Chuck Versus Phase Three

On the most recent episode of Chuck, Sarah tries desperately to find Chuck.  Sarah became, in the words of Casey, "unpredictable."  Casey discussed how he disliked Sarah pre-Chuck, which is really interesting, because it implies that Casey saw something good in Sarah and Chuck's relationship.  It gives Casey's character an extra and interesting shade, since he's never said anything on the subject before and he so rarely says anything positive at all.  The episode also showed off Sarah as emotionally invested and the actress's chops.  She's always a strong character, and that's great, but seeing the intimate moment of her grief was a wonderful quiet moment in a show that usually is about the flash bang.  The episode also featured far more of the other characters and not Chuck himself, again, a nice change up from the usual. 

The best part of this episode is that it acknowledged Chuck's fear for marrying Sarah, who Morgan called "a big fish."  But then we see that Chuck wants to get over that; he doesn't want his fear of a strong woman to stop him from being with her.  It might not quite be feminism, since Sarah felt the need to say that she was nothing without Chuck, but the show positively depicts both a strong woman and the man who wants to be with her.  Sadly, you don't see that on tv too often, so in this way, the show has not only done something unique but positive for how people see gender on tv.  The only thing that isn't okay is that Sarah was in some ways "crazy" without her man.  Casey acknowledged that, given the circumstances, she had the right to be upset, but Beckman still wanted her watched.  It was borderline "hysterical woman" meme, and that's tired. 

The dream sequence that the episode opened up on was delightful strange, especially considering that it featured the show's favorite freak, Lester.  (Does Lester ever wear normal clothes, or is it only work uniforms and costumes for this guy?)

This episode also featured some great villians.  "The Belgian" was so creepy, especially with his glasses magnifying his eyes so he looked like an insect.   


In terms of disappointments, the episode tried hard to skirt around the issue of torture, which was really a pity.  Torture has been such a difficult issue in American politics lately, that it seemed too easy for Sarah to just talk a Thai diplomat and terroritsts into giving pertinant information.  Not that torture needed to happen, but the lack of dialogue over it was a little too American.  The closest they got to dialogue on violence at all was when Morgan suggested maybe they shouldn't use guns.  Again, Morgan has been aware of Chuck's situation for long enough that it seems strange that he is now opposed to guns.  And that the dialogue was limited to Morgan not wanting to be sacrificed, so then of course he's okay with guns.  And then even Casey had to admit that guns were unnecessary when they tried another tactic.  The show only kind of deals with violence in a comical way, almost never in a serious way.  Again, no dialogue on the subject.   

The episode also discussed how as spies, Casey and Sarah didn't have juristiction over certain places.  Why are we several years into this show and only now discussing bureaucracy?  Usually it's the first excuse a show like this would use to justify certain actions and storylines. 

It would also be nice for Casey to actually put his foot down and truly tell Morgan no.  The show has already established how tough Casey is, so why doesn't he just throw Morgan into a cell or tie him up to a chair?  Morgan trailing along on these missions is far too unrealistic.  "I definetely know how to use this, dirtbags"?  I would have riddled his body with bullets if he said that to me. 

And, even though the show had some good pro-women moments, how disappointing that Sarah can't save herself.  I would much rather watch her save Chuck without anyone's help.  And there was no need for her to make herself wet, except for the male gaze.  So even though yes, she's a strong woman, and yes, Chuck loves that about her, why is it her power is always being subverted by other things?  Can't we just have her be a badass without everything els

e becoming an issue?

And wouldn't it have been great if Ellie got exposed to the Intersect when she got into that computer?

Is Salt a Feminist Movie?

A review of Salt.
by Courtney Hilden
Spoiler Alert!: Part of this plot, though not the final twist, is given away in this review.  

There was a lot of talk on blogs and forums on the Internet about Salt, a movie starring Angelina Jolie.  Before the movie came out, there was a lot of enthusiasm over how the movie was originally written with a male main character, but once Jolie became interested in the project, the gender was changed to reflect their star's.  Feminists celebrated this as a moment where gender didn't determine the casting of an actor.  After the movie came out, the movie was given mixed reviews, discussing it as a fun and well-made popcorn movie, but complaining it was not especially deep.  But it must have captured someone's attention, as it managed to make $70.8 million in ten days. 
But after the movie came out, there was not much of a discussion about if the film was feminist in and of itself.  And, given that other reviews have already dissected so much of the other aspects of the film, it seems important to talk about how this movie, being the only film I can think of where the gender of its main character was purposeless changed, about how gender operates in the movie
First and foremost, it was a relief to see Jolie not play up her sexiness or body.  She wore frumpy work clothes that looked unflattering and unfashionable.  She had a miserably bad haircut throughout the beginning of the movie, her blond locks looking like a bad dye job.  (While her character's actually dye job looked utterly normal on her, the kind of hair someone who only washes it every other day looks.)  Considering Jolie is the woman who, about ten years ago, played Lara Croft, where, because she apparently was not what the directors and producers wanted, had to wear fake breasts.  In a world where one of the most beloved film stars has an imperfect body, you know the standards are far too high.  It almost felt like Salt was purposeless not more than just a woman with a government job.  It was nice to have a heroine who was relatively ordinary.
But the plot's reliance on Salt's dedication to her husband is troublesome.  Early on in the film, Salt's husband, Mike, is taken by Orlov's group.  After he is killed by Orlov's men, it becomes Salt's apparent motivation, leading her to follow enough of Orlov's plan to dismantle it.  (I say apparent motivation here because it is possible that other things are motivating her, but her husband's murder is the only clear force propelling her.)  Salt's dedication is admirable, but it's troublesome that her only motivation throughout the movie is her love for her husband.  If this movie really had been about a man, it is hard to believe that it would follow this same plot.  A male character in those circumstances would have other things motivating him.
It is also important to note the lack of female character, beyond Salt.  All the other characters are male, and apparently, other than Salt, everyone important at the CIA is male.  Although women have historically struggled with jobs in the CIA, they do exist.  The complete lack of other female characters within the story just serves to remind the audience that even if the main character's gender was changed, that it was because one of the biggest stars in the world became attached to the project, not because it was a moment to make a statement about gender and characters in the movies.  And of all the things about this movie, from the ludicrous chase scenes and the McGuyver moments and the unbelievable idea that Russia has trained children to eventually bring down the U.S., that indifference to gender within the story is the most disappointing.