Obsession Time: Chuck

I think we're just gonna have to make this a segment. There are just too many things I have to geek out about.

This week's obsession: Chuck. A magnificent TV show about a computer-nerd-turned-CIA-agent with all the government's secrets downloaded into his brain. Sounds ridiculous? That's because it is. Just ridiculous enough to be hilarious. And charming. And thrilling. And heartwarming.

If you're looking for a show that's fun and exciting, it's got everything you could hope for: spies, forbidden romance, beautiful people, and a buttload of pop culture references for all of my fellow nerds out there. The characters are fleshed out, the writing is goofy yet honest, and the show itself is fully aware of what it is. Sometimes, you have a show that doesn't know what it's trying to be, drama or comedy, and ends up falling short of either. This show successfully achieves both.

Let's start with the show's lead: Zachary Levi as the awkwardly lovable protagonist, Chuck Bartowski. Levi brings the perfect balance of confusion and compassion to the role. He's authentic and adorable, perfectly capturing what I'm sure I would feel if I were thrust into as crazy and dangerous a situation as the ones Chuck continuously finds himself in. Even in the moments where Chuck is scared out of his mind, almost pathetically so, he's still charming! He's witty in a self-deprecating, talking-out-of-his-ass kind of way--and he's smart. A lot smarter than the other government agents would give him credit for. If Levi wasn't at the helm of this ship, you'd have a very different, very weird show.

The plot takes place simultaneously between two worlds: one is a world of elegant, Bond-reminiscent espionage, and the other consists of the shenanigans of a bizarre retail electronics store known as the Buy More. You wouldn't think there'd ever be a way to mesh these two worlds together, but there's a couple of ways the writers manage this. The first is that the stakes at the Buy More are just as high as the spy missions, certainly more-so in the eyes of it's employees. These characters treat every work crisis like it's an international emergency, and the tone in the store is like a satirical take on The Godfather with a lot of talk about legacy and protecting the Buy More brand.

(...okay, admittedly, I've never seen The Godfather, but they definitely reference it on the show!)

The other reason this pairing works so well is, once again, Chuck. His character really lets you experience what it would be like for a normal person to be involved in secret agent drama, and because Chuck has such a big heart, you get this humanizing lens through which to look at the world of spy fiction. What if James Bond had a best friend who was always nosing his way into Bond's love life? You get a sense of that in this show when you find Chuck paired up with his two secret agent handlers: John Casey and Sarah Walker.

First, Casey. A soldier. An assassin. A dedicated gun enthusiast with a serious man-crush on Ronald Reagan. Despite the fact that he seems every bit the cold-hearted murderer they make him out to be in the first few episodes, by the miracle that is Chuck, the Tin-Man grows a heart. Even though John would often rather be tortured by Afghani war-lords than talk about his feelings, Chuck still brings out his sensitive side , and by the end of the series, Casey is one of the most likable and hilarious characters without ever losing the essence of his personality. He so often draws a bad hand, and he takes a lot of nasty hits, but you can always count on him to Hulk-out and push through.

Then there's Sarah. Now, I have to preface this with the fact that many women, including Sarah are sexualized in this show at various times. It's not my favorite thing. But most of these women are also smart, strong, and capable of kicking the ass of every other male character in the series. Sarah is no different, and she often uses her sexuality to her advantage in an effort to destroy horrible people. She's a leading lady who is compassionate without being weak, who is guarded without being inaccessible. She's as deadly as she is fascinating with her complicated past and questionable relationships. (And she and Chuck are, objectively, the cutest!!!)

There are so many other characters that make the show worth watching, but I don't want to give it all away. So, if you're intrigued, good. You should be. It's so much fun. An awesome feel-good show if you're tired of re-watching Parks and Rec or The Office. 10/10 am recommending.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some spy 'ship-ping to do...