So in descending order here we go...
5. More Sarah and Morgan relationship building
The show has built so much around the epic romance of Chuck and Sarah and to a lesser extent the "core 3" of Chuck, Sarah and Casey as well as the Chuck/Morgan bro-mance.
However, I also love all of the other minor relationship dynamics from Morgan and Casey, Morgan and Devon and my personal favourite of the secondary relationships Sarah and Morgan! Right from from the start there were subtle signs of an awesome comic pairing from "versus the Wookie" during game night (Organ...Organ...Boom!!) to the "Sizzling Shrimp" High-five but it took till the back end of Season 3 and all of Season 4 for this tandem to really hit it off I mean I just have to say things like orange juice or chest touching!! But for me it was during the Chuck & Sarah's proposal phase from Sarah uncovering Chuck's initial proposal in "Phase 3" to her uncovering the revised proposal in "Balcony" that really cemented the how great this tandem are together.
The relationship between spouse and best friend is often an interesting one to look at, much of the time they have very little in common other than Chuck. Yvonne Strahovski and Joshua Gomez play off each other so well with Morgan being in awe and fear of Sarah (often at the same time) While Sarah is often freaked out (and a little repulsed) by the little bearded man but also she is touched by his loyalty to Chuck and by extension to her. I would love more of this dynamic in CHUCK Season 5 please!
I always crack a smile (and maybe a tear) when Morgan tells Sarah in "Balcony" she has his permission to marry Chuck...so sweet but in reality there is nothing he can do about it, she is a leggy Valkyrie who could kick his ass after all!
4. Consistent story and plot with a minimum of flat episodes across the season
You are unlikely to find a more conscientious CHUCK apologist than myself, so I would like to address the issue and why I have high hope for a consistently epic final CHUCK season.
If you were to conduct a straw poll of the CHUCK fans to ask which was the best season season of the show, I believe that Season 2 would be the clear winner. The reason for this is quite simple it was the only season of the show where creators and writers knew they had a full season to write the narrative for.
Season 1 of CHUCK was a mid-season filler for NBC and like most other shows at that time was impacted by the writers strike. CHUCK storyline was solid enough to receive a full season pick up for Season 2; other promising shows were not as lucky and suffered from the fallout of the strike (such as REAPER).
Seasons 3 & 4 were all about the loyalty of fans and the shows continuing chutzpah in the face of cancellation. Each season was initially renewed for shorter runs but were eventually given network approval to film extra episodes to make complete seasons, the downside to this is that creators of course had planned for the narrative arc to go a certain length and then had to extend it. Meaning some flat spots across both seasons, I personally am not fussed too much... I will take a flat or filler episode of CHUCK over any episode of most other shows!
Knowing that Season 5 will only be a definite 13 episodes gives the creative powers that be a chance to create the most awesome and epic story arc you can fit into 13 episodes! I believe in CHUCK...I am drinking the CHUCK flavoured kool-aid because I feel I owe the show that much!
3. More great CHUCK music
I love the music used on CHUCK both the score and especially the number of tracks sourced from a number of great musical acts around the world.
Before I started watching CHUCK, I am willing to admit that I didn't really have a lot of faith in the direction modern music was travelling in; but seeing the show and the music that featured in it... the realisation dawned on me, I just wasn't looking at the right place!
The show introduced me to great acts like Band of Horses, The National, Nico Stai, The Editors, The One AM Radio and Miike Snow just to name a few (or I would go on forever).
It also re-introduced to acts which I am ashamed to say I never gave a good listen to first time around like Bloc Party, The Kooks, The Temper Trap, Bright Eyes and Death Cab For Cutie. I can't thank the show enough for this (on both counts) for the way they have expanded my musical consumer horizons. I guess in much the same way as Chuck having the intersect expanded his personal and professional horizons on the show.
I am quite invested in the Chuck and Sarah relationship on the show (shocking, I know!!) and the role of music on CHUCK in the building of this relationship with the fans can not be underestimated. When Chuck & Sarah bumped shoulders and watched the sun rise at the beach The Shins were there! When Chuck & Sarah cut a rug at the Buy More Christmas Party Modern English was there! At the motel room in Barstow Bon Iver was there. When Sarah contemplated moving to Washington with that stooge Frightened Rabbit was there. When Chuck laid it all on the line to Sarah it was The Temper Trap who told him to "go and don't stop". When Chuck & Sarah were sampling the delights on their European train "Holiday" it was Vampire Weekend who serenaded them. When Chuck finally got down on bended knee in an attempt to make an honest woman of Agent Sarah Walker it was made even more special by the musical stylings of The Naked and Famous.
I never thought I could go this long on CHUCK music without having to mention the epic Bloc Party track Signs or the magnificence of the Echo Park apartment complex fountain to cement my claims but I have and I think that proves just how awesome CHUCK's music is!
As well as enjoying the show's music on a song by song basis; each season of CHUCK season has brought together the eclectic blend of new, old, indie and mainstream music and then molded it into a tool to assist in the telling of the greater CHUCK narrative. So why should Season 5 be any different?
2. More moments of Charah-ific bliss
It comes as no surprise that I want more Chuck/Sarah (Charah) moments in Season 5 but I think I am surprising everybody by only putting this at number 2 on the wishlist!
I have spoken/written/tweeted at length about the great chemistry between Zach & Yvonne and the way they have made Chuck and Sarah the faces that launched a million 'shippers! So I can't really add to much more than that.
However I needs to be noted right here and now that I believe their relationship (romance, courtship and eventual marriage) is on an epic scale the likes of which I don't think can be replicated by another show- past, present or in the future. (Though I think my fellow Charah 'shipper and CHUCK fiction aficionado Alex may put forward Seth & Summer from The O.C.)
I like many other Chucksters can be accused of over-using the word "epic" but in the context of the Charah relationship I think the word is most certainly valid.
We have enjoyed the ride from what started with a shoulder bump and included a multitude of smiles (and giggles and smirks) hand-holding (I must not say "Hand Porn"...oops I just did), kisses (both chaste and heart-stoppingly intense), hugging, spooning, hip-swivelling (Oh My God...the hip-swivelling!!) and the stuff that can't be mentioned on a family blog (I can't stop you thinking about it though!! :P)
So Season 4 ended with the Sarah and Chuck's marriage which fans like myself had been wanting for years (though I swear it seemed more like forever); can we hope for some more sweetness, spice and bliss in Season 5? Well the the sneak peak shown on Jay Leno a couple of weeks back seems to indicate Sarah is doing as much as possible to keep the heat & passion in the marriage!
I don't know how well I have been able to explain my take on the Chuck & Sarah relationship but I want to thank fellow twitter Chuckster @JenayBelle for her permission to display these pic-montages which I think show some of the lightness, joy and bliss their relationship journey has brought to the show making it so enjoyable.
(To see more awesome Milo-powered stuff like this; check out http://jenaybelle.tumblr.com/ You will not be disappointed!)
1. A fitting farewell
I would like to keep this last one short and sweet, put simply I want the show to get the send off it deserves because it is my favourite show and deserves to finish in awesome fashion!
Chuck and Sarah deserve to have the happy family life they want together away from all the angsty crap that plagued their courtship along the way, plus Sarah having some time with her mum could be awesome too!
Casey has served his country, his friends and his family with the highest distinction he is the embodiment of Semper Fi and he should find some happiness too, even if that involves driving off into the sunset locked and loaded on his way to the next mission.
Really, I want each and every character on the show to get the ending they want, a lofty aspiration I know...but this nerd can dream!
The show and it's creators really need to be commended for the job they have done on the potential final episodes of the past (of which there has been 6). Each of them would have been acceptible ways for the show to finish but I really hope this last goodbye warms the hearts of all the loyal Chucksters and gives us the finish the Bartowski's (Casey, Woodcomb's and Grimes) deserve.
Maybe the final shot we see is Chuck and Sarah sitting on that same beach watching the sunrise...who knows?
Finally I just want to thank you all for reading; and the responses to my previous posts have been great so thanks heaps for that too! Feel free to either comment here or drop me a tweet @moggyvouk_82
