Tonight’s episode went light on the action and heavy on the character development, with the nominal plot taking a back seat to advancing the relationship of Chuck and Sarah. The most true tension in the episode revolved the question, “Will this week’s bad guy try to smother Chuck with his shoulder hair?”

I predicted after Episode 2 that Chuck would find out about Bryce’s true relationship with Sarah around the midpoint of the season, after a slow burn of attraction between the two. Well, the show didn’t really feel like dragging that plot along, and so dropped some knowledge into Chuck’s already filled brain about his crush’s relationship with his newly deceased arch-enemy.

And how did said knowledge get dropped, not unlike something that may or may not be hot? A smoking hot DEA agent Karina, known as a loose cannon and, well, pretty much loose as a general rule. (Not that there’s anything wrong with that, or her abs, or, oh look, now I’m at risk of being handcuffed to the headboard.) If she were on Heroes, her ability would be to make every man’s pants suddenly constrictive. She tells Chuck of Sarah’s past in order to align him with Katrina during a jewel heist. Chuck makes with the mope, makes with the diamond, and then makes with the oopsie.

The “why” of Sarah’s lying about Bryce ties into her nature as a spy and, ostensibly, her feelings for Chuck. The former is actually an interesting thing for the show to explore: the inability of a spy to actually be a real person. But this isn’t The Bourne Identity here, it’s Chuck, so somehow I doubt we’re going to get a lengthy and complex look into the psychology of a spy. Karina’s insertion into the show was convenient in order to provide exposition into the problematic status of Sarah’s psyche, and also to provide Chuck with yet another female telling him, “She’s just that into you.” Last week, Ellie insisted The Spy Now Known as Sarah wanted some ground beef Chuck, and now, Karina’s saying she wants to ride the Chuck wagon. I hope there’s not a third girl who drops said knowledge on Chuck, because I’ve pretty much run out of puns here.

I will say that a lesser show would handle the “no olives” scene with sappy melodrama, but as far as we can ever believe a smoking hot CIA agent would ever fall for a geek like Chuck, I’m willing to go with it for now. I’m more interested in her relationship with Bryce informing her current feelings for Chuck, but then again, I’m a mythology whore, and yes, I’m mining Chuck for mythology.

I need help, but you knew that already