Chuck Vs The Cubic Z

Chuck Vs The Ducts – has a ring to it!

Photo by: Greg Gayne/NBC

  This Monday’s episode of Chuck had some themed stunt casting. Not only did we have the return of ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin as Hugo Panzer (S3: Chuck Vs First Class), but we also had another former WWE star in the shapely form of Stacy Keibler as this weeks Greta.

 And if that wasn't enough, Nicole Richie returned as Heather Chandler (S2: Chuck Vs The Cougars) in a story where there were twists of loyalty and some observations that hit close to home.

 With a transfer that was apparently arranged by the mysterious Volkoff, Heather found herself in the same transport as former Ring assassin Hugo Panzer. Presumably the breakdown was arranged, but whether the rerouting to Castle was or not, we shall probably never know.

 Another thing glossed over was how Panzer was able to escape his cell using a rolled up newspaper. Sure, you can kill a person using a rolled up newspaper (although I won’t tell you how) but I doubt it’s possible to get out of a bulletproof detention cell using one. Suspension of disbelief is the key phrase in this situation.

 It seems that crawling through ventilation ducts, a rather expansive labyrinth of them at that, is a learning, growing experience; it certainly was for Sarah. She realised how far she had come since she last encountered Heather, despite her former high school nemesis still being able to get under her skin.

 The spy side of this episode worked better for me than the Buy More side. While the script was generally quite tight, there were few laughs to be had. Perhaps it’s simply a case of new writer Nicholas Wootton not being sure how that world works. Aside from the odd moment, Jeff and Lester lacked that Jeffster spirit; do they help tackle a problem head on to try and stop a riot? No, they’d run and hide as soon as things started looking ugly.

 As to the riot in the Buy More, where were the CIA/NSA staff? They seem to have dropped off the radar except for Greta - and if you look closely, background artists. The undercover agents would have been able to sort out an unruly mob. I suppose it was one way to allow Big Mike to revisit his glory from Chuck Vs The Gravitron and bag him his second single-handed takedown of a stories villain.

 Does it confuse/bug anyone else that if the whole idea of the Buy More is as a cover for a CIA/NSA substation why does it only appear to be staffed by the Buy Morons?

 I enjoyed the fight scenes in this episode, with both Sarah and Chuck having to face off against their old nemeses in the same area but in radically different ways. Then there was the ‘cage match’ between Chuck and Panzer, although I can’t say I found it entirely convincing that a man like Panzer would have just left Chuck in the Cage.

 Then we had the rooftop gunfight where Sarah decided to let Heather help fight off Volkoff’s men. It showed that she was willing to take that risk in order that she and Chuck could get information about his mother and her relationship to Volkoff, which seems to be pointing in the direction that she is more connected to him than just having been captured by him.
 Poor Casey though, shot again! As Sarah pointed out, that's another Purple Heart for him, but let's hope they don't make up the majority of his collection!

 The final scene, which we were informed of every time it cut back to the ring falling through the air ducts, was played beautifully. Rather than it being some kind of sitcom moment in which the characters are in an awkward stunned silence, it was more a realisation by both Chuck and Sarah that this could be a sign. “Call it Fate, call it Luck, call it Karma” to quote Peter Venkman from Ghostbusters.

  As always, I recommend checking out the latest ChuckYouTuesday podcast – just click the link to the Chuckgasmic blog in the side bar, but please remember, it contains strong language.

 Next week: Chuck Vs The Coup d'Etat, which features the return of Armand Assante as Allejandro Goya and Mekenna Melvin as Casey’s daughter Alex.