Chuck in a Nutshell

Show Name: Chuck (2007-2012)
Genre: Action, Comedy, Drama, Romance
Run: 5 seasons (91 episodes)
Running Time: 43 minutes
Network: NBC

Chuck Bartowski was an average computer nerd working at the Buy More as part of the Nerd Herd, based off Best Buy's Geek Squad, until his ex-roommate Bryce Larkin from Stanford sends him an encoded message that downloads the U.S. most important spy secrets into his brain. In order to protect the government's secrets and Chuck, they send in Colonel John Casey of the NSA and Agent Sarah Walker of the CIA to watch over Chuck as well as use his new-founded intelligence to help them on spy missions to save the day. Now a spy, Chuck struggles to balance his double life, torn between wanting to share his secret while protecting his friends and family.

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Lisamentary:

Chuck was another summer series of my sister and mine that we flew right through. It was so amazing that by the last season my sister only let us watch 1 or 2 episodes a day so that we could savor the show and all its goodness.

Well, that only kind of happened because I already watched the last episode while she was sleeping and had read all the spoilers online by that point anyway. So, no surprises there! And we'll get my reaction to the end later on in this post.

Moving on!

Before I can truly fall in love with the show, the characters have to talk to me. They have to speak into my soul and whisper, "Lisa, Lisa, we are MTB" or something along those lines, but you get my point. Chuck is, dare I say it, awkward. But only in the best sense possible because he is such a sweet geek yet still epitomizes the stereotypical nerd as seen on TV and movies. However, never fear because we all know that nerds rule the world!!! (Ehem, ehem, Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, etc.) Also, I really loved Sarah!! She's really pretty and smart and she has some killer moves. Literally. The chemistry the trio, Chuck, Sarah, and Casey, shared while taking bad guys and saving the world was great too. They all came to love each other, making Sarah and Casey break one of the golden rules of spying: never fall in love. (This not to be confused with Sarah and Casey getting together because they did NOT!! I emphasize did NOT!!)

Being a spy show, there's a whole lot of action, which I'm all for!! The stunts are well-done and don't look fake and staged. Most of the time. Even though Chuck is no jock, he has got some moves on the show. So, good job picking stunt doubles, NBC. This makes the show that much better because it's not just a romance or just a comedy, there is always another aspect to the show to enjoy. Also, since they go on so many missions outside of Burbank, there is always a change of scenery.

If you've read my other posts, you'd know the romantic relationships and who-gets-with-whom really matters to me. Like, let's say we are in an alternate universe and somehow Chuck got with someone that is NOT Sarah, I probably would have stopped watching. Better yet, let's up that to I definitely would have stopped watching. I just can't stand when my couple doesn't get together, but this is not a worry in this show since it is implied that they do but not confirmed. Of course.

Now that leads us to the ending of the show. So sad. Tear, tear. Cry, cry. I was really sad that this show ended because I believed that it was AMAZING!! And AMAZING does not deserve five measly seasons; at least 8 seasons or a million if it were my decision are necessary to suffice. Also, warning to all: MAJOR SPOILER ALERT AHEAD. Well, like I said, the future of Sarah and Chuck's relationship was not confirmed nor wrapped up in a neat little bow, much to my dismay. Like, what is wrong with people?!?! What is wrong with the world?!!? You knew that this was possible Chuck's last season and you left me with an open-ended conclusion, which is the equivalent of a cliffhanger basically. That is just wrong!! Just because Sarah lost all her memories, including those with her falling in love with Chuck, doesn't mean that I should've been left without even a nice little epilogue.

So if you can't tell, I'm mad. However, there have been speculations about possibly continuing on the series and maybe a movie if not. But, of course, everything is up in the air and the producers and such are just feeding off fans' hopes and dreams while keeping mum. I can only hope, I guess. Oh well.

Characters:

Charles "Chuck" Bartowski: Chuck is a computer whiz who is not fulfilling his potential by working at the Buy More. This is probably due to him being kicked out of Stanford, and thus he ended up at the Buy More where all dreams come to die. Chuck is a very lovable character because he is a good guy who has the right intentions and actually does the right things. He is very trusting to the point of being gullible at times, which just adds to his appeal. He also defies the stereotypes that computer geeks sit behind a desk all day and that good guys finish last since he's a spy AND got Sarah, technically.

Agent Sarah Walker: Agent Sarah Walker works for the CIA and starts out the show as Chuck's girlfriend as her cover story. She usually keeps her emotions well-guarded and is a very good spy. Deception has been a large part of her life and she has a lot of baggage from her past.

Colonel John Casey: Colonel John Casey is an NSA agent who was assigned to Chuck and works at the Buy More as an "Greenshirt." He is a former Marine and cares a lot for his country. He is very cynical, private, and silent man, all traits needed to be a remorseless assassin.

Morgan Grimes: Morgan Grimes is Chuck's best friend since childhood and side-kick. He works at the Buy More alongside Chuck, even though Chuck is the only one that is really qualified to be part of the Nerd Herd. Morgan is very talkative and a little childish at times and loves to play video games rather than actually work. Nevertheless, he is extremely loyal and is someone Chuck can always come to.

Dr. Eleanor "Ellie" Bartowski: Ellie Bartowski is Chuck's sister and one of his biggest supporters. She took on the role of Chuck's parent figure after their mom left and their dad's downhill slope and is very protective of him. Ellie is a doctor and graduate of UCLA where she met Devon. Ellie is very sweet. However, she is a perfectionist, making her get nervous/anxious easily when things aren't perfect.

Dr. Devon "Captain Awesome" Woodcomb: Devon is Ellie's boyfriend when the show starts out and is also a doctor, a cardiothoracic surgeon to be exact, and is too a UCLA graduate. Chuck looks up to Devon very much, hence Chuck giving him the nickname "Captain Awesome" because everything he does or says is "awesome." He becomes a brotherly figure to Chuck and gives him advice on life and love. Besides being a doctor, Devon is very passionate about his physique and is either seen constantly working out or shirtless.

Michael "Big Mike" Turner: Big Mike is the boss at the Buy More and has a love for Subway sandwiches, which he is seen eating throughout the show. He likes to sit in his office a lot eating a Subway rather than interacting with the workers. Big Mike also encourages and participates in ploys to thwart the rival Beverly Hills Buy More. He also really likes to fish.

Lester Patel: Lester Patel is part of the Nerd Herd and is a Hin-Jew, part Hindu and part Jewish. He is often seen scheming with his partner-in-crime Jeff. Also, Lester likes to use his religion and ethnicity to his advantage in tricking and manipulating others.

Jeff Barnes: Jeff Barnes works as a Greenshirt at the Buy More. Jeff is not very bright and acts very doozy most of the time. He is an alcoholic who is a burnt-out video game player. His best friend is Lester who he often plots idiotic pranks with.

Brigadier General Diane Beckman: General Beckman is the director of the NSA and comms with Casey and Sarah to tell them what mission to go on next. She is a professional who doesn't like mix business and personal relationships. She likes things to be done and is very no-nonsense.

Anna Wu: Anna is part of the Nerd Herd and the object of Morgan's affection. Anna's style is very out-there, a cross between a Japanese anime character and a goth. Her personality is cynical and weird; she sometimes says very shocking things.

Meet the Characters: