Chuck – Jill’s a bad guy, no wait a good guy, no wait–

by Jason Hughes

(Season 2, Episode 8 – “Chuck Versus the Gravitron”)

Who knew how much fun you could have in a Gravitron. Or in the Buy More. Tonight’s Thanksgiving episode offered a little bit of everything that makes Chuck such an enjoyable show. About the only thing we didn’t get was some gratuitous sexiness out of Sarah. But apparently Ellie was up to the task, as she offered more bent over cleavage in one hour of television than an upright woman should be capable of.

This was the direct continuation of last week’s cliffhanger, where Chuck was off the grid with Jill just as Sarah and Casey learned that she was a Fulcrum agent. But this is the woman who fell in love with Chuck, right? She wouldn’t betray him and really bring harm to him, would she? But, Fulcrum is after the Intersect. And Chuck is the Intersect. But Jill doesn’t know that, so what is she after?

Apparently, Fulcrum had a pretty elaborate plan to get into the secret lair beneath the Buy More and get some of the hard data of their own. And by elaborate I mean that by the end of the episode I still didn’t know which side Jill’s heart was really on. She’s as good as Sarah in that she can sell almost any emotion. Of course, we all know that Sarah’s also fallen pretty hard for Chuck, which didn’t seem to be as much of a problem for Jill to handle.

The side story at the Buy More was actually something that tied directly into the main plotline for once. All of the shenanigans around Morgan, Lester and Jeff getting locked into the Buy More on Thanksgiving to protect all of the Black Friday merchandise was just a set-up for Big Mike’s big takedown of the Leader. Bonus points for the Andy Griffith stroll to the fishing pond before he got the call that there was a break-in.

The Thanksgiving dinner itself was almost more of an afterthought, though it helped to close the chapter on the “Jill’s back” phase of Chuck’s new life. Poor Chuck. He really can’t catch a break, or any semblance of a normal life.

I still hold out hope that he can find some sort of happiness, or at least do something with his college degree now, but with the base below the Buy More and his continued importance, I guess he’s stuck for now. At least it makes for a damned fine show.