Hype TV Club Watches "CHUCK" in August

[ComicChick]

CHUCK​

Any Hype members are welcome to join us in our viewing of these shows.
The Discussion Thread: http://forums.superherohype.com/showthread.php?t=491461


The only rules are

• Only shows on the list will be selected
• Only the first season is required for the monthly viewing. If a show has multiple seasons
• Each show on the generator has a minimum of 10 episodes per season, if not, we will watch S1&2
• ALL spoilers must be tagged as such, as none of us have seen these shows before aka don't be a jerk
• Any posts not following the spoiler rule as subject to Deletion

In this thread we will be talking about our viewing experiences with the show. You all are welcome to join, so we'll talk about what we like and/or dislike about the show we're watching.

So let's watch some Chuck!

What is Chuck?
Computer geek Chuck Bartowski opens an e-mail that has been encoded, subliminally, with vital government secrets, triggering a massive download of critical information to his brain. With assassins and international terrorists eager to nab Chuck's noggin, it falls to Maj. John Casey and his partner, CIA agent Sarah Walker, to protect the government's newest and most-unlikely secret agent.

 

[ComicChick]

CC is super excited to watch this!

 

[flickchick85]

I have seen this whole show multiple times (it's basically one of my "comfort shows" I watch when I'm feeling blue..or bored..or whatever), so I look forward to doing so again. I'm betting I'll get through at least S2 by the end of the month. Maybe S3, lol.

 

[Kaleb]

Damn wish I could of started this with you all, currently rewatching it again and on S4 now

 

[ComicChick]

just start over

 

[ComicChick]

i'm in the middle of Episode 3 and i'm having such a positive vibe of nostalgia watching this. i still remember when it first came out, actually, when teasers came out about it and how interested i was with the premise.

Chuck lives with with his sister and her boyfriend Devin, who thinks everything is "awesome" lol
he works in the Nerd Herd with his best friend Morgan and some very eccentric people. It's basically Geek Squad a la Best Buy.
one of my favorite things about this show was the dynamic of family and friends and I think it's great the relationship between Chuck and his sister Ellie.

 

[flickchick85]

Just watched the pilot. I always forget how annoying I found Morgan in the early eps, lol.

I agree about the family dynamic. That's one of my favorite things about the show, too. Regarding "Captain Awesome," I always loved the story about how the plan was to [blackout]make him turn out to be a secret spy at the end of S1, but they and the audience just found him so damn lovable that they couldn't bring themselves to do it[/blackout].

 

[ComicChick]

yeah Morgan is a pain lol.
in regards to your spoiler, i'm so glad they didn't do that. Devin was great

i like how deep into fandoms the show is, and how it references all kinds of things. Comiccon, Zorg, Dune etc

it's got comedy, action, a little violence, family and friends, a lil romance and some crazy celeb cameos. i also like how every episode is titled Chuck vs ...

 

[flickchick85]

Yeah, the show's love of fandom (and really, 80's fandom in particular) is sort of its defining quality to me. I mean yes, it has all those things you mentioned, but so do many shows. It's the product of a couple of genre geeks who grew up in the 80's, and it shows. [blackout]It's even set within the Die Hard universe for cryin' out loud.[/blackout] I just like how its approach to the spy world is so cartoonish and kind of reflective of that 80's TV era rather than the era it was actually made in. No interest in "gritty realism" here, haha.

 

[ComicChick]

that's a big appeal for me too. granted it's very cartoonish for the most part, some of, if not most of the fighting scenes on the show are very well done.
the opening sequence with Bryce Larkin (Matt Bomer) was pretty awesome, especially the parkour. i wonder how much of his action scene(s) he did on his own. this was the first thing i ever saw him in, for the record. i remember reading that Yvonne did most of her stunts. i dont even think i knew she was Australian when i first started watching

 

[Kaleb]

I wasn't impressed with Yvonne's fighting scenes in the beginning but they got a lot better as the series progressed

 

[ComicChick]

was it her performance in them or the choreography? i feel like her fight with La Cuidad could've been better. it had a lot of potential but some of it was awkward.

i liked how she was/is great with knives and projectiles. she has killer aim haha. i was particularly impressed in episode one when she hit the button that made the bars pop up in the street, saving her from being hit by the car

 

[Kaleb]

I think its with the choreography, the best fight Ive seen her in was when she went up against that female assassin (think she was the delivery girl who planted all the bugs in the store that Lester was flirting with) really liked how raw and sort of intense it felt.

 

[DarthSkywalker]

This is hilarious. I did not realize the Hype! was watching this. Literally started watching it again last week. t:

 

[DarthSkywalker]

Just watched the pilot. I always forget how annoying I found Morgan in the early eps, lol.

I agree about the family dynamic. That's one of my favorite things about the show, too. Regarding "Captain Awesome," I always loved the story about how the plan was to [blackout]make him turn out to be a secret spy at the end of S1, but they and the audience just found him so damn lovable that they couldn't bring themselves to do it[/blackout].

The family dynamic is so great. Ellie and Chuck's relationship is one of my favorite things. Her balance between comforting him and wanting to push him. When I watched the show for the first time, I thought I would end up hating Awesome, but he ended up as you put it, "so damn lovable".

What I like about the show the most is Chuck and Sarah's relationship. All things considered, they made me believe she is falling for him. Yvonne nails those little aspect so well imo.[BLACKOUT] Like when she thought Chuck blew up in the car or shot the Fulcrum agent on Christmas[/BLACKOUT]. Oh, and I also love Casey having to pick on them for it. He can't help but try and start something. Every time the other is around a potential love interest, Casey has to make a comment to the other.

I think its with the choreography, the best fight Ive seen her in was when she went up against that female assassin (think she was the delivery girl who planted all the bugs in the store that Lester was flirting with) really liked how raw and sort of intense it felt.

The fights do have a "cheap" aspect to it, especially early. Like most of Buffy's fights. One really good one early on for me is her fight with the assassin that ends up in a car. Gets kind of brutal and they actually mess her up a bit.

 

[ComicChick]

This is hilarious. I did not realize the Hype! was watching this. Literally started watching it again last week. t:

we just started this week! join us! how afar along are you?

 

[DarthSkywalker]

we just started this week! join us! how afar along are you?

I am watching episode 18 of season 2 right now. Chuck vs. the Broken Heart.

 

[flickchick85]

The family dynamic is so great. Ellie and Chuck's relationship is one of my favorite things. Her balance between comforting him and wanting to push him. When I watched the show for the first time, I thought I would end up hating Awesome, but he ended up as you put it, "so damn lovable".

What I like about the show the most is Chuck and Sarah's relationship. All things considered, they made me believe she is falling for him. Yvonne nails those little aspect so well imo.[BLACKOUT] Like when she thought Chuck blew up in the car or shot the Fulcrum agent on Christmas[/BLACKOUT]. Oh, and I also love Casey having to pick on them for it. He can't help but try and start something. Every time the other is around a potential love interest, Casey has to make a comment to the other.

Yeah, I've mentioned this before on the Captain Marvel board when she was being bandied about as a candidate, but IMO, Yvonne single-handedly brought the gravitas to this show. Levi was good in his role, but to me that part was just not his strong-suit at all. Yvonne was always the one who really sold the stakes. I think she was quite underrated throughout the show's run because her character was the least comedic one, but as my favorite TV critic Alan Sepinwall has said, she was like the show's secret MVP.

The fights do have a "cheap" aspect to it, especially early. Like most of Buffy's fights. One really good one early on for me is her fight with the assassin that ends up in a car. Gets kind of brutal and they actually mess her up a bit.

Ha, I've never thought much of the fights on this show (and agree with the Buffy-esque assessment), but I was about to single out that car fight as one of the good ones. That fight was quite well done indeed.

I just finished "Chuck vs. The Alma Mater" - pretty sure that was the episode that first made me fall in love with the show.

 

[ComicChick]

I totally agree about Yvonne's acting. I thought she was one of the best on the show. Like you said, she had the least comedic role of the characters on the show, but she was definitely like the glue. Her subtle acting things were what really impressed me for the most part, especially when she wasn't talking. Her facial expressions and emoting even when she wasn't the focal point of the scene were great. There aren't that many actors these days who are great facial actresses these days. The ones who immediately come to mind are Vivien Leigh and Amy Adams. They can convey so much without saying a word and sometimes Sarah would be saying so much on her face but not talking. I lost count of how many accents and languages she used over the course of the show as well.

Like the episode with the DA Agent Karina In which Karina tells chuck about how undercover agents create these whole lives and personas and can't have anyone knowing anything real about them. You could tell how much it pained her to not say anything when Chuck asked her for one true thing about herself.

By this point in the season I think we only know two true things about her

Spoiler

She hates olives
Her middle name is Lisa

 

[DarthSkywalker]

Yeah, I've mentioned this before on the Captain Marvel board when she was being bandied about as a candidate, but IMO, Yvonne single-handedly brought the gravitas to this show. Levi was good in his role, but to me that part was just not his strong-suit at all. Yvonne was always the one who really sold the stakes. I think she was quite underrated throughout the show's run because her character was the least comedic one, but as my favorite TV critic Alan Sepinwall has said, she was like the show's secret MVP.

I love Brie Larson. She is great for Captain Marvel. I am very happy about that choice. But watching Chuck again brought back that Yvonne dream.

I totally agree with you on her bringing the gravitas to the show. Outside of her "dream" moments, she doesn't get all that much comedy to work with. But no one makes me care more. In a lot of ways, she is the shows heart or perhaps backbone. I really care about Chuck because she really cares about Chuck.

Ha, I've never thought much of the fights on this show (and agree with the Buffy-esque assessment), but I was about to single out that car fight as one of the good ones. That fight was quite well done indeed.

I just finished "Chuck vs. The Alma Mater" - pretty sure that was the episode that first made me fall in love with the show.

t:

I am now trying to think of the episode or perhaps moment that made me fall for the show. I think it is the end of Chuck v. The Tango. Chuck and Sarah have their conversation about being an unsung hero with the Nationals' Slow Show playing. Yeah, that is probably when they got me.

 

[DarthSkywalker]

I totally agree about Yvonne's acting. I thought she was one of the best on the show. Like you said, she had the least comedic role of the characters on the show, but she was definitely like the glue. Her subtle acting things were what really impressed me for the most part, especially when she wasn't talking. Her facial expressions and emoting even when she wasn't the focal point of the scene were great. There aren't that many actors these days who are great facial actresses these days. The ones who immediately come to mind are Vivien Leigh and Amy Adams. They can convey so much without saying a word and sometimes Sarah would be saying so much on her face but not talking. I lost count of how many accents and languages she used over the course of the show as well.

Like the episode with the DA Agent Karina In which Karina tells chuck about how undercover agents create these whole lives and personas and can't have anyone knowing anything real about them. You could tell how much it pained her to not say anything when Chuck asked her for one true thing about herself.

By this point in the season I think we only know two true things about her

Spoiler

She hates olives
Her middle name is Lisa

So true. She said a lot without having to do a lot. And I feel like she does this whether she is suppose to be kicking someone's butt or trying to come to terms with her feelings for her loved ones.

 

[ComicChick]

I agree

On a side note, the show has a pretty decent soundtrack too

 

[Kaleb]

I agree

On a side note, the show has a pretty decent soundtrack too

haha, I always find myself going to tunefind almost after every episode to look for a song that was in the episode.

 

[DarthSkywalker]

I agree

On a side note, the show has a pretty decent soundtrack too

Very true. Especially the second season imo. I bought like 10 songs I didn't have re-watching the first two seasons again. They are really good at those end of the episode songs.

 

[ComicChick]

i totally agree. i just finished Episode 7, where Chuck has to go back to Stanford and I'm going to look up the song at the end very soon.

This was a decent episode in what we learned, but the whole Morgan vs Harry Tang stuff was meh to me lol. I'm glad we got to see more about what happened at Stanford and learning why Bryce did what we did to frame Chuck opened up a lot of what-ifs and questions. bryce was recruited by the CIA in college and when Chuck was going to be referred, he framed him for cheating to save him.

the reveal of that knowledge showed another great wordless performance by Sarah.

Fwiw, Ellie and Awesome are a cute couple and i really liked their halloween costumes in the Vs. the Sandworm episode. Ellie is a great big sister to Chuck.

Are YOU going to the toga party? lol