NBC kept telling us this would be an “iconic” episode of Chuck this week, and while it was good, I wouldn’t be so brash as to call it “iconic”. Nothing about the episode matched the shock of Bryce’s cryogenic slumber from last week’s edition, and really, mythologically speaking, very little shocked or surprised.

That’s not to say the episode was wasteful: if anything, the show’s gotten good at actually injecting semi-realistic spy drama into what’s ostensibly a relationship show masquerading as a spy drama. The Fulcrum stuff was solid and showed just how far they’ve actually gone and made this part of the show more than a mere afterthought. (For those first few weeks, the caper-of-the-week was the worst part of the show.)

That being said, the reintroduction of Bryce in the show largely served to keep Chuck and Sarah apart, not to further the overall mystery/mythology/narrative arc of the show. Once they introduced romantic interest in Chuck on her part, something had to come between them, and quickly. And rather than having Bryce ultimately be a badass (and/or ultimate villain of the show, something I would have loved), he was merely “misunderstood”, forgiven, and giving a posh Bond-esque assignment to boot.

Looks like Sarah is going for Door #3 in the coming weeks, choosing neither Bryce nor Chuck but a third path, still with the CIA but working with neither of them. Naturally, this will keep her in the L.A. area, unless they plan on writing her off the show. Ha, riiiiight.

Other tidbits:

• Captain Awesome’s “Destination Christmas” might be the first actual smart thing he’s said in the entire show
• Anna’s jealousy over Morgan’s crush on Ellie, and Ellie’s obliviousness: genius
• Jeff: Man, talk about your Kevin-from-The Office-ripoff. Not as funny as the original, but funny all the same.
• Klingon: Not knowing what they said? Made me feel less geeky. Though knowing/deducing it was Klingon kinda evened that all out.