TV Show: Chuck

[discoloda]

If anyone has some free time, I recommend this show 100%. The first 4 or so episodes are not the best. But the 1st season overall is great television.

The show _is_ funny with plenty of good references to the 'geek' culture.
Has some good drama and dynamics with characters.
I had as much fun watching this as I did watching Stargate: SG1.

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[cybogoblin]

I'll second this recommendation. I've been loving the show, and was pleased to hear that there are still two more episodes to air (they were produced before the Strike, but weren't showen before the Xmas hiatus).

This show is also a pretty good substitute for anyone needing a Jayne fix since Firefly ended. One of the two episodes yet to air will be pretty Baldwin-heavy, too.

[rottnkorpse]

I HATE this show...I find this show insulting to the geek community, poorly written and incredibly predictable.

Not only do I hate the way they pathetically throw in geek related stuff which half of the time they are even wrong about, which begs the question "if you make comments or iterations about geek culture...WHY THE HELL HAVEN'T YOU ASKED A GEEK IF YOU'RE RIGHT?!?", I hate the fact that I see the ending of the show coming a mile away.

Regarding the endings...two I can still remember begging for the endings not to be what I easily see coming. The pilot episode and the episode about the missile, the boat and his gps car.

The pilot episode was not as obvious as the other but once they show the computer sitting the bomb you instantly know how they are gonna "save the day"...and the weird thing is why would they use a notebook to set a bomb...thats a waste of easily $500 when you set a bomb off with a phone or something much cheaper...but maybe they just wanted a large screen to show a countdown to their death, ok thats fine...BUT WHY IS IT CONNECTED TO WIFI!!! He couldn't download the virus without WIFI and he obviously didn't have time to hook one up so why is it already on it...a countdown doesn't need remote activation or anything...this was just very poorly thought through and insulting to me as a geek/tv viewer.

The gps missile thing was worse though...they show this guy and his car and he is bragging about the horsepower and all that and then says it has a gps chip in it...who the hell brags about that...gps navigation sure but to brag about having a traceable chip in it...NO ONE brags about that, not even us geeks that understand them and how they work. So as soon as they said that I knew something would happen to his car that involved the gps but I didn't know what until they got to the missile and instantly I saw the ending at least 10 minutes before it happened. The shocking thing is they were saying they had to send it somewhere...NO THEY DIDN'T! All they freakin' had to do was get off the damn boat. They had plenty of time to take three steps off the boat onto the docks and start running...hell it was like 45sec-1min before they reset the gps...are you saying some fit chick who could kick everyone's ass, an FBI guy...and a super geek can't understand the concept of RUN!!!

To borrow something from the TRS guys, this show is an abortion to quality sci-fi and to compare SG1 to this is laughable at best and I hope it falls into the abyss of immediate cancellations.

[tsmith15]

I'm with RottNKorpse but not so harshly. I liked some parts of it, but I didn't like the fact that it was "creature-of-the-week" at least at the start, and a lot of the writing and direction was not how I would have gone about it. I think it had potential, but it failed me.

[skin87]

Settle down there RottNKorpse, this show is FICTION meant for ENTERTAINMENT. Therefore, no the show does not portray the average geek, stereotypical nerds provide better humor, and no, the situations aren't realistic. Yes, it was obvious the day was going to be saved, because if not all the main characters would have died, but name me a movie/show where the main character doesn't stop the bomb in time. And lastly, the whole concept of the show is someone downloads every government secret INTO HIS BRAIN. If you're the type of person who needs their fiction ultra realistic, why did you even bother watching more than one episode?

[discoloda]

I was not comparing quality of television, but personal I had as much fun watching both.

[rottnkorpse]

Settle down there RottNKorpse, this show is FICTION meant for ENTERTAINMENT. Therefore, no the show does not portray the average geek, stereotypical nerds provide better humor, and no, the situations aren't realistic. Yes, it was obvious the day was going to be saved, because if not all the main characters would have died, but name me a movie/show where the main character doesn't stop the bomb in time. And lastly, the whole concept of the show is someone downloads every government secret INTO HIS BRAIN. If you're the type of person who needs their fiction ultra realistic, why did you even bother watching more than one episode?
You didn't get a single thing I said...I love the sci-fi genre...what geek doesn't? I never said I wanted it to be "ultra realistic" nor did I need you to explain the premise of the show because, yea I'm not 5. I am saying that if they are going to make a show for geeks they should realize that the term "geek" refers to smart people and having incredibly predictable endings, cliche dialogs, 2d dimensional characters and much more that I could easily make fun of...that these factors don't appeal to geeks.

It is even suppose to be a comedy...it's not even funny...everything they say is so cliche that I am much more annoyed than amused. I think of the three episodes I watched that I laughed maybe once for about 2 seconds and smerked about 3 times...that is quite sad to be a scifi/comedy.

I watched the show three times because the pilot was awful but I wanted to like this show because of the premise I decided to watch the second episode and it too made me hate it. Then I was annoyed by a friend over and over saying it had gotten much better and that I should watch it again so I said "ok fine if it shut you up"...still an awful show.

BUT tsmith is right maybe I am too harsh about it but the reason for that is that NBC is thinking of canceling an actual good scifi show, Journeyman, for that garbage. It's just irritating how stupid tv execs can be. If they advertised the hell out of Journeyman rather than their precious crap "Chuck" I bet you Journeyman would obliterate Chuck in ratings.

I was not comparing quality of television, but personal I had as much fun watching both.
I know what you mean...sorry if you took my comment as an insult to you in any way, I didn't mean it like that. I simply meant that the Stargate series (both of them) is SO MUCH better than Chuck in characters, stories, dialog, action & everything else that I couldn't possibly see how they could be compared. I suppose Chuck could easily be a good show if you aren't the type of person to look for flaws in a show...but unfortunately I am one of those people...I am not an avid tv viewer because of that because not many shows really grab my attention but lately there have been many more...just Chuck isn't one of them, wish it was because I love the idea of it but the production lacks in so many ways I guess I am just disappointed with it than anything else.

[cybogoblin]

I think there might be some confusion arising here over the shows intended audience. I'd put money on Chuck not being aimed at your usual sci-fi audience, but more at the mass-market. Sure, they use a lot of technical jargon, but when you compare it to a show like Startgate, it's mostly dumbed down to the lowest common denominator.

I guess it's a bit like how The A-Team was not really a good example of paramilitary groups, and The Dukes of Hazzard was not a good example of deep south alcohol transportation practices.

[skin87]

Who ever said it was targeted for geeks? And why would they make it for geeks? Sci-fi tv on the major networks that are targeted for geeks don't have a great track record. Nor is it meant to be considered sci-fi. If anything they are going for a more spy/action theme than science-fiction, and that spy theme is just a vehicle for the OCesque comedy that the show is meant to be.

[damnedeyez]

I never had the impression it was aimed at geeks...nor did I get any impressions it was a SciFi show...


I thought it was a Spy Comedy meant for mass appeal.

[mattk]

I too would like to echo the sentiments. It started off not entirely interesting, but i watched it just because of the time slot. Now i love it.

I think the one thing that everyone fails to point out with this show is that the character relationships are amazingly interesting, sincere, and fun to follow. They give you that good feeling because Chuck is a good guy that wants to treat everyone well. Whether it is Chuck and his sister, he and awesome, he and casey, he and Morgan, or he and Sarah. It is really great to watch how Chuck grows and others around him do. I dunno if that describes it well, but the character development has been great and really only a complete payoff for those who have continually watched the show.

[tsmith15]

name me a movie/show where the main character doesn't stop the bomb in time.
I do indeed believe that in 24 there is some pretty bad shit that goes down, even if Jack stops the worst of it.

[sisterchristian]

It is even suppose to be a comedy...it's not even funny...everything they say is so cliche that I am much more annoyed than amused. I think of the three episodes I watched that I laughed maybe once for about 2 seconds and smerked about 3 times...that is quite sad to be a scifi/comedy.


Agreed! I have watched the eps that are available on the NBC streaming site, and I have to say this is about the dumbest show I have ever seen. They should make it in to a 1/2 hour sitcom and get better writers/actors.

[aerodash84]

I gotta say I highly enjoy Chuck, and they've only had 8 episodes so far. I remember the beginning of season 1 of Heroes and it was pretty slow and not great to me. I think most shows take awhile to pick up and this show is going to get interesting with the second half and where it can go. As to the Geek references, I think they're used sparingly so they don't get old and pay off well like the use of Klingon. Also, I think they really casted some great actors for the roles they play.

The show I could not stand was the Big Bang Theory, I barely got through the pilot without wanting to just delete the free copy I got on iTunes. The jokes were tacky and just drove geek stereotypes into the ground.

[glacierice]

Chuck is my favourite show on TV right now, hands down. Just a fun show to watch.

[lnknpk04]

I like it. Its just a fun show. I'm a geek but I dont sit there and try to relate to the show. Its faux geek and meant to appeal to the masses, else it would be on Sci-fi and not NBC. As my esteemed colleague said previously...its a spy comedy. Its goofy to be fun...reminds me of watching Get Smart as a kid. Nothing specific (cause I was really young), just that reminiscent feeling...who knows...maybe its the beer talking...I'm rambling..

[dignan17]

I think the one thing that everyone fails to point out with this show is that the character relationships are amazingly interesting, sincere, and fun to follow. They give you that good feeling because Chuck is a good guy that wants to treat everyone well.
Someone give this person a medal.

This is the crux of the series, and that's what some people in this thread need to understand. It's not about geeks, it's not about the "problem of the week," it's not about the "comedy," and it's not even really about the spying. It's about a good guy who's thrust into a situation and how he deals with it. Every time I see Chuck do something basically decent it's like a breath of fresh air, because there's so little of that on TV right now. There's so little of people simply doing the right thing by each other.

That's not to say this was my favorite show this season. Far from it. I loved Journeyman and Pushing Daisies and Dexter and most of my usual shows far more than Chuck. But it succeeds in something that I value highly from a few shows: I always feel good about it. It's always entertaining and genuinely heartfelt.

Chuck has some problems. Yes, the "geek" stuff always feels forced to me, with only ~25% of the references ringing true. The comedy is not "LOL" funny, but always makes me chuckle (well, that's not true, Adam Baldwin always makes me laugh). The main problem is that the "plot of the week" always seems a tertiary concern at best to the show makers. I'm not sure I could tell you the spy-related plot to a single episode. Still, I don't consider this the worst thing in the world. I'll take good characters and good character relationships over the plot-of-the-week any day.

Well, to sum up, I guess I just find Chuck hard to hate. I find it pretty charming, actually. It's not my favorite show, but it hasn't really disappointed me so far.

[digital2d]

yeah,I don't see this aimed at the nerd core geeks really,They use lots of general geek references that even my mom gets....I would think that would make more sense then trying to use jokes that mostly no one got

Baldwin plays almost the same character he did in Firefly,which is funny to watch.I actually got my wife to watch firefly due to this show.

Action stuff is really good,got your spy tech,geeky jokes...Chucks sis is a fox as well
I like the stories and the cast isn't bad,not GREAT,but not bad..right now its a 6...let it grow a bit and I see this show at a 8 or 9 in a few seasons...if they can figure how to expand the story that far...

And captain awesome...is well awesome

[mattk]

The last two episodes were amazing and definitely the best of the series so far. We DVRed the last one (i'm a teacher and i can't stay up past 10 to watch stuff) and watched it today. Before my wife and i started we had a makeshift moment of silence knowing that this is probably the last new episode of all the shows that we were watching and it didn't disappoint. It sort of felt like a season finale.

American Gladiators just does not fill the void where Heroes, Chuck, 30 Rock, and the Office existed. Oh well. Here's to next season!

[masherscf]

I think the writers are finally establishing Chuck's character beyond the nerd.

[hoodedrobin]

Umm... Hot girlfriend/CIA agent + hot sister + hot bad girls + and an emo asian chick who wears heels... WTF am I the only one who sees the quality

Seriously you put down this show, but we all know you watch buffy alone at home in your basement RottNKorpse...