Yeah. That's the way to keep your job. Not to mention the true meaning of the word "professional". Count me in as a Chuck supporter. --Ted
"Chuck" is a fun romp once a week. It has a good balance of humor, drama, romance, action and geekiness that appeals to me, but I can def. see how it's not for everyone.
In my opinion, it's not the greatest show, but I found it to be fun and a bit lighthearted. Reaper I kind of lost track of because they kept moving it around here. It was another new show that I enjoyed though
Just re-watched "Chuck vs. the Crown Vic." Casey's face when the Crown Vic meets its fate is just priceless. Not to mention the scene where he's waxing the Vic - "shiny!" The Buy More gang got some good screen time in this one too. I can't help it - I love Morgan & Anna, Jeff & Lester, Big Mike - they're all such fun. I even miss Harry Tang.
I love Chuck, can't stand Reaper to be honest. I thought there was an arc, albeit a subtle one, about Fulcrum, that would no doubt have built up more momentum if the series had gotten a full first season instead of an aborted thirteen episodes, along with the arc about the second Intersect (and, if we read the comics - a third one).
I didn't watch this during it's original broadcast, but caught up with it over the summer, and I'm glad I did. I really don't care if there's a major background story arc - in fact I'm burned out on the whole "Big Mystery That Keeps You Coming Back Week After Week!" Though of course the premise of the show does include one with the Intersect and "what's going to happen to Chuck?" when v 2.0 goes live. A lighthearted episodic show full of attractive people and fairly sharp writing that tweaks the spy and geek genres? Fine by me.
"Chuck" was my favorite new show last season. "Reaper" grew on me eventually, but it was never quite as much fun as I'd hoped it woud be. "Chuck" was consistently more entertaining . . . .
The Pushing Daisies writers sure weren't phoning it in. The Sarah Connor Chronicles was much better than I'd expected. Lost had its best season ever (and deserves another Emmy). And Heroes got back to its old form, more or less, towards the end of the season, when the strike presumably was inevitable. As for Chuck, it sounds like they're adding more romance to the formula, presumably to attract the female audience because the ratings are marginal and the competition on Mondays will be fierce. Bwagh, they're going after the Gossip Girl audience!!! I'd prefer more interaction between Chuck and Casey, and more plot arc for them. Seriously, is anybody interested in exploring this romantic relationship? Isn't it a prime example of the boringness of Unresolved Sexual Tension(TM), the most trite and overused of TV cliches? Or will they become a couple and then we get to observe their domestic bliss/fighting/etc? I'm happy to have Sarah left flouncing around in sexy outfits in the background for the guys to look at. Not interested in her smootching Chuck and then fighting because he didn't bring her flowers or whatever it is they have in mind. And here I was thinking I might start liking this show. Oh well, I'll switch over to Prison Break instead. T-Bag's da MAN!
That said it better than I could have. NO NO NO NO NO NO NO. If I wanted to watch teen soaps, I'd watch them. I don't want the sex. I want the heart. So far, Chuck has done that quite well. Stay with what works! The campy action stuff sells as well as it does because of the genuineness they've pumped into the supporting characters. Chuck's endearing quality of loveable geek suddenly plunged into his fantasy life and finding it not only scarier than he expected, but also a threat to his family - THAT is what sells the show for me. The Sarah/Chuck thing is okay in small doses, but really, I think Sarah is the least interesting character on the show, with the possibility of Bryce giving her a run for her money. And as a total aside, I'm not fond of Morgan's new haircut. I'd grown to kinda love his shapeless mop from the first season.
Yeah. In fairness it's an element I think of every show going... it's just some play it less than others. Chuck plays it very overtly. Then when the lovely Rachel Bilson turned up I thought it could make things more interesting, but she had "arc" written all over her. I could almost see the press release on the futoncritic saying how she'll be there for three episodes, and then they write the show like they know she'll be there for three episodes. It all feels way too constructed. I like to see some people hate his sister too here, I keep looking at her thinking "Why didn't they recast you"? One more thing I didn't grumble at... Chuck himself. They won't get someone truly geeky and ugly in there as he won't have lead man appeal. So once again they get a hot guy, and make him give a few references to Star Wars or comics, then he's a "geek". Schwartz did on the OC too with Seth. In fact Seth looks a lot like Chuck... One final sidenote for those that don't know and like trivia... Bonita Friedericy (General Beckman) is the wife of John 'Phlox' Billngsley.
Hey, you gotta love any show in which the characters dress up as a sandworm from DUNE! I just wish they'd give Tony Todd more to do . . . .
"Chuck Versus the Sandworm" episode 1x06. The "will they, won't they" is okay with me when it's kept in balance, as it seems to be on this show. Yeah, it's used in just about every series out there because it's a relatable story element. Like, say, the weather, or "what am I going to have for dinner?" Most everyone can relate to the whole "does s/he like me?" romantisexual tension stuff. Everything is a cliche on this show (nebbish reluctant hero, goofy sidekick, humorless straight-arrow) just like most of the other programs on TV. However, just as any two chefs can buy the same ingredients, it's how they prepare them that makes the difference. These folks serve up a reasonably tasty meal. (Please note that I refrained from using a "Wienerlicious" joke in the above analogy.)
The shows I like (Dexter, Lost, Pushing Daisies, BSG) either avoid cliches or subvert them, so just saying that "everything on TV is crap anyway" really isn't much of an argument. But I'll check out the Sandworm ep, thanks!
^Pretty much what you said. Didn't like the first ep, saw a few later that the roommate was watching that might go somewhere... I'll give it another go this fall. If nothing happens, I'm gone.
^It was only the first season with a lot of standalone episodes, which is pretty standard for most shows. Not to mention that the season was cut short by the strike. I have a feeling that the big storyline will move along more this season.