What an episode! Chuck Versus The Final Exam definitely makes the grade as far as I’m concerned.
A mission in two parts to determine Chuck’s future, this episode continues the theme that was brought to the forefront in Versus The Tic Tac; sacrifice. Unbeknownst to our hero, the intelligence gathering stakeout is just part of the test. The final exam of the title is to do what is necessary in the spy line of work. Can he kill to protect the country?
Chuck was presented with his own Kobayashi Maru scenario. Kill Perry, become a spy and lose Sarah, or let him live, fail to become a spy and lose Sarah. The problem that was never addressed was that he had a lot more to lose than Sarah if he failed his ‘Red’ test. They couldn’t let him wander around with the Intersect in his head, he would have to be killed, or they could spend ages trying to find Orion again to de-Intersect him, again.
Of course Sarah believes that Chuck passed the test by himself, even though we know he couldn’t intentionally kill someone. For Sarah to see him standing above the body, gun in hand, not only was it Chuck becoming the person she feared he would, there was also a metaphor; ruthless spy Charles Carmichael had killed loveable nerd Chuck Bartowski.
Throughout the episode we had callbacks to earlier in the series, most notably to Versus The Sizzling Shrimp, their very first stakeout. Not only do these remind us how far Chuck has come from his car-bound days, but they also remind Sarah of the Chuck she first met, and how, ever since Prague, he has been slipping away from her.
Her guilt is obvious; she looks uncomfortable in his company at times, especially after being reminded of the nerd she fell for and realizing who she has helped him become. She is ill at ease because she knows that she is the reason he’s doing all of this. “I wouldn’t be here right now if it wasn’t for you,” he says at one point, hammering it home to her. She’s following orders despite it being against everything she wants. During the discussion with Shaw before meeting at the train station it looked like she was going to tell him to go to hell. I know a number of people would have liked that!
We shouldn’t forget the lighter side; we had some great comedy moments as well. Chuck on the side of the hotel sans towel; that seemed to be quite a hit with some fans!
Buy More got a look in, Casey adapting, or not, to civilian life. Now that his job is working at the Buy More, all that aggression normally channelled into beating up bad guys was, well, channelled into knocking heads, Jeff and Lester’s to be exact.
Big Mike had some good lines; “Are you strong enough to bend like the reed and not snap like the Kit-Kat?”
His philosophy that to get your head right, you gotta get your threads right seems to work for Casey, for now. A dapper new suit for the temporary Assistant Manager seems to calm his temper, but how long before he can get back to doing what he loves (and we love) and ‘Unleash The Casey’?
I could be wrong, but did it look like he could almost give Chuck a little hug when he got his ‘present’ – “It was a thoughtful felony.”
But the episode ended on a low note for shippers. Sarah tells Shaw she is no longer in love with Chuck, and Chuck is of to DC to fill out the paperwork and be officially welcomed into spyhood. Fear not, for all will be resolved. I know it, you know it, so lets sit back and enjoy the ride!
Next week, Chuck Versus The American Hero in which Chuck goes to save Shaw, not because he’s told to, but for Sarah. He just wants her to be happy, even if it’s not with him. Sweet, in a sickening kind of way, isn’t it?
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