Bands of Charah: Playlist for Chuck & Sarah

Versus The Snow Patrol

Blogger's Note: It comes as no surprise to you guys that I obsess over many aspects CHUCK constantly, one area in particular is the music which I think is brilliant; I have yet to meet or speak to a fan of the show that doesn't agree. I am at the point now where I hear a song and think..."you know what? This song would be great on CHUCK!"

However, the Bands of Charah blogs are a little different, they will focus on two songs from one band (or singer)...each of the songs describe the Chuck and Sarah relationship but one will be Chuck's point of view and the other from Sarah's!

Just like at their wedding; each had different vows to put into words the depth of love, honour and respect for the other. The choice of songs will reflect that, the songs may reflect how they've felt about each other now, previously or always...anyways if I do my job and write it properly; you will understand what I mean!
Ok so the first band to get the Bands of Charah treatment is Northern Ireland's own Snow Patrol, I could have chosen any number of Songs from the album "Eyes Open" in particular Chasing Cars and Open your eyes are both great songs but neither were chosen only 2 tracks could make the cut...I am so sure of the two songs I have chosen that I believe you could read the lyrics of both songs and instantly see Chuck and Sarah written all over them!


Chuck's Choice: Signal Fire
Album: Spiderman 3 Official Motion Picture Soundtrack

The Perfect words never crossed Chuck's mind...'cause there was nothing but Sarah!!

Right from the moment Chuck downloaded the intersect he found himself wrapped up in a world of lies, spies, death and mayhem...a world Chuck was not equipped to deal with! But through it all Sarah (and Casey) has been there to help him to deal with it and not freak out!



The only resolution and the only joy...Is the faint spark of forgiveness in your eyes


Early on Sarah realised just how different Chuck was from any other asset and more so than Casey she took it upon herself to make sure she guided him to safety on each mission. Sarah's investment in both the physical and mental well-being of the Human Intersect in the early days of Operation Bartowski saved Chuck more time I think then any other regular handler. It was of course not the Human Intersect who was Sarah's main concern it was Chuck the man..."her Chuck" but Beckman and Casey didn't have to know that!!

The world of lies, spies and national security can change people no matter how honest or heroic they may be...Chuck is no different; but luckily he's always had Agent Sarah Walker!




Hold me close, 'cause I need to guide me to safety


She is Chuck's "Signal Fire" and despite her willingness to do whatever it takes to takes to save the day she knows Chuck is not wired that way and she has ALWAYS been there to be his moral compass...like in Versus the Tic-Tac where Chuck could have easily killed the ring agents going after Casey's ex-wife.

In many way's Sarah's belief has made Chuck a better man... a great man even! Chuck will be the first to admit he couldn't do it without (his Signal Fire) Sarah holding him close and guiding him to safety.




Sarah's Choice: You're All I Have
Album: Eyes Open

This song just has primal urgency and passion that I associate with Sarah's love for Chuck...it is like Chuck's love has created a chance for Sarah to live the life she always wanted but never knew she could a have. After Chuck is her home...and always has been!

This song is about Sarah never wanting to lose this and the intense feeling of desperation that the thought of losing Chuck creates my favourite examples are Versus the Marlin and Phase 3. When this does actually occur; Sarah gets all fight and no flight...I mean bad ass does not even come close to describing it!! She tore up an entire freaking country for him and I can guarantee you no pita girl is safe... Sarah has no fear because Chuck is all she has and quite frankly she is not sure a life without him is a life she wants to live!




Just give me something to hold onto...


From what we can tell Sarah never had a great family life and whilst Chuck's family wasn't exactly perfect either he had Morgan, Ellie and Devon to lean on when time got tough...Sarah never had this luxury, she had the CIA. But now Chuck's family is her family and she has no plans of letting go...ever!

She knows how much of a gift and blessing both Chuck and his family (...HER family now too) are. Family is what you make of it and you will have to go a very long way to find one as loyal and committed to each other as the extended Bartowski (Woodcomb, Casey & Grimes) family; this for me was my favourite part of Versus The Business Trip.

These songs tell the story of why the Chuck and Sarah relationship is so great...epic even!!

 Sarah helped unlock Chuck's potential (and in many ways his true calling) as a hero and a leader; it was Sarah who always there to guide him along the way and we've lost count of the number of time she has saved him (physically & emotionally)!!

Chuck has shown Sarah that she not only can have a real life with the man she loves... but that she DESERVES a real life with unconditional love and a family to boot! Chuck showed her the power of love and trust, why it is so special and how it can spur you on to greater heights.




Under your skin feels like home...


Together they have saved each other countless times and best of all the make each other a better people!  Without a doubt Charah is so much more than the sum of their parts; what they have is so brilliant I have created a word description in their honour... Reciprocally Awesome!!


ALERT: Moggy's Public Awareness Soapbox

PS: I also wanted to give a shout-out to all other Movember participants; congratulations on a job well done! With the month coming to the end tomorrow...I am definitely looking forward to shaving off my terrible excuse for a moustache!! But it was definitely worth it to raise awareness (and money) for such a worthy cause, men's health issues are not often discussed; issues like Prostate Cancer and Male Depression need to be talked about more often!

It is still deeply ingrained in the male culture (especially in Australia) that to suffer in silence is a sign of strength and to speak about you problems is to show weakness...but to me wanting to stick around with those you love no matter how difficult it may be takes courage!!

So guys out there get checked out and stay healthy or if you are feeling down...talk to somebody!!

You owe it to yourself and you it to those who love you!!

Five chunks of CHUCK

Versus The Business Trip

Bloggers note: At the very top of this post I want to give a shout-out and dedication to one of this Blog's best supporters Lianne (aka @breddgal); I really appreciate the kind words and this is the best way I could think to say thanks...much of the material I expand on in these posts begin from tweets and discussion with brilliant Chucksters like you!! I also can't let the opportunity pass without saying congratulations on your re-tweet from Nerd 01...Mr Zach Levi! Any of you fellow CHUCK fans reading this who don't follow her...you should! Because quite frankly... she is FRAKKIN' Aces!!  

A re-tweet from Zach...you better frakking believe it!!

1. Smoke and mirrors with the bait and switch


The group of Chucksters which I like to call the "one word review crew" are some of the coolest CHUCK fans in the twitterverse who like to come together at the end of each new CHUCK episode and use just one word to sum up our personal thoughts on the episode. It really is a great way to look back on each show and on the words of others I find myself re-watching these episodes to see what others see and it really is such a great experience.


If ever there was a Zen Master of Chuck it would be @dren-lla and his one word contribution for this ep was "shell-game" which is a great summary of how the episode played out. Business Trip was a really good episode but it seemed to get carried away with the bait & switch tactics, even to the point that some of the plot moves were telegraphed well in advance.  I like that this episode of CHUCK attempted to do something a little different...it may have fallen a little flat in this area by trying a little too much to engineer plot twists and suspense but this just one small facet of a good episode that got it right in many other areas!



2. Who needs normal?


One of the central themes of CHUCK versus The Business Trip is the yearning of Sarah and Chuck to be normal people and a normal couple but seriously can Chuck and Sarah every really be normal?

Chuck is a guy who had the intersect downloaded in his brain when nobody else could, he was willing to risk his life day in day out despite any spy train; not because he is crazy (but you could argue he is just a little bit) or fearless but because of sense of honour and obligation. Once he found out what failure to stop Fulcrum or The Ring meant he laid it all on the line...that ain't normal!

Sarah Walker (Bartowski) was raised partly by a con-artist Dad and spent much of the last half of her life as a CIA agent training, fighting, throwing knives, quelling rebellions, stopping terrorists and dancing with Mikael Gorbachev...that is just the fun stuff! In truth her character had to battle a lot of hardships and she is only just adjusting to a stable life with Chuck and his (and now her) family. Keeping an asset that important to the enemy alive for as long as her and Casey did is not normal; it really is pretty freaking fantastic!

Then I think back to the wisdom of Dren_lla's shell-game analysis, the show is presenting us (and Chuck & Sarah) with the question of what normal life is for them. They are doing it in a Socratic method of sorts; by asking all the questions and allowing themselves to come to the right conclusion in their own time. In time they will realise that the normal is really abnormal for them! Plus who in their right mind wants to be normal when they could be awesome...like Chuck and Sarah!



These two a normal couple?...I doubt it!


   3. JEFFSTER...no more?


Wow...who would have thought after so long together something as minor as attempted poisoning could separate this duo!! I like the idea of the new calm, insight and frankly less-stalkerish Jeff; especially its impact on Lester who feels he has lost his best buddy in the whole entire world.

I guess for Lester he feels a little like Chuck did in the last couple of eps, he is slowly losing (or has already lost) his best friend. But a word of advice Lester...perhaps you should have taken a page out of the Chuck playbook and pantsed Jeff rather the attempting to poison Jeff (and others) with carbon monoxide!! That actually may have prevented the cops being called...

OK everybody if this is to be the last we see of Jeffster as duo, what's your favourite memory...no doubt many will say "Mr. Roboto" at the Woodcomb Wedding (Take 1) but for it will always be Jeffster kicking it old skool and unplugged with "Leaving on a Jetplane..."

Man... Peter, Paul & Jeffster sure has a certain ring to it!!

Jeffrey, get the turtle-necks...tonight we go unplugged!

4.Schwartz, shorts and long long legs!

Holy Smokes... Yvonne Strahovski turned the awesome dial up to 11 and blasted out the awesome amp and speakers!  Back by extremely popular demand came Nerd Herd Sarah...ready for any computer (or swimming pool) emergency.

This episode also has me reflecting on how awesome shorts are especially when worn so remarkably by one Yvonne Strahovski in the hotel and pool scene! Then I remembered...hang on I have seen similar short shorts stylings recently; it was Rachel Bilson on Hart of Dixie.

What do these show have in common besides impeccable leading lady fashion (to this fashion Luddite at least)? The answer is of course...Mr. Josh Schwartz!!

I am loving your work Schwartz...carry on!!

As long as Sarah Walker's legs looked in shorts, they looked much longer contorted in her Lotus Sportscar...yowza!! Maybe that is what Buzz Lightyear means "To infinity and beyond"...actually that would explain a lot!



Honey, you obviously didn't buy the Lotus for the  leg room



5. Semper Fidelis & family values

This was actually my favourite part of the episode...for me it went right to the core of what the whole show of CHUCK is about...family, loyalty and the devotion to those you love and the ideals you hold close to your heart. In fact, my one word review for the episode was "Devotion"...

• You had Chuck and Sarah who are devoted to not just making a life for each other but both are willing to risk it all for the safety of the other as Chuck and Sarah did in this ep (and every other ep!)
• Chuck was willing to become the "Human Target" and assume Morgan's identity so his bet buddy was no longer at risk of being whacked!!
• Devon is willing to forgo his happiness as a stay at home dad with Clara so that Ellie can spend quality time with her daughter and re-connect as mother and child.
• Perhaps the bravest and most faithful to his values as always was Casey; both he and Sarah knew for the team and most importantly the family to be safe the viper needed to be taken care of by any means necessary! Casey knows that the taking of a life is not something to be taken lightly especially now he is a civilian but he did it for the safety of his daughter, his partners and his best friends...

Why do they do all this? Because they are family, a family that is always faithful to each other no matter what!! Semper Fi for better or worse that is one of the things that I love the most about the show, it is a show about family that the whole family can watch...not many like that anymore! It is a topic I could go on about forever and it might be a theme I devote a whole post to in the near future...

My final thought on the Chuck ep is this...showing the CHUCK family at it's best right before Thanksgiving, the family holiday that means so much to those who celebrate the holiday in the US was a true masterstroke.

Family is one of life's great joys and we can never have enough reminders of how important family is to us all no matter how unconventional they may be. At the end of the day it is just great to know that there are people on your side willing to fight for you and we can all be thankful for that!

Till next time...stay awesome!!




Semper Fi...We got your back


Ps: You know where to find me on Twitter (@moggyvouk_82)...I would be happy to hear (and re-tweet) any of your CHUCK one word reviews!

Five Chunks of CHUCK

Versus The Bearded Bandit/The Frosted Tips

Bloggers Note: Seeing as I was on holiday last week, I am doing a supersized post of FCoC this week, encompassing both Bandit & Tips which are parts 2 & 3 of the first CHUCK story arc of the season.

1. Chuck and Morgan: a bro-mance put to the test?

Who would have thought that in the space of two episodes, TV's nerdiest bro-mance could go through the wringer like this; and who knew it would involve Morgan getting pantsed?!

I feel a bit silly as I seemed to be one of the few who didn't go into these episodes thinking that the Intersect glasses Morgan put on were corrupted with a virus! I was one of those who was conflicted with the "bearded bandit" getting the intersect, I actually would have preferred no intersect at all. But if you think about it Morgan's incessant curiosity allowed Chuck to dodge a bullet.

Morgan did get an intersect and gained new abilities...to augment his already established great spirit and big heart. But Morgan has always wanted to show everybody his worth as a spy and let's face it... he really is a little eager in general. The question I have is this...how much of Morgan's behaviour in Bandit & Tips is down to his character traits and how much is due to the virus in the intersect?

We have seen in series 5 so far how Morgan acquiring intersect skills has left Chuck struggling with his inadequacies of being de-intersected and as a rookie handler to Morgan; and without a doubt some of it is jealousy. However Chuck's sense of duty and responsibility comes into play here, he feels the intersect should be his cross to bear, as it may be too much for Morgan to take.

Some of us CHUCK fans can be a little harsh on Morgan, many still struggling to come to terms with what occurred in Chuck versus the Colonel. However, many of the the Bearded man's actions prior to and after this event have proven just how much Chuck means to him. Which is why the intersected Morgan's actions in these two episodes have been so upsetting...especially to Chuck.

By the end of Tips the friendship is very much still on...but I wonder now that Sarah has had a creative hand in the new look of her and Chuck's apartment;

• are there any game consoles left...
• and if not will she allow Morgan to set one of his up?
• As much as he loves Chuck and Sarah; will Morgan be able survive without gaming?

2. The Verbanski effect

This comes as a surprise to many other Chucksters out there, but I wasn't too sure a character like Gertrude Verbanski would be a good fit for CHUCK, I honestly thought the casting of Carrie-Anne Moss was a bit gimmicky for my tastes as well...Oh boy was I wrong, I have actually really liked it!

The Verbanski angle brings many new dynamics to CHUCK, a great potential love interest for John Casey, business competitor for Chuck (and Sarah) but in my opinion the most interesting is as female rival to Sarah for the "Kick-ass lady spy" title belt!

There have been other lady spies on the show before like Carina, Zondra etc. but Gertrude is the first to NOT actually be a friend (or Frienemy) of Sarah; she is a full-on rival who is actively seeking to put Carmichael Industries out of commission or beatdown (or worse) Sarah to win a bounty or contract.  We all know it is no contest, Sarah is the most kick-ass spy out there but it is great for her just to have a worthy challenger step into the ring!

A lot of interesting potential with the character, I hope we see a bit more of her!

How about the Sarah-Verbanski smackdown towards the end of Tips...pretty awesome right!! All I can say is flying back from holiday a few days ago, none of the flight-staff with the airline I flew with looked as awesome as those two! Not to mention we didn't even get to see a well-choreographed fight scene either...ah well you win some, you lose some!

3. Devon + Buy More = More Awesome

I have never been a big fan of the secondary CHUCK plots that involve the Buy More; Don't get me wrong Big Mike, Jeff and Lester (and Skip and Fernando) are pretty awesome, but the introduction of Devon (aka Captain Awesome) to the Buy More crew has been an inspired move by the writers.

I mean it is funny how things fall in to place; I think the idea to bring Devon and the Buy-Morons together was necessitated (or at least fast-tracked) by Sarah Lancaster's (Ellie) limited availability thanks to real-life pregnancy and recent addition to her family. But the way Devon played off Jeffster and Big Mike in these two episodes was fantastic. I especially loved the Buy More ad flashback (I am old enough to remember BetaMax...barely), it seems as if this move has really paid off.

For Devon being awesome is a way of life, it is nice to see him struggle a little every now and again. It is even cooler that the Buy More in some strange way is helping him along on his journey into the unknown!


4. Half Moon: A great Charah Song

Everyone has at least one of these (and in my case it may just be closer to one hundred); a song that will always be associated with Chuck and Sarah. Each time you listen you will be reminded of a certain time and place on the show. For me "Half Moon" by Blind Pilot is one of those songs, I knew this from the first time I heard it!

The song itself is brilliant in its own right but combined with the moment where Sarah diffuses Chuck's crisis of confidence in his abilities both in the field and as a handler sends the song in the Pantheon of Charah songs in my humble opinion.

Sarah verbal affirmation of Chuck's growth is a really import moment for Chuck and I feel it allows the Chuckster to walk taller in a situation (sans intersect) that he is struggling to deal with, I just think the song really works.

Most of all it is showing further personal development of Sarah the person (and wife) which brings me to...

5. Sarah: The heart of Carmichael Industries?

I have often said that Sarah's development away from the spylife has been one of my favourite parts of the show and I am glad that it continued in these two episodes!

She is still willing to put her partner's feelings ahead of hers and play wingman (or is that wing-person) for Casey's romantic endeavours despite her dislike for Gertrude Verbanski!

She was also willing to swallow her pride and hire Verbanski Corp. to assist in the retrieval of Chuck and Morgan in Bandit. I doubt the old Agent Sarah Walker would have done these things; but even if she did...boy would she have been pissed off!!!

But now Sarah is the glue that holds this team together...she was the only one not to totally give up on Morgan, she realised just how deeply hurt by Morgan's actions Casey and in particular Chuck were. She continued to battle on the bearded one's behalf partly because she has grown to love him as a friend but mostly because she knew that if Chuck or Casey did anything to harsh they may never be able to forgive themselves afterwards. She did it by getting to the bottom of the intersect mess, Morgan owes her big time!!

As you guys realise by now I am a huge sucker for the Charah moments (even the little ones) and these eps had a few nice ones from Bandit's morning run in the park where she affirmed her eternal belief in Chuck to consoling a shattered Chuck reeling from the betrayal of his best buddy in Tips!

Not bad for a girl previously convinced she will never be a normal girl...probably because nobody that awesome could ever be normal!

Don't think I forgot the Charah kiss on the roof at the end of the Zorn mission, it could have been even hotter than the flaming wreck of the exploded chopper... Holy smokes!! ;-)

Five Chunks of CHUCK...

Versus The Zoom

Bloggers Note: I realise there is a whole lot of reviews out there for CHUCK episodes, So I wanted to try something different with mine...I will post up just five random points or observations on the CHUCK eps we see and focus on those rather than the whole episode itself. I liked Chuck Versus The Zoom but like a few others I felt it could have been better, but honestly any CHUCK is better than no CHUCK at all...So I'm just glad to have the show back.

I also want to give a shout-out to each any everyone of my twitter follower Chucksters, I really love chatting about CHUCK to each and everyone of you guys and girls during the week; for those you reading the blog...Thank you so much and I hope you enjoy!

BE WARNED THE BLOG DOES CONTAIN SOME COARSE LANGUAGE & RACY SARAH BARTOWSKI... So read on, you know you want to!! ;-) 

1. No Money...More Problems?

I admit I would enjoyed seeing Carmichael Industries spend their money a bit more, you know fly the Gulf-Stream Jet to missions and see what cool & nerdy gadgets Chuck (and Morgan) would have equipped the team with. However when has anything ever come easy to Chuck (or Sarah for that matter)?

Having Decker freeze their accounts is probably a great idea for the show's storyline in the final season, but I would having loved to see the newlyweds spend some of the cash for a little while longer!

My gripe is we didn't even get a Honeymoon episode of the show; I mean we got versus the Ring I and II but no Honeymooners I and II!


2. Sarah always brings the heat for season opener

If  I was a Major League Baseball manager Sarah Walker would be my opening day pitcher every year, she brings the intensity and heat early and often, lets breakdown the numbers shall we...

Season 1 Opener- was the Vicki Vale moment
 Season 2 Opener- we had the date with Chuck (plus her getting ready for the date)
Season 3 Opener- ...the white swimsuit (Why Chuck...why? *Prague Face-palm*)
Season 4 Opener- All about the sexting photos and the bare foot texting!+
Season 5 Opener- "What is your secret Chuck?" (Do I really need to say anything more?)

I wonder if Chuck made this his phone wallpaper?

+ - How sure are we Quentin Tarantino didn't direct Chuck versus The Anniversary...at least the scene with Yvonne Strahovski's feet?


3. Chuck has intersect envy

No surprises here...Morgan's got the ability to "zoom" and Chuck can no longer "flash" so no wonder Chuck feels kinda helpless, after all these problems never happened to Superman or Buffy!

I mean it's the whole Zeppo thing...Jimmy Olsen never took out Parasite with heat-vision++, same as Xander never had slayer strength to take down demons. How does the hero take it when he's lost his powers (or what HE FEELS makes him special) only to find your friend now has that gift? Of course you feel happy for them but jealousy has to be the prevailing emotion.

Now much of Chuck's existence (in-particular his livelihood) relies on Morgan's ability with the intersect...which must be immensely scary for the Chuckster!!

I did enjoy that Ellie (at the start) and Sarah (at the end) were there with the right words for Chuck during his struggles to cope with losing the intersect. I would like for Chuck to discuss the matter further with Sarah (and Casey) in the next few eps; I mean how did Sarah adjust to being saved (on occasion) by the man it was her job to protect...may not have been easy for her either; she is after all a kick-ass independent super-spy ninja!

++ -  That is my story and I am sticking to it unless my DC historians (@dren_lla and @jemjoven) tell me different!!

4. CHUCK Music...Still awesome!

I never doubted it; The music on CHUCK has set a high standard and the Season CHUCK 5 premiere delivered as expected! My favourites were...

New Young Pony Club track "Ice Cream" is not usually the kind of song I would like...but Yvonne Strahovski as Sarah Walker was able to make me an instant fan of the song! (not sure why that was though)

Simian Ghost "Take My Hand And Lead Me Home" is a nice mellow track to go along the deep and meaningful house discussion between Chuck and Sarah, I can find my self listening to this quite a bit.

Typhoon "The Honest Truth" was my favourite track of the episode might have been because it was where Chuck made the plan and followed through his running & jumping out the building window reminded me of Rodimus Prime transforming and rolling out through Unicron's eye in (the REAL) Transformers the Movie!!+++ The song itself seems like a bit of a rabble-rouser and tub-thumper of a track++++  befitting the leader of Carmichael Industries.

+++ - How good is Stan Bush?...Chuck versus Tom Sawyer anyone!!!
++++ - Bonus points for using the lyrics piss and moan

Don't try to fight it Chuck...your secrets are as good as hers!

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

A new season sees Chuck now married with a Smokin' hot wife (his words) and they have their own business but as always it seems Chuck is still trying to find his place in the world. As happy as he is right now in his own skin he still isn't sure where he fits in; as has been the case since the show started.

What also hasn't changed is Chuck's need to make a better life for (and with) his wife Sarah, it appears to be his main mission in his life...which is pretty sweet when you think about it but I feel not everybody agrees.

As Chuck was getting to know Sarah in the first two seasons his gestures of affection started small and got bigger from food options like vegetarian pizza (no olives) and rare cheeseburgers (extra pickles) to homely knick-knacks like alarm clocks and eventually Jewellery in the form of his mother's charm bracelet. As time has moved on Chuck's gestures have gotten grander and more involved; let's face it they have not always been the most successful either...as we saw with Operation: Toes In The Sand.

Some people may feel Chuck is being a bit of an idiot with the number of grandiose schemes and plans he tries to implement to impress Sarah, to a certain extent I agree but...in Ellie's words to Chuck "you can never go too far". If the worse that could happen to him is public embarrassment in expressing his affection for Sarah, Chuck would take that just to see the mega-watt Sarah Bartowski smile!

Simply put, Chuck wouldn't be Chuck if he didn't continue to make the effort to express what Sarah means to him.  Also in Chuck's defense (and a point I have heard others make quite rightly) Sarah is not the most open with her feelings, even to Chuck. The moment she verbalised what her dream-house was to Chuck; he set the plan in motion and thus he has a new-submission for the season!

I think Sarah should have the final say on this; and despite his faults Sarah has made it clear she thinks Chuck is perfect...Even if Chuck Versus The Zoom itself could have been better!!

Five by 5: My wishlist for CHUCK Season 5

Blogger's note: Only a few hours remaining until the fifth and final season of CHUCK begins which I approach which both great anticipation and trepidation. I mean who doesn't want new episodes of CHUCK? However, there are only 13 episodes this season and each episode we see means we are one step closer to the end. Being the fifth season of CHUCK I have come up with Five things I want to see out of this last season, so take a look and give me your thoughts on anything you want to see from the show that I may have missed.

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

The Cover song thing under the undercover thing

Bloggers Note: The topic of music on Chuck has always been interesting to me and I especially enjoy discussing with other fans in particular on twitter. Many of my Chuck music blog ideas have come from in-depth dialogue with fellow Chucksters, I want to thank three in particular (@jemjoven, @dren_lla and @BigKev67) with whom I have a regular habit discussed of discussing the finer intricacies of Chuck’s music

Don’t know if this idea was inspired or crazy (likely to be both) but I have been thinking about doing this blog entry for a while on cover songs that suit CHUCK.

Why, you may ask? ...Well a good cover song is a pretty awesome; I think it needs to pay homage to what has come before but I also think it needs to bring something new to the table as well!

Some of these songs are actually covers you can find around the place and others take place only in my imagination; but if they did happen it would be pretty freaking awesome!

I am aware the formatting is poor but just go with me, I need to post this before I go crazy I have been trying to get this done for nearly a month now...

Also there are some Adult themes discussed but no more than in a regular Chuck episode, so enjoy and please comment!

You’ve got to hide your love away

Ideally Covered by: Bon Iver

Originally by: The Beatles (Written by John Lennon)

My favourite Beatles song, great folk track from the band who could do it all as for why it would work on the show… are you kidding me? This song sums up much of the angst between Chuck and Sarah in the first two seasons where they have to play up the “Cover” relationship in public and “Hide their love away” in private for the greater good of the mission!

I think all fans of Chuck can agree what a great impact the music of Bon Iver has had on the show and I would love to see the band attempt a cover of this great song!

How could she say to me

Love will find a way…

Hey, you’ve got to hide your love away

Best suited for which Chuck Episode:

Chuck versus The Truth during Chuck’s questioning of Sarah’s real feelings towards him and then at the end of the episode where Sarah admits to Casey she has immunity to the truth serum! A folksy track full of angsty emotion perfectly suited to this season 1 episode which is one of the touchstones for the first two seasons of Chuck. Plus it gave me the cool idea for this post’s title!

Love will tear us apart

Covered by: Nouvelle Vague

Originally by: Joy Division

Melancholic song about how true love can go bad and hurt both parties in the relationship much like Chuck and Sarah during the start of season 3 especially when Shaw turned up like the turd in the proverbial punchbowl to make matters even worse.


As the desperation takes hold.

Just that something so good just can’t function no more




But love, love will tear us apart again

Love, love will tear us apart again

Best suited for which Chuck Episode:

Chuck versus The Fake Name (or as I call it Chuck versus the Gut Punch) during the painful ending where Chuck breaks up with Hannah and Sarah reciprocates the feelings of Daniel Shaw (YUCK!!) Love really did nearly tear them apart (and the Chuck Fandom as well).

Laid

Covered by: Ben Lee and Missy Higgins (Duet)

Originally by: James


This song just sums up a lot of the Chuck and Sarah relationship; there are so many reasons why they should not be to together but one really good reason they should, they are crazy about each other!!

I also love that the lyrics talk of messing around with gender roles, which is one the great things I love about Chuck with Bartowski being the emotional social butterfly and Walker being the protective physical problem solver! I won’t lie the first three lines of the song are pretty hot!!

I heard this version of the song when these two Aussie singers each performed in my hometown in 2004 as a special treat performed this in the encore!! It was amazing I haven’t seen it anywhere for sale or download but it was just brilliant so trust me on this. Having said that, the cover by Matt Nathinson is not bad either.






This bed is on fire with passionate love
The neighbours complain about the noises above…






I found you sleeping next to me I thought I was alone
You're driving me crazy when are you coming home



Best suited for which Chuck Episode:

Chuck versus The Role Models, at the end where Sarah says to Chuck that she is going over to start cleaning THEIR apartment! This is at a stage of the relationship where things are so passionate and intense and yet both are questioning if the relationship would still be strong when the intensity is gone? The answer is of course yes because of the depth of love and respect they have had for each other over a long time. But you know those crazy kids...so slow on the uptake!

There she goes

Covered by: The Wombats

Originally by: The La’s

An excellent cover by Liverpool’s own The Wombats of the original song by Liverpool’s own The La’s. There have been a lot of discussions about what the real meaning of this song is, for the purpose of this blog I think of it as being about Sarah and much in love with her Chuck is and the depths to which it affects him. The very sight of Sarah’s makes Chuck content and happy on so many levels.



There she goes, there she goes again

She calls my name, pulls my train

No-one else could heal my pain




Best suited for which Chuck Episode

Chuck versus The Fear of Death, When Sarah is walking through the Buy More to reunite with Chuck… you know one of those sequences with the wind machines and where it seems that time slows down! All of the tests & trials Chuck is having to endure to work out a way to reverse the suppression of the intersect has Chuck freaking out but when Sarah arrives a wave of emotion washes over him and in the moment of seeing Sarah she is all he can think about. In a world constantly turned upside down she’s often the only thing that he can count on!

Set You Free

Covered by: Frightened Rabbit

Originally by: N-Trance


Such an epic song, one of the VERY rare occasions a cover version totally outshines the original (by British dance outfit “N-Trance”) which honestly was not that special at all but the Frightened Rabbit version drenched in pure raw emotion, such an awesome love song!

Both Sarah and Chuck have found freedom in their love of the other; Chuck was trapped in a life as an under-achieving Nerd Herder then as an asset of the US government but the love and encouragement of Sarah has allowed him to transcend his perceived limitations. For Sarah the love of Chuck has given her a life and future away from spies, lies and death; which she otherwise may not have felt she deserved or could even have.











When I hold you baby

And your heart beats close to me

I wanna stay in you arms forever

Oh, your love can set you free



When I wake each morning

And the storm beats down on me

And I know we belong together

Oh, your love can set you free…



When we touch each other

In a state of ecstasy

I want this night to last forever

Oh, your love will set you free









Best suited for which Chuck Episode:

The Bartowski Wedding Episodes (Chuck versus The Ring I & Chuck versus The Cliffhanger) No offence to Blind Pilot (3 rounds & a sound) or Jonsi (sinking friendships) who both gave awesome wedding songs to the show but I think "Set you free" would be a brilliant choice for Sarah and Chuck to dance to at Devon & Ellie’s wedding and for it to be used again during the Charah wedding ceremony and procession to the wedding limo as it would provide an epic symmetry!

The topic of what other songs could have been used for Chuck and Sarah’s Wedding has been a constant issue of discussion especially between @jemjoven and I. So “Set you free” is my next (and perhaps best) suggestion for your consideration.

 

Beyond the Sea

Ideally Covered by: Zachary Levi

Originally by: Bobby Darrin

For starters it will give Zach Levi a chance to showcase his remarkable set of pipes on the show like he did in Tangled. The old school Bobby Darrin song is right in Levi’s wheelhouse and I think Zach has the passion, presence and voice to do justice to this great song!


I know beyond a doubt
my heart will lead me there soon
we’ll meet (I know we'll meet) beyond the shore
we’ll kiss just as before
Happy we'll be beyond the sea
and never again I'll go sailing'

Best suited for which Chuck Episode:

I would use this in an upcoming Season 5 episode (perhaps for their First Anniversary) where Chuck tries to serenade Sarah…it would be just the kind of nerdy yet romantic thing Chuck would do. I don’t care what anyone else says Sarah would absolutely love it!

Chuck FC Part 2

Cole Barker is Manchester United (EPL)

Of course it makes sense…powerful, tough, rugged, skillful and annoyingly hard to kill-off! Cole Barker and Manchester United tick all the same boxes and they have an unwavering smugness while doing it!

Chuck’s resident Bond caricature and the red devils are destined to appear together because they are so similar they both have a frustrating habit of embarrassing our heroes (Chuck/Arsenal) with their remarkable skills and I really need to mention again how hard they are to kill off…really really REALLY hard!

Perhaps it’s the confident swagger and steadfast belief in their abilities that puts Chuck/Arsenal off their game.  Much of the time this swagger and bluster is all it takes for Man U/Cole to dominate the game! As an Arsenal fan I heard all the jokes about our recent loss to Man U, I’d 8-2 be an Arsenal fan and all that but it pays to remember that sometimes Arsenal does... MUST stand and fight; because

When you meet somebody (or something) you care about, it’s just hard to walk away...

Arise Mr. Wiltord @ Old Trafford 2002 



Morgan Grimes is Manchester City (EPL)

That’s right Morgan Guillermo Grimes (aka the Morgan-sect) is Man City.

Makes sense the inept spy-in-training we used to laugh at is now in possession of the world’s greatest spy weapon-The Intersect! Compare that to Manchester City the (formally) inept second team in Manchester is now in possession of the greatest weapon in football (No not Leo Messi…)…Money and lots of it!

Manchester City has assembled a lot of great & talented players (Aguero, Nasri, Dzecko, Silva etc.) arguably enough to be considered one of the best teams in the world; all the tools are there but do they have the chemistry and intangibles that all great teams need? Morgan has all the intersect’s data and abilities downloaded in his head; he has all the same stuff that Chuck had. The question remains however, does Morgan have the intangible spirit and epic chutzpah that makes Chuck the spy...the MAN he is?

In the case of Morgan we will begin to get the answer to our questions in October and as for Manchester City we may need to wait till May with the end of this current season.

Carina Miller is Argentina (National Team)

Ruthless, cut-throat and willing to bend the rules as far as possible, it sure sounds like Carina or the Argentinean Futbol team?  Yes but that would selling both very short… there is also a deadly beauty in the way Argentina play and you would have to be blind not to see Carina’s deadly beauty.

The truth is that what makes Argentina’s football (and Carina) so special is that all those elements come together in a perfect mix of good & bad you take any of it away and it’s not the same! I think you have to respect both Carina and Argentina for making no excuses as to how they play the game…they play to win!

 I grew up watching the flawed genius that was Diego Maradona, the player that scored all those wonderful goals was the same one who cheated to score “The Hand of God goal”! You can’t accept one and neglect the other all of those aspects make up the person or team.

Carina seems like she would stop at nothing to get the job done; often putting her partners at risk to get the job done and she gets results. The truth is Sarah (and by extension Chuck) has a very loyal friend and ally in Carina; even with her… unique honour code. I don’t need to convince you of Carina’s beauty but what about the La Albiceleste? I have heard this goal called the “25 steps to heaven”  and I think you can appreciate the name once you see it…even the boys from Brazil would struggle to match this!

Zondra is Chile (National Team)

Full of spice and flair, Chile’s national team are perhaps the best exponents of sexy football in South America at the moment just as Zondra was perhaps the most kick-ass addition to Chuck mythology in 2011! It must be said how amazingly awesome Mercedes Masohn (who plays Zondra) is, definitely the guiltiest pleasure to follow on twitter!

The character of Zondra was not afraid to throw down with the best in the business, Sarah Walker…and she survived! Much like how the Chileans took on eventual world cup winners Spain and were far from embarrassed only going down 2-1.

Jill Roberts is Italy (National Team)

What does that egghead brunette Jill Roberts have in common with the Azzuri; I say quite a lot scientific, smart, cerebral, conniving, and manipulative, that’s just for starters.

Italy are the masters of a defensive tactic called the Catenaccio (Italian for Door-Bolt) a highly organized and effective backline defense which is intended to prevent scoring;  which to put it bluntly is what Jill did to Chuck and Sarah.

Italy specialized tactic is to soak up attacking pressure with different forms of Catenaccio and then rip the heart of the opposing team with a single goal. This is an extremely smart tactic when it works for them but like Jill when things are not going in their favour they are more than willing to resort to the dark arts (like cynical fouling and diving) to win. Two teams I hold very dear are the Dutch Euro 2000 Team and the Australian (Socceroos) 2006 World Cup team; both of which were defeated in heart breaking circumstances by the Italians.

 In the case of Australia they fell victim to the dark arts of Italian left-back Fabio Grosso.

Luckily for Sarah Walker, Chuck (eventually) saw past the con-job of that b!tch Jill…

That is it for this edition of Chuck FC!
I do have more of these  to come, but I might change it up for my next post...I am thinking something in the CHUCK music area but with my usual off-centre analysis.

Again 'til next time

Stay Aces!!

-Moggy