For those unfamiliar with the series,
Chuck revolves around a lowly electronics store employee named Chuck
(Zachary Levi), who unwittingly becomes embroiled in the world of
high-stakes espionage when a top secret, one-of-a-kind government
program called the Intersect is inadvertently downloaded into his
brain. Having suddenly become a invaluable asset to national security,
Sarah, an attractive CIA agent (Yvonne Strahovski) and Casey, a hardened
NSA veteran (Adam Baldwin) are sent to protect Chuck at all costs, who
must then struggle to hide his double life from friends and family while
surviving untold dangers, and fixing the odd computer, in the process.
If you think that sounds implausible and
ridiculous you’re probably right on both counts, but the series never
takes itself seriously enough for it to matter. Furthermore it remains
fresh and engaging thanks to some snappy writing and convincing,
enjoyable performances from its leads. The series also boasts a strong
ensemble cast, including the hilarious Joshua Gomez as Chuck’s
irredeemably nerdy pal Morgan, and a cavalcade of guest performances
from the likes of Chevy Chase, a surprisingly adept Nicole Ritchie and
Arrested Development’s Tony Hale.
The second season essentially follows the
formula of the first, with Chuck and his two minders dodging assassin’s
bullets, infiltrating organised crime gangs and tracking down rogue CIA
agents on a weekly basis. The series does however explore the
character’s back stories much more than was the case in Season One, as
we are introduced to Sarah’s criminal father (Office Space’s Gary
Cole) and given additional insight into Chuck’s previous relationship
with the college flame who broke his heart.
All in all Season Two offers up a great
package, with 22 episodes spread out over four disks and some solid
extras, including a gag reel, several featurettes and dozens of deleted
scenes. The writing remains strong and the show consistently has its
cake and eats it too, poking as much fun as ever at spy movie
conventions while simultaneously milking them for all they’re worth.
There are plenty of laughs, no shortage of explosions and the season
finale ends on one hell of a cliffhanger; all in all Chuck is one
of the joys of the current TV crop, with a solid mix of drama and comedy
and a depth of talent that lends an emotional core when things look like
veering out of control.
On the technical front however the
supposedly 1080p picture quality is surprisingly variable, with many
scenes and even entire episodes coming across as extremely grainy,
particularly early in the series. The fact that one scene will be
crystal clear BD quality and the next bordering on fuzzy would seem an
unusual oversight in this day and age of High-definition transfers,
especially considering the price of the set is somewhere in the vicinity
of $60-$80, and overall the video quality is far from pristine
throughout.
On the positive side the soundtrack is once
again an admirable affair. Though the audio on offer is a Dolby Digital
5.1 and not TrueHD it’s certainly an immersive and extremely effective
mix, with the work of a diverse array of artists such as The National,
Bon Iver and other stalwarts of the alternative scene interspersed
liberally throughout.
Season Two of Chuck certainly won’t
disappoint its diehard fans. The series was recently included in Time
magazine’s Top 10 best shows of the year and has been voted ‘TV’s
funniest comedy’ by Entertainment Weekly, neither of which I’d be
willing to dispute. The show also has much to offer casual viewers and
new fans, as plenty of exposition is given when necessary and each
episode stands on its own as a 45-minute slice of espionage-spoof fun.
Overall this is an impressive package, marred by some indifferent
picture quality on occasion but never let down by its writing or its
cast.
