Chuck vs. The Broken Heart: A review

12 reasons why this was one of the best eps of Chuck yet.

1. Some critics of the show complain that Chuck’s spy world and his home life are like two separate shows sometimes but this episode did a great job of making those two worlds collide in a major way. Awesome was directly affected by this when Alex shot him with the tranq gun in order to steal the key card from around his neck. (Side note, but since when does the oft shirtless Awesome wear anything around his neck? Turning a blind eye to that one.) He played such a big role in this episode and if what we saw was any indication he’s going to be playing a huge role in the episodes to come. I think it’s pretty safe to assume that he’s going to be the person in Chuck’s life that finds out his secret-spy-life secret. Like Jack on Lost, Awesome is so awesome that he can apparently fight off the effects of tranquilizer darts for a couple of seconds. It’s only a matter of time before Devon remembers those few key things he saw (Chuck) and heard (“CIA”) before he got knocked out. And to top it all off he was this close to bumping into Beckman when she popped up on Chuck’s TV! Great, tense moments.

2. Another tense scene was when Beckman told Sarah she was fired. I love it when shows take the risky route and go places where you don’t think they’d ever go. And I certainly didn’t think Sarah was going to get fired. She got rehired quick enough but the time that lapsed between Sarah being off the mission and her being back on it again were filled with some great moments for her character. One of which was the almost-fight she had with Alex (I would’ve liked to see a full-fledged agent-on-agent fight but beggars can’t be choosers.) The other was her risking her entire career by using her resources to search for Chuck’s dad. I don’t know whether or not to hope to see the consequences of that particular action but it was a testament to how much she cares about Chuck that she actually went through with it.

3. 49B, otherwise known as Agent Alex Forest. Named after Glenn Close’s character in Fatal Attraction I half expected her to boil a bunny, but we got a striptease instead, which was just as entertaining and much less disgusting! Tricia Helfer, who is so good at playing so many different versions of cylon Six on Battlestar Galactica, was perfect as the tough-as-nails secret agent, affecting a cold stare and a clenched jaw, which worked to her advantage at Awesome’s bachelor party. Though she was very by-the-books, the writers did a convincing job of showing us just how that could backfire in terms of protecting Chuck. Alas, Alex was incompetent, but I still hope she comes back as a recurring character (if there’s a season 3), if only so that she can sex up Casey.

4. Gun!sex! I imagine the only reason they didn’t have Casey and Alex hook up in this episode was because they didn’t have enough time to fit it in (and Casey would never break protocol like that.) But can we talk about that gun-cleaning montage? Because those guns may have been getting clean but that scene was so damn dirty. I vote Casey+Alex+Guns= OT3. As Chuck said, Casey and Alex were a match made in a very scary heaven, and I think they’d be great together. Even if Alex is just pretty much a female version of Casey.

5. Speaking of Casey, he may have met his match in the heartless Agent Forest but I don’t think we’ve ever seen a more heartfelt Casey than we did in this episode. He got behind Chuck when the guy was making his case for Beckman, and he stuck up for Sarah, calling her a damn good agent and the best partner he’s ever had. Can we get an aww? Casey’s got a fully-formed heart after all.

6. Beckman’s infiltration of the Chuck/Sarah situation. Firstly: showing Chuck all the footage Casey had given her of them having their heart-to-hearts by the courtyard fountain (and the impossibly gotten footage of Chuck giving Sarah his mom’s bracelet, but we’ll turn a blind eye to that one.) I was shocked to see that she knew about them. And then I was shocked again when it all came out in the open and she bagged Sarah for it. (Can the NSA fire CIA agents? Blind eye!) And then I was shocked when Chuck effectively admitted his feelings for Sarah– with Sarah standing right there!– and Beckman was totally cool with it! Which brings me too...

7. The government is cool with Chuck and Sarah’s relationship! Well, maybe Beckman isn’t officially cool with the idea of Chuck and Sarah getting it on but there’s a pretty damn good chance that she’d (also) turn a blind eye to that particular situation! Whatever the case may be, Chuck and Sarah are finally in the clear and their relationship doesn’t have to be as secret any more. Which means they can almost kiss if they want to.

8. And they totally almost kissed! The moment Sarah touched Chuck’s neck I just about keeled over from the squeeness of it all. Like Ricky Gervais once said about the couple in The Office, since they had to hide their feelings because there were cameras around, a touch between them was like a kiss, and a kiss was like a shag. Replace “cameras” with “government” and the same logic applies to Chuck and Sarah. Now we just have to wait for an actual shagging to occur. :)

9. Devon’s got some compromising pictures with a very hot stripper. And Ellie saw them! I was just about as shocked and saddened and she was!

10. Another Bon Iver song to end the episode! I would just like to thank Chuck’s music producer for picking the perfect music to set the perfect tone for the show. Awesome choice.

11. The exotic female entertainment! Seeing those girls walk in was funny enough but then seeing the men’s faces fall was just the icing on the cake. Even better? Jeff’s sister gave him the discount.

12. And finally, we come to Jeff and Lester. I really don’t think Scott Krinsky and Vik Sahay get enough credit for the work they do here. Would Chuck be the same without the genius of their combined comedic talents? I think not! The lines speak for themselves: “Astronomy snap!” “I’ve been bad, I’m a bad person, I’m a terrible person!” “I broke 8 ½ commandants on the way to work.” And lastly, my absolute favorite: “Ellie! Elizabeth! Eleanor Elton!”


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Chuck vs. The Predator. A review

This week Chuck delved a little deeper into its mythology and we got some pretty big reveals. Firstly: Orion. The nebulous figure that we heard about a few episodes ago finally made himself visible in the Chuck world. Kinda. When he wasn’t dressed as a much-less-creepy Rorschach (minus the headsock), he appeared on Chuck’s computer, binary-style!

Here’s what we know about Orion: he created the intersect, and until he got himself all blown up, he was very much willing to get the intersect out of Chuck’s head. I was surprised they’d bring out Orion this early in the game but it was nice to know, once and for all, that he was on the right side of the battle between the good guys and the bad guys. But I was also pretty surprised that they’d go and kill him in the same episode we met him. We hardly knew ya, Orion.

My theory on the identity of Orion is that we’ve already met him. Now, I don’t have much to go on with this, but why keep his identity a secret if he was just going to get killed anyway? The fact of the matter is that Orion isn’t going to be rising from the dead any time soon, but he’s still a mystery which means he still has to be “solved.” And wouldn’t it be more exciting if when we do see him again it’s with a face we’re already familiar with?

If we have seen Orion before then the real question is, who is he? I won’t even go out on a limb and say Bryce, cuz that would just be too crazy a twist that doesn’t make much sense. But then that leaves me with nary a candidate so I may just be wrong on this theory. We’ll have to wait and see, I guess.

The other big reveal of the night was a flesh-and-blood General Beckman! She finally stepped out from behind her desk and made an appearance in Chuck’s world, and as he noticed, General Beckman is a tiny, tiny person. Props to Bonita Friedericy for looking so fierce (sleek coat, ma’am!) even when being the diminutive one beside giants Yvonne Strahovski and Adam Baldwin. But even in person the General is still her old, frigid self. She doesn’t want the intersect to ever come out of Chuck’s head and she wants him to be a full-fledged spy in the war between the CIA and Fulcrum. I say it’s a bit harsh to make Chuck a spy without giving him any proper training, but I suppose that adds to the drama.

And finally we (kinda) got to see the Fulcrum bigwigs. They were lined up at a table like the Final Five cylons, only instead of glowing white they were left in the shadows. This was our first glimpse at the heads of Fulcrum but we didn’t get much substantial stuff to really figure them out yet. The only verdict I’ve got is: they’re spooky.

Aside from those new aspects, the episode was just ok. Not terrible, but not terribly fantastic either. One of the things that continues to annoy me is Chuck’s lack of trust in Sarah. We’ve seen it time and again in previous episodes and I guess that says something for continuity, but it’s becoming a problem for me if only because of Sarah’s unconditional trust in Chuck. When Chuck saw Sarah-- through the peep cam into Casey’s place-- he was only coming in at the middle of a conversation when he decided that she was so easily willing to betray him. Tut tut, Chuck. Tut tut.


Other notables from the ep:

- Love that they continued with Lester’s kiss-assness by making him an admirer of the Beverly Hills BuyMore crew.

- Jeff’s office. Awesome.

- The mix-up at the BuyMore with the two teams trying to steal the computer wasn’t just hilarious (Sarah’s reaction to Jeff’s revelation about wetting himself? Come on!) but it was a great way of making Chuck’s two worlds collide. And when his normal life comes into contact with his spy life is when the show works best.

- We really didn’t need to see/hear Big Mike and Bologna getting it on. But it was worth it to see the perfectly apt photo of Morgan next to the bed. Niiice.

- Chuck reads “Ex Machina”! They’re packing in the Brian K. Vaughan references, which is always nice.

- And finally, we got a tease of something that’s coming to a head, which is Chuck and Sarah’s connection, and Beckman finally noticing it. By the next episode we’re going to see the consequences of those actions and I can’t wait!


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Skins Finale: All ships have sailed.

A Skins review.

Sadly, series 3 of Skins is over. And while it had a pretty good run (with a few inconsistencies and pacing problems not withstanding) the finale was pretty uneventful when compared to the finales of seasons past. Nobody got hit by a bus, there weren’t any funerals to attend, and there wasn’t even a big cast musical number to sing along too. Ironically enough, series 1 and 2 dealt with death, suicide attempts, debilitating accidents, eating disorders, and crazy stalkers, and yet this series was missing some of the light-hearted fun we got from the first two. But alas, let’s get to what this finale episode was really about: the ships.

Effy and Cook
The last time we saw Cook and Effy things weren’t looking too bright: they were on the run, excommunicated from their group of wizzar chums, and Effy seemed pretty bummed. Cut to episode 10 and Effy and Cook are living the blissfully unshowered party life. Cook/Effy shippers should have been thrilled to see the mini montage that followed their rave scene, replete with bloody kissing, gallant carrying, and walking off into the sunset together.

If you’ll notice, Effy says nary a word in this group of clips– just laughs, kisses, and parties. And it reminded me a lot of the Effy that was introduced to us in episode 1x08. Even her teasing of Cook Senior at the sidelines of the race was reminiscent of the scene where she sat on a bus next to (the very much missed) chatterbox Julie and teased the old man across the aisle.

I know that a lot of die-hard Effy lovers, who have adored her character from the beginning, think that her involvement in the Love Triangle of Doom has diminished her character somewhat, and their argument holds some merit, but alongside Cook, Effy comes closest to the original version we know. She can stay her mysterious, badass self because she’s found her badass partner-in-crime. If you had to imagine Effy with any partner Cook’s a pretty good candidate. (Personally? I always imagined Effy bringing a good old fashion Cowboy home for dinner, but that’s just me.) The type of guy she can throw her arm around, walk through a town with, kick ass and take names. Sid and Nancy with much less destructive violence.

I wonder if there are fans of Effy’s, all the way from circa series 1, that don’t ship Cook/Effy (if they ship her with anyone at all.)

In a recent post I mentioned that Cook and Effy are right for each other right now, but maybe they aren’t. If the clubbing-with-dad scene showed us anything it’s that Cook’s a tad possessive, and Effy, going out to talk to the Straight Edge dude, is still curious about what’s out there, always looking for the next thrill. When Cook finds her outside and tells her there’s nowhere else to go that’s not what she wants to hear. And her kiss with him is more of a sigh of defeat: that she’s settling– for him, for this town, for this life. So no, they’re not right for each other right now. Cook still has work some stuff out, and Effy is in love with someone else. But this episode showed that Cook and Effy can make for a very dynamic couple. Not right now, obviously, thanks to Fun Sponge, but maybe in the future.
It’s too bad because Cook was determined to keep Effy, even assuring his dad that, “No cunt’s taking her from me.”

Unless, of course, that cunt’s got a penchant for skateboarding and furtive masturbation. Which brings us to....

Effy and Freddie
In the only exposition we’re likely to ever get into Effy’s psyche, Anthea reveals that her daughter is scared to death of all the love that’s in her heart. Which is, we know, the reason Effy has run away from Freddie since the beginning. But do I believe that Freddie and Effy love each other? Um, not really. Mostly because they’ve only had a handful of scenes together and 70 percent of those scenes were taken up by lovelorn glances.

Effy finally declared her love for Freddie in a call for help, and when Freddie arrived in the Small Shit Town he was determined to win her heart, literally, by winning a granny race.

But their big scene came after Effy made her choice, once and for all. The staging of the scene perfectly captured what we’ve come to know as the Freddie and Effy dynamic. She, sitting guiltily, and he, standing, effectively looking down at her, and blaming her for making this into a game. And maybe she did screw up the trio but am I really supposed to root for a couple when, out of the handful of scenes they’ve had together, three of them involved Freddie telling Effy that something was her fault?

But no matter! They soon forgot their one-way argument and resigned to having sex. (I think the sex scene, with Effy finally admitting her feelings and Freddie finally getting his girl, would’ve meant more if they hadn’t have already had sex in the woods.)

My question is, are the Effy/Freddie shippers Freddie fans first, who want to see him with the beautiful girl? Or are they Effy fans who want to see her change, and evolve, and drop the “mysterious and fit” persona that JJ’s sick of too. Because if Effy’s expected to be in a relationship with Freddie than she can’t remain the Effy that we’ve known for years (and the kind of Effy that fits so well with Cook.)

Freddie and Cook
Not technically a ship (unless you swing that way), but Freddie and Cook finally sat down, had a heart-to-heart, and sorted out their problems. It went a little something like this:

Cook: I fucking love her.
Freddie: Right, akay mate, but we’ve got these looks that we give each other, see. So.... yeah. True love and all that.

So by the end of the episode the loose ends of the season got tied up, if a little too neatly. The three musketeers were back together again and Effy finally made her choice. It all ended with Freddie’s, “What happens now?”

That’s what I wanna know. If Freddie and Effy have any connection at all it happens when they’re pining for each other. Now that they’re together, what happens next? Does the future look bright for them? Hooking up this early in the game usually doesn’t bode well for most TV couples. But you never know. As Cook says, it’s about the journey.

Either way, it’s funny how both Cook/Effy shippers and Freddie/Effy shippers think series 4 is going to be their year. Can’t wait to see what happens.


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Skins: "Katie and Emily:" A Box of Fannies!

This week’s episode of Skins made me realize some things about Katie and Emily that I didn’t realize before. Emily stood out as one of the most promising characters in the introductory episode where it was pretty hard to stand out amongst a new group of new and appealing characters. She seemed to have a good head on her shoulders and we felt for her for being saddled with an annoying whore of a sister who was far more popular and straight than she could ever be. That being said, Katie stood out as being one of the least interesting and one-dimensional characters in 3x01.

It took nine episodes but I’ve finally come around to liking Katie. Stripped of her garish makeup and leopard print getups, her face spoke volumes about what she was going through. And finally she had something to go through. No more being the better half of a colossal douche, be it a football player or a Fun Sponge. For the first time since she was seven Katie was without a boyfriend. And that might seem like a really vain issue to be so damn sad about, but it’s part of a bigger issue that’s coming to a head with her. Katie’s big issue is a loss of control.

She’s at a total loss without her armor of vanity, holed up in her house, afraid to face the world. Not only did she lose Fun Sponge to Effy, with whom he cheated while Katie was rotting away in the woods somewhere, but she also lost her upper hand in relationships, no longer the one that The Guy wants to get with. And to top it off she’s lost her sister, whom she was apparently very possessive of, to Naomi.

The portrayal of the sisterly relationship was very true-to-life in this episode. Most sisters on TV are absolute BFFs who braid each other’s hair and tell each other everything (I’m looking at you, BSG finale.) But Katie and Emily are certainly not BFFs. They fight, verbally and physically, they hate having to be around each other, they’re complete opposites, but then they have their own language, they ban together when the chips are down, they take exams for each other, and, as their mom said (because I believe her), they’re more alike than we know.

I like Katie and Emily when they’re together. They’re much more entertaining than when they’re apart. Which brings me to Emily, who’s actually turned a little bit annoying in her cloying dependency in her relationship with Naomi. She started the relationship as, let’s face it, a stalker who wouldn’t take no for an answer. And after essentially pushing Naomi into the closet she’s already trying to force her out, in a very public way, at the school dance. Yes, it is a little suspect that your girlfriend would rather keep her relationship with you a secret, and that’s always something to frown upon, but this is a different case entirely. Naomi admitting that she’s in a relationship with a girl would effectively out her as gay– at a point in her life when she has to go all the way to Cyprus to figure out just who she is. I can’t say I very much liked the Love Ball scene in which Naomi and Emily declared themselves. Like their relationship, it seemed a little forced.

Other notables from the ep:

-Rob Fitch. Is. Awesome. I love what Skins does with parents, and they hit the ball out of the park with Rob. You can’t get much better than, “They’r not still virgins tomorrow, I’ll hunt you down like dogs.”

-JJ may be brilliant but he really needs to figure out how to wear a tie. And so does Freddie. That or he has to figure out he’s not in the 80s. On that note, Thomas = Best dressed male of the night!

-The return of Pandora’s dancing! I’ve missed her dancing so since Effy’s episode in series 2. I hope they make it a continuing feature.

- I loved that Katie was so nervous about seeing Freddie but then totally laid it into him when he did approach. You go girl.

- A box of fannies! And not just one fanny– a whole box! Really makes you think about a character, don’t it? I mean, exactly how many variations of fannies does Emily need??

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Skins: Effy: "Beware the moon. And the shrooms. And pointy rocks."

A (long) Skins review.

This week’s episode centered around Effy, one of the most polarizing characters on the show. You either hate her or you love her. Personally, I belong to the latter group. For me, none of Effy’s episodes ever disappoint, and 3x08 was no exception. Though the character has changed in profound ways since her humble, silent beginnings of series 1, Effy is still on of the most interesting characters in a show full of interesting people.

One of the things I missed about the Effy from Series 1 and 2 though, was the fantastical, storybook element that used to follow her character around. In her first unseen skins (pop) she told a fable, in 2x06 she helped Tony back to sleep by telling him a tale, in 1x08, her first episode, her only line was a riddle. So I was happy that at least there was a bit of that in this week’s ep. Because you just don’t tell someone to “beware the moon” without the story getting freaky.

The episode started with a shot of Effy bouncing up and down– on Cook, as it happens. The image harkened back to the Effy of yore; detached and disinterested, this could’ve been a scene pulled out of series one or two, when our heroine was still an unemotive mystery. But it was a good way to encapsulate the Cook/Effy relationship. She screws him because he’s there and he screws her because she’s willing (and together, they’re screwed. Ha!) But while Cook plays the part of the fuck-all sex addict very well, his next appearance in the episode sheds new light on him. He comes to Effy with dinner (and a gateau!) He’s trying to be more than just a carnal relation-- he just doesn’t know exactly how to make the connections that he so desperately wants. But more on him later.

After Cook leaves, Effy comes down to find her mom going over the morning paper, (pointing out such horrible men as Nelson Mandela and Bono), and the girl who’s never met a shirt she couldn’t turn into a dress actually wears pants in this episode! (But I’m sure it was for technical reason only, as she had to shatter glass at her feet and then go running through the woods later on. We’ll hopefully be seeing all-legs-Effy again soon.) This might seem like me going off on a tangent but I mention her shirt because Sid and Nancy are on it. Now, this may have just been any other shirt from the wardrobe department or maybe it was more significant than that. For those who don’t know who Sid Vicious and Nancy Spungen were, a brief history: Nancy was a teen groupie who had a relationship with punk rocker, Sid. They were addicted to drugs and each other, and no matter how tumultuous their relationship, they always came back together. Some say they were totally wrong for each other, some say that’s what made them so right together. Sadly, Sid and Nancy’s story ended with Sid “allegedly” killing her. Dunno about you but I see the Cook/Effy similarities.

When Effy goes to see Freddie in his shed, finally ready to tell him how she really feels, she catches him making out with Katie. And she has a rather strong reaction to it: she throws up in his driveway. Granted, who wouldn’t throw up after watching Fun Sponge and Tits and Lisp go at it, but it was just the beginning of what proved to be an episode full of strong and physical reactions. (Pandora hyperventilating in the car; the Effy/Katie fight.)

But the weirdness of the episode really starts when the gang’s on their way to “Gobbler’s End,” a place perfectly named for boogey men and serial killers to dump the bodies. If there was any kind of narrative formula to the episode it took the shape of Bad Horror Movie right from the start. When the gang gets lost (and Katie responds to the situation by doing the Smartest Thing Possible and throwing out the map), the gang meets the British Version of creepsters from such movie classics as Wrong Turn and Texas Chainsaw Massacre. The kids are rightfully scared. The trio of goons was a pretty random addition to the episode, and many people online are grumbling about how unnecessary they were, but I gotta disagree. I think they were there to set the tone for the episode and make it take the strange turn that it did. They were part of the “what the fuck is going on” dynamic lent the episode it’s spooky vibe.

But it wouldn’t be a Skins episode if drugs weren’t in the mix.

By the time Effy shares her shrooms things are well on their way to being trippy indeed. Effy’s threshold for drugs has never been something to write home about, and as soon as she closes her eyes (with Panda at her side and Freddie at her hand) she officially slips into a demented wonderland. When she wakes up it’s apparently in the middle of a one-way fight she’s having with Katie. I was as confused as Effy was and I wasn’t even high. I mean, what was she accusing her of? Did Effy like, totally sex up Freddie in the middle of the woods? Oh, wait, that comes later. Before any of that can happen, Cook crashes the party.

He scares the gang into putting out their fire and pissing their pants in fear. This is the scene in which you either sympathize with Cook for being a misunderstood troublemaker just out to have a laugh or hate him for being an annoying little prick who doesn’t give a shit about anyone. If you feel the latter, you’re in good company. The gang is super mad at Cookie. So mad that Freddie gets in his face for his shenanigans and JJ has a mini rage episode on the spot and tells him to Fuck off (a little unjustly, I think, given that he was the one who drugged Cook in the last episode, but whatevs.) The scene escalates into a huge fight orgy for nearly everyone involved. Katie leaves after her relationship with Freddie is put into question. Pandora and Thomas finally have it out when Cook reveals that he’s been popping her cherry over. And over. And over again. And that’s bad news for Effy too. Not so much because her “boyfriend’s” been banging another chick but because Pandora has lied to and betrayed her, again.

The emotional turmoil gets to Effy and she runs into the woods where she meets up with Katie, and one of the trippiest scenes in the series since Tony’s whole trip of an episode in season 2 ensues. In the scene, Katie switches emotions and tangents at the drop of a hat, made all the more surreal because the scene unfolds through Effy’s perspective. Is what she seeing real? Is she imagining some of it? Is she experiencing time jumps? Is Katie’s lisp really that annoying?

Too much to handle. She hits Katie in the head with a rock. And from here on out, all the way til we finally find out that Katie’s okay, Skins became one of the most intense, insane, suspenceful, mindfuck of a show on television. If you’re spoiler free (the best way to go) you begin to question whether the show would actually have the balls to kill off a character. To actually launch Effy’s character in this new direction where her biggest problem in life is not who will or will not take her to Prom (or whatever the Brits call it) but having to carry around the guilt of taking a life. And you sorta believe they could do it because a) they like killing characters b) this show is just that fucked up and c) they’ve got a spare! (Without the terrible fashion sense!). But alas, Katies does not die. And though Effy didn’t kill anyone, she’s still going to have to carry around the guilt of doing what she did and then just leaving the Katie in the forest like that.

Kudos to the writers for pulling this whole thing off as absolutely realistic and sympathetic. You get why Effy didn’t tell anyone (who hasn’t been in a situation where they did something really really wrong and it’s just a matter of time til someone finds out) and you sympathize with her even though she’s the villain in this particular tale.

After maybe killing someone, Effy has some sex. Make no mistakes about it, Effy is absolutely out of her mind when she and Freddie make love. If I were a shipper of these two, I’d feel a little jipped that the first sex scene we get between the two of them involves Effy still partially tripping shrooms with blood on her hands. BUT, the prelude to the sex was interesting in and of itself. Cribbing from a scene in Spring Awakening, Effy asks Freddie to hit her so that she can feel something. And Freddie actually does the right thing. Effy, so attached to pain and darkness, is met with a kiss. Because, kids, kissing can sometimes make you feel something too.

That she is the villain is a sad fact when Effy goes to the hospital and meets up with Freddie, Emily, and Pandora. Of the three characters there, Emily has the nicest, most rational reaction to her– and she’s the girl’s sister! Freddie’s look of mere disgust may have been justified (to the untrained eye Effy did just attempt murder, after all), but it was still so disgustingly judgmental of him. He’s ashamed of Effy, we get that, but there was another character this episode who was ashamed of his girlfriend too and yet his reaction was so much more justified and heart-rending than anything Freddie’s capable of mustering. When Thomas confronted Pandora about her cheating ways, he isn’t such a huge dick about it. It’s the difference between “I want him back because I hurt him and I love him” and “I want him back so that he doesn’t think I’m a useless asshole.”

At this point in their relationship, how can Effy really ever be with Freddie without her integrity taking a huge hit? If they’re ever going to be together then Freddie just can’t be the judgment bastard that he is or Effy will never stop measuring her self-worth based on how he sees it.

But the worst reaction of the three came from Pandora, who was unwilling to listen to anything Effy would say. This stung the most, and needed to happen, so that the audience and Effy herself can see that if she ever had any friends she certainly doesn’t have any now.

Enter Cook. Just recently ousted from the gang himself, he’s there for Effy because now they can be alone, together. And she’s coming along for the ride because he’s all she’s got. The dialogue for the scene was clear: “Where are we going?” “Where are we?” “It’s always going to be you and me.” It’s a new frontier for Effy– she’s officially, as she said in a previous episode, off the rails. Although I’m not sold on Cook/Effy, the potential for something explosive to happen between them for no other reason than because they’re stuck together, is there. It’s like Sid and Nancy. They’re all wrong together, but, at least for now, they’re the only two people right for each other.

Notables from the episode:

-Naomi and Emily getting busy while the daft JJ has no clue that there’s more than just “wriggling” going on. Hehe.

- Kaya Scodelario’s acting in this week’s episode was spot on. Spot on. And I’m not just talking about the big emotional scenes (of which there were many). I’m talking about the little cast-off looks in between the big scenes. She’s really come into her own as an actress. Megan Prescott, please take note.


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Chuck vs. The Lethal Weapon: "Repulsion is our business"

A Chuck review.

The episode starts with Super Sexy Spy Guy getting tortured, and there’s a bunch spy talk with references to James Bond, the intersect, and some important Fulcrum dude named Perseus, but more importantly: the scene transitions to Chuck and Sarah in bed together! Ok, not sleeping together, just lying side by side awkwardly (I’m pretty sure Sarah too was awake in that scene before the alarm went off). By the expression on Chuck’s face, spending the night with Sarah could rival Cole’s torture. And getting a dose of Sarah walking around his room in a t-shirt and panties didn’t help any but it was cute. As I am a big shipper, I also very much enjoyed their little scene together in the bathroom as they brushed their teeth. (On a side note, Yvonne looked awesome in that sene. They cake so much makeup on her for this show but refreshed-from-the-shower Sarah is just as stunning, if not more so, than evening-gown-wearing Sarah.)

After their bathroom scene Chuck and Sarah join Ellie and Awesome for breakfast and it’s immediately clear that Ellie’s role as caring sister has officially shifted to over-bearing relationship liaison. She seems to be constantly on a need-to-know basis concerning whether Chuck’s happy in his relationship, whether he’s breaking up with Sarah, and whether they’re moving in together. Considering how hastily Chuck went from dumping Sarah to moving in with her I’m surprised Ellie hasn’t caught on to just how very odd this relationship actually is. If there is one person who finds out Chuck’s secret by the end of this season, at this point, how could it not be Ellie? I really hope it isn’t because that would shake up the heart of the show too dramatically (plus, I do like the awkwardness/tension that stems form Chuck and Sarah having to maintain their lie in front of her) but Ellie should be seeing the signs already.

Back at the Buy More Jeff and Lester are being hilarious yet again (I love those bastards!) with their reimagined “yo’ mama!” jokes featuring Morgan’s mom and Big Mike. Chuck show’s up, he’s about to tell Morgan that they can’t move in together but Casey takes away, saying he needs to see him in his office. To which Morgan replies, “When’d you get an office, John?” Which I just found funny. Plus, maybe Morgan’s the one who figures out Chuck’s secret!

Cole crashes the castle, all bloody and hot, but while Sarah likes the hot part she certainly doesn’t like the bloody: maybe I’m the only one who noticed it but when she goes to help him stand and puts her hand on his shoulder her hand immediately recoils (because, ew, blood is sticky.)

Sarah and Casey go to a consulate party and Chuck and Cole partnering up to watch through the monitors was amusing thanks to Chuck’s insecurity. I especially loved Chuck taking credit for all of Cole’s good ideas. Anyway, things go wrong, as per usual, and Chuck does not “stay in the car.” But this time he’s got Cole with him, who teaches Chuck how to fire a gun by saying it’s just “point and click,” which Chuck should understand cuz isn’t that exactly how you work a computer mouse? Chuck doesn’t exactly get it, though, and shoots the wrong guy accidently, causing a commotion. Cole gets shot saving Sarah’s life but was it me or did he really not need to save her at that point? Sarah had a clear shot. But whatevs, he gets shot in the shoulder and Sarah only notices when he starts dripping on her hand (to which she responds with the same “ew, blood is sticky” expression she had earlier. (It amused me, heh.)

While playing doctor Cole manages to woo Sarah even more, and you can’t blame the girl for falling for the guy. Meanwhile Chuck’s sister, who is an actual doctor, is so alarmed by the condition of his foot (another red flag, Ellie!) that she orders he get a cast just to be on the safe side. At the hospital Chuck finds the Intersect scientist that they’re all looking for there too getting his leg mended from the gunshut wound. A hilarious Slowest Chase Ever ensues. Chuck follows him all the way to a computer lab where and the scientist guy discovers that Chuck is indeed a human intersect. Chuck flashes on the word “Orion,” who will learn is the once who started the pesky little intersect thing. The team breaks in to save the day and Chuck never finds out who this Orion dude is.

By the time Cole needs to leave he propositions Sarah again, asking her to come with, but she refuses. “When you meet someone you care about it’s hard to walk away.” We all know Sarah cares about Chuck just as much he cares about her but it’s time for her to fess up– to him this time. If the Chuck/Sarah relationship is going to move forward then she has to be the one to initiate it. Especially after the scene they had at the end of the episode in the courtyard (the defacto spot for all heartfelt Charah scenes). He tells her he’s crazy about her and that’s why they can’t move in together. The scene feels a little redundant after “Chuck vs. The Breakup” when Chuck breaks ups with on the fountain but at least he actually mentions the L word here. Sarah now knows for sure, in no uncertain terms, that Chuck loves her. The ball’s in your court, Sarah!

The ep ends with Chuck going into his room and revealing to us that his Tron poster is more than just a geek staple- it’s actually the place where he’s dosumenting every clue he has about the intersect. It’s the equivelent of every wall covered in pictures and newspaper articles at the heart of every procedural ever.

The thing most worth mentioning that’s written on Chuck’s Wall o’ Clues was “Lisa is her middles name?” Because whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat? When did Chuck find this out? Does this mean he heard her that time at the end of “Chuck vs. The Wookie” when she whispered it to herself? Obviously, that was the most revealing thing for me. And possibly for the Charah shippers. Though, it also said “architect?” next to her name, so who knows what’s going on with that Clue chart. (Did Sarah reveal that she wanted to be an architect once in some off-camera scene? I’m curious, dammit!)


Notables from the ep:

-Obscure and disturbing hobbies with Lester, Morgan, and Jeff with his shirt off (that’s 95% alcohol!)

- This didn’t actually happen in this episode but did we get out first unofficial Chuck/Heroes crossover last night? The dweebs who work at the Buy More were definitely at the Heroes comic book shop while Claire was interviewing for a sales clerk position. Or maybe there was just a “dweeby extras” shortage on the Warner Bros. lot.)


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Trailer for FOX's Glee

Posting this because Lea Michele is in it. For the uninitiated: Lea Michele is amazing. Not enough info? Alright, Lea Michele was in the original cast of Spring Awakening on Broadway (She was the girl Adrianna was trying to imitate on 90210) and she has one of the most amazing voices I've ever heard. Also, from what I can tell from this trailer, this show looks pretty good. And Jane Lynch is in it too! Will definitely be checking it out.

Trailer for Glee:
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Chuck: Crazy person with some spec.

There isn't much in the media about Chuck but the few things that have been put up there all talk about the game-changing season finale. And I've got a crazy theory about just what might happen. Spoilers and speculation about Chuck/Sarah behind the cut!


From the new TV Guide:

Let's just say that Chuck and Sarah will go on a little trip together soon, and we'll get to see some of that passion unleashed," hints Levi.

From the new Entertainment Weekly:

Hey, Chuck, your chances of a third season are looking a little iffy-- what are you going to do now? Pull out all the freakin' stops, says exec producer Josh Schwartz, who is promising "multiple weddings, a shocking death, and a game-changing twist." But will Chuck and Sarah do it? "They're going further than they ever have before." Ball's in your court, NBC!

So what could all this mean? We know one wedding goes to Awesome and Ellie (there have been hints that the road to that wedding may be a little bumpier than we expect but I'm still sure Awesome and Ellie will tie the knot.) But who does that leave to have the second wedding? Well, lots of people, actually. It could very well go to Morgan and Anna who always end up moving forward no matter how many steps back they take. The other couple in question could also be Big Mike/Bologna. Because, why not? And if you wanna get really crazy, Jeff and Lester could even throw their names in the hat. (It's just ridiculous enough.)

But why not Chuck and Sarah? Perhaps something so potentially catastrophic could endanger the intersect that Sarah is forced to do something as drastic as get married to Chuck to protect him. It could just be the "game-changer" that Josh Schwartz keeps talking about and could offer so many more complications in the relationship department for enough fodder for season 3. Plus, I keep going back to the quote in EW and while we can interpret "going further" as Chuck and Sarah actually doing the deed, something tells me that's not what he's talking about.

Then there's Zachary Levi's quote from TV Guide where he talks about a "trip." People have been speculating that the trip is the one he takes with Sarah to go find his father (which does happen as they showed in the wondercon/NYCC preview clip for the rest of the season.) But I'm gonna really invest in my reaching skills and say the trip is a trip down the aisle. Like I said, reaching, even for me, but what if?!

Now there's also a couple of hints we got from Matt Mitovich's Mega Minute at TVGuide.com:

The "game-changer" will make these two things happen:
1. "going to make the missions a lot more interesting."

2. "One of the three series leads is going to be extra busy."

Honestly, Matt's hints are so vague I have no clue what it could mean. But if I let myself run wild with my marriage idea (and as you can tell, I totally am), it would make the missions more interesting, and it could potentially make either Sarah or Chuck more busy in terms of maintaining their cover.

Of course, this is all speculation and the chances of Chuck and Sarah getting married are just as ridiculous as everyone thinks. In fact, the more I think about it, the more I'm convinced it's probably too far-fetched. But what if it's so ridiculous that it could work? Do Fedak and Schwartz have the balls to go there? I hope so! And if not, than at least give us some sex! It's been two long years-- Chuck and Sarah deserve that much at least! (And we the fans deserve that especially if there's a chance we won't get a season 3-- knock on wood we do!)
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Skins: JJ: Everyone’s on the pill!

One of the big things that separates Skins from every other (American) teen show out there is their casual use and portrayal of drugs. Teen shows have always dealt with drugs but while a show like 90210 would focus on Addiction and Overdose and the General Badness of Drugs In General, Skins doesn’t judge. Characters take drugs like candy, and there’s hardly ever any consequences. In “JJ” practically everyone was on the sweet stuff.

JJ isn’t normal. We know this because he kept saying as much throughout the entire episode. His mum wishes he were normal, he hasn’t got any friends because he isn’t normal, “normal” people don’t go to therapy and he does, and there’s even a handy graph on his wall with the word NORMAL scribbled on it and then the word “unusual” next to his name. (There’s also the words “Head Butt” next to Effy’s name which should also indicate just how not normal JJ is because that’s just weird.) His room’s littered with toys, the little kids on his block tease him, and his therapist is an ass. Suffice it to say JJ’s got issues.

At therapy JJ finds Emily, who needs therapy also because... she’s a lesbian. No, she’s there to try and see if she can be more open with people. And possibly score roofies for another “rendevous” with Naomi. And she kinda sorta did! After bonding over their new STUN pills and Emily finally coming out as a lover of tits and fanny, she and JJ form a rather cute new friendship. Except for the little mishap with the explosive vomit. That wasn’t so much cute as TOTALLY GROSS. I mean what was that??

Anyhoo, after talking with Emily, JJ realizes that he’s got to be more honest about what he wants if he wants to be treated differently. And from then on out his character took on a kind of interesting role. JJ acted as a sort of vessel: through his interactions with each individual character as he went on his Quest To Get What He Wants(And Walking In On People Half Naked To Get It) we saw a glimpse into who they really are. Emily finally shared that she’s gay; Effy expressed honest interest in being someone’s friend for the first time; Cook came out with his “fuck people” (both figuratively and literally) philosophy; and Freddie proved himself to be an enormous turd.

The whole gang eventually find themselves in a club at a party thrown by Thomas (?) where Cook’s tripping on some STUN pills JJ gave him, Emily’s drunk off her ass and dancing slutty, and Effy and Naomi are united in their mission to avoid their one true loves. Cook gets beat up and in his messed up state he tells Freddie that Effy loves him. He also reveals that he’s popped Panda and Freddie has to save him once again from beat by Thomas, who overhears.

The episode ended with the virgin and the lesbian having sex.
The whole thing was kind of out of left field, but the only way I reconcile it is by remembering what JJ said in the beginning of the episode: that if he was normal he’d lose his virginity. Maybe the scene was suppose to summarize that in spite (and probably because of) all of the things that make him an unusual guy he’s actual just as normal as everyone else. But the scene still felt totally incongruous, if only because Emily is certainly not in the right frame of mind to be giving pity fucks. She just got over figuring out her sexality and is still not over her (oddly unmentioned) relationship with Naomi. A more likely candidate to have done the deed with JJ? Effy. He likes her, and she likes fucking. Not something I’d necessarily want to see, but still would’ve made more sense to me.

Other notables about the ep:
- I liked the scene in which Cook comforts JJ after he has his fit. And if I have to compare it to the hug Freddie gave JJ I gotta say Cook’s was way better (but then again I also think Freddie’s a turd, so....) Because while Freddie hugged he asked for space, and while Cook hugged he didn’t ask for anything, he just offered his love.

-“Grab my balls” sounds even funnier over loud speaker.

- I was a little disappointed with JJ’s mom and lack of dad. The previous episodes alluded to them being especially quirky folks who love to give maxims about pubic hair. I would’ve liked to see some of that!

- Katie/Freddie? Any takers? No? Didn’t think so.

- Cook’s living situation leaves me wondering. His episode unfairly left out any of his familial backstory. I’ll guess we’ll have to wait and see what’s got him living in a dorm. But it’s just another thing that makes his character very similar to Chris.

- The ep revealed that Pandora is still crawling back to Cook for some surf and turf sessions. This could mean two things: she’s either really obsessed with sex, or, she’s going the Effy route and running to Cook out of fear (what’s she got to be afraid of, you ask? Having to face Thomas after unwittingly betraying him.) One thing’s for sure though: she clearly regrets going to Cookie, no matter how many times she does it.

- New JJism: “shitification.”

- Cook has a tendency to look hot with any girl they pair him with. And he’s pretty much had his share of all of them. His dance with Emily was brief but definitely had shades of hotness. Let’s rank these pairings, shall we? From least to most hot:
Cook/naomi (school scene)
Cook/effy (nurse’s office)
Cook/emily (club dance)
Cook/pandora (twister sex)

- And finally, things we learned about British people today: They’ve all got a supply of mango juice at the ready. Who knew!

Next week, Effy! (The Bon Iver song used in the “Next Time” clip only got me more excited :D)


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Lost's "LaFleur": Suliet or Skate?

As a die-hard, devoted, mildly crazy skate shipper, I was surprised by how much I enjoyed seeing Sawyer kiss Juliet. And now I've got conflicted feelings! I think what I liked so much about Sawyer/Juliet was that Sawyer finally has someone who loves him. Really loves him. And I know that Kate loves him too but she's always had this annoying tendency to flip flop back to Jack and run away from her feelings and never fully give herself over to Sawyer, who deserves love more than anyone! And in Juliet he's found someone who will actually tell him those words-- "I love you"-- back.

(Plus, Juliet/Sawyer just seems like the perfect revenge for Kate daring to go jate during her off-island time. Like a nice big "EF YOU, KINDLY" for her going over to the dark side. Can't not appreciate that aspect of it.)

It's weird, because I've always been in the minority as a Kate fan. Everyone hates her and wants her to diaf, but as soon as I saw Sawyer kissing Juliet it was like something clicked in me. Like, Yes, this is nice and sweet and how in the world could Kate be dumb enough never to have given that to Sawyer? I've never felt protective of Sawyer like that before but "LaFleur" brought it out in me.

Then again, by the end of the episode I was squeeing just like any other skate shipper when Sawyer got his first look at Kate again in three years. The idea of them reconciling and bringing back old feelings and being together again! Oh the possibilities!

But this brings up another conundrum. I really like Juliet, as a character. And just like Sawyer deserves love more than anyone, Juliet is the least deserving of being dumped by the wayside. It's sad but-- and this is particularly heartbreaking to me, as a skater (yes, heartbreaking!)-- Sawyer shouldn't desert Juliet just cuz Kate showed up. It isn't fair. For some reason Kate's appearance alone just came off like, I'm here now! We can be together again! Drop everything for me!

So, in conclusion, I'm still conflicted. I love Skate. I do believe they're the otp of this show (and very possibly the skeleton pair from the Season 1 caves), but this is a complicated situation that I don't think will leave anyone unscathed. I don't want Juliet to get hurt but I do want skate together again. Jack can just cry himself to death in a corner somewhere. Read More

Chuck vs. The Beefcake (who wants to "butter that muffin")

At the start of the episode I almost felt like I was back in my Buffy days when there were hot people digging up graves in primetime. But no! It was just our run-of-the-mill introduction to Super Sexy Spy Guy, or as he was officially called, Cole Barker.

A note about Cole Barker: I know most Chuck fans probably don’t like him because he’s driving a wedge between Chuck and Sarah but the dude is sex on legs. He’s got a little bit of Bryce in him only replace the boyish handsomness with the rugged good looks. And, though I don’t want to make this comparison, he’s got a little bit of Simon Cowell in him too (he talks like an asshole and there was a scene oh him wearing a suit with his shirt open all the way down- the way we know Simon Cowell likes it.) But I digress! Cole Barker is very hot. And very sweet when he called Sarah a breathtakingly beautiful woman.

Which brings me to Sarah/Cole. Which, as you many have guessed, didn’t bother me so much. I’m a huge Chuck/Sarah shipper but I’m also just a big fan of Sarah’s. I’d like to see what goes on in her head when she’s presented with Super Sexy Spy Guy on a platter. Does she act on it in the next episode or does she stay faithful to Chuck even though he “breaks up” with her every other episode. I’m interested to see where the writers (and the fabulous Yvonne Strahovski) take this character. Not only because any involvement with Cole will mean some good ‘ol angst for Chuck/Sarah but also because I want to see a storyline that will really effect and change the Sarah we all know and love.

Sarah was very much in the put-upon girlfriend role this episode and it actually made me feel bad for her. I felt bad when she caught Chuck screening her calls; when she was trying to convince him not to “break up” with her; having to turn off her feelings once again even when Barker was clearly getting under her skin (in the good kind of way); having to ask for help during the mission (something we don’t see much from the very able agent.) Sarah’s hands being tied when trying to seduce Barker was a good visual symbol for this point I’m trying to make.

But by the end of the episode Sarah finally gives into her desires (if only for a brief kiss) and could you blame the girl? Because even though it’s Chuck who always laments not being able to have a real relationship Sarah’s been on the other side of that too. And if she can’t get together with Chuck at this point in her life why shouldn’t she be able to get with the Super Sexy Spy Guy.

Notables from this ep:

-Big Mike moans like a wounded Seal. Really didn’t need to know that.

-Are we supposed to believe that an agent like Cole Barker would say “Butter that muffin”? Really? Too corny. But so hilarious.

-Jeff and Lester! They can do no wrong! Too much goodness to mention but the few standouts was Scott Krinsky’s great homage to Basic Instinct in that little uncrossing of the leg scenes. And the bit info that Lester “nearly” has a degree at the El Segundo school of finance.

-Ellie’s reaction to hearing the news that Chuck’s moving in with Morgan. They really need to have Sarah Lancaster do more comedy on this show. Well, her and Yvonne both.

- Speaking of the moving out thing, I was more than a little disappointed to know that Chuck would be moving in with Morgan when the potential for some terribly awkward/deliciously romantic potential is there for a Chuck/Sarah cohabitational scenario. At least we’ll get to see said scenario for one episode next week when Sarah moves in on protective detail.

And some very superficial thoughts about the men in this episode:

-Zachary Levi needs a haircut. Desperately.

-Josh Gomez is looking good! And yes, I’m talking about that sleeping-in-the-buff scene. We’ve seen him shirtless before (at the Buy More during the mystery crisper game) and things in that department have definitely improved. Nice one, Josh! Nice one.

-Anyone else notice that in General Beckman’s little collage of pictures of Barker that he was wearing that same famed Speedo that Daniel Craig wears in Casino Royal? It was quite a nice picture indeed.

-I love that barker (or I should say Jonathan Cake) shakes his head every time he says something important. It’s quite cute. Ok, I’m becoming a little too obsessed with the guest star. My apologies.



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Skins: Ass to Ass with "Freddie"

Every episode of Skins is basically a self-contained coming-of-age novel but none more so than Freddie’s ep. We got the hook: Freddie’s got a dancing whore of a sister, a dad who favors her more, and to top it all off his mother’s dead. The conflict: Freddie’s stuck in a slacker slump and in love with a girl who won’t love him back. The resolution: Freddie forces himself to grow up and tell the girl how he feels. But the formula stops there because although he is the hero of our tale he doesn’t get the emo girl of his dreams in the end.

The ep starts with Freddie’s dad forcing him to tell his sister she’s sexy. Score one for the creep factor, show! And then he does and goes outside to be angsty and is surprised to find Effy in his garden. And she’s all, Yeah I’m in your garden. That’s not strange at all. And Freddie’s all, It kind of is. And she’s like, I wanna go inside your shed. And Freddie’s like, Is that a euphemism? And just like that the spark of romance ignites.

It burns brighter in class in the most chaste of ways when Freddie and Effy’s forearms touch and the hair on his skin stands on end.

And finally, when he decides to do something about it and goes to Effy’s house to “return her bracelet” aka tell her how he feels. Now, the thing about Freddie is, he’s not very good at articulating anything. This was his primary character trait throughout the episode so it was nice when he got to the point and told Effy that they’d be good together. And she tells him something about how she’s a heartbreaker and therefore it would be a seriously stupid idea. So Freddie goes to explore his feelings some more and we’re subjected to yet another skateboarding montage where we’re meant to understand that Freddie’s a crap skater when girls don’t love him back. And things are about to get a lot worse: his dad destroys/cleans up his shed; he learns that Cook fucked his sister; and then, in a gratuitously gross scene, he throws up.

But then, like an angel, Effy appears to him in a post-vomit haze and enlightens him with the words, “Just be.” which sounded a lot like “just pee” to the point where I thought she had a secret remedy to cure vomiting, but alas, she was just the catalyst to make him point his life in a new direction.

He decides to stop skating, stop smoking, put on a suit (later) and go kiss Effy in a lake. (The scene was sweet, and probably had all the Effy/Freddie lovers absolutely dying, but I’m still not sold on this ship. They just seem wrong for each other and I can’t picture what a relationship between the two of them would look like. Suffice to say, the Freddie/Effy scenes made me cringe a little bit.) But anyway, Freddie’s loosened up! Here’s the thing about Freddie: he may be a bore (when he isnt being a self-richeous little pris) but he’s still the prettiest boy on the show (he’s got the dirty-boy-chic thing down.) And when he loosens up his personality matches his looks and he becomes... cute. That scene of him singing along to “Ass to Ass”? Adorable!

He continues the adorableness by reconciling with his sister and supporting her throughout the loss of her Sexxxbombs competition. But Cook comes over and completely amps up his dick quota for the series by revealing that he was the one who sabotaged of Karen’s career as a singing slut. Freddie head butted him and Cook retaliated by kissing him- which actually isn’t the non sequitur that it sounds like.


After all this, Freddie’s still thinking about his undying love for Effy, and in a climactic scene towards the end Mrs. Stonem essentially tells him that Effy doesn’t want any Freddiebrek because she’s having a Cookie upstairs. And maybe Freddie and Effy aren’t that wrong for each other because the one thing they share in common is that neither one is much for communicating well. They give and receive messages through action. Freddie proclaims himself to her through a kiss. Effy turns him down by showing him, deliberately, that she doesn’t want him (well, she does want him, she just doesn’t “do” relationships.)

The closing of Freddie’s story opened up a whole new one. Not only has the show’s main romance taken a turn for the worse, but we’ve seen the turning point of Cook/Freddie too (and I’m not talking about that kiss.) Cook’s acting out of jealousy now and his actions are becoming a lot more malicious. He’s definitely taking notes from Tony Season 1 in the ways of alienating friends and making yourself the most hateful “friend” of the group. An interesting character arc but I like my Cook to be flavored mild, thanks very much.

All in all, not the best ep of the series by far, but it moved things along somewhat. Some great moments in the episode:

- Naomi = I moan. Hehe. Naomi gets all the sexual references and I love it.

- Cook = “Crayola Dick.” Now I’m just really curious.

- Speaking of Naomi and Cook, this episode was not without its Naomi/Cook allusions. Cook thinks she’s funny, and along with his “I like her” statement from the premiere episode, it was just another subtle hint that he’s developing more than just boner-inspiring feelings for her. At least imo.

- “Hi this is Effy, I’m not talking right now.”
We finally got an answer to a question we never thought to ask: How did Effy talk on the phone back in her non-speaking days? She didn’t! And thanks to Effy’s fantastic voicemail we now know that she really took the silent vow thing to heart. A great throwback to series 1.

- Speaking of the earlier series we got a few other refrences in this episode. Cook said something about encountering an “Anwar the Magnificent.” (So Anwar’s a magician now?) AND, Josie’s back! Ever since counseling Chris in the ways of careers she’s been a delightful recurring character on the series. And she even brought back Chris’ beloved “pucking.” Glad she’s back.


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Chuck Vs. The Suburbs: Charles Carmichael always comes quickly.

This week’s episode had Chuck and Sarah, for one flimsy excuse or another (I really don’t pay that much attention to the underlying reasons behind most missions) moving to the suburbs. The episode started off with Chuck and Sarah on a very awkward Valentines Day cover date which was the perfect reason to launch them into the next mission disguised as the young, happily married couple Mr. and Mrs. Carmichael. Cuz if it isn’t awkward to have to spend the weekend in a house with photoshopped wedding pictures and a very real pet golden retriever, I dunno what is! The thing is, though, it wasn’t awkward, and Chuck and Sarah proved, rather surprisingly, that they’re actually pretty good at the whole suburban bliss thing. (It was like a fan fic reader’s wet dream, only minus the 2.5 kids.)

The setup was rife with plenty of potential Charah goodness and the episode delivered, especially in a quaint little morning scene that had Sarah trading her gun for a spatula as she cooked breakfast for a bemused Chuck. The smile on Chuck’s face after she revealed that she was cooking for him, with out pretense or reason, was adorable. Kudos to Zachary Levi for proving yet again that he is very capable of making a girl’s heat melt. But props have to be given to Yvonne Strahovski as well who played the whole scene with a demure smile on her face that said, “yes, I’m totally loving this just as much as you are.” A great Charah moment that had the charah fangirls smiling. I know it had me smiling like an idiot.

Anyway, Chuck and Sarah think they’re dealing with a run-of-the-mill terrorist but they’re in deeper shiz than they thought when it turns out that all their neighbors are fulcrum. Funny peeps Andy Richter and Jenny McCarthy are perfectly cast as part of the cul-de-sac– they’re unassuming funny persona’s lending themselves to an innate creepiness I can’t really put my finger on. (I think it may have something to do with the way their eyebrows arch when they smile). But anyway: Oh no! Fulcrum!

Without knowing it Chuck gets himself tested for a fulcrum intersect. This is worth mentioning for lots of reason but primarily because in his walk of shame (in his boxers!) Back home Sarah delivers a whopping slap across his face that was just pure comic gold. (And perfectly orchestrated with the music starting again at the exact moment Sarah’s hand collides with Chuck’s face.

The episode until now was pretty fun but one of the great things about Chuck is that it could go from funny to dire in just a matter of scenes. Next thing we know, Casey, Chuck, and Sarah are taken by the cul-de-sac folk to an underground facility so that Chuck could be strapped to a chair Clockwork Orange-style so that his brain can be exposed to the Very Bad Intersect (or dark intersect, as some are calling it.) Sarah did a good job of squirming in her seat while the whole thing went down. And when it was over it looked like Fulcrum had unwittingly found their new human intersect in none other than the old human intersect.

Meanwhile, in a funny moment of irony, Casey had to do what he tried to get Chuck to do earlier; break his thumb to get out of handcuffs. It was both gross and heroic. With, along with the shooting off of his toe, is something we’ve come to expect from dear Casey. He stormed the viewing room and just as the bad guys were sitting Sarah down for her own dose of Very Scary Images, he secretly set the thing off to room full of people not wearing their RayBans. Another sweet Charah moment resulted of this: Chuck protectively held Sarah’s head close to his chest in order to shield her from the images, and a shot of their hands locking only expounded the intimacy of the moment.

The incident killed/seriously harmed the Fulcrum agents. Because apparently, this special viewing in the red room will not only make you go crazy– it’ll kill you too! Which begs the question: why didn’t they just close their eyes? To this I say: Oh who cares! Chuck could be known as Plothole Central for all the unexplainable things that occur but there could be an entire camera crew in the shot and I’d turn the other way cuz this show is just too damn fun. Bring on the plotholes! Like I mentioned earlier, the semantics of the missions is the least of my worries.

When all is said and done Chuck goes back home only to tell Ellie that him and Sarah? Totally not the awesome couple everyone thinks they are. But why, Chuck? Why do you have to go on blabbing to your sister about it? You know this will mean only bad things in the long run whenever Ellie and Sarah are anywhere near each other again. This will inevitably cause complications and I’ looking forward to future episodes to see the ramifications.

Back at the Orange Orange Beckman tells Sarah the honeymoon’s over. Things are more serious now than ever, and Sarah takes the sentiment to heart. After Chuck asks her if they could go back to the suburbs she turns him down (rather coldly) and asks for the wedding ring back. “We cant go back there,” she tells Chuck. It’s a sad moment for Charah- the “two steps back” portion of their “one step forward two steps back” formula. But it’s essential to getting this couple their happy ending. The only reason Sarah’s the one acting so harshly is because she’s the one who let herself fall the hardest over in Suburbialand. She let herself imagine a life of normalcy with Chuck- and she liked it. In the final scene, as she watche the cleanup crew take back all the wedding photos and close up shop, you could see the symbolic meaning of it all on her face. Leave it to Yvonne Strahovski to turn a silent moment into one rife with meaning. The girl, she is very good with her face.

Other great things about this very great episode:

-Emmet’s wig! More of that, please. Also, I wouldn’t mind seeing Henrietta any time soon.

- At NYCC Chris Fedak mentioned that they’re goal was to cast as many Star Trek and Whedonverse actors as they could. It may have been an offhand comment, not meant to be taken entirely seriously, but last night we got our first Whedon alum! Sylvia’s husband was played by Brian Thompson, also known as Luke on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. You may remember him from season 1 as The Master’s right hand man. It was nice to see him sans vampire face and I can only hope more Buffy people show up. (Nicholas Brendan as Chuck’s zany cousin perhaps?)

- The episode’s perfect soundtrack– especially when Chuck drives up to the new house and looks around the neighborhood.

- Andy Richter’s business card scene was right out of American Psycho. That shoulda been chuck’s first clue.

- The first appearance of Morgan’s mom! Right under Big Mike’s lips! This was first hinted at back in the summer when Josh Schwartz surprised the cast at Comic Con by telling them Big Mike would be getting a love interest in Morgan’s mom. Comedy gold, I say! Also, her name’s Bologna. Nice.

- And last, but certainly not least: “Charles Carmichael always comes quickly.” Nuff said.


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Dollhouse: y/n?

I give it a solid m. For maybe.

Don't get me wrong; I think Joss Whedon is (nearly) infallible and Eliza Dushku’s Faith was my favorite character on Buffy (and one of the best characters in TV, imo), but the pilot for Dollhouse hasn’t got me jumping out of my seat.

There are a few things I can’t get behind. Partly it’s the FBI angle. Whenever you bring FBI into anything Sci-Fi it’s just automatical fail (I wasn’t a huge fan of Roswell but anyone can tell you things went sour when the FBI started looking for aliens). And on a more superficial note, Tahmoh Penikett just doesn’t do it for me. But I’m willing to give him another shot.

The biggest thing wrong with Dollhouse, though, was that there wasn’t a single character I could latch on to.

The doctor (played by Angel alum Amy Acker) was mysterious and interesting but there wasn’t enough of her to really like or dislike. Fran Kranz’s mad scientist was fun in his very obviously Joss-like way, but also a little flat. He’s like the Xander character only minus the goofy heart. And then there’s Echo. The hints of her past are the most intriguing bits of character we’ve gotten out of anyone. And I even like the between-the-missions Echo’s simple innocence. But with her changing characters every week, I don’t know if I’ll be able to really care about her at all.

But some of the good things that got me very excited about the show were the little snippets of classic Joss dialogue. Mostly all of Topher’s dialogue, but especially “She hurts.” For some reason, when Echo said that, I was reminded of the simpleness and the poignance of what Joss is capable using just words.

It all comes down to Joss, though. He is, essentially, the only reason anyone is watching this show. And really, the only reason I’ll give it a second shot. If Joss’s name wasn’t attached I’m ashamed to say I’d write this show off completely. But I have faith in Joss, and when he and Eliza say that the last few episodes of this season are some incredible, mind-blowing stuff, I believe them. So I’m sticking around for the long haul.... til it gets canceled. (Cuz judging by the ratings we all know that’s coming.)




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Skins 3: "Pandora"

Pandora. Who woulda thunk that the girl who likes to eat pens (and cocaine) would turn into one of this season’s most interesting characters. At the beginning of this episode Pandora’s still pining for Thomas, her lost love of three days, but she isn’t exactly down in the dumps about it just yet (that comes later). In fact, she’s in quite a cheery mood, talking up an intelligible storm at Effy’s breakfast table and being giddy about her pajama party.

At the party we finally get to meet Pandora’s mum who we’ve only had to imagine since Pandora told her over the phone that she was staring at Tony’s cock. Suffice it to say Mrs. Moon is everything I was hoping her to be. The thing that keeps surprising me about Skins is how fully formed all the individual worlds are. The peripheral characters especially (Pandora’s neurotic mom, the neighbor with the affinity for Edward Scissorhands-like landscaping and a penchant for S&M) remind me of the kind of characters you’d find in a Wes Anderson movie: quirky, crazy, and innately interesting. Most of the writers for this show haven’t reached their thirties yet but you’d think they were doing this sort of thing for ages.

The party, which was supposed to consist of jelly and twister (and a bouncy moonwalk in the yard!) quickly turns into something more appropriate for Skins, which is to say it’s filled with sex, drugs, booze, and unruly behavior. And thanks to Effy’s scheming Pandora’s mom is blissfully out of it for the duration.

Though, as much as it was Pandora’s name in the title, this episode was shared with Effy.

Her mother’s affair has finally come to light and in a sad and all-too-real scene that involved Mr. Stonem both calling Anthea a bitch and telling her he loves her we got to see Effy emote– which is a rarity. “They fuck you up,” she tells Pandora.

Effy deals with a lot of issues in this ep; her parents, her love life, but what it all really comes down to-- what’s been the great big elephant in the room since last year– is friendship. Effy may be hanging out with a lot more people this season and she may have collected herself a sidekick but things haven’t changed much since Episode 7 of Series 2 when she told Pandora that she doesn’t have any friends.

Effy starts to realize the impact of her friendless friendships when Pandora confronts her through the door of her loo, accusing Effy of not being sympathetic to her needs and ruining her party. Because it’s her party and she’ll cry if she wants to. (Lisa Backwell does an amazing job of straddling the line between bonkers and sincere. Well, she’s always sincere but this time she asks us to empathize with her character and she absolutely holds the viewer in the palm of her hand.)

And then comes Freddie, or as I’m going to start calling him now; Fun Sponge (thanks show!), who was quick to point fingers when he came to save pick up JJ. “You have to look after him!” Ah, Freddie. Effy doesn’t exactly “look after” people. In fact, she looks pretty confused at the concept, mumbling something about Cook being the guy’s friend. The scene ended with Effy realizing just how big of a mess she’s gotten herself into by running to Cook when she should have been following her heart and getting it on with Freddie. But that’s Effy for you. She’s a runner. When her parents split, she splits, and when she develops feelings for skater boys with emo haircuts she jumps into bed with the Wrong Guy.

But it wasn’t til episode’s end that Effy finally got the message she needed from Pandora. You don’t get to be mad at your best friend stealing your man when you aren’t really best friends to begin with.

Which brings us to Pandora/Cook! This ship sailed in out of nowhere but... it just felt so right! Nothing has to happen between them again (and nothing probably should) but in that Twister scene we got to see what a Cookie and a Panda looks like together. And it actually worked! Cook may be a horn dog on the loose but what makes him so ultimately lovable is that he’ll try everything but he isn’t above anything. If the weird girl wants to play to Twister why shouldn’t he? He was the only one out of the gang who wasn’t mortified by the idea. And you gotta love the guy for that.

And as if the episode didn’t tackle enough it also gave us the Emily/Naomi storyline that so many fans have been pining for. Emily’s been a favorite of mine since the beginning but my love for Naomi has grown with each episode and it hit its high point here. Everything from the way she dealt with the prying neighbor to the way she described herself as a “cock cruncher” (loved the “tennis elbow” joke in her little erectile dysfunction discord). Their first kissing scene was executed really well (especially with the chorus of the Lily Allen song perfectly suiting the scene; Emily not being able to find the words to ask for a kiss but Naomi figuring it out anyway; Naomi’s “Oh” afterwards like she maybe should consider doing this female kissing thing more. She may have blamed it on the drugs but if that bouncy moonwalk scene was any indication, she enjoyed it.

Other things about the ep:

-THOMAS!!!! I think I missed the guy just as much as Pandora.... ok, not quite, but still, it was so nice to see that he’s back! And seeing the two of them hug just looked so right. I’m rooting for this couple.

- Katie. For the last three eps we’re meant to like her about as much as Emily does but this episode finally turned things around for her character. She’s such an annoying little bitch that it’s actually funny at this point. Especially the scene where Effy looked non-too-pleased to see her again and Katie proceeded to gush to her boyfriend about her new BFF.

- Leave it to Skins to give new meaning to the words “Pandora’s Box.” What will we find in there next!

- Kaya’s acting has gone leaps and bounds since last year. She was at the top of her game in this episode.

- JJ seeing all the naughty stuff that Cook warned him about was pretty funny, but I’m starting to question his character a little bit. Is he so socially awkward that he’d really start to go mental at a party? I don’t know what to make of him yet.

- They’re doing an awful job of covering up Jack O’Connell’s tattoo (the one beneath “Jack the Lad”). First there was his green shirt which rode up when he was on the roof with JJ and showed the tattoo creeping under the rim. Then there was the makeup that did not match his skin tone at all. His character’s already got tattoos, so why bother covering this one up?

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Skins 3: "Thomas"

Not many shows can pull off bringing in a new character just to dump him by the end of the episode to (possibly) never be heard from again. The only other show I can think of that did it was Lost with “Expose” where they featured and then killed off Paolo and Nikki, but most people consider that to be one of Lost’s worst storylines. What’s so great about “Thomas” is that it managed to seamlessly introduce a brand new character that had little to do with the rest of the characters or storyline, and still managed to turn him into a new fan favorite. And then, with no real reason at all, the show abruptly got rid of him. What gives?

For the first three acts of the episode (cowritten by Daniel Kaluuya aka Posh Kenneth) we were forced to follow Thomas, an African immigrant on his own, as he tried to make his way through the new world of London where he had to find a job fast so that he could keep his dump of an apartment. In fact, the episode revolved so much around him, that it wasn’t until the final act that we even got to see the majority of the cast again. And amazingly, I hardly seemed to notice. But perhaps that was because Effy and Pandora were prominently featured and they held up their part of the Skins bargain.

Thanks to Pandora’s increasingly hilarious penchant for vomiting we got to see Effy’s home life once again, and it looks like now that Tony’s out of the house the familial balance is a little off; Anthea is having an affair with her husband’s coworker. This new development seems to have affected the up-til-now seemingly emotionless Effy in ways I’m sure we’ll get to in her episode. Meanwhile, not only has Pandora got a rich pot-growing, and judging by her collection of chainsaws probably batshit crazy aunt, but now she’s got her very own love interest in Thomas, who surprisingly, and adorably, reciprocates Pandora’s affection (perhaps since he’s so pure-hearted he sees her innocence in a way that everyone else dismisses as nuttiness).

The episode not only served to introduce a new character but it also advanced the story. Johnny White was back, and this time digging his very thin claws into Thomas, who deftly got the better of him in, of all things, high comedic fashion with that red hot chili peppers scene. And the Naomi/Emily storyline continued on with a few more tidbits of info into their past. Apparantly both of them are unsure whether Emily is great.

Other points about the episode:

-I am a completely biased fan of Effy and so when she told Katie off with the three simple words, “I never try” I couldn’t have found it cooler. You could write pages of essay and spend hours trying to figure out the enigma that is Effy but she laid it out for us in the simplest and clearest terms. Effy doesn’t try. She just is. Hee. I’m a little apprehensive about where her character will be going this season because I love what she’s been in the last two but I’m also eager to see her transformation.
(Also, was it me or has she never been more stunning than when she was giving her mom the stare down at the dinner table?)

-The problem with Naomi. I really like Naomi so far but I’m finding her inclusion in the gang very hard to believe. All the boys hang out together because.... all the boys hang out together. We know that Effy goes with the group because she’s got a connection to Cook and Pandora goes with Effy because she’d probably get lost without her. Katie follows the group because she’s a follower who will follow Effy wherever she goes, and Emily won’t leave her sister’s side. So that leaves Naomi who’s been continuously ridiculed by different members of the group (mostly Katie who can’t seems to think of anything else to say that doesn’t come down to “GAY!”). She’s not friends with anyone except for maybe Emily.... who she actually seems to want to avoid. I don’t buy it and I wish they would’ve given her a stronger bond to someone so that her inclusion would be more believable. But I’m willing to turn a blind eye on that.

- The last problem would have to be the decision to let Thomas go. I don’t read spoilers so I don’t know if he’ll be back but I really hope he is. He was a truly great character and Merveille Lukeba did a great job acting him out. Alas, we’ll have to wait and see!


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Chuck @ NYCC Montage Recap

It seems like no one recorded the 5 minute montage of the second half of the season from the Chuck panel at NYCC so I'll post whatever I remember. Obviously, there are spoilers up ahead!


About Chuck's dad:
We see Ellie handing Chuck a card he recieved in the mail that says "return to sender." It's a card he apparently tried to send to his father.

Chuck and Sarah go and find Mr. Bartowski together and he's living in a trailer.

Chuck brings dad home to Ellie and Awesome and Ellie does not take the surprise very well. She yells something like, "You said you were going to get pancakes!"

Chuck's dad gets threatened by Chevy Chase.

About Chuck/Sarah:
Chuck tells her he wants to recreate the sububrs (or go back to spend another night at the suburbs) and Sarah turns hi down, explaining, yet again, that that wasn't real and it was just a mission.

There's a shot of them lying in Chuck's bed, where Chuck's staring up and Sarah has her back to him, both awake. Seemed like a tense/sad scene.

Chuck tells Ellie that he and Sarah are never going to be more than they are right now. And that he's OK with that. Ellie looks like she is not OK with that.

A scene in the courtyard where Chuck tells Sarah that one day he will get the intersect out of his head and when he does he'll live the life he wants with the girls he wants.

A scene in the Suburbs where Chuck's huddled with the guys and Andy Richter looks off and says "who is that woman talking to my wife". Chuck turns to see it's Sarah, proceeds to fawn.

Misceleneous stuff:
Chuck's tied to a bed and Jenny McCarthy is... we'll say "threatening" him with some seductive propositions.

Chuck, Sarah and (possibly) MI-6 dude gets captured and tied up. Chuck ranks the torture at an 8 out of 10, Sarah tells him the torture hasn't even started yet.
In another scene we see someone dumping wate on Chuck, and he says, "Please stop the torture! I'm freezing!" (it got some laughs at the con :D)

Sarah making out with MI-6 guy but also fighting with someone in her underwear (I'm going to say it's him even though it was kind of hard to tell who she was fighting).

Alex Forest (Tricia Helfer) giving Capt. Awesome a strip tease (???) and he not looking very pleased about it.

Big Mike making out with Morgan's mom at the Buy More. And Mrgan standing right there. Anna says they should prove that his mom isn't the only one who can be loud in the bedroom.

Jeff sitting in a bathrobe uncrossing his legs ala Sharon Stone Basic Instinct. (This probably got the most laughs).

And that's the most important stuff I thought to mention. Again, it's all just what I remember to the best of my memory. Nothing is word-for-word. If anyone remembers anything differently or something else I missed, drop me a line.




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Chuck panel at NY Comic Con!!!

Yvonne Strahovski, Josh Schwartz, and Chris Fedak were on hand for the Chuck panel at this years NY Comic Con. They got one of the smaller rooms (compared to the massive one designated for Dollhouse and Fringe) but they pretty much filled up the 1000 seater which I think is a good sign for Chuck. They showed a montage of the last half of Season 2 with lots of SPOILERS Sarah/MI-6 Guy scenes that had them making out and engaging in other steamy activities (and yes, Sarah did look into it). Josh, Chris and Yvonne watched the montage from the door, before they were let in, and Yvonne especially looked pretty satisfied with her semi-nude fight scenes. :D


The best of the audience Q & A came from all of Yvonne’s fans, and when I say “best” I mean “amusing in their creepiness.” One dude wanted to know if this was Yvonne’s first time in New York (it wasn’t) and what she’ll be doing around the city (the audience’s creeped out laughter saved her from answering). Then there was the guy who officially nominated her as Grand Marshal for some Polish parade (she seemed pretty flattered by that on actually, if a bit confused). And lastly there was the webmaster of Strahotski.com who gave her a teddy bear wearing a “Strahotski” t-shirt. (When asked later on who some of her creepiest fans had been Yvonne held up the doll and said “this guy.” So she finally confirmed that the guy who coined “Strahotshi” actually creeps her out too! It may sound like she came off mean but it was actually hilarious and she managed to be completely charming and everyone in the room basically agreed with her lol. Good times.

Here are some of the things addressed at the panel:

- Yvonne hasn’t complained about any of the little outfits she’s had to don for fight scenes but she once drew the line at fighting in a towel. One of the upcoming fight scenes is her favorite; it happens in a car.

- We’re going to see some behind the scenes at the Fulcrum headquarters.

- We could see Chuck’s first kill coming up soon.

- Josh was totally for Yvonne changing her surname because it’s original spelling is so hard to pronounce. Yvonne recalled him wanting her to change it to Smith but Josh said he’d suggested “Striker.”

- Josh confirmed that the next episode would be preempted thanks to Obama (and like us he’s pretty bummed that NBC built up so much momentum for the show for it to have to go off the air for a week). And he said that the same thing might have to happen next weekend even Yvonne looked surprised that Obama was speaking two Mondays in a row. Josh joked that Obama’s first order as presidency was to destroy Chuck (Obama as Fulcrum, anyone?)

- Yvonne’s funnest thing to shoot has been the shower scene with Nicole Richie, and her least fun thing was the rooftop fight scene with Michael Clark Duncan (it was too hot).

- The issue of whether or not the government is paying Chuck for his duties will get addressed.

- Yvonne was surprised when she found out she’d have to do her Aussie accent for the show and was uncomfortable doing it since she’s so used to being American in front of the cameras. She says her aussie accent isn’t very strong anymore because she’s “Becoming and an American.” She looked a bit bummed to be admitting it but the audience cheered anyway.

- A little kid asked if Casey got a robotic toe since his was blown off in the Xmas ep, to which Fedak replied, “ It’s actually a toe and a missile.”

- The issue of Chuck moving out or Sarah moving “seems like the popular way to go,” according to Josh.

- They’d still love to do an episode that takes place in Comic Con just because it’d be funny to try and find the bad guy when everyone looks like Darth Vader.

- We may geta look at the Beverly Hills BuyMore to see how the better half lives.

It would’ve been great if Zacharly Levi was there too but Josh, Yvonne, and Chris are hilarious enough without him. Good times all around.




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Chuck in 3D: The eye popping and the… not so… eye popping.

Now, I love Chuck as much as the next gal but Chuck vs. The Third Dimension wasn’t one of the shows best outings, and not just because the 3d glasses were tricky/cumbersome/gave everything a blue hue (although, for optimum viewing I would recommend watching the episode at hulu.com. I originally saw it on a regular TV screen and was disappointed to see that hardly anything popped out at me-- which probably serves me right for still having an analog TV, but watching it on hulu.com was super fun. The smallest things were coming out of the screen, including the opening credits and the posters on Chuck’s wall).

Anyway, let’s start with the good things about this episode:



- Dominic Monahan was actually funny! I was never a fan of his Charlie on Lost (always found that character to be utterly useless and annoying) but as Tyler Martin with that cockney accent the guy really made the two-dimensional and admittedly stereotypical rock star character really stand out. A few of his best lines were the ones he murmured after all of Casey’s tranq darts. My fave? “I feel like a daffodil.”

- Speaking tranq darts-- I loved them. I’ve seen some reviews calling the repeated use of them tiring but I thought they got funnier the more they appeared. Especially when used on Chuck himself.

- Chuck’s nightmare. Great way to start the episode, and a rather ingenious way to paradoxically excite the fangirls and fanboys. The fangirls got their “charah” (Chuck and Sarah, for the uninitiated) moment, even if it was a dream, and the (sex-crazed) fanboys got their fill of Yvonne Strahovski in black lingerie. Thank you show. Too bad the whole thing ended with a stabbing.

- The BuyMore! A lot of people felt that this week’s BuyMore storyline had absolutely nothing to do with the spyworld storyline, but while that may be true it was nonetheless entertaining. Come on, Lester shouting he’s a man after Butterman yanked his skivvies (tiny, tiny skivvies) off him wedgie style? Jeff eating a urinal cake (and Emmett having to splash himself silly?) Those two will always bring the lulz and I love them for it. The show would not be the same without them.

The not so good:

- The Mauser incident; dealt with and swept under the rug. It took about 20 seconds of air time for Chuck to finally tell Sarah why he’s been acting the way he has towards her and for Sarah to explain that it’s all just part of the job. The Mauser incident has been tiding us for weeks since the last episode. It’s spurred on dozens of fanfics. And it’s one of those psychological things so essential to Chuck’s overall conflict with this new life and this new girl and what kind of world he’s being forced to live in now that the fact that it was just thrown out the way it was was a little bit disappointing. (Especially for those out there who have written dozens of—pretty bad—fanfics dedicated to the issue.

- Chuck and Sarah chemistry. A dream/nightmare is not enough to tide us over and so when the final scene with Chuck and Sarah came about (in their usual heart-to-heart courtyard setting) we were expecting some fireworks. And we didn’t even get sparks. This is the episode they were using to reel in new viewers and if I was a new viewer watching the show for the first time I’d wonder what all the Chuck/Sarah fuss was about. Their lines fell flat, and the usually ultra express Yvonne Strahovski left some a little something to be desired (and I only say that cuz she usually gives us so much with just a smile or a look.

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There’s something about Cookie

This week we got an inside look at James Cook, better known as Cook to friends and Cookie to gangsters. Here are a few of the things we learned:

1) He’s got the thickest accent in the bunch (He'll be hogging all the subtitles on BBC America)
2) He loves booze/drugs/birthday cake
3) He’s absolutely crazy.


Number 3's a big one because that’s all we got in terms of character backstory. Unlike most of the episodes in the first two series, Cook’s episode didn’t actually take us into his home or family life (the only hint of family came when he threatened Johnny for mentioning his mother, but who wouldn’t do such a thing when their mother’s honor is at stake?). The point is, the home life of a character is almost always an indicator of why they are the way they are, but when it comes to Cook sometimes it's better to experience the crazy without being privvy to the source of it.

A lot of people have been comparing Cook to series 1 and 2's Tony and Chris and sure, his character does share some things in common with them, but Cook’s a whole different animal. Chris was a “Fuck it” pills-obsessed party animal but unlike Cook his partying ways were more lighthearted, and though extreme, all in the spirit of living life to its fullest. Cook wants to live life till it kills him.
Tony lacked a conscience and did things just to see how far they would go before someone finally stood up to him. He was twisted and conniving and for the better part of series 1 he was a psycho, clearly having no compassion for anyone or anything. While Tony pushed others to the brink of insanity Cook doesn’t push anyone but himself. He threatens men that could kill him, he sleeps with whoever he wants, and his liver must look like a full ashtray. But he's having fun.

The best and scene (with the most insight into who Cook is) comes right after everyone in the party starts fighting; Cook takes in the scene before him and cracks up. Chris and Tony could've found themselves in that position at one point but there's no way they would've reacted like that. Cook's laughter, more than anything, made him dangerous. And as if that wasn't enough the tense scene between him and Johnny upped the ante.

The rest of the episode didn't really give us anything new. We're getting closer to learning the truth about Emily. (but I'm sre we all guessed that she's gay from the first episode.)
The only other major character development came from Freddie who is proving himself to be more of a douche as the episodes go by. His choice to not look after Cook anymore would've made a lot more sense had we seen more instances of where Cook has failed him. And this might be pacing problem, because as it stands all we've seen are two episodes of him and we can't yet believe that he's this fed up with his best friend.

Some great things about the episode:

The moment shared between Cook and Effy in the tunnel. I don't know how I feel about this pairing yet and it seems Effy isn't quite sure either. She's so unreadable that it's almost frustrating but I wouldn't change that about Effy.

Pandora eating coke. Nuff said. :)

And Gareth Keenan! Mr. Mckenzie Crook was fantastic as Johnny White the gangster. (I had no idea he could pull off scary.) His Johnny came off a little like Captai Jack Sparrow but it worked. And speaking of Pirates of the Carribean, Kayleigh looked a lot like Keira Knightley. Ok, a whorish Keira Knightley, but still.

And finally, Skins really lucked out in finding Jack O'Connell. He's a great actor and really deserving of being on this show.





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