I prefer seasons 1 and 2 because they have Chuck as a reluctant hero as opposed to a fully-fledged spy. His awkwardness and unwilling participation in the spy biz made for great story telling as far as I'm concerned. Good job on the retrospective! Cheers!
I really liked this series about Chuck, a computer nerd, but I think that to be 26 years old when the series starts and to be no more adult than a child aged ten to twelve was too stupid, the same that he lives with the idiot Morgan he should have been written out of the series in the first season because he is a child of 6-7 years old in behavior and never becomes an adult throughout the series and the worst thing is that I can't find his so-called funny things funny at all, only tiring. Sarah and Casey and Devon were adults. Elli was just a naive overprotective annoying big sister
This series is so heavily underrated. Zachary Levi is also super underrated in his roles. I wish he was in more stuff. I don't think many people realize he's the lead in Tangled and he actually did some singing too. Great show, definitely one of my favorites so this video was a nice surprise. Thanks Slip!
I've seen very few movies & episodes of shows so badly directed they made me find out who the director was, & only two directors came up, but each time they directed. (Tim Burton doesn't count because one always knows going into his movies he's involved). Robert Duncan McNeil. He killed Eureka, Enterprise & this show. He _consistently_ does the Same Bad Things. 1) Take all tension, sense of conflict &/or aggression *out* of every scene, making everything feel meh. 2) His attempts at humor are like those of AI, just putting elements of what a bot would think makes the whole funny. 3) Horrendous editing. I know the director isn't supposed to be responsible for this, but somehow, when he's the director, necessary story elements somehow don't make it to air. & as I said, this is _consistent_ when he's the director. There was a season finale where the tyrannical White bald store manager I guess got himself killed by acting the tyrant to a stranger in the store parking lot whom he didn't know was a professional assassin? At least that's what I partially remember. That whole scene was poorly set-up, the pay-off was off-screen, not only was the set-up rushed, it was horribly enacted, & there was a definite attempt to make it funny somehow. Why *introduce* such a character only to dispose of him like you never wanted him? Also Chuck's best friend one episode tried to do the Die Hard thing with guns taped to his back. Then when the moment comes to grab them, we see that they're taped where he can't reach them, begging the question "how did he put the tape there?" Again, like an AI, that question never occurred to this director. It's like he's heard of the elements of humor & thought "this scenario has many of them. Ergo it is funny. Ha. Ha." He made _so_ many episodes of all those shows _so_ bland & unentertaining.
An he looked pretty bad in the last vieo, but yes ghe is underrated, an he was the best lead here too. Hell he was even pretty good in the godforsaken hero reboot. Ad her h nails comedy and drama very human. Dunno yvone gets to show off too sh is pretty affective i her complicated drama too..
As to the ending, I think a middle ground is actually the correct answer. No, I do not think that Sarah got her memory is back with a magic kiss. However, I think the fact that she asked Chuck to kiss her meant she WANTED those memories back, she WANTED that life with him. So I think even if she doesn't get her memories back she's not going to leave. I think she's going to stay and try to rebuild the life she once had.
I think it was the show runners who said something similar to this, but essentially the show is about Chuck (duh) and his hero's journey and growth. Sarah helped Chuck turn into the man he became through her guidance, love and support, and now, because of that, he is ready to do the same for her. The beach scene is the inverse of the beginning of the series and a true full circle moment for Chuck. That said, I'll never forget the gut punch I felt the first time I watched the finale. I usually don't care much for the will-they-won't-they subplots, but something about this one really got into my head. The Sarah-Chuck relationship felt so central to the show and was a catalyst for journey and growth of these characters, disappearing it by taking Sarah's memories felt like such a betrayal. Like why did I just invest in the last 90 episodes when the entire relationship is back at square one? I might as well have not watched. But I've ultimately wound up with the same interpretation you stated. Sarah will stay and they will rebuild their life and relationship and Sarah 1.0 will live on through the lessons she taught Chuck. They will create new memories and she will fall in love with all the same character traits she did the first time.
That is very well put, and I came to this conclusion as well, the imporant thing is that she wants to know their story, and she will fall in love with him again because he is still the same man she fell in love with. Also Rivers and Roads is such a great song for that ending.
That's exactly how I viewed the ending when I saw the episode upon airing. It won't be the easiest road forward for Chuck, but then again, it never is, and Chuck Bartowski is exactly the guy Sarah is capable of falling for. She's getting bits of her memory back (even if it never fully returns), and her general foundational fondness for Chuck would probably lead to a date. For Chuck and Sarah, one date would be enough.
I took the ending to be an echo of the Pilot where Sarah falls in love with Chuck as he plays the "good" father-figure by enabling the young ballerina to recreate the memory of the dance recital her actual father had failed to film. In the finale, Chuck essentially fulfills this role directly for Sarah by inspiring Casey to bring her her mission logs and then by telling Sarah the story of their relationship.
Literally my favorite show of all time, me and my dad watched every episode together, and the show had its up and downs, but it got us threw some difficult times. It will always have a special place in my heart.
Chuck is one of my favorites of all time. Probably one of my first real fandoms (it's just so small, no one ever talks about it) I've fantasized about making a super long retrospective on this show for a few years so I'm thrilled to see this!
@@JoeYesRealThisIsJoe the ending is controversial to some though as time has passed I’ve begun to appreciate what they went for and that Sarah wants to remember and start over with Chuck it’s actually a beautiful ending
around the end of the video he mentions that there is another series ended in a similar way as Chuck, i dont remember it. does anyone know the name of the other series?
For plot/story, character arcs/backgrounds, humor and action season 2 and 3 have all of the above, but season 2 is the best of them all. I said this in other channels about the whole series, this series could have at least went on for more than 6-8 seasons if they carefully design the storyline from season 3 onwards, having Team Chuck going kind of downwards in mid season 4 is probably one of the reasons the series only had 5 seasons.
Some of the best on screen cast chemistry in any show I've seen, they all just fit so perfectly, and the couple dynamic between Zac and Yvonne was incredibly real to me. Show is seriously underrated, who knows it could still have a future seeing how Zac still mentions wanting a movie to happen
This is my favorite show of all-time. The fact that someone is paying tribute to it in 2023 makes my heart feel so much fuller. This is so in-depth and attentive, and I'm so appreciative that someone recognizes all the important details. I wanted to write a detailed comment in response to show much this video meant to me: 15:20 - This is one of the reasons that I think the writers’ strike was a blessing in disguise and served the show well in the long-run. I’m not entirely certain there was a direct correlation between the writers’ strike and rewriting Captain Awesome’s character arc, but who knows what would have happened had there been a full season 1 as planned! 16:33 - “I’m thankful that Bryce Larkin is dead and is not currently in my bedroom making out with my new girlfriend.” “Wow buddy that was really dark… And specific.” - I kid you not, every year for YEARS after this episode came out, this is what my sister and I would say to each other at the Thanksgiving table as an inside joke. 16:55 - Chuck also formed my music taste in my youth. I would make mix-CDs for friends who would be like “Where did you find this song?” or “Where did you find this artist?” and I had to awkwardly explain that the answer was, always without a doubt, Chuck. 21:12 - Chuck and Sarah’s romance never felt like forced drama to me because of the power dynamic. Two spies can date if that’s their personal prerogative. But the handler/asset dynamic would be wildly inappropriate and cause tremendous consequences for Sarah’s career. That’s why once Chuck is her equal as an actual spy, it’s no longer a barrier. I actually adore late Season 2 because their inability to consummate their relationship feels increasingly tense. But that’s coming from a teenage girl who liked angst. 22:00 - I’ve shown this show to many friends and have always made them watch Chuck vs. The Best Friend before Chuck vs. The Suburbs and it makes an immense difference. Chuck vs. The Best Friend is episode 13, a clear mid-season finale for a standard network television order, and Chuck vs. The Suburbs sets up a clear second arc to the season. 35:52 “What are you doing MAN? Put the gun away DUDE! BRO, take another step and I will drop you.” So much bro language in a short span of lines always makes me laugh. 37:17 - This is part of what makes the show so great. Every season finale (and most mid-season finales for that matter), could have very well been the last episode of the show. So the writers were always pulling out all the stops and pushing the narrative forward. I again see this as a blessing. 41:32 - I disagree. Season 3 was my favorite of all the seasons specifically because it changes the status quo drastically and does create forward momentum in the show. It doesn’t change the show entirely - it still sits within its same framework - but Chuck goes through immense character development in a short amount of time after getting the Intersect 2.0 and becoming a “real” spy. Season 3 is also when there are the most revelations into Chuck’s secret life, with both Morgan and Ellie finding out. 45:54 - That Office-style zoom on General Beckman is comedy gold 53:41 - Hmm I wondering if there’s a difference in reception of these episodes between male and female populations. I remember in the Tumblr days, primarily occupied by females, that the “honeymoon phase” was a fan-favorite for the shipping community to just revel in the cuteness before, as you say, “slamming on the narrative gaspedal” again. 59:52 - Interesting - I enjoy season 4 as neither a favorite nor least favorite, however, I’ve had multiple friends tell me Season 4 is their favorite precisely because it falls into an entertaining rhythm of episode-to-episode stories, all while Chuck and Sarah are together and Team Chuck is at its peak. 1:02:44 - “Don’t worry Casey, I know that dumpster!” could be my favorite line of the show 1:05:05 - Volkoff is my favorite villain of the show by far. He’s given an actual reason to be comically evil - being programmed exactly how nerds who loved comically evil villains would have programmed him. 1:13:50 -I actually think this is the reason I dislike season 5 so much. For someone who liked long arcs, the season felt WAY too rushed to me as the writers tried to cram in multiple final arcs that could have last a whole (or at least half) a season, because they knew they had a limited number of episodes left. Decker was set up to be some major villain and then was killed off so easily a few episodes later, and his entire character was reduced to being a pawn of Shaw who is only relevant for one episode. They could have done a lot more with Decker and his supposed big “conspiracy”, and then a separate, fleshed out storyline for Nicolas Quinn. Nicolas Quinn being the final villain feels anticlimactic when we barely know him for like 2 episodes. The premiere of season 5 was especially a let-down for me (minus Chuck cleverly saving the day). I thought the significant budget cuts were felt. 1:17:21 - This is such a refreshing take and helps me reframe my own dislike of Season 5. I’ve never heard someone have a positive view about dirtbag Morgan, or as I’ve called it, “Ron with the Horcrux” Morgan. 1:23:27 - “Man who is not Shaw” lol I’ve never heard that before. That’s saying something because I remember the Chuck fandom not liking Shaw all that much either. On Tumblr he was collectively referred to as “The Tree” for his lack of expressions. 1:27:12 - I also agree with some of the comments that a middle ground would make the most sense. I think they’d rebuild, but it would take time and a lot of scientific research and experimental treatments by the CIA. There is no part of me that would except that Chuck and Sarah wouldn’t have a happily ever after. It goes against the romantic and feel-good nature of the show. 1:28:35 - “Follow your heart, because our heads only screw things up” - Thank you for including this quote. I think this is what touches me the most about this show. Despite the perhaps “logical” failures of the show (the plotholes, the inconsistencies, the questionable narratives), none of it matters because it’s a show driven by the characters and their heart. And I’m a sucker for heart. Thank you for making this retrospective.
I agree with you on a lot of this, especially about Season 4. After rewatching the series over and over again, I've really come to appreciate Season 2 the most. But for a long time, Season 4 was my favorite. It was the tightest and most consistent. As for Chuck's mom being a spy...well, she had to be. If his dad turned out to be a genius who only left the kids in Chuck's teenage years because he was protecting them, the mother that abandoned them completely when Chuck was nine had to have a real backstory to it. Linda Hamilton did a great job of portraying a well-meaning mother who had spent far too long in the spy world to stop and think about her actions. Her son appears in her life, so she fucks up the Intersect, so he won't be able to follow her anymore, and Volkoff won't learn the truth. It makes perfect sense, as long as you're a CIA intelligence officer and sociopath without any basic understanding of human emotion. Once Chuck finds his feet again, he takes down Volkoff, rescues his mother, saves Volkoff's daughter, and wins the day against her turn to villainy by...just talking it out and pleading to her emotional side. Chuck saves the world once again--and Sarah's life--by being the same guy he was at the start of the show. That was a great way to go. I also love that bit about "I know that dumpster!" The only better line in the series that I can think of was the end of Season 2, when Casey says, "Chuck me!"
I knew a while ago that the original intent was to have Devon (Chuck's bro-in-law) betray him by turning into a bad guy. I'm glad it never happened. He was the funniest TV show in-law ever and one of the best supporting characters in later seasons of the show.
First you bless us with a Fringe retrospective and now you’re covering my absolute favorite show? You‘ve just catapulted yourself on the first place of my RUclipsr favorites list!
It’s crazy. I haven’t seen Chuck in years. It’s my all time favorite show. Just started to watch it again, wanted to see some clips, and this pops up. Love it
I just followed the same steps. Narration is great, the clips is great, overall summary is great. What I kind of missed from this is a conclusion - a rating of sorts.. And Jeffster - How can you mention this iconic band just once? They even have their own Spotify channel!! Anyway - Chuck 11/10 ; Jeffster - 12/10 . Every song they ever had in the show landed just right!! Yes - It was greatly helped by video editing and onscreen action but still. Awesome stuff..
This series was one of the first shows that I tried to keep up to date on week to week. Season 4 did drag on imo and the mom spy twist solidified my annoyance at the writers for constantly using it. Regardless, I'm glad to see a long form retrospective on youtube for it finally. I also respect Zachary Levi's devotion to this show. Even after a decade after the show ended and him becoming a giant DC movie star, he still wants a Chuck movie to happen. The Community movie is happening so who knows?
I love that I went through the early days of RUclips when getting a sponsor was “selling out” and now I get to see the days when we’re all excited to see them collecting their bag! Like hell yeah, love to see someone getting paid for doing something they enjoy, give this man a living wage!
One of the best times of my life was binging this great series with friends. As formulaic as the Chuck/Sarah romance could get I always found myself insanely invested in it, and the show as a whole for that matter.
Seeing as the fans literally bought subways sandwiches when Chuck was on to let basically the only sponsor know how much Chuck meant to them, is the reason they went all in on Subway. It was Awesome! In a Captain sort of way.
I feel like the real heart of the show is how good the relationship is between Chuck and Sarah - you keep watching because you genuinely just want to see these two crazy kids figure out how to talk to each other and stop being such navel-gazing twerps.
I disagree about the A and B plots. I love the way they tie together and makes for a parallel universe between the Buy More and Spy life. In total, the show is one of the best of all time. Considering how much it had to scramble every time they were threatened with cancellation, I think they did a stellar job throughout the series.
You brought me down memory lane. I don't know about your channel but I grew up with Chuck. From 8th grade to graduating high school. Honestly thank you for this video. It was so good, and made me tear up a bit since chuck made a huge impact on my life (even the final 2 seasons.)
It came out during a time where more major known shows were airing at the same time. So, less attention on this show even though it was great. But still had a dedicated fan base that saved it 2times from being cancelled
ive waited years for someone to just try to analyse this show. My favorite forever. watched in when it was on TV and even after it went to many services.
This is my favorite show. It's one of those extremely rare shows that my entire family got really into together and we all love it still. Such an underrated and relatively unknown gem. And I liked the ending which is also rar in tv!
So, I stumbled across this show last year. I was scrolling through Prime Video and it came up as included with the subscription. I was like "hey, isn't that the show that the one chick from Mass Effect 2 was in?" Hooked almost immediately. I've since rewatched it several times and I still love it.
Love Chuck! Wish the show wasn't always on the threat of being cancel and they had to rush some stories up. The cast is all great. Its a simple idea for a show and it has a lot of fun with it.
Chuck has very supportive characters on his side, Ellie and Devon the caring sister and brother in law the emotional support for Chuck, Morgan the hilarious best friend among many others. In terms of characters and the storyline this series is underrated af, sad they only make 5 seasons it could surpass 8 easily. Personally I kind of think the first two seasons are the best, 3-4 are second best, sadly the 5th one is kind of lackluster and the one that probably killed the series.
One of my goto "I'm not doing so well right now" comfort shows. Even the less than stellar episodes (which there are admittedly a lot of) put a smile on my face.
I know a lot of people say 'X' show is underrated but I genuinely believe Chuck IS underrated and deserved far more attention, I admire the people who helped this show go on for as long as it did
Your Fringe retrospective came out right after I started rewatching the series, now with that back to back with Chuck you've hit my underrated late 00's series. Will need to rewatch Chuck again after finishing Fringe, especially since I dipped during season 4. Good to hear that season 5 does some new things, early season 4 was a little rough. Great video again Slip!
This show is just one big nostalgia trip for me. Not just cause i grew up watching it. I was raised in LA so the setting is already familiar in that sense, but also growing up my family wasn't exactly rich. A fun time for us was going to places like Best Buy or Fry's Electronics to watch the movies they had on display and play video games. The show being in this setting immediately makes me feel at home when I watch it. On top of that, Chuck reminds me a lot of myself, even as a kid. The show is far from perfect (the ending still pisses me off), but imo, even when it's not great, it's still fun. Rewatching it right now, and I'm having a blast not only revisiting it, but the memories it evokes in me
I don't know about this. First of all I really appreciate that you gave Chuck some attention with this video. I don't think that it does the show justice tho. The 'filler material', as you describe it, are some of the fan favourite (and my favourite) episodes of the show. The episodes after 3.13 and a large part of season 4 for instance. Same goes for the buymore stuff. I really enjoyed the 'B plot lines' of the buymore because it not only mostly provided funny scenes and one liners, but also the ridiculous activities of the 'buymorons'. Especially in an episode like 3.11 (final exam) where the spy plotline is quite serious and has a dramatic ending, the buymore stuff get's you to laugh even in that episode. On that note: I can't believe you just casually mentioned that Chuck shot Shaw in 3.13 since this is what Chucks moral principles never allowed him to do previously and wouldn't allow him to do afterwards because he hasn't turned into a ruthless spy. I could go on and on about it, as you probably figured out by now. Again, I'm very grateful that you gave Chuck some attention with your video! But I feel like the video makes the show look worse than it actually is... Which is a real shame because it's actually fantastic imo and I really recommend watching it! Chuck has one of the most loyal fanbases (that would buy Subway sandwiches to get it renewed) and there is a reason for it. Still, thanks for making a video about Chuck!
I agree with what you have to say I haven't finished the video but so far I think he is making the show seem worse than it is with some of the thing he says, with the Chuck vs The Bestfriend episode he says that Chuck is annoying because he feels like he is betraying Morgan and that just seems so odd, it feels like he hasn't paid attention during the show and doesn't understand Chuck and Morgan friendship
Great show, great writing, and a finale I can appreciate. Wouldn't have been mad if that movie everyone always asked for got made to provide some level of resolution to the ending but what we did get is still some of the best TV I've ever seen.
Chuck was a fun show. It had a lot of ups and downs, but for me, the ups countered the downs, so its not all bad in retrospect. It's one of the few rare shows that i can think back on and go "oh man, i love when a show does this" to just as quickly go "oh.. i hate this".. haha
One of my favorites was the way they used Constellations "We're here to save the day" to introduce the new Buy More in Season 4. And then they have Olivia Munn's looooooong legs walk into the scene while Chuck is almost at a loss for words. Hilarious scene. Little things like that are what made the show great. I am so glad they never went through with the original plan to have Devon come out as an enemy spy. It just wouldn't work with the audience. He clearly likes having Chuck as a bro-in-law and they get along so well. I am a bit let down that there was no episode of Chuck and Sarah getting married and driving off into the sunset in the last season...
This is another show that, for me, I liked but didn't love enough to stick with. Fantastic review as always. Well constructed and funny. The amount of work you put into the editing helps tell the story and is so appreciated by your viewers.
As I was watching your retrospective, and it made me think that as much as I love Chuck season four was my favourite. No more will they won’t they chuck actively having more to do in the adventures and a great performance from Timothy Dalton.
Nice review! Funny I actually really liked season 4, both for the Volkof plot but also for the more "slow" episodes. I thought it was real nice after Chuck and Sarah spent 3 seasons doing the will they won't they, their relationship progressed to (minus some communication issues) a real great and healthy one, and we were able to revel in that after rooting for the two of them for so long. I also liked the baby episode the most out of all of season 5. But maybe I'm just a romantic sap who loves any focus on Sarahs complicated past, and heartwarming family reunions :)
Great to revisit this show. I was at a friends house at probably age 10 or 12 and watched one episode on cable and it was where orion was killed. (Very good ep to start on for a young lad) ended up torrenting it 3-5 year later and fell in love with the show. I felt something when you said it connected with your younger childish self. This makes me want to watch through again. Thank you!
I didn't realize Masuka worked at the buymore while going to school for forensics. We need a cross over series about Harry Tang started working with Dexter and changed his name due to witness protection reasons!
I m still amazed by the quality of your work, and the way you keep the story/synopsis coherent even with multiple characters in shows I haven't even seen. Keep at it and I wholeheartedly hope you get the subscriber count and views you deserve for your effort and exceptional videos. Cheers!
Chuck is one of my all time favorite TV shows, it carried me through highschool and personal stuff that followed it gave me a fun action/romcom/sitcom type show that i would reference and rewatch alot. as i grew older and realizing the show isn't perfect ( even i didn't like the last season that much ) i appreciate what it was and still adore the series and appreciate how mid 2000's it all was. thanks for reviewing the show, i never see anything chuck related to this degree so its very nice to see
I’m quite a bit late to get any sort of response to this but me and my roommate at the time absolutely adored this show. I lived in central Hollywood back then and Vik Sahay, who played Lester, frequented the same cafe as me and we’d chat on occasion about whether they’d be renewed or not, then congratulate him when they did. I still have a soft spot for the show and Sarah Walker (not Yvonne, though she’s amazing) is my dream girl 😂
Absolutely love this show, agree with most of your criticisms but vehemently agree with your praises The soundtrack is one of the major reasons my music taste is the way it is today
I always contrast this show with Reaper, which I think was airing just before this show came out. And always ended up loving Reaper more... Wish it got more.
The excessive episodic stuff wasn't so bad, it only feels like an issue if you're binging everything at once, seeing it on TV back then didn't feel like that. It also helps that the writing was still fun enough to not make it feel like the average filler episode. S4 was weak sometimes but the ending was good
An excellent retrospective. All spy stories are cartoon by nature (John LeCarre aside) and TV spy stories doubly so. I love watching pretty people doing outrageous things and looking sexy while doing it. I never liked season five but on your observations I may rewatch it.
Aaaaaah that makes so much sense that Chuck Vs The Other Guy was supposed to be the show's end. I knew about the rocky time seasons 4 and 5 had, but I always wondered why the pacing of S3 was SO weird.
An enjoyable look back as always. I'd love to see a retrospective on the series Jericho, it's a highly underrated show that sadly had to be finished with a six part comic series.
It's definitely my guilty pleasure series I come back to every few years. It is formulaic and can be super cheesy, especially with that music they play during some fight scenes (you know the one), but it has some good moments. I enjoyed the video and you got yourself a new sub.
The cheese is what makes it great, it earns the cheese with great characters that are worth being weepy over. Captain Awesome is the greatest thing since fried air
@@thatitalianlameguy2235 I never really got complaints about things being "cheesy" or "corny", but maybe I just get too invested into a show to not think about it from the outside, but hey, it lets me have more fun, so I guess it's a good thing.
Chuck and Sarah had legit chemistry. No amount of studio bullshit or bad writing could reallt completely wipe out that chemistry, like Jim/Pam i was legit invested enough just to see the will they/wont they to its conclusion. Its what i thought about Jeff and Britta at first then spent a few seasons thinking about Jeff and Annie.
Yup but she sure passionately kissed her male spies which is nowhere near the nicely planted sweet kisses she always gave Chuck and nothing like she kissed all those male spies!
Awesome video really missed this show. Would love one of these about Psych as it is my favorite series off all time and includes another passionate fanbase.
I’m guessing the reference at the end is to Eureka, but I genuinely thought you were talking about Fringe at first. Man, that season where they ended with Peter just blipping out of existence and no one remembering him… best cliffhanger ever.
My only exposure to this show was a parody on the cartoon network MAD cartoon called “duck” where the chuck was a the duck, you follow? Apparently it was pretty spot on because I seemed to know most of these major plot and thematic beats despite never seeing a single scene of it up until this point.
The intersect didn't necessarily predict that is more person of interests remit. However chuck was at times able to deduce what would occur when he flashed and got information.
I know it won’t get the views because no one even knows what it is (Hopefully that new sponsorship can help make up for that) but I would love to see a video on Halt and Catch Fire, One of my favorite shows of all time and the forgotten drama from AMC‘s golden age of Mad Men, Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul, The Walking Dead, etc.… it’s on the same level of quality as all those other shows and it’s absolutely criminal how underrated and obscure it is -- it deserves so much more recognition/exposure, but since I can’t do it myself, I would kindly ask it of you… perhaps you might even consider accepting commissions? Oh and since I mentioned it, Mad Men would be great as well.
Wow this video is actually perfect for me so thanks. I have watched Chunk through a few times but the last time I recall not being able to get through season 4. This video helped me understand why and recapped it all so I don't need to watch again. Honestly the show has it's rough edges but also has some really good moments.
Still my favorite show of all time right up there with Scrubs and Office Space. The entire cast was absolutely awesome. Both Casey and Morgan were my favorites. Casey had the best sayings. I loved the Buy More side gig. The finale was absolutely devastating though.
I literally shouted out in excitement when I saw this. Idk why but these retrospectives are like crack. I could just live with them in the background as noise and I’d be set
Sarah losing her memory killed the show for me. It destroyed the heart and soul. Everyone but Chuck and Sarah get a happy ending. They may get back together, but it will be a completely different relationship. This ending is only second to Quantum Leap in endings that ruin the series.
Loved the entire show, right up until the ending. Never been a fan of ambiguous endings myself, I've always thought that they were a cop out because the writers couldn't land on an ending that they loved and were afraid of not sticking the landing.
Personally, I don't mind ambiguous or "non final" endings where things are left more open, however this sort of gut punch ending is really bad, cause instead of having a, for example, loose relationship between the 2 main love interests and then leaving things open (where you can headcanon whatever you'd like) this ending basically kills Sarah and replaces her with an older version, and then we get an ambiguous ending, along with almost everyone going their separate ways. It's a bittersweet ending that, in my eyes, is a lot more bitter than sweet unnecessarily.
I haven't rewatched in a while, so I don't know if I'd still find this take as satisfying/placating, but at some point in my Chuck phase I made peace with the retreading of the emotional beats in Chuck and Sarah's romance by coming to the conclusion that at a certain point in the cycle, we're really developing Sarah's take on the relationship, not so much Chuck's. We're really really really familiar with how agonized Chuck is by having to pretend. But as we get further into the show, and that stays as true as ever, we gradually get let in on the fact that Sarah actually cherishes the "pretend" as a safe context in which to act on her feelings. I find this actually pretty poignant and insightful on the part of the writers. On the one hand because Sarah is way better at keeping track of the government sword of damocles hanging over all their heads; Chuck is periodically reminded that the government really doesn't like loose ends, and he probably *won't* be allowed to ride off peacefully into the sunset with his one true love once his usefulness has run out, but it's just not in his nature to give up on the dream of a normal life with a family and friends. Not to mention that he doesn't seem able to function particularly well if constantly plagued with thoughts of secret prison or two taps to the noggin. Sarah never forgets the low probability of a quiet retirement plan, especially not for the two of them at once. And then there are her deeper doubts about her own person and life experience, whether she can ever be a well-rounded, openly-expressive person living a "normal" life. If I started rewatching the show now, I think a big question on my mind would be how much I actually like (and root for) Chuck and Sarah to be together. It took me a little while past my Chuck phase to realize that I often mistook rooting for the protagonists of stories to get their hopes and dreams for, like, actually believing romantic leads are a good fit and enjoying them together.
Good take. I highly recommend you rewatch it. I saw Chuck as it aired, then again a few years ago. I just watched an episode and want to rewatch it again (on Amazon prime). Chuck is definitely one of favorite shows still as I love the music, the laughs, and the emotion I still get from it. However, when I rewatched it I had to look up on what ppl thought about it how it ended. Glad I did too. I remember reading one great take and it made me appreciate the show all the more. I personally wished it ended differently, but there is an alternative / expanded ending on yt. It’s pretty cool
"Don't worry Casey, I know that dumpster!" is such an amazing line
I prefer seasons 1 and 2 because they have Chuck as a reluctant hero as opposed to a fully-fledged spy. His awkwardness and unwilling participation in the spy biz made for great story telling as far as I'm concerned. Good job on the retrospective! Cheers!
I really liked this series about Chuck, a computer nerd, but I think that to be 26 years old when the series starts and to be no more adult than a child aged ten to twelve was too stupid, the same that he lives with the idiot Morgan he should have been written out of the series in the first season because he is a child of 6-7 years old in behavior and never becomes an adult throughout the series and the worst thing is that I can't find his so-called funny things funny at all, only tiring. Sarah and Casey and Devon were adults. Elli was just a naive overprotective annoying big sister
This series is so heavily underrated. Zachary Levi is also super underrated in his roles. I wish he was in more stuff. I don't think many people realize he's the lead in Tangled and he actually did some singing too. Great show, definitely one of my favorites so this video was a nice surprise. Thanks Slip!
Maybe we’ll see him get some more big roles now that he’s played Shazam.
He's good as Arcade in Fallout New Vegas as well
If they don't realize that Levi is Flynn Rider then they likely barely know him at all, since he didn't adjust his voice for the role.
I've seen very few movies & episodes of shows so badly directed they made me find out who the director was, & only two directors came up, but each time they directed. (Tim Burton doesn't count because one always knows going into his movies he's involved).
Robert Duncan McNeil. He killed Eureka, Enterprise & this show.
He _consistently_ does the Same Bad Things. 1) Take all tension, sense of conflict &/or aggression *out* of every scene, making everything feel meh. 2) His attempts at humor are like those of AI, just putting elements of what a bot would think makes the whole funny.
3) Horrendous editing. I know the director isn't supposed to be responsible for this, but somehow, when he's the director, necessary story elements somehow don't make it to air. & as I said, this is _consistent_ when he's the director.
There was a season finale where the tyrannical White bald store manager I guess got himself killed by acting the tyrant to a stranger in the store parking lot whom he didn't know was a professional assassin? At least that's what I partially remember.
That whole scene was poorly set-up, the pay-off was off-screen, not only was the set-up rushed, it was horribly enacted, & there was a definite attempt to make it funny somehow. Why *introduce* such a character only to dispose of him like you never wanted him?
Also Chuck's best friend one episode tried to do the Die Hard thing with guns taped to his back. Then when the moment comes to grab them, we see that they're taped where he can't reach them, begging the question "how did he put the tape there?"
Again, like an AI, that question never occurred to this director. It's like he's heard of the elements of humor & thought "this scenario has many of them. Ergo it is funny. Ha. Ha."
He made _so_ many episodes of all those shows _so_ bland & unentertaining.
An he looked pretty bad in the last vieo, but yes ghe is underrated, an he was the best lead here too.
Hell he was even pretty good in the godforsaken hero reboot. Ad her h nails comedy and drama very human.
Dunno yvone gets to show off too sh is pretty affective i her complicated drama too..
As to the ending, I think a middle ground is actually the correct answer. No, I do not think that Sarah got her memory is back with a magic kiss. However, I think the fact that she asked Chuck to kiss her meant she WANTED those memories back, she WANTED that life with him. So I think even if she doesn't get her memories back she's not going to leave. I think she's going to stay and try to rebuild the life she once had.
I just commented the same! I always thought she was open to the idea of getting to know her husband again
I think it was the show runners who said something similar to this, but essentially the show is about Chuck (duh) and his hero's journey and growth. Sarah helped Chuck turn into the man he became through her guidance, love and support, and now, because of that, he is ready to do the same for her. The beach scene is the inverse of the beginning of the series and a true full circle moment for Chuck.
That said, I'll never forget the gut punch I felt the first time I watched the finale. I usually don't care much for the will-they-won't-they subplots, but something about this one really got into my head. The Sarah-Chuck relationship felt so central to the show and was a catalyst for journey and growth of these characters, disappearing it by taking Sarah's memories felt like such a betrayal. Like why did I just invest in the last 90 episodes when the entire relationship is back at square one? I might as well have not watched.
But I've ultimately wound up with the same interpretation you stated. Sarah will stay and they will rebuild their life and relationship and Sarah 1.0 will live on through the lessons she taught Chuck. They will create new memories and she will fall in love with all the same character traits she did the first time.
That is very well put, and I came to this conclusion as well, the imporant thing is that she wants to know their story, and she will fall in love with him again because he is still the same man she fell in love with.
Also Rivers and Roads is such a great song for that ending.
That's exactly how I viewed the ending when I saw the episode upon airing. It won't be the easiest road forward for Chuck, but then again, it never is, and Chuck Bartowski is exactly the guy Sarah is capable of falling for. She's getting bits of her memory back (even if it never fully returns), and her general foundational fondness for Chuck would probably lead to a date. For Chuck and Sarah, one date would be enough.
I took the ending to be an echo of the Pilot where Sarah falls in love with Chuck as he plays the "good" father-figure by enabling the young ballerina to recreate the memory of the dance recital her actual father had failed to film. In the finale, Chuck essentially fulfills this role directly for Sarah by inspiring Casey to bring her her mission logs and then by telling Sarah the story of their relationship.
Literally my favorite show of all time, me and my dad watched every episode together, and the show had its up and downs, but it got us threw some difficult times. It will always have a special place in my heart.
My Mom and I watched it together after she was diagnosed with lung cancer. It'll always have a special place in my heart too.
My dad had cancer too, it was a nice thing to look forward to week to week and give us a fun emotional boost
Did it get you past failing Elementary English classes
My whole family of 6 would watch every new episode together. Some of the fondest memories I have. This show also holds a special place in my heart.
When I was younger, I would sit in my garage for hours watching the DVDs
Chuck is one of my favorites of all time. Probably one of my first real fandoms (it's just so small, no one ever talks about it) I've fantasized about making a super long retrospective on this show for a few years so I'm thrilled to see this!
I loved this show growing up and I rewatched it about a year ago man still classic Yvonne and Zachary’s chemistry was incredible
I legit just finished the show for the first time today i loved it
@@JoeYesRealThisIsJoe the ending is controversial to some though as time has passed I’ve begun to appreciate what they went for and that Sarah wants to remember and start over with Chuck it’s actually a beautiful ending
I just finished the show today. It was worth the time.
Idk how they didn’t fall for each other
around the end of the video he mentions that there is another series ended in a similar way as Chuck, i dont remember it. does anyone know the name of the other series?
For plot/story, character arcs/backgrounds, humor and action season 2 and 3 have all of the above, but season 2 is the best of them all. I said this in other channels about the whole series, this series could have at least went on for more than 6-8 seasons if they carefully design the storyline from season 3 onwards, having Team Chuck going kind of downwards in mid season 4 is probably one of the reasons the series only had 5 seasons.
"White collar dreams Mr. White Collar stole from him"
I see what you did there. Well played, sir.
Glad you gave the shows playlist a shout out. Absolutely deserving
Some of the best on screen cast chemistry in any show I've seen, they all just fit so perfectly, and the couple dynamic between Zac and Yvonne was incredibly real to me. Show is seriously underrated, who knows it could still have a future seeing how Zac still mentions wanting a movie to happen
This is my favorite show of all-time. The fact that someone is paying tribute to it in 2023 makes my heart feel so much fuller. This is so in-depth and attentive, and I'm so appreciative that someone recognizes all the important details. I wanted to write a detailed comment in response to show much this video meant to me:
15:20 - This is one of the reasons that I think the writers’ strike was a blessing in disguise and served the show well in the long-run. I’m not entirely certain there was a direct correlation between the writers’ strike and rewriting Captain Awesome’s character arc, but who knows what would have happened had there been a full season 1 as planned!
16:33 - “I’m thankful that Bryce Larkin is dead and is not currently in my bedroom making out with my new girlfriend.” “Wow buddy that was really dark… And specific.” - I kid you not, every year for YEARS after this episode came out, this is what my sister and I would say to each other at the Thanksgiving table as an inside joke.
16:55 - Chuck also formed my music taste in my youth. I would make mix-CDs for friends who would be like “Where did you find this song?” or “Where did you find this artist?” and I had to awkwardly explain that the answer was, always without a doubt, Chuck.
21:12 - Chuck and Sarah’s romance never felt like forced drama to me because of the power dynamic. Two spies can date if that’s their personal prerogative. But the handler/asset dynamic would be wildly inappropriate and cause tremendous consequences for Sarah’s career. That’s why once Chuck is her equal as an actual spy, it’s no longer a barrier. I actually adore late Season 2 because their inability to consummate their relationship feels increasingly tense. But that’s coming from a teenage girl who liked angst.
22:00 - I’ve shown this show to many friends and have always made them watch Chuck vs. The Best Friend before Chuck vs. The Suburbs and it makes an immense difference. Chuck vs. The Best Friend is episode 13, a clear mid-season finale for a standard network television order, and Chuck vs. The Suburbs sets up a clear second arc to the season.
35:52 “What are you doing MAN? Put the gun away DUDE! BRO, take another step and I will drop you.” So much bro language in a short span of lines always makes me laugh.
37:17 - This is part of what makes the show so great. Every season finale (and most mid-season finales for that matter), could have very well been the last episode of the show. So the writers were always pulling out all the stops and pushing the narrative forward. I again see this as a blessing.
41:32 - I disagree. Season 3 was my favorite of all the seasons specifically because it changes the status quo drastically and does create forward momentum in the show. It doesn’t change the show entirely - it still sits within its same framework - but Chuck goes through immense character development in a short amount of time after getting the Intersect 2.0 and becoming a “real” spy. Season 3 is also when there are the most revelations into Chuck’s secret life, with both Morgan and Ellie finding out.
45:54 - That Office-style zoom on General Beckman is comedy gold
53:41 - Hmm I wondering if there’s a difference in reception of these episodes between male and female populations. I remember in the Tumblr days, primarily occupied by females, that the “honeymoon phase” was a fan-favorite for the shipping community to just revel in the cuteness before, as you say, “slamming on the narrative gaspedal” again.
59:52 - Interesting - I enjoy season 4 as neither a favorite nor least favorite, however, I’ve had multiple friends tell me Season 4 is their favorite precisely because it falls into an entertaining rhythm of episode-to-episode stories, all while Chuck and Sarah are together and Team Chuck is at its peak.
1:02:44 - “Don’t worry Casey, I know that dumpster!” could be my favorite line of the show
1:05:05 - Volkoff is my favorite villain of the show by far. He’s given an actual reason to be comically evil - being programmed exactly how nerds who loved comically evil villains would have programmed him.
1:13:50 -I actually think this is the reason I dislike season 5 so much. For someone who liked long arcs, the season felt WAY too rushed to me as the writers tried to cram in multiple final arcs that could have last a whole (or at least half) a season, because they knew they had a limited number of episodes left. Decker was set up to be some major villain and then was killed off so easily a few episodes later, and his entire character was reduced to being a pawn of Shaw who is only relevant for one episode. They could have done a lot more with Decker and his supposed big “conspiracy”, and then a separate, fleshed out storyline for Nicolas Quinn. Nicolas Quinn being the final villain feels anticlimactic when we barely know him for like 2 episodes. The premiere of season 5 was especially a let-down for me (minus Chuck cleverly saving the day). I thought the significant budget cuts were felt.
1:17:21 - This is such a refreshing take and helps me reframe my own dislike of Season 5. I’ve never heard someone have a positive view about dirtbag Morgan, or as I’ve called it, “Ron with the Horcrux” Morgan.
1:23:27 - “Man who is not Shaw” lol I’ve never heard that before. That’s saying something because I remember the Chuck fandom not liking Shaw all that much either. On Tumblr he was collectively referred to as “The Tree” for his lack of expressions.
1:27:12 - I also agree with some of the comments that a middle ground would make the most sense. I think they’d rebuild, but it would take time and a lot of scientific research and experimental treatments by the CIA. There is no part of me that would except that Chuck and Sarah wouldn’t have a happily ever after. It goes against the romantic and feel-good nature of the show.
1:28:35 - “Follow your heart, because our heads only screw things up” - Thank you for including this quote. I think this is what touches me the most about this show. Despite the perhaps “logical” failures of the show (the plotholes, the inconsistencies, the questionable narratives), none of it matters because it’s a show driven by the characters and their heart. And I’m a sucker for heart. Thank you for making this retrospective.
I agree with you on a lot of this, especially about Season 4. After rewatching the series over and over again, I've really come to appreciate Season 2 the most. But for a long time, Season 4 was my favorite. It was the tightest and most consistent. As for Chuck's mom being a spy...well, she had to be. If his dad turned out to be a genius who only left the kids in Chuck's teenage years because he was protecting them, the mother that abandoned them completely when Chuck was nine had to have a real backstory to it. Linda Hamilton did a great job of portraying a well-meaning mother who had spent far too long in the spy world to stop and think about her actions. Her son appears in her life, so she fucks up the Intersect, so he won't be able to follow her anymore, and Volkoff won't learn the truth. It makes perfect sense, as long as you're a CIA intelligence officer and sociopath without any basic understanding of human emotion.
Once Chuck finds his feet again, he takes down Volkoff, rescues his mother, saves Volkoff's daughter, and wins the day against her turn to villainy by...just talking it out and pleading to her emotional side. Chuck saves the world once again--and Sarah's life--by being the same guy he was at the start of the show. That was a great way to go.
I also love that bit about "I know that dumpster!" The only better line in the series that I can think of was the end of Season 2, when Casey says, "Chuck me!"
@@dandavidson424 I agree--just re-watched Season 2. There's whole lot of stuff in there.
These are terrific comments--thank you.
We wouldn't have gotten a season 3 or 4 without Subway. It's not just a LOL SUBWAY... It's a THANK YOU from the creators and the fans.
I knew a while ago that the original intent was to have Devon (Chuck's bro-in-law) betray him by turning into a bad guy. I'm glad it never happened. He was the funniest TV show in-law ever and one of the best supporting characters in later seasons of the show.
First you bless us with a Fringe retrospective and now you’re covering my absolute favorite show? You‘ve just catapulted yourself on the first place of my RUclipsr favorites list!
Same. I practically grew up on Chuck!!
It’s crazy. I haven’t seen Chuck in years. It’s my all time favorite show. Just started to watch it again, wanted to see some clips, and this pops up. Love it
I just followed the same steps. Narration is great, the clips is great, overall summary is great.
What I kind of missed from this is a conclusion - a rating of sorts..
And Jeffster - How can you mention this iconic band just once? They even have their own Spotify channel!!
Anyway - Chuck 11/10 ; Jeffster - 12/10 . Every song they ever had in the show landed just right!!
Yes - It was greatly helped by video editing and onscreen action but still. Awesome stuff..
Chuck is underrated , there are few show like Chuck who have perfect mix of comedy and action.
Can you list to me some examples of shows that have this mix? I just finished Chuck and now I feel so lost
@@interiorpeople8131 Moonlighting , Izombie , Veronica Mars, ,The good guys , Monk,pushing daisies, have comedy /action mix.
@@interiorpeople8131 Buffyverse.
Try anime
Psych
This series was one of the first shows that I tried to keep up to date on week to week. Season 4 did drag on imo and the mom spy twist solidified my annoyance at the writers for constantly using it. Regardless, I'm glad to see a long form retrospective on youtube for it finally.
I also respect Zachary Levi's devotion to this show. Even after a decade after the show ended and him becoming a giant DC movie star, he still wants a Chuck movie to happen. The Community movie is happening so who knows?
YOOOOO HE GOT A SPONSOR LETSGO
Our boy has made it!
YEEEEEEAH IM SO HAPPY FOR OUR BOY❤❤❤❤
I love that I went through the early days of RUclips when getting a sponsor was “selling out” and now I get to see the days when we’re all excited to see them collecting their bag!
Like hell yeah, love to see someone getting paid for doing something they enjoy, give this man a living wage!
One of the best times of my life was binging this great series with friends. As formulaic as the Chuck/Sarah romance could get I always found myself insanely invested in it, and the show as a whole for that matter.
Seeing as the fans literally bought subways sandwiches when Chuck was on to let basically the only sponsor know how much Chuck meant to them, is the reason they went all in on Subway. It was Awesome! In a Captain sort of way.
I feel like the real heart of the show is how good the relationship is between Chuck and Sarah - you keep watching because you genuinely just want to see these two crazy kids figure out how to talk to each other and stop being such navel-gazing twerps.
I disagree about the A and B plots. I love the way they tie together and makes for a parallel universe between the Buy More and Spy life. In total, the show is one of the best of all time. Considering how much it had to scramble every time they were threatened with cancellation, I think they did a stellar job throughout the series.
You brought me down memory lane. I don't know about your channel but I grew up with Chuck. From 8th grade to graduating high school. Honestly thank you for this video. It was so good, and made me tear up a bit since chuck made a huge impact on my life (even the final 2 seasons.)
Why don’t more people know of this show it’s an underrated masterpiece
It came out during a time where more major known shows were airing at the same time. So, less attention on this show even though it was great. But still had a dedicated fan base that saved it 2times from being cancelled
I miss this show. It was always fun and had a lot of heart.
ive waited years for someone to just try to analyse this show. My favorite forever. watched in when it was on TV and even after it went to many services.
This is my favorite show. It's one of those extremely rare shows that my entire family got really into together and we all love it still. Such an underrated and relatively unknown gem. And I liked the ending which is also rar in tv!
So, I stumbled across this show last year. I was scrolling through Prime Video and it came up as included with the subscription. I was like "hey, isn't that the show that the one chick from Mass Effect 2 was in?" Hooked almost immediately. I've since rewatched it several times and I still love it.
> say Chicainary
> next sentence say Chuck
You always have real subtle call backs, I love it.
Love Chuck! Wish the show wasn't always on the threat of being cancel and they had to rush some stories up. The cast is all great. Its a simple idea for a show and it has a lot of fun with it.
Chuck has very supportive characters on his side, Ellie and Devon the caring sister and brother in law the emotional support for Chuck, Morgan the hilarious best friend among many others. In terms of characters and the storyline this series is underrated af, sad they only make 5 seasons it could surpass 8 easily. Personally I kind of think the first two seasons are the best, 3-4 are second best, sadly the 5th one is kind of lackluster and the one that probably killed the series.
One of my goto "I'm not doing so well right now" comfort shows. Even the less than stellar episodes (which there are admittedly a lot of) put a smile on my face.
Absolutely!
I know a lot of people say 'X' show is underrated but I genuinely believe Chuck IS underrated and deserved far more attention, I admire the people who helped this show go on for as long as it did
Your Fringe retrospective came out right after I started rewatching the series, now with that back to back with Chuck you've hit my underrated late 00's series. Will need to rewatch Chuck again after finishing Fringe, especially since I dipped during season 4. Good to hear that season 5 does some new things, early season 4 was a little rough.
Great video again Slip!
This show is just one big nostalgia trip for me. Not just cause i grew up watching it. I was raised in LA so the setting is already familiar in that sense, but also growing up my family wasn't exactly rich. A fun time for us was going to places like Best Buy or Fry's Electronics to watch the movies they had on display and play video games. The show being in this setting immediately makes me feel at home when I watch it. On top of that, Chuck reminds me a lot of myself, even as a kid.
The show is far from perfect (the ending still pisses me off), but imo, even when it's not great, it's still fun. Rewatching it right now, and I'm having a blast not only revisiting it, but the memories it evokes in me
I don't know about this. First of all I really appreciate that you gave Chuck some attention with this video.
I don't think that it does the show justice tho.
The 'filler material', as you describe it, are some of the fan favourite (and my favourite) episodes of the show. The episodes after 3.13 and a large part of season 4 for instance.
Same goes for the buymore stuff. I really enjoyed the 'B plot lines' of the buymore because it not only mostly provided funny scenes and one liners, but also the ridiculous activities of the 'buymorons'. Especially in an episode like 3.11 (final exam) where the spy plotline is quite serious and has a dramatic ending, the buymore stuff get's you to laugh even in that episode.
On that note: I can't believe you just casually mentioned that Chuck shot Shaw in 3.13 since this is what Chucks moral principles never allowed him to do previously and wouldn't allow him to do afterwards because he hasn't turned into a ruthless spy.
I could go on and on about it, as you probably figured out by now.
Again, I'm very grateful that you gave Chuck some attention with your video! But I feel like the video makes the show look worse than it actually is... Which is a real shame because it's actually fantastic imo and I really recommend watching it!
Chuck has one of the most loyal fanbases (that would buy Subway sandwiches to get it renewed) and there is a reason for it.
Still, thanks for making a video about Chuck!
English isn't my native language so i will just say that i agree with what this guy ^^ said,100%.
I agree with what you have to say I haven't finished the video but so far I think he is making the show seem worse than it is with some of the thing he says, with the Chuck vs The Bestfriend episode he says that Chuck is annoying because he feels like he is betraying Morgan and that just seems so odd, it feels like he hasn't paid attention during the show and doesn't understand Chuck and Morgan friendship
My dad and I watched this from the beginning together and has cemented as one of, if not my, favorite shows.
Great show, great writing, and a finale I can appreciate. Wouldn't have been mad if that movie everyone always asked for got made to provide some level of resolution to the ending but what we did get is still some of the best TV I've ever seen.
The name: Charles Carmichael was a memory I didn't know I had saved in my brain.
Chuck was a fun show. It had a lot of ups and downs, but for me, the ups countered the downs, so its not all bad in retrospect. It's one of the few rare shows that i can think back on and go "oh man, i love when a show does this" to just as quickly go "oh.. i hate this".. haha
Let's keep the spy train going by getting a Burn Notice series retrospective!
I'd love this.
God I love burn notice
Hell yea
I’m glad you put this out. I love your retrospectives and really enjoyed Chuck at the time.
i literally always forget that Dave Bautista was one of Casey's A-Team villains
This show definitely informed my taste in music also! Love these retros, hope to see a LOST retro soon to!
The show featured some really great songs.
One of my favorites was the way they used Constellations "We're here to save the day" to introduce the new Buy More in Season 4. And then they have Olivia Munn's looooooong legs walk into the scene while Chuck is almost at a loss for words. Hilarious scene. Little things like that are what made the show great. I am so glad they never went through with the original plan to have Devon come out as an enemy spy. It just wouldn't work with the audience. He clearly likes having Chuck as a bro-in-law and they get along so well. I am a bit let down that there was no episode of Chuck and Sarah getting married and driving off into the sunset in the last season...
First Fringe then Chuck. You are getting all my favorite shows!
Loving these retrospectives. Hoping someday for ones on Archer & Peaky Blinders
This is another show that, for me, I liked but didn't love enough to stick with. Fantastic review as always. Well constructed and funny. The amount of work you put into the editing helps tell the story and is so appreciated by your viewers.
As I was watching your retrospective, and it made me think that as much as I love Chuck season four was my favourite. No more will they won’t they chuck actively having more to do in the adventures and a great performance from Timothy Dalton.
Nice review! Funny I actually really liked season 4, both for the Volkof plot but also for the more "slow" episodes. I thought it was real nice after Chuck and Sarah spent 3 seasons doing the will they won't they, their relationship progressed to (minus some communication issues) a real great and healthy one, and we were able to revel in that after rooting for the two of them for so long. I also liked the baby episode the most out of all of season 5. But maybe I'm just a romantic sap who loves any focus on Sarahs complicated past, and heartwarming family reunions :)
Great to revisit this show. I was at a friends house at probably age 10 or 12 and watched one episode on cable and it was where orion was killed. (Very good ep to start on for a young lad) ended up torrenting it 3-5 year later and fell in love with the show. I felt something when you said it connected with your younger childish self. This makes me want to watch through again. Thank you!
Adam couldnt hide his smirk when Dolph said "I must break you" LUL
Sad to see Levi getting roasted after the Shazam 2 fiasco. Poor guy
I didn't realize Masuka worked at the buymore while going to school for forensics. We need a cross over series about Harry Tang started working with Dexter and changed his name due to witness protection reasons!
If that’s the case wouldn’t he be really confused about Sarah?
@@tyrael303yeah, he would’ve discovered Hannah mckay instantly. 🤣🤣
14:18 - 14:21 Misuka and that big dude Dexter failed to kill the first time.
I both surprisingly in character
Nooooooo! You didn't let him "say I know Kung Fu"! That is probably my favorite line in the show.
I've never heard "having sex" referred to as "forming 2 person Voltron" before. Well done.
I m still amazed by the quality of your work, and the way you keep the story/synopsis coherent even with multiple characters in shows I haven't even seen. Keep at it and I wholeheartedly hope you get the subscriber count and views you deserve for your effort and exceptional videos. Cheers!
Chuck was great. It's so weird to see Chuck as a DC superhero now
Chuck is one of my all time favorite TV shows, it carried me through highschool and personal stuff that followed it gave me a fun action/romcom/sitcom type show that i would reference and rewatch alot. as i grew older and realizing the show isn't perfect ( even i didn't like the last season that much ) i appreciate what it was and still adore the series and appreciate how mid 2000's it all was. thanks for reviewing the show, i never see anything chuck related to this degree so its very nice to see
No series is perfect, so long as it's entertaining for you (even if it's not objectively well written) that's all that matters really.
I’m quite a bit late to get any sort of response to this but me and my roommate at the time absolutely adored this show. I lived in central Hollywood back then and Vik Sahay, who played Lester, frequented the same cafe as me and we’d chat on occasion about whether they’d be renewed or not, then congratulate him when they did.
I still have a soft spot for the show and Sarah Walker (not Yvonne, though she’s amazing) is my dream girl 😂
That’s crazy, did u ever meet anyone else from the show
@@hasnainrana6416 Nope… he was the only one… That cafe during that time had a ton of famous people visiting it. It’s a cool place
@@DC11GTR sick dude!
Absolutely love this show, agree with most of your criticisms but vehemently agree with your praises
The soundtrack is one of the major reasons my music taste is the way it is today
Love this show. Great balance of humor anf drama. The music choices for scenes is top notch. And the ever evolving story was a constant mystery.
I always contrast this show with Reaper, which I think was airing just before this show came out. And always ended up loving Reaper more... Wish it got more.
Finally someone talks about Chuck😢😢
I watch this at least once a year. I think during the pandemic's low points I watched it back-to-back every day for like 9 months...
The excessive episodic stuff wasn't so bad, it only feels like an issue if you're binging everything at once, seeing it on TV back then didn't feel like that. It also helps that the writing was still fun enough to not make it feel like the average filler episode. S4 was weak sometimes but the ending was good
Yeah I miss the days when tv wasn’t just a 13 hour long movie.
Season 4 was great! The Timothy Dalton episodes were the best.
An excellent retrospective.
All spy stories are cartoon by nature (John LeCarre aside) and TV spy stories doubly so.
I love watching pretty people doing outrageous things and looking sexy while doing it.
I never liked season five but on your observations I may rewatch it.
Aaaaaah that makes so much sense that Chuck Vs The Other Guy was supposed to be the show's end. I knew about the rocky time seasons 4 and 5 had, but I always wondered why the pacing of S3 was SO weird.
I have watched the whole show 5 times already. My favorite show of all time. ❤
Yes! The best show ever!❤❤
There are three shows that get a severe emotional response out of me at the finale. Fringe, Chuck and Smallville. Well done on your channel
An enjoyable look back as always. I'd love to see a retrospective on the series Jericho, it's a highly underrated show that sadly had to be finished with a six part comic series.
My context for Chuck is a 2010's fanfiction that was a crossover with Firefly and this video.
It's definitely my guilty pleasure series I come back to every few years. It is formulaic and can be super cheesy, especially with that music they play during some fight scenes (you know the one), but it has some good moments.
I enjoyed the video and you got yourself a new sub.
The cheese is what makes it great, it earns the cheese with great characters that are worth being weepy over. Captain Awesome is the greatest thing since fried air
@@thatitalianlameguy2235 I never really got complaints about things being "cheesy" or "corny", but maybe I just get too invested into a show to not think about it from the outside, but hey, it lets me have more fun, so I guess it's a good thing.
Chuck and Sarah had legit chemistry. No amount of studio bullshit or bad writing could reallt completely wipe out that chemistry, like Jim/Pam i was legit invested enough just to see the will they/wont they to its conclusion. Its what i thought about Jeff and Britta at first then spent a few seasons thinking about Jeff and Annie.
Yup but she sure passionately kissed her male spies which is nowhere near the nicely planted sweet kisses she always gave Chuck and nothing like she kissed all those male spies!
38:18 "he chose poorly" my sentiment exactly. what an id***
Awesome video really missed this show. Would love one of these about Psych as it is my favorite series off all time and includes another passionate fanbase.
Same
*OMG, YES!*
I’m guessing the reference at the end is to Eureka, but I genuinely thought you were talking about Fringe at first. Man, that season where they ended with Peter just blipping out of existence and no one remembering him… best cliffhanger ever.
My only exposure to this show was a parody on the cartoon network MAD cartoon called “duck” where the chuck was a the duck, you follow?
Apparently it was pretty spot on because I seemed to know most of these major plot and thematic beats despite never seeing a single scene of it up until this point.
We are currently bringing this and was hoping to find one of these on RUclips! Honestly, there's so much about this show that is so good.
Didn't expect to hear a "Christian and the Hedgehog Boys" song in this video, but I am very happy I did.
Given the Eureka reference (and that one top 10 video), I hope we get to see a Eureka retrospective at some point!
Con: I don't like ads
Pro: I'm happy you're finally making money for this.
Yeah, but the amount was excessive. Especially with a sponsor as well.
The intersect didn't necessarily predict that is more person of interests remit. However chuck was at times able to deduce what would occur when he flashed and got information.
I know it won’t get the views because no one even knows what it is (Hopefully that new sponsorship can help make up for that) but I would love to see a video on Halt and Catch Fire, One of my favorite shows of all time and the forgotten drama from AMC‘s golden age of Mad Men, Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul, The Walking Dead, etc.… it’s on the same level of quality as all those other shows and it’s absolutely criminal how underrated and obscure it is -- it deserves so much more recognition/exposure, but since I can’t do it myself, I would kindly ask it of you… perhaps you might even consider accepting commissions?
Oh and since I mentioned it, Mad Men would be great as well.
This show is so underrated. Probs my favourite show oat n yet barely anyone knows about it lol
My favorite show, ever. Not perfect, but I wouldn't trade it for nothing.
same here man
Chuck is a fantastic show. A really fun sit back and relax watch. Doesnt ask much of you but thats a good thing.
Wow this video is actually perfect for me so thanks. I have watched Chunk through a few times but the last time I recall not being able to get through season 4. This video helped me understand why and recapped it all so I don't need to watch again.
Honestly the show has it's rough edges but also has some really good moments.
Matt Bomer and Lee Pace in the opening minutes 😍
"Chuck" is on my top ten action adventure shows of all time.
Still my favorite show of all time right up there with Scrubs and Office Space.
The entire cast was absolutely awesome. Both Casey and Morgan were my favorites. Casey had the best sayings.
I loved the Buy More side gig.
The finale was absolutely devastating though.
I still hope one day we get a revival/movie. This is one of the best shows i've ever seen.
I've been hoping wed get a limited series revival for 10yrs now
Zach Levi has just recently said on a podcast that he is still working hard to make it happen. I hope it does and Bryce Larkin comes back 😂
@@motherofdraakjes Now that Shazam is dead, i think this might be just wishful thinking now.
@@motherofdraakjes Bryce is dead. the show has to stop reviving casualties.
you missed out on a perfect opportunity to play the line "you are damaging my calm"
I literally shouted out in excitement when I saw this. Idk why but these retrospectives are like crack. I could just live with them in the background as noise and I’d be set
My brother made me binge this show with him in one night. I completely forgot about that night and this show. Thanks for the memory refresh bro.
Did you happen to be visiting Darillium at the time?
Sarah losing her memory killed the show for me. It destroyed the heart and soul. Everyone but Chuck and Sarah get a happy ending.
They may get back together, but it will be a completely different relationship.
This ending is only second to Quantum Leap in endings that ruin the series.
Loved the entire show, right up until the ending. Never been a fan of ambiguous endings myself, I've always thought that they were a cop out because the writers couldn't land on an ending that they loved and were afraid of not sticking the landing.
Personally, I don't mind ambiguous or "non final" endings where things are left more open, however this sort of gut punch ending is really bad, cause instead of having a, for example, loose relationship between the 2 main love interests and then leaving things open (where you can headcanon whatever you'd like) this ending basically kills Sarah and replaces her with an older version, and then we get an ambiguous ending, along with almost everyone going their separate ways.
It's a bittersweet ending that, in my eyes, is a lot more bitter than sweet unnecessarily.
I haven't rewatched in a while, so I don't know if I'd still find this take as satisfying/placating, but at some point in my Chuck phase I made peace with the retreading of the emotional beats in Chuck and Sarah's romance by coming to the conclusion that at a certain point in the cycle, we're really developing Sarah's take on the relationship, not so much Chuck's. We're really really really familiar with how agonized Chuck is by having to pretend. But as we get further into the show, and that stays as true as ever, we gradually get let in on the fact that Sarah actually cherishes the "pretend" as a safe context in which to act on her feelings. I find this actually pretty poignant and insightful on the part of the writers. On the one hand because Sarah is way better at keeping track of the government sword of damocles hanging over all their heads; Chuck is periodically reminded that the government really doesn't like loose ends, and he probably *won't* be allowed to ride off peacefully into the sunset with his one true love once his usefulness has run out, but it's just not in his nature to give up on the dream of a normal life with a family and friends. Not to mention that he doesn't seem able to function particularly well if constantly plagued with thoughts of secret prison or two taps to the noggin. Sarah never forgets the low probability of a quiet retirement plan, especially not for the two of them at once. And then there are her deeper doubts about her own person and life experience, whether she can ever be a well-rounded, openly-expressive person living a "normal" life.
If I started rewatching the show now, I think a big question on my mind would be how much I actually like (and root for) Chuck and Sarah to be together. It took me a little while past my Chuck phase to realize that I often mistook rooting for the protagonists of stories to get their hopes and dreams for, like, actually believing romantic leads are a good fit and enjoying them together.
Good take. I highly recommend you rewatch it. I saw Chuck as it aired, then again a few years ago. I just watched an episode and want to rewatch it again (on Amazon prime). Chuck is definitely one of favorite shows still as I love the music, the laughs, and the emotion I still get from it. However, when I rewatched it I had to look up on what ppl thought about it how it ended. Glad I did too. I remember reading one great take and it made me appreciate the show all the more. I personally wished it ended differently, but there is an alternative / expanded ending on yt. It’s pretty cool
I love this show. It knew what it was and never felt ashamed of it
I Love Chuck😂😂😂
"What the Chuck?"
"I'm gonna Chuck this!"
"The truth is Jimmy I never really cared about you."
"Chuck you!"