The Buoy Club

Chuck: This Whole Spy Thing Must Run in the Family

Talk about a worthwhile investment. I originally got into Chuck after seeing the funny promo for the second season premiere while watching for Heroes promos. The Buoy Club needed a comedy, and I figured I'd give Chuck a shot. Although it was a bit slow going at first as I worked myself into the plot and warmed up to the characters, I can now say with full confidence that I am a full blown Chuck fanatic. If there was a way to measure how fast Buoy Club members moved up my "most anticipated" list, Chuck would be peaking out at the top of the spectrum. If this show doesn't get renewed for a third season, NBC is getting punched in the face.

While there are dozens of things I could talk about in this stellar episode, I will hone my emphasis down to the reveal of Orion's true identity. After "Chuck vs. The Predator," I found myself running through the different possibilities of who was behind the creation of the Intersect and ultimately responsibility for Chuck's current predicament. But the way the writers decided to unveil it, with Chuck's dad sliding his hands behind his head only to reveal his Mighty Morphin' Wristband was AMAZING. I think I literally gasped in surprise. Maybe I should've seen it coming, but the way the Bakula played Stephen Bartowski as off-beat and paranoid had me completely in the dark.

Stephen's explanation of why he abandoned his kids and didn't tell Chuck he was Orion made perfect sense. Other shows would've likely butchered such a simple and sincere reason, but Chuck writers are the masters of utilizing realistic conversation to create character moments the audience can believe in. Not only that, but to have Chuck lunge for his father at the end when he could've just walked away was perfectly in character for Chuck. This is a guy who's always put his family before himself, so his actions were very believable. Now that Stephen has been kidnapped by Roark and Fulcrum, it will be interesting to see how Team Bartowski handles the rescue effort given Chuck's vehement pursuit of Orion up to this point.

I really don't know what else Chuck can do to prove it's the best comedy on television. After its first season worked out the kinks and finally found its groove, the second season has been delivering EVERY week with episodes that are fun and loaded with great action. Not to mention the Chuck/Sarah relationship that's developed into one of the most complicated, yet real, pairings on TV right now.

Overall, this episode featured a fantastic revelation and gave the season its focus as we come down the home stretch.

BUOY CLUB GRADE: 96 out of 100.

Heroes: As the Stars Align...

I think I share the sentiment of most Heroes fans when I say that this show is on its last leg. As much as I loved the first volume, the second, third and what I've seen of the fourth have really crushed my faith that this show can deliver anymore. The convoluted storylines and absurd characters arcs have left me watching a show I no longer recognize. It's hard to remember I'm supposed to care for these characters when I no longer know who they are. The best comparison I can think of to explain this phenomenon is the feeling you get when watching a horror movie: you actually cheer when characters get killed because you have no connection with them. They're just caricatures parading around on screen.

With that being said, I think Sylar is the character who's been most victimized by this disturbing trend. The psychotic killer from the first volume (whom I was actually scared of) has become a total joke. Let's just give a quick recap of his journey since trying to blow up New York: spent an entire season trying to rediscover his powers, stole Claire's ability and them became Bennet's partner, ended Volume 3 with a shard of glass in his head, spent the first half of this volume looking for his father, and then joined Danko's team to help hunt down people with abilities. Does that seem like a character with ANY sort of focus to you? Much like the character of Lana Lang on Smallville, Sylar has become a mound of clay for the writers each season. They can mold him into whatever they want, and if they don't like it, they can completely change it, all the while thinking nobody cares one way or another.

I agree with another reviewer who said Sylar should've stayed dead after Volume 1's conclusion. But because he's one of NBC's coveted young stars, he's been forced back into a narrative that's already saturated with poorly written characters that lack any motivation. Until NBC can realize that the characters drive a good show forward, they will keep tossing out these grand plotlines that have no legs to stand on. It's tragic, really. To see the potential this show had vanish before your very eyes is simultaneously frustrating and depressing. I don't how much longer this buoy can stay afloat.

Overall, this episode was decent but I doubt it will lead to the satisfying conclusion Heroes' fans deserve.

BUOY CLUB GRADE: 70 out of 100.