A song of post-CHUCK malaise

Well as awesome as chocolates, bunnies and bilbies are Easter is a time of year that many of us often reflect on what the great sacrifice of the individual for the many. Sacrifice, love, family, fellowship and goodwill you don’t have to be religious to value these concepts and when I reflect on the concepts I often comeback to CHUCK and how the show enshrined these concepts and staying true to them throughout its five season run.

So now is as good of time as any to post again here on “Cheerful Symmetry”; truth is I would have loved to have written more here but I have started back at university some six year after first graduating. It has been non-stop with lectures and assessments plus becoming an uncle for the first time has kept me very busy and has meant I have neglected my blog writing. So I plan to make the most of this window opening up on my schedule and get something written.

I feel horrible for not having written here since the end of CHUCK and I put it down to the post-CHUCK malaise that has engulfed many of us; but whilst I haven’t watch too many episodes of the show since the CHUCK finale I have continued to listen much of the great music we have heard on the show.

I want to talk about one song in particular which I find myself listening to constantly now; probably more now since CHUCK finished than before when I first heard it in Chuck Vs The Third Dimension; that is the amazing track Lost Coastlines by Okkervil River.

The song was used brilliantly towards the end of that episode to describe Chuck’s acceptance of his loss of innocence in seeing Sarah killing Mauser in the previous episode (the seminal Chuck Vs The Santa Claus).  In many ways it was Chuck and Sarah’s Rubicon; Chuck finds the act of killing abhorrent but he recognizes that Sarah will do anything to protect him as he would for her. Even though it scares him he understands there is no turning his back on Agent Walker his future is with the beautiful yet deadly Sarah come what may.

The song is about setting off on a journey being unsure where it would take you… Chuck and Sarah’s journey took us to so many great places on the show. When I listen to the song now (and I have been a lot) it reminds me of a different journey; my journey to a world without CHUCK.

Sometimes the journey is just as important as the destination
(Thanks Liyana for the pic edit)

Let me break down the song, see what you all think…

Lost Coastlines By Okkervil River

Packed and all eyes turned in
No one to see on the quay, no one waving for me
Just the shoreline receding
Ticket in my hand, I'm thinking wish I didn't hand it in
'cause who said sailing is fine?
Leaving behind all the faces that I might
Replace if I tried on that long ride
Looking deep inside but I don't want to look so deep inside yet

This to me is my initial feeling on the ending of the show and the isolation I felt. It is also how CHUCK ended, I have not felt up to watching the past episodes again because as great the finale was it really was a heart-wrenching and draining experience. I feel like I have left a part of life behind but I am not prepared to move on yet.

Sit down, sit down on the prow to wave back
There might not be another stop further on the line
Look out, look out at each town that glides by
And there's another crowd to drown in crying eyes

This reminds me of the shared experience of CHUCK-loss; there were many brilliant Chucksters around that I talked to about the finale and how I felt and to all of you… I humbly and truly thank you all for it.

At the end of the day though, nobody can tell you how to feel; it’s a personal journey and so the sense of isolation  still remains.

And see how that light you love now just won't shine
There might just be another star that's high and far in some other sky
We sing, 'Is that marionette real enough yet to step off of that set
To decide what her dance might be doing?'
Ruining the play, too, and the ensuing melee escape.
We packed up all of our bags, the ship's deck now sags
With the weight of our tracks as we race beneath flags black and battered
Rattling our swords in service of some fated, foreign lords

Coming to the realization that CHUCK is over we now have the opportunity to find a new passion in the knowledge that we have fought had for the cause (with the psychological scars to prove it) and we as Chucksters will move on  in different directions but forever linked by the show.

I would like to think that somewhere down the line we will be rattling our swords in service of a new CHUCK project; because the show just means that much.

We sail out on orders from him but we find
The maps he sent to us don't mention lost coastlines
Where nothing we've actually seen has been mapped or outlined
And we don't recognize the names upon these signs

For me this is the realization that no matter how much we enjoy these new shows or interests, they are not CHUCK… the experience feels different, not better or worse…just different. 

So for me it is a new understanding; it tells me how special CHUCK is and that emotion blend that sets it apart from the rest.  I can’t recognize the heart of CHUCK in any other show, no matter how hard I look.

And every night finds us rocking and rolling on waves wild and wide
Well we have lost our way, but nobody's gonna say it outright
So we just go …. La la, la la la la, la la la la la la la la la la la laaaaa
Oh oh ohhhh….

The acceptance of that feeling of CHUCK-loss, it is the elephant in the room…we may never see it again and my feeling of indifference for anything else TV has to offer. I have come to terms with being lost and I am OK with it and for now I am just going to wallow in it.

I really hope that doesn’t sound too melancholy, it is just that the show has meant so much to me emotionally, creatively and even spiritually that I do feel somewhat lost especially when I think that there will be no new episodes of the show.

There are a lot of good show out there to watch now like Castle, Game of Thrones, How I met Your Mother etc. but in my opinion no other show has the same blend of heart, action, comedy and drama as CHUCK and that is why it will always be special to me.

I hope to be able to talk to you all about a Chuck movie some day; until then please feel free to find me on twitter ready and willing to talk about the show to anyone and everyone.




I will forever by rattling my sword in service of this cast



PS: I hope you have all had a great Easter and all the best to those celebrating Orthodox Easter this weekend.



Georgia the Easter Bunny says Christos Anesti & Happy Easter all!!






Five (+2) Chunks of CHUCK

Versus Sarah and The Goodbye


1. Sarah Bartowski doesn't live here anymore

Oh boy did Quinn do a number on Sarah, I didn't think it could get any worse than Sarah being forced to flash but seeing this Sarah like this was so freaking hard to watch!! This is a Sarah we have never seen before, even at the very start Chuck had melted her icy spy heart about 14 minutes and 2 seconds into the Pilot, not that I was counting.

No wonder Sarah turned into "Sarah Walker, scary wild card enforcer"; Sarah lost her memories and Quinn convinced her Chuck was responsible for the death of Bryce and Graham, the two most important people in Sarah's life 5 years ago. That was heart-breaking enough but then seeing Chuck realise that his best friend, wife and soul mate was for all intents and purposes gone was perhaps the saddest I ever felt watching the show. The distance in Sarah's voice calling Chuck "Bartowski" and saying she did "her job too well"...I never thought CHUCK could take me to such a deep, dark place, but it did.

What it showed me next was that even when things look darkest, the truest souls still shine the brightest. Chuck took Quinn's bullet for Sarah despite knowing that his wife wasn't really his wife any longer, yeah he had a bullet-proof vest but we all know Chuck would take that bullet for Sarah with or without the vest. Then he told Sarah to escape while she still could, even when the love of his life of his life was willing to kill him Chuck being Chuck still put her safety and well-being above his own.  A week on I am still in tears thinking about it.


2. The Sarah Diaries

Speaking of tears...Sarah watching the "Project Bartowski mission logs", now that was intense! Up until this point Sarah could not really believe should could fall for an asset but seeing herself on the mission logs Sarah could see how over the journey Agent Walker became compromised and fell in love with Chuck. You could see Sarah being heart-warmed by her obvious love for Chuck but at the same time feeling heart-broken that she doesn't "feel it" and then Sarah tells Chuck at the fountain that she believes him but doesn't have have those feelings. Holy crap to see Chuck's heart rise and fall within the space of ten seconds...so intense and spirit-crushing.

Sarah then heads off after Quinn alone, some fans believe Chuck never should have let Sarah go at the fountain...but seriously get into Chuck's head space; in one day he was dealt so many physical and emotional hammer-blows I am surprised he could stand. You could forgive him for wanting to crawl into a corner and slowly die, even a man as heroic and selfless as Chuck has a breaking point.

I Love Chuck Bartowski and I don't know what to do about it...

3. Goodbye old friends

All good (and great) things must come to an end; it is time to say goodbye and move on because all of our characters have come so far. Casey is making his way to Dresden to be with Gertrude and build a life for HIMSELF after serving his country with distinction for decades.

Morgan is now responsible, thoughtful and far more courageous than I thought he could ever be. Now he and Alex are moving in together and to have won Casey's friendship and approval speaks volumes to how far the little beared man has come.

Ellie and Devon have got new jobs in Chicago and with Clara they have a family of their own to look after now. Despite the painful ending, Ellie now has faith in Chuck's strength and is willing to let him find his own way in the way in the world. The protective older sister will still be there, just a phone call away but knowing Chuck has gone through so much and is still standing is a comfort to the elder Bartowski. Whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger...

So where does this leave our two main characters? Well they are the beach talking about what has come to pass and what the future holds...HANG ON A SEC!!!  Isn't that where we left them 90 episodes ago when the pilot ended?!?!...Well yes and no.
Chuck knows he has a soul-mate in Sarah, whilst right now her memories may be a little hazy...his place is by her side, forever. Chuck would not trade these 5 years with Sarah for anything. Life may not make much sense right now, but with Sarah... Chuck can be the man he has always wanted to be.  Sarah is slowly getting her memories back and she is willing to take a leap of faith with Chuck. The guy took a bullet for her and values her happiness and well-being far above his own, she can't think of anyone in her life now or previously who would be willing to do this. The spark is there and the memories will be back, plus that kiss at the end just proves their love is timeless and hope springs eternal for better days.

Five years on on our screens and  yet forver in our hearts

4. Callbacks

Nice to see Chuck and Sarah retracing some of their earlier steps through the Weinerlicious and the Mexican restaurant plus defusing the bomb under Beckman with the Demova virus (Sarah remembered it!!). The pilot was such a great episode and so was the finale, I appreciated and enjoyed the symmetry of it all, I mean did name the Blog "Cheerful Symmetry" after all; the way the Pilot and the Finale mesh together is quite remarkable. You really can appreciate how far we have come but also just how similar things are 5 years on...

Plus I know a few of you guys out there enjoyed seeing a certain leggy blonde spy back in the Wiernerlicious outfit. Personally I loved seeing Sarah in the Orange Orange uniform more (thank you Sarah video diaries)...I love the colour orange, especially how it looks on her plus the sky blue OO hoodie makes those beautiful blue eyes of Sarah sparkle and pop even more than usual!

I like the fact that both at the beginning and the end of the show the sense of hope but also a desire of wanting to know what's next  for the couple, they face much uncertainty but knowing Chuck and Sarah will face it together is comforting...Chuck AND Sarah versus The Future!

The more things change... the more they stay the same

5. The endpoint and the true meaning of a hero

The continuing theme I have been focusing on for most of Season 5 is Chuck and Sarah's hope to build a life of their own away from the spyworld. By the end of the finale you could say that Chuck and Sarah are well on the way to doing this.

With Sarah's memories slowly coming back it will take some time to get to know her husband again but now our favourite couple have seemingly retired from active duty they have plenty of time.

Time is such a precious commodity, it is something Chuck and Sarah have never had a lot of...until now!! There are no upcoming missions no "big bads" to stop...just a boy and girl, a nerd and kick-ass beauty...a husband and a wife who can just be with one another without the interference of the rest of the world and the entanglements that accompany it. I don't want to speak for the rest of you but this may just be my favourite thing from the finale and the thing which fills me with the most hope.

Sure the ending could have been a lot more fluffy; a Chuck and Sarah pregnancy or Sarah getting every memory back straight away. But CHUCK has always been about the checks and balances in life from love & loss to happiness & despair... just look at Chuck's journey to rise above hate and embrace the good in the world despite all the terrible things that have happened to him.

CHUCK has always shown us that everything worth fighting for in this life often comes at a price. So to get out of the dangerous life of the spyworld was never going to be easy and it was always going to cost something. In this case is was the temporary loss of Sarah's memories.

But such is the life of the hero, every day you go out try to make the world better mainly for those you love but also for people you may have never met... often at a great personal cost! From the spies fighting Fulcrum and The Ring to the Doctor saving lives in the ER to the Police Officer on the beat to the Firefighter/Paramedic/Emergency Services worker each rising to the challenges they face on a daily basis, never knowing what price they will be forced to pay for their actions.

Look at the personal toll the spy life has taken on Chuck, Sarah and Casey...more than any three people should have to lose or give up. But each and everyday they still show up ready to fight knowing that they may lose even more just so others don't have to...that is the true selfless nature of heroism.

I am glad that Chuck and Sarah (and Casey) made it out alive and these heroes can begin to live a life of their own together; they have paid the price and deserve to enjoy happier times now!




This is the future for Chuck & Sarah...love, laughs and happiness



Bonus Chunks


6. Rivers and Roads

Man I truly love this song...there have been so very many great songs on CHUCK and whilst I am not saying this is the best song ever to be on the show; I just think it was the perfect song for the show to bow out to... the mix of melancholy, hope and devotion in the song was perfectly matched by the Zach and Yvonne emotional tour de force... right place and right song!




Who are we kidding?  Every kiss is magic with these two!!

I find myself riding the emotional roller coaster with Chuck and Sarah... laughing, crying and being heart-warmed. I am filled with the pangs of sorrow knowing this may be the last time I see Sarah and Chuck but I am also just so thankful to have been on the journey. This song seems to encapsulate the mixed bag of emotions brilliantly, and all I can say is that it's such a great song and thank you CHUCK!!

I have also come across a few great videos for the song online, firstly to Dren_lla cheers for pointing me in the directions of the Doe Bay Sessions performance of this song by The Head and The Heart... if this doesn't have you thumping the ground and kicking the dirt, I don't know what will!

Then there is also this awesome video...man I love the CHUCK fandom!!!



7. One song reviews

Those of you who follow my CHUCKed up rambling on twitter might be aware of group of us CHUCK fans that submitted "One Word Reviews" for many of the Season 5 CHUCK episodes, the one word review crew are a great bunch of people who love the show and it is my absolute honour to talk about the show with them.

Watching the last two episodes and thinking of just one word per episode to convey how I felt was so very difficult but thinking of a song for each was easier...funnily enough both were by the same band... the supremely awesome BLOC PARTY!!

Chuck vs. Sarah was definitely  "The Pioneers" a song of such intensity and urgency matched by the seemingly insurmountable odds facing Chuck to get the wife and love of his life back to being her old self before it is too late.  My review word was "Despair" but I think these lyrics describe the struggle better.

If it can be broke then it can be fixed,
If it can be fused then it can be split...
If it can be lost then it can be won,
If it can be touched then it can be turned.
All you need is time...

Chuck vs. The Goodbye was always also a thrilling ride but was also about re-tracing Chuck and Sarah steps and looking for the "Signs" of Sarah's memory and love of Chuck returning and why I feel that their connection, love and bond is "Eternal"...

The last time we slept together
There was something that was not there
You never wanted to alarm me
But I'm the one that's drowning now...


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





Bloggers note: I am in the midst of doing a longer piece with more thoughts on the CHUCK finale and in particular how I felt about it... so look out for that in the next day or so!!

Five Chunks of CHUCK

Versus The Bullet Train




1. Sarah's "flashes" of brilliance

Seeing how Sarah has put boots to asses in previous 88 episodes it is hard to imagine her being any more amazing when handing out a beatdown even with the intersect. But boy oh boy did they do a great job with it; I also love the fact Sarah put on a show for Chuck when she gave Quinn's goons a kicking on the train. I welcome back the intersect-flirting that was one of the brighter points in early season 3 like Chuck's wink & parkour/gymnastics combo in Three Words or his dancing with Sarah in Angel de la Muerte.

But to me the best part of Sarah downloading the intersect was that now she truly knows what it was like for Chuck. The scene where Chuck and Sarah "geek out" over the intersect abilities was touching indeed was so great. What a journey for these two, they really have know shared everything together and these shared experiences only strengthen the ties binding our favourite spy couple. Could anybody argue that these two together don't form the whole much greater than the sum of their parts.

Strip-Kick is in the intersect...yes!

2. Nicholas Quinn: Part Doctor Doom, part Wile E. Coyote

Nicholas Quinn, what a piece of work he is! The jaded ex-CIA super-spy is hugely driven and quite resilient; and whilst he may not look a great threat not many can come up against an intersected Sarah, brilliant Chuck and BAMF-tastic Casey and survive... let alone triumph!

Chuck's individual enemies have seemed to resemble classic comic book villains in their relationship to our hero Chuck. Where Volkoff was like a Lex Luthor to Chuck's Superman and Daniel Shaw was perhaps the Sinestro to Chuck's Hal Jordan (Green Lantern); Nicholas Quinn seems to me the Doctor Doom to Chuck's Mr. Fantastic (Reed Richards).

Quinn is crazed, vengeful and full of anger towards Chuck for taking what he considered to be his god-given right to the Intersect. Much like Victor von Doom this jealousy has festered and infected his psyche to the point where he is legitimately crazy but still maintaining the ability to be a great strategist who can keep Chuck on his toes.

May I add his resilience, tenacity and unwillingness to die (or go away) has a certain Wile E. Coyote feel too. Maybe not the best villain we have seen on CHUCK but my intense wish for Casey to eviscerate him with a soup spoon means he has me feeling the hate...a good sign for any baddie.


3. Jeffster: A new kind of spy duo

You never know when your calling will come... but CHUCK has always been about the ordinary guy who has greatness thrust upon them and is required to rise to the challenge and be awesome.

But what happens when those called are not ordinary... but weirdos with a taste for 80's power ballads?  The answer is they can be just as awesome, which is reason one of the many reason CHUCK is such a great show. It doesn't matter who you are or what you do; you will get a chance to shine! Which is what makes the show so great for the actors playing the roles too.  The show's leads are more than happy to defer the spotlight to their support cast to let them shine; CHUCK is a close family off and on screen.

Alex in danger from Quinn's forces and Morgan and Devon thwarted in their attempt to free her; it seemed Team Bartowski was out of options.  But often the most surprising heroes arise in times of crisis; cometh the hour of need...Jeffster answered the call!

It was was great to see Chuck tell Casey he believed Jeffster to be up for the task; but after all that is what Chuck does; he sees the best in everyone. That is why Chuck is such an inspirational leader and it is the belief of others (in particular those we respect) which often spurs a person on to greater heights. Much as how the belief of Ellie, Sarah and Casey has boosted Chuck in the past.

Ok so maybe Jeffster is not the best American-Canadian military/spy duo ever (that honour falls to Captain America and Wolverine) but fueled on by the flames of destiny they did the job and saved Alex, Morgan and Devon. Will this earn them a spot on the Carmichael Industries regular roster...who knows?




Carmichael Industries would like to welcome... JEFFSTER!



4. Chuck & Sarah: Drawing on their love

Chuck and Sarah steaming it up on a train...WOW!! We should have known sexytime...I mean practice would be part of the deal; I mean I will NEVER forget Honeymooners. A little sweetness was added to the steamy train journey with the couple sitting in bed and talking about the future whilst Chuck drew that picture of him and Sarah together in front of their dream house. I have no doubt this little item will have further relevance as we head into the home stretch.

On a side note how awesome has Sarah's choice of sleepwear been? Chuck has mentioned before that red (and in particular salmon) is not his favourite colour but her recent forays into red clothing must have changed Chuck's mind. All I can say is... HOLY SMOKES I abso-Freaking-lutely love red; from what she picked up the newspaper in from The Bo to what she wore under her mission gear on the train in this episode.




Mrs. Bartowski...domo arigato indeed!!


My Chuck-senses were tingling a little when I saw the quality time Sarah and Chuck (sexytime) were sharing early in the episode; as it usually means the angst and pain is soon to follow. The episode starts with Chuck in the clutches of Quinn and ends with Sarah seemingly under the control of the same rogue spy.

In true CHUCK fashion we have the frequent swapping and interchanging of gender-roles between Chuck and Sarah. From the beginning of the series we have seen Sarah as the protector of Chuck's physical well-being; in contrast Chuck established early on he would be her "personal baggage handler" and supreme protector of her emotional well-being (The end of DeLorean with his Buy More Jacket is such a great example).

Over time Sarah has become THE emotional rock which anchors Chuck from losing himself in the world of spies, lies, intersects (malfunctioning & removed), tragedy and loss. From her wedding vows to the support she provided to her husband through the Morgansect debacle; Chuck knows that he can count on Sarah to be his partner and protector in mind, body and spirit.

Sarah could always count on Chuck being there for her emotionally and always trying to protect her from physical harm, even though it wasn't his job and he wasn't very good at it. Sarah did respect his fearless and heroic heart but it often caused her just as many problems by having to save herself AND the intersect from danger. As the depth of Chuck's love and affection and love for Sarah grew so did the lengths he would go to protect the girl of his dreams. He downloaded Intersect 2.0 and added physical talents to his impressive strategic ingenuity and planning. Even without the intersect Sarah knows that if required Chuck would not only fight to his dying breath to save Sarah but thanks to his training he would be a pretty formidable force for any foe and she can count on him in a fight just as much as she can Casey. Heck Chuck has proven NOTHING matters more than Sarah, he was willing to kill to save her and we know just how principled Chuck is... and how much he hates guns.

I have said it before and I will say it again Chuck and Sarah are awesome individuals but together they are so much more. CHUCK is such a great show layered with many great relationships but it is the evolving relationship of Chuck and Sarah that is the fundamentally inescapable foundation upon which the show is built.

You can have Snakes on a Plane... just give me Charah on a Train

5. Sarah: She tows the line

Holy crap, watching the scene of Sarah tied up by Quinn and his goons and forced into intersect flashes is cruel, heartbreaking and even thinking about it in brings a tear to my eye (actually more like uncontrollable sobbing). I thought after seeing Casey pull a gun on Chuck and Sarah nothing the episode would be as difficult to watch, boy was I ever wrong! That felt like torture to watch, I mean this isn't some random character we see tortured by the bad guy in the first act...this is Sarah Bartowski, the character we have grown to love and respect over the last five years and do see her previously indomitable will being broken down like that is just such an intense experience.

The use of "She tows the line" by Crooked Fingers is an inspired musical choice and I have heard the song so many times of the past week and it always brings me back to Sarah in the warehouse and the tears just flow!

For me the absolute only saving grace was Chuck didn't see it happening, it may well of broken his heart and spirit especially as he is powerless to stop it from happening and now she has lost her memories. This is the life she and Chuck have built over the last 5 years and all may be lost...if that is not cruel and unusual punishment I don't know what is.

But in the words of Bloc Party "The Pioneers" If it can be broke then it can be fixed... If it can be lost then it can be won, if it can touched then it can be turned, All you need is time. There is nobody Sarah would rather have in her corner against insurmountable odds then her husband and soul-mate Chuck. She trusts in their love and so should we...C'mon Chuck it is time to be awesome not because you want to but because you NEED to!!

So close you can taste it... this is it Chuck, this is what you fight for!

Five Chunks of CHUCK

Versus the Bo




1. Carmichael Industries: New Directions?

So it seems as though Chuck and Sarah began the episode with idea to shift Carmichael Industries in different direction but seems as though the Intersect (and Jeffster and Buy More) will continue to follow Chuck, Sarah and the rest of team around like a bud luck penny.

Just how will Chuck and Sarah ever get that dream house and life away from the spyworld they have been talking about for all of this season? The journey so far has been long and winding and there seems to be still a few twists and turns to come. I mean we have a seemly unstable jaded ex-CIA agent Quinn hounding down Chuck for the intersect glasses and definitely unstable Jeff and Lester turning up everywhere our favourite spy team goes... life is never dull for the Bartowski clan and it is never easy either.

Despite how it may look, nothing comes easy to Carmichael Industries

2. The Return of the Frosted Tips

Funny to see Morgan return to his douche chic wardrobe and of course the frosted tips in his hair, it was also a good indication of how remorseful Morgan was for his actions as the intersect, he also showed great restraint with Bo Derek and her request for more rainbows. It appears Chuck's little bearded buddy has come a long way!


3. Sarah versus the Bo

In an episode that delved into both the funniest and emotionally intense side of CHUCK I really enjoyed the humour Chuck and Sarah brought to the Bo Derek situation. The way Chuck was all timid around his childhood crush Bo was gold; and even better was Sarah busting his balls about it! I have watched that phone call scene between Chuck and Sarah over and over just to hear Sarah say boobies! Then when Sarah knocks Bo out with the pistol butt; her retort of "Sorry I had to do that to your girlfriend" was said with just enough malice, venom and sarcasm to tease Chuck but also to remind him what's a perfect 10 when you are married to an irrefutable 12!?!




Uh-oh Chuck, I think Sarah caught you staring at Bo Derek


Kudos to Zach and Yvonne as always the banter between these two actors is brilliant, you can tell how much they enjoy working together.



4. Never say "one last mission"

Sarah had to say it didn't she...maybe Chuck needs to write her a pop culture reference list of what not to say, remember Vs The Last Details?!

We know by now nothing ever goes smoothly for Chuck, Sarah and the rest of the team and if they are going to get out the complex spy world it will take every single fibre of resilience, skill and chutzpah Team Bartowski has especially considering Quinn has taken Chuck.

If the last mission involves this many guns...chance are it won't end well

5. Walker...NO!!!

So now Sarah has the intersect, what we know it is a flawed intersect like Morgan's which caused him memory loss and augmented douche-ery. So my initial thoughts on this plot twist were wow this is freaking awesome!

No sooner has the words come out of my mouth then the sense of fear and foreboding set in... what will this do to Sarah's memory? Can her brain handle the toll flashing requires? How will Chuck feel?  The truth to Sarah is that in that exact moment all that matters is getting Chuck back to her safe.




People kidnapping Chuck makes Sarah angry... just ask Thailand


Chuck is no longer the CIA & NSA's greatest secret and intelligence weapon and Sarah is no longer his handler. This is all about a wife, protector and soul-mate pulling out all the stops to get her husband back no matter the personal or professional cost. Strap yourselves in Chucksters the Bullet Train is about to leave the station...next stops Actionville and Angst City.

Five Chunks of CHUCK...

Versus The Kept Man


Bloggers Note: Guys... sorry to say this is a very short and (a little) sweet recap this week, I started a new job and as if my poor time management wasn't bad enough already. So it may not be exactly as I wanted but I did promise @breddgal I would get this done!

A lesson to live by; "never let down a lady who sends you a cookie recipe"... you just can't! I love the recipe by the way my Grandpa ate them by the handful :-)

So here goes, please enjoy!
 1. Casey, The kept man

The Colonel experienced much of what is happening as we move towards the end of CHUCK and that is transition even if it was only a subtle change. We CHUCK fans may have thought we would never see the day... but it looks like Casey is looking forward to a life without the danger and death of being an ex-NSA bad-ass!

Just because he is looking forward to this life doesn't mean he isn't really scared, lucky for him Sarah, Chuck Alex and Morgan are there to get him through the spiralling and towards the truth. In the case of Chuck he is so focused on helping Casey out he is oblivious to a lot of the other stuff going on around him (more on that later). Words can only do so much for Casey it took a situation threatening the life of Verbanski to realise there are many worse things than being a kept man... like having nobody to keep you!

Casey now has his two best girls Gertrude and Alex and why should he have to sacrifice that part of his life anymore? He has given up more than enough for God, Corp and Country for the last 3 decades!

Like Sarah and Chuck; Casey has built a life for himself... a girlfriend, a daughter, true friendship with a great team. Plus he has a new favourite TV show...Downton Abbey! Who knew dropping bombs on Edwardian convention could be just as much fun as dropping bombs for real!




2. Chuck, CARE-ing to the point of insensitivity?

Chuck... buddy what are you doing!!

The problem with being adorable, principled and yes...caring is that you often get so caught up in something you need to fix and lose sight of everything else. 

Chuck wanted to help his buddy Casey find his caring centre and admit his true feelings to Gertrude. Chuck also adopted the CARE manifesto in attempt for Carmichael Industries to offer something the competition could not and thus corner an area of the market to exploit...the endpoint being financial stability for him and Sarah. Most importantly getting Sarah the house..the home she deserves; something for the future.

He totally missed the signals from Sarah which he professed to Casey he could read with ease. When he found out that Sarah thought she was pregnant and he had no idea you could see he really felt like a real a-hole!

But Sarah would never get upset at Chuck for being selfless and wanting to help Casey or trying to build future for them both; and seriously she could have maybe told him (Sarah...what did we learn about secrets in Baby?). The lesson I hope Chuck gets from this is don't always look so far ahead or plan for the future too much because you may miss some seriously awesome stuff happening right in front you...oh and don't tell Casey with words when it is easier to show him in a gunfight.


3. Jeffster outsmart Carmichael Industries

I never thought this would happen... Jeffster find out about the Spies in the Buy More?!?!

Jeff with you mind clear you are a freaking legend and Lester you truly are a chameleon with the way you transformed into a woman! But think about this with all Jeff has done since he got cleaned up can you imagine how much money Chuck and Sarah could have made for Carmichael Industries if they had "clean" Jeff with a functioning intersect!

One thing is for sure it seems that Team Bartowski maybe missed an opportunity by not recruiting Jeff and Lester...but mostly Jeff!


4. Sarah Walker is taking her *ahem* talents to South Beach

The South Beach mission showcased a lot of what we love about Sarah Walker... Yes I am talking about her bikini but so much more as well!

Like her friendship with Casey where she can comfortably tell Casey to "grow a pair and hammock up" or words to that effect. Can you imagine Casey letting Chuck or Morgan talk to him like that... doubt it!

Casey, Do I need to pour you a nice tall glass of "toughen up" juice?

How about when she saw Casey and Verbanski...together, we now know it wasn't her morning sickness that left her green around the gills!!




"It's all wrong" but still so funny!!


So I need to ask does anyone know if SoBe and Chuck had it planned to show Yvonne Strahovski and Sarah Walker bringing REAL heat to Miami in the same week or was it just Charahific serendipity?


5. Chuck and Sarah, next comes family?

So after the pregnancy scare and one of the funniest pregnancy tests I have seen (a peace sign?..is that an option?) Chuck and Sarah now realise that despite not being pregnant right now, they are ready for it when it happens. Another example of Chuck and Sarah making a life for themselves away from the spylife.




What the frak... a peace sign!!


Like I said earlier, we are in a transition phase for those in Team Bartowski. Taking nothing away from Casey and Morgan's recent romantic victories but perhaps the biggest transition is with Chuck and Sarah.  It seems as though the "Huge Nerd" and the "Kick-ass Ninja Spy" have change a lot over the years.  Before long who knows; they must just have something (or should I say someone) to show the world as an symbol of the journey they have taken together.

Five Chunks of Chuck

Versus The Baby


1.Evolution of the Walker


The flashback at the start of the episode only confirmed what we have known for a while, Sarah has changed...a lot!! Even if you just consider Sarah's fighting style from the flashback in Hungary at the start of the episode to her fight with Ryker in her Mom's house. Before she met Chuck and probably right up until she realised she wanted to live a live together with Chuck her fighting style was calm, fluid and maybe even a little robotic with little or no emotion. Just look at how calmly and easily she mowed down those guys in Hungary.

But now her fights are more emotional, where as before she was a robot spy trained to be emotionless and weigh up her options; no matter the situation and who was in danger. But now Sarah is like a Tigress defending her cubs when it comes to those she loves. Spies are taught to take all emotion out of these situations as we have ofter heard "feelings get you killed"; but I ask you this... without her emotions could Sarah have saved Chuck in Thailand? Could she have saved Molly and her Mom from Ryker and his goons?

We have now passed the point of Sarah Walker being just a spy, you could argue that Sarah Bartowski's roles as a wife, sister and best friend take precedence over her life a spy. So she now throws herself into the fray and fights with the emotion of somebody who has a lot to lose; some may consider it a weakness in a spy but to use her own words I think "it is what makes her great".

I think the best example of the effect Chuck has had on the evolution of Sarah as a spy and a person. Is her attitude to killing since Chuck Versus The Santa Claus, she knows that Chuck doesn't like killing but understands that it is sometimes required for the greater good. It was it that point she realised she could no longer lie to Chuck about the killing because it hurt Chuck so much (the lying more than killing) but it is also she has changed as a person. Sarah is no longer person who can kill on the CIA's say-so it has to be a final resort to save lives, in particular the lives of those she loves.

I can't tell you all just how great it was that Sarah had the epiphany to tell Chuck more about things in her spy past because really this nerd will never leave or give up on Sarah... EVER. Even if it took Ryker to help realise it, I am just really glad Sarah can now open up that little bit more.



Sarah never expected Tiger-Mom training to be so intense...




2. White Collared out of existence

Many questions were answered by this episode but if possible it seemed to leave us with just as many new questions as we got answers. 

The main question being how did Sarah go from ending the Hungary mission to beginning her mission on the Intersect Project with Chuck and Casey in Burbank?

I understand that Sarah no longer needed a handler but what does this mean for her missions with Bryce and her missions with the Cat Squad? Are we to assume she had a handler for those missions; it wouldn't make sense would it? Have I stuffed up the timeline in my head or did it all just become more convoluted?

What irony it would be if Matt Bomer's character (Bryce) was made irrelevant by an episode starring his fellow WHITE COLLAR star Tim DeKay (Ryker).

I have heard whispers that we may not have seen the last of Director Langston Graham in CHUCK; maybe this will answer more questions because at the moment I am just a little confused...did the writers just make Bryce and the Cat Squad irrelevant or worse write them out of existence? Be a shame if they did because as much as I dislike Bryce for his epic rooster-blocks on Chuck and Sarah; he did create the angst that made the romance between our favourite spy couple even more memorable!

I really hope I am just over-thinking this... :(



3. Redemption of the Beard

It has been a long and winding road to redemption for Chuck's bearded little buddy.  After the debacle of the Morgan-sect he has tried hard mend the bridges he burnt along the way. Making it up to Chuck and Sarah was easy as saying sorry (and getting rid of those pretentious frosted tips). Casey's forgiveness was a little harder because he put himself out there emotionally for Morgan and he not only betrayed the Colonel but broke his daughter's heart as well.

To fix this with Casey it required more than words; it required action by Morgan to show that he was there for the team and for Alex. This required a lot of Semper Fi-dizzle by Morgan but eventually Casey forgave him and Casey even went in to bat on the Bearded Man-boy's behalf with Alex.

Alex was right to be careful about whether to forgive Morgan or not. Let's not forget the guy who said he loved her and then broke up with her by text message; bonehead and scumbag are two words that come to mind.

By the end of the episode Alex had not only come to forgive Morgan but even let Morgan back into her life as her boyfriend and all it took was Morgan just being the best Morgan he could be the loyal, brave and caring guy who Chuck has always told him he could be if he didn't try too hard to be funny or cool.

I will leave the Morgan/Alex 'shipping to "Gun" (who may I add is a very good friend of the Blog...Thanks Gun!!) but I am glad that Morgan has Alex, the pairing may not warm my heart as much as Chuck and Sarah (but than again who does???). Morgan deserves some happiness for being there for Chuck (and Sarah and Casey) when the serious stuff goes down. I can't quite believe it myself but I have even forgiven him for his part in the Barstow incident.


4. Sarah's Family Matters

I love episodes that have a Sarah focus, they are in my all-time favourites. Even though the show is called CHUCK and not SARAH (or CASEY or MORGAN) but just like the show's title character CHUCK is at its best when it is selfless... especially when it comes to Sarah.

The fans of the show have been dying to find out about Sarah's Mom almost from the very moment we met her Dad, Jack Burton in DeLorean. Thank you to Fedak and the show's writer's for getting it done, it may have been easier to leave it all a mystery but I think this is one of a few special treats the Powers That Be have planned for CHUCK fans in this farewell season.

Just seeing Sarah with her Mom was was so special for me, we have never seen Sarah truly let her guard down with anybody except Chuck and Jack. We can now add Emma to the list; I am not going to lie to you guys and girls there was tears... plenty of tears from Sarah saying that she wants all the normal things for Molly and then the scene with Sarah and Molly talking and finally the embrace between mother and daughter. Not a dry eye in the fandom!!




I think we found a patten here....


We got all the hallmarks of a Sarah mythology CHUCK episode... a great Yvonne Strahovski performance hitting all the emotional buttons that make us love the special character that is Sarah Walker (Bartowski) and equally brilliant support performance from Zac Levi who proves once again he can shine as the second banana; full credit to the guy. I mean not many can handle being one of the E-Street band when they have built a reputation as Bruce Springsteen. Some of Chuck Bartowski's best moments have been in these Sarah-centric episodes from bringing Sarah burgers in Cougars to giving Sarah his Buy More jacket in DeLorean. Chuck always walks that fine line of wanting to know everything about his mystery girl Sarah, because she means everything to him. But also realising that Sarah has compartmentalised her life because of hurt she has suffered and perhaps because of the hurt Sarah has caused others, which she just doesn't want Chuck to know.

Finally as the blog title suggests I do love my moments of symmetry, how about the conversation between Chuck and Emma? It is quite reminiscent of Chuck and Jack at the end of DeLorean; it is quite moving to see both Sarah's parents realising just how much Chuck loves Sarah (and how much Sarah loves Chuck) and that is so awesome.

I know both Sarah's parents are eternally grateful to Chuck for being able to provide the life and love Sarah deserves... a life neither Jack or Emma could provide because of situation or circumstance.

"Thank you for giving her... this" Those six simple words say say so much! Truth be told, this is the point of the episode where I am guaranteed to lose it...EVERY TIME!!




Sarah Walker episodes always end in tears and hugs... awesome!!



5. Chuck and Sarah (and Home) is where the heart is...

This episode returned us to what I love so much about the inescapable heart and soul; in particular the great Chuck and Sarah scenes! In a show that has built itself on the strength of family and love it is the Sarah and Chuck relationship that "burns brighter than the sun" and this was the best episode of Season 5 with regards to the progression of their relationship.

How adorable was the end of the episode with Sarah and Chuck carving the names into the wall of the house that will be theirs one day. Once again Sarah is an artist with a knife- scary, awesome and heart-warming all in equal measure. Plus don't think I forgot how Emma's house looks... white picket fence...big red door...have we heard this somewhere before? I love the way the show pays attention to these little details!

It seems Chuck and Sarah will turn down the offer to re-join the CIA so that they can start to build the life together away from the world of espionage which has been the main theme of Season 5 but has also been seriously hinted at since Season 3 when Chuck and Sarah got past all the BS and entanglements. As Sarah so awesomely put it to Chuck in Role Models "Well I would like to have something to fall back on when our spy life is over".

I really hope...No...I know that there will be more great Chuck and Sarah moments to come! So as a wise nerd once said... prepare to be heart-warmed!



Vandalism is one way to lower the price of the house...



P.S. I have mentioned the episode Chuck Versus the Role Models in this post, if you haven't seen it for a while I think you should especially after watching Chuck Versus The Baby both episodes actually go well together. Role Models is after all where Chuck and Sarah make the decision to move in as a real couple and Baby we see them commit to getting the house that will be the foundation of the life away from the CIA and spying. Plus Role Models has Tigers...you should know how much I love my Tigers!! Endangered and majestic just as Chuck said!!


P.P.S. I really wanted to get out my Blog's 2011 CHUCK awards but my absolute lack of time management and prepping for a job interview of sorts has meant time has escaped me. If people out there are keen I could probably get something done eventually; but I seriously doubt it could match anything the other great CHUCK blogs out there have done.

Anyway I hope everybody enjoys Chuck Versus The Kept Man; being Sarah Walker's kept man sounds like a dream job... just wished I thought of it first! ;-)

Songs for the mystery that is Sarah...

Hi Guys,

Short post on the back of Five Chunks of Chuck review...

I just wanted to share these couple of songs that remind me about our favourite sexy kick-ass ninja spy Sarah Walker (Bartowski) considering we are less than a day out from Chuck Versus The Baby, which could possibly be the next great Sarah mythology episode of CHUCK.

Sarah by Eskimo Joe

Great Song by this Aussie band coming from Fremantle in Western Australia. It talks of girl of mystery called Sarah and it seems Chuck could easily be singing this song about Agent Walker right from when he first met her in Season 1. I mean the first line of the song is ...Sarah, won't you tell me your name!!

Recommended listening after Chuck versus The Wookie

Sarah, Won't you tell me your name?

I don't know if anyone asked me the reason I lied... she sighed

Radioactive by Kings of Leon


I had heard this song previously but It wasn't until I saw the KOL live in concert last month that this song really resonated with me. Seeing the song performed live was such a visceral, emotional and raw experience. Can't really explain fully but the song reminds me of Sarah and the Sarah-centric CHUCK episodes so very much.

Perhaps because she keeps her life before the CIA so guarded and secret even from Chuck. But you can never really escape your past, after all it's where you came from!

Chuck like most of us doesn't totally understand why Sarah keeps her past so secretive; he has grown to love Sarah Walker for everything she is and stands for. So it is only natural he wants her to embrace her past and what makes Sarah who she is today. Like Chuck said about Jack Burton; he must have done something right at least in part to make Sarah who she is...

It's in the water...it's where you came from



You're the rose that's called from yonder...never sold yourself away




The Sons and Daughters in all their glory... it's gonna shape them



Where you came from...

 

Five Chunks of CHUCK vs The Santa Suit

1. Christmas and CHUCK are through!!

I was really hoping that this would be the one totally happy CHUCK Christmas episode we never had; but alas it wasn't to be. Let's run through the other Christmas Episodes of CHUCK so far...

• Crown Vic (Season 1): Chuck & Sarah were dealing with the aftermath of Bryce resurrection and THAT KISS plus the stupid Lon Kirk fight; which ruined any chance of Chuck getting a kiss from Sarah under the Mistletoe! But we did have the brilliant Buy More Dancing scene which I re-enact every chance I get (Lucky you can't see me while I type... because I am doing it right now).



There ain't no party like a Buy More Party!



• Santa Claus (Season 2): My opinion on this episode has changed in the last year or so, initially I thought of it as a scary & chilling Christmas episode with Sarah executing Mauser and all (Silent Night will never be the same).  But after watching this episode more and more I totally agree Sarah had to kill Mauser, I totally get that. In many ways this action was Sarah's Christmas gift to Chuck; whilst not as shiny as a charm bracelet it did keep Chuck safe & with his family and not in a bunker. An act of love by Sarah just as touching as Chuck giving Sarah his Mother's Charm Bracelet. It may sound morbid or twisted but Sarah was willing take a life and bear the consequences because of her love of Chuck perhaps more so than her duty to the intersect project. What upset me with the episode though was Chuck's sudden fear and questioning of Sarah's character and then there was Sarah lying to Chuck... again with the crap communication skills. 



What to get the nerd who has everything... how about one less mortal enemy!



• The Leftovers (Season 4): Chuck tries to fix things with his Mom but only proceeds to pooch things up even further; putting Ellie & Devon in danger and forcing his Mom back into the clutches of Volkoff.  Not really the best way to spend Christmas, plus Chuck was in procrastinating phase of his marriage proposal plan and made us wait until after the CHUCK sabbatical in early 2011 to see his proposal. 

So in Santa Suit we get some really great action (Shaw getting his ass kicked!) but we didn't get a Christmas where Chuck & Sarah just enjoy each other and the company of friends to reflect on what occurred earlier in the episode. Instead we get Beckman interrupting during the middle of the Christmas party to tell Sarah that Shaw wanted to speak to her... what the piece of trash couldn't wait till tomorrow or the day after to speak Sarah? How many life sentences is he serving again?

All in all I thought the episode was strong, good even but I just felt the writing pooched up the Sarah & Chuck relationship parts of the episode. Sorry but in addition to getting the bracelet back for Sarah, Chuck totally would have got her a gift (probably in July).  The writing for Sarah in particular was off in the episode; but Yvonne's performance in isolation was still great.

I guess just as in real life nothing is 100% perfect; even Christmas on CHUCK... but Chuck Versus The Honeymooners is really really close to perfection!

The happenings in the episode does fit with my theory for this season's theme on CHUCK being that Chuck and Sarah will continue to find it extremely hard to build a "real-life" in the outside world as long as they continue as spies. I won't say a reckoning is coming, that is much too dark... but a shining epiphany perhaps?



Somebody needs to explain the taboo of re-gifting to Chuck



2. Casey & Beckman show a softer side at Christmas

Casey (aka Sugar Bear) gets Alex Mr Pippers "the preppy polar bear" plush toy, excellent choice Colonel! Though the bear does remind me just a little of the very spooky Teddy Ruxpin toy from the 80's. However just when you think Casey is starting to mellow on us... he breaks out of lockdown in Castle to help Morgan save Sarah (the best damn partner he ever had) despite being shot... FREAKING SHOT people!! John Casey is still in the top echelon of bad-asses.

Not to be outdone General Dianne Beckman was remarkable again this week showing loyalty and friendship to Chuck & company. Once again using her status with the NSA to get Chuck the required information and the Macau device to save Sarah. To think this was the same General who ordered Casey to eliminate Chuck the moment the NSA/CIA had a new intersect up and running. I love the dynamic of Beckman and Chuck working together both are master strategists who are quick thinking and ready to execute a plan in an instant.

The emotional journey Casey, Beckman and especially Sarah has taken since meeting Chuck is quite remarkable. It seems the adorable schnook's ability to heartwarm is undeniable despite the life & death situations he finds himself in.

On the other hand as the saying goes, "the more things change the more they stay the same". Casey can still kick-ass with the same grunt and swagger, Beckman is still as commanding and driven as ever and Sarah... well Sarah still loves to keep secrets (I usually don't comment on promos for the upcoming ep in these reviews, but I had to drop that in).



3. Jeffster come up big for Chuck

Who can stop the Omen Virus? Perhaps the Piranha could have handled it; but he had bigger fish to fry. Enter the world's wackiest & weirdest cover-band; they also happen to have some pretty leet (1337) programming skills. What other band could belt out a sweet cover of "Mr Roboto" yet still understand C++ computer language to tackle the Omen? Not many... if any, that's who! The bonus is they will work for Subway sandwiches & coffee... a whole lot of coffee. Chuck did have most of his assets frozen by the US Government so he needs to save money where he can.

"Unplugged" or "Plugged in" no other duo has constantly saved the day like these two but still have absolutely no idea that they were doing it!


4. She is Eleanor Woodcomb, and just like us... she hates Shaw too!

Put your hands up if you expected Shaw to be dead by the end of the episode? I definitely did, I can't remember hating a fictional character so much EVER!

OK so that lousy piece of driftwood didn't take a dirt-nap; but at least it was pretty cool that Ellie got to tee-off on Shaw upside the head! The guy killed her Dad and was about to kill her Brother so she swung for the fences and would have been justified to do more. Not many can take down the SuperShaw aka "The Man of Timber" but Ellie Woodcomb is a real Wonder Woman!

I must admit I did appreciate the symmetry with Ring II; Chuck is a pretty luck guy when you consider the two most important women in his life are willing to dish out severe head injuries with steel weapons to Shaw (or anybody threatening our favourite nerd).

I think we need to mention Sarah Lancaster who is such a brilliant actress and any chance she gets to make Ellie shine, she does so with aplomb. It is always cool to see the brother and sister bonding moments on CHUCK.




Saving me is a great gift El, but seriously... did you get me Arkham City on X-box?




5. Chuck saves the day, as only Chuck can

Chuck makes a plan, Chuck follows through and Chuck saves the day...that is just how that nerd rolls.

Chuck outsmarted Shaw that was a given; Shaw may be a great spy but in a battle of wits & smarts the contest is more one sided then the eternal battle between hammer and nail, Chuck is operating at a level above Shaw. However what was rewarding to see was Chuck kicking Shaw's wooden ass up and down the Buy More!! The push-ups and the heavy bag work paid off, so much so that for most of the fight Chuck was like a buzzsaw cutting though that lousy lump of lumber otherwise known as Shaw.

Eventually Shaw does get the drop on Chuck and resorts to pulling a gun on him; but one thing Chuck has that Shaw never will.... FAMILY that has his back! This time it was Ellie and many times before it has been Sarah, Casey and even Morgan.

Shaw never had what takes to beat Chuck; because you are never fighting just Chuck!! When you are with Team Bartowski... you never walk alone!

Despite the darkness of the episode, I appreciated the sentiment it delivered. Life can be hard and it can get difficult... complicated even; but if you are lucky enough the love of friends and family can see you through. After all it was Christmas and nothing beats family at Christmas!



Christmas with the family is great but it can be a little tiring

 PS: For me the lead up to the new year is often a time of reflection on the year's experiences (good, bad, happy and sad). But I just want to wish all you guys and gals reading this a happy new year! May 2012 bring you all the happiness & success I know each of you deserve. I hope you all have a blast on NYE and to see you all back here next year.