21-Days of CHUCK! Day 21: Chuck Bartowski, the Nerd Becomes the Hero

21-Days of CHUCK articles ends here, on the day that the series itself comes to an end. It's been a great ride for these characters, the cast, crew, and the fans. This won't be the last article I ever write about the show, not even close. It's just the last article in this series. CHUCK will live on here, on this site, for as long as I still have breath left in my lungs or strength in my fingers. Now, let's get to it.

Some are born for greatness. Some achieve greatness. And some have greatness thrust upon them. Chuck Bartowski may qualify for all three.

Was CHUCK, the show, about the destiny of a hero? Was it about how a man, who thought he could be destined for greatness, fell only to rise up when he was mistakenly thrust into a new and dangerous world? Or was it about a man whose father built him for heroism, and whose college buddy thrust greatness upon because he believed in that idea?

Depending on who you ask, including the show runners, it could be all of those. Clearly, the show wasn't originally designed to be about a plan to have Chuck receive the Intersect. We were meant to think he received it accidentally. But as the show went on, the writers added an element of destiny, and the idea that this was all planned out by certain individuals. Whatever the case may be, what we saw over five seasons was a Chuck who went from a lost soul to someone who was a more than capable spy.

Chuck's story really begins when his mother left the family, when he was ten or eleven. As we later discovered, she did so as part of a spy mission, but Chuck and Ellie didn't know that and therefor suffered their own levels of abandonment issues because of it. Then some years later, dad left suddenly and Chuck was only left with his sister to take care of him. Even then, because of the foundation of love that surrounded him, from Ellie and his best friend Morgan, and likely from other people who were attracted to his amiable personality, he turned into a successful kid who then attended Stanford.

Stanford brought a whole other set of problems. First was becoming best college buddies with future super spy, Bryce Larkin. Then falling for future Fulcrum agent, Jill Roberts. Bryce would eventually get him expelled for "cheating," something we later discovered was part of Larkin's attempt to protect Chuck. Jill then told Chuck she was breaking up with him to be with Bryce, something we later discovered was a lie. These events essentially broke Chuck Bartowski and he would spend the next four years as an underachieving, if not very capable Nerd Herder at the Buy More. That is until his birthday in 2007 when he received the Intersect in an email from Bryce.

From that point on Chuck was on his way toward greatness. He was given a CIA handler in Sarah Walker. An NSA protector (and during season 1 and part of season 2, his supposed future assassin) in then Major John Casey. And a Castle fortress built underneath the Buy More to run operations from as given to the team by... well, it would seem via the NSA even though later it seems like it is the CIA. Yeah, so that part of the story is cloudy at best.

Chuck quickly fell for his beautifully deadly handler. She says she quickly fell for him, even with that goofy hair, ridiculous sideburns, and high pitched screams he was fond of displaying early in the series. And we, the audience, fell for him pretty hard too. The lovable nerd/geek who was so much more capable than he ever imagined and would do things seemingly far beyond his abilities whenever people he cared about were in danger.

Chuck became a moral compass for Sarah and Casey. He redefined, or reintroduced a method of behavior that may have been lost at some point in their training and/or due to having to survive in a cruel world where death is around every corner.

He helped socialize them, making their ability to adapt to a less deadly world easier because of their friendship and love for him and his family. And for Sarah, he gave her a world she had either never imagined she could have, or one that was something that deep down inside she always wanted but believed she would never have so she buried those feelings.

His love for her is pretty simple to understand. She is beautiful and sexy. She protected him countless times and he felt safe with her. Also, he had to pretend they were dating, for years, and so that would have an affect on him. And he is an emotionally perceptive guy who could sense her need for family and love.

Sarah could see all the things the audience could see about Chuck. His kindness. His protective nature. His massive potential. His bravery in the face of danger, even when scared to death and screaming like a girl. And perhaps most of all his need for her. She had spent her whole life looking for something to belong to, for someone to make her feel emotionally safe, and her parents missed the mark there. The government gave her that but then she experienced betrayal on that front as well. So Chuck Bartowski made her feel safe, needed, loved, and part of something important: His family.

Throughout the series, Chuck grew into a capable spy who got the girl. Who eventually brought his family and friends into the spy world, and who became his own boss. He went from a lost young man to a full-blown adult in a matter of five seasons.

He also watched his best friend from college die. Held his father as life left him. Had to arrest the girl he once loved, then let her escape. Burned an asset. Found his mother. Shot a former team member in the chest, with the intent to kill. Saved the day countless times. Was saved by his team countless times. Confessed the truth in variously exciting ways to members of his circle of trust. Hacked, kicked, punched, flipped, and often flashed his way in and out of danger. Kissed the girl, then did more, and got her to say "I do."

There is no easy to way sum up Chuck Bartowski, or the show. But he will always be one of my favorite TV lead characters and I will spend parts of whatever time I have left on this world introducing more and more people to this show, so that in ten years Warner Brothers will beg the cast to return to do a $100 million movie!

Goodbye, Chuck Bartowski. It was a most adventurous ride. And thank you, Zachary Levi for all you have done that most fans will never know about, that showed you aren't too different from the character you played.

You rock. And so do the people around you. Be they fictional or be they real.

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21-Days of CHUCK! Day 20: Sarah Walker, Warrior Princess

Deadlier than a cobra. More vicious than a wolverine. Nimble like a cheetah. Sweet like a tangerine.

Sarah Walker is one badass mother fraker! And a softy at heart who just wants to be loved.

As I already discussed in the article about her family, she grew up tough and that made her tougher. At least on the outside. But that toughness only masked the side of her that was evident to her future husband early on.

Sarah is a kind person. And though she keeps much of her emotions tucked away much of the time, she is capable of big expressions of her feelings, in very few words. Take her marriage vows.

Chuck, you're a gift. You're a gift I never dreamed I could want or need, and every day I will show you that you're a gift that I deserve. You make me the best person I could ever hope to be and I want to spend and learn and love the rest of my life with you.

"Talky?"

Man, she is adorable in that scene. Go back and watch it.

Anyway, she has always acted out her feelings. Put her life in danger for the man she loved. Put her life in danger for the people the man she loved... loved. Though, for a large part of the first two seasons, she was like a clenched fist of emotions. She would sometimes relax her grip but tighten up again quickly, ready to punch the next person who tried to hurt her.

Thankfully, through persistence on both their parts, Chuck and Sarah were able to crack through the foundation of pain and distrust and find each other (awww) and live happily ever after... provided they both live that long.

While Sarah's emotional angel side is who she is for the people she loves, she is one dangerous little devil when you mess with her. Especially if you are a man. Sarah can pretty much beat down any male on the planet, provided she isn't tied up (and even then, just give her time). She should wear a t-shirt that says "Men, You Should Run!"

Her weakness seems to be fighting other women. Maybe it's the height or size difference, or maybe she is like Fezzik (Andre the Giant) in THE PRINCESS BRIDE where it is just more difficult fighting in simpler situations. Whatever it is, she needs an extra punch or two to take those pesky ladies down.

Arguably the best fight in the series is inside a car, against a woman, in Chuck Versus the Best Friend. That's some Jackie Chan type stuff right there. Though, there have been so many great fight sequences with Sarah that it is difficult to make a top 10 list (maybe I will do that eventually). But another highlight fight would be her taking on Casey in Chuck Versus the Helicopter, the second episode in the series.

Thinking more about it, I would probably have to do a top 50 Sarah fight scenes list.

Let's close this one out with this:

Sarah Walker, once Jenny Burton, born Sam Lisa [something], now Sarah Bartowski, is a character I will miss looking forward to seeing every week. Not just because of her ass kicking, or her kindness, or her love for Chuck and his world, but because Yvonne Strahovski is a major hottie and a talented actor that we've had the pleasure of seeing 60+ hours of, creating a character we love.

I do look forward to the rest of her career but I'm sure I will always remember her most fondly for the gorgeous and complex CIA agent who fell in love with a nerd whose hair sometimes made funny animal shapes.

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21-Days of CHUCK! Day 19: The Villain is the Hero of His Own Story

The bad guy doesn't become the bad guy because he wants to do evil. Well, not usually. Though, that would be an interesting bad guy.

No, the bad guy tends to think he is the good guy. That he is doing what needs to be done. Or he truly believes the "good guys" are the "bad guys." After all, the Nazis didn't think they were the bad guys. People justify their evil.

CHUCK had several of these evil doing "heroes" through its five seasons. Let's explore them and define their level of competency.

Season 1
There wasn't really a big bad guy to speak of until late in season 1 when Fulcrum was introduced following the discovery that Bryce was still alive. This started us down a path toward arguably the best evil organization the show would ever have. Tommy Delgado is the most memorable enemy agent of season 1.
Competency Grade: 82 out of 100 - The danger was elevated once Fulcrum was introduced but it wasn't around long enough for the audience to get a true sense of their strength.

Season 2
Fulcrum essentially survived as the bad guy for the whole season with ever increasing levels of danger coming at Team B. Fulcrum was then eliminated by The Ring in the season finale.

Fulcrum agents included Jill Roberts, Chuck's college sweetheart who he started dating again before discovering she was the enemy. Ted Roark, who was something of a Bill Gates type and Chuck's hero, also turned out to be a high ranking member of Fulcrum. And throughout the second season, we were introduced to new and more dangerous members of the agency within The Agency.
Competency Grade: 98 out of 100 - They seemed to only be getting stronger at every turn and the audience felt a real fear and danger for Team B. People died. The Bartowski clan was in danger. And you felt like Chuck might be boxed up in a hole somewhere by one side or the other any day now.

Season 3
The Ring was talked about like it was this massive organization that made Fulcrum seem like a bunch of wussies. In the end, they were taken down in a stairwell by a capable spy and a short dude with no bullets in his weapon. Though, the journey was a bit more interesting than that, but The Ring was too wide spread to ever seem as much of a threat as Fulcrum. The most memorable Ring agent in season 3 was Daniel Shaw, though he was someone out to avenge the murder of his wife.
Competency Grade: 83 out of 100 - You would think that the organization that pretty much wiped out Fulcrum in a day would have been more sinister. Unfortunately, it never fully lived up to the hype.

Season 4
Alexei Volkoff was the next bad guy and he was great! The mid-season finale gave Chuck a nice comeback as he brought the Volkoff Industries down. HOWEVER, then Volkoff's daughter, Vivian, took over and the whole bad guy plot went to hell as both Volkoff's ended up as just good guys in unfortunate circumstances. Yawn.
Competency Grade: Alexei, 85 out of 100. Vivian, 40 out of 100. Overall, 62.5.

Season 5
This one felt more like season 1 in that we were given several bad guys, who may have been working together but didn't really get into the big payoff bad guy until the end. Out of the three bad guys, Sarah's old boyfriend, Shaw, seemed the most competent.
Competency Grade: Decker, 75 out of 100. Shaw, 90 out of 100. Quinn, 75 out of 100. Overall, 80.

What say you?

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21-Days of CHUCK! Day 18: Eleanor Woodcomb is a Hot Mama!

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21-Days of CHUCK! Day 17: Michael Tucker Lives Big!

Big Mike has a heart as big as his appetite for Subway sandwiches.

And we all know how much he loves those. Perhaps, if not for the writers utilizing an in-show advertisement like that, the show would have ended after season 2. But Big Mike's love for those tasty treats (and they are pretty tasty, plus only $5 for a footlong) eventually became a fan campaign to save the show and an international phenomenon that is now legendary (thanks to Wendy Farrington, who came up with the idea and worked her ass off to make it happen).

Big Mike could be seen, at times, as a tyrant to work for, or a softy with a loud voice, or an intolerant fascist who loves the corporate machine, or a rebel who forms a rebellion to fight the decision of the Buy More suits. You just never know with him. Though, you do know that whatever he brings, it is going to be funny. Or dangerous. Big Mike has taken out a villain or two without ever realizing what is going on inside and below the store.

Here are some other interesting facts about our heroic big guy:

1. Has been the manager, a green shirt, and assistant manager of the Buy More.

2. Loves fishing and greatly values his stuffed marlin, named Norman.

3. Had an affair with the wife of one of his employees, Harry Tang.

4. Married to Bolonia, the mother of Morgan Grimes, who he met via an online dating service.

5. Was once ransomed for a pig named Kevin Bacon.

6. Once in a band called Earth, Wind, Fire, and Rain. When he left the band, they renamed it Earth, Wind, and Fire.

7. Always ready to give a bit of advice, sometimes while yelling.

8. Already established but... he loves Subway sandwiches.

9. Created a Buy More commercial starring Captain Awesome.

10. Fill in the blank in the comments section below because my memory has run out of info!

Love him or love him tons, Big Mike's one of the most likable characters on the show.

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21-Days of CHUCK! Day 16: A Castle is Not Just for Royalty

Beneath the Buy More is a high-end CIA facility that houses enough firepower to field a small army.

It has been occupied by many spies, including good guys and bad guys. Virtually every spy character on the show has been in there, and even some who either weren't spies or shouldn't have ever discovered the facility.

This base of operations for Team Bartowski, eventually became the headquarters for Carmichael Industries. It survived attempted and successful invasions, and even explosive destruction from above.

Plus, it was home to a naked Brit super spy and his hot make-out with Sarah. Plus hot sex between Captain Awesome and Ellie and I'm sure Chuck and Sarah explored each other's bodies in several different rooms and cells, unfortunately never to be seen by anyone, especially fans of the show.

Castle also had several forms of entry, depending on the episode. Sometimes it seemed like you needed to have some serious access to even get to a door that allowed you inside, while other times one could virtually happen in on the place by accident. Perhaps they had a dynamic security system that lowered and raised its level just to keep the team on its toes.

The place also seemed to change over time and even increase and decrease in size. At one point, there was a whole other HQ within Castle, where a competing team of Intersects was housed. It was also a place where the Bartowski clan all met at one point or another because of a mission or spy objective. Forever tying that place to the family profession.

Along with the Buy More, Castle has been a fixture (though, the Buy More has been around longer) and is a set piece that defines the show. It has delivered drama, comedy, romance, happiness, sadness, and loads of danger along the way. Without it, the show just wouldn't feel the same.

Woohoo! I'm almost done! Oh crap... that means the show is almost done.

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21-Days of CHUCK! Day 15: The Captain Believes in You

Devon Woodcomb sure is Awesome! The guy can do virtually anything and do it better than everyone. Yet he is also the kindest character on the show. In his mind, anyone can become awesome too.

Let me just say right up front that, if you don't know by now, Devon Woodcomb is my favorite character on the show. Yep. It's not Chuck or Sarah or Casey or Morgan. It's Captain Awesome. Why? Because he is the most fictional of the characters. He is a gorgeous hunk of a man, who is a surgeon, and a capable spy (when he wanted to be one) who can't lie (there he is a crappy spy), loves only one woman, and is able to do virtually anything simply because he wills it.

You would think that with all those positive qualities that there couldn't be anything else about him that makes him my favorite, but there is. It's that he sees potential in everyone.

Awesome isn't cynical. He isn't condescending. He doesn't see dumb people and smart people. He sees individuals who haven't had the opportunity to become awesome yet.

When Morgan wanted to move out of his mom's place and start a life with Anna Wu, who did he go to for a loan? Devon. Granted, he bought a DeLorean instead.

When Jeff and Lester were struggling to become a band, who did Jeff seek out to give him a shot? Devon.

Who taught Chuck the tango? Sure, he only taught him the lady parts but still... Devon Woodcomb did that!

And he can also throw a mean punch. Just ask John Casey.

As previously stated, he could be a super spy. Well, if not for that one big flaw, the inability to lie well. And that is just another thing that makes him so lovable. He has performance anxiety when he has to do it. Though, he CAN do it when he has to... provided he isn't talking to Ellie. The two times he has tried to lie to her have been disasters.

1. Chuck Versus the Colonel, Awesome discovers that Chuck is a spy and has to keep it from Ellie. When Ellie arrives at home, Devon can barely utter a "yes" without it sounding like a lie. Ellie's interrogation of him nearly causes him to pass out while answer simple questions like "Did Sarah talk to him?" Luckily for him, his then fiance misread the nervousness for wedding jitters.

2. Chuck Versus Operation Awesome, following his disappearance after being kidnapped by Ring agents, and with the assistance of his brother-in-law, Devon tries to explain his absence to Ellie. The resulting discussion may just be the funniest scene in CHUCK history! I think Ellie is still under the impression that Casey has a drinking problem.

So, what are all the reason why you love the captain of Awesome?

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21-Days of CHUCK! Day 14: The Sisterhood of the Traveling Skirts

What's the word for a female version of the bromance? What? It doesn't exist?! Not cool. Not cool at all. But on CHUCK we have several budding sismances... galmances? Chickmances? What the hell is it called? Meowmances?

Unfortunately, there aren't too many actual meowmances on this show. Thankfully, we did get to see several interactions by female characters that had history together or the potential to grow into full friendships.

Sarah and Carina
Yes! Total meowmance! These two kittens may scratch each other but they always end up snuggling together late at night. If there was ever a meowmance, these two Cat Squad members have it.

Sarah and Zondra
Friends? Yes. Meowmance? Well, technically yes. But only because they are Cat Squad members. However, on an emotional level, I don't think so. We would probably need a few more episodes with these ladies to know for sure. Though, I could see someone arguing that one exists.

Sarah and Amy
Hell no! Shoot that little tiger!

Sarah and Alex
Have they even spoken?

Ellie and Sarah
There is potential there but they are sister-in-laws and seem to act like it. Nothing happening in the meowmance yet.

Ellie and Alex
Hell yes! I'm just kidding. Does Ellie even know Alex's name?

Gertrude and Sarah
Man, if only we had another 9-episodes... these girls seem like they are made to be great friends.

Yeah, this one sucked. Maybe it is time to pack it in and end at 14!

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21-Days of CHUCK! Day 13: Bromance is Sexy

There is nothing quite so wonderful as a guy-romance, aka bromance. The platonic love between two men who want to spend every waking second with each other and when not together, pine for the next time they will be able to just talk about whatever makes their love so special.

On this show, there have been several close male friendships. Some qualify as bromances while others are borderline. And perhaps one or two masquerader as bromances but aren't. Let's see what qualifies.

Chuck and Morgan
Total bromance. These two can't live without each other. Chuck loves Morgan as much as Morgan loves Chuck. They would be happy just hanging out all day playing Call of Duty on XBOX, drinking Mountain Dew, and peeing into bottles so they don't have to get up off the couch.

Chuck and Bryce
In college, yes. These two were major nerdboy bromancers! They were totally smitten with each other and probably stared longingly at each other's reflections in their computer monitors as they coded the next great RPG. However, once Chuck thought Bryce got him expelled and stole his girlfriend, that bromance ended. It could have been rekindled after Chuck found out the truth about Bryce, but by that point he had essentially stolen Bryce's significant other. But since we don't speak poorly of the dead, let's just remember them as a college bromance.

Chuck and Awesome
Well, they are actually bros now. And they love each other as much as two men can on a platonic level. However, they wouldn't hang out and play video games or code RPGs or anything like that so this one is questionable. I go with no bromance. Just bros.

Morgan and Casey
Not a bromance but these two are close. However, Casey is more a big brother or father figure to Morgan. Plus, he could be Morgan's dad some day.

Jeff and Lester
This would seem like a bromance but is it one? These two happen to be friends because they have no other options. No one else wants to be their friend. More like friends of necessity. However, once Jeff regained his sobriety, the two formed an understanding and a closeness that qualifies them as part of a bromance. So, no bromance until season 5.

Casey and Captain Awesome
Potential romance. The two definitely respect each other and of all the men in Chuck's life that Casey has come across, Devon is the only one he sees as an alpha male type. Given time, these two would enter into a full blown bromance.

Chuck and Casey
Definitely not! Friends? Sure. Partners? Yes. But no bromance. Even now, as Chuck is Casey's boss, I think the colonel would like to choke him out just for old time's sake.

Captain Awesome and Morgan
The Captain could probably end up in a bromance with any man but during a period of time, Morgan was too obsessed with Ellie for it to work out. And then Devon found out about the spy world before Morgan. So, to Morgan, Awesome is just too awesome to be bromanced by the bearded one.

Did I miss any? What do you all think? What did I get wrong? OMG!

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21-Days of CHUCK! Day 12: The Beard Will Die for You

The bravest character on the show has to be Morgan Grimes.

Even before he joined the spy game, Morgan was known to do some ridiculously stupid things. He reacts, rarely ever planning anything out. His impulsive nature also means he doesn't think much about insulting the wrong person (how many times did Casey nearly kill him?), or putting his foot squarely in his mouth.

He has short-person's syndrome, where he overcompensates for his height by wanting to do big-boy things. So he tends to aim big, lose big. What girl does he fall in love with at a young age? The super hot, super smart, destined to marry someone awesome Ellie Bartowski. Morgan has no chance but it doesn't matter. He dreams large. In his delusional mind, he just needs the perfect hook to get the gorgeous girl. His size, looks, intellect, or disposition be damned. Given the perfect circumstance, Morgan Grimes is a super model athlete.

And that mentality was nearly fine when the greatest harm he could do was injure his thumbs playing Call of Duty, or a black eye from hiding underneath Ellie's bed. Once he entered the spy game, Morgan Grimes became a much greater danger to himself.

Even before he knew that his bestest pal in the world, Chuck, was a spy, the second Grimes was aware of a spy operation at the Buy More, he volunteered himself to put a stop to it. That's insane! What innate skills did he have to pull that off? None. What training? Outside of video games, none to speak of and yet he went into it without a second thought.

It makes sense, though. Morgan doesn't possess much of a filter for his limitations. So he made for a very brave, if perhaps incapable, spy. He would put his life in danger for his friends, or for his country, without much consideration for his life. Because Morgan cares more about impressing those he respects, or keeping those he loves safe, than about surviving the next three seconds.

Morgan Grimes will die for you. Even if you won't die for him. Were he taller, or stronger, or more capable, he would be a super soldier. And for a brief period of time, he is one. During the time he is the Intersect, Morgan is probably at his happiest. All of his dreams become reality and he is able to do all things and be all things his dreaming mind told him he was anyway. One could even argue that douchie Intersect Morgan, when his brain is corrupted by a virus, is what Morgan would be like if not for all of his limitations.

His brain is massive. His size is small. He'd probably turn evil, if he'd grown to be tall.

Lucky for Chuck, Casey, Sarah, and his loved ones, Morgan turned out little, loyal, brave, and the guy you want around when you need someone to do something totally stupid to save the day.

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21-Days of CHUCK! Day 11: Chuck's Functional Family

It may sound strange to call the Bartowski's a functional family, what with both Mama and Papa B running out on their kids, but there exists both a solid foundation and a heavy dose of love between Chuck, Ellie, and their parents. Not to mention their supportive secondary family members.

As we see in flashbacks, at some point Chuck and Ellie had healthy relationships with their parents. They were read stories by mom and dad seemed to have well meaning and thought provoking conversations with his kids. There was apparently pancake time that held some significance (both good and bad).

Problem for the kids was that mom and dad were secretly in the spy game. And eventually mom had to leave to go on an extended deep undercover mission (yes, it is ridiculous but at least it didn't violate canon). Dad stuck around for a bit until he too disappeared while on a pancake run (see? I told you it could go bad).

As we would find out later, both parents abandoned their children in order to protect them. At least they had each other. Ellie became more of a mother to Chuck and the two remained close until the end.

Morgan, with his own personal and perhaps family issues, latched onto Chuck when they were boys and they became fast friends. They two would become as close as brothers and either would give his life for the other.

Ellie would meet her future husband, Devon aka Captain Awesome, in a supply closet in med school and bang him so hard that he would never leave her side (until the writers needed a subplot where we found out they broke up or something at some point, like it matters).

Captain Awesome would become something of a big brother to Chuck, at least until he found out about his spy life, when the two would essentially flip roles.

Eventually, Chuck would find his dad, then his mom (after dad was killed by the evil Daniel Shaw) and find some kind of closure with respect to the wounds of his childhood. But even with the abandonment by his parents, Chuck always had a solid, functional family around him. It made him the man he would later become and defined how he utilized the powers he would eventually be given (or did he take them?).

In the previous article, I talked about how Sarah had a dysfunctional family and how that drove her into Chuck's world. Perhaps part of Chuck's attraction to her, outside of the fact the she is a smokin' hottie, is that he sensed her need for someone like him. Be it subconscious or something he was aware of, the two had a seemingly instant connection.

She needed his stability and dedication to family.

And he needed to be there for someone who needed him.

A perfect combination forged by the actions and sometimes misdeeds of those who loved them.

What say you, fans? Comment below or I shoot the penguin.

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21-Days of CHUCK! Day 10: Sarah's Dysfunctional Family

How did this beautiful and dangerous girl turn into such an emotional mess? Ask her mommy and daddy.

Well, based on the shitty retcon in Chuck Versus the Baby, ask her mommy because she is an amazing mother who should never have let her daughter spend her childhood desperately clinging to and grasping at straws to gain the attention of her father, a grifter.

So, I suppose that no matter how kind hearted her mother was, or is, the fact that she didn't step in to save her daughter from living the life of a criminal, and forgoing all the things a child should have to develop into a stable and happy adult, makes her as dysfunctional as a parent to Sarah as the man who helped her conceive the gorgeous fair-haired beauty.

But poor Sarah, aka Jenny, aka Sam, aka many other names (though Sam was apparently her birth name) was given her primary dose of socialization by her con-man of a father who used her need to be accepted and loved by him as a tool to rob people blind. And this clearly did damage to Sarah's ability to form healthy functional relationships.

Perhaps that is why she ended up in the CIA. It was a solid foundation for her. Perhaps her first real family. She finally truly belonged to something and she seemed to excel at the job. but even then, her new family, or at least members of it, seemed to betray her at different turns. Her partner, Bryce Larkin, seemingly turned against the CIA and joined Fulcrum (later we discovered it was a double bluff). Her "handler," in the horrid retcon shitfest Chuck Versus the Baby, not only betrayed the CIA and her trust, but wanted to murder her, a baby, and eventually Sarah's mother.

It is no wonder that she was driven to protect Chuck Bartowski and to even go against the CIA when his life was put in jeopardy. After all, Chuck was always the only functional thing in her life.

But I will talk about that in one of the other 21-Days of Chuck!

What say you about Sarah's dysfunctional family? What say you about this series of articles? Do you hope I die soon so I quit? Or do you love it so much that you just click the DONATE button over there on the left? Comment below!

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21-Days of CHUCK! Day 9: From Lieutenant to Colonel, the Life and Times of John Casey

Lieutenant Colonel John Casey, United States Marine Corps [Retired].

Born Alex Coburn, this mean green fighting machine faked his own death so that he could become one of the elitist of the elite. And in doing so, he took on the cover name of John Casey. As John Casey, he eventually joined the NSA and that led him to the Intersect project after he intercepted and seemingly killed Bryce Larkin in the process of stealing it.

As a member of Team Bartowski, Casey acted as Sarah Walker's partner, she being assigned as Chuck Bartowski's handler. That meant his job was to protect and serve both the Intersect and his handler. Eventually, as the government began to assign the team missions, Casey became more of a (tor)mentor to Chuck, trying to show him how to better behave like a spy while reminding him over and over that he's an idiot.

Early on, Casey was shown to be someone who had the NSA's and the US government's best interest at heart. He was even written as the eventual assassin of Chuck whenever the government felt it no longer needed his Intersect, or due to him being a liability. At best, then Major Casey was seen as the man who would put Chuck in a deep dark hole somewhere if the government demanded it.

Things seemed to change toward the end of season 2, as Casey was promoted to colonel (most likely lieutenant colonel, since that is the next rank from major) and tasked with arresting Chuck and Sarah for going against government orders. However, it came to light that Casey was loyal to the team and eventually, especially in season 3, he eased up on Bartowski and became as loyal to him as he had been to the government.

When first assigned to team up with CIA agent Sarah Walker, Casey resisted and even distrusted the blond goddess, but in time the two became true partners, rarely questioning the other, and usually operating as one mind. Later, as Chuck became more of a capable spy, the Casey and Sarah partner dynamic thinned out a bit but they always maintained a loyal friendship and partnership.

As Chuck and Sarah became partners, Casey found himself often partnered with and mentoring the wannabe super spy, Morgan Grimes, who he had worked alongside at the Buy More as a green shirt for several years as his cover job. Morgan was a handful because unlike Chuck, who was brave even though scared to death, Grimes seemed too willing to die. This meant Casey had to reign in him and be even more watchful of the bearded nut. Still, the two developed a strong friendship and eventually moved in together. Not to mention that Morgan would also date Casey's daughter Alex.

Speaking of Alex, she was the daughter he had with his fiancee, Kathleen, who thought he was dead. Casey would tell his daughter the truth when he thought her life was in danger, and eventually confess the same to his ex. Alex has remained a fixture in his life since but Kathleen has not.

Finally, right before the end, Casey reconnected with an old flame named Gertrude Verbanski and they fell deeply in love and lived happily dangerous to the end of their days (which could be any day now).

Was Casey your favorite character? What was your favorite episode with him? Can I stop writing these articles at 9? Or do I really have to do 12 more? Is it sad that I'm doing these from memory?

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21-Days of CHUCK! Day 8: Buy More, 'Til You're Poor

The biggest character on the show is a bright, shiny, loud, and sinister place. Where evil resides, waiting to ambush your hard earned money. Sucking up your will to live while enticing you with new gear that promises coolness and fun but only delivers heartache and broken promises as it inevitably stops working.

And when that happens, you have to bring it back to this hell hole and give it to any number of dimwitted underachieving nerds who enjoy gathering into herds.

Welcome to the Buy More, bitch!

For five glorious seasons, this enemy to Large Mart was home to Chuck and Morgan; Jeff and Lester; Big Mike and Emmet Milbarge; green shirts; nerd herds; some hotties; lots of Subway sandwiches; debauchery; a job interview featuring super models; GRETAs; a spy team; the CIA; the Intersect; and dozens of deadly fights.

The store also acted as a host to a bachelor party; Christmas celebrations; Halloween parties; a fan meet and greet with a druggy rock star; and various other events I have likely forgotten.

Mostly, the Buy More was where the writers tossed in the wackiest of jokes, or geekiest of references, and allowed for the most slapstick of story lines. And while some fans found ways to have a problem with it, even after it burned down to the ground, it was simply resurrected by the CIA and weaponized.

What doesn't kill you, only makes you stronger.

Eventually, the Buy More was taken over by a secret, silent, not-so-deadly owner named Chuck Bartowski and his much deadlier wife Sarah. Morgan Grimes would become store manager. The Bartowski's would use the store as both a cover and a revenue stream for their private spy operations.

I always rather enjoyed the Buy More and would have loved to have seen it utilized more. The antics of the crew and how Team Bartowski negotiated around their cover jobs and their spy world was often my favorite little side elements of the show. In later seasons, these things became less of a focus but we still got great episodes like Chuck Versus the Beard, which occurred mostly in the store. Granted, some of my least favorite episodes also had a heavy focus on the Buy More or its underworld, Castle. But I don't blame the store for the misdeeds of the writers. Everyone has a bad day or five.

Were you a fan of the Buy More? What was your favorite episode centered around it? Who were you favorite Buy More characters? Comment below or I will cut someone!

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21-Days of CHUCK! Day 7: Gimme Dramedy or Gimme Nuffin'

Some shows do comedy. Some shows do drama. And a few shows try them both at the same time, sometimes in the same scene. Few have done it as well as CHUCK. Most just fail at it.

What is a "dramedy" anyway? I know whenever I use it in every day life, most people look at me like I have two heads and a hideous mole on my arse. Okay, so that is actually true, which is why I have never revealed myself in public, but that still doesn't change the fact that people just don't use the word in normal daily interactions.

To those sophisticated in TV land speak, it is pretty obvious what it means. A "dramedy" is a drama with comedic elements. Or, a comedy with dramatic elements. In the case of CHUCK, I would say it is 70/30, comedy/drama. Though, in certain episodes, the drama does outweigh the comedy. But the need for the term exists because lots of dramatic shows have comedic moments. And even more comedic shows have dramatic moments in them. However, they don't normally surf between the two in every episode, nor through most of the scenes in each individual episode.

I latched onto CHUCK in many ways because of the fact that it could seamlessly go from heavy dramatic moments to very lighthearted without it seeming contrived. In one sequence the Buy More dudes discuss the validity of Sarah being "the right girl" and a few seconds later an angsty moment between Chuck and Sarah discussing a fake break-up, with Sarah then fake crying causing a very confused reaction by Chuck, dovetailing right into Lester moving in on Chuck's sloppy seconds. One quick little sequence mashed so many emotional buttons that you either loved it or went to watch something stupid like D-listers dancing.

CHUCK also never shied away from heavy drama. Sarah had a pretty emotionally damaging childhood. Chuck and Ellie were essentially abandoned by their parents. And there were exes and romantic interests and romantic obstacles at every turn. Not to mention deaths of important characters tossed into the mix. All the while, the show had to deliver laughs and make you forget about genres.

I suspect part of its success in delivering so much is a large part of its lack of ratings success. A friend of mine and I have often referred to CHUCK as THE PRINCESS BRIDE of television. Both are funny, cute, adventurous, action packed, romantic, and about characters who are very complex in the subtext, but easy to digest for those who don't want to look beyond what was shown to them.

Both CHUCK and THE PRINCESS BRIDE also lacked wide support from the general public but gained passionate support from those who loved them. And over time, "Bride" has gone from what was considered a financial failure to a movie that is now viewed as one of the best comedies of all time.

In time, and with the passion of the fan base sharing its love with anyone who will listen, the little dramedy named CHUCK could grow to become more powerful in death than it ever was in life. You know, like that crazy old wizard Ben Kenobi!

What say you, people who like to comment? Are you even still reading these articles? Should I stop here?

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21-Days of CHUCK! Day 6: Clueless in Burbank, the Jeffster Story

Dreams can come true. Look at Jeff and Lester. They could have just turned into two total idiots with dreams that would never be realized and yet they turned into two total idiots whose dreams were barely realized!

During the majority of the series, the two were clearly defined. Lester was the more ambitious, dangerous, full of himself, borderline criminal of the two. He was the leader of their little duo of misfit losers. Lester was friends with Jeff because Jeff followed him. There didn't seem to be any true like between the two. Their shared bond was simply that Lester was working his way toward pure evil and Jeff was too stoned or drunk to notice or care in what direction his devilish cohort was pointing him.

Lester was always a greater danger to himself and his ambitions than anyone else. When given the opportunity to lead, Lester overcompensated for his need for adoration/worship and pushed all the wrong buttons to get his crew to work harder. When they didn't react the way he wanted, he fired them all, then had to backtrack when it quickly dawned on him that it made doing his job more difficult. Even Jeff abandoned his de facto leader during this period of lunacy.

It was music that brought these clowns together forever. Not there own, but other people's music that they then made their own. And epicness was born! Or mediocrity. Something was born as they delivered surprising and sometimes awkward renditions of their favorite songs from the 80s. At the Buy More, or a wedding, or in a hospital. The band known as Jeffster (they could have gone with Jester but it would have made them seem like a joke) had no filter for when or where they would jam. They had a need for fame and the stage was wherever they could plug in.

Eventually the stumbling duo hit a speed-bump in their relationship when Jeff stopped huffing the carbon-monoxide fumes from his van, where he slept. Suddenly, Jeff the fried loser became Jeff the clear-headed genius! And when Lester tried to murder him by filling the dining area of the Buy More with toxic fumes, Mr. Jeff punted his buddy to the big house, never to be heard from again!

Or so one would think but somehow he forgave him this murderous indiscretion and the two locked horns as bested buds who don't seem to like each other all that much, but this time with Jeff as the more logical leader. And with Jeff at the helm of this danger-to-themselves duo, the two nutjobs would get themselves in even greater trouble as Jeff's probing into the goings-on of the Buy More led the two into Castle and a Morgan inspired nap via tranquilizers.

Whether these two can survive the series or beyond will be known to those who read this after January 27th. The rest can just bask in the glory of having watched them grow into pretty much just two big overachieving losers that inspired other losers to have a dream... to dream.

Did you find the loser in yourself while watching the antics of Jeffster over 5-seasons? Did you have a favorite moment? Favorite song? Favorite line? Tell us about it.

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21-Days of CHUCK! Day 5: Computer in da Brain, Driving Peeps Insane!

The Intersect!

Such a devious little device. Meant for a super spy but ended up in the brain of an underachieving genius working as a techie at an electronics store. And thus began the show named CHUCK.

How does it work? And how can Chuck have it in his head? How can he even utilize it at all? What makes him special? Or is he special? Can anyone have the Intersect? Are there side-effects? Can it be upgraded? What if it falls into the wrong hands?

All these questions, and likely more, were either posed or answered over the course of five seasons, 91-episodes. Throughout that time, Chuck not only got the Intersect, he also received updates, an enemy data version, a removal, a new version, a bug, a reboot, a suppression, a refresh, and another suppression of its use. Meanwhile, we saw other forms of the Intersect being utilized by others.

Chuck's dad had a version that could "flash" on old data only useful during one perfect moment at the end of season 2. Alexei Volkoff had another version that fried his brain. An enterprising young man named Manoosh had one built into glasses that was a per-use device that didn't require a download into the user's brain. Daniel Shaw, once friend and mentor to Chuck, turned evil, had an advanced version that afforded him data and abilities. Later, a couple of GRETA agents would be given the Intersect 2.0 (or later?) but fail in its use. And Chuck's bestest buddy, Morgan, would accidentally download the Intersect 2.0 (or later) and use it until it it caused him problems. And finally... oh, never mind.

Here are the different versions of the Intersect, who got them, and what they could do.

Intersect Test
Downloaded by Chuck Bartowski as a child. Apparently had no data but somehow gave Chuck the ability to later reboot the Intersect 2.0.

Intersect Prototype
Downloaded by Stephen Bartowski. Had some pre-90s data. No abilities.

Intersect Beta
Downloaded by Hartley Winterbottom. Never shown to have data or abilities but it caused a problem that changed Hartley's personality and made him believe he was Alexei Volkoff.

Intersect 1.0
Downloaded by Chuck Bartowski via an email sent to him by Bryce Larkin. Contained all of the government's important data that Chuck could "flash" on whenever he saw or heard some trigger element. Was also shown to have the ability to decipher or control electronic devices (only in episode 2.19, Chuck Versus the Dream Job).

Intersect by Fulcrum
Downloaded by Chuck Bartowski while on a mission. Added more updated data about Fulcrum agents within the CIA. Would flash red in Chuck's mind, indicating when it was different from his normal CIA data.

Intersect 2.0
Downloaded by Chuck Bartowski shortly after having the Intersect 1.0 removed. Added data and physical abilities. Eventually required a "governor" to prevent Chuck's mind from frying. Later, this story element was either dropped or a new version fixed this glitch, but the writers never addressed it. A version of this type of Intersect was also downloaded by Daniel Shaw (as a Ring agent), Captain Richard Noble (GRETA), Captain Victoria Dunwoody (GRETA), and Morgan Grimes. A version that worked by putting on glasses was created and used by Manoosh Depak.

Intersect 2.0 with Virus
Downloaded by Morgan Grimes but meant for Chuck Bartowski. Added data and physical abilities but also added a virus that slowly changed Morgan's personality and had to be removed/suppressed.

Intersect 3.0
Attempted download by Daniel Shaw but foiled by Chuck Bartowski who added corrupting data to it which also removed the ability to use the Intersect 2.0.

Intersect 3.1?
Hmmmm...

Which version was your favorite? Did you like Chuck with or without one? Data flash or abilities flash? How would you rank the people who had the Intersect?

Anonymous commenting is enabled below.

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21-Days of CHUCK! Day 4: The Bracelet is Important!

Fans sometimes latch onto things that the writers only introduce with the intent to never reference again, but sometimes they become so important to the fans that they take on a life all their own.

Probably the most important piece of shiny CHUCK fans latched onto was an object mentioned in the title of this article. "The Bracelet." Specifically, and I shouldn't even need to define it, Mama B's bracelet that Chuck gave to Sarah for Christmas, in season 2 episode 11, while being held hostage by what they would later discover was a Fulcrum agent.

It wasn't just that he gave her the bracelet. It was when he did it, how he did it, and her reaction to receiving it. Plus, and this may be what elevated its importance in the hearts and minds of fans, it was their words to each other about its meaning. If he was giving it to her, it was because he considered her his girlfriend. And by accepting it, she was acknowledging it.

Oh shipper hearts were a flutter!

Sure, the bracelet would appear several times throughout the life of the show, and would become a small piece of importance in the next Christmas hostage episode 3-seasons later. But it never became for the writers what it did for the fans.

Another piece of Chuck fan lore that became crazy important to some was Sarah's "sister" that she mentioned as part of some sunbathing accident cover story, or something. Once Sarah said it, some fans became obsessed with the idea that Sarah had a sister. Eventually we did discover that Sarah had a "sister" but she wasn't actually related to her and was too young to have been the one she was talking about anyway, proving yet again that she never existed.

And how about Sarah's real name, or names? Her middle name is Lisa? Then, her first name is Sam? Suddenly fans needed to know her full name! Sam Lisa what? SAM LISA WHAT?! But the writers never told (at least they haven't as of this writing, with four episodes to go).

To a lesser degree, some Casey fans have spent a few years talking about meeting his mother, the one he was apparently talking to on his cell phone in the same episode Chuck gave Sarah "The Bracelet." For all we know, Casey was faking it and actually talking to a sex-line operator.

Not to mention, what happened to Morgan's mom that Big Mike apparently married? WE NEVER SAW HER AGAIN! HUH?! WRITERS?! HUH?!

I lost it there for a second.

What was your show obsession that the writers never paid off or referenced again? Anonymous posting is, as always, enabled.

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21-Days of CHUCK! Day 3: The Chocolate in Bartowski's Peanut-butter.

In the day 2 article, I discussed the shipping, or not shipping, of Chuck and Sarah. This time, let's discuss the weight of that romantic relationship. Why was it so potent? What drove fans into such a wild frenzy, not seen on most shows?

From the moment she meets Chuck, Sarah is smitten. This cold-blooded, hard-nosed, martial arts and weapons master who kills on command suddenly finds herself in a dizzying situation. She's instantly in love but doesn't know it. All she knows is that she has to protect this weird, big-bird tall geek, Chuck Bartowski. Even when her bosses try to pull the plug, having only known him for a few minutes, she fights to keep him safe. Is it because the mission is that important to her? Sarah of season 1 would at least want you to believe that. Though, Sarah of midway through season 3 will confess otherwise.

Sarah Walker, aka Jenny Burton, aka Sam Lisa something, fell in love with Chuck the moment she met him. But how is that possible? Instant true love? Is that even real? Does it need to be?

Funnily enough, everyone around them recognizes that Sarah has feelings for Chuck. Everyone that is but Chuck. He, along with the audience, is constantly guessing whether her actions are for the mission or for him. And yet he never gives up trying to tell her how he feels about her. Well, maybe a couple of times he gives up, like when he decides to go date other girls (Lou, Jill again, and hot little Hannah).

No matter what got in the way of their potential love, they eventually (never with many episodes in between) returned the show back to Chuck pining for Sarah. And Sarah either pining or hiding her pining for Chuck. This constant pulling at the heart strings of the audience is part of what made people so passionate about the show. It is definitely what helped motivate the shippers and crazy shippers to write inspired comments all over the Internet about the show.

But why did Sarah fall for Chuck? A beautiful CIA agent who could have any man. Who, previous to dating Chuck was with a man so beautiful that it could blind you, Bryce Larkin. And then was sexed up by a smoldering super spy from England named Cole Barker. Finally, before fully giving herself over to Mr. Bartwoski, she had a tall, dark, and massive Daniel Shaw to show her every position in the book.

Yet only Chuck won her completely. Sure, Bryce died. Cole probably got stuck in some blood sausage factory in Essex. And Daniel Shaw? Well, there was the small matter of her killing his wife and he then trying to kill her. So, perhaps she just ran out of options? Hell no! She was smitten from day one. Chuck was the opposite of her. He represented the things she wanted in life. Friends, family, love, kindness, and above all else, nerdy cuteness! Sarah fell for Chuck because he made her feel the way she wanted to feel. She fell for him because he was willing to die for the people he cared most about, even when he should have known better than to try to save the day. And perhaps most of all, she fell for him because Chuck would put his very awkward and untrained life in danger over and over to save HER.

Why did Chuck fall for Sarah? Because she's a hot blond. Duh.

And maybe because he could see in her eyes the love she felt for him and it made him feel like he could do anything. Because, boys and girls, if the person you think you are in love with doesn't make you feel like you can slay a dragon while curing cancer and figuring out warp drive technology all while changing poopy diapers, don't marry them. Die alone.

Chuck and Sarah reminded their shipper and crazy shipper and romance loving audience what falling in love should feel like. Over and over and over and over again. Each week, like it was a new experience.

So, what did you think about the Chuck and Sarah romance over the years? Why do you feel it worked so well?

(Side note: they say beautiful women are happier when they marry men who are not as good looking)

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21-Days of CHUCK! Day 2: To Ship, Not to Ship, or CRAZY SHIP?!

Many shows have "shippers," so-called because their main focus on a show is the romantic relationship between certain characters. Most shows have several factions of shippers, rooting for different people on a show to discover their romantic feelings for each other and then to engage in some hot, steamy, network television rule-breaking sex!

But on CHUCK there has essentially been one "ship." Chuck and Sarah.

To Ship
And it is the fault of Zachary Levi and Yvonne Strahovski. Chuck is an adorable little nerd. Sarah is a cute hottie any man would want. But it is what the two lead actors delivered in their roles that made, broke, made again, broke yet again, then remade just to break, only to make to break and break to make into a solid piece of pre-broken pounding shipper heart of intolerably angsty pain so potent that it sliced a piece of the universe in the wake of its existence!

To pine for the two lovebirds was as clear as breathing oxygen. The way Chuck looked at Sarah. The way Sarah secretly looked at Chuck. The not-so-innocent touches. The near kisses. The near confessions of their love for each other. The actual confessions of their love for each other (alright, so Chuck's confessions to Sarah). How could people NOT want to see these kids together? How could you not want to see them happy? No one in their right mind, that's who!

Not To Ship
And yet somehow, some evildoers in the CHUCK fandom weren't watching for the romance. Yes, I dare say it! They were watching for (brace yourselves) the characters! Or the story! Or, oh nos, the Buy More. Or because Sarah looked hot. Or because Sarah looked hot. Or because... look, let's face it. For the first couple of seasons, lots of young men were watching and they weren't watching because Chuck looked hot (most of them at least).

These people even rolled their eyes at the Chuck and Sarah romance! I know, it does sound like some koo koo for the puffy cocos stuff. Sometimes these crazed lovers of plot shockingly even rooted for Chuck, or Sarah, or both, to end up with people not named either Chuck or Sarah! They actually loved when Shaw was doing the sexy sexing via a manual with Sarah, or finding his dessert contained within hers or something super cool like that. Or rooted for Hannah to stick around longer because she was a brunette goddess who brought in massive ratings (guilty)!

Get on the Crazy Ship Chucktanic!
And then there were the (mostly) dude shippers who took their love to extremes that shippers haven't seen since some SMALLVILLE fans tried to assassinate Kristin Kreuk (I don't know that to be a fact, and may just have made it up). They didn't seem to just feel a passion for the Chuck and Sarah romance. They wanted to electrocute themselves with it until their internals liquefied and their hairs stood up and then ignited. They took their Chuck and Sarah needs to such extremes that if an episode didn't put them together, have Chuck propose, and Sarah accept while crying golden falls of tears while accepting her new role as the barefoot, pregnant and chained to the stove future wife of Chuck, then the episode SUCKED!!!! These fans weren't happy until about the 78th episode of the series.

So which were you? Shipper? Anti-shipper? Crazy shipper? Or did you stand on the side and just enjoy the ride, never choosing sides (independent CHUCK viewer)?

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