Chuck 3.08 "vs the Fake Name"
It feels longer than three weeks since the last time Chuck, Sarah, Casey and company graced my television screen. And maybe with the break it was a bonus because it made it feel like Shaw and Hannah have been around longer than the few episodes they have been.
- So this episode is where "the punch" from the early season previews was from and I feel a little cheated that it was all part of an act on Chuck's part pretending to be Rafe (although I bet he didn't mind). I think it's been an interesting path to take Sarah, her seeing Chuck change into a spy and not liking it, and wondering whether that sort of life is worth it and questioning her own choices. The revelation of her name Sam to Shaw I think was more of her state of mind than who he is to her, maybe she is trying to become closer to Shaw to make things work in the way it didn't work with Bryce/Chuck because of the lies in place.
- Hannah has been a nice spark to the show, but with what happened I think this was a great episode to have the character to leave (no matter how harsh Chuck was/seemed) because if they're not going to go separate ways with Chuck/Sarah, then she needed to go like Lou, Jill did (loved their mentions by the Buy More guys). I did enjoy seeing Kristin in a towel again, reminded me of Smallville's S4 "Crusade".
- Unfortunately, the ending matched up with the predictability in the show when it comes to Chuck & Sarah. Chuck breaks it off with Hannah because he knows its not fair to her when he still loves Sarah, while Sarah finally goes and connects to Shaw because she's trying to find something that is for her and thinks Chuck is changing from the guy she loved to a hardened spy. When one commits to their feelings for the other, the other goes in a different direction like usual.