It’s like I start a new show every week. I don’t, really, I don’t. I just talk about a new show every week. This week is Chuck. Chuck ended last year, but I’ve only just decided to pick it. I was watching Nerd HQ videos from SDCC and I decided that I quite liked Zachary Levi. Seeing as he’s most famously known for Chuck, I decided to check it out. It really is a good show.
The premise is…well, you can always just look up the summary on IMDB and wiki, so I won’t go into it. i just really like how they turn a stereotypical spy story on its head and made the main character the one that would usually be the sidekick. Considering how incompetent he is, he barely ranks as a sidekick.
Zachary Levi’s Chuck is a complete darling. He’s bumbling, nervous, gawky, and altogether not spy material. And yet, he always has the best interest at heart and he somehow manages to escape each ridiculous situation more or less unscathed. I totally identify with his nerdness and his complete lack of ambition. Not that I don’t have any ambition. It’s just… you know…life…and procrastination. What can you do? Anyway, back to Chuck. He rambles when he’s panicked, which is often, and completely lacks a poker face. It’s quite amusing to see him attempt to go under cover and not ruin the mission. He’s doing pretty well so far. I’m still in the middle of season 2. It’s going to be interesting watching him get better and better at being a spy while still stuck at Buy More fixing computers.
Sarah Walker, our love interest and CIA agent. I must say, I did not expect the actress to actually be Australian. I could not spot an accent at all and I’m usually very good at this sort of thing. There’s always a word or a phrase that gives them away. Anyway, Walker is proof that just because you look pretty doesn’t mean you’re incompetent. She is the best agent in the CIA after all. I just really want her to get with Chuck soon. I mean I know they totally do, eventually, but I hate the waiting and the yes, no, maybe. Tedious.
I’m pretty sure John Casey is my favorite character after Chuck. There is just something about him that I find inherently hilarious. I mean he’s a gun happy NSA agent that only has one facial expression and prefers to communicate through threats and grunts. What’s not to love? He always seems irritated by Chuck, but you can see that beneath the stone cold exterior, he does care. I also love how every time he interacts with Chuck, he always seems to be thinking “Why me? What have I ever done to deserve this.” It’s okay Casey. We know what your grunts really mean.
The supporting cast for the show is great. The add just the right amount of humor and balances the awkwardness of the Nerd Herd with the normalcy that is Chuck’s sister and her fiancee (though they have their quirky moments as well). Morgan is most important of course, being Chuck’s best friend and all. He’s that best friend that you love having around, but you would never bring to your family. Well meaning, but just a little too odd and off kilter. Then there’s Lester and Jeff, the duo of weirdness. Anna, who is a BAMF. Ellie and Awesome who can be considered an anchor of sorts because they never move. Instead, the craziness happens around them, but avoids them.
Overall this is a good show and not one that takes itself too seriously. So if you’re up for a little bit of humor and some cool spy moves, check out Chuck. It’s definitely worth your time.