(S02E12) "The cell is mightier than the sword, or the very large knife." -- Chuck

There were some funny bits in this episode of Chuck. There were also some good bits of plot development. Still, for what was being promoted as a spotlight show, including the novelty of 3-D, it's hard for me to sing the praises of tonight's episode. It just left a lot to be desired. What it did leave me with is a headache.

Before getting into the particulars, let's get the 3-D thing out of the way. It was terrible. Joel wrote about this a few days ago, and he was right. The 3-D glasses were cumbersome and lame. They also seemed too dark because instead of the effects popping, they just seemed murky and dim. I give NBC credit for trying to think outside the box, but 3-D is not the answer for how to make TV viewing more exciting. Compared to high-def, 3-D is not awesome, just annoying.

When NBC announced its new Thursday lineup, which includes Scrubs and 30 Rock, I wasn't exactly happy with it, especially since there were six shows over two networks that were can't-miss to me. What complicated matters was that, at the time, I reviewed two of those shows for TVS, so writing reviews would also be part of my evening.

I know, tough life, right? That's why I'm calling it the "Thursday from Heck" in the headline; after all, I'm watching TV and writing about it, which is much better than just about any other job I could have.

Anyway, Julia was nice enough to take the reviews for Ugly Betty off my hands, but I still have to review yet another dense and intense episode of Grey's Anatomy. But I've been so looking forward to seeing a new Scrubs, it hurts. So how am I going to negotiate my evening? I'll let you know after the jump.