scene for Chuck and Sarah where they discussed all they went through. But, what they tried to do in the final scene was have Christmas.

    It wasn't about Chuck and Sarah and what they went through. It was about them putting that aside for a while to see that Clara and, mostly, Ellie had a nice Christmas together after a couple of stressful days. You can throw the Buy More crew into that.

    It was about resilience. The Christmas party wasn't the time for them to dwell on what they've been through, but to put it aside for a moment.

    That's what parties are for.

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  57. Awelle and others, I will agree the last C/S scene fell kind of flat compared to Casey/Alex and Ellie/Awesome. Particularly when they made it seem like Shaw tying Sarah up and forcibly kissing her as part of the abuse he heaped on her was somehow equivalent with Beckman laying one on Chuck as part of a hasty cover. It was one of the very few bad notes in the episode for me.

    Cor

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  58. My problem is they always gloss over the emotional aftermath. So its like, why should I care what happens if they are never really affected by what happens. Its hard to connect to characters when there is nothing of emotional resonance.

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  59. Yeah, that's one thing I've never been a fan of is how things are handled after the huge, emotional event of the episode.

    I liked Sarah's response in terms of Beckman kissing Chuck, though. Sort of.. "Wait..what?"

    My reaction to the promo for next week, actually.

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  60. MediaSavant, I agree with you too that having family Christmas and moving forward was the point of the last scene. They could easily have just not really brought up what happened and showed that Team B is strong and moving past it, enjoying a family holiday.

    But my criticism is that they chose to do it, and they did it poorly. It seemed like Sarah was trying to talk about something that bothered her and Chuck brushed it off with what amounted to a joke.

    Cor

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  61. I think I'm coming around to others points of view on the final C/S encounter at the party.

    I think their intention at that point in the episode was to shift gears from being a very dramatic episode to being festive and light. With a show like Chuck, which treads the lines between drama and comedy, sometimes those transitions can be rocky. This was a case of that.

    They needed to switch out of drama mode into Christmas mode very quickly. Sometimes you need a seatbelt for those transitions.

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  62. Casey and Alex still managed to have a heartfelt moment at that party. Which reminds me, that I am really enjoying what they are doing with Casey´s character this season. He changed so much and it still feels very natural.

    I think they could have made Chuck and Sarah´s conversation a little more emotional and less light and not ruin the Christmas party spirit. It would just have to be slightly different in tone. Chuck and Ellie´s conversation was also pitch perfect and quite laden with emotions with them talking about missing their father and that there mother is still not around.

    There is not much use in lamenting that, as this is how they choose to play it, but it felt lacking to me, especially because there was no other scene to balance it.

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  63. Awelle, I'll agree Casey seems much better this season. Last season he often seemed like an unnecessary afterthought. He may not always be right in the center of the main arc in the way C/S always are, but it feels like he's hitting pretty consistent notes of being involved and having character development this season.

    I'll agree with you too on the C/S scene. I think it just stuck out more after coming alongside other scenes at that party that hit perfect emotional chords.

    Cor

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  64. I didn't like the episode!!
    Chuck is always in second place
    Altough all fight scene, no bruise in chuck face???
    The writers packed a lot of case in this episode!!
    When will somebody worry about Chuck??
    Casey got shot again again again.... no surprise!!
    This week was about sarah next week will be about sarah...
    Chuck and ellie scene is more emotional
    but there is no emotion in chuck and sarah scene again....

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  65. I should refresh before I post the comments.

    It may be that they wanted to use the Chuck/Sarah scene to change the tone. And Chuck regifting Sarah with the bracelet was nice.

    I just think it was a poor decision to choose their scene for changing the tone. All the other conversations were heavier. Sarah really had the most stressful experience, so Chuck changing the tone like that felt jarring and out of place.

    Casey is really used almost perfectly this season. He also didn´t jump at the chance to get back to working for the government, although he has been shown to clearly miss it. And they develop him very consistently. I even liked that he spoke up about Morgan to Alex, because it felt like a natural conclusion to Morgan helping break him out of prison. His dedication about saving Sarah was also a nice way to showcase how deeply he now cares for these people.

    It´s almost unbelievable that this feels so natural, when remembering how Casey was portrayed in early season 1, but it doesn´t ring even slightly false to me. I am glad they manage to use the character so much better than last season and I am really looking forward to what is coming for him.

    esozcanesk, how is Chuck in second place? He hold his own really really well against Shaw without any intersects involved. And he completely outsmarted him by slipping him the virus.

    And while Shaw might have wanted revenge on Sarah the most, Ellie and Chuck have ample reason to hate Shaw on their own. And they referenced that very heavily.

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  66. Great episode. As I just said on the podcast that I recorded with Wendy, there are some dumb logic things, and unlike some of you, I thought the Casey thing was just too par for the course, but otherwise I loved it.

    I don't even know what problem anyone could have with the tone change... not like this show doesn't do that all the time. I didn't even notice it until someone mentioned it. Then I went back... still didn't notice what problem you guys are having with it.

    In the end, it doesn't really matter since I loved it and I am the only one who matters. :o)

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  67. I enjoyed the episode very much. I will reserve judgement on the baby until next week, since I don't think that Sarah would ever keep something like this from Chuck. Besides, think logically (invoking another NBC series that ended prematurely), if Shaw and Walker (who were involved prior to her meeting Chuck) did have a baby, it wouldn't be a baby anymore, now would it? So, it's obviously not hers.

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  68. Magnus, the C/S scene is probably my (and others') equivalent to your thinking the Casey thing was a bit too pat--a minor nit to pick, doesn't wreck the episode for me by any means because I loved it.

    Cor

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  69. last week chuck torture scene was ridiculous but sarah torture scene was convincing...
    I don't like sarah as a chracter but I am upset about her.
    It shouldn't be treated like that to anyone especially to a lady

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  70. I am really curious, if they will mention a reason why Sarah seemed to have grown up mostly with her dad and at one time used to live with her grandmother.

    Sarah herself obviously trusts her mother to take care of a child and she has been described as very maternal. So I wonder why she doesn´t seem to have raised Sarah or if this will even be brought up.

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  71. This was a very good episode. Shaw hunting Sarah in Castle was the most suspenseful scene of the series.

    I loved how they used Jeff and Lester in this episode. They have been very funny all season.

    I have two thoughts about the teaser. First that is not Sarah's baby. Why would she have a baby that ends up in Hungary? Second the clip of Sarah shooting two machine guns with a baby in a frontpack was one of the silliest things I've ever seen. It struck me has hilarious.

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  72. That promo is brilliant. It's going to fuel conversation for a week. I see the split opinions of the fans already.

    I had a re-watch. Between the showdown and the party, there was the meeting where Chuck was holding Sarah as she recovered from her trauma wrapped in a blanket and Ellie was tending to
    Casey. I didn't sense the discomfort of the tonal change between that and the party.

    I think this may be another case of fans wanting to see some intense interaction between Chuck and Sarah and they aren't getting it.

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  73. For once, NBC manages a promo that doesn't give everything away. Nice job.

    I love that people are going insane already thinking Sarah has a baby.

    Cor

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  74. Why is it crazy to want characters on what is supposedly a character driven show to have a genuine conversation or exchange after a traumatic event? To want a little follow through when asked too invest in the story being told?

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  75. Merry Xmas to everyone. :)
    The episode, 97 out of 100. Damn what an episode. And the baby is Sarah's end of the story LOL.

    now seriously, this is exactly what I always say, and that is why I'm kind of sad sometimes whit this show. You don't need to make idiot your main carachter , you only need him a challange a great Enemy. No need love drama, WT/WtT shit things liek that only THIS. man , Zac was awesome, Chuck was awesome in this one, why can't be always be like that ? :)

    But I'm in a Xmas mode so, only positiv :) Good episode, top 10.
    and I can't wait for the podcast :)

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  76. Why did I have to record an hourlong podcast tonight that needs to be edited? WHY?!?!

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  77. Sue, people had genuine conversations. You are harping on ONE TINY LITTLE THING.

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  78. I'm sensing this upcoming baby storyline will be pretty similar to one Criminal Minds used to explain Paget Brewster's departure last season , and subsequent return this season .

    The episode tonight was pretty good . Wasn't very original though , felt like a rehash of vs Santa Claus and Ring 2 . Watching Sarah get pwned was kinda funny/uncomfortable to watch . She takes a beating like that and 5 hours later she looks flawless at tbe party ? Yet Shaw takes a few licks from Chuck and he looks like he went 2 rounds with Tyson 20 years ago when Sarah meets with him in jail ?

    This show is so ridiculous sometimes . I LOVE IT !!

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  79. I think it has to fit seamlessly into the show, though.

    If this weren't an episode that was framed in the beginning as a Christmas episode. It had to end with a Christmas theme.

    Clearly, within a 43-minute format, they only had so many minutes to devote to Chuck and Sarah's conversation. But, that conversation was just a set-up for leading into Beckman telling Sarah about Shaw.

    And then the cliffhanger.

    The only way they would have done a Chuck and Sarah scene just was to skip the cliffhanger.

    But, the cliffhanger is now one of the most talked about thing.

    It's TV storytelling.

    When this episode was conceived, they thought they had a longer wait to the next episode.

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  80. Because it's not like Sarah or Chuck were kidnapped before this all happened and they probably just want to move on past the whole "Shaw" thing.. right? God forbid. We've gotta have them cry into each other's arms, declare how much they love each other, make out passionately, and then talk about having kids.

    /eyeroll

    and if I see 'the episode was like bad fanfiction' one more time.. Just ugh. Magnus, shoot me please.

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  81. "
    Why did I have to record an hourlong podcast tonight that needs to be edited? WHY?!?! "


    The real question is WHY you bothering to edit? XD

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  82. The baby is obviously Sarah and Shaw's! She didn't want to ruin her body, so she had her mom be the surrogate. Duh!

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  83. Plus, if you do that kind of scene NOW, it won't mean as much later.

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  84. Holy cow there's a lot more dislike for the episode tonight than I figured there would be. I guess most Chuck fans just want to Chuck out on ample Chuck/Sarah scenes or something?

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  85. "Yet Shaw takes a few licks from Chuck and he looks like he went 2 rounds with Tyson 20 years ago when Sarah meets with him in jail ?"

    That was probably all Ellie´s doing. ;)

    I never said, that my dislike of the tone in the last Chuck/Sarah conversation was episode defining. It was a really good ep. I just didn´t like the tone there, especially in contrast with the other emotional one on one situations, which I thought were pitch perfect in tone. Even the Jeff/Lester scene was quite moving and fit well.

    And I really liked everything with Casey. Just because your opinion is the only one that counts, doesn´t mean we all have to share it. I am good with my not counting opinion. :P

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  86. First of all, I'm not trying to "harp" on anything this is a problem the show has when it goes dramatic, at least for me. It is what it is. You don't mind it so its a tiny thing to you.

    Second they didn't need to devote anymore time to the Chuck and Sarah exchange than they were given just make it feel less artificial. Because it did feel that way to me.

    With that I officially drop the subject. We'll just agree to disagree.

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  87. I have to edit the podcast because I said some things I shouldn't have said... so I have to listen to the whole thing to find that and then edit it out.

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  88. Just watched it.

    Best. Episode. Ever.

    Two things:

    1. I now want a Mr. Pippers for Christmas.
    2. "...fish have sex in it."

    Jim

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  89. Awesome Episode i mean CS almost die every episode so is it really necessary to have an epic moment between them?

    After watching the promo. i hope next weeks episode is good cause i'm not really feeling this baby storyline. Even if it's not her child it still effects traits of sarah's character that the writers could potentially ignore. for example. why would she freak out about having children last season if she was already hooked to one before?

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  90. You know we live in a world we need to have everything NOW, NOW, NOW. Patience is a virtue? Not anymore. ;)

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  91. After rewatching that promo, I don´t really believe that baby might be Sarah´s anymore, but keeping it save definitely seemed very important to her. And she was willing to sacrifice any contact with her mother to achieve that. Love reading all the theories about that. So far I think the baby being a leftover from a mission gone wrong sounds the most convincing.

    If this was any other of Yvonne´s projects, it definitely would be her baby, though. And the father would be some old guy. Probably Chuck´s dad. :D

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  92. I'm thinking the baby is going to end up being something like the Bourne Identity (watchable movie version, not unreadable book version) scenario, only extrapolated a bit. Sarah gets sent in to kill someone, finds a baby, hesitates and takes the baby with her when the target gets killed anyway. The CIA wants all loose ends tied, so she leaves the baby with her mom and cuts off all ties. She can't tell anyone, including Chuck, because (1) it jeopardizes the baby and (2) it jeopardizes anyone who knows.

    Jim

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  93. has anyone ever seen shoot em up with clive owen? i think its the same kind of deal with this baby. the baby was at the wrong place at the wrong time and must be eliminated.

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  94. Podcast has been uploaded. Will be posted soon.

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  95. Someone just brought up the word 'divorce'... shoot me now!

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  96. Just a question you may know the answer to. Have they taken down the sets at Warner Bros? Just living in hope that if they haven't taken down the sets at Warner Bros then its still possible for mor episodes to be ordered.
    Thanks

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  97. Sets are down. Sorry. :(

    Jennifer

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  98. Thanks Jennifer,

    Is there any hope with NBC's other shows tanking that they will order anymore episodes?

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  99. And here you thought the bracelet would ever be mentioned again... :)
    but to be fair.. I didn't think it would be either...
    was a real nice touch though...

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  100. Chapman... it is over. The show is done. There is no chance. Not even the tiniest.

    IT
    IS
    OVER

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  101. Thanks for breaking it to me softly, Razorback,
    Also I was the one who donated 1 million of the 12 million donated so far this month.

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  102. Thank you, Chapman, for the donation.

    It's why I broke it so gently.

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  103. "Someone just brought up the word 'divorce'... shoot me now!"

    What? Based on that completely context free baby promo or something else? Because if it's the former, I would just dismiss this "someone" as an overly dramatic moron.

    On the other hand, I'm fully expecting some big twisty foolishness in episode 12, that will be fully resolved before the end of episode 13.

    Jim

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  104. OMG SARAH HAS A SECRET BABY!!!!! This show is so over for me now!!!!!!!1111 I'm gonna quit!!!!!!!!!!!!!11111

    Btw, I could't help but think of the BSG reference in the promo...the set up where Sarah shoots the guns on the stairs... it kinda remembers me of the dream they had of Hera...

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  105. After such a good buzz for this week's episode, what are the expectations for next week episode, will it be one of the best?

    Thanks for your work over the past few years.

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  106. @Jim

    Yeah, based on secrets being kept, etc. Made me shake my head. :(

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  107. One thing is sure, no dingo is going to eat Sarah's baby!

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  108. were there any woman in writers room????
    Season 1-2-3 was more emotional but season 4-5 are written by men It's obvius!!!

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  109. I was curious to find out who was throwing around the "bad fan fiction" line on twitter and it was the usual suspects. Absolutely not surprised. And it wasn't about this episode specifically but the implications of what they thing "the baby" means.

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  110. "were there any woman in writers room????"

    The episode was written by a woman and there are more women writers in the CHUCK writers room this season than any other.

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  111. Actually the reaction wasn't all that bad. I checked some more shipper heavy blogs/forums and even there I didn't see much overreaction. Actually the most negative reaction got the fact that as usual with Shaw, Sarah was reduced to damsel in distress.

    Also about the whole baby thing, like 95% of comments are that it's not Sarah's baby, but most likely a baby that she found during the mission. Maybe Sarah assasinated the pair of enemy spies, but than found out the were a pair and had a baby, so she took care of it. And she hid the baby at her mother place, so Tim DeKay character don't get it (for whatever mean purpose he intended to use it).

    Siemon

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  112. I don't believe you, Siemon.

    No way in hell are 95% of the comments "it's not Sarah's baby." Plus, you are a crazy shipper so your idea of an "overreaction" is the same as normal human beings. ;)

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  113. I'm not crazy shipper, since I loved Final Exam episode. But I'm big Sarah fan, so my view of the episode is a bit colored by how involved she is in an episode.

    Siemon

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  114. tw0073 said:

    from what i've seen its not 95% probably about 75-80% say it's not hers. one site even has a poll and there only 19.24% say it's hers. that's out of almost 900 votes.

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  115. Anyone notice Sarah holding Chucks hand when they were talking at the end?

    So to the 15 years olds who post crap here and are crazy shipper trolls.....that is called intimacy. It is the suttle things along with the glancing looks and genuine smiles that means a relationship in real life is more than heavy makeout sessions and rubbing up against each other....no wonder the divorce rate is 50%....sad, sad, sad.

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  116. Another scenario that I thought about. This is the child of this Ryker guy (Tim DeKay), but the mother run away from him. Sarah was sent after her, but after she took care of the mother, she realised that it would be a mistake to return the child back to her father, since he is not a good guy. So she protects the child and gives to hermother for protection.

    A bit like Mass Effect 2 Miranda scenario.

    Siemon

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  117. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  118. Fedak said that this episode will be fan favorite Sarah centric episode...in what universe he would claim that if he intended to give her a secret child.

    Siemon

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  119. I do not know how it is going to work. I mean she has been in Chuck's life for 5 years. She was with Bryce for 2 years(?) before that and then the CAT squad before that. So I do not know where logically in between she had the time to have a baby without anyone in her life knowing it.

    It would make some sense that there would be a mission where they baby was an innocent bystander to a bunch of evil people and Sarah stole him/her to protect them. But then again this is Chuck, lol, when has plot holes never not existed. I wonder if Fedak actually remembers the stories he has laid out for his characters. For example I am sure Chuck said his mom left when he was 8 years old and yet there is a flashback to 1991 when he was 10 and she was reading a bed time story.

    I love these characters...the plot? whatever!

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  120. I liked this episode,this was an entertaining story with a good pace that managed to move the storyline forward in a exciting way

    - honestly i didn't liked Brandon Routh as a villain or as Sarah's lover in season3 but this time he was good and he brought back some much needed intensity and drama

    - Gen Beckman was fantastic this episode and her kissing Chuck was so so so good : )

    - i loved the Buy More plot,every time the store is full of clients something hilarious happens

    - While i can understand why people complain about the Chuck/Sarah scenes i am actually happy with how they handled them now
    When you have other duos who can give more depth and meaning to the episode why waste the screen time on a couple that lacks spark and emotional charge(Before shippers jump me please name one "Great" Chuck/Sarah scene from season5)

    - I loved seeing Papa Casey with the toy bear,his relationship with Alex might be a little unusual but you can tell how much she means to him

    - For the first time they tried to give an explanation for Chuck's evolved fighting abilities "I've been working out" : ) while its not exactly great at least its something

    - Last but definitely not least Ellie/Chuck,they are so great and their scenes have so much depth and meaning this season i hope the remaining episodes will have more of those two having their brother sister conversations



    With all that being said Happy Holidays everyone!

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  121. In Chris Fedak's defense the show so far hasn't really had major continuity or timeline errors.

    They've had some smaller one's where the years don't match up exactly to what was stated previously but it's not been that bad.

    There's a million other shows that have done much worse.

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  122. When you have other duos who can give more depth and meaning to the episode why waste the screen time on a couple that lacks spark and emotional charge(Before shippers jump me please name one "Great" Chuck/Sarah scene from season5)

    IMO Chuck and Sarah dont lack spark or emotional charge, they aren't given the material lately so how can we blame the characters for that? When given the right material they have all that and more and Yvonne/Zach act it great.

    But I am still waiting for a great emotional CS scene. Maybe next episode? But I'm not getting mu hopes up from here on out anymore for CS. Even the finale. Doubt they'll be any great emotional final CS scene there either especially if as Razorback said the finale is structured much like this ep.

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  123. I didn't say it is structured EXACTLY like this episode. There will of course be very emotional beats for virtually everyone.

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  124. I was thinking if what happened to sarah had happened to chuck that would be awesome and epic!!!
    Because chuck never get shot! Sarah's, Casey's, Ellie's life were in danger and they were taken to the hospital. But chuck wasn't ...He is like a cartoon chracter
    it wasn't a real torture in last week's episode!!
    I hope final episode chuck's life will be in real danger (phase three was a dreamy episode) and we get that he is a human!!
    But it's too late to tell this because final episode has already filmed

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  125. Whatever happens in the end....thank you Chris Fedak and Josh Schwartz. Thank you for giveing us this wonderful series and thank you for breaking the BS moonlighting curse and actually giving something that was both unique and wonderful and hopefully changes the way the industry works (I doubt it, but thank you nevertheless). I know that some people do not respect the lengths you have gone to tell a unique story on network television...but there are a lot of fans that do...including yours truely.

    Thank you.

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  126. Oh and thank you Zachary Levi for being hot and also charming and charismatic and sweet and funny and just having that aura and presence that made every female character on Chuck love the heck out of you. Thank you for being able to create a character that just made me love you so much! Thank you.

    Thank you Yvonne Strahovski for being hot and being pretty and selling the hell out of Sarah being able to love Chuck the way we do! Thank you for everytime Sarah said or did something we all wish we could do if we knew Chuck and giving him hugs I wish I could give.

    Thank you Sarah Lancaster for being beautiful and kind and playing a brilliant sister to Chuck and for just having great sisterly chemistry and being the sister I have.

    Thank you Ryan McPartlan for being Hot.

    Thank you Adam Baldwin for being awesome and hot and awesome again!

    Thank you all and have a Merry Christmas!

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  127. Just want to say that I believe the writers made a huge mistake this episode. They had two options
    1. Have Chuck download the intersect 3.0 and defeat Shaw with it.
    2. Have Chuck defeat shaw without the use of the intersect, thus proving that he has advanced as a spy and doesnt need the intersect anymore.

    Instead of using either acceptable ending they again show that Chuck can't get the job done, and needs a girl to finish the job for him. Just give him the intersect back already, I'm tired of watching him fail!!!!

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  128. There's always at least one douche in the bunch. :)

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  129. AGREED! :)

    Dude (anonymous) do you watch chuck? It is about the power of the collective family. Chuck, Sarah, casey, ellie, awesome, etc....they are family! Their power has and always be sticking together helping each other. Remember lost? Live together or die alone.

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  130. i think it was a good episode for the season 5...
    But i would prefer more actions and more SHAW!!! He is an Awesome vilain!!! I hate him soo much!!

    In the 5x08, i think it's not sarah 's baby because it will make no sense.,.in the season 4 (4x02) she's freaking out about having baby!! SOO, i think it's just a bay that she saved during a mission or something...

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  131. In my opinion, I think the season 5 is the worst.. i'm sorry but the two last season of chuck were quite bad.
    The best season is the season 3 becuase there is a really vilain!!

    What do you think??

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  132. I love season 3. It is my favorite.

    I think season 5 is really good, actually. Season 4 is the worst. Only really good thing about season 4 is Volkoff. Well, and season 4 is very upbeat and funny at times. But story wise, it is the weakest. Season 5 poops all over season 4.

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  133. Yeah season 4 was all chuck and Sarah loveliness and sweetness....the stakes were not high or did not feel high. But Even the worst of chuck I love.

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  134. Great episode! A lot of what I thought was said above and on the podcast (late commenting due to the holiday). I could gripe about certain things but to me this is one of those episodes where the overall experience makes up for certain dings or flaws. I noticed people above harping on the odd feel of the last scene but it didn't bother me that much because there were other details that made up for it. To me the more impactful scene in that sense was Chuck's reaction earlier after his first call with Shaw- the look on his face was unbelievable, or his using a signature Sarah move to beat down on Shaw. Also, I liked that there was a balance to the fact that Sarah was "in peril" but it didn't come off feeling too "damsel in distress" and out of character for her.

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  135. AMAZING epi!! The good was so good I didn't care for the 'plot holes' of the week. Chris Fedak, THANKS.

    S.

    P.S. Season 3 is my fav season too, but this final season, and despite the lower budget is turning out good! :) Love this show.

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  136. Been too busy with holidays to respond but here goes.

    Hey Gina, the show is about Chuck. Plain and simple. To be more specific it was about Chuck with the intersect. Always has been. If you're reading anymore into it then you are a complete DUM A$$. Yes i misspelled it but have to get around censors.

    As for Razorback, the only douche on this site is you. You block anyone that disagrees with you and populate this site with cronies that constantly lick your sack. Yeah, you'll probably laugh it off and make fun of me, but its the truth and you know it. I'm sure you'll ban my ip address but thats what free wifi hookups are for. So yes you were right there is a douche in the bunch and that douche is you :)

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  137. I would absolutely love to see Chuck in a dangerous and deadly situation for once. Too often now we have seen the other characters in great peril and in need of saving, but I think it is about time now that the show's main character and hero ends up in a situation in which the possibility of him surviving is extremely low. Such a situation in which the fate of the beloved Chuck is hanging on a thread would add more intensity to the show. I love Chuck regardless, but I am eager to see if he will find himself in a dangerous situation in the remaining episodes of the series. I will truly miss this show, and everything that makes it so loved and unique, from the characters to the humour.

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  138. "So yes you were right there is a douche in the bunch and that douche is you"

    Nah, I'm cool. My mommy says so. And I don't block people who disagree with me. That's a ridiculous statement to make. There are tons of people who disagree with me who post here all the time. I block people I don't like, for my own reasons. Mind you, I have NEVER permanently blocked anyone. I just give them time to cool down.

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No flaming, baiting, trolling, expletives, or racism allowed. And NO DISCUSSIONS of the actor's personal lives ever.