​ "A Game of Chest" – Wrecked S03E04 Review

Okay, that was mildly funny. Mainly because "A Game of Chest" aped better shows and movies. The idea of Person A challenging Person B to chess, and B not having the slightest idea how it's played, isn't exactly a new one. But hey, Rhys Darby gives it all as the eternally incompetent Steve. And Jonno Robert's playing Declan's increasing frustration--like a Bond villain who has been deprived of his triumphant gloating because his nemesis is too stupid to understand what he's saying--is kind of funny.

Unfortunately, there are scenes that go on too long. Like the whole bit with Steve putting his pants on backward. And working it out. And taking them off. And putting them on correctly.

Let's recap before going any further. The episode breaks down into two plots. We start with Jess at the age of 19, going through a sorority initiation. She does a lightning shot (tequila plus a taser), and wakes up in the present after being shocked by her electric bracelet. The survivors soon discover she's forgotten the last 11 years of her life, and Jess thinks her sorority sisters are playing a prank on her as part of the initiation.

Meanwhile, Declan has Steve brought to the manner. The billionaire explains he thinks Steve is the only one who can kill him. And figures Steve will kill the other survivors, and then the hunters hunt Steve. Declan wants to have a game of chess with Steve first, to match wits with him or to engage in metaphor or... something.

Steve, being the eternally incompetent idiot that he is, thinks "chess" is called "chest". He makes a move and pretty much botches it, and Declan gives Steve a refresher in chess. That doesn't work out any better, and Declan sends Steve back to the pen.

The lion's share of the episode is about Jess and her husband Todd. Todd farts her awake (*sigh* a fart joke), and she reacts about as well as you'd expect for someone who was in a sorority one minute and then from her point of view she's in a pen on an island surrounded by strangers.

Todd tries to convince Jess that they're married. And I got a chuckle out of their golfing date. Jess displays her knowledge of golf, but then ruins Todd's shot by telling him she loves him. They get into a fight, but an older player comes over and Jess curses him out as Todd looks on admiringly. Back in the present, Todd tries to bring back Jess' memories by singing to her, with Danny and Florence (and Karen, although she pretty much stands stock still and mouths the lyrics) as backup singers. That doesn't work, and Jess gives Todd back her wedding ring and says they can't be together.

And then goes back to laughing and giggling with Park. Who Jess has learned lives in LA. So lord help us, they might link up Jess and Park romantically.

In the end bit, Steve manages to steal a chess piece before they toss him back in the pen. He tells the others he could have taken a knife or a radio or the bracelet controller, but went for the chess piece instead. Thinking they might be able to open the lock. They can't.

With the two flashbacks and the focus on Steve, Jess, and Todd, nobody else gets much to do in the 30-minute run-time. Brian Sacca proves his baritone singing credentials. Zach Cregger plays Owen as frustrated with the fact Declan thinks Steve is the leader. he has a brief bit with saying he was a chess champion in high school and he should have been the one to play chess.

Karen, Florence, and Pack didn't do much of anything except reaction shots and the occasional line of dialogue.

Overall, "A Game of Chess" was an okay Wrecked episode. I wouldn't call it a series highlight. I don't think the show has highlights. There's still underlying bits like Steve's idiocy that just rub me the wrong way. But there was a little more "zany" humor, with throwaway bits like the golf course scene, the survivors-as-backup-singers scene, and Declan's growing frustration with not being able to play the Bond villain-type against Steve. Believe me, I share your frustration, Declan.

But that's just my opinion, I could be wrong. What do you think?