Kyle Garret, Sam Salama Cohén" />
Psycho Drive-In logo
Search
  • PDI Press
    Featured
    • BETTY WHITE VS THE STUPID WORLD: The Movie

      Kyle Garret, Sam Salama Cohén
      January 17, 2022
      Fiction, PDI Press, PDI Press Writers
    Recent
    • BETTY WHITE VS THE STUPID WORLD: The Movie

      John E. Meredith
      January 17, 2022
    • Betty White Vs the Stupid World (Chapter Seven)

      John E. Meredith
      January 16, 2022
    • Betty White Vs the Stupid World (Chapter Six)

      John E. Meredith
      January 15, 2022
    • PDI Press Catalog
    • PDI Press Writers
      • Fiction
  • Columns A-D
    • A Fistful of Dollar Comics
    • ABCs of Horror
    • All Binge… No Purge
    • Anything Joes
    • Beautiful Creatures
    • Big Eyes Smart Mouth
    • Big Sleeps and Long Goodbyes
    • Cahiers du Horror
    • Dispatches From the Field
    • Drive-In Saturday
    • Dungeons & D-Listers
  • Columns F-P
    • The Final Girl
    • First Looks… Second Thoughts
    • The Flesh is Weak
    • Innocence and Experience
    • Lost in Translation
    • Page to Screen
    • Popcorn Cinema
    • Psycho Essentials: The ’80s!
  • Columns S-Z
    • Schlock & Awe
    • Shakespeare on Film
    • Shot for Shot
    • Sick Flix
    • Unnatural Selections
    • Versus
    • Video Word Made Flesh
    • We Got Lists
    • Women in Horror
    • The Xeno File
    • Zombies 101
  • Reviews
    Featured
    • Heart of Stone (2023)

      Kyle Garret, Sam Salama Cohén
      August 18, 2023
      Movies, Reviews
    Recent
    • Heart of Stone (2023)

      Nate Zoebl
      August 18, 2023
    • Obstacle Corpse (2022)

      Nate Zoebl
      July 20, 2023
    • Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part One (2023)

      Paul Brian McCoy
      July 16, 2023
    • Books
    • Comics
    • DVD/Blu-ray
    • Movies
    • TV
    • Series
  • Interviews
    Featured
    • Interview with Indie Horror Master, Chris Bickel

      Kyle Garret, Sam Salama Cohén
      July 13, 2018
      Interviews
    Recent
    • Interview with Indie Horror Master, Chris Bickel

      The Final Girl
      July 13, 2018
    • David Black: Carnies, Carnage, and the Creative Chaos of Darkness Visible

      Dan Lee
      March 7, 2017
    • Jaiden Kaine joins the Marvel Universe as new Luke Cage baddie, Zip

      Andre Lamar
      September 29, 2016
    • SDCC 2016 Interviews: The Cast and Creators of Batman: The Killing Joke

      Jason Sacks
      July 28, 2016
    • SDCC 2016 Interviews: The Cast and Creators of Syfy’s Van Helsing

      Dave Hearn, Paul Brian McCoy
      July 27, 2016
    • Wondercon Interview: The Cast of Damien

      Gary Richardson, Laura Akers
      April 16, 2016
  • News
    Featured
    • Breaking Down The Upcoming DC Studios Slate

      Kyle Garret, Sam Salama Cohén
      February 1, 2023
      News, Shot for Shot
    Recent
    • Breaking Down The Upcoming DC Studios Slate

      Paul Brian McCoy
      February 1, 2023
    • John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum arrives on Digital 8/23 and 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, DVD and On Demand 9/10

      psychodr
      July 30, 2019
    • X-Men: Dark Phoenix arrives on Digital 9/3 and 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and DVD 9/17

      Paul Brian McCoy
      July 16, 2019
    • Trailers
  • Psychos
  • Merchandise
Breaking
  • Heart of Stone (2023)
  • Obstacle Corpse (2022)
  • Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part One (2023)
  • Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023)
  • The Flash (2023) / Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023)
  • Evil Dead Rise (2023)
  • RSS
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • Tumblr
  • Who We Be
  • Contact
  • PDI Press
    • PDI Press Catalog
    • PDI Press Writers
      • Fiction
  • Columns A-D
    • A Fistful of Dollar Comics
    • ABCs of Horror
    • All Binge… No Purge
    • Anything Joes
    • Beautiful Creatures
    • Big Eyes Smart Mouth
    • Big Sleeps and Long Goodbyes
    • Cahiers du Horror
    • Dispatches From the Field
    • Drive-In Saturday
    • Dungeons & D-Listers
  • Columns F-P
    • The Final Girl
    • First Looks… Second Thoughts
    • The Flesh is Weak
    • Innocence and Experience
    • Lost in Translation
    • Page to Screen
    • Popcorn Cinema
    • Psycho Essentials: The ’80s!
  • Columns S-Z
    • Schlock & Awe
    • Shakespeare on Film
    • Shot for Shot
    • Sick Flix
    • Unnatural Selections
    • Versus
    • Video Word Made Flesh
    • We Got Lists
    • Women in Horror
    • The Xeno File
    • Zombies 101
  • Reviews
    • Books
    • Comics
    • DVD/Blu-ray
    • Movies
    • TV
    • Series
  • Interviews
  • News
    • Trailers
  • Psychos
  • Merchandise
Home
Reviews

Chuck 5.04 “Chuck vs. the Business Trip”

Kyle Garret, Sam Salama Cohén
December 7, 2011
Reviews, TV

Warning: A non-numeric value encountered in /home/psychodr/public_html/wp/wp-content/themes/valenti/library/core.php on line 1104

Kyle Garret: As much as I have disliked the “Morgan as the Intersect” storyline, I will admit that it’s coincidence the episode in which Morgan loses the Intersect also seemed to work better on every level than anything we’ve seen so far this year.

Sam Salama Cohén: And that’s mainly because this is a character-driven series, and until now this fifth and last season had had a plot but characterization wasn’t as spot-on as on previous seasons. On this fourth episode, however, there are lots of nice character touches, and none is standing by doing nothing. Morgan is on his road to recovery, and the rest of the team is bent on saving his sorry, little, nerdy ass. Oh, and the episode is full of that classic Chuck ambience…Who’s the bad guy among all of the suspects? Paranoia ahoy!

Kyle: Yeah, I’ve found this show works best when they have big stories that aren’t dependent upon tight plots in individual episodes.  Because let’s face it, this show isn’t going to win awards for more realistic spy stories.  It pushes suspension of disbelief to the limit, which is fine, as long the plot isn’t the be all and end all of the show.

The big success of this episode comes towards the end, where for the first time in a long time we get a really nice confluence of both spy and non-spy events.  Lester trying to gas Jeff is actually pretty funny and added a nice element of confusion to the final face off with the Viper.  And how great was Big Mike yelling “Pineapple,” as a nod to season one?

Chuck-Versus-The-Business-Trip-Promo1

Sam: I really enjoyed how the crazy Lester situation has been playing out since Jeff’s recovery. One thing I had always wondered was how come Jeffster’s crazy actions never had any kind of repercussion…Well, guess what, that’s a thing of the past. And the writers, once again, make a nod to the Marvel gallery of Villains, which is always an appreciated nerdy touch.

Kyle: We also get to see Chuck using his non-super computer brain again to save the day, or at least his wife.  I know this is an angle that they’re trying to play up, and I enjoy it, but at some point he’s going to have to get the Intersect back.  I mean, that’s what this show is about, and it’s what people want to see.  Besides, as intelligent as Chuck might be, as talented as Sarah might be, and as dangerous as Casey might be, if Decker is the threat they’re trying to make him out to be, they’re going to need the Intersect to beat him.

Sam: I think this episode could be divided into two parts: the BuyMore getaway trip, which served to see Chuck and Sarah acting like spies without the Intersect and only Casey’s technical support and their own instincts as a backup; and back in LA, the search and apprehension of the real Viper, which focused more on a more serious Morgan (thank God), a Sarah that once again feels she can’t trust anybody and, as you pointed out, a Intersect-less Chuck that comes to the rescue. However, it wasn’t until the final five minutes that I almost jumped on my seat. Casey’s back, for real, and that was the best news of this whole episode.

Kyle: Oh, yeah, and it was set up perfectly, too.  I really enjoyed the way the entire team operated in this episode.  There was no hesitation when it came to Chuck going undercover as Morgan, just as there was no hesitation when Morgan called Casey for help.  And, of course, it was a really nice bit when Sarah nodded to Casey, the only signal he needed to track down the Viper and her men.

Sam: Same here. This time they had a plan and they stuck to it, even if the Viper was more difficult to catch than they’d anticipated. And I believe it all had more power to it because this time they were being hunted. In the end that meant kill or be killed, and that raised the bar in a considerable way, up till the final cliffhanger.

chuck504_yvonne

Kyle: Right, and as tacked on as it might have seemed, that was a great moment for this season.  It appears as if Sarah made this decision without talking to Chuck, probably because she knew it could involve killing people. And if anyone thought Casey was going soft, the last ten minutes of this episode should set them right.  It will be interesting to see how Sarah explains this to Chuck, let alone what they could possibly do to save Casey.

Sam: I believe that turmoil awaits Chuck and Sarah’s relationship, that’s right, but I believe they will have to put their modus operandi’s discussions aside until they get Casey back. I bet that they will contact General Beckman to try and get some inside help. However, getting back to one of your first points, it’d be the time to somehow get the Intersect back into Chuck’s nerdy brain, and see him using it to give Decker’s men a sound beating. Here’s hoping!

Kyle: Yet again, however, we were reminded of how little significance anything the team does has these days.  At one point, Sarah and Chuck were debating the merits of leading normal lives, which begged the question: why don’t they?  They’re no longer saving the world.  They’re hired guns now, working for whoever can pay them, and usually doing jobs that don’t amount to much in the grand scheme of things.  It’s not the same as working for the CIA, yet it seems like the writers want us to believe that it is.  If Sarah and Chuck want to do good in the world, there’s no reason they have to keep their security company up and running; there are plenty of other ways they can help.

Sam: That’s a recurring plot point which it’s certainly hurting this last season’s significance. Because, yes, this time things were personal because one of their team was in mortal danger, but you can’t be repeating that same structure over and over.

So, how is Chuck’s evolving? It is doing nicely, in the sense that some failures have been corrected and we have seen plenty of character evolution in just four episodes.

However, the American TV series’ market is a tough one that demands changes in the status quo almost in every episode for the viewer to keep its attention. Therefore, I believe Chuck’s team of writers is well aware that they have to deliver, and that maybe some payoff is required for viewers to keep on tuning in every Friday. How this payoff will play out has yet to be seen.

Kyle: This could be the first Chuck has ever benefited from have absolutely no viewers.  Since it’s officially the last season – and unless ten million people just suddenly decide to start watching it, that won’t change – so the writers don’t really need to try to bring in new fans.

That’s why I’ve held such high hopes for this season.  They can really cut loose and embrace the show’s mythology.  For me, that’s part of what made season two the best season.  They dug into Jill, Orion, Sarah, and Fulcrum, yet never lost track of the characters.  In fact, while I know that Jordana Brewster was already cast on the Dallas remake, it would be a shame if we didn’t see her again.  I feel like it would be a huge missed opportunity if she and Shaw don’t show up at some point this season.

nbc-chuck-versus-business-trip-preview

Sam: Yes, both his relationships with Orion and Jill, when explored, gave the show a unique blend of drama, mystery and fear of not knowing their true intentions and how that could hurt Chuck. We are missing that outside blend right now. However, about Shaw…wasn’t he dead at the hands of Fulcrum? Though Orion is supposed to be dead and I firmly believe he will show up right at the end…

Kyle: The last we saw of Shaw, he had just been knocked out by Sarah after fighting Chuck.  In theory, he’s in a CIA prison somewhere, which would make him the perfect weapon for Decker.

I worry about them bringing Orion back, if only because he died so definitively.  It concerns me that we’ll get some ridiculous explanation for why he’s not dead.

I think the fact that we’re speculating like this is a good sign, though, as far as the show holding on to us for the rest of the season!

(Visited 265 times, 1 visits today)
Chuck 5.04 "Chuck vs. the Business Trip"
3.0Overall Score

Related

ChuckKyle GarretSam Salama Cohen

The Adventures of Tintin Season One DVD Review
Another Earth Blu-ray Review

About The Author

monsterid
Kyle Garret, Sam Salama Cohén
Honest Man / Thunder God

Sam is a passionate comic lover, who since an early age, found himself into the grasp of Marvel titles such as Conan the Barbarian, Captain America, Spider-Man, and, of course, his true love (after his wife Natalia, that is), the Avengers. When he was very little he created his own comic, which thanks to having relatives on the US and other countries, travelled all over the world. Now he is a happy reader. Though looking at his Resume one would think he is the serious kind of guy-Economics degree, Auditor for several years-fun and rhythm flow through his veins, and have been that way since he can remember. Spanish and currently living in Madrid, he loves travelling around the world-and getting comics wherever he goes!!! He has experience managing comic-book related online communities, and during his time on both www.AvengersForever.org and the great, unique www.ComicsBulletin.com he has had the chance to work as reviewer/columnist/interviewer, learning the ropes as he went along. As Comics Bulletin’s Social Media Manager, he devoted a lot of his time to managing and improving the site’s presence on social networks, and on building an active and interesting Community. You can find him as @SamSalama on Twitter, and as Samuel Salama on Facebook.

Related Posts

  • 4.5

    Fargo 1.05 “The Six Ungraspables”

    Sam Salama Cohén
    May 20, 2014
  • 4.0

    Chuck 5.10 “Chuck Vs. Bo”

    Kyle Garret, Sam Salama Cohén
    January 20, 2012

Daily Top Ten

  • The Blacklist 1.15 "The Judge"The Blacklist 1.15 “The Judge” by Natalie Amato
  • Lucifer 1.07 "Wingman"Lucifer 1.07 “Wingman” by Jeffrey Roth
  • Dobie Gillis: "I Gotta Kill that Boy!" A Cult Series Makes its Way to DVDDobie Gillis: “I Gotta Kill that Boy!” A… by Don McGregor
  • Iron Man & Hulk: Heroes United Blu-rayIron Man & Hulk: Heroes United Blu-ray by Paul Brian McCoy
  • Orphan Black 2.04 "Governed as It Were by Chance"Orphan Black 2.04 “Governed as It Were by… by Sean Reid
  • Haunted House on Sorority Row (2014)Haunted House on Sorority Row (2014) by Paul Brian McCoy
  • Lost in Translation 449: Gamera - Rebirth (2023)Lost in Translation 449: Gamera – Rebirth (2023) by Scott Delahunt
  • Sick Flix: Tetsuo: The Bullet Man (2009)Sick Flix: Tetsuo: The Bullet Man (2009) by Corin Totin
  • Living Among Us – Found Footage Vampires that Don’t SuckLiving Among Us – Found Footage Vampires that Don’t Suck by Dan Lee
  • Breaking Bad 4.03 "Open House"Breaking Bad 4.03 “Open House” by Jamil Scalese
400x400 GI Joe Funko Banner

Weekly Top Ten

  • The Final Girl: I Spit on Your Grave (2010)The Final Girl: I Spit on Your Grave (2010) by The Final Girl
  • Haunted House on Sorority Row (2014)Haunted House on Sorority Row (2014) by Paul Brian McCoy
  • Lost in Translation 435: Remaking Blue Thunder (1983)Lost in Translation 435: Remaking Blue Thunder (1983) by Scott Delahunt
  • Adventure Time 6.06 “Breezy”Adventure Time 6.06 “Breezy” by Dave Hearn
  • The Hills Have Eyes (1977) vs The Hills Have Eyes (2006)The Hills Have Eyes (1977) vs The Hills Have Eyes (2006) by Corin Totin
  • Advance Review: The Legend of Tarzan (2016) Blu-rayAdvance Review: The Legend of Tarzan (2016) Blu-ray by Paul Brian McCoy
  • Drive-In Saturday: Heavy Metal 2000 (2000)Drive-In Saturday: Heavy Metal 2000 (2000) by Alex Wolfe
  • Unnatural Selections: Two-Headed Shark Attack (2012)Unnatural Selections: Two-Headed Shark Attack (2012) by Brooke Brewer
  • Dungeons & D-Listers: Deathstalker (1983)Dungeons & D-Listers: Deathstalker (1983) by Alex Wolfe
  • Night of the Living Dead 30th Anniversary EditionNight of the Living Dead 30th Anniversary Edition by Dan Lee
400x400 UA Affiliate Banner

Latest Reviews

  • Heart of Stone (2023)

    Nate Zoebl
    August 18, 2023
  • Obstacle Corpse (2022)

    Nate Zoebl
    July 20, 2023
  • Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part One (2023)

    Paul Brian McCoy
    July 16, 2023

psychodrivein

Today at https://psychodrivein.com Anything Joes: Today at https://psychodrivein.com

Anything Joes: S01E66 - De-Classified Debt

Greg and Jaren talk news, acquisitions, and balancing the budget when all your toys are arriving at the same time.
---
Watch the @AnythingJoesPod guys at the link in our profile!

#Anything Joes #GIJoe #GIJoeDeclassified #WrathOfCobra
Today at https://psychodrivein.com Lost in Transl Today at https://psychodrivein.com

Lost in Translation - Defusing Bombs: Cutthroat Island (1995)

Cutthroat Island is worth a look, keeping in mind its weaknesses.
---
Read more of Scott's article at the link in our profile!

#LostInTranslation #CutthroatIsland #GeenaDavis #RennyHarlin #MatthewModine #FrankLangella
Today at https://psychodrivein.com Anything Joes: Today at https://psychodrivein.com

Anything Joes: S01E65 - Pyramid of Darkness (2): Rendezvous in the City of the Dead

Greg and Jaren continue their dive into the classic G.I. Joe mini-series Pyramid Of Darkness! 
---
Watch the @AnythingJoesPod gang at the link in our profile!

#AnythingJoes #GIJoe #GIJoeARealAmericanHero #PyramidOfDarkness
Today at https://psychodrivein.com Lost in Transl Today at https://psychodrivein.com

Lost in Translation 447: Batman: The Animated Series (1992)

Batman: the Animated Series demonstrates how to adapt a popular character without losing the character’s essence.
---
Read more of Scott's article at the link in our profile!

#Batman #BatmanTheAnimatedSeries #MarkHamill #KevinConroy #ArleenSorkin #WB #DC
Today at https://psychodrivein.com Heart of Stone Today at https://psychodrivein.com

Heart of Stone (2023)

It’s hard for me to envision anything Heart of Stone could offer that people would request a return visit.
---
Read more of Nate's review at the link in our profile!

#HeartOfStone #GalGadot #Netflix
Today at https://psychodrivein.com Anything Joes: Today at https://psychodrivein.com

Anything Joes: S01E64 - Pyramid of Darkness (1)

It's time! Greg introduces Jaren to the first episode of the iconic "Pyramid of Darkness" series from G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero!
---
Watch the @AnythingJoesPod guys watch the cartoon at the link in our profile!

#AnythingJoes #GIJoe #ARealAmericanHero #PyramidOfDarkness
Today at https://psychodrivein.com Anything Joes: Today at https://psychodrivein.com

Anything Joes: S01E63 - Kentuckiana 2023 

Greg and Jaren discuss the new layout, the vendors, and their recent acquisitions from attending The Kentuckiana G.I. Joe Toy Expo! 
---
Watch the new @AnythingJoesPod video at the link in our profile!

#AnythingJoes #Kentuckiana #KentuckianaGIJoeToyExpo #GIJoe #Kentuckiana2023 #KentuckianaGIJoeToyExpo2023
Today at https://psychodrivein.com Lost in Transl Today at https://psychodrivein.com

Lost in Translation 446: Cowboy Bebop (2021)

One snag the live-action Cowboy Bebop has is trying too hard to look like the anime.
---
Read more of Scott's article at the link in our profile!

#AnythingJoes #CowboyBebop #Netflix #Sunrise #HajimeYatate #ShinichiroWatanabe #YokoKanno #Seatbelts #JohnCho #MustafaShakir #DaniellaPineda #AlexHassell #ElenaSatine
Today at https://psychodrivein.com Anything Joes: Today at https://psychodrivein.com

Anything Joes: G.I. Joe SDCC Reveals & Discussion (With Patrick Davis)

In a brand-new @AnythingJoesPod, Greg, Jaren, and special guest Patrick Davis discuss the reveals and events surrounding San Diego Comic Con 2023! 
---
Watch the video at the link in our profile! 

 #SDCC #SDCC2023 #SanDiegoComicCon #SanDiegoComicCon2023 #GIJoe #AnythingJoes
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Latest Columns

  • Lost in Translation 449: Gamera – Rebirth (2023)

    Scott Delahunt
    September 22, 2023
  • Anything Joes: S01E66 – De-Classified Debt

    Greg Engle
    September 13, 2023
  • Lost in Translation 448 – Defusing Bombs: Cutthroat Island (1995)

    Scott Delahunt
    September 8, 2023

Look Who's Talking

Barbie Worldwide
Barbie Worldwide - 8/5/2023
Lost in Translation 429: The Barbie Movie Teaser
Barbie still in the driver's seat and the movie is speeding past a billion by August 7, 2023.
John E. Meredith
John E. Meredith - 4/5/2023
EZMM 2023 Day 3.1: Zombie for Sale (2019)
Of course, I just woke up from an old-man nap and had a strong urination before reading this, so now...
John E. Meredith
John E. Meredith - 4/3/2023
EZMM 2023 Day 1.1: I Am a Hero (2015)
Oh hell yeah. Looks like one more thing to add to my watch list.
RSSTwitterFacebookinstagramtumblr

Archives

Large_rectangle_336X280
All work on this site is Copyright © each individual writer.
  • PDI Press
    • PDI Press Catalog
    • PDI Press Writers
      • Fiction
  • Columns A-D
    • A Fistful of Dollar Comics
    • ABCs of Horror
    • All Binge… No Purge
    • Anything Joes
    • Beautiful Creatures
    • Big Eyes Smart Mouth
    • Big Sleeps and Long Goodbyes
    • Cahiers du Horror
    • Dispatches From the Field
    • Drive-In Saturday
    • Dungeons & D-Listers
  • Columns F-P
    • The Final Girl
    • First Looks… Second Thoughts
    • The Flesh is Weak
    • Innocence and Experience
    • Lost in Translation
    • Page to Screen
    • Popcorn Cinema
    • Psycho Essentials: The ’80s!
  • Columns S-Z
    • Schlock & Awe
    • Shakespeare on Film
    • Shot for Shot
    • Sick Flix
    • Unnatural Selections
    • Versus
    • Video Word Made Flesh
    • We Got Lists
    • Women in Horror
    • The Xeno File
    • Zombies 101
  • Reviews
    • Books
    • Comics
    • DVD/Blu-ray
    • Movies
    • TV
    • Series
  • Interviews
  • News
    • Trailers
  • Psychos
  • Merchandise