Chuck Season 2

Well, it's time for the continuation of Chuck reviews. Especially since Season 3 starts TONIGHT. The tagline for the new season is "No More Mr. Nice Spy"... and I'm beyond excited. No series on TV's return could bring such a fanboyish reaction as that of Chuck. Well, except for Firefly, but that's not gonna happen. Except in my dreams.

Chuck is still trying to get used to life as a human Intersect. He's being used more and more on missions, and the stakes, they just keep a-raising for everybody's favorite member of the Nerd Herd. To be perfectly honest, Chuck just wants his old life back. He wouldn't cry if Sarah was included with his "old life," but even if not, he wants to be able to live his life to its fullest. Not that anyone can blame him. He's full of potential, and the Buy More isn't exactly the best place for people with potential.

And he finds a way to get that old life back. It turns out the government is building a brand new Intersect computer 2.0, and once it's finished, Chuck can finally put all of the spying and danger behind him. Downright appealing for someone who has a wealth of options before him. There's just one catch, but it's a doozy: when the new Intersect is operational, the old Intersect must be... neutralized. In other words, no matter what happens, Chuck will probably die.

Not so fun after all.

This show has quite simply taken off. Season 1 was great, some of the best stuff on television at the time, but Season 2 outdoes its predecessor with even more humor, explosions, and dramatic reveals. The full-length season allows the show to delve deeper into the mythology of Chuck's world. Without getting too deep in the explanation, some of this involves Chuck's dad, a Dark Intersect, a major secret (or 27) about Fulcrum, Sarah's past, Chuck's ex, Chuck's past, the creator of the Intersect, and an even more impressive and dangerous upgrade to the Intersect. Yeah, this season has a lot to offer, even more so than the outstanding Season 1.

Perhaps the biggest draw to this series is the characters, and the writers and actors don't let us down here. Chuck and Sarah's relationship grows both more complicated and deep, and his family and friends provide a great foundation of semi-normalcy for the show to always fall back upon. Yes there are a few missteps, one involving a less-than-excellent episode about Casey's past, but they are, as I said, few. Big things happen more and more often as we get to the end of the season, and the finale presents us with an interesting change of direction that should provide for some new freshness in Season 3.

Some favorite episodes of mine:

Chuck vs. the Cougars: Nicole Ritchie guest stars in an episode where Sarah goes back to her high school reunion... much to Chuck's amusement.

Chuck vs, the Fat Lady: Chuck's ex, Jill, and the opera. What more could you ask for? How about one of the funniest moments from Casey in the show's history?

Chuck vs. the DeLorean: Chuck encounters a con man with his eyes set on something huge. Oh, and he's Sarah's dad. That's kinda important too.

Chuck vs. Santa Claus: Christmas at the Buy More, complete with a car chase that ends up in the store and Morgan in an elf costume.

Chuck vs. the Colonel: Chuck and Sarah run away, Fulcrum gets closer than ever to their goal of having an army of Intersects, and Casey gets promoted. Don't miss the midnight showing of Tron.

Chuck vs. the Ring: A shocker of a season finale. Ellie and Devon have an Awesome wedding, people leave their jobs, and Chuck knows kung-fu. A true game changer.

It's absolutely great, and that's the simple truth. Every episode, even the one I mentioned earlier as being my least favorite, has moments of greatness, and it's obvious everyone involved loves their jobs. It's a fantastic viewing experience that I'd recommend to anyone.

My rating: 10/10

Coming Soon: Burn and Last Argument of Kings