Cinematic Baggage and the Television Star

by Rachael Nisenkier 
(a joint article with My Cinema)

Sometimes it’s fun when your favorite TV star pops up in a movie (I know I got a little thrill every time I heard the erst-while Chuck’s voice coming out of Flynn Ryder's mouth in last year’s Disney offering Tangled). And sometimes you find yourself wondering, “Why is McDreamy being so mean to Shia LaBeouf?” Between Serena VanderWoodsen in The Green Lantern, McDreamy in Transformers, Charlie Kelly in Horrible Bosses, and Don Draper in Bridesmaids, I’ve spent more time than I am comfortable with this summer being incapable of keeping my TV world and my cinematic world separate.

Sometimes I forget about the actors' other roles (I certainly wasn’t thinking about Rachel Green while watching Jennifer Aniston prance around half naked in Horrible Bosses) and sometimes it adds to the experience (see also Charlie Day’s legal-speak rant). But sometimes it just makes me way harder on the characters and the actors than I would otherwise be.

I say all this in preparation for Cowboys and Aliens, where the erstwhile 13 and Marissa’s lesbian lover will be joining with James Bond to fight alongside Han Solo. To what extent are we capable of dropping off our cinematic baggage when we take on a new venture? And is it our fault, as the viewer, for being incapable of forgetting about roles both iconic and annoying, or the actor’s for not making us forget them? What performances have you found marred by what you’ve already seen of an actor or actress?

New Season, New Reviewer, Same Old Chuck

Hey My TV Fans,
Today we're introducing a new writer to the site. With a review of Chuck's 3rd season so far, here's Tessa Cernik:

Chuck is back and the same as ever. Not to say that that's necessarily a bad thing. In fact, considering the current state of NBC, it might be nice to see a little stability over on the peacock network. But then again, wasn't it change we were promised? The end of season two brought great opportunities for Chuck to change it up: our hero got updated with a new kung fu-loaded intersect, he quit the Buy More, he was asked to be a real spy, his relationship with Sarah was about to take off – everything seemed dandy and full of possibility. But this season’s premiere was a very explicit “Just kidding!”

Don't get me wrong, I love the Buy More and all its crazy characters; Jeffster and Big Mike give great comic relief to Chuck's more dramatic love/family plots. But I was excited to see what the writers would do with a hero freed of the Nerd Herd cover. Having Chuck on missions in other locations with a constantly changing cover could have been really fun, especially with his newly acquired skills.

However, the writers clearly chose familiar characters over new experiences, which, I suppose, is comforting to a certain degree. It was nice to see Morgan back, but did he really have to fail as a chef? Was it necessary to have Big Mike promoted to take his old job as store manager? Do Sarah and Casey still have to be Chuck’s handlers?

Chuck’s relationships with his friends and family really are the heart of the show. Nothing could be better than seeing the perfect brother/sister dynamic between Ellie and Chuck (does that really exist?!) and having Captain Awesome in on Chuck’s secret adds a really fun new level to their relationship. Devon has already had two “spy missions” this season which threw Chuck’s spying abilities into a new perspective, especially when they play up Devon and Chuck’s physical disparities.

It is troubling though to see Sarah and Chuck fall into the trap of the job/love conundrum. It's been clear for years that both characters love and care for each other and want to be together, but work will always be the third party in their relationship. Hopefully the writers will be able to avoid the Booth/Bones-awkwardly-drawn-out-love-story bit. Well, avoid it from now on I mean. Maybe the addition of Kristin Kreuk to the sexual tension soup will allow for feelings to finally be acted upon, because, really, who doesn’t want to see Chuck in a relationship?

Overall, Chuck continues to be true to the nerdy charm and comic energy that's been its bread and butter for 2 seasons already. But the possibility of this amazing show falling into a rut looms ever closer. Character development really is just as important as character continuity. Let's move forward people.

I think I Might Be Maturing... And Other Startling Pop-Culture Related Revelations

My love for the redeemable bad boy has been well chronicled on this site, and with my ever-abiding and increasing love for Glee's Puck and HIMYM's Barney as continuing proof, I suppose it hasn't really ended. But recently, while rewatching Veronica Mars Season Three (because, well, if it's a season that I can't quote entirely from memory, that's just not okay) I realized that I might, just might, be maturing a little. Suddenly, Logan's whole broody bad boy thing seemed unfounded and off-putting. I'm sure season one's break light cracking, FBI-punching version might still make my little heart go pitter patter, but I actually found myself rooting for... you guessed it... Piz.

And it's more than just that. I watch early Gilmore Girls seasons and think, "Milo Ventimiglia is cute and all, but does Jess have to be such a grump?" Where before I saw deepness and sexiness, I'm suddenly all, "young people these days don't know how good they have it.*" I find myself increasingly worshipping at the altar of the Chucks (from Chuck) of this world, rather than the Chucks (from Gossip Girl).

Even Twilight, my enjoyment of which certainly seems like the greatest evidence one could find against my continued maturation, seems to be trying to remind me that I'm not a moony eyed fourteen year old anymore. Gone are the days of angsting away after the Edward Cullens of the world. I'm suddenly loving the more emotionally healthy werewolf best friend.

It's one of the most fun parts of being a popular culture junkie that I can truly measure growth in my life by my relation to popular culture, but this one took me a little by surprise. I wonder what farther reaching complications it has for me?

I'm trying to think of other, similar revelations. I remember watching Freaks and Geeks before high school and getting a completely different message out of it, but I think that's to be expected. And I certainly appreciate aspects of Buffy's later seasons a lot more now that I'm on a different side of the adolescent divide.

What about the rest of you? Any deep revelations spring up for you while watching your regularly scheduled programming?

*Which should not be misconstrued as jumping ship to Team Dean.

TV That Rocks

In recent days, my favourite TV characters have had a little help from the good people over in the music department in creating some really memorable scenes. Here are the videos of some of our favourite musical moments from this week (and one from last season that was just too great to pass up).

Happy Casting News

Gilmore Girls/Samantha Who comedy queen Melissa McCarthy is joining Kelsey Grammar on Hank this fall. That there is enough of a reason to watch (even if there's no love lost between you and the former Frasier Crane)

Summer Glau's guest turn on Dollhouse is no longer rumour and fantasy but reality. Whedonites rejoice!

That guy who played the newest Superman, who looked like a Ken doll (Brandon Routh), he's joined Chuck as the new head of the intersect project.

Kristin Chenoweth will, obviously, appear on Glee this season...but she may not be the same perky sweetheart we know her as.

Kim Dickens will be back as Matt Saracen's mom for at least a couple of his 7 farewell episodes on Friday Night Lights.

and

90210 is currently looking to cast a West Beverly student who is “heavier than [the] girls on the show.”... thank god.

Kelly Reviews Rachael's Shows

Each of us here at My TV has our specialties. For example, Lauren likes comedy so she mostly sticks to sitcom coverage. I watch pretty much everything from Big Brother to The West Wing, commenting mostly on whatever provokes an emotional reaction from me (whether it be a moving scene between Nicki and Bill Henrikson, a particularly whore-ish episode of The Bachelorette, a laugh-out-loud quip from Better Off Ted's boss Veronica or a thrilling hip hop by Tabitha & Napoleon D'Umo). And though she dabbles in everything, the majority of Rachael's posts concern genre shows. She writes essay-long reviews about the metaphorical significance of space aliens, complicated technologically based mythologies and Whedon's commentaries on the human soul. A big fan of some genre shows like Chuck and Dollhouse, I generally put off watching them (having just finished the latest seasons of both of these tonight) and almost never write about them... tonight I figured out why that is.

*CAUTION SPOILERS AHEAD*

I thoroughly enjoyed the ending to both seasons but, when it came to some of the smaller plot details, I had absolutely no idea what was going on. I got Chuck's unselfish love for Sarah in his willingness to let her go save the world, leaving him behind. I got Sarah's unselfish love for Chuck in her decision to give it all up and be normal with him. I got Chuck's growth in finally deciding to be the hero that he is and how very awesome it was that Awesome got to be in on the secret. I got Casey's battle with his loyalties and his ambition; I got Morgan's quest for fulfillment; I even got that Chuck now has kung fu skills. But his dad is a super genius CIA agent with his own intersect? Bryce knew? (by the way, where's Bryce been this whole time?) How do images supply one's muscles with martial arts ability? Was Bryce duped by the evil guys or just conveniently put in harm's way? Who are the new evil guys anyway? It's a simple show but their MacGuffin could use a little clearing up.

But here's the thing, on Chuck at least it is MacGuffin; it's unimportant plot that really just serves to get the characters where they need to be to tell the emotional story. On Dollhouse it's a complete different thing. There is absolutely nothing about Dollhouse that isn't crucial. Every line, every grimace, every piece of set dressing can easily be a game changing thing in the frustratingly complex world that Whedon's handing his uberfans this time. I'd say I'm a pretty savvy TV viewer with a complete understanding of the Whedon vernacular but I gotta say, I find it hard to keep up with this show. I spent the entire finale screaming at my TV screen: "SERIOUSLY? NO WAY! OH MY GOD! WHAT?". So there was a glitch a few years back and Alpha got too many imprints at once and he snapped? Was that before or after he chopped up Amy Acker's face? What's the significance of that particular duo of imprints? Is he still glitching or is that just the personalities fighting each other? And if it is, why didn't Echo glitch the same way? Does the fact that Echo was a hero when uploaded with the dozens of personalities and Alpha was a villain have to do with who they were as people (killer vs. coed?) does it have to do with the souls Ballard is convinced live on? How is it that post-wipe, Echo is conscious of Caroline? So Amy Acker's character has been living in a permanent state of imprint? (the imprint of an old man nonetheless?), why was she imprinted with hatred for the Dollhouse?Victor can no longer function as an active because he is no longer "his best"? What does it all mean? What deep message does it carry about the fate of humanity? What is Joss Whedon on and is it possible that he's not human? I simply don't get it.

So what have I learned from my foray into deciphering the twists and turns of genre shows? Just sit back and enjoy... and leave the analysis (and the task of noticing that the door in the background was open when it wasn't before, which could mean that the salvation of the characters lies with an inside man slowly scratching away at the integrity of the ambiguous big bad) up to Rachael.

CHUCK LIVES.... on some conditions

Great news for fans of Josh Schwartz's cult hit/espionage comedy Chuck!

Against all odds, Chuck and friends will be returning to NBC next year. The highly improbable pickup comes on the heel of many a "save our show" campaign (including a clever Subway promotion) and even a shout out on The Daily Show (see our "Quote of the Day" section).

The good news does, however, come with some bad. As with many shows that are being granted unlikely pickups (see Dollhouse), there are serious budget cuts that go along with the new deal.

What does this mean for Chuck?

- Only 13 episodes for season 3 as opposed to the usual 22.

- A smaller per-episode budget that will mostly likely limit some of the awesome special effects and stunt sequences the show is known for.

- The loss of at least 2 employees from the writing staff.

- The possible elimination of a supporting actor.

- Less screen time for supporting players.

What do you think? Will Chuck lose its appeal with the new changes or are the compromises worth it just to see your favourite nerds/spies for another season? And what supporting character can you not bear to live without? Post your comments below.

Chuck Versus The Rings

After four straight episodes of unadulterated awesomeness, the Chuck (hopefully) season finale found itself with a heaping helping of high expectations and lingering plot threads needing to be tied up. So how'd it fair?

Well... that's a complicated question. The first half of the episode featured an Intersect-less Chuck attempting to get through Ellie's wedding, which, as we all know, was never going to go smoothly. Roark (Chevy Chase) shows up and threatens Ellie's life unless Chuck gets him the Intersect cube, and all of a sudden Bryce Larkin's back trying to sweep Sarah off her feet. Things go haywire, and the centerpieces get destroyed, and Lester (Jeff and Lester's band) ends up playing "Domo Arigato" and setting off the fire alarm in the wedding hall. But never fear, Casey's here and Roark is defeated. Chuck saves Ellie's life, but not before destroying her wedding, "the most important day of [her] life." So Chuck uses his government severance check to buy her the wedding she really wanted.

I'll admit, I teared up a little watching Chuck and Scott Bakula give Ellie away (even if I think the whole process of "giving away" a grown woman is misogynistic, antiquated, and stupid). I love the Chuck-brother-love for Ellie, even when I think Ellie's an extremely underdeveloped character. Add to that the scene between Awesome and Chuck, with Awesome's silent acknowledgment of how much Chuck went through to give Ellie the perfect wedding, was a beauty. It was classic Chuck, from the cheesy/awesome shoot out to the happy ending.

But we were only thirty five minutes through the episode. Chuck still has his future to deal with. The government offers him a job working on the intersect, and he refuses. This sort of seems like a stupid decision, but I'm not Chuck. I'd rather be a spy than a regular Joe. Meanwhile, it seems Sarah's going to take off with Bryce, but let's be honest, we all sort of know that's not going to happen. She chooses Chuck over Bryce and, more importantly, over her job. Oh, also it turns out Chuck's dad has intersect in his head that we've never heard about before that gives him crucial information just as Bryce would otherwise be murdered and the brand spanking new intersect destroyed. Hmm...

This middle portion, after the wedding but before they all end up at headquarters, is the MEH portion of the episode. It doesn't really tell us anything we don't know, and it relies too much on silly plot turns (Chuck's Dad just happening to have the intersect, Bryce showing up at the wedding just to stare forlornly at Sarah).

Once they get to the Intersect, it's back to old school awesomeness, with shoot outs and bad guys and all the sort of cheesy action goodness Chuck has been delivering so hardcore all season. Then Chuck falls into the Intersect Room to find a dying Bryce. Bryce tells him to destroy the Intersect computer before the baddies can get it. Chuck does a non-Intersect flashback to all the times over the years that people have told him that he needs to step up and be a spy, and to multiple instances of Sarah's unwavering faith in him. He sees the Active Intersect button, and he pushes it. Pictures abound.

Baddies break in after Chuck's destroyed the Intersect, and they've captured Sarah and Casey. They threaten to kill all of them. Chuck flashes. They notice (this is the first time in Chuck history that a bad guy has noticed that weird eye thingy Zachary Levi does so well) and decide to kill Chuck first (which seems a little stupid, given that he contains all the information in the universe inside him and is incredibly susceptible to torture, but what the hell. That's why I' m not a henchman on a cheesy TV show). Just when it seems like our heroes are doomed, faster than you can say, "NEO YOU ARE THE ONE!" Chuck starts ninja'ing out on the bad guys.

It's a cute moment of geeky goodness, made even more explicit by the Matrix quote Chuck throws at us to end the episode, "Guys. I know Kung Fu."

This episode has completely rebooted both Chuck and Chuck, promising a different, although similar, new season, with an all new, bigger baddie and a whole cadre of new powers for Chuck to discover with this new intersect. The possibilities seem endless.

It also ties things up semi-neatly if the show gets canceled. I'll still be pissed, don't get me wrong, but there's something comforting about picturing the newly formed trio of bad ass spy folks continuing to fight the forces of anti-patriotic evil with a newly super powered Chuck.

If the show does come back, though, like I hope it will, I hope the writers don't let Chuck's super powers get in the way of Chuck being Chuck. One of the things I've always loved baout the show is the way Chuck is always getting out of things without having to use brawn, sometimes BECAUSE of his awkward geeky loveliness rather than in spite of it. This is the heart of the show (it's in a lot of the ways the heart of all Josh Schwartz shows, but that's a topic for another post) and I love this show's heart.

I hope I get a chance to see where the characters going to go, to see Chuck and Sarah finally get to hook up without Morgan stealing his prophylactics, and to find out if Morgan ever does become a famous hibachi chef in Hawaii.

The Genre War

I am a serious fan of genre fiction. I say this to distinguish myself from people who like Lost despite the science fiction or enjoy Buffy while despising horror. It's not a value judgment; it's a question of taste. For me, stories that come from a deep internal mythology speak more heartily and more truly to me than ones set in "reality" necessarily do. I like shows that exist within their own world. There are exceptions, but it's not a coincidence that whenever I attempt to compile my top five list of favorite television shows*, there's very few straight dramas or even straight comedies on it. I also believe that most writers are at the top of their game when they're having fun, and that most of the geeky/wonderful show runners that I love feel at home within the world of genre fiction (Whedon, Abrams, Moore, even Josh Schwartz I think is at his nerdy best on Chuck, and what is Gossip Girl if not a piece of genre melodrama?). My reading tastes have always veered away from straight drama and into the home of genre. Where other people were inclined to value something less thanks to the preponderance of elves and cyborgs within it, I believe profundity is best when served with a side of wizardry. It's been this way since childhood, when I forwent The Babysitter's Club for Animorphs, Rainbow Brite for X-Men, and Barbies for Star Trek action figures. Sure, this could all be a reason for why I'm a huge nerd, but that's not the issue at play here.

All this musing has a point, I swear. Entertainment Weekly, in the Popwatch column of the site, recently asking the question "The Great Sci-Fi Divide: Why don't we want science fiction on tv?" In the article, Marc Bernadin rightfully points out the strange paradox in popular culture today where Star Trek and Terminator: Salvation seem poised to win the summer box office battle while Dollhouse and Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles are on the brink of cancellation. He ultimately finds no conclusion to this paradox, but I'd offer up some food for thought: Sci-fi shows take a lot of freaking work to understand. We're not talking about easy science fiction here (neither show has cheesy aliens in sexy revealing outfits); we're talking about deeply metaphorical undertakings that want to talk about the meaning of existence. Sure, there's lots of explosions and sexy robot/doll chicks, but these shows require a lot more attention than So You Think You Can Dance.

It's more than just that though. Chuck, for example, doesn't really require much out of me. Don't get me wrong, I love it. I think it's a great example of cast charisma and writing savvy along with a healthy dose of fun. But the computer in Chuck's head isn't an overarching metaphor for humanity, and his relationship with Sarah doesn't carry mythic implications. It's just cool. On top of that, Lost is just as difficult a show to take on as T:TSCC or Dollhouse, with just as complicated a back story. I think it comes down to nothing more or less therefore than networks being terrified of genre work and of throwing their whole weight behind it, unless they can find a way to hide the fact that it's sci-fi. The geeky awesomeness of the Dharma Initiative and the increasingly complex Lost mythology snuck up on us, so ABC threw the full force of advertising and programming behind it. FOX has always seemed kind of scared of its shows.

I'm not sure, really, what to make of the whole divide and it might be one of those pop culture questions that takes specific examples and turns them into generalizations without any real sense of purpose. For example, all three of the shows mentioned (Chuck, Dollhouse, and T:TSCC) had slow starts that were pretty much critical failures. I can't tell you the number of people who've claimed to have seen the first few episodes of any of these three shows and then given up on it (I'm even one of them as far as T:TSCC is concerned). Maybe this can all be written to bad pilots/network interference/fate?

*This list is an ever evolving concept, as likely to change daily as my answer to the "What's Your Favorite Movie?" question. Mostly, it involves Buffy/Angel (as one entity) and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, but the other three spots are open to interpretation depending on the day. Am I thinking about my relationship with my mother? Then probably Gilmore Girls. Am I more into being a badass and my relationship with my father? I'm all about Veronica Mars. Am I feeling nostalgic for childhood? Freaks and Geeks. And don't even get me started on trying to figure out where half hour comedies fit into the mix.

As if it were possible...

As if it were possible, Zachary Levi (TV's Chuck!) might be more adorable in person. Fans of Chuck, in the grand tradition of geeky fans trying to save their critically adored but ratings deplored television shows*, are storming their local Subways today and purchasing $5 footlongs. To participate, stop by, pick up a sub, and drop a comment card saying that you're participating in ChuckTV.net's campaign. There's worse ways to support one of the best shows on TV than with delicious Subway deli meat.

Check out this video to see Zachary Levi lead a congregation of folks to participate.

Oh, AWESOME!

To say that being a loyal Chuck fan since I downloaded the first episode for free on ITUNES has paid off way bigger than I ever guessed it would is to underexpress to the extreme. Chuck has become something much bigger, grander and greater than I could have ever imagined. And it just keeps getting cooler! The past five episodes should be taught in college for how to continuously up the Awesome (both metaphorically and literally) in a series and build to a huge SEASON (god and Jeff Zucker willing) finale.

MINOR SPOILERS AHEAD.

Everyone, and I mean everyone, even the underused Ellie, was great in last night's episode, "Chuck Vs. The Colonel," from Morgan's break for freedom, adulthood, and Hawaii, to Casey's acceptance of the genuine affection and respect he has for Chuck. But Chuck and Sarah- ho boy. I had no idea how invested I was in these two until that early morning snugglefest turned into a make out session*. At times, I've felt these two weren't the epic love story that the show needs them to be, but both Zachary Levi and Yvonne Strahovski really, truly brought it this episode. The action, the plot and the comedy were all positively top notch this episode, and really justified Kelly's refrain that I should trust in Josh Schwartz. The writers of this show clearly get the characters and the world they created.

Plus, Awesome made the inner circle! How cool is that?

On the Life Watch, Chuck Edition, I think this show should most definitely be getting a third season, and for some reason, despite the fact that it's a bubble show, I'm feeling confident it will. I don't get why it doesn't have a broader audience (it's one of the most widely accesible shows I watch), but I think it certainly merits new consideration from people who wrote it off after that first season.

*Plus, you got to love that Chuck and Sarah are so adament at practicing safe sex. It says something bad at the state of television sex scenes that at first when Chuck jumped up from bed I couldn't figure out what he was searching for (characters on television never have to stop to put on a condom!). But listen up kids, even being a badass spy chick doesn't make you immune to an unplanned pregnancy.

Chuck Vs. The Broken Heart, Vs. The Dream Job, Vs. The First Kill

Man, I picked a fine time to go on a mini-Chuck hiatus. The past three episodes have been the best of the series' entire run. They've been game-changing awesomeness with more than enough goofy character stuff to satisfy all types of fans.

More than that, they really concentrated on Chuck and his tenuous relationship with the FBI. The first episode focused on the way that Chuck's feelings about Sarah has affected their working relationship (and it featured a spy-tastic Number Six, aka Tricia Helfer). The second focused on his tortured relationship with his father. And the third- well with the return of Jill, the late in the game twisty shenanigans, and the cementing of Sarah and Chuck's relationship - it was like an exploding cake of awesomeness. Plus, we got to see each of the three main characters arc through the episodes. For the first time, Casey takes a stand and begins to accept the way that both Sarah and Chuck have matured and advanced while on the job (I actually got a little tear in my eye listening to the erst-while Jayne Cobb defending Sarah to the super hot new agent, with whom he had been sharing a gun-cleaning-as-metaphor-for-sex montage seconds earlier). And Sarah- well from episode one of this Rachael-designated three-parter, she was beginning to realize just how far she would go for Chuck, and just how far she probably would have to go.

On top of the character stuff, all three episodes featured some great casting (Chevy Chase?! Scott Bakula- be still my geeky heart) and great fight sequences (in particular, in "Chuck Vs. The First Kill," the shootout set to "We're Not Gonna Take It" could be the best gun-tastic fight sequence I've ever seen on TV). Plus the plot twists (which I won't spoil here, because one of the pluses to loving a show that not everyone knows about is that you don't, for example, read Away Messages that say things like "Charlie died?!" or "Tigh is a Cylon?!" right after the episodes air) are fantastic and true to both the show and the characters. I am filled with giddy glee to get to the next episode, a painful five days away.

This show, like my other favorite hour long (Dollhouse), is probably going to be canceled at the end of the season. And that's a damn shame. Like Dollhouse (although the two shows couldn't be any more different in themes), Chuck has gotten better with every episode its gotten to produce, and I have true faith that the show runners behind the scene get what makes their characters so freaking fantastic. Here's hoping NBC gets that too.

Chuck Versus the Predator

The problem with the current Chuck storyline (basically, Chuck's continuing attempts to get the Intersect out of his head and regain his normal life) is that it leaves us, as the audience, secretly rooting against our protagonist. If Chuck regains his normal life, even if he's able to finish school and get a real job and a real girlfriend, he'd be boring and the show, which we have invested so much into, would cease to exist. Having our main character continually wishing the end of the show on us is a bit... odd, to say the least. Add to that the fact that as the Intersect, Chuck can be a legitimate asset (pun somewhat intended) and help people, save lives, and protect the country, and you've got a conundrum: while on a human level we may understand Chuck's desire to have something more than what he's been given, on a television and thematic level his single-minded quest to rid himself of the nuisance that is his brain computer leaves him nothing more or less than selfish. On Buffy, this was a constant problem, too, in that Buffy would occasionally (especially for the first couple of seasons) wax poetic about her desire to return to her normal, cheerleader existence. But at the end of the day, she had to recognize that while she never asked to be Chosen, she has skills and abilities that can help save the world, and her nature required her to use them for good. I know Chuck's not Buffy, and Chuck (the character) doesn't pretend to be that noble, but it's still a point of contention for me as I watch the show.

On top of that, Chuck's old life wasn't all that good. He'd been in a holding pattern since being kicked out of college, sans a girlfriend since the unremarkable Jill unceremoniously dumped him, and living with his sister because he was too afraid to be an adult. Plus, when you think about it, his old world was entirely defined by the CIA. Bryce framed him in college so he could get away from the CIA. Jill dumped him because she was turning Fulcrum. Every single motionless part of the next ten years, therefore, was defined by their relationship to the CIA. Still, I want Chuck to be able to move on, emotionally and maybe even professionally, I just wish he could realize that he can do that and save the world.

Which isn't to say that the storyline isn't leading us to some really cool places. Chuck taking control of his own destiny and having to work against his handlers (who seem especially intrusive this episode, and I find myself thinking seriously about the privacy limits of Chuck's constant surveillance) is an interesting concept. The idea of the war between Fulcrum and the US government escalating is awesome. I even like the place they're taking us with Orion. It's just that by the end of this episode, I was pretty sure that if I had to hear the words "I will get my old life back" one more time, I was going to explode.

Other than that, this was a pretty solid episode. I liked how the Buy More storyline intersected (oh man, the puns keep on coming) with the spy game. I liked finally seeing Beckman in real life, and Sarah standing up to her was pretty cool (aside from that, though, this was a pretty Sarah-lite episode. Very little asskicking to be had). I especially liked the confusion of identities scene in the Buy More when the dueling robbers, all clad in black masks, were mistaken for each other more times than in a Shakespeare play. I loved that Sarah knows Chuck well enough to know that if he's not barging into their meeting with the General then something is definitely wrong, and I like that she was legitimately hurt that he didn't confide in her about his investigations. I think the whole Chuck and Sarah storyline works much better when we focus on her loving him but not really knowing how to trust that and what to do with it outside of her professional fidelity. And I liked the final implications of the episode, from Beckman taking a much closer look at the fairly unprofessional relationship between Chuck and Sarah to Chuck deciding to one hundred percent go off on his own with his efforts to understand the intersect.

I think the show is building towards Chuck realizing that despite his best efforts, he's actually pretty good at partnering with Sarah and Casey. When he was in charge tonight, from foiling the mistaken predator attack on both Buy Mores, to the overall mission at the Buy More, he was an authoritative Chuck that we've somewhat missed during the Cole storylines.

Random joys:

* The Cylon eye on the predator

* Chuck, in command of the two missions at the Buy More, and specifically with his authoritative shout of "Go now!" during the first showdown.

* Beckman, upon seeing Casey's much beloved Ronald Reagan picture, saying, "Wake up Casey. The 80s are over."

The Coolest Dude in Hollywood

One of my closest friends always tells me that the thing he loves most about me is that I define "cool" in the complete opposite way from most people. The generally accepted truth is that "cool" means something or someone popular, aloof and a leader of the crowd; "Cool" is the ability to remain calm at all times, influence the opinions of others with barely any effort and overall not be too fussed about anything. But I see it differently. I think the real cool kids are the AV club and the archery team. I think that caring a lot about something that's interesting and different is cool. I think the cutting edge is cool and nerdiness is cool and getting caught up and frazzled because something is exciting is cool. 

There are lots of people in Hollywood who manage to be both these things. Johnny Depp, for instance, is both kinds of cool, so is Jon Stewart, in a completely different way. 

But there is one man who is the coolest dude in the world right now. He's the mastermind behind 2 of the most pop-culture influencing shows of the past decade as well as the brain behind a nerdy cult show. He sold his first screenplay while still a junior in college and holds the record as the youngest creator/showrunner in television history. He tells the mainstream what to love, holds down about 8 jobs at a time, stays ahead of the curve, makes time for geeky passion projects and is only 32 years old. 

That man is Josh Schwartz, creator of hit watercooler shows The OC and Gossip Girl as well as the culty espionage dramedy Chuck. With his new web series, Rockville, CA, about the indie music scene, Schwartz is once again redefining "cool" with his unique blend of nerdy zeal, trend spotting and mass relatability. 

Chuck Vs. The Lethal Weapon

For those of us who love all things Chuck-y, this was a pretty up and down episode. The plot went like this: hottie-accented-spy-guy from last week escapes (conveniently) from Fulcrum to come and make googoo eyes at Sarah while Chuck clings weakly to his self-respect, and ineptly saves Sarah and Casey from gun point, before much sexier spy guy can get shot saving Sarah's life. It was pretty well plotted, and the chemistry between Sarah and The Brit is pretty good considering it's obvious to everyone (including him) that Sarah only has eyes for Chuckster. But it's been done before. We've already seen that Sarah likes Chuck better than the muscled spooks who pop in for a few episodes to romance her (Bryce) and we've already had a guest star tell us that she likes Chuck a whole bundle (Bryce and Roan). And the ending, with Chuck telling Sarah he couldn't move in with her because it would be too painful, is the exact same emotional epiphany our boy came to last week. In that sense, this week's episode is exactly what I feared last week, that the show isn't quite sure how to move the characters forward.

Except that I'm really not that worried. Much though I wanted Sarah to jump up from her bench and smooch Chuck, I'm willing to wait another week. And the final reveal, of Chuck finally taking the initiative in getting the Intersect out of his cranium by plotting, Veronica Mars like, on the back of his Tron poster was all sorts of awesome. It also builds into a theory I got going. Orion? Totally Chuck's Dad (whose set to be played by none other than Scott Bakula* in upcoming episodes).

I'm glad the show didn't let Chuck off easy by having Cole turn out to be Fulcrum, and I'm glad that Chuck and Morgan aren't moving in together (primarily because I really like Morgan and Anna). This week really just reaffirmed for me how damn enjoyable Chuck is, even when stuck in a bit of a plot rut.

*GEEK ALERT: So Chuck's Dad is going to be played by Scott Bakula, aka Captain Asher from Star Trek Enterprise, and the scientist on this week's episode is played by Robert Picardo, aka The Doctor from Star Trek Voyager. Intentional nerdgasm? I'm betting yes.

Everything I Need to Know about Friendship I Learned from Chuck

Your friend's life is worth risking your own for. 

Family isn't necessarily biological. 

Your best friend's dream is your dream. 

Everyone deserves someone who cares about them "that much" (read: as much as Chuck cares about Morgan, Ellie and Sarah). 

... and, most importantly...

"Partnership is Trust"- Captain Awesome and Jeffster

Stealing My Heart on TV This Week

A Chuck hero and a villain, Tara's sweetly understanding husband, a softspoken Dillon Panther, a lovesick West Beverly student and a Tree Hill hottie... time for another picture list!

OBSESSIONS

What I love this week....

Maria Schneider. Big Band is back people!

Slings & Arrows Season 2. Particularly the Romeo & Juliet stuff. 

Yvonne Strahovski on Chuck. Proving week after week that Buffy was really kind of a lame character afterall on the grand scale of hot blond super crime fighters. 

The fact that it's Oscar week. I love the Oscars. 

"Why I Love Chick Flicks *and why I hate them" by Lisa Schwarzbaum in last week's Entertainment Weekly

The Deathly Hallows Lectures by John Granger (the Hogwarts professor) 

The Amazing Race 14. It's back! and already people are being chased down hills by killer runaway cheese wheels. Also, the guy who wrote "School of Rock" is running with his dad, there's a mother/son team (the son happens to be deaf), THREE sibling teams and a very promising married couple (the ones who don't refer to themselves as "hillbillies")

Tristan Wilds. Not only is he adorable on 90210, but there was a woman across the aisle from me on a plane the other day who was watching The Secret Life of Bees and I couldn't take my eyes off her screen whenever he was in the scene. There's something to be said for being that captivating when sharing the screen with poohbahs like Dakota Fanning, Queen Latifa and Paul Bettany. 

Charles Carmichael Always Comes Quickly

This week's Valentine's Themed CHUCK offering was everything I could hope for as a diehard. The Chuck and Sarah tension was perfect. This week's mystery (involving a cul-de-sac full of Fulcrum) was satisfying, intense and funny. Even the Buy More stuff (so often the downfall of other wise fantastic episodes) was spot on and heralded new awesomeness to come (although speaking of Awesome, where was he all episode?). But even more than the awesomeness that was this week, I can not wait for next week and the week after. When did Chuck become the most exciting show on television (save possibly for BSG, which has the unfair advantage of being a precious commodity)? This season, it hardly ever disappoints, and more than likely is elevating its game each and every week.

The best part of this episode was also one of the most downplayed, and it actually fixed something that I've long thought needed fixing on Chuck. You see, up until this episode, the only truly special thing about Chuck is the intersect Bryce put in his head. Sure, we've seen flashes (haha) of brilliance, and there were indications that the CIA would have picked him up if it hadn't been for the sabotage of Bryce, but still, it was basically the computer in his skull that made Chuck a commodity and therefore it seemed like his usefulness to the CIA would run out. But this episode it was made abundantly clear that not only is Chuck the only person on Earth with a computer in his head, he's the only person on Earth who COULD. That's right, Chuck Bartowski, every man, has his very own, very geeky superpower. And I love it.

Plus John Casey (Adam Baldwin) consistently bringing the Bad Ass goodness and Sarah
s heartfelt goodbye to the closest she'll ever get to domestic bliss made this episode one for the record books. I can't think of another show on (Network) Television that has been this hot in a while.

Random awesome quote from the erst-while Buster Bluth:

• "Where do you meet people where you don't have to pay for sex?"

WTF Obama?

Now, I'm not one of those people just looking for the Daily Show proclaimed President Gallant to fail. I'm willing to give him time on the Stimulus plan, on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, on closing down Gitmo and getting the educational system back on the right track. I don't shake my fists in anger when I hear about the muddled beaucratic chaos going on in the Congress right now.

But let me just say, new President Barack Hussein Obama, you may have gone to far. Your presidential address this past Monday really got my goat. I understand the need for the Face of Hope and Change to address his adoring throngs, but couldn't you do it sometime other than Primetime Mondays? Do you realize what you've done?

Isn't our country in dire enough straits? With thousands laid off every day, the price of gas looking to sky rocket, and the war in Iraq no closer to over, what does this country truly need more than geeky Buy More employees, semi-vapid upper East Siders, and a fivesome of Friends that say "Awesome!" a lot? Good God man, how are we supposed to move forward without our favorite television shows?

Okay I'm kidding slightly, big guy, but seriously, next time you make a television appearance do it on a less awesome night of television. Try Tuesdays. I don't watch anything on Tuesdays.