Little Drummer Boy: Chuck Enters the Third Dimension on "Chuck"

3D or not 3D? That is the question.

I'm wondering what everyone thought of last night's special 3D episode of NBC's Chuck ("Chuck Versus the Third Dimension") and whether you opted to watch it with the special 3D glasses or went the old-school route and watched it in two-dimensions instead. (You can read my advance review of "Chuck Versus the Third Dimension" here.)

For me, the use of 3D was a novel conceit but it certainly wasn't necessary and at times distracted me from what was a fun and engaging episode that could have stood on its own two feet without the use of gimmicky glasses or swooping necklaces. But that's just me.

As for the episode itself, I thought it was a fun ride through the other side of LA that Chuck doesn't often get to see in either of his lines of work: the nightlife of the City of Angels through the eyes of a drunken rock god, played with delicious accuracy by Dominic Monaghan (Lost). I thought the boozy revelry and inexplicable camaraderie between Chuck and Tyler Martin added a nice sheen to a plot that was heady with bizarro twists like body tattoos that contained secret data about nuclear sites and thermite grenade assassination attempts... not to mention Chuck screaming like a girl after his nightmare about Sarah.

Speaking of which, I was glad to see that what Chuck saw at the end of "Chuck Versus Santa Claus" is still very much on his subconscious and conscious mind and the fact that Sarah killed an unarmed man to protect him (and then lied about it) is affecting his working relationship with his female handler (who, BTW, looked amazing in that black lingerie in the opening). And I was also happy that the tension between them won't be going on for several weeks as Chuck finally opened up at the end of the episode and told Sarah what was actually going on and why he was acting so strangely. While this resolution didn't need to be as neat and precise as it was, I'm pleased that we'll get to see this dynamic duo working closely together again and not experiencing some strange distance in their interactions.

(Aside: I loved having both Emmett's "No Touching!" and "The Final Countdown" together in one episode. If GOB Bluth could have showed up somehow, the Arrested Development homage would have been complete for me.)

What else worked for me? Casey and the hypodermic needles; Tyler waking up after a few minutes rather than 12 hours later; Tyler exclaiming how the ceiling of the restroom looks like the night sky as he pees into the courtyard fountain; Chuck's negotiation skills in dealing with the assassin; the Golden Ticket contest between Lester, Jeff, and Butterman... including the gross-out twist of Jeff eating the urinal cake; Captain Awesome and Ellie (even if only for a minute); Chuck jumping off the roof onto the elevator; Casey twisting the assassin's neck in the club and Sarah kicking some arse; Chuck's "Little Drummer Boy" line and his faux Cockney accent; the game of keep-away at the Buy More.

All in all, a fun episode of Chuck that had its fill of laughs, action, and intrigue. Personally, I wish NBC would have aired this rather than The Office in the post-Super Bowl spot as Chuck could definitely use a boost in viewership as it comes up for a third season renewal.

But I am curious to see what you all thought of this week's episode. Did you dig the 3D? Or was it unnecessary? What did you think of Monaghan's turn as Tyler Martin? And are you glad Chuck came clean to Sarah? Talk back here.

Next week on Chuck ("Chuck Versus the Best Friend"), Chuck helps a heartbroken Morgan spy on Anna; the team investigates Anna's boyfriend and his connection to a dangerous gang; Jeff and Lester try to convince Ellie and Captain Awesome to hire their band Jeffster for their wedding.