While it didn’t receive the huge viewership required to keep the show alive for more than five seasons, Chuck is undoubtedly a cult favorite television show, with fan support keeping it on air for far longer than it otherwise would have been.
Although it generally managed to balance its comedy, drama, and spy-centric action admirably, there are several episodes that didn’t quite live up to audience expectations for one reason or another. Regardless, even the worst episodes of Chuck garnered relatively impressive IMDb scores, despite their flaws. These are the ten worst episodes the show ever produced, ranked according to their IMDb score.
“Chuck Versus the Masquerade” – 8.2
While the best episodes of Chuck have a tendency to weave their various subplots into the show’s central narrative, “Chuck Versus the Masquerade” keeps all of its plot threads entirely separate.
This may not seem like a huge deal on the surface, but the episode’s subplots are amongst the blandest in the entire series, with Ellie, Awesome, Morgan, and Casey having very little to do. What’s more, Chuck and Sarah’s big mission for the episode does little to redeem this, feeling more like dull filler than a vital chapter in the season’s story.
“Chuck Versus the Zoom” – 8.2
Chuck’s fifth and final season is arguably the most disappointing of the entire series, with its premiere episode “Chuck Versus the Zoom” opening the season in lukewarm fashion.
With Chuck finally free of the intersect and Morgan having instead gained one, season four’s finale left the show primed for an interesting new direction. Unfortunately, “Chuck Versus the Zoom” fails to capitalize on this, and the show’s new dynamic feels like a step back rather than a step forward as a result. Even guest star Mark Hamill can’t save this one from mediocrity.
“Chuck Versus the Third Dimension” – 8.2
Serving as something of a time capsule of the late 2000s era, “Chuck Versus the Third Dimension” attempted to capitalize on a renewed interest in 3D movies, with the entire episode being presented in ColorCode 3D. Gimmick aside however, the episode still left a lot to be desired.
The episode sees Chuck forced to look after out-of-control rock star Tyler Martin – played by Dominic Monaghan – who finds himself unexpectedly targeted by mercenaries. Unfortunately, Tyler turns out to be one of the show’s most irritating, clichéd characters, making it incredibly tempting to skip “Chuck Versus the Third Dimension” on a re-watch of the series.
“Chuck Versus the Sensei” – 8.1
While “Chuck Versus the Sensei” isn’t exactly a bad episode of Chuck, it fails to live up to the promise of its own premise. Focusing more heavily on John Casey and his past, the episode sees Casey’s former mentor, Ty Bennett, go rogue after defecting to the Ring – bringing the two men to blows.
Ultimately, the episode’s depiction of Casey and Bennett’s relationship rings somewhat hollow, not feeling anywhere near as fleshed out as it could have been – making “Chuck Versus the Sensei” one of the show’s weaker episodes.
“Chuck Versus the Frosted Tips” – 8.1
Continuing the poorly handled fifth season arc that sees Morgan play host to the intersect, “Chuck Versus the Frosted Tips” is perhaps the worst Morgan-centric episode in the show’s run.
The episode follows Morgan as he becomes increasingly arrogant and obnoxious in the wake of his newfound skills – dumping his girlfriend Alex via text and going behind the team’s back. The entire thing feels completely out of character, and further adds to the feeling that Morgan’s character is only there to be babysat – which is a troubling dynamic to introduce in a show’s final few episodes.
“Chuck Versus the Crown Vic” – 8.0
Something of an awkward spot in Chuck’s first season, “Chuck Versus the Crown Vic” follows Chuck as he attempts to thwart the plans of a billionaire counterfeiter alongside Sarah. The whole episode hinges around the tension between Chuck and Sarah following their near-death kiss, with their relationship status returning to the status quo by the end of the episode – making their will-they-won’t-they romance start to feel a little overdone.
With the episode’s sub-plots being just okay, “Chuck Versus the Crown Vic” is amongst the least eventful chapters in the show’s otherwise entertaining first season.
“Chuck Versus the A-Team” – 8.0
As the government makes moves to implant intersects into the heads of more experienced agents, Chuck begins to worry about his job security in the episode titled “Chuck Versus the A-Team.” After Casey builds a new team of highly skilled agents, Chuck is ultimately considered the superior candidate after he uses his superior intellect to disarm a ticking bomb with apple juice.
Honestly, it’s a pretty entertaining episode of the show, but certain fans felt that its central conflict was wrapped up too succinctly – with the concept of multiple government-sanctioned intersects containing a lot of untapped potential.
“Chuck Versus the Helicopter” – 8.0
The first episode of Chuck to air after its pilot, “Chuck Versus the Helicopter” – while entertaining in its own right – proved that the show had yet to find its footing.
With the show’s pilot leaning heavily into its comedy, several critics felt that “Chuck Versus the Helicopter” showed signs of an identity crisis, with its humorous elements falling by the wayside. Nevertheless, Chuck ultimately proved the critics wrong, successfully finding its groove as the series progressed.
“Chuck Versus the Sizzling Shrimp” – 7.9
One of only two Chuck episodes to dip below an 8.0 on IMDb, “Chuck Versus the Sizzling Shrimp” was another of the show’s rockier first season episodes. Following Chuck and the team as they assist a Chinese spy in saving her captive brother, the episode doesn’t really provide anything compelling at all, with it’s Morgan/Ellie and Buy More subplots feeling equally stale.
It’s not exactly that “Chuck Versus the Sizzling Shrimp” is terrible by any means, but it’s perhaps the most forgettable episode of the entire show.
“Chuck Versus the Bearded Bandit” – 7.7
Holding the record for lowest-rated Chuck episode on IMDb, “Chuck Versus the Bearded Bandit” is yet another episode in Morgan’s much-maligned intersect arc. Not only is he frustratingly incompetent throughout the episode, but he also ceases to be likable in light of his newfound abilities, acting like a petulant child rather than a fully grown adult.
Still, if the lowest-rated episode of your show still earned a 7.7 on IMDb, it’s no doubt a pretty great show – and even an episode like “Chuck Versus the Bearded Bandit” can’t change that.