After an exceptional start to Chuck last week, I’ll admit to some nerves about the second in this season. Would they be able to keep the standard so high? About halfway through Chuck Versus The Suitcase I realised that, while it didn’t quite have the firing on all cylinders panache of the season opener, it wasn’t chopped liver either. In the first third this introduced plenty of angst and whining from both Chuck and Captain Awesome, to the point where I was becoming annoyed with both characters. But then the mission to Milan (the one that looks much like Burbank) unravels, and I was much happier. In this, Chuck and Sarah took on a secret weapon stealing super model, played ironically by Karolina Kurkova. She certainly looks the part, and her fight with Sarah is nicely choreographed, but she’s not exactly a gift to the acting profession. These and a few other bumpy parts made for a rather uneven Chuck, that seemed more about positioning people for later stories than actually progressing the presented narrative. Without question, the highlight for me of this Chuck was undoubtedly the return of Jeffster, with the two of them found down-and-out by Morgan and Casey just a few miles from Burbank. The reappearance of Jeffster leaves only one person missing at the BuyMore, Big Mike. That’s the second time Mark Christopher Lawrence (Big Mike) has been credited on this show without actually appearing, so I’m really hoping that he’s back soon. Overall, this didn’t progress the Chuck’s mom subplot, but it was entertaining in places, and they managed to pack a substantial amount of content into the running time. My wish list for next week is for them to put the geek references back, because this one was almost entirely devoid of them, and for Mark Christopher Lawrence’s waistline to necessitate widescreen viewing. Is it too much to ask? Read our review of the season 4 premiere, Chuck Versus The Anniversary, here.
