Chuck vs First Class: Up in the Air

The slow evolution of Chuck from geek guy to chic spy has been sped up a notch, with the aid of Shaw (Brandon Routh), forcing Sarah to let Chuck "out of the car." It's funny the odd parallel here between Chuck and Breaking Bad. With BB, the slow evolution feels more deliberate because of the pacing of the show, whereas on Chuck, the comedy and action can take your eye off the the progress ball.

Besides the fun in the air (and what is it with all the shows in the past week having to subdue bad guys on airplanes? Human Target, this ep, and tonight's NCIS), Chuck had some fun subtle cultural touchpoints, with two Superman-associated guest stars in Brandon Routh (Superman Returns and Kristen Kreuk (Smallville, along with the (somewhat weak) My Bodyguard B-story, a movie where Adam Baldwin first made his name. Overall, though, a very fun episode, and I'm liking how they're handling the new intersect.

Musically, Chuck is working under a lower budget this year, and is more reliant upon score from both Chuck composer Tim Jones, and some repeat work from Daniel May. But they did end with some apropos French pop from the country's first lady, Carla Bruni. In case you were wondering what she was singing in the chorus:

I'm the lover, I'm your lover
And I sing for you the only of all things
That needs to be here, that needs to be here

Playlist: Chuck - Episode 3.05
1. "Respect" - Otis Redding
2. Frank Sinatra Jr.?
3. "Wake Up" - Mackintosh Braun
4. "Ready, Aim, Fire" - unknown
5. "L'Amoureuse" - Carla Bruni

Previously: Chuck vs Project Awesome (Ep 304)