Why Chuck? (#Chuck, #savechuck)

Alright it's no secret what-so-ever I'm a HUGE fan of NBC's show Chuck (Mondays 8pm, Hulu). I think to answer the question Why Chuck, or Why Save Chuck? You first have to understand what exactly the show Chuck is. The short version is it's a unique show and you won't find anything else like it anywhere on TV.

I think people get confused when they first look at Chuck perhaps as a straight spy show and thing well this is all pretty far fetched, over the top, or campy. In fact though much like the "Buy More" aspects of the show are a total parody and send-up of Best Buy and big box stores in general the spy aspects of the show are also intended to be a send up of the spy genre. It is actually supposed to be a little far fetched, over the top, a shout out to the 80s action shows of old like the A-Team, etc. In addition to all of that however Chuck is a great comedy, full of plot twists galore, cool spy stuff, even cooler fights, and then there is the heart melting (wrenching?) romance between Chuck and Sarah.

Why do I watch Chuck though? Well it would be impossible to list all of the things I love about the show but perhaps the most frequent response I've given to that question is the plot twists and the ability of the writers to always surprise me. There have been shows where I've jumped out of my chair and cheered at my TV, busted up laughing, or screamed in anger or horror. You never quite know where Chuck is going next, even when you THINK you do it can still surprise you. Take the Season 2 Finale for example (tonight 8pm NBC) some 60+ pages worth of message board on NBC have been dedicated to theories of what might happen and they've seemingly covered the entire gambit however I remain 100% convinced that none of them are even close and the writers have something we haven't thought of yet in store for us.

Coming in a close second to the twists and turns on the list of things I enjoy about the show is definetely the cast. Form the leads Zachary Levi, Yvonne Strahovski, and Adam Baldwin to the great supporting cast in the Buy More (aka Jeffster, Morgan, etc.) Chuck as some great acting and great writing delivered by an outstanding cast. For some fine examples of the comedy Chuck brings I implore you to check out "Chuck vs. the Best Friend" for Buy More hilarity and the "Jeffster" debut. If you still need more evidence check out "Chuck vs. the Colonel" particularly for the love scene between Chuck and Sarah as well as probably my favorite one-liner of the entire series so far by Casey (Adam Baldwin) at the very end of the episode. Indecently "Chuck vs. the Colonel is actually last week's episode and should lead in nicely to the Finale tonight.

The last thing I'll say in terms of reasons I watch the show is that it's something that's easy to root for in 2009.  Perhaps that is why I've become involved as I have in the campaign to save it.  In a world full of economic meltdowns, swine flu, and countless other things to depress us and make us feel built down Chuck is easy to root for.  Root for Chuck that he will one day eventually get to be with Sarah, root for the good guys when they start kicking but, root for Jeffster and their dream of becoming a band or Morgan to well just be Morgan. So I guess for me in these times when it seems there is so little to root for in a good way Chuck is my antidote.

I could go on of course and feel like I've only just begun to scratch the surface in terms of reasons why I've remained loyal to the show but I would like to implore anyone who reads to this check it out tonight at 8pm on NBC. Even if you have never seen a single episode before watch the Finale tonight I think you'll catch on Quickly and you can then go watch the rest of the show on Hulu or iTunes. If you've seen the show before in Season 1 and written it off just give it another chance tonight, everyone agrees the last few episodes have been among the best, if you still don't legitimately like the show never watch it again but give Chuck a chance.  If you're a House fan just for tonight DVR House and watch Chuck live. One hour to check out a cool show that doesn't seem like to much? Right? Whatever the reason please check it out.

If you are already a Chuck fan (or even if you're not but just want to support a cause) don't forget to buy your Footlong (and send a message to Subway), Send an letter/e-mail/tweet to NBC, Share Chuck with your friends and anyone else who will listen, and of course WATCH THE FINALE TONIGHT AT 8PM ON NBC!!

I leave you with this video of Zachary Levi (aka Chuck) leading a march of a couple hundred fans on a local Subway in England. Enjoy the Finale!