Last year, my family and I breezed through the first three seasons of Chuck,
the refreshingly funny and wholesome NBC dramedy about an unassuming
computer geek who becomes a spy after having a top-secret government
file downloaded into his brain. At that point we had to stop, since
season four was currently in progress. It took us a while to get back
into a good watching groove with the fourth season on DVD, but it proved
to be thoroughly charming once again.
As someone who spent as much time puzzling over LOST as I did, my dad continues to express admiration for the gradual way the mysteries of Chuck
unfold, always seeming to make sense eventually as more pieces of the
puzzle emerge. In the fourth season, we delve more deeply into the
secrets surrounding Chuck’s family. Despite numerous revelations about
him, particularly in season two, there remains plenty left to discover
about his father, while his mother is the main focus as she returns
after a long sojourn undercover, leaving Chuck – and us – constantly
second-guessing her true loyalties.
As always, Zachary Levi is
wonderful as Chuck Bartowski, though he is not quite as unassuming as
he was in the beginning. Now that Chuck is finally in a relationship
with Sarah Walker (Yvonne Strahovski) and has learned how to exert
proper control over the Intersect that now allows him special abilities
as well as knowledge, he seems more like a regular spy and less like a
hapless everyman whose ingenuity and sweetness gets him out of
precarious situations. There’s less room for creativity as he conquers
the baddies; usually he simply dispatches them with kung fu or a stun
gun, which is efficient but not as funny as some of the outlandish
situations from earlier seasons.
That’s certainly not to say
that there is no humor in the fourth season, but there’s a general
feeling of settling into a routine and maturing. Most of the romantic
tension has dissipated, though some remains as Chuck and Sarah don’t
always see eye to eye on everything. The show finds ways of keeping just
enough conflict going there to make things interesting, even as they
remain one of television’s sweetest and most affirming couples. Chuck’s
best friend Morgan (Joshua Gomez), a bit of a tag-along doofus for much
of the series, really comes into his own here, both in his management
skills at the Buy More and the unique skill set he implements as a part
of Chuck’s spy team.
Big changes loom for everyone as Chuck
and Sarah contemplate marriage, Chuck’s devoted sister Ellie (Sarah
Lancaster) and golden boy brother-in-law Devon (Ryan McPartlin) prepare
to welcome a new addition and less-surly-than-before assassin John Casey
(Adam Baldwin) adjusts to fatherhood after getting to know his
sweet-natured daughter Alex (Mekenna Melvin), who may just be the woman
of Morgan’s dreams. This lends the season a somewhat somber tone, though
it still feels cheerful more often than not.
Just as Quantum Leap and Enterprise
alum Scott Bakula is an inspired choice to play Chuck and Ellie’s
father, Linda Hamilton, whose geek cred includes starring in the Terminator movies and the Beauty and the Beast
television series, seems perfect for the maternal role in this pop
culture-heavy show. Former James Bond Timothy Dalton also has a key role
to play as Alexei Volkoff, one of the series’ most intriguing villains,
particularly in the way he relates to the Bartowski clan. His storyline
throughout the season takes a number of twists and turns, but I found
myself very satisfied with where it ends up.
As in the past, this season is littered with geeky references, with Star Wars
seeming most prominent in my mind, both in a thematic sense and as a
symbol for the extended childhood from which Chuck and Morgan are slowly
detaching themselves. One scene involving some long-held memorabilia is
particularly heartbreaking, even as it paves the way for an
entertaining new living arrangement for Morgan. This season seems to be
about growing up in a sense, which is never easy and is particularly
painful for the audience because it signals a move into the last act of
the series. Nonetheless, these are still the same great characters, so
even as they change a bit, their appeal does not. We're stretching out
that last season as long as we can; it will be a great shame to see them
go.
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