New Season of Chuck: Super Nerd or Super Spy

Three seasons in and Chuck, the super nerd gone super spy, is still learning new tricks. In this latest season the super team is joined by none other than Brandon Routh, which some of you might know better as superman from "Superman Returns." Only this time no red-cape and certainly no S on his chest, CIA Special Agent Daniel Shaw was sent in to join the crew of Sarah, Casey, and Chuck on their new adventure to bring down The Ring corporation after the threesome defeated Fulcrum in the second season.For those of you just tuning in and are completely confused by the introduction let me catch you up real quick. Chuck is a man in his mid twenties working at a Buy More, an electronics store where he works with his best friend Morgan, each doing their own thing. Chuck works on the Nerd Herd while Morgan sells electronics.

In the first two seasons Chuck lived with his sister Ellie and her boyfriend now husband Devon Woodcomb aka "Captain Awesome" because he is a thrill seeking cardiologist who can do literally anything he puts his mind to and then some.

What makes this guy so special? Could possibly be that his ex-roommate from college a 'rogue' CIA agent sent him the intersect in the form of an encrypted e-mail. The intersect is a super computer that was created after Sept. 11 to allow the NSA and CIA to share all their secrets in encrypted images. Should someone view these images they would then know all the secrets ever gathered by the two organizations. After sending Chuck the intersect files, Bryce the ex-roommate blew up the intersect computer thus making Chuck the sole proprietor of all government secrets.

After tracking Chuck down, the Government assigned CIA agent Sarah Walker and NSA agent John Casey to protect him until they could get a new intersect up and working. Until that time Chuck would be required to go on missions with Walker and Casey to help them on the off chance he 'flashed.' Chuck doesn't know the secrets at the drop of a pin, the secrets as mentioned before were encoded in pictures, thus images, symbols and people in the intersect will force him to flash all the information about the person or image in front of him. It's using this information that Walker, Casey and Chuck are able to get through their missions and stop evil doing every episode.

At present, Chuck is still at the Buy More, his sister is married to Woodcomb and they have moved out forcing him to get a roommate, his best friend Morgan. The team is joined by CIA Special Agent Daniel Shaw. Chuck has had the intersect first removed from his head and then replaced by the new intersect before that too was destroyed thus saving Chuck from an untimely demise. If he no longer was the intersect then the government would have no use for him and would order his termination. The problem with him having the new intersect is that it requires the user to be level headed. Chuck is far from that; he is very much run by his emotions and that, more often than not gets him into trouble. A cool thing about this new intersect though is that not only does it include all the secrets but it also includes skills so if Chuck needs to know kung-fu he will flash all the skills he needs and be able to kick butt on even the biggest of foes. Unfortunately for him these skills aren't permanent they are on a need to use basis.

Last week's episode 'Chuck Versus First Class' starts off like any other episode in the Buy More, Morgan's getting no respect from the other employees since becoming assistant manager and Chuck is under review by Shaw.

In true Casey fashion when he breaks the news to Chuck that he is under review by the CIA he "comforts" Chuck by saying he'd make sure that Chucks "pre-pubescent screams are duly noted." It's at that moment when Casey gets the call that Chuck is wanted in "The Castle" the secret base located conveniently under the Buy More.

Shaw believes Chuck is ready for his first solo mission and that he needs to be away from his handlers CIA agent Sarah and NSA agent Casey in order to grow and better himself as a spy. His mission is on a plane, a mid-air mission that requires fighting a big bad Russian that is twice as big as Chuck, take his claim ticket find the Russians luggage and find the key.

In this episode there are guest stars such as Steve Austin a WWE fighter who plays the bad Russian and Kristin Kreuk the possible new love interest for Chuck.

This episode was not as much of a letdown as one would expect with Casey and Walker out of the mission. Sarah gets to stay back with Shaw and listen as Chuck gets into a new bind at every turn. Freaking out and knowing that she can't do anything to help him until Shaw reveals a way for them to control the plane from the ground using a special satellite created by the government. By using this device they are ultimately able to save Chuck from a very sticky situation including two very bad people with guns in the freezing cargo hold of a commercial plane.

While Chuck is off on his mission applying Murphy's Law in the way that he doesn't do one thing right except flash when he needs to and get lucky while using his skills. Morgan is back in the Buy More drinking coffee with tranquilizer in it and thereby giving the renegade employees the chance to stuff him into the crane game in the store. It's after this incident that Morgan gives Casey a raise and new title of Buy More Lieutenant Assistant Manager, with the condition that he help Morgan gain respect from all the employees. Between Casey's growls, putting a cigar out with his hand, and brainwashing techniques he is able to put the ranks in line again.

The episode was good in the way that it offered variety in a show that although each episode is different the basic idea is all the same, Chuck goes with Casey and Walker on a mission, he messes it up, they save him from a sticky situation and then Chuck miraculously saves the day by being his awkward self almost like the Shaggy and Scooby-Doo of the group doing right when they mean to be running away. Instead this episode was about Sarah freaking out, Casey playing the big scary man, Shaw being arrogant, and Chuck going on his own mission, doing everything he can to mess it up, getting saved by a remote controlling his plane, and once again getting lucky in his escape. A sweet change to an otherwise amazing show.