Chuck vs. Sleeping Beauty

Haven't done a "Chuck" episode post in a while. But this past Monday's episode, Chuck vs. Phase Three, did so many things to remind me of why I love this frickin' show. It's Gender Role Reversal Time again folks!

Ever since Chuck got an upgrade (Intersect 2.0) and has been able to kick a little ass on his own, well, I like that Chuck can kick a little ass on his own. It's even better when he and Sarah duo tag team in the ass kicking department (Honeymooners, anyone? Which, as side note, I'd like to thank the creative team on the show for the number of sexual positions they put those two in without actually showing them having sex. Nice touch lol).

But the first two season of the show had Chuck as the perpetual damsel in distress and Sarah as the knight in shining armor (or at least with shining scary knives strapped to her thigh). He was Lois to her Superman/Clark Kent. Always finding himself in some kind of trouble. Always in peril. And she always there to save him. So it's nice from time to time when the show returns back to that premise. I wouldn't want it to be a permanent thing or something they use too often since this show has been great about letting it's characters grow, but fun little revisits are always welcome.

This week we get a little revisit. Briefly, Chuck gets kidnapped with the Intersect 2.0 malfunctioning. Sarah goes apeshit looking for him. Fighting her way across Thailand and quickly becoming a legend the locals call the Giant Blonde She-Male.
I don't think I've ever seen a scarier Agent Walker.

“You've got me. I’m just a needy, love-crazed girl on a husband hunt … who’s trained in over 200 ways to kill you.”

"Anyone else want to be my boyfriend?"

But her scary determination serves a purpose. Chuck grounds her. Being with him allows her to cling on to her humanity and innate goodness. Her scariness in this episode was a glimpse of what she would be (and what she once was) without that connection.

Which leads me to the whole point of this post. The Sleeping Beauty and the fun this show has with gender role reversal. My gosh, Chuck is even wearing a dress!

Sarah to the rescue again. And a very nice nod to the fairy tale - awoken with a kiss.



Serious kudos to Yvonne Strahovski in this episode. She's always shown amazing range on this show, but just when you think she couldn't possibly get any better, she outdoes herself.