Bethejustin: The Bloghttp://www.bethejustin.com/blog/en-US2010-03-12T07:48:25ZSquarespace Site Server v5.9.2 (http://www.squarespace.com/)Chuck Returns to Face My Takehttp://www.bethejustin.com/blog/2010/3/2/chuck-returns-to-face-my-take.htmlJustin2010-03-03T01:53:16Zchuck chuck review season3 tvChuck is BACK! After three weeks worth of suffering through an absence of Chuck due to the even more insufferable Olympics being on NBC Chuck returns in the form of episode 3.08 "Chuck vs. the Fake Name." Staff and cast of the show asked fans after last week to reserve judgement until the next few episodes had aired.

Frankly I didn't mind last week's episode to much and I think this episode was potentially game changing but perhaps not in the sense we've seen previously. Let's get into it and I'll explain…

Spy World

Over the course of season three I've probably been the most vocal about being less than impressed by the Spy World plot. As we left off in the last episode we were treated to a shadowy scene where we learned that The Ring had officially put a hit out on Shaw.

This week we open with the capture of YARB (YARA? Yet Another Ring Assassin) by Sarah, Shaw and Casey. I'm starting to wonder if The Ring has some cloning facilities they seem to have an endless supply of baddie henchmen. The mission this week is to figure out who the newly captured Ring assassin is in town to eliminate.

Casey with Chuck's help interrogates the Ring assassin Rafe and during the interrogation Chuck flashes and then does a pretty decent impression of Rafe. My theory is that this is the FOTW (Flash of the Week) and the the Intersect kicks in to allow Chuck to truly assume Rafe's identity.

Chuck and Casey go undercover to see some more Ring agents who for some reason (mostly comedic value it seems) are all channeling their inner Tony Sorprano. However during the meeting they're able to make Casey as not who he's claiming to be. Chuck really channels his dark side and rips a tooth out of Casey's mouth and then takes down the entire SWAT team just for kicks and escapes keeping his cover. It's obvious that Chuck is becoming more and more the darker real-spy version of himself.

Eventually we arrive at the final climax of the show. Chuck shows up with the MobRingers at the place where he (as Rafe) is supposed to do the hit. As he steps up to the sniper riffle he learns that the target of the hit is Shaw and stumbles upon an interesting conversation between Shaw and Sarah where Sarah is talking about how she can't even remember the real her anymore and admits to Shaw that her real name is Sam. Chuck dispenses with his cover after hearing this shocking conversation and rushes over to Shaw's apartment busting in on Shaw and Sarah. Chuck slugs Shaw clearly out of raw emotion and then covers as he convinces Shaw and Sarah that he's there to warn Shaw that he's the target. The real Rafe (who has shockingly escaped) busts in around this time and lays the beat down on all three members of Team Bartowski. Thankfully the one member of Team Bartowski not consumed by the love triangle manages to find the original location Rafe was going the and makes the impressive sniper shot scoring himself a kill (of Rafe). Which is frankly a great moment where Casey gets to prove that he doesn't need an intersect to still be one of the best spies around.

Overall I don't think this episode was really about advancing the spy-plot to much although we do see a few themes developing. First off Shaw's reliance on the Intersect relegating Sarah and particularly Casey to sub-par status. Although we also see Casey developing a new found respect for the much darker spy side of Chuck, even going so far as to tell Chuck that he's proud of him. Will be interesting to see if we see Casey & Chuck grow much closer and distant to Sarah and Shaw. Chuck and Casey sharing a beer or some whiskey seems like it could be a fun moment. Apparently Shaw is now sequestered in Castle now that Team B knows he's got a hit out on him.

I will say this, I congratulate the writers on the creation of the new dark Chuck. I totally bought it in this episode which was really about advancing the idea that Chuck is more and more all-in on the spy persona with each mission. I actually wondered for a moment if Chuck wasn't going to takedown Shaw just to get him out of the picture. Would that have been stone-cold? Absolutely but it is a testament to the character and story development that I was even able to ponder a scenario where Chuck would do such a thing.

I think some of what we're going to deal with in the remaining parts of Season 3 will be the fallout of Chuck's continued progression towards real-spy, is there a point of no return? How far out on the limb will we go before it breaks and there is no coming back? Chuck is blind to this progression, he either doesn't see what he's becoming or he just wants it badly enough that he doesn't care.

Charah

So we start the episode with Sarah struggling with the possibility of getting into another relationship with a partner in Shaw, one would imagine that has multiple layers for her given what happened with Bryce. Meanwhile everything seems to be going great for Chanah. Especially if the rampant PDA and Hannah in a towel are any indication.

So let's jump ahead to the heart of the matter in where we end up. When all is said and done Sarah seems at least intrigued by Shaw and has shared something about her real self with him, something that shouldn't be understated, an indulgence she never extended to Chuck. Meanwhile Chuck dumps Hannah in front of her parents and then plants C4 on that bridge and blows it up. A moment which seems to echo the breakup with Lou, at least in the rationale, if not the coldness.

Even without having much invested in Hannah it is hard not to feel bad for her. What of Chuk's motives though? He wants Sarah back now that he sees her and Shaw together (well that's convenient), is probably reeling from the Sam revelation, and once again realizes that his spy status means that he can only ever have a relationship built on lies with anyone non-spy.

Suddenly as dark Chuck emerges we are left wondering what should even become of Charah when last week we were so outraged with even the suggestion that it might not be Charah forever. Now there's questions like should Chuck and Sarah even be together? But here's the problem in that, we've given Sarah a real name…Sam. We're reminded that Sarah Walker is not Sarah Walker but a creation, a lie really. In effect there is no Sarah so how can there be a Chuck and Sarah? Given this revelation what could actually ever bring them back together? Clearly they are going light speed in opposite directions. With Sarah wanting more and more to be Sam and Chuck wanting more and and more to be Charles.

I think the only way back from the brink is for Chuck to realize what he's becoming. That seems unlikely in the foreseeable future. He's just gained real spyness I can't imagine he'll be quick to give that up, it hasn't even seemed a possibility to him in Season 3. Also a whole Intersect worth of brain and he still can't realize that Sarah liked him as Chuck and never wanted or needed him to be some super spy in order to really love him. The problem of course with this is that Chuck can't have it both ways can he? That's the point after all isn't it? Chuck's made some choices and now he has to live with them. He shouldn't expect to be able to just go running back to Sarah who at least as Chuck's known her (i.e. Season 2) no longer exists, something else he is also going to have to come to terms with.

We heard several times in the episode that Chuck must have made a deal with the devil in order to be so popular with the ladies. I doubt it was a coincidence that we heard this phrase multiple times. Has Chuck made a deal with the devil (the Intersect) will he have to sell his soul and by then will it be to late?

So the answer, Can Chuck and Sarah ever be together again? No. Chuck and Sam? I think it's fair to say that Chuck and Sarah circa end of Season 2 exhibited real emotions for and towards each other but the foundation for those emotions were still rooted in the inherent lie of a cover.

If I ever doubted the show or writers or storytelling process, and I don't think I ever truly did I can't imagine why after this episode. It's just fun to watch how it all unfolds and progresses now that we've been freed of Charah, and there-in lies the game changing nature of this week's episode. Can't wait to watch next week and see how everything is all upended once again! Stay tuned!

Things that are AWESOME

- "Casey you look like a guy who's pealed a few spuds in his time."
- Chuck: "I'm gonna need a hard out at five." Casey: "You can have a hard out with these give." (holds up fist)
- Casey making the Rafe shot "(grunt) Only five guys in the world who can make this shot hu? Guess I'm one of them."
- MobRingers armchair quarterbacking Chuck & Sarah "I hate those on again off again things."
- Kristin Kreuk - she's no Yvonne but still.
- Jeff & the Buymorians with their summary of Chuck's relationships. Jeff "Chucks light shines brightest when he's with Sarah." - I'm certainly amused by the choice of characters used to comment on the Charah situation even if it was written months ago particularly funny in light of last week's freakout!

]]>#Chuck vs. the Mask - vs. My Takehttp://www.bethejustin.com/blog/2010/2/8/chuck-vs-the-mask-vs-my-take.htmlJustin2010-02-09T03:41:48Zchuck chuck review season3 tvAnother Monday another new episode of Chuck and sadly the last one before the Olympics deprive us of the conclusion for the next 3 or 4 weeks. It's also another pretty packed episode one thing is for sure about the episodes in season 3 they are clearly trying to cover as much ground in the 19 episodes as possible. Alright here we go with Chuck v. the Mask.

Spy World

So this week starts with Shaw trapped in a museum vault in a scene that seems to harken back to Mission Impossible and as the security for the vault kicks in Shaw is force to call in the intersect (Chuck) for backup. As someone who is not really on the Shaw bandwagon that is pretty satisfying in its own way. Poor super-spy Shaw has to call in Chuck for backup.

Once again we see how non-spy members of Chuck's life seem to be drawn to the blackhole of the spy-world this season as Hannah, eager to go on an actual Nerd Herd call, shows up unannounced at the Museum just as Chuck is trying get his spy on. However it all works out as Chuck's main purpose is to hack the vault's computer and free Shaw which to Hannah just looks like a server reboot.

We end up back at the Museum once again with Hannah as she and Chuck are invited to monitor the computer systems during the opening of the exhibit. Shaw, Sarah and Casey are still trying to steal the mask as Shaw is convinced that the Ring is hiding something in it. While watching the security feeds Chuck flashes on YARA (Yet Another Ring Agent) and Shaw informs Chuck and Sarah that his cover is at risk since he has a history with this particular Ring baddie. Chuck takes off to steal the mask while Hannah and Shaw have a bit of a computer battle. In the end the get they mask and make it out.

Unfortunately Mr. Ring Baddie interprets Chuck as the thief and Hannah as his girlfriend and lures her to the museum to use her as leverage against Chuck. Meanwhile at Castle Sarah and Shaw manage to set off the chemical weapon hidden in the real mask, enter our FOTW (Flash of the Week) as Chuck flashes on the computer display of the poison detector and sees the chemical formula and antidote.

Chuck heads to the museum to try and get the antidote from Mr. Ring Baddie and comes up with a MacGyver-esque plan to trick the Ring dude into thinking he is being poisoned and revealing the location of the antidote, nice work Chuck. In the end it all works out Shaw carries Sarah in all hero style and gives her the antidote and Chuck manages to free a shall we say grateful Hannah from the vault.

Initially this felt like just another formulaic Ring plot with some more throw away Ring baddies. That is until the final scene of the episode where we finally get a glimpse at the more shadowy elements of the Ring let's say council. Ironically and comically they dispense with Ring baddie and declare that they are heading after Shaw next.
I have to admit I am still wondering if Shaw is completely a good guy or perhaps he defected from the Ring. He seems WAY to quick to declare himself the safest guy in there is to Sarah. Some how I think he's the opposite. It is interesting there's lots of talk about relationships being dangerous but what about the arrogance Shaw seems to exude. Confidence yes that is one thing you'd want that in a good spy but arrogance and perceived invincibility which Shaw seems to have in spades (heck one of his first plans was to cheat death!) seem like they could get someone kill eventually. I still think it would add a cool twist if Shaw were a bad guy or had been and it could be used to explain a lot. So in the end I was very glad to see this final scene it gives me hope that there could be a larger plot and mythology at work with the Ring.

Charah

Well there's a lot going on here but this week I would say it is all about the pairings and a will they or won't they. In the first half of the episode Sarah and Chuck are still clearly kinda trying to figure out what the heck is up at this point. Shaw is very obviously making the moves on Sarah with the coffee, the cover at the party, etc. It seemed like he was coming on a bit strong but I suppose that is mostly due to how strongly Sarah was rebuking him.

On the Chuck/Hannah front in Act I it feels much like Lou Part II again when Chuck messes up and form Hannah's point of view runs off with his ex after she basically throws himself at her. Not usually the best strategy.

In the end though we arrive at the point where we all probably realistically knew we would with the pairings of Shaw/Sarah and Chuck/Hannah being firmly established. Of course I am not a fan of either pairing. The final scene at Castle is interesting we seem to get some realization from all corners of Team Bartowski that Team Bartowski isn't really sustainable. What that means I don't really have a clue. I wonder if we won't see a scattering of the team much the way we did at the end of season 2. Sarah and Chuck seem to come to terms with the pairings I guess, and Sarah makes the comment that she is in his way on multiple fronts, eluding to Hannah of course. I suppose that is what you are suppose to do when you break up, see other people.

All of that being said accepting that Charah is out of the picture for the foreseeable future and as much as I'll always be a Charah shipper and still absolutely want them together at the moment there is nothing that can really be done about it other than accept that Charah is going to go separate ways for now and probably for a while. I may not like it but what can I do, not much for now. Except…So for the moment I'll concede that point to the writers and that being the case the relationship I am rooting for with the new dynamic is: Morgan and Hannah.

Buy More

So we pick up the Morgan/Ellie storyline from last week where they are still trying to figure out what it is that Chuck is up to. They decide that Chuck has once again hit rock bottom after breaking up with Sarah and has sought refuge in his video game addiction. They decide that they need to have an intervention but be for they can Morgan chickens out on Ellie and heads to work with Chuck. It isn't until the final minutes that Morgan and Ellie plot their intervention.

The two show up at the Buy More in time to catch Chuck sneaking in the back entrance of the Buy More and heading for the Home Theater Room. What they find is Chuck and Hannah lip locked on the couch. Ellie is of course elated and she is probably, for now, convinced that she knows Chucks "secret."

Morgan on the other hand is totally crushed, with good reason, and I actually feel really bad for him. I think that part of this season is an exploration of what exactly is Chuck and Morgan's friendship these days. Here Morgan is liking Hannah and Chuck going after her is just one more smack in the face to him, one more thing Chuck has that he doesn't. I actually feel for him and as I mentioned I will be rooting for Morgan while Charah is on hiatus.

I've also been enjoying the Morgan/Ellie scenes and stories and while things have settled for the moment I hope that we get to see more interaction between them there is something that I have always liked about their dynamic and relationship such as it is.

Things that are AWESOME

- Casey switching the mic off so that Chuck and Sarah can talk without Shaw hearing. Wondering if the tweeps aren't right in thinking that Casey is really a Charah shipper.

- Sarah's kick but fight scene on the ascension line and above the vault.

- Casey "When am I gonna get to blow something up!?"

- Casey's grunt at the end when Shaw and Sarah say they're going to stay at Castle. That one short grunt says "Oh brother here we go all over again!"

]]>SciFi Fan? Riese is Must Watchhttp://www.bethejustin.com/blog/2010/2/3/scifi-fan-riese-is-must-watch.htmlJustin2010-02-04T03:24:10Zfantasy riese scifi steampunk webseriesI've tweeted about it a few times but awhile back I stumbled upon the SciFi/Fantasy web series known as "Riese." The show is released directly every few weeks as a series of webisodes on YouTube. I only just learned tonight that "Chapter 1" was originally produced as a TV pilot but that isn't surprising because everything about the production of Riese raises the bar for all web series, it is easily the level of something like a Dr. Horrible or The Guild.

I've actually been waiting for quite a while for something like Riese to come along. Ever since podcasts and web series have become more common place I feel like they've been lacking the drama, production, and story telling of more traditional scripted TV. The advantage to the web route though of course is that the content creator keeps total control of the project. In otherwords wouldn't it be great if we could get something as good as Firefly or Dollhouse and not have to worry about being canceled by a network! As best I can tell Riese is that dream come to life. There aren't a lot of web series out there with the level of production and quality of Riese, The Guild is probably its closest contemporary. So far Riese is delivering in a big way and I hope its a sign that the snowball is starting to build and we see more scripted web series.

If you consider yourself a fan of science fiction you need to be watching this series it's just that simple. For me I see in the show part Lord of the Rings and there is the heavy steampunk influence in terms of the technology. The overall aesthetic is something that really drew me in it is a unique mix that blends the lines between scifi and pure fantasy like Lord of the Rings. I think it's fair to say that the world of Riese is not like any I've seen before. When watching in 720p on YouTube that world very visually compelling. I also find the way the show is shot compelling as well you always get the sense that there are shadowy elements constantly at work, which is a central theme of the show. It also plays into the way the story unfolds which is also very elusive as well Riese gives you just exactly the right amount to keep you wanting more.

What I've gathered of the story is that we are following, for the most part, the journey of a heroine known as Riese who's traveling companion is a wolf. The realm is governed, fairly ruthlessly, by an Empress known as Amara from the former seat of a benevolent kingdom known as Eleysia. Some kind of coup took place which lead to Amara proclaiming herself Empress and a shadowy group known as The Sect who helped her rise to power now helps her keep that power. Riese is viewed as an enemy by Amara and she has sent her henchmen of The Sect to attempt to track down Riese. While little has been revealed thus far you always get the sense that greater and darker forces and purposes are at work simmering just below the surface.

Chapter 2 premiered just recently at the end of January and I watched the episode this evening. If you weren't already convinced that Riese is one to take seriously and watch closely I was sitting there watching and in walks a new character for this chapter..."Holy Crap its Gaeta!!" Yup that's right Alessandro Juliani, also known as Lt. Felix Gaeta from Battlestar Galactica and geek fandom favorite, has joined the cast!

I hope I've convinced you to at least give Riese a chance. If you like science fiction and fantasy at all Riese has compelling story telling, mythology, and a rich visually unique world. Check it out I think you'll be glad you did.

New Episodes premiere on YouTube (and are available in 720p) the next one on February 15th and you can catch up with Chapter 1 as well.

]]>Our goal must be Explorationhttp://www.bethejustin.com/blog/2010/2/1/our-goal-must-be-exploration.htmlJustin2010-02-02T02:07:47Zbudget humanspaceflight nasa space space spaceflightIt's no secret that I have been a space enthusiast/geek/dreamer since I was a teenager. At the age of 13 my boyhood dream was to be among the first to see the Red Planet with my own eyes. Since that time I've followed NASA's efforts, their triumphs and at times deep tragedies, I've always remained adamant that the ultimate goal of humanity should be to expand our civilization beyond our home and I believe Mars is the next logical choice.

February 1 marks seven years since the tragic events of the Columbia disaster. It also marks the day when what is now several long weeks of debate, anxious waiting and wondering about the details of President Obama's plans for the future of America's human space flight efforts have come to an end. Despite being an avid space fan for most of my life I have found it hard to find a voice with regards to all the rumors of what the Obama plan may or may not do/fund/cut/etc. While struggling to find the words to consolidate my thoughts on the matter I thought it best to wait until the real announcement had been made. Today we have some answers and it seems, I must admit discouragingly, that they do not differ drastically from what has been leaking out over the last week or so.

I am puzzled by the manner in which this new plan was rolled out. Initially we had been told the NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden would hold a live press conference at NASA Headquarters. Over the weekend that was hastily changed to a conference call for reporters. Well by now there are numerous summary stories outlining things but essentially it boils down to what we had been hearing, Constellation (NASA's replacement for the Shuttle) has been canceled (despite rumblings from Congress I have to think that today will probably represent the end for Constellation) and the focus of NASA will shift to: ISS expansion through 2020, championing efforts for commercial crew launch providers, earth sciences, robotic missions, and aeronautic projects. Additional work on things like propulsion technology, yet more study of human physiology in space, and work on a new heavy lift vehicle were skirted around in vagaries.

"A clear destination."

Like much of the human space flight community what all of this may ultimately mean is swirling around as an ocean of thoughts in my head. What keeps bubbling to the top as my biggest concern with this new plan is the lack of any real goal or clearly defined mission/destination. Throughout the nineties and indeed after the Columbia disaster we were told that the big problem with NASA was that there was no clear mission no ultimate goal. The merits can be debated but for all that Constellation was or wasn't it was a clear destination. It was a line in the sand to work towards.

As best as I can tell the Obama plan offers no insight into the issue of what our end goal might be. We're told that perhaps in time we will develop the technologies to take on and tackle bigger more ambitious missions. However I've not seen any indication of what that timeline might be and what ends for thes potentially newly developed means might be. What will drive that research if we have no guidance on what those missions will be? It is very hard not to feel like we've been here before and we are going to be once again confined to low-earth-orbit feeling around in the dark for some glimmer of light.

It isn't that I don't believe that efforts like earth sciences, and encouraging a commercial space industry aren't valid or even very important, they absolutely are. However what worries me with regards to these announcements and the usual dialogue around commercial space efforts is that there is a focus on things like tourism or LEO transport and very little talk of exploration.

One of the primary definitions of exploration is "the investigation of unknown regions" I can't help but feel like after 50 years we should know low earth orbit reasonably well. Whatever happens, hardware and programs aside, it is my strongest deepest belief that we must continue to have a clear plan for reaching beyond LEO and to a destination that allows us to expand our civilization beyond this planet, push ourselves to the limits, and to live up to that human desire to truly be explorers.

"Too hard."

Another thing that really gets me going are suggestions that some how Mars is too hard, or beyond our reach with current understanding and technology. Witness the comments of NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden below speaking in Israel.

"We’ve got a lot of work to do before we can responsibly send humans to Mars. The biggest thing, the biggest challenge right now, there are two big challenges, one is propulsion and propulsion is a challenge because of the biggest challenge, which is radiation. We don’t completely understand the radiation environment between here and Mars but we know it’s bad. And we suspect, based on past experience and the limited data that we have, that if we put humans into a normal spacecraft now and have them embark on an 8-month one-way mission to Mars they’re going to die unless we spend a lot of money and a lot of metal on tremendous shielding for the vehicle. We know that.

“So, we cannot responsibly put humans in a spacecraft and say next year we’re going to send them to Mars. Can we conquer that? can we overcome that? Yes we can. I don’t know how long it is going to take.” (Source)

Who are we to say this is too hard? Quite literally when we committed to landing humans on the Moon we barely had a handle on how to launch to Earth ORBIT! For all we knew the lunar lander would touch down and sink into the sandy surface of the Moon. More over why not let the humans who will make the journey decide whether they are willing to accept the risk? I'd wager that if you put out the call you'd find a number far in excess of any crew compliment of people willing to go even on a one way journey. I don't think the problem is a lack of creative solutions to these problems or the ability to find them it is the lack of the will to do so in the aggressive tradition of Apollo.

More than that though I think this kind of rhetoric is damaging to our culture and to one of NASA's newly prescribed missions, to encourage kids to pursue careers in engineering, science, math, etc. What message does this send? We'll do something that's hard but only after we've spent multiple lifetimes analyzing the dangers? Should 13 year old me temper his dreams of visiting Mars because there are too many unknowns involved?

This is directly counter to the American tradition of exploration and the "can do" attitude not only America but NASA has stood for. I would wager that we probably know more about what we will find when we get to Mars and what we will find on the journey than Lewis and Clark did when they started west into their unknown. What would American history look like if they had chosen to study every possible permutation of wagon design for sixty some years before embarking?

When we set out for the moon we had less computing power than my car does today in the Apollo modules and we had no idea what-so-ever how to put a square peg (the Command Module CO2 scrubber) into a round hole (the Lunar Module CO2 scrubber) but we figured it out and we are the better for it. If we're saying we're not only not willing but flat out incapable of tackling that challenge today then I don't think it is at all unreasonable to wonder what have the last 50 years meant? What stewards are we of the memories of those who have given their lives in the name of tackling those challenges?

"Hindsight."

It is interesting that as all of this has come about I have once again picked up the book "Deke!", Deke Slayton's autobiography. I wanted to pick it up again because when I was watching some of the Columbia memorial footage I was struck by Bob Crippen mentioning that he was at Kennedy Space Center when Columbia arrived escorted by Deke Slayton in a T38. I forget at times that Deke was involved in the development of the Shuttle as well of course as virtually all aspects of our space program that came before. I'm currently working my way through his discussions of the Apollo and lunar programs. There are casual mentions of the "Apollo Applications Program" as a framework for what the Apollo hardware might have been used for after the initial lunar missions wound down.

I need to pause here and say that I grew up with the Shuttle, I have nothing but respect for the amazing vehicle it is and has been. If it were up to me we would keep flying the Shuttle for as long as we fly the ISS it doesn't make sense, in my view, to extend the ISS and cripple it by eliminating the additional capabilities the Shuttle represents. I also have tremendous respect for the Shuttle workforce, more so now than ever as a result of my interactions with the Space Tweep Society. It will be hard to watch as the program winds down after all it's the program I grew up with, it was the Hubble missions that really truly inspired me to be as passionate as I am about human space flight.

Hindsight is 20/20 and I'm not an expert on the decision making process that lead to us abandoning Apollo in entirety and going with the Shuttle. It is my understanding that it was originally intended that they were to compliment one another, the Shuttle for example as I've heard it was hoped to be ready in time to boost Skylab to a higher orbit. A part of me imagines the alternate universe were this was born out. Where we kept the Apollo hardware in place and maintained the heavy-lift capabilities of the Saturn V. Apollo seems like it was a versatile architecture with capability for LEO, Lunar missions, a space station, and as a heavy-lift perhaps even Mars. Indeed Von Braun himself dared to dream a program that had humans on Mars by 1982!!

"Wake-Up"

My hope for the future comes from the fact that there has been progress in the last fifty years. There has never been more ways to communicate and the Internet has brought a community of hundreds, if not thousands, of passionate space enthusiasts, and stakeholders together. People are passionate about the belief that we do need to expand into the stars and are represented online by countless groups, organizations, and efforts.

If this group is able to mobilize then I am hopeful that for perhaps the first time our direction in space might be determined by, in the best traditions of democracy, the people. I believe the the online community could serve as a powerful catalyst but I truly believe that even the more mainstream audience takes pride in our space program and in the Shuttle and our Astronauts.

When the Shuttle program comes to an end soon I believe America as a nation will be dealt a stiff wake-up call and the general public will start to ask why we have allowed the state of affairs to devolve to the point where the first and only country to land humans on another terrestrial body no longer even has the ability to launch its citizens into space.

Have I agreed with him on every point? No. But the words of George W. Bush in the aftermath of Columbia ring as true to me on this matter as any I've heard and I truly believe they're not just lofty rhetoric but an imperative and absolute…

"This cause of exploration and discovery is not an option we choose, it is a desire written in the human heart."

]]>Dollhouse - SciFi at its best and FOX strikes again!http://www.bethejustin.com/blog/2010/1/30/dollhouse-scifi-at-its-best-and-fox-strikes-again.htmlJustin2010-01-30T23:36:57Zdollhouse firefly fox geek review tv tvI just finished watched the series finale of Dollhouse. Dollhouse was the latest creation of one Joss Whedon (of Buffy and Firefly fame and all around geek idol) staring the stunning Eliza Dushku as Echo and Tahmoh Penikett (formerly of Battlestar Galactica fame) as FBI agent Paul Ballard. The basic premise of the show was that a technology had been created that allowed a person's entire personality or essence to be stored on a hard drive and uploaded or downloaded as needed. As the show would ultimately explore it's a both tantalizing and terrifying prospect (okay mostly terrifying).

Many decried the show in its first season for being little more than an excuse to parade the quite attractive "dolls," around in exceedingly revealing outfits and the Dollhouse as nothing more than a technologically advanced brothel. Truth be told early on it was hard to disagree with at least parts of those criticisms. However diehard Whedon fans reminded us that it was often the case with his creations that they evolve over time and come to be more appreciated as they grow. I decided for whatever reason (okay maybe Eliza had something to do with it) I decided to sitck with the show and true to form the show really hit its stride about midway through the second season.

The mythology really built to a climax and in the end a true creshendo. The Dollhouse as a show became more about a conspiracy among the founders of the corporation (aka the rich and powerful) that controlled the dolls to, perhaps predictably, use the technology for evil (porbably and understatement). One such moral quandary examined is for example what if you had an army of emotionless soldiers. Or how about fat cat company executives that wipe some bodies for themselves and hop from body to body as they tire of them. You get the idea. I believe the show at its core was really an exploration of some of the fundamental questions of humanity and really that's SciFi at its best.

So we have a conspiracy, a great cast, plentiful action, SciFi futuristic tech, moral and etchical quandries galore, like I said SciFi at its best really. Fundmentally I think the show as an exploration into some of the most basic human questions. Things like nature vs. nurture or what makes us alive, what makes us, us? Can we ever really be "wiped" or can we fight that? Is there a part of us that never goes away?

The last 1/2 of the second season the run up to the end of the show was some of the best TV and SciFi that I've ever watched, period. The plot twists were a roller coaster and then some. The reason I watch TV and the reason I believe that at its best it really can be an art form is for the moments when the show fades to commercial and I have to sit their paralyzed my mind blown, mouth agape, completely astonished at what had just happened. In Dollhouse's gauntlet run to the end these moments were coming at a rate of several per episode.

It would seem like the writing was on the wall for some time as it seems like everything was tied up nice and neatly in the end and perhaps they had some warning and were able to have a true series finale and not leave things hanging. If you need more convincing it is, at least in my opinon, worth noting that the series finale guest started Felicia Day (geek goddess of The Guild and Dr. Horrible, itself another Whedon project)!!

I believe that Dollhouse particularly in the last episodes was at least as good a show as Firefly. In true FOX fashion they seemed to hand down the cancellation right as things were starting to get good. Will Dollhouse become the cult hit Firefly did? I'm not entirely sure but the parallels are eerily similar. More of Joss Whedon's great SciFi that FOX just didn't seem to have the patience for. Unfortunate really because the finale moments of this show really convinced me that there was a rich mythology there to explore. So if you are looking for some good SciFi I highly recommend pick up Dollhouse on DVD (or iTunes) stick with the first season and hang on for the RIDE that is the second!!

]]>The iPad and the curse of being a Geekhttp://www.bethejustin.com/blog/2010/1/27/the-ipad-and-the-curse-of-being-a-geek.htmlJustin2010-01-28T01:09:37Zapple apple iPad iphone mac technologySince this morning as I watched both TWiT's and GDGT's truly awesome coverage of the master showman Steve Jobs unveiling the new iPad I've been trying to some some kind of coherent thoughts about my feelings on the new device. Someone on the TWiT coverage had the line that the iPad isn't a product you need but is a product you want. My friends and family were of course ribbing me about the device since I'm the resident fanboy and was apparently solely responsible for the bad name, their lack of excitement by the thing, etc. It's interesting to see how people like to teardown the king of the hill. Weird. I guess the first question I'll try to tackle first is do I want one?

This is where I feel like I'm a bit cursed by being a geek. I've always been a gadget nut, techie, computer geek, what have you. I generally consider myself a power user of OSX. The first thing that jumped out for me was when someone casually mentioned it is iPhone OS 3.2 not 4.0. Which means, as many have remarked, this really is just a bigger iPod Touch with some redesigned UI for the build in apps. What that means is no multi-tasking. That's a deal breaker for me. It's just that simple, I actually jailbreak my iPhone so that I can get the ability to run background apps. Shortly thereafter I started thinking well why not Bluetooth but they want to charge for the keyboard dock. Or why not a camera, it doesn't run flash or TweetDeck, etc. But then I got to thinking if I weren't so geeky would these things be important to me at all? I really believe the answer is no. Of course many of those desires are born out of 15+ years of using what we've traditionally thought of as a computer and grafting those habits and paradigms onto this thing that is something new. I guess it's kind of an ignorance is bliss effect. All of that being said I'm still eager to check it out in the store and overall it is still tempting. I have felt for a while that if I had nothing else in the world to spend $500 on purely as a couch computer and this certainly seems perfect for that application.

Which bring me back to, as is often the case with Apple events, being more disappointed by what wasn't announced than what was. I think that it's certainly a quality device that represents Apple at their best, simple, polished in every aspect. I expect the iBooks Store will be a VASTLY superior experience for ebooks than Amazon's web based option for example. I've just always found the iTunes Store experience to be a very positive one, personally, and prefer it every time over something browser based. However I was really hoping for iPhone OS 4.0 news which would have impacted me directly as an iPhone user. There's a laundry list of things about the core OS that really need to be addressed. My big pet peeves are the notification system, multi-tasking, and the iPod app. The Unofficial Apple Weblog did a great series of posts about what needs to happen in general for iPhone OS 4.0 which I highly recommend. I suppose it isn't a huge surprise that we didn't hear more on the OS front as Apple will likely want to keep that for WWDC in the summer. However I'm approaching the point where WWDC is Apple's last chance to address these issues before the Google Nexus One starts to look even more attractive that it is already looking these days.

The game that everyone is playing post announcement is what's the market for this thing? Who will buy it? I have a couple thoughts my first thought and what I'm still sticking with is that I think for the iPad out of the box the prime market is more of a non-tech crowd. I explained it to my Mom (an avid netbook user, mostly surfs, etc) and it didn't take her long to declare she wanted one. Moving beyond that after hearing a lot of different people with a lot of different niche uses I think much like the iPhone success will depend largely on the apps. There's a lot of discussion about the idea that Apple has really created a multi-touch control surface with an SDK. Suddenly it's a Mixer, a lighting control surface, a Airplane cockpit companion, etc. I can see where there's some potential for revolution there although on the flip side, many people predicted the same for the iPhone and that hasn't materialized.

Bottom line Apple does what they do better than anyone and it will be exciting to watch the evolution of what at the very least is a cool piece of technology.

]]>"#Chuck vs. First Class" vs. My Takehttp://www.bethejustin.com/blog/2010/1/26/chuck-vs-first-class-vs-my-take.htmlJustin2010-01-26T16:00:00Zchuck chuck review season3 tvAnother Monday another Chuck! More guest stars, some international travel, poison, a sword fight, and the Nerd Herd desk all in a days work for Chuck Bartowski. How'd I feel about his episode? Stick around. I'll say this though if I come off sounding a bit harsh about this episode it's only out of love and respect. Obligatory spoiler warnings apply.

Spy-World

Chuck's ready for his first solo mission, though that seems to depend to some extent on who you ask. Chuck it seems is still chomping at the bit to prove to everyone that he's a real spy, and in a reference that pokes fun at seasons 1 and 2, to get out of "the car" and go on a real mission. Sarah and Casey are shall we say a tad skeptical. The whole thing plays out, not by coincidence I'm sure, like a couple of overprotective parents watching their child venture out into the world. Just incase we didn't get it the first 4 episodes we're treated to some brow beating lines courtesy of Shaw where he uses such flattering adjectives as coddling to refer to Casey and Sarah's treatment of Chuck thus far.

It's clear Shaw is here to redefine the dynamic of Team Bartowski to make not only Chuck see that he's ready to be an equal member of the team but also to make Sarah and Casey, which is perhaps the more difficult of the two. It's worth noting that Chuck seemed to have no problems flashing without Sarah by his side on this mission. I get it, but I feel as though for about the 5th episode straight that I'm being beaten over the head a bit like I don't get it…really I do!

So Chuck ends up completely out of his element in first class and only then learns that his mission is to take down YARO (yet another ring operative) played by this week's guest star Stone Cold Steve Austin. A malfunctioning tranq pen, a sword fight in the cargo hold (which is our FOTW), and the generic encryption key is in Chuck's hands and our YARO is detained in the cargo hold. Whoops or not! Now it's Chuck's turn to get poisoned and call in the calvary when YAYARO shows up.

We learn an interesting tidbit about Shaw and the female YARO in that they seem to have some kind of past. Interesting, I think it'd be interesting if perhaps Shaw were a defected Ring operative. It would explain why he knows so much about the Ring and perhaps why Casey and Sarah had no knowledge of him. The Calvary this mission comes in the form of a satellite link-up from Castle (or Crystal Palace apparently the codename) to the 747 a commercial jet liner. We learn that Sarah is apparently a pilot (or has at least played Microsoft Flight Sim) and she takes control of the plane to throw the Ring baddies off their guard. After a whole cargo hold worth of luggage falls on the Ring baddies they are apparently actually out this time. I also have to say I really did feel bad for Chuck when he realized at the end of the flight that they had dangled Paris in front of him and then snatched it right back.

In the final scenes of the episode we learn that Shaw's wife was a spy? Gee I wonder how that's informed his views on…oh yeah right queue Season 3's "Spy's don't fall in love" mantra. I suppose we should have seen that one coming from about 3 episodes ago.

I have to say it seems like the plot holes abound in this week's spy-world. Why have the mission on a plane? Really? Also the whole link-up of the planes controls were a bit over the top even for the over the top world of Chuck. Right up there with "Executive Decision" docking a stealth F-117 to a 747. I would like to start to feel like their is more of a strategy or plan from Shaw in how we're going to go after the Ring, it seems a bit like a pinball game right now where we simply bounce between the YARO flavor of the week. I'd like a real mythology to develop at some point but also recognize this isn't Battlestar Galactica.

It seems that the once again the spy plot was really the mechanism used to underscore a central theme in this case "Chuck is a real spy" and "Spies don't fall in love."

Charah

There wasn't much in the way of legit Charah this episode but there was some interesting probing of Sarah by Shaw with regards to the situation. We learn that, most likely after the train station, Sarah goes completely off the grid for three days and seems initially hesitant to provide an explanation to Shaw. Shaw suspects that she was either contacted by the Ring or it had something to do with a Chuck/Sarah relationship. In the end Sarah's explanation about spreading Bryce's ashes seems to satisfy Shaw for the moment.

Many have speculated that Sarah and Shaw will end up together. I've yet to see any evidence of sparks flying up to this point. Clearly Shaw pushed Sarah way out of her comfort zone this episode with regards to what Chuck is capable of and what she is willing to put him through. It seems clear that telling Chuck he is a real spy and ready and he can do anything to boost his confidence (a la season 2) and him actually being all those things is something Sarah is having trouble reconciling. It's clear Shaw is serving as a wedge for Charah and I suspect things will be largely on hold while Shaw is in the picture in any capacity. Given what we learn of his history I can't imagine he would tolerate any kind of relationship between "real spies". I guess it was nice to have the back story behind why he's been so adamant.

Lou Part 2

While in first class Chuck meets Hannah an attractive IT professional for a big company, or former IT professional we learn. Frankly the whole thing strikes me as Lou Part 2. Hannah actually even looks a bit like Lou from Season 1. It is interesting to me how when developing alternate love interests for Chuck, all signs seem to be pointing that way, the writers always seem to give Chuck his perfect girl. Attractive but also nerdy in their own way in the case of Lou it was sandwiches and now we get an IT chick. I suppose common interest is really the one leg up anyone else could have over Sarah because really you're just not competing on looks, ever.

Shockingly (or not) in the end Hannah ends up at the Buy More and if we take Chuck's offer as a fore-shadowing is due to become the Anna replacement? Hanna, Anna? Interesting. It makes me think though that apparently I need to find myself a Nerd Herd counter just based on who's walked up to Chuck's over the years.

As evidenced by my title of the section so far the whole thing seems very Lou Part 2 but I suppose we'll have to see how it plays out. I should reserve judgement but I flat out stopped watching Dawson's in the post-Pacey & Joey era so there's little chance of that legitimately happening. To be continued.

Buymoria

I think the Buymoria moments might have been my favorites of this episode. Morgan is still struggling to achieve the respect of his employees and particularly the Jeffster duo. He asks Casey how he gets their respect and Casey replies with an epic Casey line of "I take it." Morgan eventually recruits Casey, in a great scene where he "pulls rank" on him as his Lt. Assistant Manager after Casey realizes that the insurgents (he hates insurgents) must be dealt with swiftly.

We get some hilarious moments and some really cool Morgan/Casey bonding. I think Casey realizes that they both have mutual enemies after all Casey has no love lost for the nameless Buymorians. Some classic moments include Casey extinguishing his cigar into his hand. Perhaps the most hilarious moment is when Casey gets psyops on Lester and we see Lester in his Onesy pajamas. I hope that we see more of this dynamic where Morgan and Casey realize their interests align and help each other out in the potential absence of Chuck.

Things that are AWESOME

- "I hate insurgents", John Casey referring to the insubordinate Buymorians.
- "Don't freak out.", Chuck in the coffin trying to calm himself I just like that they've brought back the line from Season 1.
- "The Volleyball incident." Apparently reference to an incident involving Casey a previous store party that strikes fear into the Buymorians.
- Lester's Onesy pajamas…somehow it's just a perfect fit.

]]>"#Chuck vs. Operation Awesome" vs. My Takehttp://www.bethejustin.com/blog/2010/1/18/chuck-vs-operation-awesome-vs-my-take.htmlJustin2010-01-19T03:13:48Zchuck chuck nbc season3 tvWow! To say tonight's episode was a jam packed episode seems like a gross understatement. New responsibilities, new jobs, new characters…OH MY! I would say that any change in dynamic up to this point pales in comparison to what happened in "Chuck vs. Operation Awesome." So let's get into it! Oh yeah and as a reminder I talk openly about all the events of the episode so if you haven't seen it yet then SPOILERS AHEAD!! O:)

Spy World

Something I've been thinking about over the last few episodes is the way that Chuck is developing as a spy. I really like how they have kept who non-spy Chuck is relevant in the spy-world. What I keep coming back to is the idea that Chuck reminds me a lot MacGyver (as if I could like this show anymore!). He is very resourceful and we've seen him MacGyver it up with the torch in the "Jail Juice", as well as tonight we see him use the electrified cage at the Buy More to take down the random Ring henchmen. I like that his MacGyver-esque skills get him by when the Intersect can't or doesn't kick in. Oh and of course very much like MacGyver Chuck hates guns, I hope that sticks. I also have to say that I am happy to see Chuck as the computer geek back, as a kind of a throwback to the pilot, when tonight Chuck hacks the Ring phone much as he used the virus way back in the pilot. Many have also mentioned on Twitter as well that it is also nice to see Chuck kind of being more confident and taking charge a bit more, and it is hard to dispute that.

FOTW (Flash of the Week), So what was FOTW this week? I'm not really sure I think that it has to be the language when Chuck tells off the Asian woman at the Buy More since that is a skill that we haven't seen yet from the Intersect but it makes sense that that would be an intersect capability. Overall I wouldn't say there was anything particularly special about the scene I mean it was comical in a sense but not necessarily laugh out loud. It struck me as though the Intersect was almost hic-uping during that scene with the language and the kick of Lester and really no ability to control it.

Shaw, Shaw, Shaw, Shaw! By far the game changer of this episode was the introduction of Shaw. Interesting that he is being positioned as the new Beckman, essentially, I think the rumor mill kind of hinted that this was coming. I think we've seen as a result of Prague that it isn't business as usual for Charah and I think that a big part of Shaw's role is to insure that it isn't business as usual on the Team Bartowski and to push and Agents Walker and Casey outside their comfort zones. Frankly I guess I get why they wanted to bring in someone new as the sheriff but I might have liked to see Casey call the shots for a bit. I wonder if Casey can pull rank as the Colonel? We saw it in "vs. Pink Slip" and it struck me as something they were specifically calling attention to but maybe it was just a throwback.

I suppose it is bit of an understatement to say that Shaw has a different tact in how he approaches things. It was interesting to see Sarah and Casey neutralize Shaw when they disagreed with him I think this really shows how Sarah and Casey now truly consider each other partners at this point and they had each other's back. Frankly I don't think Shaw should be to surprised he did come in pretty hard and pulled rank and obviously he was just thrown into the team and started waving the sword around not exactly the quickest way to instill loyalty. For the moment it seems like he is a down to business kind of guy. It also appears as though he clearly feels that Chuck isn't being properly motivated by Sarah and Casey and maybe they are still too in the protector role which is an additional argument for needing someone new on the team to shake it up.

The existence of Shaw doesn't really jive for me in general though, it seems very convenient. At the end of S2 it seems as though the Ring is something that everyone is just finding out about for the first time. If we've been tracking the ring for the last 5 years and the Intersect is what all intelligence flows through why is there nothing on the Ring in either Intersect? Also if we've known about the ring for the last 5 years why were we wasting time with Fulcrum in the first place? Suddenly they seem a LOT less significant when we learn we've been chasing the Ring for 5 years already.

Clearly there is WAY more to Shaw than meets the eye. For example what is up with his lighter obsession? We've seen it twice now which seems like a pretty good indication it means something more. He appears to put on a public face of clearly being on the anti-feelings bandwagon and then we see the final scene of him looking longingly at, the now group of friends as equals, and slipping on a wedding ring.

Many have suggested on Twitter that Shaw some how helps Sarah work through her hurt. With the final scene with Shaw it seems like a reasonable guess that he was once hurt as well perhaps or maybe he was forced to make a choice similar to Chuck? That's my guess at least.

Charah

So what's new in the Charah world? Well I like the final scene of the episode at Chuck and Morgan's apartment. Just a dinner with friends and of course Morgan would be cooking! What I think was really cool about the scene is that they were all genuinely there as equals, as friends. I think that even Casey, though he might never openly admit it, would consider Chuck and Sarah real friends. Of course inviting Casey makes Sarah feel more at ease with the whole we're all friends here vibe. Overall I like it, it had a "the gang's all here" feel to the scene. I look forward to more I think a great friends activity at some point would be for the gang to all go play paintball. That seems like gold obviously Casey would be totally into it, and awesome, and then you could have Chuck flash on it or something. Just a thought if Ali or Josh is listening! :D

I think the scene that we "shippers" yeah I guess that is the term. I don't know does it have a negative connotation? I've got a history I was hardcore Pacey & Joey forever back in the day, yeah I'm secure enough to admit it so there! :P ANYways I think the real Charah bone the writers decided to throw us this week was the scene where Sarah comes to Chuck's defense in front of Shaw in terms of the anti-feelings situation, "Sometimes it helps to remember you have something to loose." It is clear that her approach to the feelings, emotions, etc. situation is continually evolving this season. I'm not reading an incredible amount into it and maybe it's just that she is still a bit unsure of Shaw but it is clearly walked back quite bit from "you need to learn to keep your feelings to yourself."

Viva Buymoria!

We returned to Buymoria tonight and frankly I thought it was all hilarious. Morgan is the new "ASSMAN" which actually makes total sense he has proven himself time and time again taking charge when needed even if he tries to maintain his slacker persona. Plus is there anyone more loyal to the Buy More than Morgan? The best part to me though is the total shout out to "Office Space" with Morgan having pieces of flair on his vest!

The fight club his hilarious and just absolutely classic Lester. I agree with others that the electrified cage definitely takes Leter's more sadistic side to the next level. Having that cage back there really comes in quite handy in the Buy More world! :D

Once again we see parallels between Chuck and Morgan's lives. Both are attempting to grow into their new roles of increased responsibility. It is also interesting to hear Morgan's line to Big Mike about "I thought we were all friends." And Big Mike reminds him that it's not always about friends. Of course the parallels to Chuck's realizations of what being a spy means are fairly clear I think.

Things that are AWESOME

- Morgan's Vest Flare - Come on Office Space is like the best movie EVER, Office Space Flare Scene. :D

- Double Secret Probation reference.

- The sofa table at Chuck/morgan's apartment is full of old school game console controllers! They're clearly after this geek's heart :) (I hope we get a online tour of Chuck/Morgan's apartment decor at some point!)

- The security guard conversation with Awesome where he thinks Awesome has a thing for Chuck :D haha

- The drunken Casey cover story.

- Tonight's Honda commercial - Ellie: "Morgan! Don't hug the Moose!"

]]>"Chuck vs. the Angel de la Muerte" v. My Takehttp://www.bethejustin.com/blog/2010/1/12/chuck-vs-the-angel-de-la-muerte-v-my-take.htmlJustin2010-01-12T22:00:51Zchuck chuck review season3 tvThis week it's Season 3 Episode 3 - Chuck vs. the Angel de la Muerte. Overall I think this was a really cool episode after the turmoil of last week it was good to feel if only for an episode like Team Bartowski is back in the saddle. So without further ado let's get to it.

Spy-World

I'll just come right out and admit it I wasn't really sucked in by the spy-world plot this week. I mean it kinda seems like the intersect should have better things to do than babysit some has been dictator but maybe that's just me.

More than anything it seemed obvious to me that the goal of tonight's show was to introduce the idea that Chucks spy-world and personal life are going to become a lot more intertwined. Heck from the first scene with the helicopter flyover. So far I'm okay with that since it is obviously that there is fertile ground there and lots that can be explored or that mixing the two once and a while can bring to the surface, more on that in a bit. I think it fit nicely with Devon's character to want to be more active in the spy-world initially since he was starting to feel like Chuck's world was becoming more awesome than his.

The Flash-of-the-Week (FOTW) was clearly the doctor/surgeon which actually I thought the whole scene was really well done cool and commical at the same time which of course is what Chuck the show is all about and of course it would be Casey that we would try the new intersect skills on. I think it is interesting how Casey seems to forget or overlook (by choice perhaps) that Chuck has these new intersect capabilities. Obviously we once again see that Sarah is seemingly the only effective calming force in terms of Chuck clearing his mind and being able to flash properly.

It is interesting that Ring agents seem to be popping up everywhere like they're Fulcrum or something, I guess I expected them to be more shadowy and elusive or that we wouldn't see them as often as we have to date. Also didn't the dude that Devon sees at the end of the ep take at least a round from Casey's BFG in the last episode? Guess we have a Ring version of "Mr. You Can't Kill Me!"

Charah

The party at the consulate definitely provided some good Charah moments and a bit of Charah exploration. Clearly Devon and Ellie are trying to make sense of what the heck happened between Chuck and Sarah. I like Devon's realization of how excruciating it must have been/be for Chuck. Indeed it is NOT AWESOME.

I will read way more into it than I should but that is just because I'm a sucker and that's how I roll with these things but it didn't escape me that Sarah never does look Ellie in the eye and tell her no she does not love Chuck anymore. I wonder if even stone cold Agent Walker knew that she wouldn't be able to fake her way through that? It strikes me that Ellie has always believed Sarah loves Chuck and I kind think it's cool that she can kinda, I believe, see through to Sarah's real non-spy emotions.

Perhaps the best line of the whole episode though is Awesome talking about how if being a spy means giving up half your normal life it's not worth it, time to head home to the wife. Yeah great stuff.

Then the hatchet drops not a huge or unexpected one but the new cover will be "just friends." Can't say as though I've had great luck with that one but we'll see how Chuck and Sarah do with it. People often say that the best relationships are built on a foundation of friendship. Initially I was thinking well they were never really friends first and while that is technically true, they were never friends pre-their first date in the pilot, really that is what they had been in their real world/non-cover lives up until "Colonel" where they run away together and eventually have a physical encounter based on the real-world non-spy emotions for one another. Of course quite a bit has happened since then and now they've basically admitted that the loved each other and are trying to go BACK to the way things were, and that's usually shall we say complicated.

The second consequence of the just friends scenario is perhaps we will see less Chuck/Sarah off-duty fake dates and more of Chuck/Morgan geeking out at their new pad playing video games, talking about sandwiches on deserted islands, etc. which frankly if I'm honest I have missed a bit since the days of Season 1.

Oh I almost forgot to mention that I before the show I was watching the live chat with Schwedak and they mentioned that in Season 3 the "Chuck & Sarah situation will be resolved...Somehow...." Um yeah do they purposely try to just be evil ;-) It got me wondering if they have any intention of ever truly bringing Chuck and Sarah together, maybe now that they've got us hooked with the drugs of hope and anticipation they can keep us watching and throw us the occasional bone as we've seen so far in S3 (okay maybe that's a bit on the worried/cynical side). What if S3 ends with both Chuck and Sarah in actual relationships not with each other? It seems almost certain to me that that is territory we are destined to revisit.

One thing is for sure my head is already spinning and I can't stop thinking of scenarios some pleasant and some not so much. Whatever the ultimate resolution is I think it is clear that it's going to be a tumultuous journey.

Things that are "AWESOME"

- Casey: "Well lucky for me I'm a Marine."

- Casey: "Angel de la Muerte."

- South American Comrade Casey. For some reason I found this one particularly amusing. Also wonder if he keeps is disguise wardrobe in the van? :D

- Honda Commercials. Possibly the best commercials ever? And so meta advertising Honda, Chuck, and the Olympics all at the same time oh and also they are actually laugh out loud funny in my opinion which doesn't hurt.

- Yvonne and Angie Harmon will apparently fight in the next episode yeah I'm in really I mean can it possibly get better? Season 3 is really just tearing out of the gate!

]]>Chuck "Pink Slip" & "Three Words" v. My Takehttp://www.bethejustin.com/blog/2010/1/11/chuck-pink-slip-three-words-v-my-take.htmlJustin2010-01-12T01:34:17Zchuck chuck season3 tvIt's no secret that I am a pretty massive Chuck fan, hopefully you are as well because you'll probably be hearing a lot about it here over the coming months as Season 3 airs Mondays on NBC at 8 eastern.

Season 3 of Chuck started last night with a two hour premiere of two episodes back to back but almost didn't happen, it was only thanks to the efforts of the very vocal fans that Chuck was saved and we're now being treated to what looks like a really great new season of the show.

In the six months or so that the show has been gone I've managed to remain relatively spoiler free but these I guess reviews, for lack of a better term, will talk about the show in-depth and be kind of a brain dump of my thoughts on each episode. I hope someone will find some value in them.

So let's jump right into the breakdown of last night's two episodes "Chuck v. the Pink Slip" and "Chuck v. the Three Words."

Spy-World

Overall I didn't think there were any major surprises, beyond the apparent frigid state of things between Chuck and Sarah, so far in terms of how Intersect 2.0 is going to work. We see that Chuck's somewhat clumsy nature and emotions aren't exactly a perfect fit for the Intersect 2.0. As we've been seeing in the previews for months now it is also clear that Chucks feelings for Sarah also have more than a slight effect on Chuck and the intersect. We also get some good examples of how Casey and Sarah will remain relevant, for now, beyond training.

Chuck and Sarah slide down the zip line and into a baddy ambush and in comes Casey mini-gun blazing (Incidentally possibly one of the best Casey moments yet is Mini-Gun Casey I don't think we've ever seen seen John Casey truly happier!). In episode 2 Chuck and the intersect completely own the laser vault only to lean into one of the lasers and set off the alarm. Enter Agent Walker to drop some kick-ass on the baddies and save Chuck's skin once again.

I think there's interesting moment in the Buy More where Chuck has an encounter with Emmet and manages to override the Intersect kicking in, perhaps a glimpse that Chuck isn't totally without the ability to control the intersect. I feel like the implications of this scene cannot be understated they point to something for sure.

As far as The Ring it would seem we have more questions than answers, no surprise there. We know that some kind of device has been recovered, for the first time ever, and that it's function, purpose, whatever is apparently so secret that not even the intersect has high enough clearance to know what it is. We also learn that there is something Beckman apparently feels Team Bartowski needs to know, and it puts them in danger to not know, but her shadowy superior (we don't even know he's that) isn't convinced.

Charah (Chuck & Sarah)

How to even begin? Well we're certainly not in Barstow anymore are we? I'm a huge Charah fan and part of me would have expected to be quite upset at how things have ended up between Chuck and Sarah. I can't say that many of the Chuck Sarah moments didn't feel like a total punch in the gut. However for now I think that the way things ended up will be more interesting, compelling to watch, and hopefully someday if the mess does get cleaned up it'll be much more rewarding.

I think what I like, if that's even possible, about the new circumstances is the complexity, and nuance. The rift between Chuck and Sarah now seems more…adult than the juvenile back and forth jealousy over Bryce Larkin of Seasons 1 and 2.

A large part of me wants to hate Sarah Walker for doing what she's always done and locking her feelings back up and being, as even Casey observed, downright mean to Chuck. Problem is you can't really blame her for it. Since almost the first episode of the show she herself admits that she's never been really good with her feelings. For the better part of two seasons she's run from them out of fear for what they might mean. For the first time she gives into her feelings and emotions for Chuck and doesn't run from them she embraces them. She puts herself out there on a limb everything she's ever known before gone for the chance to be with Chuck and he says no! Not only must she be feeling hurt and betrayed by Chuck but by herself and her own feelings as well. Here she is for the first time embracing her feelings and she gets her heart broken essentially. It's hard to fault her for the emotions of anger that have replaced those of love towards Chuck and as a result we get what I thought was a very powerful sparing scene between them her anger, hurt, raw emotion is palpable and I genuinely believed that she may have wanted to really hurt Chuck there.

Alright so then Chuck is the bad guy for blowing Sarah off and hurting her right? Well it's hard to fault him either because as he eventually explains in episode 2 he was doing what Sarah had been encouraging him to do all along. She was the one who always believed in him who knew he could be a real spy, taught him that there was something bigger than himself out there. His actions and decisions are as a direct result.

So where does all this leave Charah? Well it is very obvious that they were in love I never really questioned that but at least by the end of episode 2 I think that much is finally out there in the open. It is clear Chuck now wants to make it right and still loves Sarah, however it's not as clear whether he'll be able to have his cake and eat it too. Is it too late for Chuck can the damage ever be undone? What of this cardinal rule of spies that they don't fall in love? The whole cardinal rule thing reminds me of Anakin Skywalker frankly…and that didn't go so well. Honestly I'm not sure at this point.

Sarah for her part is obviously still spinning from what happened in Prague. It is obvious that she once loved him but not as obvious that she will love him again. However there are still plenty of signs that all hope might not be lost. We have Karina reminding Sarah that she loves Chuck, and there is her going away present where Sarah finally sees how Chuck really feels. Perhaps the one line that I will cling as hope that Charah might rise from the ashes is a really great exchange between them:

[standing in the courtyard destroyed by the housewarming bender]
Sarah: 's quite a mess we made.
Chuck: Yeah, I'm really hopin' we can clean it up though.
Sarah: Maybe…but you're on your own with the courtyard.

Hopefully by tearing Charah down again in a more mature and intense way if the writers do decide to rebuild the relationship it will be one that can withstand and that's built on the mutual feelings of both sides. One thing is for sure it is going to be a rocky ride and I suspect that the storm is going to get much, much worse before we see any may signs that it is going to break. I believe though, how can you not with moments like that?!

Buymoria

Not a lot happening on the Buy Moria front this week although I suppose the big news is that for the most part the gang's all back together. Chuck, Morgan, and Casey are now back at the Buy More as is Big Mike who we learn has been to business school.

One thing I did like was the housewarming party I think Buy More benders always amusing and comical I wouldn't mind attending one someday. Of course Jeffster trying to score the "medium hot chicks from Underpants Etc." was hilarious. Someday I'd love to see more of "the mall."

Things that are "AWSOME"

- Mini-Gun Casey.

- Spastic colon running joke.

- Charah and Season 1 Episode 1 throwback when Sarah says "Chuck, Don't Freak Out." Wow.

- Morgan and Karina!!! Heck I even bought that her reasons were real in that no one had ever said "No" to her before it fits with her character I'd say.

- Angry Neighbor Casey. Casey with the water hose really never fails!

- Morgan's Benihana tool belt.

- Spy gear suit up montages! It should be obvious why.

- Emmet and Wilson Phillips LOL and he can't get the words right. Hahah!

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