What Happens in Prague Stays in Prague: "Chuck" Gets Into the Spy Game

I have to say that I am really enjoying Chuck. After the rare hiccup that was the second episode, the series seems to be settling into its groove, delivering a series that's filled with action and intrigue but also some heartfelt emotion along the lines of What About Jake 2.0.

Last night's episode of Chuck ("Chuck Versus the Wookie") was no exception to this rule and it managed to deepen the characters as well as present the audience with a kick-ass spy caper, a diamond worth millions, and a terrorist group whose main contact in Los Angeles really did appear to be some sort of hairy Wookie.

More than anything, I enjoyed the character interplay last night as we got a chance to catch a glimpse into these characters' backstory. It's clear that Sarah is incapable of revealing any piece of herself that isn't carefully molded into her cover. Your heart would have to be made of stone if you didn't feel intensely sad when she couldn't answer any of Chuck's surface questions about her life: where she came from, her real name, her middle name... and even more so when she could only whisper that her middle name was "Lisa," when Chuck walked across the room.

It's clear that Sarah cares for Chuck in some way. I don't think she has feelings for him (though Carina seemed to think she did, even if Sarah hasn't yet realized it) but she definitely doesn't want to hurt him. Whether that means keeping herself shielded from his attempts to get to know her (in case she does have to leave or, you know, kill him) or lying about her relationship with Bryce, Sarah is playing for keeps. As for what she's getting out of this, I do think Sarah is being seduced by the relative normalcy of Chuck's life, filled as it is with penguin movies, pizza, and board games.

Still, I loved getting just a peek into Casey and Sarah's backstories, linked as they were by the indelible Carina, a spy's spy who is clearly addicted to the adrenaline rush brought on by her lifestyle. Why else would she break into Sarah's hotel room and attack her while wearing a stylish black number, complete with balaclava? Or tempt the Wookie by asking about the possibility of someone stealing the diamond... before attempting to steal the diamond with the owner a mere five feet away. Plus, the hidden jet skis? Classic. I'm hoping this Jane Bond turns up on the series again sometime soon.

I loved the way Carina went after Chuck and was clearly ready to seduce him for no other reason than she always wants what Sarah has (and clearly has already had or duped Casey into thinking she'll sleep with him); when that didn't seem to work, she spilled the beans about Sarah and Bryce's relationship, a revelation that I thought would be kept under wraps for the long haul on this season. I'm glad to see I was wrong as it instantly sets up a distrust between Chuck and his handler when things were going so well. Bryce has taken everything away from Chuck in his life and I'm glad that he now sees that, even dead, Bryce is still winning the girls.

And that's saying nothing about poor Martin. I mean, Morgan. His pathetic pining for Carina (and the kiss he received) was not only hysterical but touching as well. It's clear that he needs a woman, well, pretty desperately, considering how much better he was at Know Ya (or specifically about Chuck) than Chuck's "girlfriend" Sarah.

Finally, Chuck is proving that he's more clever than he thinks he is: using compressed air to knock the electrified diamond off its perch, sending the diamond to the CIA via a Fed-Ex delivery rather than let it fall into the wrong hands. Chuck might just make a pretty darn good agent, after all. I wouldn't have it any other way.

Next week on Chuck ("Chuck Versus the Sizzling Shrimp"), Chuck gets involved in a case involving a deadly Chinese agent in Chinatown against Sarah and Casey's wishes, while Morgan finds himself in a sales competition that could cost him his job.