Let’s ramble on way too long chat about last night’s brand new episodes of Chuck, shall we?

I quite enjoyed them but then I would, wouldn’t I? I mean, I’m a big fan of the show and even when I have issues with it I enjoy it more than most of the other TV I watch. That said, even though Chuck remains the fun action-y humorous show with characters I love and I had a ball watching last night’s episodes, I do have some complaints.

For starters, it took me a little while to get into the new “feel” of the show this season. Maybe it was because of the whole “six months ago” gimmick at the very beginning of the episode but things felt off until they finally settled back into “current” time with a few flashbacks to fill in the holes for us (and even those flashbacks still felt like a different show, style-wise). The training with Beckman almost felt like a dream which may have been intentional since it was a simulated mission but was still slightly off-putting.

My conclusion of that reaction? I really don’t want to see Chuck as a real spy. It’d be nice if that was intention as well. The writers showing us where they could have taken the show followed by where they’re actually taking it, with Chuck being a real spy while still being himself. We start these two episodes with Chuck failing at simulating the actions of a hardcore spy and using the Intersect 2.0 but end them with Chuck successfully completing a mission without the use of the Intersect and just his own smarts and gut instincts. Seems to make a good case for the core of the show remaining the same despite how the setup may have changed.

And for that I am every so grateful. I’d have stuck with the show regardless given my love for the characters but I’m not sure many others would feel the same (*cough*Veronica Mars*cough*).

“Umm, that’s not the kiss I was expecting.”
Back to my what bothered me and, to be clear, it’s my love for the show that has me invested enough to care about these things. I have no problem (currently) with the writers keeping Chuck and Sarah apart. In truth, I don’t think they’ll be happy if they put them together right now. For one, Sarah’s attraction to Chuck seems largely based on his representing the normal life she wishes she could have and, while that’s understandable, I don’t think that’s a healthy foundation for a long term relationship. Chuck is a lot further along in admitting what he feels than she is and until she catches up with him, I’d prefer them not get together.

That said, I want the writers to use that as the reason for keeping them apart. Which is why, while I teared up during Chuck’s vault confession of why he hadn’t met her in Prague, I’m disappointed that was his reasoning. Or, perhaps, that was all there was to his reasoning. No acknowledgement that what Sarah was suggesting was actually the exact opposite of what she was saying she wanted? Life on the run would only have been “normal” for Sarah and not even the normal she craves. Honestly, I thought Chuck was going to reject her running away idea immediately but figured he got caught up in the idea of finally being with her and that’s why he agreed. But then we find out the reason he doesn’t go with her in Prague is because she’s taught him he can use what he’s got to help people? Lame. What about how running away with her would mean never seeing Ellie again? Or Morgan? Chuck may never be satisfied going back to a “regular” job again but he was never actually unhappy with his life. Hard to believe he’d be so willing to throw it all away no matter how much he loves the girl.

I was also a bit disappointed with no doubt on his part as to why Sarah was suddenly so eager to disappear with him. And the lack of questions about how Bryce’s death played into that. Not that I believe Bryce is truly a force between them anymore but I’m sure his (second and real) death had to have had an effect on Sarah. Even if it’s just her realization that she doesn’t want to see Chuck suffer the same fate. If the spy I loved did a sudden about face and went from denying our feelings to wanting to run away, I think I’d wonder why she had changed her mind.

Of course, it’s possible all of this will come up again. I seem to be expecting a lot of the first two episodes, eh?! I don’t really mean to be… my lack of satisfaction at how the Chuck and Sarah set up seems to have played out is just spilling over. I’ll be more than happy if I turn out to be wrong and I’m also fine with waiting to see how it all plays out. I just wanted to make it clear that loving the show and being overjoyed to have it back doesn’t mean I ignore the things that bug me. And the writers have done such a great job at creating characters that I love that sometimes I get a little upset when it seems like they aren’t willing to go a little farther with them. This show can be the fun lark that it is and still have characters with dimension. In fact, that’s exactly why it one of my favorite shows in the first place.

Speaking of characters I love… NO, EMMETT!!! (Like Emmett I also sing along to “Hold On” and like Emmett, I always stumble through those initial lyrics.) Actually, I wasn’t all that upset to see the demise of Emmett because I’ve never felt they utilized him all that well. However, I obviously cared more than I thought because I was a little bummed when I realized Chuck not being told the truth about what happened to him probably means he’ll never get brought up again. It’s a little scary, that thought. Makes you realize how easy they can make Buy More folks disappear. I can’t decide if they kept the truth from Chuck because he’d be worried about everyone else at the Buy More or to shield him because it was his screw up that led to the assassin showing up at the Buy More. He may be a “real” spy but he’s still a little too naive to not be seriously affected by being the cause of someone’s death. I hope the writers eventually come back to this and aren’t just sweeping it under the rug because of the implications it has for Chuck. I mean, I know I said I don’t want the basic premise of this show to change but I also don’t want to pretend bad things won’t ever happen to Chuck.

But now I’ve spent a lot of words on stuff that concerns me about what I saw last night. What about all the stuff that makes me giddy? Like the music. God I love the use of music on this show. A lot of shows seem to be cutting back on their musical selections lately so I count on this show to make up for that and it never disappoints. Loved all the music in last night’s episodes. Yet again I lament the fact that we don’t have official soundtracks for this show!! My favorite musical moment from last night? Come on now, “Eye of the Tiger” all the way! Sure, lots of shows have done the Rocky thing but I don’t care. I still loved it.

What else? Oh! Chuck as The Dude. Heh. Do you think they filmed that first before Levi shaved his beard from the summer hiatus? Because I love that boy but boy do I hate his penchant for facial hair during the off time. It felt like the perfect way to poke fun at that. (But thank goodness they had already trimmed Gomez’s beard before we saw him!) And I did love Chuck’s “mission” to get more cheese balls from Buy More without getting recognized. And then the way all the old Buy More employees perk up the minute they hear Emmett saying his name. “Oh Captain, my Captain!”

 
SARAH: “Chuck? What happened?
CHUCK: Something… AWESOME.

I like the way we see the Intersect 2.0 working on Chuck. It’s kind of fun to see what powers they’ll decide to give him to take care of a problem. I’m not entirely sure I get why Chuck’s emotions make it all so screwy. Chuck’s struggle to control himself when he gets mad at Emmett is an example of why Sarah needs to “protect the World from Chuck” but it’s rare that Chuck gets to those emotions so it’s hard to take it too seriously. In fact, Sarah’s worry in the second episode that she’s part of the problem is much closer to the truth but then having her there also seems to help him more than it puts him at risk.

Ok, ok, I’m skipping A LOT of stuff if I stop now but I’ve already rambled for way too long and I haven’t even scratched the surface on the parts I loved about these first two episodes. And there’s another new episode tonight for me to ramble about tomorrow! Oy. What if we just use the comments to come up with a list of our favorite moments? Like one of the best lines of the night, Lester to Morgan: “There’s no way a girl like you could get a woman like you’re describing here…”

 
Sometimes I’m surprised by how much joy a TV show can bring me. Chuck finally returns for its third season tonight and I’m fairly bouncing in my chair as I wait for it to start. Bring it, Schwartz & Fedak. Bring. It.

Guess I’ll just have to re-watch “Chuck Versus the Crown Vic” (1×11) and “Chuck Versus Santa Claus” (2×11). Thanks, TheWB.com and Hulu! (Love that both holiday episodes are the 11th of their respective seasons.)

Not that I need an excuse to watch either episode. Love them both. Just look at all the stuff that happens in “Chuck Versus the Crown Vic” alone… Sarah not running off with Bryce. Morgan in the bushes with his iPod and corn beef getting his stalk on because he thinks Anna is cheating on him. Lester insisting Big Mike call it a “holiday” party. Chuck losing a hundred thousand dollars in one spin. Morgan being himself and then being better than himself in front of Anna’s parents. Sarah accuses Chuck of faking flashes. “Put the rocket launcher down.” Chuck blowing up Casey’s precious Crown Vic. Everyone at Buy More “getting down.”

Finally, Chuck and Sarah kiss and make up…

Jeff: Mistletoe. You’ll thank me later, dude.
Chuck: How about we just dance?
Sarah: Okay.
Jeff: Lame!

Or make up and dance. Whatever.

See what I mean about a lot of stuff? So much, in fact, that we’ll have to cover “Chuck Versus Santa Claus” next week! But, before I go, how about a present and a sneak peek at the other present I’m working on?

Here’s a little something you can use to dress up your Twitter profile. Click on the image below to view and download the full size version. Once you have it saved to your computer, go to Design tab in your Twitter settings and click on the “Change background image” button to upload it there. (Note: Do not check the “tile background” option.)

Click to Download the Twitter Background

And if you want to change your design colors as well here are the colors I used with this background: Background – ffffff, Text – 000000, Links – a30505, Sidebar = 84c28d, and Sidebar Border – 004d09.

Finally, here’s a sneak peek at the other project I’ve been working on FOREVER. Hopefully I can finish it in time to get it up with next Monday’s post. Sorry it’s taking so long, I underestimated the craziness of the holidays this year.

I, like many others, kept hoping an official 2010 Chuck would be released this year. When none was forthcoming, I decided I’d just have to make one for myself and I want to share with those who also want to print their own copy.

Alright my Chuckaroos, that’s enough from me this week!

But since I won’t be done with my present for you until next Monday at the earliest, I’m going for an easy Forget Chuck Not post and sharing my favorite Chuck fan video. I must admit I don’t really follow any Chuck communities and none of my usual sources for fanvids are big into Chuck so I can’t promise this is the best one out there. I found it randomly a few months ago while searching for something else and, while I think the editing was well done, it’s really the song choice I love.

 
See what I mean about the song? Perfect! Anyway, I know all of you must have a fan video or two that you love. Hit me up with links to your faves!

Deep breaths, people, the end is in sight!

Anyway, check it out, a preview of what we’ll be seeing in the upcoming season:

 
PS: That Zachary Levi, he’s adorable. Am I right or am I right?

I kid but it does sadden me that I can’t seem to find the blogging spark I had in the past. (Does Best Buy sell blogging spark plugs?) It’s all my fault of course. My passion for TV is like those fake fireplaces you can buy. The fire might appear to be there but there’s no heat. I have a handful of shows that I still adore but I’m missing that one show that gets me all fired up. And, unfortunately, my blogging suffers.

So, if you’ve stuck by me despite the lack of regular updates, thank you. I do have some things planned for December (Anybody interested in doing a re-watch of an old favorite with me?) and I am trying to get back into the swing of things around here. January and February see the return of many of my TV loves. More importantly, TV loves I enjoying talking about with all of you.

In the meantime, how about some quick hodge podgy updates?

• TV on DVD: In the past two weeks I have made two TV related purchases from Amazon (Damn you, Jo! Damn you, Amazon Gold Box!). The first was the Ally McBeal Complete Series set. I still hate the long box and actually plan to cut it up this weekend and refashion it so it’ll sit on my shelf like all my other DVD sets. BUT! I’m kinda super excited to re-watch the series. I probably won’t do a complete re-watch but I’m definitely going to pick out a few great episodes from each season. (Feel free to make suggestions in the comments!) Perfect timing as this series had some great holiday episodes. The second purchase was Books 1 and 2 of Avatar: The Last Airbender. These have been on my wish list FOREVER so I couldn’t resist when they dropped in price last week. Now if only I had bought Book 3 when Amazon had that great sale on it a few months ago. Patience, Grasshopper! Anyway. It’s one of my favorites and I watched those first two seasons via Netflix and iTunes so I’m happy that I finally have the DVDs at my disposal and can re-watch all my favorite episodes. Of course, just this afternoon I realized for the price I paid for all three of these DVD sets, I could have purchased the Alias Rambaldi box I’ve been coveting for years. Seriously, Amazon, you see me being all supportive and buying shit from you. Throw a sister a bone and put that thing in the Gold Box for me!
• Getting Lost on Tuesdays: You have no idea how happy I am Lost will be on Tuesdays starting February 2nd! NO IDEA. I knew ABC wasn’t going to mess with their current 9PM lineup on Wednesdays and was afraid they’d push Lost to 10PM replacing the recently deceased Eastwick (woe!). This would not have been good for my Lost watching parties. Not only did end up on a night that’s a barren wasteland for me, it’s staying at 9PM meaning I get to enjoy good TV and good company. Huzzah!
• Red Circles: Much love to NBC for granting my wish and giving me a premiere date for my beloved Chuck! January 10th @ 9/8c! Two whole hours of favorite spy on TV! Then another new hour in its regular time slot the next night! SWEET. (Isn’t it a little dangerous to have so much of your favorite drug after you’ve been deprived of it for 9 months?) As promised, I’m circling the date in red. (Ok, ok, so it turns out I need to actually get a 2010 calendar before I can go circling things. But it will be done and soon!)
• New Show Roll Call! Accidentally on Purpose: It’s not funny, I’m not watching. V: Still really digging it. The Middle: Not for me. Modern Family: LOVE IT. Cougar Town: It’s funny and I enjoy it but I don’t see this being a long-term investment for me. Glee: I want more from it but it’s one of the shows I look forward to during the week and always enjoy even when it’s having an off night. Eastwick: Attending its funeral and bringing flowers. Flash Forward: B-O-R-I-N-G. Fell off my schedule two weeks ago and I haven’t missed it. Community: Sad that I’m not loving this like I hoped but it makes me chuckle so I’ll keep with it for a bit. White Collar: HEARTS! (Nudge me if you thought I was watching something I didn’t list. I think I got ‘em all. If it’s not here, I either didn’t watch it at all or I only gave it one/two episodes so it’s not worth an update.)
• 12 Spots, 12 Shows: (If you follow me on Twitter and already answered this, ignore this bullet.) Earlier this week, Jody asked about your Top 5 TV Obsessions. Now I want your Top 12. Working on a little something and need your help. If you only had space for 12 spots on your DVRS and you could choose from all of your favorite shows over the years, which 12 would land season passes?

Ok, now Thursday night TV has started and I gotta go watch or I’ll never catch up. How’s TV by you?

In fact, Jody helped me get a post started about some of our favorite Chuck guest stars. However, I got distracted last night and didn’t get it finished in time. So I’m holding on to that post for next week (and, please, if you have a favorite guest star you’d like to see included, drop me a note in the comments and I’ll be sure to include him/her!). Instead, I’m passing along some Green Week videos courtesy of @ChuckNut who linked me to them this afternoon…

Man… those just made me miss these guys more! Come on, NBC, please give us a premiere date. I need something to put on my calendar and circle in red!

ETA: While I was getting this ready to post, NBC announced that Zach would be one of the hosts of NBC’s Christmas in Rockefeller Center special for the lighting of the Rockefeller Christmas tree on December 2nd at 8PM. Huzzah!

Top 5 Halloween Costumes on TV

1. Castle as Captain Mal (aka a Space Cowboy) – Castle 2-06: C’mon. Like you didn’t know that was going to top this list?
2. Sarah as Princess Lea – Chuck 1-06: Only someone that hot can pull this outfit off. And she did it to make Chuck happy. Aww.
3. Ghost Willow – Buffy the Vampire Slayer 2-06One of our first glimpses of Willow coming out of her shell. In the words of Oz: “Who IS that girl?”
4. Phoebe, Piper and Prue as witches – Charmed 3-04: The witches dressed as witches made me laugh. Plus, they were gorgeous costumes!
5. Donna the Mermaid – Beverly Hills 90210 2-13: This stands as one of the worst, yet funniest, and most elaborate Halloween costumes on TV.

What do you think? What are some of your favorite Halloween costumes on TV?

On the left below is a list of episode descriptions from the past two seasons, in no particular order. On the right are the words missing from the titles of each of these episodes. Can you fill in the blanks?

* Don’t worry, even if you don’t pay attention to episode titles, you can just use clues from the descriptions to figure these out!

Very Important PS: Much love to Jody for doing all the real work (compiling the list of episodes and their descriptions) on this post! She rocks.

 
So, my fellow Chuckies (ok, that doesn’t sound right — Chuckites? Buy Morians? Whatever!), we got some interesting news this week. I’m torn. Naturally I want to see more of the crew above as soon as possible. That is, after all, why I post about the show each Monday. On the other hand, I don’t want the show to be the finger NBC is sticking in the dike, ya know? There aren’t a lot of empty slots on their schedule where Chuck would thrive at the moment. Not to mention there’s been no promotion for the show’s new season. If we thought we had a problem with viewers finding it before?! Ack. I do not want the show to come back just to tank.

Although… If it’ll get NBC and Warner Brothers to release the season two DVDs, I may reconsider my position on the matter. GIVE ME MY DVDS!!

Ahem. Yeah. This post. Sigh. Here, have a Chuck goodie (or two) to make up for my lack of real content?

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