Memories of CHUCK Finale

Bloggers Note: Well it seems it has taken me nearly two weeks to write down just how I feel about the Chuck finale and about Chuck finishing up in general; it was a battle with so much stuff swirling in my head and even a little writer's block too. I am just thankful to have been able to put these words down on the page, because it has been really hard to do so and I apologise if this entry has seem disjointed and scatter-brained, but hopefully you all enjoy it..

"So if you don't know what to make of this

then we will not relate"

- Rivers and Roads (Chuck 5:15) 

The first viewing of the Chuck finale, being honest I really didn't like the episode and in particular how it ended. I was inconsolable and I really struggled with the idea that Sarah had not fully got her memories back. I saw it was a pretty cruel way to end the show, especially as the show had teased at a possible Chuck and Sarah pregnancy for some of Season 5. I partly felt hurt that I had gotten my hopes up for this and for the next hour afterwards I was really wallowing in self pity.

But in times of sorrow (as in times of happiness) Chucksters reach out to each other... I spoke with the always calm (even zen-like) @dren_lla his words stopped the pity dead in its tracks and gave me the impetus to go back and re-watch the Finale and with a little more perspective to evaluate how events unfold.

I found what he said to be really cool and I am so glad he has allowed me to share these words with you guys; so here goes...

"...Think of it this way, you are in Chuck Bartowski's shoes. You are feeling exactly what he is feeling. Of course you can't know what it feels like kissing Sarah at the end. And that's where you imagine what it is. This nerd wants to think, he felt their connection. That string that binds them, the one they chose. And then he feels his heart lighten. Faith. Love. Hope.

Or you are in Sarah Walker's shoes. You're feeling all she is feeling. And you can't know what Sarah feels when she kisses Chuck at the end. You have to imagine that. This nerd wants to think she felt less scared, that her trust in him is okay and that she feels her heart lighten. Trust. Love. Hope. Even a sliver of hope can move mountains."
 

I had to read it a few times and I like to think it was a catalyst for my own personal Chuck-epiphany. Hearing the passion and faith he was speaking with; I just had to watch again with an open-mind. I mean after-all this MY show, which has resonated with me like no other... I owed it to the show (and myself) to give it another shot.

I am so glad I did, and I really can't thank Dren enough for taking time away from his personal reflection at CHUCK's end to drop some knowledge on me. To think for that hour or so I was quite bitter and twisted...I nearly gave in to hate and anger... lucky for me I didn’t.  Thanks again buddy, it really meant a lot!

So what follows are my thoughts on the CHUCK finale...
 

"Rivers and Roads

oh rivers and roads

oh rivers till I reach you"
 - Rivers and Roads (Chuck 5:15)

 

Well the consensus is that Sarah hasn't got all her memories back... yet.  At first that wasn't good enough for me; but now I have not only come to terms with it, I am ok with it. Look I can totally understand those who feel a little cheated by this, I actually think a couple more moments of Sarah regaining her memories would have made me feel even better. But I also appreciate the vision of the creators in what I believe was a brilliant finale.
 

"I see signs now all the time

that you're not dead, you're sleeping

I believe in anything that brings you back home to me"

- Signs (Chuck 2:16)
 

I liked the Finale and I am hopeful for what the future holds for Chuck and Sarah; for starters Sarah WILL get her memories back, much like Morgan did. That much was never in doubt and never in question, at least in my opinion after all the signs were there.  Chuck will never give up on Sarah, that much we know after all he took a bullet for her and would do it everyday if he meant he could spend it with Sarah.

 

" 'cause it's a cruel and beautiful world

 And I got my girl"

-Cruel and Beautiful World (Chuck 5:13)
 

As the screen fades to black on the last episode of the show, Chuck has Sarah with him...kissing him on the beach and that is enough for Chuck (and for me). Does Sarah's memory loss mean Chuck's last five years with her were for nothing? Of course not, those last five years were in many ways the best years of Chuck's life. In Sarah, Chuck found a protector, a friend and eventually a lover, wife and soul mate in these last five years.

Even if Sarah walked out after the Quinn mission; Chuck had those five years with somebody as special as Agent Sarah Walker, how many people can say that? As they say it is better to have loved and lost, than to never have loved at all... But you know what? Sarah did choose to stay and wanted to know their story, and better than that she freaking kissed him and what a kiss it was!
 

"Been a million years full of tears;

but I found my girl"- A Million Years (Chuck 4:21)
 

I also believe that even though Sarah is hazy on the details and doesn't yet have all her memories the last five years mean the world to her. To think that in five years you have Chuck who is not only willing to take bullet for her but will forever put her happiness above his own and then to add to that all signs points towards Sarah being willing to give up all she has even known to make a life with Chuck must really be worth a lot. At first it may seem daunting but you have to believe there can be no greater feeling than knowing somebody loves you more than life itself.

"You give me something I believe in

You give me somewhere I can belong" – Belongings (Chuck 4:15)

Which brings me to perhaps the most rewarding if not the most heart-warming part of the CHUCK finale; Sarah asking Chuck to tell her their story and then of course the "Chuck...Kiss me" moment. It was in this moment we knew Sarah made her choice; she took a leap of faith and chose Chuck and elected to believe in the love we know burns eternally. You could tell by the kiss and her tears that already her faith was being rewarded; as a wise Chuckster once said hope can move mountains!!

I felt that the Sarah's leap of faith in staying with Chuck mirrors my own leap of faith with the show's finale. There is no right or wrong way to feel about the way CHUCK ended; the show has meant so much to me after all I had to have faith in the journey of Chuck and Sarah. Despite how hurt and upset I felt watching it the first time, watching it each time since I have actually gained so much faith, hope and joy in my own personal belief that no matter the obstacles Sarah will make her way back to Chuck; just as Chuck will leave no stone unturned to reach Sarah.



If anyone can lift the veil of Sarah's clouded memory...it's Chuck



“My bed’s too big for just me…” – Can You Tell (Chuck 2:08)

One of the bands featured on the CHUCK finale (Grouplove) has an album out called Never trust a happy song; I wonder if this is how the CHUCK powers-that-be feel? Even in my favourite episode (Vs The Honeymooners) which is as happy a CHUCK episode as you could imagine, the sense of happiness and bliss is contrasted and complimented by Chuck and Sarah’s sense of duty and loyalty to friends as well as Ellie’s sadness at leaving her bother.  The show has never been about pure happiness there is always a mixture of emotions on the display and the finale was no different.

Just relying on one emotion can potentially make a show (and its finale) one dimensional; looking back now there was never any danger of this happening on CHUCK. The show has been primarily about love, light, happiness and friendship but this has always been tempered with emotions like loss, despair angst and darkness. Nothing of value in CHUCK comes without a fight or at a cost as the finale showcased; to get away from the spy life it cost Sarah the (temporary) loss of her memories. [More on this in my previous blog entry]

Conflicting emotions is what raises the show and the character of Chuck above all others in my mind. The spyworld took his parents away at a young age and it even cost his dad's life but still Chuck fights on and like Sarah says "that's what makes him great". 

It's all well and good to see characters as kind and happy as Chuck but what sets this guy apart from the rest is the fact he has seen the worst of humanity for five years but everyday he still puts his body (and his heart) on the line and still sees the best in people.

But it is not all loss in Chuck's life though; he gained Sarah his best friend and soul mate a person who bravery, passion and love (despite her harsh upbringing) makes him want to be a better person everyday for the rest of his life. Once again it is the conflicting emotions that make the ties that bind us in this world stronger; in essence nothing makes us appreciate and cherish what we have in life than thinking about what we've lost.

The truly great stories in life are those where people face adversity and comeback stronger; this happens in life people face tragedy, natural disaster and sadly even war in life and they really have no other option but to rebuild. Whilst Chuck and Sarah along with rest of Team Bartowski were not exactly in war and it would be naive to believe that they could escape the entanglements of the spylife with casualty and loss but they came through the other side.

The situation reminds me of something my Mother often tells me "Bad stuff happens and you just have to be strong enough to deal with it".  This may seem fairly standard observation but Mum's been out there in the world living and experiencing life longer then I; she is perhaps the wisest person I know. When she offers council... I make a habit to listen to it. Please just don't tell her I said that, she may not let me forget it. ;-)

"So we will sing

Cast our hopes out to sea

Though our hearts break

Through violent wind, our ship will sail"- Down River (CHUCK 3:12)

Back to Chuck and Sarah, if they can rebuild after this... and I know they can!! Don't you think that would it make their wonderful story even more special?  I mean if that is even FREAKING possible?!?!?! 

As for my regrets for the Chuck finale, I think fellow a Chuckster said it best when he said you only get the “first watch” experience once and can never really get back. To me the first viewing was a bitter occurrence. Upon viewing it again I feel almost guilty now for not trusting Fedak and Schwartz’s vision for the show’s ending.  We as viewers and can feel however we like about the episode, but they created the show and brought us all along for the ride.  Sure I may have done things a little different but at the end of the day it is their show and they have the right to end it as they see fit.

My concerns now are not so much how it ended for Chuck and Sarah but how it ended for these two with the other characters; I know fellow Chuckster in Oz @BigKev67 made the point of Ellie not sticking around a little longer to help Sarah regain her memories was really strange and sad. Also Casey not getting to say a proper goodbye to the best damn partner he ever had was disappointing.

But most of all my regrets are not HOW the show finished but THAT IT IS FINISHED. I think there are exciting times ahead for Chuck and Sarah, they will have fun getting Sarah’s memories back and can look forward to spending the rest of their lives together and I am a little sad that I won’t get to see that.

As I look to what the future may hold Sarah and Chuck as they begin to rebuild their life together I take pleasure in knowing that they have that precious commodity of time. In the five years they have spent together time has always been in short supply, the next mission and one more enemy. In a way it made every moment Chuck and Sarah (and the rest of the team) spent together so special. But for now at least they have all the time in the world…to me that is pretty awesome.



Pic edit by @JenayBelle



What a journey these 91 episodes have taken the characters on and us as fans too; there has been plenty laughs as well as tears of joy and tears of sorrow. I have had a blast and I really can’t imagine taking another show into my heart like I have CHUCK.

I will be forever grateful to the creators and the people who made the characters so dear to me; so thank you Chris, Josh S, Zach, Yvonne, Adam, Josh G, Sarah, Ryan and the rest of the cast and crew.

And Chuck Day shall ne'er go by,

From this day to the ending of the world,

But we in it shall be remembered-

We few, we happy few, we band of Chucksters;

For they to-day that sheds their blood with me

Shall be a fellow Chuckster; -Chuck V (apologies to Shakespeare)

Fellow fans of the show I consider it an honour and a privilege to be able to discuss the show with you all and let be known that the CHUCK fans are a special breed and I can’t think of a more diverse and special group of people united by a love of this great show.  Standing side by side in the trenches fighting for our show has been an awesome experience, one I will not forget.

We packed up all of our bags
The ship's deck now sags from the weight of our tracks
As we pace beneath flags black and battered
Rattling our swords in service of some faded foreign lord- Lost Coastlines (Chuck 2:12)