I don’t want you guys to think I’m one dimensional here. Hopefully, I have proven to you that I have encyclopedic knowledge and prodigious skill when it comes to covering sports in this column. But I do, believe it or not, know about other things... Well, at least one other thing: Media.
I mean, I am going to get a degree in Media Studies, maybe it’s time I put that wisdom to good use. Maybe it’s time to broaden my horizons and reach into the untapped resources I have at my disposal (It works for Bill Simmons, right?) So, today we break from the status quo. Mark today on your calendars, dear readers, as the day that I led you, fearlessly, into uncharted territory.
That flawlessly worded and overwhelmingly inspirational introduction basically just means that I’m going to start telling you about TV shows/movies/video games that I like, and you have no choice but to sit there and listen. Aren’t you lucky?
Today, we delve into the world of television, more specifically into the greatest television show you never considered to watch: Chuck.
It takes a lot for me to want to follow a show religiously. Never you mind that I currently follow some 15 television series. When you consider the pure astronomical mass of shoddy programming out there, the veritable smorgasbord of shows to choose from, you realize that it takes a certain je ne sais quoi to peak my, yours, or anyone’s interest these days.
For me, it’s usually comedy. You make me laugh, and I am loyal to you. This is the reason I watch The Office, 30 Rock, Modern Family, and How I Met Your Mother. And this is the reason that I started watching Chuck when it debuted in 2007. Just so we are clear, I watched the pilot WHEN IT AIRED. And up until leaving for college in January 2010, I watched it weekly, more often than not, on the night of original airing. It was just one of those shows for me. I built my schedule around being able to watch it on Monday nights, which means I would have my homework done by then... or I wouldn’t do it at all. It was much harder to keep up once I got to Berkeley, there were just so many other things to do than sit around and watch TV. But I completed the series just a few months removed from “real time” if you will.
Let me pause here momentarily. If you are one of the blessed souls who has watched the entirety of the show, I applaud you. You may continue reading at your leisure. If you are in the process of watching it or have future plans of watching it, that’s alright. But you may want to stop at this paragraph. I do not intend to reveal spoilers, but I make no promises. And for those of you who have no intention whatsoever of indulging yourself in a brilliant program... go away. No one likes you.
Working under the assumption that many of you will eschew my directions and keep reading even though you have never watched the show, I suppose I should start from the beginning. Chuck's titular character is a down-on-his luck “nerd” who works at the Buy More in Burbank, California (clarification: Buy More is a fictional version of Best Buy, for all intents and purposes). An old college friend of Chuck’s, who turns out to be a spy, sends him an email full of images encoded with government secrets. When Chuck opens the email, the images flash before his eyes and are transmitted into his brain. From that point forward, if Chuck sees or hears about something contained in these images (as a whole referred to as the “Intersect”) he recalls, involuntarily, any information the government has on it. That is the foundation upon which the entire show is built upon. Got it? Awesome.
It would take me hours and hours to give you a solid plot summary, so I’m just going to jump ahead and give you a list of things I love about Chuck:
The Actors/Characters:
First things first, Zachary Levi is a wonderful actor. He looks the part, he sounds the part, he acts the part. He switches effortlessly back and forth between comedic lovable loser and suave, debonair man about town. We watch as he progresses throughout the series, from nondescript Nerd Herder to sophisticated secret agent. He fits the role perfectly. And speaking of fitting a role perfectly, has there even been a better fit than Adam Baldwin as NSA agent John Casey? He really holds that group, and the shop together. And Yvonne Strahovski (whom at a time I considered to be just a pretty face) really picked it up in the closing episodes.
And it’s not just the stars that sparkle, it’s the littany of guest stars as well. Just off the top of my head: Rachel Bilson, John Larroquette, Chevy Chase, Nicole Ritchie, Jordana Brewster, Gary Cole, Stone Cold Steve Austin, and my personal favorite Timothy Dalton.
The Story:
Remember in my HIGHLY CONTROVERSIAL Jeremy Lin article, I said that our culture loves a story we can connect with. Chuck certainly falls within that category. It is easy for the viewer to put themselves in Chuck’s shoes. To imagine what it would be like to live his life and face his challenges. We sympathize with him (watch out for actual scholarly insight here) because we have exclusive access to his thoughts and actions. He is forced to keep a significant secret from his family and friends, but not from us viewers.
On top of that, the show keeps you guessing. And I don’t mean in a “Oh my gosh, Ted still has feelings for Robin? Who knew???” kind of way. I mean that there are real twists, Lost style, that you don’t see coming until they smack you in the face. For a critically unacclaimed NBC TV show, Chuck was particularly witty and well-thought out, despite the fact that it faced threats of cancellation for the better part of its last two seasons.
The Ending:
I was fully anticipating one of those storybook endings. I was expecting true love’s kiss and all that other nonsense they feed children these days (by the way, has anything ever created higher romantic standards than Disney movies? Think about it). I was expecting Harry Potter all over again (THAT is a conversation for another blog post). But Chuck did not sell out, Chuck didn’t give you the stereotypical happy ending. And in a way, it symbolized the entire run of the show. There was a reliance on the scientific, not the magical. Nothing happened that was without reason (in the universe of the show) or that went unexplained. And there was never an easy solution to any problem (They had to kill Shaw like 7 times). But in the end, there was faith and hope, even in the face of discouragement. And isn’t that really what life is about?
Yes, it is.
Do yourself a favor, and watch the pilot. Chuck is not just the story of a normal guy who stumbles into an abnormal situation. It is, above all else, a story of devotion. To one’s family. To one’s partner. To one’s nation. To oneself.
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