91 Things I love about 'Chuck'

Let's get one thing straight: There are more than 91 things I love about this show. But in honor of 91 episodes, I figured it would be a logical number for this article.

Two caveats: This list is in no particular order, just whatever comes into my head at any given time. Also, these are essentially 91 different things that just make me smile when I think about them.

1. Yvonne Strahovski. OK, this one is in a particular order. What's not to love? She's incredibly gorgeous. Her character is bad-ass but with a sweet and softer side. Few women can pull off being beautiful, hot, sexy and adorable all at the same time: Sarah Walker does. She's a great actress and can pull off any action sequence, any emotional moment and even comedic scenes with aplomb.

2. "Pineapple." I really don't think I have to expound upon my reasoning here. You already know that this might be the greatest word ever -- even though it is "the word that cannot be spoken".

3. The Music. I used to be a loser who preferred hip-hop music. This show changed that, as I am now obsessed (but still a loser) with Indie rock. I've made playlists of over 20+ tracks for each season with songs that I love and have been introduced to dozens and dozens of bands that I now like that I never would have learned about. Thanks, 'Chuck'.

4. 'Chuck' Combines Comedy, Drama, Action & Romance. Seriously, what other shows can claim to feature all four of those genres? It's perhaps the biggest reason why this show is so special to all of us.

5. The Nerd Herd Car. I don't even have a drivers' license and I want a Nerd Herder -- even if it is sitting on plastic. Since I don't drive, I'll take one of THESE or one of THESE.

6. The 'Chuck' Drinking Game. So you like 'Chuck' and you like to consume alcohol, you say? Well I have the perfect thing for you!

7. The Intersect. I think most of us got annoyed in later seasons when seemingly everyone but Casey and Beckman got the Intersect, but that doesn't change how cool it is and how original an idea it was. It was a fun and exciting concept that only got better when Chuck learned Kung-Fu. I could have done without 'The Governor', but what are you gonna do?

8. Casey's Love of Ronald Reagan. Whether he's saluting a framed picture of Reagan (or putting his hand print on it) before he leaves his apartment, getting excited about renting Reagan's former office or Beckman telling him to wake up because the 80s are over, it simply never gets old or less funny.

9. When the Buy More Storyline Matches the Spy Storyline. Some people hated the Buy More shenanigans, or at the very least got tired of it. I'm not one of those people, I loved it. But even for the haters out there, you have to admit how great it was when both the spy stuff and the Buy More stuff coincided or could relate to one another. Those often made for the best episodes.

EXAMPLES: (1) I love in "Chuck vs. Santa Claus" when Chuck sees Sarah kill the Fulcrum agent and Morgan sees Anna get kissed by Lester, and then Morgan asks Chuck if he's ever seen someone he loves do something so horrific. (2) In "Chuck vs. the Role Models" when Morgan tries to get Big Mike's lanyard off while Chuck tries to get the collar off of the tiger.

10. Buy-Moria. Looking for a new wallpaper on your computer? You could do worse than THIS ONE. I need to get myself a Buy Moria flag.

Speaking of which, here are my Top 10 things I would have stolen from the 'Chuck' set... (10) The Bell at the Nerd Herd desk (9) Sarah's Charm Bracelet (8) Chuck's spy watch (7) The Wheel of Misfortune (6) Reagan picture frame (5) The Jeffster! Sleep Sheep (4) The Buy Moria Flag (3) The Fountain in the courtyard (2) Norman: Big Mike's Marlin (1) Chuck's Tron Poster. Other things I want: The Morgan-nuptial, the Buy More phone, the comic book with the intersect plans, Orion's wrist watch.

11. The Many Great Nicknames. Anytime I hear any of the following nicknames, it's hard not to laugh: "Cobra", "Six-Pack", "Hot Mama", "Scraggly Troll", "Little Elf", "Captain Awesome", "Chuck's Wooly Friend", "Chuck's Stable of Ho's".

12. The 'Buy Morons'. We all love Chuck and Sarah. And Casey. And Morgan. But the show isn't quite the same without Big Mike, Jeff, Lester and Anna. It just isn't. Fernando, Skip, Emmett and Tang deserve some recognition as well. They were always good for some extra laughs and goofiness.

13. Fountain Conversations. In a show with a limited budget, having good dialogue is especially important. And was there any better dialogue than when scenes took place at the fountain? I think not. So many special and emotional scenes took place there.

Let me show you my favorites: (3) Chuck dances with Sarah while Orion talks with Bryce (2) Chuck breaks up with Sarah, per Bryce's request. (1) Chuck tells Sarah he's going to get the Intersect out of his head and be with the woman he loves.
 
14. Casey Grunting. No explanation necessary. But in case you want one, here it goes.

15. Chuck's Flashes. Whether it's a regular flash, a fake flash, an imitated flash, a skills flash, a Fulcrum flash, an accused flash on Duck Hunt, or my favorite flash ever, it's always pretty cool.

16. Jeffster! If you don't like this wonderful band that is adored by women AND men, then move along. If you do, then here is a compilation of their fine work.

17. Casey's Hatred of Hugging. Because men can't hug if they don't have their man parts.

18. Awesome Being the Worst Liar Ever. He's awesome when he flosses or saves lives, but the man can't be cool or awesome when he tries to hold in a secret. And it's hilarious. Perhaps even better than having to decapitate the bear is Awesome's line in Chuck vs. the Push Mix when he freaks out over losing the CD Chuck gave him: "No push mix, no baby!"

19. The Wind Machine. We all like when Sarah walks into the Buy More and the wind machine blows around her hair, but I love that the Wind Machine doesn't discriminate.

20. Jeff's Creepy Van. Remember, Chuck is going to tell his grand-kids about Jeff and Lester's stalking abilities. And that van is where they do their best work ...and where they hide out when the authorities suspect them of blowing up the Buy More. Special nod to Jeff's creepy bathroom stall office.

21. Orion's Gadgets.Whether it's the thing he wears on his wrist, his impressive computer hacks or his Roark 7 computer, you know it's all really cool. Except for the Governor. That was just stupid.

22. Family Gatherings. Earlier I got nostalgic over the fountain scenes. Now it's time to do the same about the family gatherings: be it thanksgiving day meals that Morgan isn't invited to, house-warming parties that Morgan says 'no' to Carina or a game of charades with the most dangerous man in world -- they are all special times. THIS ONE, though, is perhaps my favorite.

23. Giant Blonde Shemale of Thailand. Fans of Sarah Walker (OK, that's everyone who has ever watched the show) love Yvonne's performance in Chuck vs. Phase Three. Every time I hear that phrase I laugh and I think about how great she was in this episode and how great Yvonne Strahovski is in general. And how ridiculous and funny that nickname was.

24. Rivalry Between Chuck & Shaw. Shaw should have died when Chuck shot him multiple times in the chest. Seriously, mother fucker was dead. Oh well. His miraculous survival did at least provide us with more and more moments between the two bitter rivals.

(P.S. I loved the Shaw character and think the people who didn't are idiots. He added great drama, including the revelation that Sarah killed Shaw's wife, the excellent Chuck vs. the Other Guy episode, the murder of Chuck's father, and two fight scenes in the Buy More. Complain all you want, but you're wrong.)

25. Chuck Wearing Chuck Taylor's. I personally don't like those shoes, but it makes Chuck Bartowski just a little bit cooler that he wears them.

26. The Opening Theme. You've heard/seen it a billion times, but you know you're gonna click on this link anyway.

27. Chuck Saving the Day.What's your favorite? Here are mine: (3) Chuck drops a package in the chute, shipping the diamond to Beckman and Graham in Episode 1.4 (2) Chuck uses a porn virus to disarm the bomb in Episodes 1.1 and 5.13 (1) Chuck fools the bad guy into thinking there's back-up by using Morgan's Call of Duty plan in Episode 2.1.  

Special shout-outs to: using a juice box to disarm a bomb, setting off fireworks in a car, making sure the bad guy samples the antidote, getting the coordinates to Casey's Crown Victoria and blowing it up instead of themselves, Chuck's pep talk to Casey fighting the sensei, Chuck being the DJ and spotlighting the bad guys with his speech, Chuck beating Missile Command.

28. Casey Trying To Sell Merchandise at the Buy More. While I love when Casey acts like a lunatic at the Buy More (conking Jeff and Lester's heads), or when he kicks some ass (throwing a toaster at a bad guy's head), I really enjoy when he tries to actually be a good employee. I lose it every time I see the scene where is genuinely excited about selling a beast-master to a single white female.

29. Everyone's Bewilderment Over Sarah Being With Chuck. Anna shoots down the idea that Chuck got Sarah because "she's a pro", because he can't afford her on a Buy More salary. But Jeff has the answer as to why Chuck is killing it with the ladies: it's either mind control or sorcery.

30. Awesome Without a Shirt. THIS is for you, ladies. You're welcome.

31. Morgan's Janitor's Room Office.Whether he's hiding from Shaw in a bullet proof vest, firing Chuck from being his best friend, or decorating the office to seduce Hanna into liking him, I always laugh when I see Morgan in there.

32. Vicki Vale. There are a million funny scenes in 'Chuck', but perhaps the funniest (or at the very least, the most charmingly funny scene) happens in the very first episode. Stop the presses!

33. Carina & Morgan. Because we've all dreamed about sleeping with someone WAY out of our league and he's the only one to do it. And all he had to do was tell her no. I gotta try this!

34. iPhone Pictures for Phone Call. 'Chuck' used the iPhone to perfection, highlighted by the hilarious pictures that would show up on his phone when someone called him. The picture of Awesome kissing his biceps and Casey giving a scowl face makes me crack up every single time.

35. Chuck+Sarah Song.  Listen to this for 2 minutes and 34 seconds and try not to get emotional. I dare you.

36. Tim Jones' Musical Score. Although that particular song is extra special to all of us, all of his other songs were amazing too. Everyone raves about how much they loved the music on this show (with good reason), but I think sometimes Tim Jones' composed music gets unfairly overlooked.

Dear Tim Jones: You're the man. Thanks for making our favorite TV show even better. You should thank him, too, on Twitter @timjonesmusic

37. Angry Sarah Walker. When Sarah Walker got mad, she got even hotter. See: Giant Blonde Shemale of Thailand. Hell, even when she got mad at Chuck for trying to seduce her and changed from THIS OUTFIT! to THIS OUTFIT, she's insanely hot.

38. Fight Scenes. It didn't matter if the fight scenes were pre-intersect 2.0 or post, they were almost always awesome and original. Who could forget Sarah fighting in the shower with Nicole Richie or in the car with Smooth Lau? Or dual fighting scenes like Sarah back-to-back with Bryce or Chuck handcuffed with Sarah in the coffee shop? Chuck, Sarah and Casey all had great moments in hand-to-hand combat. Even Devon, Ellie, Big Mike and Morgan got into the action occasionally, too.

39. Orion's Cabin. That was a pretty kick-ass cabin Stephen J. Bartowski had. Loaded with gadgets and equipped to both lure Volkoff to it and take down his entire network. Until Vivian took over, that is.

40. Subway Ads. I don't know exactly how much the Subway fan campaign ran by Wendy Farrington helped get a Season 3, but I think we owe a lot of gratitude to both Subway and Wendy for their contributions to the show.

A lot of people complain when they see blatant product placement in TV shows, but 'Chuck' did a brilliant job integrating Subway into the show. I don't know how you could do anything but smile every time Big Mike took a bite into a foot-long.

41. Bucket of Cheeseballs. Whenever I see a bucket of cheeseballs, I always think of Chuck in the Season 2 opener.

42. Sarah With Knives. If I wasn't incapable of making and editing video, I would totally make a bad-ass montage of Sarah Walker and all her impressive work with knives and other fun instruments. Thankfully, one such video already exists. Thanks, Internet!

43. Morgan Acting as a Therapist. When Morgan pretends he's a therapist and clicks his pen, I always laugh. Even if he fails to properly mediate the battle between Ellie and Awesome over the TV vs. the washer and dryer. My favorite was when he tried to see why Ellie could possibly be cheating on Awesome, only to learn that "I would have him if he'd let me."

44. Chuck & Morgan Strip-kicking. Haha. This is just so 'Chuck', I love it. "Casey can never know about this."

45. The Amazing Guest Stars. I could list dozens and dozens of great guests on the show. Instead, I'll just name my favorite 10 characters (not a ranking of the actors themselves) ... (10) Alexei Volkoff played by Timothy Dalton (9) Alex McHugh played by Mekenna Melvin (8) Nicholas Quinn played by Angus Macfayden (7) Jack Burton by Gary Cole (6) Cole Barker by Jonathan Cake  (5) Carina played by Mini Anden (4) Daniel Shaw by Brandon Routh (3) Bryce Larkin played by Matt Bomer (2) Orion/Stephen J. Bartowski by Scott Bakula (1) Roan Montgomery by John Larroquette.

Honorable Mentions: Linda Hamilton (Mary Bartowski), Chevy Chase (Ted Roark), Kristin Kreuk (Hannah), Jordana Brewster (Jill Roberts), Lauren Cohan (Vivian Volkoff), Carrie-Ann Moss (Gertrude Verbanski), Rachel Bilson (Lou), Richard Burgi (Clyde Decker), Ray Wise (Riley)

46. Buy More Take-Overs. I think we can all agree that enemies infiltrated the Buy More far too often, but they gave us moments like this, so I'm fine with it. The funny thing is, the only person to take out the Buy More was Morgan when he blew it up haha.

47. Casey Getting Excited with Weaponry. Nobody loves guns more than John Casey. He loves using them, he loves cleaning them, he loves talking about them. The man gets downright giddy. It's fun to watch.

48. Casey's One-Liners."Did somebody order drive-thru?" "Way to go, Ace!" "Don't puke on the C4." "Don't worry, we'll just order you another handler from the CIA catalog." "Pull a stunt like that again and I'll kill you before she does." "Now that's what I call moving some merchandise." "Chuck, you're the poster boy for friendly fire."

Those are just some of the wonderful one-liners Casey always has ready for any given situation. Between those, his love of guns and grunting and his distaste for hugs, it's no wonder we all love John Casey.

49. Chuck+Sarah Bickering on Missions. I loved in Chuck vs. the Role Models when Sarah and Chuck were on a mission together and Sarah noted how unprofessional that the Turner's were being when they were bickering during the mission. Chuck and Sarah did that all the time! And it was always entertaining when they did.

50. Chuck's Aversion to Real Guns. "Mom, we need to have a talk about the benefits of tranq guns." And who could forget Chuck not wanting to use a gun in the finale to scare Sarah away and still ending up shooting down Casey's helicopter?

51. Guest Stars Referencing Their Own Scenes/Dialogue. It was always cool when 'Chuck' gave shout-outs to some of their guest stars' previous work. Like when Linda Hamilton did push-ups in the jail cell (referencing "The Terminator") or when Dolph Lundgren said "I must break you", a la Ivan Drago in "Rocky".

52. Sarah Manipulating Morgan. If this list was in a specific order, this one would be near the top. One of my favorite things ever was anytime Sarah would extract info from Morgan by intimidating him. Here is the best example of one such instance.

Morgan was not the only one she would manipulate to get what she wanted...T.I.T.S.

53. Fake Nerd Herd Calls. I think just about every time there was a call into the Nerd Herd for an on-site install, it was a fake call. You think Chuck would have learned that after Casey's fake call in Episode 1.2, but apparently he didn't -- because the late, great Michael Clarke Duncan pulled the same trick in the Season 2 opener.

54. Sarah's Reactions When She Thinks Chuck Dies. When Sarah thinks Chuck is a goner, we either get an awesome and surprising make-out session, or we get Yvonne showing off her acting skills: such as when she thinks Chuck blew up in Chuck vs. the Best Friend, or when she thinks she hears him killed over the walkie talkie in Chuck vs. the Anniversary, or when she sees Chuck dropped from a high-story building in Chuck vs. the First Date.

55. Casey's Mission Disguises. Poor John is forced to dress up in all sorts of ridiculous outfits for the sake of the mission. He is either the cable guy, a bartender, a DJ, or Chuck's personal manservant in Chuck vs. the Balcony. He's a team player, that one.

56. "The Morgan". The next time I'm in a life-threatening situation (happens to me all the time), I'm going to deploy the most lethal move in the world. Who needs the Intersect 2.0 when you can just use this deadly maneuver? When you add my kills using "The Morgan" with Chuck's, it's up to at least five.

57. Carina Calling Morgan by the Wrong Name. Don't feel bad, Martin ... er, I mean, Morgan. Girls I like don't know my name, either. They certainly don't sleep with me, either -- so at least you got that going for you.

"First things first -- my name is not Martin, it's Morgan. Morgan Guillermo Grimes, memorize it!"

58. Big Mike Eating.I love watching that man eat, I don't care if that makes me sound creepy. Nobody gets more excited to eat a Subway sub (not even Jared!) or a danish like Big Mike. I think I only saw him refuse to eat one time when he threw away Emmett's baked goods in the trash and told everyone to get back to work.

59. Buy More Line-ups. One of my favorite parts of the Buy More was when Big Mike or Emmett lined up the employees and gave them a lecture. Like when Big Mike warned Jeff about spiking the eggnog. I'm drawing a blank on further examples but it happened many times and was always humorous.

60. Buy More Shenanigans. Speaking of humor in the Buy More, the ridiculousness that often took place inside that store was such a good edition to the show.

Some of the more memorable storylines: the mystery crisper, the sales competition, the CPR training, the assistant manager interviews run by Chuck and Morgan, Big Mike's online dating, the mighty jocks and the employee of the month contest.

61. Jeff & Lester's Pranks. What happens when you try to burn your boss' hand on a door handle? Or when you super glue him to his chair? Or when you stuff him into ONE OF THESE after he's knocked unconscious from a tainted cup of coffee? THIS happens. "Don't ask, plausible deniability"

One good thing did come from their pranks: in Episode 2.21, Chuck vs. the Colonel, they blew the fuse box at the Buy More, causing the power to temporarily shut down and allowing Chuck and Sarah to escape from Castle.

62. Pop-Culture References. Practically every minute of every episode there is a reference to something cool -- whether it's through dialogue, or through movie posters or character names. One of the many reasons nerds love this show so much.

63. Morgan's Cluelessness with Guns. And you thought Chuck was bad with guns! When Morgan actually fires a gun with bullets in it, it explodes out of his hand. And when he thinks there are bullets in the chamber, Casey always has to tell him he's not allowed to have them. But my favorite was when Chuck gives him a tranq gun in Chuck vs. the Tooth, and Casey ends up shooting him with it at the opera. Hilarious.

64. "Oh Shit" Moments. These are the best moments, the moments you'll always remember. The scene you did not see coming, that causes you to say, "OH, SHIT!"

Like when we find out that Chuck's dad is Orion. Or when we learn that it was Sarah who killed Shaw's wife. Or when we discover that Jill is Fulcrum. Or when Chuck's dad is murdered by Shaw. Or when Bryce was really alive. Or when it wasn't just a poster of Tron hanging in Chuck's bedroom. Or when we find out that Big Mike's conquest was Morgan's mom.

65. Common Phrases. There were a few expressions this show used often and they were special because of it. Maybe you use them now in your daily life. Such as: "Stay in the car!" ... "Aces, Charles." ... "Sweep the leg!" ... "Don't freak out." ... "No secrets, no lies."

66. Castle. Watching Season 1 almost seems weird because there was no Castle. You can't conduct covert government operations in a Home Theater Room! The addition of Castle was awesome and necessary, allowing the show to do tons of things with it. Like conducting a lie detector test, locking prisoners, using science equipment, satellite tracking, having meetings with Beckman, etc. Or my favorite: watching Sarah Walker kick the shit out of a punching bag or out of Chuck using a bow.

67. Carmichael Industries. All those years chasing Fulcrum, The Ring and working for General Beckman was starting to get a little bit old. So the creation of Carmichael Industries, using the money from Volkoff Industries, was a welcomed addition. It was nice to see Chuck and Co. in charge for once and on their own, plus we still got our fix of Beckman from time to time.

68. Casey Abusing People in the Buy More. Casey made clear his disdain for his cover identity at the Buy More. So how did he cope with it? By conking Lester and Jeff's head together. Or knocking Morgan down when he kept asking where he could find The Ramones CD. Or one of all-time favorites, when he shoved Jeff and Lester against the storage cage, with an apple still lodged in Lester's mouth.

69. Beckman's Annoyance of Morgan. She hated him and with good reason. He called her sir. And he treated her with a lack of respect when the Intersect turned him into a giant douche. While he was a huge nuisance to her, it sure was fun for us.

70. Sarah Fights Better vs. Men than Woman. Maybe it's just me, but I feel like whenever Sarah fought a man (with the exception of Michael Clarke Duncan in 2.1), she almost always completely dominated. But when she fought a woman (like Smooth Lau in the car, or La Ciudad in Episode 1.3 and others), she always had a more difficult time. Didn't make a whole lot of sense, but I enjoyed that quirk nonetheless.

71. Ellie + Awesome on Missions. I mentioned earlier how much I loved their nicknames on missions (Hot Mama and 6-Pack), but they were fun when they tried to dip their toes into the spy world. Like when Chuck had to stand in for Awesome, or when Ellie and Devon tried to save Chuck from enduring torture from "The Toy". Or my favorite when they pretended to be on a spy mission with each other and actually ended up in a spy mission. "Project Eagle!"

72. People Giving Sarah Crap About Her Feelings for Chuck.Throughout the first two seasons, Sarah faced a constant barrage of people giving her a hard time about Chuck. She hated it, we loved it. Casey was the biggest offender, but even Carina and Roan Montgomery (since we're talking about Roan, this scene is a classic) chimed in about it. "The lady doth protest too much!"

73. Casey Trying to Make Chuck and Sarah Jealous. Casey loved causing problems. When Chuck went on a date with Lou, he threw a comment Sarah's way like: "you can't stand Bartowski dipping his chocolate in someone else's peanut butter." Or when he went out with Jill, he said something like: "you don't like that Chuck is browsing someone else's network."

And Casey gave Chuck a hard time, too, especially when Sarah was briefly involved with Cole Barker -- poking fun at how Cole's plan of taking enduring torture and taking a bullet was working better than Chuck's plan of fainting and injuring his foot in a window.

74. Cool Villains. OK, so Fulcrum and The Ring pretty much sucked. But Daniel Shaw, Alexei Volkoff, Nicholas Quinn, Clyde Decker, Ted Roark and Jill Roberts were pretty good longer-term villains. Plus they had some good one-episodes villains, too.

75. Complicated Relationships with Family. Chuck's father was Orion and deserted him to keep him safe. His mom was a spy, went rogue from the CIA (kinda) and also deserted him. Sarah's dad was a deadbeat con-man that was never really there for her and her mother was a Saint but couldn't be a part of her life because of Molly. And then we have Casey's former fiance Kathleen and the daughter he never knew about in Alex. And poor Jeff's mom is in jail (Prisoner #27318) for god knows what crime, while Lester's parents try to arrange a marriage with a hot chick.

76. Big Mike Dating Morgan's Mom. "Do you got time for a quickie?"

77. Chuck's Charm. As Sarah said to Roan, defending Chuck: "He's passionate, sweet and caring. He has a lot to offer!" You're damn right he does!

78. Chuck + Ellie Life Conversations. Because Ellie essentially had to raise Chuck, they have a special brother-sister relationship that many siblings don't have. Yes, Ellie was annoying from time to time when she nagged the hell out of him, but they had a great bond and a lot of really emotional life conversations. We all wish we had someone that was always there for us like that.

79. The Many Great Potential Finale's. We were fortunate to get a second season. It was a minor miracle we got a third season. And a downright major miracle we got Seasons 4 and 5. Because of all the uncertainty in the writers' room on whether the show would continue or not, they were forced to double season finales as potential series finales. Plus, they had to do that twice each in Seasons 3 and 4 (in episode 13). And you know what? They pretty much nailed it each time.

Chuck vs. the Ring (Season 2) was epic. Chuck vs. the Other Guy (3.13) was a classic and Chuck vs. the Ring Part II was good enough. Season 4 featured two great finales with Chuck vs. the Push Mix (4.13) and Chuck vs. the Cliffhanger with a beautiful wedding. Whether or not you love the ACTUAL 'Chuck' Series finale is a whole 'nother question, but either way, they did a great job in tough circumstances several times.

80. Norman: Big Mike's Marlin. THIS PICTURE IS AWESOME

81. Chuck and Morgan's Bromance. Everyone loves a good bromance. They had one of the best. I mean, if you can withstand Morgan as the Intersect and still be friends, you know it's special.

82. Conference Calls with General Beckman. Anytime we get to see Beckman on the monitor is a treat. Perhaps my favorite was THIS ONE. Hell, I even love the sound the monitor makes when she signs off from a call.

83. Fernando. I liked him more before he started making out with Supermodels during the Super Bowl. But anytime this stud walked into a shot, I would always yell out: "Fernando!" And I would take a drink, per the 'Chuck Drinking Game' rules. I'm really happy that after appearing in over 30 episodes, he finally got a speaking role in the finale. Good for him.

84. Wienerlicious Outfit. Yeah, I like THE OUTFIT, too. RIP, Wienerlicious. The Orange Orange outfit just wasn't the same.

85. Chuck's Bracelet to Sarah. One of the all-time great scenes between Chuck and Sarah. She may have fell in love with Chuck in between fixing her phone and defusing bombs with computer viruses, but I feel like THIS MOMENT truly cemented it. It also lead to another scene which is one of my all time favorites in that very same episode (Chuck vs. Santa Claus).

The bracelet also re-appeared in an emotional way late in Season 5 when Shaw stole it from her.

86. Chuck's Two Wedding Proposals."I didn't fall in love with James Bond, I fell in love with you." That first proposal gets me every time. Chuck's two wedding proposals were both so well-written (although no words were spoken the second time) and executed. This show almost always nailed the Chuck and Sarah moments.

87. The Tron Poster. I think I would kill someone to get THIS.

88. Sarah Getting Ready for Missions. Was there anything better than when they showed Sarah Walker getting ready for a mission? I THINK NOT. Example 1: Sarah and Carina ... Example 2: Sarah in the pilot (somehow can't find that video) ... Example 3: Sarah in Chuck vs. the First Date

89. The Wheel of Misfortune. Sorry Morgan, you're fired. Just be glad you don't have to be on diaper station duty.

90. Porn Viruses. Irene Demova! Coolest bomb-disposal plan of all-time. Was really special when they brought it back in the finale. Just like Sarah Walker, we fell in love with Chuck Bartowski and the show when he defused that bomb in the pilot.

91. The Fans. This show brought strangers together and created friendships. It brought us closer to the friends, family and strangers we shared it with. It led to great Web sites like this one and so many special memories. If that all sounds lame, I don't care. Cause it's fuckin' true.

Thanks.

(P.S. Let me know yours by commenting or by tweeting me @EliRosenswaike)

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Zachary Levi Joins THOR 2 (with video)

Last night on Leno, Zachary Levi made it official by announcing that he will be joining THOR 2 as Fandral, the character played by Josh Dallas in the first movie.

Dallas has television commitments that prevent him from shooting the movie.

Interestingly enough, it was Zac who was offered the part for THOR but had to back out when CHUCK was picked up for more episodes. So now the two have replaced each other in the series.

Though, which one of them will play Fandral in AVENGERS 2?

Check out Zac's appearance on Leno below (thanks to chucksarahmedia for the upload).

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CHUCK Vs. Sarah: 5.12 - The Penultimate Episode

The second to last episode ever of CHUCK, and the 90th in series history, gave us one of those story lines that fans can argue about or rage against for the next twenty years, or more.

Sarah, having had her memory suppressed, or having lost them, or whatever we are supposed to think (like the writers spent much time thinking about it, they're too high on sandwiches and cookies anyway), is told she has been undercover for five-years and has been pretending to be in love with Chuck Bartowski. Her handler, Quinn, does get thrown through a window when she doesn't believe him but he survives long enough to show her evidence of her personal video logs where she seems to confirm his story.

Back at home, Chuck and gang are getting ready to go find Sarah when she suddenly shows up, bloody, beaten, and barely dressed, having seemingly escaped her captors. Her story is essentially the truth minus the part about her accepting Quinn's mission to find the Intersect glasses and to eliminate Chuck Bartowski.

Somewhat surprisingly, stalking predator Sarah Walker who could perhaps kill Chuck is fun to watch. Yvonne Strahovski really made me believe Sarah could do it. I mean, I knew she wouldn't but still, it takes a solid performance to make me forget the obvious. And a couple of times I felt a touch of fear for Chuck and the gang. I can only imagine how the general, more naive viewer felt.

There is a sequence here where Chuck tries to massage his wife that is at times very funny to kind of intense. She believes he is a dangerous agent who might be onto her and has a knife tucked away within hand's reach. It's probably one of the better scenes of the final two episodes.

Chuck begins to suspect something is wrong and goes to his sister for advice. Sarah follows and overhears their conversation. This is another good little scene where we have brother and sister just having one of those conversations that were sometimes the foundation of this show in earlier seasons.

Anyway, let me jump ahead. The gang breaks into a cool James Bond type CIA research facility where the next Intersect room is, and are betrayed by Sarah who thinks she has stolen the device from them. But Chuck outsmarts her and she has to somehow get the Intersect back.

Cut to her kidnapping Ellie, a low-speed car follow that results in Ellie purposely crashing the car (is Sarah an idiot?), and Chuck carrying Sarah back to their dream house that no one can sell now that they carved their names into it. Here Chuck tries to turn her away from the dark side with his love. She kicks his ass a little bit but he won't fight back. Sarah starts to remember something when she sees the carving. Before she can remember too much Quinn arrives and tries to kill her but Chuck jumps in the way of the bullet. Not surprisingly, he is wearing a bullet proof vest. Sarah goes after Quinn.

We then see Sarah, back at her apartment packing up. Casey arrives, having been given the mission to kill her, or something, but instead gives her the whole video log that detail her changing feelings for Chuck through the years. Sarah then goes to see Chuck and tells him she believes they were in love but that she doesn't know those feelings. She then leaves to go get Quinn.

If I had to rate this episode, I'd give it:

92 out of 100

It was mostly very well done and "evil" Sarah was far more entertaining to me than I ever expected she could be. It wasn't one of the best episodes they've done, and I don't think it was the best episode of the season (breaking the penultimate episode streak of previous seasons) but it was an entertaining hour of television. However, it could be one of Yvonne's best episodes. She got to be all things that I love about her as an actor but in a different way than we have come to expect. It was such a unique choice for the writers and the actor to deliver that any issues I may have had with the episode as a whole, are mostly background noise.

Let me also mention that these two final episodes are a reminder of what the show looks like when they have some money to spend. Oh, if only this show could have had season 2 money for five seasons. Imagine what they could have done. Maybe in ten years when the CHUCK phenomenon has taken over the planet and we get a Netflix series or a movie (or eleven).

One final thing, I would usually do quotables but I have to write another review and record a podcast today. Go quote the episode yourselves in the comment section. Thanks!

CLICK HERE for my review of Chuck Versus the Goodbye.

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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 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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CHUCK Vs. Bo - 5.10: The Frosted Tips Strike Back

Bo Derek graces CHUCK with her presence and name in this week's episode.

Apparently Morgan, while under the influence of his frosted tips and the poisonous Intersect, stole some Intersect glasses from a bad dude and Bo Derek. The latter playing herself as an evil spy who bangs the rainbows out of Grimes.

Grimes' paralleling story is that Alex got the rainbows banged out of her by a surfer dude while Morgan and her were on a break (or she cheated on him, as if anyone cares). Why do these story lines? Shrug. Because it's kind of funny? Because it leads us to ridiculous stuff? Don't ask. Just enjoy.

The main plot of this one is that Chuck and Sarah have decided to stop going on dangerous missions and instead work on cyber terrorism and the like. Everyone but Casey is all for it, though the team talks him into it eventually by calling attention to just how many times he's been shot (great little nod to fan discussions over the years).

But when this Intersect issue comes up, they have to go and complete just one more dangerous mission or worry about that device coming back to haunt them, or something. They go. Hilarity and action ensues, and eventually the team does find the Intersect glasses hidden away in a game display at another Buy More (with some gender roles reversed from their Burbank Buy More doppelgangers).

Just as the gang thinks they are out of the spy game, Chuck gets kidnapped and Sarah and Casey have to go save him. I won't even mention that they could have called the CIA/NSA/FBI/SWAT and everyone else to come back them up because this show so rarely deals with that realm of reality (and mind you, MOST entertainment avoids these realities as well just to make their stories somehow work), but the two get into a big shootout and are overwhelmed. Sarah, having brought the Intersect glasses to trade for Chuck, sees no other way out of the situation (and she is known to do wildly irrational things when she thinks any harm could come to her man), so she Intersects herself and kicks the living shit out of her opponents.

I have held onto this moment for some time. I am a bit surprised they even ran with it. But when I initially heard they were keeping it in, I was worried. It sounded like a really bad idea (like Morgan getting the Intersect). It feels like the writers really ran out of ideas this season. AND YET, that moment worked for me. Sure, Sarah shouldn't really need the Intersect. But it is difficult to show what a Sarah using the Intersect would actually look like on this budget. So, we have to suspend some disbelief and accept that Sarah looking only somewhat more badass with the Intersect would be SO MUCH MORE BADASS with another $1 million in the budget. And in that moment, I actually felt a rush. I enjoyed it.

I didn't mention the Jeffster side story which was HILARIOUS! Yeah, I know, if they always had this forget-shit gas, why didn't they use it before? Because the writers just thought of it, obviously. I forgive that kind of writing since, again, it is done on virtually every show except a couple of cable shows that are able to write all their scripts before they shoot their episodes. Anyway, Jeff and Lester being repeatedly gassed, put back in the same car, in the same place, with the same exact conditions, and both always figuring out that it had to have been Team B's doing, never stopped being funny to me. Well, maybe until the end when the Subway commercial showed up in the form of Big Mike.

I laughed a number of times during this one and enjoyed it, but also felt some of the pacing was off and that it dragged a bit too much in places. One of the best working elements is still Chuck and Sarah simply having a conversation. You would think the writers, dealing with an ever decreasing budget, would have just given us more of those moments THAT WORK SO WELL but no. So, we get weak pacing, poorly structured plots, and some strangely written episodes this season. I'm not saying I haven't enjoyed a majority of them, but I am coming away from this season feeling a bit like I did at the end of season 4. Underwhelmed by the season while still having enjoyed individual episodes.

Alright, let's get to my favorite portion of every review.

QUOTABLES!

The team meets to discuss the idea to shift the company to a safer line of work.
Morgan: Well, I love it, okay. You know how I feel about bullets. Which is to say negatively, okay? This is fantastic!
Casey: Where do I fit in? What am I? Chief Googler?
Sarah: Well, actually, you'd be doing a lot of the same stuff that you already do.
Chuck: Yeah, I mean, we're still gonna need field ops to recover stolen systems and breaching company security to find their weak spots.
Casey: [grunts]
Morgan: Plus, wouldn't it be lovely to not get shot at?
Chuck: Exactly! Aren't you sick of getting shot at?
Sarah: Or getting shot. I mean, you get shot a lot.
Casey: Not considering how much I get shot at.

After waking up in a crashed car with booze and panties, memory-wiped Jeff and Lester begin to piece things together.
Jeff: Lester, something really weird is up.
Lester: Yeah, last, last thing I remember is that there's something going on underneath the Buy More. Yeah, that's right. With Bartowski, and Grimes, and Casey, and that whorey blond.

While on the mission and Grimes having to sex up Bo Derek to get information, Sarah playfully taunts Chuck's star crush.
Sarah: Hey, Chuck, how's it going with Bo? Have you had any sneak peeks of your childhood crush's boobies?
Chuck: What?! No! [pause] Shut up.

Later, when Bo reveals herself to be an enemy agent, Sarah saves Chuck and Morgan by knocking her out.
Sarah: [smiling] Sorry I had to do that to your girlfriend.
Chuck: Oh, you didn't hit her in the face, did ya? [Sarah's smile disappears] I'm kidding! I'm kidding. But it is Bo Derek.

If I had to rate this episode, I'd give it:

89 out of 100

Good humor, some good action, fun references, and a thrilling ending (we could debate the necessity of it all until the end of time) but like much of season 5, flawed. Let me also say that I thought Bo Derek did a fine job. Not that I expected anything else. She is a capable actor.

UPDATE:

Click below to listen to the podcast covering the last three CHUCK episodes and beyond!


Or... RIGHT CLICK AND SAVE this link to download the MP3 version (better quality and you can play it on any device).

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The GeekFurious TOP 10 Episodes of CHUCK

As this lovely little show comes to an end, one must celebrate its greatness in many ways. This is just one of those ways... by defining the best of the best (so far, since, as of this writing, we are only on episode 4 of season 5)!

So while we have this time, let's punch up the list of the TEN BEST EPISODES OF CHUCK EVER! At least according to the Geek and the Furious:

10. Chuck Versus the Intersect - Season 1, episode 1: The pilot episode comes in at #10 essentially for being one of the best pilot episodes ever made! It does a great job of setting up the characters, the story, and the arcs that will play out for the next few seasons. Plus, Bryce Larkin is a super kung fu monkey in it. He will never be that nimble again.

Chuck: Working on my five-year plan, just need to choose a font.

9. Chuck Versus the Dream Job - Season 2, episode 19: This one could be anywhere on the list, really. It introduces us to Papa B. It has one of Zachary Levi's best performances in anything ever. It also features some of Sarah Lancaster's best work, not to mention Scott Bakula is AWESOME in it! So much to say, and yet I have to move on to the next one.

Chuck: Ellie was really hoping that you might be there to walk her down the aisle.
Papa B: Oh I don't think she would want me there.
Chuck: I, I mean, of course, of course she does. We both do.
Papa B: It's not a good idea. But tell her that I'm happy for her.
Chuck: Are you, are you joking? You have to do this, she's your daughter. Don't you wanna be there?
Papa B: Charles, I can't.
Chuck: I, I don't wanna hear what you can't do! I've seen what you can't do!

8. Chuck Versus the Truth - Season 1, episode 8: Written by fan-favorite Ali Adler. It has drama, comedy, family, romance, and is very memorable to boot. Plus, it was probably the episode that set the Chuck and Sarah will-they-won't-they steamroller into overdrive (though, an episode not on this list, Hard Salami, would mash the nuclear button on that little thingy).

Chuck: What?! You give me crap about lighting some candles and you come in wearing that?
Sarah: What, this? This, this is part of my cover.
Chuck: Well, it doesn't cover a thing.

7. Chuck Versus the Last Details - Season 4, episode 23: Season 4 may be the shipper favorite but it only appears once on this list. However, this is one of the funniest episodes in the series, while also featuring some pretty dramatic stuff. It's also more quotable than most of the season.

Sarah: (addressing Mama B) We're not leaving you here to get tortured, we have a wedding to get you to.
Casey: (opening the cell door) Hey! We gotta move! Let's go!
Mama B: (addressing Sarah) Sweetheart, I know the wedding is important but so is the nation's safety. If I leave now, they will move the weapon and we'll never get it!
Sarah: Mary, don't be stubborn, we're just here to extract you not finish a failed mission!
Mama B: Failed? Stubborn?
Chuck: Okay, okay, okay. Look, here's the plan. I'm gonna go with Casey to get the Norseman. Sarah, you're going to stay with mom, make sure she doesn't get tortured. Everybody good?
Mama B: I don't need backup.
Sarah: Why can't Casey stay with your mom?
Casey: Hell no! I'm going with Chuck!

6. Chuck Versus the Beard - Season 3, episode 9: Most of it happens inside the Buy More. Most of it is about Morgan finding out about the spy world. It is also the first episode directed by Zachary Levi. And it is... awesome! Morgan's reaction to finding out his buddy has been a spy all this time made my geek heart melt.

Chuck: Morgan, the truth is.. the truth is, I am a member of a joint NSA/CIA black-ops team that is stationed here in Burbank. I have a level six clearance and my code-name is Charles Carmichael. I'm a spy buddy.

Casey: What the hell's going on in here?
Big Mike: The store's being bought. They're canning everybody except Bartowski and Grimes.
Jeff: We're staging a revolution, to take down the man!
Casey: I want in!
Lester: How do we know that we can trust you, son? That you're not some kind of spy for the man?
Casey: Because the only thing I hate more than hippy neo-liberal fascists and anarchists, are the hypocrite fatcat suits they eventually grow up to become.
Lester: Yep, that works for me.

5. Chuck Versus the Lethal Weapon - Season 2, episode 16: Not only does this one feature the best challenge to the Chuck and Sarah will-they-won't-they romance, but it also pushed Chuck into standing up for himself and his love. In the end, as Cole Barker loses to Bartowski, and Chuck then defines his intentions to the woman he loves, we end on the knowledge that our hero has had his own agenda the whole time. Essentially, from the second Block Party's "Signs" kicks in, until the end of the episode, is the best five minutes the show has ever done. Riveting stuff.

Chuck: Sarah, I'm not gonna move in with you. Because I can't. And you know why I can't. I'm crazy about you and, and I've always been. But you know having a fake relationship, that's one thing. But living together is.. I mean every day being around each other, and, and.. and that's why I can't do it. And I hope you understand.
Sarah: I do.
Chuck: Thank you. Oh and just so you know, I am gonna get this thing out of my head, one day. I will. And when I do, I'm gonna live the life that I want, with the girl that I love. Because I'm not gonna let this thing rob me of that, I won't.

4. Chuck Versus the Tic Tac - Season 3, episode 10: Casey goes bad? Chuck and Sarah go to save him. And we discover lots about the colonel we didn't know. Features some of the best scenes and sequences in the series. One could even argue this is the best Chuck and Sarah on a mission episode of the series.

General Beckman: We think this might have been an inside job. Only a handful of our people knew the Laudonal was being kept in box 092407.
Chuck: (laughing) Oh yes. I get it now. You're good. You are good, General. You guys, you are good. Very good. This is a test, right?
Casey: Bartowski.
Chuck: First it was the solo mission on the plane. Then turning an assett. Now this time it's (dramatically) 'Chuck will you betray your country or will you turn in your friend and partner, John Casey, for stealing the pill?' I'll play ball. Okay. (pointing at Casey) Guilty. He did it.
General Beckman: (very serious) Are you positive you saw Colonel Casey take the pill, Mr. Bartowski?
Chuck: (happily) Yeah! (realizing something is up) No? No, no I would, I would, I would actually not use the word positive. It was very poorly lit in that, ummm. I'm, I'm wrong half the time, so.
General Beckman: Colonel Casey, would you care to respond?
Casey says nothing. Sarah reaches for her gun.
Chuck: Whoa, whoa, woah, woah, woah. Hang on a second. Let's just all take a breath here, okay? John Casey is one of the most loyal spies out there. He would never do anything to jeopardize the CIA. Casey, tell 'em!
Casey: With all due respect, General. I will excercise my right to remain silent under the Fifth Amendment to the Constitution.
Chuck: What're you doing?
General Beckman: Agent Walker, please relieve the Colonel of his weapon.
Sarah: (pointing her weapon at Casey, looking determined but confused) John, you wanna tell me what's going on?

3. Chuck Versus the Break-Up - Season 2, episode 3: If season 1 had the Chuck and Sarah steamroller and the nuclear button, this was the episode that blew up the brains of shippers everywhere. It also brought back Bryce Larkin who was either Chuck's best friend or worst enemy. It's still up for debate. Lots of crazy fun stuff happens and it all culminates with a classic speech from Chuck to a Sarah who is getting too close to her asset.

Chuck: Look, we both know how I feel about you so I'm just gonna shoot straight. Sarah, you're the greatest thing that's ever happened to me. You're beautiful, you're smart, you laugh at all of my stupid jokes and you have this horrible habit of constantly saving my life. The truth is, you're everything that I thought I ever wanted and more. And for the last few days all I can think about is our future together. About what, what it's going to be like once I finally get the Intersect out of my head. How we'll finally be together for real. No fake relationships, no covers, no lies. But the more I think about it, the more I realize that you and I can never have a future together. I fooled myself into thinking that we could but the truth is we can't. Because even if we had a real relationship it would never really be real. I'd still never know anything about you. Your real name, your home town, your first love, anything. And I want more than that. I wanna be able to call you at the end of a bad day and tell you about some funny thing that Morgan did and not find out that I can't because you're off somewhere in Paraguay quelling a revolution with a fork. I'm a normal guy who wants a normal life. And as amazing as you are, Sarah Walker, we both know that you will never be normal.
Sarah: You know, some day, when the Intersect is out of your head and you have the life that you always wanted, you'll forget all about me.
Chuck: I seriously doubt that.

2. Chuck Versus the Honeymooners - Season 3, episode 14: The episode that wasn't supposed to happen. The show was a lock to be cancelled after 13 but NBC had so many other problems that they ordered more and what followed is easily one of the best. Sarah being cute and funny? Check! Chuck speaking French and Texan? Check! Casey and Morgan having to work together to find the two love birds? Yup. And everything coming together with our two leads having to fight a room full of bad guys handcuffed together? You know it! And if that wasn't enough, how about we end it on the most perfect note? Done. Sure, this may not be as well written as some of the episodes, and the spy story isn't all that interesting, but it is one of those episodes that ranks high for being so emotionally satisfying from beginning to end. A blast to watch over and over and over.

Chuck and Sarah have both been secretly spying after telling each other they wouldn't.
Sarah: You know, Chuck, I can't fake this. Not with you.
Chuck: (jumping up in bed) What?! You've been faking it the whole time?!
Sarah: No, no, no, not that. I spotted a Basque terrorist on board, Juan...
Chuck: (finishing her sentence) Diego Arnaldo, I know, I flashed on him. He has a whole list of names in his room.
Sarah: Yeah. All of his contacts from the Euskadi Ta Askatasuna!
Chuck: Oh my god. You even make terrorist groups sound sexy.
Sarah: So you were the one I was hiding from.
Chuck: You were the one in the bathroom? You know, Juan Diego Arnaldo is a terrorist, after all, it would be irresponsible..
Sarah: (finishing his sentence) Even criminal to turn our backs on him.
Chuck: One last mission before we quit?
Sarah: One last mission.

1. Chuck Versus the Colonel - Season 2, episode 21: If nirvana was ever achieved on CHUCK its name is Colonel. Chuck and Sarah are on the run and have to shack up in a no-tell-motel and have to share a bed. When they wake up, they are snuggling. Do they stop? Nope. They attack each other like crazed ANIMALS! Oh and Papa B being held by Fulcrum; Casey seemingly working against Chuck and Sarah but really just moody about not being included in their plan; Captain Awesome and John Casey fighting; Awesome discovering the truth about Chuck, then having a terrible time keeping it a secret; Chuck's first de-Intersecting; the near annihilation of Fulcrum, and so on and so on and so on. This is the best episode ever made!

Chuck: (speaking very quickly) Devon, I am a high level CIA asset and these are my handlers. For the past two-years they've had to watch and protect my every move.
Sarah: Chuck! No!
Chuck: He can handle it! You can handle this right? Tell me you can handle this.
Awesome: You're being serious? He's being serious?!
Chuck: Devon, I need you to help me. I need you to be cool about this. I need you to cover for me with Ellie. I need you to be awesome. Can you be awesome?
Awesome: You're a spy, Chuck?
Chuck: Yeah, more or less, yeah.
Awesome: (taking it all in) Woah. Wow! This is.. awesome! Yeah! (they high-five) I knew you weren't a loser who worked at the Buy More!
Chuck: Loser's a little, that's a little harsh. Okay, here, here's the thing, the Buy More actually is real. But here's the most important thing and I need you to do this for me right now. I need you to go home and handle Ellie. That is your mission. Can you do that?
Awesome: I got your back, bro. (salutes)
Chuck: Right. Right. (salutes back)
Awesome: Spy!
Chuck: Keep that on the DL.

Honorable Mentions: Wookiee, Salami, Seduction, Cougars, DeLorean, Santa Claus, Suburbs, Operation Awesome, Living Dead, Subway, Phase Three, Seduction Impossible, and Frosted Tips.

So what do you think are the top 10 episodes of the series. Obviously this list isn't the end-all, be-all, final word on the matter. Surely some crazy shipper list would include nothing but terrible episodes where Chuck and Sarah kissed or held hands while the writing, acting, and story sucked hardcore. Also, once season 5 ends, this list may change. But it is what it is, for now.

Anonymous commenting, as always, is available if you can't be bothered to identify yourself.

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