They promised! Everything I read about the new Chuck 2.0 guaranteed me that, while things had changed, everything about Chuck was still the same. He may be in possession of a new, more powerful Intersect, but — his ability to learn new skills rapidly aside — this was going to be the Chuck we knew and loved.
Sure, when backed into a corner he’d be able to learn the requisite fighting style to get out alive. Or when faced with an insurmountable obstacle, he’d be able to do the fast math — or physics — necessary to get him over the hump. But Chuck would still be Chuck. He’d still be the irresponsible little brother mooning over the girl and saving his best friend. Nothing new, never fear.
Apparently they lied.
When I finally got the chance this weekend to watch the first four hours of this season, I found myself going from annoyed to extremely disappointed as quickly as Chuck can learn jujitsu. He’s not the underdog anymore — five armed men with years of training don’t stand a chance. He’s no longer a geek in the eyes of his family — Awesome knows who he is and can’t stop mooning over the CIA (which is extremely annoying). No he doesn’t have Sarah, but that’s because he lost her after winning her heart last season, not because he’s still just an asset who needs her protection. Now Sarah needs to protect the world from Chuck. Yeah!
And is the Awesome story line where the show is going now? Is that the only thing left, Chuck being the protector, Chuck being the handler, now that there’s nothing that can stop his power?
And this Shaw (Brandon Routh) moron? Is adding a fourth player, an unknown entity whose objectives aren’t quite clear, the solution for team intrigue now that Sarah and Casey would have to grudgingly admit that Chuck is one of them?
I see every week now being about Awesome covering for Chuck with Ellie, while Shaw questions Chuck’s priorities between work and family, Sarah and Casey agreeing with Shaw professionally but still backing Chuck personally … interspersed with lots of danger narrowly avoided by the quick-learning skills of the Intersect that Chuck sometimes will, and sometimes won’t, be able to control based on his emotional state. Did I leave anything out?
Oh right, The Ring, the most ridiculous nemesis organization since Henry VIII took on the Pope. I’ve never understood the stupidity behind the plot, but I accepted long ago that it was a means for supplying fresh stories on a show that could easily run out of spies. But with their latest bumble into thinking Awesome was a spy based on … um, Casey beating up their operative who was trying to assassinate Allejandro Goya (Armand Assante)? Is that what that intel was based on? Yeah, they seem pretty competent.
But I’ve gotten off topic here. Whatever his missions or whoever his enemies, Chuck was always enjoyable as the guy who accidentally got implanted with sensitive information that the country needed in order to protect itself. His charm came from his naivete.
But as the guy who’s a world-class spy because he can learn a foreign language in seconds, all while defeating an army on his own? That is not the same but different.
I want Chuck back.
Clacked by Aryeh S.
on Jan 25, 2010 @ 16:00 EST5EDT
Chuck’s abilities just serve as a lazy way to resolve weak story points.
Canadians have the advantage of watching Chuck on Sunday night. I’ve seen the next episode and I don’t think you will be disappointed.
Altho I’m not in Canada I was able to grab the ep online & liked it too. Plus, Kristin Kreuk isn’t an annoying bitch like she was as Lana Lang.
I can see how you might be annoyed by Chuck suddenly becoming competent and able to work on his own, but the way I looked at is was thinking, “It’s about time!” We’ve had 2 seasons of almost completely bumbling Chuck and now 4 episodes of him showing the very things that were promised and you’re ready to berate them for it? Man, my whole family was glad Chuck could kick some butt on his own while still being glitchy/bumbling some of the time. It’s a nice change in our eyes.
Having Awesome in on the secret and being the one to run interference where Ellie is concerned is a nice change, too. It’s just the same thing Chuck had to do the first 2 seasons, so again it’s a nice change of pace.
I guess we’ll just have to agree to disagree. Where you see changes that leave behind some of the original Chuck, we see the evolution of a character who still retains much of his original charm. I don’t think I would’ve liked yet another season of Chuck bumbling and my household is enjoying the change.
I think if you stick with it you’ll eventually come around. At least I hope you do because competent or bumbling, Chuck’s still our favorite spy/non-spy and we even get Subway to eat while we watch! The kids think it’s a fun habit and anything that keeps my teenagers home for some “family time” is good with us!
Maybe you just need a Five Dollar Footlong from Subway! :o)
Sorry, shoudl’ve proofread. The end of my first sentence should’ve read, “… but the way I looked at IT was thinking, “It’s about time!”” (not IS)
Oh, and while they have Sarah frequently in her underwear I think we should get a little more of Ellie in a similar situation. She’s such a beautiful woman and we don’t see much of her!
Sorry, but as a man I’m compelled to go there.
“Oh, and while they have Sarah frequently in her underwear I think we should get a little more of Ellie in a similar situation. She’s such a beautiful woman and we don’t see much of her!”
+1
*POST AUTHOR*
My wife says we don’t feel that way. :)
Your wife is wrong! We want to see Sarah Lancaster in her undies!! To make it even, she can get Awesome in his boxers, but we must be given more Ellie!
*POST AUTHOR*
:)
Well, as usual, we disagree. I actually enjoy this competent, yet still appealing, Chuck. I haven’t watched since the 5th episode of the first season.
https://modwild.blogspot.com/2010/01/yes-im-now-watching-chuck.html
Me too, Mod — I had dumped Chuck long ago but this season I’ve been watching and enjoying it a lot.
Sorry Aryeh, I completely disagree. This iteration of Chuck is completely satisfying. And it’s about time.
I am also a fan of the season 3 development.
You said his charm comes from his naivete, but I feel like it comes from putting his friends and family first and not wanting to cut those emotional ties. And I dont think Chuck has lost that.
I get your worries about Shaw, but I also think he’ll handle Chuck in a different manner than Sarah, Casey, and the General have.
*POST AUTHOR*
True enough, but I think it was by the third and/or fourth episode that Chuck and the Buy More didn’t interact at all. I can get onboard with everything else as long as that’s not lost, but Chuck seems too busy and in-demand recently….
Yeah, I thought the development at the end of season 2 (and continuing now) was a very positive one. It’s not many series that are as willing to kill off characters (Bryce Larkin, Emmett) and alter basic tenets of the show over time while still being entertaining, so I welcome those moves in Chuck. The show is just as fun now as I remember it.
*POST AUTHOR*
Debbie and Modwild – That I can understand. This is an entirely different show, so it would make sense that you’d be able to come in and like it now. Well, it doesn’t make sense that NOW you’d like it, but you catch my drift. ;)
*POST AUTHOR*
Lenny and KateGee – I don’t quite get why you’ve been watching up until now if this is the Chuck you’ve wanted to see all along. I’m not saying you can’t have, of course, but something must have kept you interested if you’ve been around since the beginning.
Anyway, wouldn’t it have been more reasonable for Chuck to develop as a spy, instead of suddenly learning anything and everything at the speed of light? I just don’t understand why that move was the right one. He still could have been less bumbling, but in a reasonable way. Now it’s just “Oh, Chuck will get out of that tiger’s mouth. No worries.” He’s also a bit too cocky for me – that’s not the Chuck we know.
I’m not at a point where I’m going to stop watching, but I just don’t get it, that’s all.
This is the Chuck I’ve wanted to see, but only recently, not since the very first episode of season one. I, and apparently a lot of others, felt that after 2 seasons of Chuck bumbling and being saved by Sarah and Casey it was time he managed on his own. While he’s showing new talents thanks to Intersect 2.0, I hardly think he’s “suddenly learning anything and everything at the speed of light” and the glitchiness is still there.
Besides, if you could accept the initial premise of Chuck getting the Intersect put into his head via an email from Bryce Larkin then it should be even easier to accept this upgrade. I really think Chuck’s Dad wanted him to be the recipient of all that information.
As for Chuck’s cockiness; wouldn’t you tend to feel the same way if you suddenly found yourself apparently able to know so many things just when you needed them most? I know I would and I would bet a hundred bucks that this cockiness is going to come back and bite Chuck in the butt in later episodes. I think they’re treating this Intersect 2.0 thing just like they did the Chuck-Sarah relationship. They’re going to dangle it in front of us like it’s a “done deal” then just as we’re convinced it’s the status quo they’re going to pull the rug out from under us and Chuck to keep we viewers and the main characters dealing with new, fun and interesting unknowns.
*POST AUTHOR*
Okay; I get that you were looking for him to grow and evolve. I think we both (and many others) were, just maybe in different ways. I never needed him to necessarily grow as a spy so much as as a person.
And while I think you’re right that he’s still in the process as far as spy craft is concerned, I think the improvement of Intersect 2.0 is that he can learn any and all skills at the speed of light. I’m not sure how you’d interpret what’s been happening differently.
Yes, the entire premise of the show was obviously a stretch. :) But the old Intersect was just like instant recall of information. 2.0 is like having “How to” tapes in your head that you can study , yes, at the speed of light. ;)
Oh, I definitely get Chuck’s cockiness (and agree that it will come back around at him). I just don’t like a cocky Chuck, that’s all. Certainly, though, he has what to puff his chest out about.
So in an odd way we agree, it’s more of a time-line issue. :o)
I agree with Sebastian (at least I hope I undestand his sentiment) that this is a great article because it’s spawned a lot of debate. Not only that, but the debate is fun and nobody’s getting nasty or angry. I LOVE articles like this!
Oh, and no matter how you feel about Chuck getting instant abilities (I guess he’s kind of like a goofy character from Heroes, only in an interesting show!) please keep watching and I look forward to your opinions of Chuck as the series progresses.
*POST AUTHOR*
Oh, you’ll be hearing from me. ;)
Aryeh, now that you’ve seen last night’s episode have you changed your mind?
*POST AUTHOR*
We ran out of time last night to watch, but it’s on deck for tonight. I will definitely get back to you when I’ve seen it, and I’m hoping you’re right! :)
I love this article Aryeh, well done :-)
Regarding the Ellie point above, it must be pointed out that we see her husband half naked far more often than we do her, and that this imbalance needs to be corrected.
I agree with you, Aryeh, except in the opposite direction. I always liked the Buy More storylines more than the spy storylines, because stupidity is endemic to this show. When they try to elevate the spy action to drama with life and death stakes, it doesn’t work both because of the cognitive dissonance and the plot holes and illogic we accept in farce.
I was excited about the Orion arc, because it promised to shake all the circumstances and relationships in the show up, and cause Chuck to mature and take on greater responsibility. They hit the reset button so hard in the premiere that almost nothing has changed, except Chuck is caught in this half panicky whiner/half omnipotent Neo limbo. Like you said, some things have changed, just not in a good way.
Disappointing as all this is, I could continue watching with lowered expectations were it not for Shaw. He feels like a self-insertion from a teenager’s fanfiction. Massively competent, he suddenly appears in the middle of everyone’s lives. The regular characters, in this case Beckman, Sarah and Casey, defer to his judgment and talk about how great he must be to hold the rank of Special Agent (particularly laughable because the term Special Agent derives from the fact that such an individual has limited jurisdiction or authority compared to a hypothetical General Agent in U.S. Government). He immediately takes over commanding the team, and is always proven right, even advising the main characters about their relationships, as if he’s been with them from the beginning. And of course, he has a tragic past in his dead/missing wife, which only serves to make him more noble and sympathetic/romantic. I don’t know if even my love for Casey can make up for having to watch Shaw barrel through this show.
*POST AUTHOR*
How did this end up about PG-13 nudity? :)
Oh, my favorite part about Chuck is the Buy More. I love all that stuff – that’s why I wrote a three-part series last spring about the Buy More vs. The Workbench on Reaper.
I wonder what under-served demographic Shaw is meant to address.