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Chuck: The Complete Third Season (2010)

Warner Home Video
Blu-ray Disc Released: 9/7/2010

All Ratings out of
Show:
Video: 1/2
Audio:
Extras:

Review by Mike Long, Posted on 9/10/2010

Change is never easy, even when it's change for the better. And nowhere is change more resisted than amongst cult media. If you want to alter something in a sci-if movie series or on a fantasy TV show, there is going to be an outcry from the fans which could most likely shut down the Internet. But, protests aside, change can be helpful. Take Chuck for example. This amiable series offered good fun through its first two seasons, but it was very much a one-note show; Chuck (Zachary Levi) had a storehouse of spy knowledge in his brain, but he didn't have the skills to do anything with it. Thus, he was always on the sidelines. This led to a lot of bumbling antics which were funny in Season One, but quickly grew tiresome. Thus, the powers that be at the show decided that Season Three should bring about a change.

Season Two of Chuck ended with a very significant event. The Ring, a group of spies trying to thwart U.S. activities, built their own version of "The Intersect", the super-computer which was downloaded into Chuck's brain. On a whim, Chuck decided to download this new computer as well. Not only did this provide information, it also Chuck innate abilities to fight and use weapons. Season Three begins six months later. His newfound powers have given Chuck what he's been asking for -- he's been given the chance to train to truly be a spy. This decision has driven a wedge between Chuck and Sarah (Yvonne Strahovski), the woman who had originally been assigned to protect Chuck. She feels that if he becomes a spy, he'll never have a normal life again. But, Chuck goes through with it and finds himself unexpectedly sort of thrust back into his old life. Despite his new abilities, Chuck is back at the Buy More working in the "Nerd Herd". He, Sarah, and John Casey (Adam Baldwin) continue to stop bad guys, but Chuck must deal with the fact that Sarah finally has feelings for him. Things get even more complicated when several people from Chuck's past re-appear.

For its first two seasons, Chuck was somewhat of an odd show. On the surface, it seemed to be the perfect show to appeal to...for lack of a better word, nerds. Chuck Bartowski was a computer nerd who loved sci-fi and fantasy and worked as a computer repair person. He'd had a girlfriend, but was now single. Suddenly, a wealth of spy information is downloaded into his brain and Chuck finds himself surrounded by espionage. This sounds like every geek's dream, right -- to play James Bond for real. The problem was that Chuck didn't really get to play. He stayed on the sidelines while Sarah and Casey did all of the real work. So, this was sort of like a slap-in-the-face to the show's target audience. It seemed to be saying "Even if you're gifted, you can't get into the game."

All of that changed in Season 3. Finally, after two season of being a spectator, Chuck was able to get in there and get his hands dirty. While Chuck had been good in the past, this was the boost that the show needed. First of all, the action scenes took on new life, as Chuck was now allowed to show off his new kung-fu skills. I don't advocate violence (as far as you know), but seeing Chuck finally fight back was exciting. Secondly, these new skills changed Chuck as a person. It gave him more confidence, as thus, there was somewhat of a power-shift in his relationship with Sarah. This also made it more believable when other women were attracted to Chuck.

While Chuck had always displayed an acceptable level of heart, the drama was amped up in Season 3. As Chuck and Sarah's relationship changed and grew, he got to know more about her. We finally learned about Casey's past. Ellie (Sarah Lancaster) and Awesome (Ryan McPartlin) saw their relationship go through some changes as well, as they realized that they wanted different things out of life. (They also went through a medical scare.) However, the greatest drama came in the season finale, where Chuck went through a life-altering experience. To say that this moment came as a shock is truly an understatement, it showed the potential that Chuck has to being a powerful show. There was also a nice amount of character development in the third season, especially with Awesome and Morgan (Joshua Gomez), as they came to terms with Chuck's new life.

At one point, it didn't look as if Chuck would be back for a third season, but I'm glad that it made it. The show's changes really set it in the right direction and gave the show more potential. I can't wait to see what they do with Season 4.

Chuck: The Complete Third Season puts far too much faith in a watch on Blu-ray Disc courtesy of Warner Home Video. The four-disc set contain all 19 episodes of the show's third season. The show has been letterboxed at 1.78:1 and the Disc contains a VC-1 1080p HD transfer which runs at an average of 22 Mbps. The image is notably sharp and clear and shows no defects from the source materials. However, there is a slight amount of grain here. The colors look excellent, most notably greens and oranges, and the image is never too dark or light. The level of detail is good and we can make out textures on objects. The Disc contains a Dolby Digital 5.1 audio track which runs at 48 kHz and a constant 640 kbps. The track provides clear dialogue and sound effects. I would be lying if I said that it wasn't a disappointment that the Blu-ray doesn't contain HD sound. Still, this track provides nicely done surround sound and subwoofer effects in the action scenes. Stereo effects show good separation and the in-show music sounds very good.

The Chuck: The Complete Third Season Blu-ray Disc set contains only a few extras. Each Disc contains "Declassified Scenes" AKA DELETED SCENES from various episodes. The remainder of the extras are found on Disc 4. "Chuck-Fu and Dim Sum" (22 minutes) is a detailed look at many facets of the show. The cast, the producers, and the writers discuss the stories, characters, and evolution of the series. The piece gives a very detailed analysis of Season 3, breaking down the story arcs and the characters. "The Jeffster Revolution" (11 minutes) is a fake rockumentary about Jeff and Lester's band, Jeffster. Mimicking a Behind the Music style, the piece takes a faux serious look at the band. There are a few funny moments here, but not as many as I'd hoped for. The final extra is a 6-minute GAG REEL.

Review by Mike Long.  Copyright 2010.