Full Frontal Nerdity: The Sensational (and Game-Changing) Season Finale of "Chuck"

"Oh, Chuck me."

If I was anxious before about NBC renewing Chuck for a third season, last night's jaw-dropping season finale ("Chuck Versus the Ring"), written by Allison Adler and Chris Fedak, left me screaming to the heavens for a solution that would pull Chuck back from the brink of cancellation. (It can't end that way, it just can't!)

Series creators Josh Schwartz and Chris Fedak promised a "game-changing" season finale and they not only delivered on this promise but gave us what may be one of the single most enjoyable hours of television this year in the Chuck season finale, as well as one of the strongest installments of the series so far.

Whether this week's episode of Chuck ends up being a season or series finale (and I'm pulling for the former), "Chuck Versus the Ring" was a primer on how to infuse tension and possibility into every scene, while also offering the series' rabid viewers a lot of laughter and more than a few tears along the way. It also deftly set the stage for what looks to be an incredible new direction for the series, should NBC decide to follow up on that tantalizing (and torturous) "To Be Continued..." card that ran at the end of the episode.

On the edge of my seat? I'm on the edge of a cliff waiting to see just what will happen to this brilliant and compelling series. So put on your tuxedo, check your pocket for rings, get your kung-fu on, and let's discuss "Chuck Versus the Ring."

I wondered after last week's amazing episode (which itself could have been a season finale) just how the writers would manage to top themselves but I needn't have worried: "Chuck Versus the Ring" was everything that a season finale should be, managing over the course of forty-odd minutes to reinvent itself, give its lead characters new purpose, and alter its own underlying structure to open the gates of possibility to this story.

This episode will definitely go down as one of--if not the--strongest episodes on the series to date and it's due entirely to the lushness of the writing and the strength of actors Zachary Levi, Yvonne Strahovski, and Adam Baldwin. I can't offer enough superlatives about this trio, who week after week manage to imbue their characters with genuine emotion and three-dimensional personalities. Chuck has succeeded due to their abilities and their chemistry.

Chuck. Season One began with Bryce stealing the Intersect and destroying it. So it was only fitting that the series would come full circle and wrap its second season by placing the characters in the same position, albeit with a twist. Bryce believes that the Intersect 2.0 is far too powerful and intends to destroy it. His mission is of course compromised by the entry of a new secret organization (more on them in a bit) and it falls to Chuck to carry out Bryce's plans. It's that moment, with Chuck standing over the Intersect computer, that the entire series has been leading to: the moment where Chuck finally learns that he is a hero.

At the beginning of the series, Chuck had no choice about the Intersect being placed inside his head. That decision was forced upon him and Chuck became an unwitting and reluctant hero, forced to work for the government because of the information inside his head and not out of choice. Here, with Bryce having given his life for this cause, Chuck finds himself standing at the edge of a precipice. He's finally achieved everything he's ever wanted: the girl of his dreams, the freedom to do whatever he wants, and he's gotten back a "normal" life once more. And yet he places his palm on that desk and activates the Intersect cube. Why? Because Chuck has discovered that he is a hero and that heroism isn't easy, it isn't convenient or safe, but very, very dangerous. A true hero risks everything, most especially personal happiness and security, in the name of protecting those around him. In that very moment, Chuck goes from being a reluctant hero to a true one, uploading the Intersect back into his head and destroying it. It's a sacrifice of sorts as Chuck willingly opts to place national security above self-interest.

Kung Fu. We knew that the Intersect cube had some upgrades, thanks to the conversation between Orion and Bryce Larkin but even I could not have imagined just what those upgrades would be. While the Intersect 1.0 contained government intelligence and the ability to retrieve data at an alarming rate, the Intersect 2.0 has knowledge of a different means: physical ability. When the Intersect room is flooded with agents, Chuck is able to flash and retrieve some physical data: kung fu. He's able to skillfully and gracefully take out a room of agents without breaking a sweat. (Hell, even Casey was impressed.) Just what the limits of this technology are remain to be seen. Can Chuck learn any ability? Could he suddenly have the knowledge to dismantle a bomb, assemble a gun, skydive, or sculpt? Has he become a super-soldier, the perfect repository of intelligence and physical know-how?

The reveal was just, well, awesome and set the stage for what promises to be a vastly different role for Chuck should Season Three happen. (No more staying in the car for him.) It's with new eyes that Sarah and Casey see him and with a new appreciation for his heroism. Casey had earlier said that if Chuck were a true patriot, he wouldn't cash his government check but even he can't argue with the ramifications of what Chuck has done. He's proven, in no uncertain terms, that he's just as much a hero as Casey or Sarah. Perhaps even more so.

Bryce Larkin. I was absolutely chuffed that the writers brought back Bryce Larkin (Matthew Bomer) and brought the series full-circle with Bryce and the Intersect. I suggested a few weeks back that Bryce could have been working with Orion all along, and I am glad to see that the writers ran with this idea as well. It was never a coincidence or a stroke of fate that Bryce sent Chuck the Intersect in the first place: he was tasked with protecting Chuck at Stanford and sent Chuck the Intersect because he knew that Chuck could handle it, even if Stephen wanted him to keep him out of it. Bryce knew that Sarah would find Chuck and that Chuck deserved to know the truth about his father.

Sarah. Much of the series has dealt with the love triangle between Chuck, Sarah, and Bryce as Sarah found herself torn between the suave superspy and the sweet, well, nerdiness of Chuck. This episode finally ended that triangle, killing off Bryce Larkin once and for all in a scene that had me screaming at the television. Before that, Sarah was faced with a difficult decision as she spent her last few hours with Chuck at Ellie's wedding, revealing that she was supposed to fly out with Bryce to start work on the new Intersect project in the morning. Would she go with him and follow her duty? Or would she choose her heart and stay with Chuck? Her decision was clear; asked by Bryce to stay or go, she shakes her head sadly, indicating that she's choosing Chuck this time. Strahovski's expressions in this scene indicate the battle going on inside of her and her head-shaking demonstrates her resolve and her love for Chuck. No easy decision this. On a lighter note, how many people cheered when Sarah effortlessly ripped off the bottom of her bridesmaid dress in order to get down and dirty with the Fulcrum agents at the wedding? And when she and Chuck shared their "You look like a real spy"/"You look like a real bridesmaid" conversation and later their dance in the courtyard? (All together now: aw.)

Colonel Casey. I'm glad that Casey and Chuck shared a scene together and Casey revealed his own feelings towards the Chuckster, giving him his private number (on a business card, one can't help but note, with nothing else on it) and telling him to call him if he's ever in trouble (like his "fingers being on fire"). I knew Chuck would hug Casey but didn't imagine that Casey would actually tolerate it for as long as he did (though he did threaten to remove Chuck's "man parts"). Casey proved his loyalty by rescuing Chuck and saving the day at the wedding and I wouldn't have had it any other way. And, hell, he attacks Ellie's wedding with as much enthusiasm as he would a military engagement. ("That clashes with the bunting!") Double aw.

Orion. Stephen has an Intersect of his own? Very intriguing. He claims that he tested the machine on himself first and he's able to "flash" on the agent accompanying Bryce. How awesome was it that he got to punch Ted Roark after twenty years of hell? I thought for sure that Stephen would wind up dead by the end of the episode, so I am very surprised to see what they do with him next season, should the series continue. Loved that he gave his nifty Orion wrist device to Chuck to use to track down Bryce. Any thoughts on what his involvement would be next season?

The Ring. Fulcrum may be destroyed and Ted Roark dead, but there's more intrigue afoot in the spy world as the gang learns that there's a new organization interested in acquiring the Intersect for its own purposes. Casey's team is infiltrated by an agent for his new unnamed secret society, who shoots Roark in his cell and kills Casey's entire team. (Casey, meanwhile, only gets pistol-whipped as he previously saved Miles' life.) And they kill Bryce Larkin when he gives them access to the Intersect cube. So who are these baddies? I don't know. Miles (The Office's Tug Coker) says that they are not Fulcrum, though one of their number is a former CIA agent presumed dead. Bryce says that Fulcrum is just "one part of The Ring." I can't help but think of that scene a few episodes ago when we glimpsed a shadowy cabal. Is Fulcrum one of the many players after the Intersect? Do they work for a central and very evil overseer, just as these new spies do? "No one stops us," says Miles. "No one ever has." Hmmm...

The Wedding. True confession: I'm always nervous about wedding episodes; they have a tendency to be cheesy and overblown (just look at Anya and Xander's wedding on Buffy the Vampire Slayer for an example) rather than have genuine heart. It turns out that Chuck pulled off one of the most beautiful and understated weddings on television by first literally destroying the site of Ellie's wedding (how cool was it when Casey and the commandos parachuted in through the skylights?) and throwing the ceremony off the tracks with Jeffster performing a awe-inducing rendition of "Domo Arigato, Mr. Roboto."

The gun fight between Chuck, Sarah, and Bryce and Ted Roark (Chevy Chase) and Fulcrum was absolutely fantastic, especially that Sarah once again got to use her knife-throwing skills. (Remember in the pilot how she threw that knife to trigger the emergency barrier?) Especially as the battle destroyed Ellie's entire reception room, from the centerpieces and cakes to the elaborate ice sculpture, as Chuck inwardly moaned while seeing Ellie's dreams go up in smoke. The sprinkler system cutting in and nearly drowning an already overstressed Ellie who was meditating a few minutes earlier? Awesome. I'm glad that Ellie didn't just forgive Chuck for destroying her wedding day (to her knowledge, anyway) but instead climbed into the bathtub with her wedding dress and a bottle of champagne after canceling the wedding.

And just when you thought everything was wrecked beyond belief, Chuck managed to pull it all together, using his government paycheck to grant his sister the wedding day she deserved and the one she originally wanted: a small affair on the beach. It was a beautiful moment of true happiness, not just for Ellie, but for Chuck and Stephen Bartowski (Scott Bakula) as well. As for Devon, when he learned that Morgan was stalling the wedding because Chuck asked him to, he knew it was a matter of life and death. The look of pride on his face when Chuck pulls off not just the wedding of the century but has likely saved all of their lives as well spoke volumes.

Buy More. Seeing Jeffster take to the stage to perform "Domo Arigato, Mr. Roboto" (complete with fireworks show-stopping ender) was a thing of beauty and hilarity. (I can't stop singing the damn song the next day.) Even if Mr. Woodcock called the duo "Sam Kinison and an Indian lesbian." And it kept some of the focus on the Buy More employees this week, given Chuck and Casey's departure from the store (not to mention Morgan's as well.) I'm not quite sure what will happen to the denizens of the Buy More should the series end up getting renewed for a third season. Given that Chuck will need a cover, it would make sense to utilize one that's already created but the writers have given themselves an out should they need to reduce the cast: they could cut the Buy More altogether now that Chuck has quit. However, some of the Buy More characters (in particular Jeff and Lester) are extremely beloved by the audience, so I'd hate to see them go. I was, however, extremely pleased to see Chuck quit his job in so forceful a fashion, telling Emmett that he could take his job and his flag and shove it. (After, that is, Emmett thought Chuck was coming on to him and said he was flattered but was a "flaming heterosexual.")

All this, references to Back to the Future and The Matrix, and some fantastic musical choices, including The Cure's "Friday, I'm in Love"? I think I'm in heaven.

Best line of the evening: "Guys, I know kung fu." - Chuck (tied with "Thank you for saving my life at least once a week.")

"Chuck Versus the Ring" packed more action, emotion, and tension into itself than many dramas do in entire season-long runs. When that card for "To Be Continued..." flashed on the screen, I found myself desperate for more. While this installment wrapped up some of the series' overarching plots, it also opened the door to a whole new set of adventures for Chuck, Sarah, and Casey. I would hate to see the series end with so much potential still in its bones.

If this is in fact the ending, all that's left to say to the talented cast and crew of this phenomenal series is domo arigato, really. Thanks for the memories, the laughs, the tears, and the edge-of-your-seat action. And thanks for two wonderful, memorable seasons of one of television's most innovative and original series. Personally, I'm still holding out hope that Chuck will continue next season. Because anything else would be unthinkable right now.

What did you think of "Chuck Versus the Ring"? Was it the perfect season finale or an ideal series finale? What do you think the future holds for our beloved team of super-spies? Were you surprised by the upgrades to the Intersect? And just what is The Ring? Discuss.

Chuck has yet to be renewed for a third season by NBC. Fingers crossed that they do the right thing and bring back this fantastic series.