Chuck: The Complete Fifth and Final Season

The NBC series Chuck—about an amiable computer geek transformed into the world's most powerful spy thanks to a program called Intersect uploaded directly into his brain—hung on because of a small but passionate fan base, and the final short season afforded creators/producers Chris Fedak and Josh Schwartz the opportunity to give the show a funny, affectionate, action-packed, and emotionally satisfying send-off. This run finds everyman super-spy Chuck Bartowski (Zachary Levi) setting up his own freelance espionage operation with the help of new bride and former CIA handler Sarah (Yvonne Strahovski), and best friend Morgan (Joshua Gomez), whose noggin is now housing Intersect. Chuck continues to rely on sister Ellie (Sarah Lancaster) for support, as well as the staff at the Buy More electronics store, which still serves as cover. Along with the array of returning villains and new threats, Carrie-Anne Moss appears as a rival private security contractor who enters into a very interesting romantic dance with Adam Baldwin's intense NSA agent, John Casey. Chuck was always as much about character chemistry as it was about action spectacle and goofy humor, and the final round offers the entire cast at least a few moments to shine. Compiling all 13 episodes from the 2011–12 fifth season on DVD and Blu-ray, extras include episode commentaries, behind-the-scenes featurettes, and a gag reel. Recommended. (S. Axmaker)