Comics Bulletin logo
Search
  • Columns
    Random
    • Wicker Man Studios Launches Gun Street Girl on the iPhone App Store

      Samuel Salama Cohén
      April 21, 2009
      Columns, The Park and Barb Show
    Recent
    • Revisiting the Witchblade/Fathom/Tomb Raider Crossover

      Daniel Gehen
      February 8, 2021
    • The Full Run: Usagi Yojimbo – The Wanderer’s Road Part 2

      Daniel Gehen
      December 4, 2020
    • The Full Run: Usagi Yojimbo – The Wanderer’s Road Part 1

      Daniel Gehen
      October 30, 2020
    • What Looks Good
    • Comics Bulletin Soapbox
    • The Full Run
    • Leading Question
    • Top 10
    • The Long-Form
    • Jumping On
    • Comics in Color
    • Slouches Towards Comics
  • Big Two
    Random
    • Entering The Sandman's Castle for The First Time

      Samuel Salama Cohén
      October 14, 2016
      Big Two, DC Comics
    Recent
    • 3.0

      Review: X-MEN LEGENDS #1 Delivers A Dose of Nostalgia

      Daniel Gehen
      February 22, 2021
    • 4.5

      DCeased: Dead Planet #7 Presents a Hopeful Future (Review)

      Daniel Gehen
      January 22, 2021
    • Retro Review: Detective Comics #826 Remains a Holiday Classic

      Daniel Gehen
      December 3, 2020
    • DC Comics
    • Big Two Reviews
    • Marvel Comics
  • Indie
    Random
    • Roku Limited Series Coming Late October From Valiant

      Samuel Salama Cohén
      July 11, 2019
      News, Press Release, Previews, Valiant
    Recent
    • 4.5

      Review: THE LAST RONIN #2 Hurts So Good

      Daniel Gehen
      February 19, 2021
    • TIME BEFORE TIME—A HIGH STAKES TIME TRAVEL SCIENCE FICTION SERIES SET TO LAUNCH THIS MAY

      Daniel Gehen
      February 19, 2021
    • Image Comics and TMP Announces SPAWN’S UNIVERSE

      Daniel Gehen
      February 18, 2021
    • Reviews
    • Archie Comics
    • Boom! Studios
    • Dark Horse
    • IDW
    • Image
    • Oni Press
    • Valiant
  • Reviews
    Random
    • 3.0

      The Vampire Diaries 5.11 “500 Years of Solitude”

      Samuel Salama Cohén
      January 30, 2014
      Reviews
    Recent
    • 3.0

      Review: X-MEN LEGENDS #1 Delivers A Dose of Nostalgia

      Daniel Gehen
      February 22, 2021
    • 4.5

      Review: THE LAST RONIN #2 Hurts So Good

      Daniel Gehen
      February 19, 2021
    • 2.3

      Review: SAVAGE #1 Needs Taming

      Daniel Gehen
      February 16, 2021
    • Singles Going Steady
    • Slugfest
    • Manga
      • Reviews
    • Small Press
      • Reviews
      • ICYMI
      • Tiny Pages Made of Ashes
  • Interviews
    Random
    • Nathan Fairbairn Brings the Comics You Love to Life

      Samuel Salama Cohén
      December 10, 2012
      Interviews
    Recent
    • Interview: Jon Davis-Hunt Talks SHADOWMAN

      Daniel Gehen
      June 8, 2020
    • Interview: Becky Cloonan talks DARK AGNES and Her Personal Influences

      Mike Nickells
      March 4, 2020
    • Simon Roy

      Interview: Simon Roy on His Inspirations and Collaborations on PROTECTOR

      Mike Nickells
      January 29, 2020
    • Audio Interview
    • Video Interview
  • Classic Comics
    Random
    • Classic Interview: Steve Mitchell Pt.II - "Artists can be Sensitive and Neal was a Drill Sergeant"

      Samuel Salama Cohén
      January 22, 2016
      Classic Interviews
    Recent
    • Countdown to the King: Marvel’s Godzilla

      Daniel Gehen
      May 29, 2019
    • Honoring A Legend: Fantagraphics To Resurrect Tomi Ungerer Classics

      Daniel Gehen
      February 15, 2019
    • Reliving the Craziest Decade in Comics History: An interview with Jason Sacks

      Mark Stack
      January 2, 2019
    • Classic Comics Cavalcade
    • Classic Interviews
  • News
    Random
    • Kickstarter Spotlight: Countdown to Interceptor #1

      Samuel Salama Cohén
      December 17, 2014
      Kickstarter Spotlight
    Recent
    • TIME BEFORE TIME—A HIGH STAKES TIME TRAVEL SCIENCE FICTION SERIES SET TO LAUNCH THIS MAY

      Daniel Gehen
      February 19, 2021
    • Image Comics and TMP Announces SPAWN’S UNIVERSE

      Daniel Gehen
      February 18, 2021
    • SAVAGE DRAGON IS A FORCE TO BE RECKONED WITH THIS MAY

      Daniel Gehen
      February 17, 2021
    • Press Release
    • Kickstarter Spotlight
  • Books
    Random
    • 5.0

      RED ROSA: A Graphic Biography of Rosa Luxemburg

      Samuel Salama Cohén
      October 26, 2015
      Books, Reviews
    Recent
    • Collecting Profile: Disney Frozen

      CB Staff
      November 22, 2019
    • Collecting Profile: NFL Superpro

      CB Staff
      August 31, 2019
    • “THE BEST OF WITZEND” is a Wonderful Celebration of Artistic Freedom

      Daniel Gehen
      September 15, 2018
    • Review: ‘Machete Squad’ is a Disappointing Afghan Memoir

      Jason Sacks
      July 31, 2018
    • Review: ‘Out of Nothing’ is the Antidote to Our Sick Times

      Jason Sacks
      July 23, 2018
    • Review: ‘Bizarre Romance’ Shows Rough Edges in the Early Days of a New Marriage

      Jason Sacks
      July 10, 2018
What's New
  • Review: X-MEN LEGENDS #1 Delivers A Dose of Nostalgia
  • Collecting Profile: Kraven the Hunter
  • Review: THE LAST RONIN #2 Hurts So Good
  • TIME BEFORE TIME—A HIGH STAKES TIME TRAVEL SCIENCE FICTION SERIES SET TO LAUNCH THIS MAY
  • Image Comics and TMP Announces SPAWN'S UNIVERSE
  • SAVAGE DRAGON IS A FORCE TO BE RECKONED WITH THIS MAY
  • RSS Feed
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Google+
  • Contact Us
  • Write for us!
  • Visit Video Game Break!
Home
Reviews

Chuck 5.11 "Chuck Vs the Bullet Train"

Samuel Salama Cohén
January 28, 2012
Reviews

In the second-to-last episode before the series finale, Chuck, Sarah, and Casey fight it out with Quinn on a bullet train. Back in Burbank, Lester and Jeff demand to know what's really going on.

Chuck airs Friday nights at 8:00 on NBC.

Description: Chucklogo

Kyle Garret: You just knew that there was no way this show was going to end without one more episode devoted to 80’s action movies.  Not unlike Community, Chuck is able to get away with rather ridiculous things (like Quinn’s survival) because it’s paying homage to something that came before it.  It’s the beauty of being referential, really: you can get away with almost anything if you say you’re just mimicking something else.

This doesn’t really explain why this episode works, though.  Jeff and Lester saving Morgan, Awesome, and Alex is laughably bad if you actually stop and think about it, but apparently Chuck had woven some kind of spell over me, because I was perfectly fine with it.

Sam Salama: Yeah, I got to admit that save was both ridiculous and pretty heroic. But you’re right; these are the “Chuck-style” kind of scenes where it is better not to overthink, but to let yourself roll with them. In a way, the Jeffster move is a nice conclusion to the “seeking of truth” subplot that had been running for some weeks already. It was very funny the way John Casey encouraged the poor guy to save his country; making fun of the endless times we’ve seen that cliché in movies.

But though there was the silly part, this episode’s thrilling situation had me stuck to the sofa, without almost moving a muscle. The 40-plus minutes flew like a bird, and what’s better, it set up the stage for what could very well be a fantastic series Finale. Chuck vs. Sarah? Some big drama there, folks.

Kyle: Speaking of the non-spy members of the cast, this episode did a fantastic job of showing how far each of them has come over the last five years.  Sure, Jeff and Lester are still goofballs, but I actually kind of like that they know what’s going on now, and I’m looking forward to seeing how that plays out over the two hour finale.

Sam: Yes, I loved how everyone played a role in this episode. Everyone! Even Big Mike has a stellar apparition to “show Lester the way”, before his big heroic moment. It was also a great idea to have the brothers Bartowsky work together to help Sarah before the Intersect fried her brain. Actually, there’s lots to like on this episode, as every character has its own clear motivations to do what they do, even our latest villain, who seems to survive everything!

Kyle: It was also genius to get Ellie and Awesome involved in the quest to find a cure for the Intersect’s side effects.  I always thought they could benefit Carmichael Industries as their in-house doctors, so I’m happy to see them pitching in.  Granted, it still bothers me that they keep referring to this version of the Intersect as being defective, which is why it’s hurting those who receive it.  How hard would it be just to admit that it’s the same version Chuck had, but – as they have drilled into us for five years now – Chuck is one of the few people that can handle it?  The “bad Intersect” bit really ruins what could have been a nice bit of symmetry to the beginning of the show, when everyone was astonished that Chuck could process the Intersect.

Sam: And Morgan as a whining guinea pig? That was priceless, too, though I have one small comment here: they say Morgan used the Intersect “a couple times a day” and that’s why the degeneration process went slower than with Sarah. Come on, Morgan used it a lot than that! We even recently saw he used it to brag about his physical prowess at bars! As I said, this doesn’t affect my liking their theory, as clearly Sarah’s been using the Intersect non-stop in a small gap.

Kyle: All that said, Sarah with the Intersect has been great.   There have been a lot of moments over the last few years that you could point at as being perfect Chuck/Sarah moments, and we get another one after Chuck learns that Sarah uploaded the Intersect.  The traditional television show would have had Chuck get all mad about it, his male ego making him jealous and irrationally upset that his wife now has the cool super powers that he used to have.  But not this show, and not this couple.  Chuck’s “how cool is it?” and Sarah’s excited response were perfect, as was everything that followed.

Sam: Sarah and Chuck were spot on in this one, and their closeness to each other, how they understand what the other one’s going through, that was near perfect. Oh, and about that cool bed compartment? I want that!

Kyle: Then we get the cliffhanger.  At this point, I think it will make for an interesting story.  It’s a nice twist to have Sarah go back to where she was at when she met Chuck, more or less.  It’s also nice that it will probably take the combined abilities of the Bartowski siblings to return Sarah to normal.  For as much as the show has been about Chuck and Sarah, it started with Chuck and Ellie, the brother and sister that were abandoned by their parents and raised each other.  It’s one of my favorite aspects of the show and I’m glad it’s getting it’s time in the spotlight.

Sam: Yes, this show gets bigger and better when the plot relies on Chuck and Ellie trying to help out each other, and not just on Chuck fighting bad guys (by the way, after five years of CIA, Intersect-less Chuck has got some moves!). It’s the family dynamic what really puts a new spin on this show, and humanizing the characters is always a good move if you want the fans to feel they know what’s like to be in their shoes. You know, the heroes with feet of clay thing.

Kyle: I would hazard a guess that the memory loss will be resolved by the end of the first hour, with the second hour of the finale dealing with the hunt for Quinn or perhaps some other bad guy.  I have heard rumblings that we’ll actually see the return of Fulcrum, which I, personally, can’t wait for.  It makes me realize that, at a certain point last season, Team Bartowski was fighting the CIA, and basically acting the way Fulcrum did.

Sam: As to how and when we’ll see Sarah get back to normal, I’ll hazard another guess: It’ll take Chuck to revert her back to normal, as her feelings for him will stop her from pulling the proverbial trigger.

Kyle: All in all, Chuck is heading into its finale with a full head of steam (not unlike a bullet train! Ha!).  It makes me think that we might get the finale that this show – and its fans – deserve.

Sam: It certainly looks like it, and we just have to wait a bit to see it! Though it sure’s going to be a long wait!


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 girlfriend Natalia, that is), The Avengers.

As Comics Bulletin's Community Manager, right now a lot of his time is devoted to managing and improving the site's presence on social networks, and on building an active and interesting Community. Currently living in Madrid, he loves travelling around the world — and getting comics wherever he goes. You can find him as @SamSalama on Twitter, and as Samuel Salama on Facebook.


Kyle Garret is the author of I Pray Hardest When I'm Being Shot At, available now from Hellgate Press. His short fiction has been published in the Ginosko Literary Journal, Literary Town Hall, Children, Churches, & Daddies and Falling Into Place. He writes comic book reviews here at Comic Bulletin and blogs for PopMatters. He can be found at KyleGarret.com and on Twitter as @kylegarret.

ChuckKyle GarretSamuel Salama Cohén

Share On:
Tweet
Obvious as Hell
Vampirella #13

About The Author

Samuel Salama Cohén

EIC of Comics Bulletin, author of "I Pray Hardest When I'm Being Shot At," contributor to "Best New Writing 2014" and "Joss Whedon: Complete Companion," shopper of multiple YA books

Related Posts

  • Podcast: Editor-in-Chief Kyle Garret reads new universal—RCBC

    Joseph Kyle Schmidt
    June 20, 2016
  • 5.0

    Review: ‘Displaced Persons’ Captures Family at Its Best and Its Worst

    Kyle Garret, Michael Bettendorf
    October 22, 2014

Latest Reviews

  • 3.0

    Review: X-MEN LEGENDS #1 Delivers A Dose of Nostalgia

    Daniel Gehen
    February 22, 2021
  • 4.5

    Review: THE LAST RONIN #2 Hurts So Good

    Daniel Gehen
    February 19, 2021
  • 2.3

    Review: SAVAGE #1 Needs Taming

    Daniel Gehen
    February 16, 2021
  • 4.3

    Review: RADIANT BLACK #1 Shines Brightly

    Daniel Gehen
    February 12, 2021
  • 2.7

    Review: DEEP BEYOND #1 Can’t Commit to a Premise

    Daniel Gehen
    February 4, 2021
  • 2.0

    VINDICATION Falls Short of its Lofty Goals (Review)

    Daniel Gehen
    February 1, 2021
  • 4.5

    DCeased: Dead Planet #7 Presents a Hopeful Future (Review)

    Daniel Gehen
    January 22, 2021
  • Review: The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Cartoonist

    Daniel Gehen
    December 14, 2020
  • Retro Review: Detective Comics #826 Remains a Holiday Classic

    Daniel Gehen
    December 3, 2020
  • 4.5

    TMNT: The Last Ronin #1 Lives Up to the Hype (Review)

    Daniel Gehen
    October 29, 2020
RSSTwitterFacebookgoogleplusinstagramtumblr

Comics Bulletin is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for website owners to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com, audible.com, and any other website that may be affiliated with Amazon Service LLC Associates Program. As an Amazon Associate, Comics Bulletin earns from qualifying purchases.

All content on this site (c) 2018 The Respective Copyright Holders