** SLIGHT UPDATE 10-21-08**
While I LOVE the show.. its still not quite hit the stride as last year.. I still notice a lot of HATE for the show, and I wonder.. what the hell do these people WATCH that's so great? It's a COMEDY.. with light action.. but then the common denominator.. and let's just beat this dead horse seems to be Exec. Producer McG (yeah.. its a douchy name.. and he's made some real CRAP movies.. well the two I actually watched anyway) and Josh Schwartz who made some "tween" show on the CW, that I don't watch either.. This seems to be the MAJOR attacking point for most people that these two have the temerity to be involved on TV. OH MY GOD.. get a rope.. I don't really care WHO made it.. is it good? is it entertaining? Is it worth an hour of my time a week.. well forty minutes. Those are the IMPORTANT questions to me.. and I will say yes, on all counts. Chuck is still well above any other show I've gotten into in the past few years.. the sadly declining Scrubs that.. still does pack the whallop.. Heroes.. which has fallen.. gotten back up slightly.. now seems to be falling again, HARDER in its third season.. Prison Break which went off the rails 2.5 YEARS ago. It's NOT an action series.. its not a romance series.. its not a comedy sitcom.. maybe they NEED someone to tell them WHEN to laugh? is that it? If so.. there's plenty of other shows for people to watch. and why the feel the need to come here and tell other people how worthless it is.. they'd scream blasphemy if someone berated their beloved shows. I can admit.. the premise is SILLY.. and out there.. and yeah.. its paper thin.. but the characters are NOT! We get to scratch beneath the surface.. ever so slightly.. getting hints at things.. and that's part of the fun of the show. the mystery.. you don't HAVE to know.. but.. at least in my case.. I LIKE the characters enough to want to know... anyway.. that's all I have to say about that.
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The show walks quite the fine line.. while serving up some light geek humor.. while also delivering not exactly 24 level type of ACTION.. but is a nice blend of a romantic tension (yeah.. it'll be going on FOREVER.. does no one here remember Moonlighting? the minute they hooked up.. the show was OVER!). I don't think Chuck can quite run as long on this premise as Moonlighting (t years) but the show is quite fun in doling out little bits you don't quite understand.. for example I thought the episode "Chuck vs. the Alma Mater" was a special highlight... it somehow works in crazy comedy.. a romance.. and friendship and they still find time for the occasional spy stuff too.. If you're looking for a romance show? this ain't it.. a high octane guns blazing show? nope.. not it.. something that has more of a quirky sense of humor.. a dash of romance.. and just some great cameos, John Laroqueete in the second episode of season 2 springs immediately to mind.. then yes.. you will enjoy this show.. otherwise, its probably not for you.. then again not all shows are made for EVERYONE, I just happen to think that as of now in its second season Chuck is quite fun still and has yet to have the devastating crash of FOX's Prison Break.. while I enjoyed the first 2 years.. the third was kinda meh.. and the fourth.. well I've just given up on it entirely.. there are VERY few network shows I watch and this is one of the few exceptions I make.. and considering I rarely watch new shows.. I consider that, for me and the folks involved, quite the mean feat...
not only do you have to be laughing.. enjoying the quirky humor.. but wanting things to work out.. when you know they never really will and then seeing how it all falls apart is part of the fin.. Chuck is the average Joe thrown headfirst into the spy world.. and somehow.. he seems to always come out on top.. he's the guy you root for when.. in any movie this would be the clumsy spy who has his head blown off in the first scene.. but Levi's quirky sense of humor.. and just.. plain likability is really what makes you stay with the show at first.. then you get to enjoy the other characters.. like the love life of "Awesome" and Ellie.. the dysfunctional romance of Morgan and Anna (who is a riot.. both are actually).. and the on again.. off again..might just happen relationship with Chuck and Sarah.. all in all.. its not going to change the world.. but maybe it will give you something to enjoy for the week.. I LOVE 24, even though its going down.. but.. can't say I laugh and LOVE the characters.. I enjoy the stories.. the themes.. and some of the ideas they play with.. whereas Chuck has no real deep themes.. or political machinations.. its just a quirky character comedy.. that happens to involve spies.
While I LOVE the show.. its still not quite hit the stride as last year.. I still notice a lot of HATE for the show, and I wonder.. what the hell do these people WATCH that's so great? It's a COMEDY.. with light action.. but then the common denominator.. and let's just beat this dead horse seems to be Exec. Producer McG (yeah.. its a douchy name.. and he's made some real CRAP movies.. well the two I actually watched anyway) and Josh Schwartz who made some "tween" show on the CW, that I don't watch either.. This seems to be the MAJOR attacking point for most people that these two have the temerity to be involved on TV. OH MY GOD.. get a rope.. I don't really care WHO made it.. is it good? is it entertaining? Is it worth an hour of my time a week.. well forty minutes. Those are the IMPORTANT questions to me.. and I will say yes, on all counts. Chuck is still well above any other show I've gotten into in the past few years.. the sadly declining Scrubs that.. still does pack the whallop.. Heroes.. which has fallen.. gotten back up slightly.. now seems to be falling again, HARDER in its third season.. Prison Break which went off the rails 2.5 YEARS ago. It's NOT an action series.. its not a romance series.. its not a comedy sitcom.. maybe they NEED someone to tell them WHEN to laugh? is that it? If so.. there's plenty of other shows for people to watch. and why the feel the need to come here and tell other people how worthless it is.. they'd scream blasphemy if someone berated their beloved shows. I can admit.. the premise is SILLY.. and out there.. and yeah.. its paper thin.. but the characters are NOT! We get to scratch beneath the surface.. ever so slightly.. getting hints at things.. and that's part of the fun of the show. the mystery.. you don't HAVE to know.. but.. at least in my case.. I LIKE the characters enough to want to know... anyway.. that's all I have to say about that.
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The show walks quite the fine line.. while serving up some light geek humor.. while also delivering not exactly 24 level type of ACTION.. but is a nice blend of a romantic tension (yeah.. it'll be going on FOREVER.. does no one here remember Moonlighting? the minute they hooked up.. the show was OVER!). I don't think Chuck can quite run as long on this premise as Moonlighting (t years) but the show is quite fun in doling out little bits you don't quite understand.. for example I thought the episode "Chuck vs. the Alma Mater" was a special highlight... it somehow works in crazy comedy.. a romance.. and friendship and they still find time for the occasional spy stuff too.. If you're looking for a romance show? this ain't it.. a high octane guns blazing show? nope.. not it.. something that has more of a quirky sense of humor.. a dash of romance.. and just some great cameos, John Laroqueete in the second episode of season 2 springs immediately to mind.. then yes.. you will enjoy this show.. otherwise, its probably not for you.. then again not all shows are made for EVERYONE, I just happen to think that as of now in its second season Chuck is quite fun still and has yet to have the devastating crash of FOX's Prison Break.. while I enjoyed the first 2 years.. the third was kinda meh.. and the fourth.. well I've just given up on it entirely.. there are VERY few network shows I watch and this is one of the few exceptions I make.. and considering I rarely watch new shows.. I consider that, for me and the folks involved, quite the mean feat...
not only do you have to be laughing.. enjoying the quirky humor.. but wanting things to work out.. when you know they never really will and then seeing how it all falls apart is part of the fin.. Chuck is the average Joe thrown headfirst into the spy world.. and somehow.. he seems to always come out on top.. he's the guy you root for when.. in any movie this would be the clumsy spy who has his head blown off in the first scene.. but Levi's quirky sense of humor.. and just.. plain likability is really what makes you stay with the show at first.. then you get to enjoy the other characters.. like the love life of "Awesome" and Ellie.. the dysfunctional romance of Morgan and Anna (who is a riot.. both are actually).. and the on again.. off again..might just happen relationship with Chuck and Sarah.. all in all.. its not going to change the world.. but maybe it will give you something to enjoy for the week.. I LOVE 24, even though its going down.. but.. can't say I laugh and LOVE the characters.. I enjoy the stories.. the themes.. and some of the ideas they play with.. whereas Chuck has no real deep themes.. or political machinations.. its just a quirky character comedy.. that happens to involve spies.