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Apr. 18th, 2009 01:50 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
snowystingrayConsidering that about 99% of my journal content consists of me fretting over fictional characters, I hope you will appreciate the direness of my situation when I say that right now I am honestly truly disturbed by just how deeply emotionally invested I am in the fate of Chuck. First of all, THIS SHOW CANNOT BE CANCELED. PERIOD. Just. What. I have a hard time accepting that the show is even in this position -- aside from maybe House, I feel like it's the most mainstream/viewer-friendly of all my fandoms. In fact, I mostly got invested because I felt like it was safe, consistent, goofy fun that I could rely on week after week while all the rest of my shows were dropping like flies. (SERIOUSLY GUYS WHAT IS WITH THIS PAST YEAR? Atlantis, The Middleman, Crusoe, Pushing Daisies -- um, just, no. The last thing I need is more cancellation heartbreak.) The only thing I can come up with is that it has a killer timeslot; I'll admit that I don't even watch it live, because I'm watching House instead (but then of course I catch up with Chuck on Hulu which I suppose is a more effective demonstration of my viewership, so...). But if House kills Chuck? UGHHHHHHH.
And then secondly, even assuming the show does get renewed (pleasepleasepleeeeease), I AM SO ANXIOUS ABOUT MONDAY'S EPISODE. Just judging from the promo, eeeeeeekkkk I am so so so so so worried about where Casey will fall in all his muddled loyalties. On the one hand, surely the angry growly, "Never betray my team!!" must be a truncated version of, "I would never betray my team!!", right?? OF COURSE THAT'S RIGHT. Meaning Casey is firmly on Team Chuck. On the other, though... Sarah/Casey fight?? Admittedly, their confrontation back in 1.02 remains one of my favourite fight scenes in the show, buuuut that was ages ago and now they're friends and partners and totally not people who would beat the crap out of each other. AUUUGH. I guess if I knew this would all end well I could happily sit through the angst roller coaster, because Casey grappling with his feelings versus his perceived professional duties generally makes for A-grade television -- but now I feel like this is asking me to get on a roller coaster before all the track has been laid, because I was just browsing some Chuck discussion the other day and somebody mentioned the possibility that Casey might sacrifice himself to save Chuck and Sarah. I... I... what? I don't even know why I'm so upset about this, because I know it's just a throwaway piece of speculation, but it's gripped my heart and now I keep hearing all this talk from TPTB that the finale is a real "game changer" and what could be more game changing than killing off a lead character and AHHH WHY CAN'T I STOP THINKING ABOUT THIS?? I can't imagine anyone on the show seriously suggesting that they write Casey off -- I think they all realize how much of a nerd audience draw Adam Baldwin is -- but stilllll, just having that tiny nagging "what if?" is going to completely ruin me until Monday night.
So. Ahem. Freak-out aside -- I don't know, this is kind of a thing I do every year at this time! A redirection of term project/finals/end-of-school anxieties, I suppose... probably exacerbated this year because I have even more going on in that department! Well, previously it had been jumping into totally new shows (last year SGA, and then the year before Robin Hood), but this time around I think it's just going to be me getting completely reinvested in a super huge way in Chuck. At this point in time any sort of pimp post/Why You Should Watch/10 Awesome Things probably would not make much of a dent in any viewership deficits, but you know what? WHO CARES. I feel inspired to share my love with the wooorld! Also, I know I tend to spend a bit too much time complaining/worrying/angsting over the show, so it feels appropriate to pause and celebrate what I do enjoy about being a fan.
So like I said, I know it's late in the game and there's no obligation to feel pressured to go out and buy the first season and catch up on all of the second season and get invested in everybody and pore over every single episode in the few days between now in the finale -- but if you feel inspired to head over to Hulu and watch an episode or two (although there is some running backstory, the show is fairly episodic), that would make me beyond happy. Or if you just want to scroll through this post and ogle Adam Baldwin, that's cool with me, too.
So, yeah, first and foremost: UNLEASH THE CASEY.
Seriously, guys, it is completely impossible for me to overstate how beyond awesome my dear Major John Casey is. At first glance yes, it's typical Adam-Baldwin-does-gruff-badass fare, but he's just so good at it! And even though there haven't been nearly enough Casey-centric episodes to suit my needs (as if there ever could be!) I think they've still given him plenty of room to play around with the character. The hints we do get of John's backstory -- his former romance with Ilsa, his training with his sensei -- help put in sharp relief how deeply Casey really is affected by his relationships, both workplace and otherwise, even if he keeps it closely guarded. (Honestly, if you're going to try out one single episode -- "Chuck vs. the Undercover Lover." DO IT. You can thank me later.) At the same time that I love big Casey episodes, though, the little character hints that almost get lost in the context of larger dramas are well-played, too -- like passing on what he's thankful for at Thanksgiving, or tending to his bonsai trees.
In addition to rocking the hardcore superagent swagger and the tortured inner turmoil, Casey is a hilarious straight man to Chuck's flaily buffoonery.
And he knows how to have fun with his covers, too. Okay, sure, so he's usually stuck being the driver or the bartender, but he gets to break it up every once in a while with some DJing or some EPIC WINDOW WASHING (yeah, I know I just posted this clip last week but it bears repeating!).
To take a quick break from character flail, this show has such a good handle on how to use action. The characters all have such distinctive fighting styles, be it Casey's full-barrel fearlessness or Sarah's quirky improvisations or Chuck's... uhh... who knows how to describe it. Beyond just fighting, the action extends to physical comedy which seems to be something of a lost art form these days, but Chuck is bringing it back with a vengeance. Zachary Levi with all of his crazy lankiness seems a natural fit for that kind of work, notable scenes including attempting to escape while handcuffed in the Orange Orange or trying to sit on a giant exercise ball in the overly hip software company's offices.
Of course, though, Chuck still primarily plays the comic book geek while Sarah and Casey play the comic book heroes, so they generally get the most involved cool action sequences. Oh, and also? THEY ARE THE BEST PARTNERS EVERRRR I LOVE THEM SO MUCH AND MORE PEOPLE SHOULD SHIP THEM (PARTNER- OR FRIEND- OR OTHERWISE) BECAUSE GUHHHH ADAM BALDWIN AND YVONNE STRAHOVSKI SHOULD ALWAYS BE ON MY TV SCREEN, PREFERABLY TOGETHER.
[2.09 - Casey goes overboard when he finds out that his old mentor has gone rogue, putting Chuck at risk and getting himself benched for the rest of the mission.]
Casey: I can't believe it. Beckman was out of line pulling me off this mission.
Sarah: I agree with her. You're too emotionally involved.
Casey: [snorts] This from the agent who can't keep her chocolate out of Bartowski's peanut butter.
Sarah: Whatever my feelings may be for Chuck, I never knowingly endangered the asset. You let your anger toward Bennett cloud your judgment.
Casey: Oh, you finally admit that you do have feelings for the nerd.
Sarah: No, all I will admit to is having feelings.
Casey: Twenty years in the business has taught me one sure thing -- people, people let you down in the end.
Sarah: Well, it's nice to know where we stand. [leaves]
[After Casey goes AWOL, Sarah tracks him down.]
Sarah: You shouldn't be here.
Casey: If you want to stop me you're gonna have to kill me.
Sarah: Well I'm your partner and I'm not letting you go in alone.
Casey: Okay. C'mon.
Okay, so they've had some rough patches. They tried to kill each other a few times when they first met, and they don't always agree on the best ways to handle their missions. Sarah has to deal with the emotional complications of Chuck falling in love with her, which Casey finds tiresome and annoying; and Casey can't be the easiest person to get along with, either, what with his sarcasm and stubbornness. But at the end of the day they trust each other and have each others' backs; there might be unwritten rules about spies not hugging it out or crying over late night movies together to work through their rifts, but in their own weird way they know how to understand and show support when the other is dealing with a rough patch, and they frequently stand up for each other when facing criticism from above.
PLUS. THEY ARE SO PRETTTTTTY. As nerd wish fulfillment, the show often goes waaay overboard in objectifying Sarah as every teenage boy's wet dream, but at the same time it's definitely balanced by how frequently the same is true for its treatment of Casey. The two of them are unabashed eye candy and, well, if I was feeling more thorough I guess I'd go into the good/bad implications of that, but for now I'll just leave it at: they get to dress up and beat up bad guys together. And look match-y and cute when they do it.
[2.18 - An outside agent is sent to observe Sarah's performance, finally deeming her too emotionally involved in the asset.]
Casey: Now Forrest, I was gonna say earlier -- I disagree with your assessment.
Forrest: About what?
Casey: Walker. She's a pro. Not only that, she's the best damn partner I ever had.
Not only do their characters share an unlikely contentious-borderline-adorable dynamic, but Adam and Yvonne are super sweet when they interview together, too.
And then of course as long as we're talking Casey ships -- Chuck/Casey! They're bitchy and grabby and nosy and rude and yet fight for each others lives on a daily basis and how could I resist?
[1.03 - Chuck and Casey are at the Buy More after a night of tracking terrorists.]
Casey: Chuck! Good work last night.
Chuck: Okay, you know what? I'm working on an all-nighter here, big guy, and I realize that you are probably armed so I'm gonna ask you very nicely -- would you please ease up on the sarcasm?
Casey: I wasn't being facetious. You helped us find La Ciudad.
Chuck: She got away!
Casey: Yeah, we got a photo from hotel security, we got a blood sample from her broken window, our intel tells us she's heading down to Central America, we got people waiting there. [notices Chuck's bedraggled tux from the night before] You're lookin' sharp!
Chuck: Oh, thanks!
Casey: That was facetious. Idiot. [walks off]
I... man, I have already spent way too long working on this and I should really get back to homeworking, so there's no way I can give these two guys the talking up they deserve. I think they're both secretly in awe of the other having what they won't admit to wanting -- much as Chuck harps on about getting his old life back, the fanboy in him can't help getting excited about having Casey as some sort of life-size interactive action figure GI Joe; and much as Casey mocks Chuck's boring life, he knows that Chuck gets the normal friends, family, hanging out and being young and acting stupid that Casey can never experience (or, rather, won't let himself experience).
Despite Casey's obvious intimacy issues, Chuck can be surprisingly sweet and perceptive in helping Casey when he needs it (not that Casey would ever admit it); and, conversely, Casey sticks up for Chuck when need be (not that he would ever let Chuck know about it!).
Okay, once again I am running out of time to go over everything so, rrwargh, I am completely skipping over Chuck/Sarah -- well, that's what everybody else is always talking about anyway, so cruise YouTube and I'm sure you'll reach your fill. And then of course there's SO MUCH other stuff going on with everybody else -- Ellie, Awesome, Morgan, Anna, Jeff, Lester, Big Mike, Beckman, AH THIS SHOW HAS TOO MANY AWESOME SECONDARY CHARACTERS -- so, um, sorry, this really isn't a proper all-encompassing Chuck post. Mostly I just wanted to work out my love for TEAM CHUCK:
[1.10; Chuck is approached by a past enemy.]
Chuck: Sarah and Casey are right inside. One girlish scream from me and they go into combat mode.
Oh yeah. They totally dig each other.
See, now, this is why I need everything to stay happy between these three through the end of the season. And into a third season, even. COME ON. THE BALDWIN DEMANDS IT. (Speaking of which, I finally watched My Bodyguard yesterday and oh dear is he not the most adorable thing on the face of the planet in that movie? D'awww. And yet he's still rockin' it almost thirty years later... I am in awe.)
And then secondly, even assuming the show does get renewed (pleasepleasepleeeeease), I AM SO ANXIOUS ABOUT MONDAY'S EPISODE. Just judging from the promo, eeeeeeekkkk I am so so so so so worried about where Casey will fall in all his muddled loyalties. On the one hand, surely the angry growly, "Never betray my team!!" must be a truncated version of, "I would never betray my team!!", right?? OF COURSE THAT'S RIGHT. Meaning Casey is firmly on Team Chuck. On the other, though... Sarah/Casey fight?? Admittedly, their confrontation back in 1.02 remains one of my favourite fight scenes in the show, buuuut that was ages ago and now they're friends and partners and totally not people who would beat the crap out of each other. AUUUGH. I guess if I knew this would all end well I could happily sit through the angst roller coaster, because Casey grappling with his feelings versus his perceived professional duties generally makes for A-grade television -- but now I feel like this is asking me to get on a roller coaster before all the track has been laid, because I was just browsing some Chuck discussion the other day and somebody mentioned the possibility that Casey might sacrifice himself to save Chuck and Sarah. I... I... what? I don't even know why I'm so upset about this, because I know it's just a throwaway piece of speculation, but it's gripped my heart and now I keep hearing all this talk from TPTB that the finale is a real "game changer" and what could be more game changing than killing off a lead character and AHHH WHY CAN'T I STOP THINKING ABOUT THIS?? I can't imagine anyone on the show seriously suggesting that they write Casey off -- I think they all realize how much of a nerd audience draw Adam Baldwin is -- but stilllll, just having that tiny nagging "what if?" is going to completely ruin me until Monday night.
So. Ahem. Freak-out aside -- I don't know, this is kind of a thing I do every year at this time! A redirection of term project/finals/end-of-school anxieties, I suppose... probably exacerbated this year because I have even more going on in that department! Well, previously it had been jumping into totally new shows (last year SGA, and then the year before Robin Hood), but this time around I think it's just going to be me getting completely reinvested in a super huge way in Chuck. At this point in time any sort of pimp post/Why You Should Watch/10 Awesome Things probably would not make much of a dent in any viewership deficits, but you know what? WHO CARES. I feel inspired to share my love with the wooorld! Also, I know I tend to spend a bit too much time complaining/worrying/angsting over the show, so it feels appropriate to pause and celebrate what I do enjoy about being a fan.
So like I said, I know it's late in the game and there's no obligation to feel pressured to go out and buy the first season and catch up on all of the second season and get invested in everybody and pore over every single episode in the few days between now in the finale -- but if you feel inspired to head over to Hulu and watch an episode or two (although there is some running backstory, the show is fairly episodic), that would make me beyond happy. Or if you just want to scroll through this post and ogle Adam Baldwin, that's cool with me, too.
So, yeah, first and foremost: UNLEASH THE CASEY.
Seriously, guys, it is completely impossible for me to overstate how beyond awesome my dear Major John Casey is. At first glance yes, it's typical Adam-Baldwin-does-gruff-badass fare, but he's just so good at it! And even though there haven't been nearly enough Casey-centric episodes to suit my needs (as if there ever could be!) I think they've still given him plenty of room to play around with the character. The hints we do get of John's backstory -- his former romance with Ilsa, his training with his sensei -- help put in sharp relief how deeply Casey really is affected by his relationships, both workplace and otherwise, even if he keeps it closely guarded. (Honestly, if you're going to try out one single episode -- "Chuck vs. the Undercover Lover." DO IT. You can thank me later.) At the same time that I love big Casey episodes, though, the little character hints that almost get lost in the context of larger dramas are well-played, too -- like passing on what he's thankful for at Thanksgiving, or tending to his bonsai trees.
In addition to rocking the hardcore superagent swagger and the tortured inner turmoil, Casey is a hilarious straight man to Chuck's flaily buffoonery.
And he knows how to have fun with his covers, too. Okay, sure, so he's usually stuck being the driver or the bartender, but he gets to break it up every once in a while with some DJing or some EPIC WINDOW WASHING (yeah, I know I just posted this clip last week but it bears repeating!).
To take a quick break from character flail, this show has such a good handle on how to use action. The characters all have such distinctive fighting styles, be it Casey's full-barrel fearlessness or Sarah's quirky improvisations or Chuck's... uhh... who knows how to describe it. Beyond just fighting, the action extends to physical comedy which seems to be something of a lost art form these days, but Chuck is bringing it back with a vengeance. Zachary Levi with all of his crazy lankiness seems a natural fit for that kind of work, notable scenes including attempting to escape while handcuffed in the Orange Orange or trying to sit on a giant exercise ball in the overly hip software company's offices.
Of course, though, Chuck still primarily plays the comic book geek while Sarah and Casey play the comic book heroes, so they generally get the most involved cool action sequences. Oh, and also? THEY ARE THE BEST PARTNERS EVERRRR I LOVE THEM SO MUCH AND MORE PEOPLE SHOULD SHIP THEM (PARTNER- OR FRIEND- OR OTHERWISE) BECAUSE GUHHHH ADAM BALDWIN AND YVONNE STRAHOVSKI SHOULD ALWAYS BE ON MY TV SCREEN, PREFERABLY TOGETHER.
[2.09 - Casey goes overboard when he finds out that his old mentor has gone rogue, putting Chuck at risk and getting himself benched for the rest of the mission.]
Casey: I can't believe it. Beckman was out of line pulling me off this mission.
Sarah: I agree with her. You're too emotionally involved.
Casey: [snorts] This from the agent who can't keep her chocolate out of Bartowski's peanut butter.
Sarah: Whatever my feelings may be for Chuck, I never knowingly endangered the asset. You let your anger toward Bennett cloud your judgment.
Casey: Oh, you finally admit that you do have feelings for the nerd.
Sarah: No, all I will admit to is having feelings.
Casey: Twenty years in the business has taught me one sure thing -- people, people let you down in the end.
Sarah: Well, it's nice to know where we stand. [leaves]
[After Casey goes AWOL, Sarah tracks him down.]
Sarah: You shouldn't be here.
Casey: If you want to stop me you're gonna have to kill me.
Sarah: Well I'm your partner and I'm not letting you go in alone.
Casey: Okay. C'mon.
Okay, so they've had some rough patches. They tried to kill each other a few times when they first met, and they don't always agree on the best ways to handle their missions. Sarah has to deal with the emotional complications of Chuck falling in love with her, which Casey finds tiresome and annoying; and Casey can't be the easiest person to get along with, either, what with his sarcasm and stubbornness. But at the end of the day they trust each other and have each others' backs; there might be unwritten rules about spies not hugging it out or crying over late night movies together to work through their rifts, but in their own weird way they know how to understand and show support when the other is dealing with a rough patch, and they frequently stand up for each other when facing criticism from above.
PLUS. THEY ARE SO PRETTTTTTY. As nerd wish fulfillment, the show often goes waaay overboard in objectifying Sarah as every teenage boy's wet dream, but at the same time it's definitely balanced by how frequently the same is true for its treatment of Casey. The two of them are unabashed eye candy and, well, if I was feeling more thorough I guess I'd go into the good/bad implications of that, but for now I'll just leave it at: they get to dress up and beat up bad guys together. And look match-y and cute when they do it.
[2.18 - An outside agent is sent to observe Sarah's performance, finally deeming her too emotionally involved in the asset.]
Casey: Now Forrest, I was gonna say earlier -- I disagree with your assessment.
Forrest: About what?
Casey: Walker. She's a pro. Not only that, she's the best damn partner I ever had.
Not only do their characters share an unlikely contentious-borderline-adorable dynamic, but Adam and Yvonne are super sweet when they interview together, too.
And then of course as long as we're talking Casey ships -- Chuck/Casey! They're bitchy and grabby and nosy and rude and yet fight for each others lives on a daily basis and how could I resist?
[1.03 - Chuck and Casey are at the Buy More after a night of tracking terrorists.]
Casey: Chuck! Good work last night.
Chuck: Okay, you know what? I'm working on an all-nighter here, big guy, and I realize that you are probably armed so I'm gonna ask you very nicely -- would you please ease up on the sarcasm?
Casey: I wasn't being facetious. You helped us find La Ciudad.
Chuck: She got away!
Casey: Yeah, we got a photo from hotel security, we got a blood sample from her broken window, our intel tells us she's heading down to Central America, we got people waiting there. [notices Chuck's bedraggled tux from the night before] You're lookin' sharp!
Chuck: Oh, thanks!
Casey: That was facetious. Idiot. [walks off]
I... man, I have already spent way too long working on this and I should really get back to homeworking, so there's no way I can give these two guys the talking up they deserve. I think they're both secretly in awe of the other having what they won't admit to wanting -- much as Chuck harps on about getting his old life back, the fanboy in him can't help getting excited about having Casey as some sort of life-size interactive action figure GI Joe; and much as Casey mocks Chuck's boring life, he knows that Chuck gets the normal friends, family, hanging out and being young and acting stupid that Casey can never experience (or, rather, won't let himself experience).
Despite Casey's obvious intimacy issues, Chuck can be surprisingly sweet and perceptive in helping Casey when he needs it (not that Casey would ever admit it); and, conversely, Casey sticks up for Chuck when need be (not that he would ever let Chuck know about it!).
Okay, once again I am running out of time to go over everything so, rrwargh, I am completely skipping over Chuck/Sarah -- well, that's what everybody else is always talking about anyway, so cruise YouTube and I'm sure you'll reach your fill. And then of course there's SO MUCH other stuff going on with everybody else -- Ellie, Awesome, Morgan, Anna, Jeff, Lester, Big Mike, Beckman, AH THIS SHOW HAS TOO MANY AWESOME SECONDARY CHARACTERS -- so, um, sorry, this really isn't a proper all-encompassing Chuck post. Mostly I just wanted to work out my love for TEAM CHUCK:
[1.10; Chuck is approached by a past enemy.]
Chuck: Sarah and Casey are right inside. One girlish scream from me and they go into combat mode.
Oh yeah. They totally dig each other.
See, now, this is why I need everything to stay happy between these three through the end of the season. And into a third season, even. COME ON. THE BALDWIN DEMANDS IT. (Speaking of which, I finally watched My Bodyguard yesterday and oh dear is he not the most adorable thing on the face of the planet in that movie? D'awww. And yet he's still rockin' it almost thirty years later... I am in awe.)
