'Chuck' Season 4, Episode 16 Recap

Filed under: Reality-Free, Recaps

['Chuck' - 'Chuck versus the Masquerade']

I'm usually a fan of the titles that 'Chuck' gives to its episodes. But 'Chuck versus the Masquerade' barely hinted at what this episode was really about. Perhaps 'Chuck versus the Third Wheel' might have been more appropriate, albeit in a tongue-in-cheek way. A more accurate title? 'Chuck versus the Incredibly Heavy Lifting,' a title that describes the incredible amount of story and plot thrown into this hour. Did all of it work? Not really. But what didn't work isn't entirely the show's fault.

Before getting to what worked (and let's be clear up front, a lot of tonight's episode worked), let's get into Volkoff 2 (Electric Buckshot Boogaloo). Going back to that world? And going back there with a character heretofore unknown and never hinted at before? Slightly weak. Introducing a big bad for the final and unanticipated back half of the fourth season was a good idea, but the daughter of the best villain in the show's history? In some ways, it's pointless to fault the show, as the previous arc didn't have room for a missing daughter. Had Vivian been shoehorned into an already full arc involving Chuck's mother, fans might have revolted. So introducing her now when the story has room to breathe might make sense, but doesn't make it feel any less improvised than reality necessitated that it actually be.

 

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