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“The Return of the Ex...” [Chuck] |
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Wednesday, 19 November 2008 |
By Frederic Germay
 All viewers well versed in Chuck’s world vividly recall Chuck’s incapacitating inability to get over Jill during the beginning of the first season. Fortunately, Sarah came along and swept Chuck off his feet. Most the first season continued in rather twisted tango of ‘will they, won’t they,’ yet this sweet couple seemed destined not to be, despite being absolutely perfect for each other. However, in perfect “Chuck” irony, Jill comes back into the picture and for once it isn’t poor Chuck longing for Jill, but instead Sarah is the one on the sidelines.
I actually enjoy this reversed situation more than the pining of Chuck. Sure, Chuck does seem to have Sarah’s heart (even though he doesn’t really know it), and much of the show’s magic lies in this love story, but it feels almost like the ‘Chuck attempting to woo and charm Sarah’ storyline is becoming slightly tired. This forbidden love angle gets a little frustrating for avid supporters of the couple. So it is quite refreshing to see the tables turned, and Sarah adopts the approach of stepping aside and letting Chuck and Jill have their happy moments. I will admit that she is a wayyy more decent person than I am.
Nevertheless, I just don’t like Jill. Certainly, she has redeemed herself slightly from the previous episode, but Chuck/Jill lack a certain intense chemistry that worked much better with Sarah. Being a diehard fan of Chuck finally getting back together with Sarah, I’m convinced that Jill is evil. Given the way she smiled during some specific scenes, it made me feel that something was a little bit off… Either that or Jill simply has a sinister smile.
One of the funniest moments during the episode had be the misdialed call from Chuck to Jill while he was in the ventilation system. What really shocked me was that Jill bought Chuck’s explanation for everything so easily… If I was in Jill’s position, I would need a more thorough, concrete defense from Chuck. Finally, concerning the topic of hilarity, who knew that Casey was a choirboy? I guess he wasn’t hatched… (Kudos to the writers for cuing up that golden moment!)
Ultimately, this was a good episode. Considering “Chuck” as a whole, there have been very few unsatisfactory apples. This speaks for the writers’ strong creative ability to reinvent the show when necessary, and to capitalize on key plot developments. “Chuck” has remained one of the most consistently entertaining series on television, definitely securing a ‘must-see’ status on my Monday nights. I give this episode a 9/10 |
