What can I say about this amazing show that hasn't been said before? You all know the formula. Nerdy dude develops a superpower (in this case, the Intersect) and becomes a spy and falls for his CIA handler and she falls for him and they become a team of . . . okay, maybe the formula was on when I started this sentence, but it's kind of gotten away from me.
Chuck works for the Nerd Herd at the Burbank Buy More (meaning, Geek Squad at Best Buy). One day a former college friend/enemy, who has become a spy, sends him something called the Intersect. It's a classified database containing all the information any branch of the government has on anything up to that moment. It also allows him access to training, letting him become a deadly weapon just so long as he "flashes" on the information. This guy is played by the loveable Zachary Levi.
He finds himself trapped between Sarah Walker (Yvonne Strahovski), a CIA spy, and John Casey (Adam Baldwin), an NSA spy. The funny thing is, these aren't even their real names. They are also both assassins. They get assigned to Chuck's case and to protecting the Intersect. Sarah's cover is that she's Chuck's girlfriend. Casey's cover is . . . poor bastard . . . a sales associate at Buy More. Straddling both worlds is Morgan, Chuck's best friend since childhood and a fellow Buy More employee.
The supporting cast is made up of their boss, the general, and several coworkers at Buy More: Big Mike, the boss, and two shady perverts by the names of Jeff and Lester. The last two have a delightful band called Jeffster, and I was very pleased to see they have a song in the series finale. There is also Chuck's sister Ellie and her boyfriend Awesome. Er, Devon. Ellie is a doctor and Awesome is a surgeon.
Naturally there is a will-they-won't-they thing going on between Chuck and Sarah. I don't think it's a spoiler to say that it's a will-they situation. To me, that's the most boring part because it's the most predictable. How many times have I seen this? I will admit, though, this part was done well. What I truly enjoyed was the transformation of John Casey. When we first meet him he's a cold blooded assassin, and he's been ordered to kill Chuck if it seems like he's off the beam or he's in danger of falling into enemy hands. Over the course of the first season, Casey comes to actually like Chuck, which is weird for him. He doesn't make many friends outside the Marine Corps. When he's actually ordered to kill Chuck, he hesitates. But he will still do it. He clearly doesn't want to, but his loyalty is to his country. God, country, Marine Corps. In that order. He's even got a rotating target in his apartment! First it's Osama bin Laden, which he promptly shoots, and then there's Ronald Reagan, and he doesn't! He salutes!
Thankfully the kill order is rescinded, and we get to watch him change over five seasons until the point where he actually feels love again.
The show has the best guest stars. From Mark Hamill to Richard Chamberlain to Kevin Daniels to . . . I could go on forever. My favorite might be Bo Derek because she actually gets to play herself.
But there are two things in particular that stand out for me. The first is that Chuck has this brilliant way of using people's words against them in adverse conditions. My favorite is when Brandon Routh's character explains his evil plan and ends it with a stoic "mwuh-ha-ha." Just a throw away comment. Later, when Chuck has Routh's character by the short and curlies, he ends his execution of the plan by offering an equally stoic "Mwuh-ha-ha." I love those moments.
But I love this even more: no matter how small the detail, it will always be important later in the episode. It's the pistol on the mantel times a thousand. But even better than that, there are two instances where the writers played the long game (or, at least, two instances I'm aware of). In the first episode it is established that everyone calls Devon "Awesome." In the very last episode it becomes very important because a character who should know better (who has actually been brainwashed) calls him Devon instead, therefore revealing this person to be the enemy. And in another instance two characters carve their names into the wall of a house they want to own. Fast forward maybe a season or two, and that very carving is used to try to undo the brainwashing I just mentioned.
And then there's the ending. I'd rather not say much about it, as it is definitely a spoiler, but it wasn't happily-ever. Close, but not quite. I can never really trust an entirely happy ending.
In short, if you haven't seen it, watch Chuck. It's fucking incredible.
PS: If you're not going to watch the show, at least enjoy these Jeffster songs. That wedding scene is one of the best put to film ever.
PPS: There has been some talk--not much, I'll grant you--of a Quantum Leap reboot. If it happens, only Levi could play Sam Beckett. Not just because Scott Bakula plays Chuck's dad. Levi and Bakula have the same kind of charisma and an ability to at least look great while doing fight scenes. Plus Chuck had to be different people a lot, just like Sam. It's a perfect match, and it's the only way I'd watch such a reboot.
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