Chuck: Chuck Versus The Tango

ORIGINAL EPISODES, MONDAYS @ 8PM ON NBC

Average. That pretty much describes this episode. Not much changed since last week with the exception that we had a bit more buildup in sexual tension between Chuck and Sarah. I've found that their relationship is what keeps my attention the most during each episode. The two of them have a great chemistry as actors and this is readily apparent to anyone watching, especially when the other scenes are so outrageous. The ridiculousness of "Chuck" is supposed to be its selling point but it's letting us down. I get that self-deprecating humor can be funny and "Chuck" is all about not taking itself seriously. The problem is that the humor doesn't always make you laugh and at times its too much to stand.

This episode Chuck got to jump into his first mission. A painting with radioactive materials was being sold at an auction where an international terrorist "La Ciudad" would try to buy it. As usual Chuck makes a mess of the situation and he ended up tied to a chair being tortured by La Ciudad. The scenes provided some mild humor and some fun but that was the extent of it.

While all of this was going on Chuck co-workers were trying to fix all the computers at Buy More so that her would be promoted to Assistant Manager and not Tang who would cancel the two hour lunches they all get to take. Unlucky for Morgan, he got locked into the cage with the computers overnight and couldn't fix any of the computers. Chuck got him out early in the morning, fixed all the computers and realized that he wants more than Buy More. This seemed to go over really well with Sarah who I think sees a lot of potential in Chuck.

I also somewhat enjoy Chuck's relationship with his sister, Ellie. She provides some normalcy to the craziness of his life and it could be good to see her get in on the secret one day. I think Sarah Lancaster as part of the spy game would take advantage of her wide range in acting skills while providing a lot of humor as well.

So far I've enjoyed the serious moments of this show more than the light-hearted attempts at comedy. I hope we see more building of the Chuck and Sarah relationship as it's the best part of the show. Basically "Chuck" comes down to two things - fun and enjoyment. If you're looking for an hour of care-free, non-thinking television this is your show. Until next week...enjoy.