Posted by Janie Logan Feb 2, 2011, 19:01 GMT
Chuck (Zachary Levi) uses some tricks learned from his father to defeat Volkoff (Timothy Dalton) and bring his mother home in "Chuck vs. the Push Mix." Photo courtesy of NBC.
Loving an “on the bubble” show like Chuck can be stressful, the network ax of cancellation ever poised to take it away. Yet, loving a show like that can also be the most rewarding.
Looking back at series-finales-that-could-have-been on Chuck, you see episodes with huge leaps in the storytelling: “I know Kung Fu”…Chuck and Sarah finally get together in Paris…Morgan accidentally blows up the Buy More…Daddy Bartowski passes on his life’s work and greatest mission to Chuck—find his mother. And now, “Chuck vs. the Push Mix.”
So I’ll take the stress—because with it comes a commitment to taking risks, and because it makes every new hour feel like a gift.
“Chuck vs. the Push Mix” was a big gift.
My favorite development of the entire series has been Chuck with the Intersect 2.0 because it meant that he could take a more active role in the spy world, and in his own life. He didn’t choose the burden that Bryce put on him when he opened that email with the first Intersect. He became a tool of the government, and most missions left him shouting to Casey and Sarah for help.
Downloading the Intersect 2.0 was Chuck’s choice. He knew that it would mean giving up a normal life forever, but he also knew that it was worth the cost because of all the good he could do. Since then he’s become a much more capable spy—staying true to himself and still led by his emotions, and proving that can be effective.
So in this episode I loved that Chuck devised the plan and saw it through to the very end—the arrest (not revenge killing) of Alexei Volkoff. There were a couple ways the Volkoff takedown could’ve happened, and the most likely seemed to be that Mama B would kill him to protect Chuck and send Sarah home. She had spent 20 years invested in this undercover mission. I imagine if Chuck hadn’t dedicated himself to finding her, she would have stayed hidden forever.
Although we can’t be sure of all the things Mama B did to maintain her cover, she probably felt like she couldn’t go home again. At the very least, she wasn’t motivated to doing what it ultimately took to steal the Hydra and neutralize Volkoff…that is, not until her son refused to stay out of the situation.
When Sarah joined Volkoff, pushed Casey out a window, and distanced herself from Chuck, Mama B found the resolve she needed: “I don’t want you to become me, and I will not allow my son to become his father.”
But Chuck came up with a plan that his father would’ve been proud of (those thinking boards with notecards and strings really work!), and it was exciting to see everything come together.
What was so great about “Chuck vs. the Push Mix” was the way in which it showed us the heart of every relationship that has come to make the series so great.
With Chuck & Morgan--sure, they are always good for hilarious moments like with the Hydra engineer and his doppelganger (“Am I in a bathroom?” “What? No, geez, it’s Hell. I mean, it’s clearly Hell!”)--but at the core of their friendship is a deep loyalty. Morgan helps Chuck on his mission to The Contessa without question, in spite of the danger.
Casey should almost die more often. Not really, but it provided some touching scenes with Alex and Morgan, and even Devon, who was freaking out over the delivery plan not going perfectly until Casey told him to man up. Every day since he learned he was a father, he has regretted not being there for Alex. It was the kick Devon needed to go back to Ellie’s side, hold her hand, and be Awesome.
Mama B gets to start making up for lost time when Chuck gets her to the hospital in time for the birth of her granddaughter. She certainly has a lot to make up for as a mother, but I would also like to see her earning her way back into the CIA’s favor by joining Team Bartowski. Sadly, she can never undo the fact that her husband never stopped looking for her and then was killed before he could see her again. But I don’t think Daddy B’s story is completely over yet, keeping in mind the computer that restored Chuck’s Intersect and how it somehow involved Ellie…
In their own twisted way, Jeffster is part of the group, too, and they got to do what they do best—be insane and perform “Push It” to a hospital full of women in labor.
And most importantly of all, Chuck & Sarah—his sweet, eloquent speech in “Chuck vs. the Balcony” should have been the proposal. Spy stuff got in the way then, and now, Chuck takes Casey’s advice and proposes in the hospital hall, understanding that where the question is asked is not important. Simple and beautiful. I love that we see it from down the hall next to the maintenance guy cleaning the floor because it creates a real sense of intimacy. You don’t hear Sarah say “Yes,” but you see her lean down to kiss him and that’s all you need to know.
This could have been the end of Chuck, but instead we can look forward to 11 more episodes in Season 4 (and possibly, hopefully beyond???). Not killing Volkoff was the greatest decision Josh Schwartz and Chris Fedak ever made because, honestly, WHY would you let Timothy Dalton go? So he will definitely be back, as will Linda Hamilton, and Chuck and Sarah will have a wedding to plan and a baby niece to play with. The fun continues.
Check out this great interview with Schwartz and Fedak from TV Line, and sound off on your thoughts about the episode in the comments!
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