Chuck vs the Anniversary: Motherland

There were three big questions for the series Chuck heading into this, the fourth season. What happens now that The Buy More has burned down? How can the series work if Chuck is no longer a spy? How high will the bar be this season for geek stunt casting?

All these burning questions were answered pretty quickly on "Chuck vs the Anniversary," with nearly all answers pointing to things returning to the status quo (with some minor changes). By rebuilding the Buy More as a fully operational CIA front, the Buy More and Spy worlds have now been nearly merged in full, with the exception of a Jeffster and Big Mike loose end out roaming the metaphorical Pine Barrens. Chuck, as expected, is back in the spy game and is just lying to Ellie again. And we get three geek casting gasms between having The Terminator's Linda Hamilton as Chuck's mom, G4 and ComicCon fave Olivia Munn, Rocky IV baddie Dolph "Ivan" Lundgren and Harry Dean Stanton (casted purely for Repo Man -- where is Emilio Estevez when you need him?). My reaction? We'll see... season three kind of burned me and I need some winning over.

Music is a part of the battle and any episode featuring Peter Wolf Crier deserves some attention (used to it's full extent here for some third act levity).

Playlist: Chuck - Episode 4.01
1. "Howlin' For You" - The Black Keys [download]
2. "We're Here to Save the Day (feat. Asher Roth)" - The Constellations [download]
3. "In Response" - Peter Wolf Crier [download]
4. "Generator ^ First Floor" - Freelance Whales [download]

Previously: Chuck vs the Ring, Pt 2 (Ep 3.18-19)