CHUCK Season 5: Chuck Versus Zoom – REVIEW

Wow, Chuck Season 5. Who would have thought this show would last as long as it has. It’s been a shaky road for us Chuck fans, and our loyalty has been rewarded with one final season to wrap up everything and give a proper goodbye to our beloved characters. So without further ado, let’s jump in to the last premiere of Chuck we’ll ever see: “Chuck Versus the Zoom”.

The opening scene adequately sums up how this season will feel. Chuck and company have opened up their own spy operation, finding they’re own missions to pay the bills. Unlike previous seasons, Chuck no longer has the Intersect. Instead, that gift/burden falls to Morgan. As clumsy as Chuck was when he first started doing the spy thing, Morgan is even more awkward, which the show makes clear note of as the cast describes how great Morgan is as he’s wading through a fish pool (they’re still working out the kinks). But once he zooms (Chuck used to say “flash” but Morgan wants to make it his own thing), he becomes just as good a fighter as Casey and Sarah. Make no mistake, Chuck gets a few good punches in, letting us know he’s not entirely useless. Oh, and did I mention Mark Hamill plays the villain in the opening. Nerdgasm.

It was such a good feeling to see Chuck, Casey, Sarah and Morgan all together on a mission again. I know it was only May when we last saw them, but it seems like they’ve been gone awhile. I truly missed them, and I will be sad when the last episode finally airs. Thankfully, everyone stays true to who they’ve been throughout the series. Nothing felt out of character. It just felt right.

We get introduced to two issues that Chuck has to deal with in this episode (and for the rest of the season no doubt): his jealousy toward Morgan, and money. Those of you with good memories should recall Volkoff left his fortune to Chuck, which they used to purchase the Buy More and start up Carmichael Industries. As it turns out, running a spy business is expensive, as you would expect. All those weapons and gadgets aren’t going to come cheap. These money woes lead the team to taking on a job to steal back a crapload of cash from Roger Bale (Craig Kilborn).

As for Chuck being jealous of Morgan, that’s a plot you could see coming a mile away and it’s resolved in the typical manner. Chuck feels useless without the Intersect, but ultimately proves his worth by the end of the episode. It has the special Chuck style to it, but it’s still run of the mill material. It was also sad to see just how pointless the Buy More has become. Jeff and Lester (no Big Mike to be found) make brief appearances for a fake injury storyline that is wrapped up all too quickly. It could have been left on the cutting room floor and the episode would have been unaffected. Thankfully, Chuck suggests that he and Morgan need to spend more time at the Buy More in order to turn a profit and make more money, so perhaps we’ll get more action there, just like the old days.

I was relieved to see Ellie is fully aware of Chuck’s spy life this time around. That whole secrecy business in past seasons was always so needless and frustrating. Having her firmly in the loop feels like a good fit for her. She’s smart and could possibly even lend a hand on a mission from time to time.

All in all, this was a great premiere to a bittersweet season. There was good action, lots of laughs, and even some adorable Chuck and Sarah moments (also some Sarah in lingerie, no complaints here). I admit, I don’t know if I’m ready to say goodbye just yet. I have this fear the show won’t be able to wrap itself up as neatly as I would hope, but I will just have to wait and see. I’m very excited for the fifth and final season of Chuck.