All in the Family

Count me among those who never saw it coming.  Until Chuck was on the floor watching him bleed, I had absolutely no clue that the elder Bartowski was not going to live past this season's stellar finale.  But before we get to that fateful moment, we should back-up and take a look at what led up to the face-off between Chuck and super baddie Shaw.  We learned during the previous episode that Shaw was still alive, at least, we assumed as much after seeing him from behind and then seeing his picture on the screen as he gained access to the Intersect.  This, of course, also let us know that he had the Intersect inside his head.  This meant one thing: his brain was slowly being fried just like Chuck's and he, too, needed the one thing that could stop that process.  Chuck's father had that one thing and the knowledge to build more.  Thus, the showdown was set.

Lyin' and Spyin'

The Bartowski children sure lie to their dad about the most extreme stuff!  Chuck lied about working for the CIA, being a spy (and not just an analyst -- awesome Jack Ryan reference, by the way) and having the Intersect 2.0 in his head.  Meanwhile, Ellie was doing some lyin' and spyin' of her own.  Most kids sneak out, lie about boyfriends/girlfriends and/or school, but not the Bartowkis (who, admittedly are a bit older than the usual lie-to-the-parents sort).  Of course, their father has been lying to them for years.  They didn't even know where the man lived!  Once the secrets started coming out, though, things got interesting.  Ellie's potentially deadly secret remains to be revealed, and it could land her dad and brother in some serious danger.

'Chuck' Gets Committed

As much as I enjoyed this week's detour with Chuck in the mental hospital, I can't wait until the show gets back to its usual self.  I want the spy missions back.  I want Chuck, Sarah, Casey and (now) Morgan working together undercover to bring down the bad guys and recover whatever intel they're charged with recovering.  Not that this week's detour wasn't interesting or important for the future of the characters and the story, but I just want to let the spies be spies again.  There were actually two very important details from this episode that will affect every character on the show moving forward.  They are both bad developments, and as of right now, none of the other characters knows about them.  Ellie may end up causing harm to the entire team and Chuck may do harm to himself.

'Chuck's' Non-Role Models

One of the biggest fears about putting a "will they or won't they" couple together is that all of the build-up and investment prior to the hook-up will fade once it finally happens.  Viewers will get bored and no longer feel as invested in the characters and they're relationship.  One of the ways shows deflect this pitfall is to stir up controversy between the two characters.  That puts them back in a "will they or won't they" scenario, but this time it's "will they or won't they... get back together" (for an excellent reference, see Rachel and Ross from Friends).  This tactic has a short shelf life because after several break-up/make-ups, fans grow tired of the back and forth and once again lose interest.  We're only three episodes into Chuck and Sarah's hook-up, and yet, we seem to already be approaching such a crossroads.  Episode one: they hooked-up at the end, Episode two: they were happy, Episode three: the first signs of discord began to set in.  That was fast!  Conflict can be a good thing on TV shows, so I'm not ready to assume that Chuck has fallen into the usual trap.  In fact, I thought the way the older spy couple served as both an equal and an opposite to Chuck and Sarah's relationship was clever and certainly not lost of either of them.  But, I would be lying if I said that I'm not concerned about the future of Chuck and Sarah: The Couple and their spy careers.

Runaway Train

Dear Chuck:  I'm so, so sorry that I ever doubted you.  Can this show get any better??!!  It's completely Chuck-tastic!  I'm loving every minute of it lately -- so much so that it has shot up into the top tier of my favorite shows.  Everything is working: Morgan joining "Operation Bartowski," Casey reinstated, Shaw gone, and Chuck and Sarah together.  If I had imagined a perfect world for Chuck, I couldn't have envisioned something this good.  But, there was a running theme in this week's episode that threatened this new-found awesomeness.  It was poised to put a damper on the happiness that has engulfed the show for the past couple of episodes.  This dark cloud was a peculiar kind because it masked itself as a happy, fluffy cloud, but deep down it could have derailed the best decision the show has ever made.

'Chuck' Will Never Forget Paris

Forget everything I've said about Chuck this season.  This show freakin' rocks!!!!  Seriously, did someone slip something into the water in Hollywood recently because it seems like every single show is experiencing a creative rebirth of awesomeness.  First Lost, then Cold Case, then Parenthood came out of the gate already awesome and now Chuck.  It's allowing me to forget that the fall part of this TV season ever happened (which, trust me, is a very good thing).  There was so much goodness in this week's episode of Chuck that I once again find myself in that paralyzing position where I'm afraid to do a write-up because anything I write will not do it justice (as was the case with the recent Cold Case two-parter).  This one was solid from the start, so I guess it's only fitting to start there.  And then we can progress to the rest that included so many "pinch me, I must be dreaming" moments that it's going to be a struggle just to try to remember them all.

'Chuck' Turns Around

What a difference a week makes!  Last week about this time, I was not a happy Chuck fan, but as I said, I had faith that things would turn around by the end of the season.  I just didn't expect it to happen so quickly!  After Monday's episode, it looks like the show is moving toward getting back to its old self.  Shaw has gone off the deep end (maybe we can finally get rid of him), Chuck is back to trying to woo Sarah and Casey is involved with the team (unofficially, of course, since he's still a private citizen).  And then there is Chuck's continuing inner struggle over whether to spy or not to spy (that is THE question), which is heating up by the minute!  But my favorite moment this week was the one that can, potentially, single-handedly turn this thing around -- FAST.

'Chuck' Passes the Test

I am so not liking the current direction of Chuck, but I'm hoping it's just temporary and that things are going to get back to the old Chuck very soon.  I want Chuck, Sarah and Casey-- NO Shaw-- all working together on spy cases with lots of tension between Chuck and Sarah and lots of funny from Casey.  Watching things deteriorate between Chuck and Sarah and seeing Casey assimilate into a "normal" life just isn't cutting it for me.  And then this week, things began to look even bleaker than I expected.  The question of the episode was whether or not Chuck would pass his final exam and become a bona fide spy.  Round one went relatively well, but round two was decidedly a bit more challenging.

Casey Makes a Choice

So, remember when I was talking about other people's heads imploding over recent developments on Chuck?  Well, add my name to the list of imploding heads!  Casey CANNOT leave Chuck and Sarah!!  Noooooooo!!  This better be a plot ploy and not some sort of permanent condition.  And just to add insult to injury, Sarah is seriously considering taking a reassignment to D.C.!!  I'm not really sure how things got from Chuck and Sarah in relationships with other people to Chuck and Sarah possibly on different assignments in different cities and Casey back to being a civilian all in the course of one episode, but somehow we got here and I don't like.  I don't like it one bit.  Let's try to retrace our steps and figure out how we got on this very wrong path.  It all started with an innocent "spy" mission involving Morgan, Casey and an old friend.

'Chuck' Gets into Character

I know heads are still imploding over Chuck's current love situations, but I'm more concerned about Chuck's metamorphosis into a full-fledged spy.  I guess you could say that Sarah and I have that in common.  Although in her case, she's being reminded of her own journey from average everyday girl to super spy and the realization that she's a shadow of her former self is bumming her out.  I'm more concerned about Chuck becoming a shadow of his former self and that's bumming me out!  But thankfully, I wasn't alone this week because Chuck is also beginning to worry about what's happening to him, thus setting up the real conflict of this season.  All of this talk about transitions led to a whopper of a revelation about Sarah and that certainly caught Chuck off guard.

'Chuck' Wins One, Loses Another

I know that most Chuck fans' heads are exploding over this week's romantic hook-ups, but this fan's head is not one of them.  Maybe I've just seen too many of these "will they, won't they" scenarios play out, but Chuck's new romance with Hannah and Sarah's possible romance with Shaw seem like diversions meant to delay the inevitable (and to add a little suspense to that ultimate question: "Will they or won't they?").  In other words, I'm not worried.  And while I don't like or trust Shaw (more on that later), I do really like Hannah and I am interested in her relationship with Chuck.  Shaw is too much of a smooth operator and I don't trust his feelings for Sarah.  And that was before the final few seconds of the episode!  Suddenly, my dislike/distrust went from that little voice in the back of my head to full-blown screaming.  Shaw may be even shadier than I suspected.

'Chuck' Burns His First Asset

So, the asset becomes the handler and the original handler becomes even more guilt-ridden as she watches the continued transformation from under-achiever Buy More employee to world class spy.  Talk about changing things up this season!  Like Sarah, I'm still adjusting to "Chuck The Spy" and also like her, I feel a sense of sadness for the person who's getting lost in the transformation: the good-hearted, honest guy who would never lie to his sister.  It's exciting to see Chuck prove himself, but it's also hard to know that once he completes this transformation, he won't be able to go back.  To put it plainly, I feel Sarah's pain!  I'm mourning the same loss she is while I marvel at Chuck's Intersect 2.0.  This week's story made all of this front and center as Chuck took a HUGE step forward into the world spies.

'Chuck' Will Always Have Paris (Sort of)

I have to admit: Chuck going solo made me nervous.  As in nail-biting, edge-of-my-seat, stomach-in-knots nervous for most of this week's episode.  In the end, he was fine (with a little help from Casey and Sarah -- via phone) and ironically, it was his non-spy qualities that got him through the mission.  The fact that he's about the last person you would expect to be a spy and the way he finds it difficult to lie so he tells the truth about 99% of the time (only concealing the parts that he absolutely has to) makes him a perfect spy in a not so spy way.  Of course, the Intersect 2.0 doesn't hurt either.  That thing is badass!  It seems that he's having an easier time controlling it and getting it to work when he needs it -- both good signs.  And I don't know about you, but, like Chuck, I was disappointed that he never got to use those nunchucks!  Oh well, maybe next time.  But this mission wasn't all about espionage and nunchucks.

Devon Versus the Ring

When we first learned that Chuck was going to have these super powers in addition to his super info flashes, I wasn't sure how I was going to feel about it.  We're a few episodes in and I LOVE it!!  I feel like Chuck has been upgraded with the best upgrade ever!!  That scene with Lester was CLASSIC!  But it wasn't just Chuck's awesome new powers that made this episode another strong harbinger for a fantastic season ahead -- having Devon play spy again was such a welcomed return.  And as if all of this was not enough, there was a fantastically awesome twist involving Devon playing spy and Chuck that had me loving every moment of it.

Spy On

Now that's what I call an entrance!!  If you're going to be off the air for far too many months, then coming back the way Chuck did this week might be enough to overcome the hole left barren in my TV schedule this past fall.  Three brand-spankin'-new episodes in the course of two back-to-back nights??!!  Three AWESOME spy-tastic cases??!!  Three hours of angst between Sarah and Chuck??!!  Yeah, it really doesn't get much better than this for a fan of the NBC spy thriller/comedy/love story/too- awesome- for- just- one- night series.  The only problem now, I'm totally spoiled.  I have to wait an entire week for more Chuck and then, I only get one episode.  But let's not dwell on next week because there is far too much to discuss from this week's triple play.  On the Chuck and Sarah front, things took a windy path through some ups and downs, but they ended in a pretty familiar place.

Two More PTR Faves Get Pick-Ups; Fox Announces Schedule

Today is another glorious day in the TV Upfront world because both Cold Case and Chuck, yet two other "bubble shows," have both been picked up for another season by their respective networks. Cold Case will kick off its 7th season this fall on CBS according to Entertainment Weekly's Mike Ausiello who delivered the "official" news in his Ausiello Files online column. Meanwhile, Chuck will begins its 3rd season on NBC albeit with only 13 episodes and huge budget cuts (and the possible departure of a character in a cost-cutting move) according to Ausiello. (h/t to RichE for alerting me of the CC news in the comments section)

However, today was Fox's day to step up to the plate with the announcement of its official Fall 2009 schedule. As previously announced here at PTR, Bones will return for a fifth season and (surprise, surprise) it's keeping its current timeslot on Thursday night! But wait, there's more! The network is moving fellow PTR show Fringe to Thursdays after Bones, so we're going to have a Fox block on Thursday nights! Two of my faves on one night! Plus, we're getting an additional season of So You Think You Can Dance (season 5 premieres this Thursday and season 6 kicks off this fall) -- seriously, this is THE best upfronts week EVER!! Here's Fox's full fall schedule courtesy of The Futon Critic:

FOX PRIMETIME SCHEDULE: FALL 2009 (All Times ET/PT)

MONDAY
8:00-9:00 PM HOUSE
9:00-10:00 PM LIE TO ME

TUESDAY
8:00-10:00 PM SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE Performance Show

WEDNESDAY
8:00-9:00 PM SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE Results Show
9:00-10:00 PM GLEE

THURSDAY
8:00-9:00 PM BONES
9:00-10:00 PM FRINGE

FRIDAY
8:00-8:30 PM BROTHERS
8:30-9:00 PM 'TIL DEATH
9:00-10:00 PM DOLLHOUSE

SATURDAY
8:00-8:30 PM COPS
8:30-9:00 PM COPS
9:00-10:00 PM AMERICA'S MOST WANTED
11:00 PM-Midnight THE WANDA SYKES SHOW (working title)
Midnight-12:30 AM ANIMATION DOMINATION ENCORES

SUNDAY
7:00-8:00 PM THE OT (NFL post-game)
8:00-8:30 PM THE SIMPSONS
8:30-9:00 PM THE CLEVELAND SHOW
9:00-9:30 PM FAMILY GUY
9:30-10:00 PM AMERICAN DAD

For more on Fox's schedule (including details on new series), visit The Futon Critic.

TV's Best Duos

When fellow TV blogger and friend Scooter McGavin from Scooter McGavin's 9th Green asked me to take part in his quest to find the best duos on TV, I excitedly and carefully poured over my list. He collected mine and the lists of several other bloggers and came up with a final collection of the top 25. Here is the final list:

The 25 Best Duos on Television

(My Picks are in bold)

1. Coach Eric and Tami Taylor (Friday Night Lights)

2. Liz Lemon and Jack Donagy (30 Rock)
3. Sheldon Cooper Ph.D. and Penny (The Big Bang Theory)
4. Jim Halpert and Dwight Shrute (The Office)
5. Patty Hewes and Ellen Parsons (Damages)
6. Dr. Temperance “Bones” Brennan and Special Agent Seeley Booth (Bones)
7. Emerson Cod and Olive Snook (Pushing Daisies)
8. Blair Waldolf and Chuck Bass (Gossip Girl)
9. Shawn Spencer and Burton “Gus” Guster (Psych)
10. Chuck Bartowski and Special Agent Sarah Walker (Chuck)
11. Sam and Dean Winchester (Supernatural)
12. Marc St. James and Amanda Tannen (Ugly Betty)
13. Barney Stinson and Ted Mosbey (How I Met Your Mother)
14. Bill Adama and Laura Roslin (Battlestar Galactica)
15. Landry Clark and Tyra Colette (Friday Night Lights)
16. Ben Linus and John Locke (Lost)
17. John “J.D.” Dorian M.D. and Dr. Christopher Turk (Scrubs)
18. Sookie Stackhouse and Bill Compton (True Blood)
19. Jeff Patel and Lester Barnes aka Jeffster (Chuck)
20. James “Sawyer” Ford and Juliet Burke (Lost)
21. Homer and Marge Simpson (The Simpsons)
22. Bill Adama and Saul Tigh (Battlestar Galactica)
23. Richard Cypher and Kahlan Amnell (Legend of the Seeker)
24. Earl and Randy Hickey (My Name Is Earl)
25. Michael Westen and Fiona Glenanne (Burn Notice)

Voters: Dan, Ducky, Kath, Matt, Sandie, Scooter McGavin, TVFan, Vance

For the record, I also included Olivia Benson & Elliot Stabler (Law & Order: SVU), Allison & Joe DuBois (Medium), and Brenda Leigh Johnson and Agent Fritz Howard (The Closer)

Special thanks to Scooter for putting together the list. So, what do you think? Who makes your list? Leave us a comment with your picks.

The Spy Who Loved 'Chuck'

PHOTO: NBC

A few weeks ago, I wrote about the unwritten rule that TV shows get better right as talks about a possible cancellation begin. At the time, I was referring to Cold Case (which seems to have done a 180 in recent weeks), but the same holds true for Chuck. Tonight's finale was proof positive that this charming little spy dramedy should not end with last night's episode. It even included those dreaded three words, "To Be Continued..." so it would be criminal for NBC not to renew this show. Like so many TV fans out there, I am so tired of losing my favorite shows to the ratings game. I've said goodbye to Joan of Arcadia, Everwood and Veronica Mars in recent seasons and I can tell you one thing, it never gets any easier. Let's hope that Chuck isn't destined to join that list this season. As awesome as those flashes were, imagine how kickass this new kung fu ability is going to be next season. We have to see Chuck kick some serious a$$ with his new and improved Intersect (now complete with super fighting power). Plus, I want to know if Brice Larken is really dead this time and whether or not Morgan becomes a Benihana chef.

Of course, all of this kung fu/Intersect talk means more spy work and more spy work means no more normal life for Chuck. I'm not so sure that the end of the spy game is that good of an idea for the son of Orion. I'm not suggesting that he has to go out and save the world everyday, but I could see Chuck working for the government in an analyst capacity as the General suggested. And then there's Sarah. She and Chuck are one of my favorite TV non-couple/couples, so I was so excited when she shook her head at Brice indicating that she wasn't going with him. She was leaving it all behind for Chuck and I was so happy. Now that Chuck has been re-acquainted with the Intersect (new & improved), that normal life between him and Sarah has to be put on hold once again. So, a mixed bag as far as Chuck's decision to play the hero goes.

RANDOM THOUGHTS... As soon as Ellie mentioned the beach wedding, I knew the fancy one was going down the toilet and yet, watching the nice stuff get destroyed kinda hurt. Chuck was sorta vocalizing what I was thinking during those scenes. Jeffster doing "Mr. Roboto" = AWESOME! I almost fell off my couch laughing when they broke out with that one. Am I the only one who's kinda sad that Roark is dead? I know, I know he's evil and horrible and completely psychotic, but I kinda liked the guy in an evil bad guy sorta way.

Save Chuck so he can save the world!

If you missed this week's episode ("Chuck Versus the Rings"), you can watch it for free at Hulu.com.

'Chuck' Lives to Die Another Day

Is it completely selfish that I felt a huge lump in my throat when Chuck became free of the Intersect? And why did this episode feel like the beginning of the end for this series? The entire final 10 minutes or so really felt like "dead show walking" and it kinda bummed. Of course, it is entirely possible that Chuck only thinks that he is free of the Intersect. Plus, we have one badass wedding crasher on his way to Ellie and Awesome's wedding ceremony in next week's season finale. If this season ends in a cliffhanger and NBC fails to renew the show (which seems likely since the net is losing an hour of primetime every night next season due to its new primetime Leno show), I'm going to scream! I have no patience for lack of closure. Let's keep our fingers crossed and our chins up and hope that this fun little show will be back to spy another day.

Anyway, I'd be lying if I said I didn't LOVE Sarah's new-found open feelings for Chuck. I never thought that she'd give in while they were still working together. I guess, technically, they were on a personal assignment being AWOL and all, but Chuck (at that point and possibly still) had the Intersect, so I'm counting it as working together. I'm not sure where they're going to go from here seeing how things are very complicated between them, especially since Sarah will be getting a new assignment. If I had it my way, they'd buy a nice place on the beach together and spend their days listening to the ocean waves, taking in the breeze, and watching the sun set over the ocean. BUT, I'm not holding my breath. And speaking of moving to the beach, did we just see the last of Morgan and Anna??!! Don't get me wrong, I was happy that Morgan stood up for himself and decided to follow his dream (to be a chef at Benihana), but I'm going to miss the little guy. With him gone, the shenanigans at the Buy More won't be as fun.

Be sure to tune in next Monday, April 27th on NBC for the season finale! If you missed this week's episode ("Chuck Versus the Colonel"), you can watch it for free at Hulu.com.

'Chuck's' Father The Hero

Before I can proceed with this week's discussion of Chuck, I MUST give huge props to Scooter McGavin of Scooter McGavin's 9th Green for making this dead-on prediction on March 24th in the comments section here at PTR:

Not only do I think Orion is not dead, I started getting the feeling that Orion may turn out to be Chuck's dad during this episode as they seemed to disappear from society around the same time.

Nice call, Scooter.

I'll admit it -- while I was intrigued by the idea, I didn't think it could be possible. Not only is it possible, as we learned this week, it's true! Paint me shocked! Further more, any suspicion that I may have had going into the ep was completely erased as we got to know the older Bartowski better. And even though this Intersect connect seems incredibly improbable, I like it -- A LOT! There are tons of fun opportunities for future story lines and it gives Chuck someone to confide in other than his "handlers." Someone who gets it better than they do. There's a slight hitch in all of this, though, Orion is a bit indisposed at the moment. Minutes after learning that his father is the allusive Orion, Chuck had to watch as Roark and his Fulcrum buddies took him away at gun point. Seems they need the creator of the Intersect to help out with Intersect 2.0. This can NOT be good!

Speaking of things NOT being good, Ellie and Awesome are still dealing with the ramifications of last week's bachelor party. I'll admit that when we first saw the duo this week, I was scratching my head because everything seemed just peachy between them. I was beginning to think that this episode aired out of order when we finally had a reference to the infamous evening at the Buy More. Note to Devon... do not, I repeat DO NOT (perhaps, all caps and bolding will make this point crystal clear) bring up the bachelor party ever again. Not as a joke. Not as a "funny little memory." Not as anything. We know you did nothing wrong, but unfortunately, there are some pictures that say otherwise and since you can't remember (I know, not your fault), just zip it on the subject. And while we're on the subject of zipping it, I felt bad for Chuck because I know he wanted to be able to tell Ellie that their father didn't run off on them then or now. Just add it to the ever-growing pile of secrets Chuck has to keep from those he loves the most.

If you missed this week's episode ("Chuck Versus the Dream Job"), you can watch it for free at Hulu.com.