After presenting my (negative, hostile) thoughts on the first level of a video game earlier this week, I was told that I should not judge it because I had not played the whole game, and had also not played the sequel. With that it mind, I will now pass judgment on the third season of Chuck after the first three episodes.

American television is set up to reward shows that can run indefinitely, which often requires an incredible amount of wheel spinning (call this the House Effect). Chuck as a show improved so greatly going into season two because it developed an incredible sense of forward momentum. There were opportunities for wheel spinning, but these were just tossed aside. And the ending of the season set the show up to go literally anywhere it wanted.

So color me disappointed that by the end of the second episode Chuck is back working at the Buy More, back to staring longingly at Sarah who secretly has feelings for him but they can't express it, back to basically the same old shit. Season three has hit the reset button harder than a nerd about to lose his video game football winning streak. I guess I expected better.