There was a long time where I really didn't watch a whole lot of TV outside of pro-wrestling, sports or animated adult comedies. It's true, it's damn true. I've missed out on some of the seminal dramas of our time, and really, I didn't feel all that bad about it. However, since I got hooked on LOST and married a wonderful wife who, unlike me, likes the occasional hour-long television drama, things have changed. For example, she started watching Chuck from jump. It was initially because it was slated after Heroes, another show she watched, but soon, that show surpassed the superhero drama that took a critical and fanboy nosedive after the first season.Chuck suffered no such fate. In fact, she got me hooked on the show, and after viewing Monday night's episode on my DVR yesterday, I can say it's my favorite current show on TV right now.
For those not in the know, it's about a computer fixit guy (think Geek Squad), Chuck (Zachary Levi), who gets an e-mail from his former Stanford roommate who turns out to be a spy. He opens it, and it goes crazy-go-nuts and bam, now he has all kinds of classified information downloaded into his brain, information he can only access if he sees a visual trigger that causes him to "flash". He's given two NSA secret agent handlers - Sarah Walker (Yvonne Strahovsky) and John Casey (Adam Baldwin), and from there, the hijinks ensue. Over the course of the three seasons, Chuck's character has evolved to the point where he gets an upgrade on his brain-computer and has now become a real spy.
That's only a brief synopsis that hardly gives the show justice. The spy comedy genre is one that really hasn't gotten a lot of exploration outside of the Naked Gun movies, and it's a shame because there's so much material that could be covered. Chuck covers that ground exceptionally well. Of course, it is going to require a lot of suspension of disbelief. The way some things are handled are probably way out of the realm of feasibility for people who even only have a passing knowledge of how the CIA, NSA and FBI all work. Still, the show is so entertaining that it doesn't matter. Why is it entertaining?
Well, firstly, the show is perfectly cast. Nearly everyone on the show shines in the role they have, especially Baldwin as the hard-nosed Col. Casey. His best moments are when he's under his cover as a Buy More (the store that Chuck works at) employee and his interactions with the ne'er-do-wells he works with. Aside from Michael Emerson's Ben Linus on LOST, Col. Casey is my favorite character on TV. Joshua Gomez also does an outstanding job as Chuck's best friend, co-worker and roommate Morgan Grimes.
Secondly, they mix comedy and action superbly. Yeah, the fight scenes and BLOW SHIT UP stuff aren't the headline, but you never forget you're watching a show about the guys who do our nation's dirty work. Not only does it satisfy our need to see buildings, cars and whatever else get blown to kingdom come, it's also funnier than most sitcoms on TV right now, and it's good humor, subtle and smart at times, but with a bit of over-the-top comedic devices mixed in when necessary.
Thirdly, Cake's "Short Skirt/Long Jacket" is the opening credit theme. It's an awesome song.
Again, what I've laid out for you here hardly does the show justice. It really is a funny, tense, well-written show with a great cast and some good plots. You really end up caring for nearly every character they present to you, and hell, they even get some really great guest stars as well (Dominic Monaghan, Brandon Routh, Scott Bakula and Chevy Chase just to name a few). The show is on hiatus for three weeks, but do yourself a favor. At least catch up with this season. I still have to see most of seasons one and two, but I felt like I didn't need them to fully enjoy the third season as it stands right now.
Also, if you love the show too, give the heads up to your friends to watch it as close to the airdate as possible. Even though the show has a huge following, too many people watch it on their DVRs or on Hulu for it to get the ratings necessary to keep it on TV. Don't let NBC take Chuck off the air! You don't need to let it come to a petition after it's gone. Watch it now, and you'll ensure that it stays around for as long as they'll keep producing episodes.
Remember you can contact TH and ask him questions about wrestling, life or anything else. Please refer to this post for contact information. He always takes questions!
