The Show
Chuck Bartowski rules.
Living the nerd dream, he's gone from big box electronics store salesman to part-time secret agent to full-time super-spy, without ever fully abandoning his passion for movies, videogames and comic books. Chuck had his daddy issues in the past, but The Complete Fourth Season explored family as never before. Still with a head full of confidential data, and now with quite a bit of field experience (and time on his hands as one of the nation's unemployed), he sets off in search of his long-lost mother, a path that soon puts him back in black.
Other characters are dealing with parent/child challenges as well, while the Bartowski clan is about to grow in different directions. Some of these changes mandate an incredible array of guest stars including Linda Hamilton, Dolph Lundgren, Timothy Dalton and Harry Dean Stanton... as a repo man.
There's a taut, serious, sorta dark season-long story arc with plenty of twists and turns, but what Chuck does so brilliantly is maximize the humor without totally deflating the drama. There are quick inside jokes you don't even need to be a geek to get (Vandalay Industries!) and more than enough priceless quotes to keep us chuckling when we're not biting our nails.
The Picture
The 16:9 Chuck was shot on a combination of 16mm and 35mm film, yielding quite a bit of noticeable grain. The relatively low bitrate meanwhile (maybe 16 megabits-per-second average?), a result of squeezing 24 43-minutes episodes onto four platters, yields an image that is somewhat soft and touched by its share of noise on difficult details. The special effects shots are a different story however, produced to a higher standard of quality and looking gorgeous in their punchy colors and striking clarity. But their infrequency, and the disparity between these and the bulk of the show, make for an odd viewing experience at times.
The Sound
The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 soundtrack represents quite a fine mix, especially for weekly network TV on Blu-ray, graced by the occasional hard, discrete surround effect. The squawk of a walkie-talkie, a passing siren or other surprise touches keep every installment lively, while the music can extend well beyond the front soundstage. The high-res format is also a definite step up from past seasons, which were in Dolby Digital.
The Extras
By far the most impressive bonus feature is the Blu-ray-exclusive "Top Secret Chuckipedia Experience," an enhanced viewing mode for one episode, "Chuck Versus the First Fight." This Bonus View option is anchored by a particularly well-produced video commentary, then adds interactive icons and prompts that lead us to interviews and more.
All five of the Jeff and Lester's "Buy Hard" webisodes are collected here (13.5 minutes total), the slightly silly fake interviews of "Spying on the Chuck Cast" and the far meatier "Chuck Versus Directing," wherein we see how star Zachary Levi met the demands of directing another episode, "Chuck Versus The Leftovers." There's also a blooper reel and quite a few "declassified" (deleted) scenes spanning the season, with cut scenes indicated with a pair of scissors on each episode where they are available. All of these video extras are in HD, and all four discs in this set offer BD-Live connectivity.
Final Thoughts
Chuck cannot be killed: NBC cancels it and the fans bring it back, although Season Five, beginning on October 21, is reportedly the really, really last. Let's hope that, a year from now, Warner gives us as well-rounded a swansong set as they have here for Season Four.
Product Details
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