"Chuck Versus Phase Three" is the first all-out awesome episode in a while. The writers know they have Yvonne Strahovski in their arsenal, and with Chuck on the sidelines, being interrogated, they decided to let Sarah kick all the ass imaginable. So many great scenes of Sarah tromping across Thailand, beating on whoever is in her way, gaining a reputation as a giant blond she-male. I'm not sure how anyone could object to that.
At the same time, Sarah the badass spy is balanced with Sarah the ultra-hot girlfriend. After she finds Chuck's marriage proposal plan, Morgan explains that Chuck is insecure, believing that he's not as appealing without the Intersect. But clearly that's not the case as anyone other than Chuck can see, and Chuck learns that in the end. Again, excellent work by Yvonne Strahovski in all areas, selling every scene perfectly. Now all Chuck has to do is remember that and not regress to the annoying guy we see occasionally.
Ellie is a character who's been ignored the past few years, and the only main character aside from the Buy More guys to get actively involved in the spy business. However, it looks like she may have something to do on her own this time around, finding her father's computer. Awesome gets the Buy More guys to fix the computer in exchange for medical services. When Ellie gets home, she instantly knows the password, the computer gives a whir, and... fade to black. Darn!
While Chuck is largely a non-factor in "Chuck Versus Phase Three," and his scenes largely have the same message, once Sarah goes to Thailand to do her thing, the episode kicked into high gear and there was no looking back.
Score: 9.0/10
