VIDEO: AOL on the Set of Chuck (First Interview with Brandon Routh!)

“Move over Beckman, bring in Shaw. He’s taking over Team Chuck.” – Yvonne Strahovski on Brandon Routh’s character

Oh boy, this should get tongues wagging. AOL’s Maggie Furlong visited the set of Chuck and talked to Zachary Levi, who demonstrates is calf-lift technique; Yvonne Strahovski, whose choice of dream guest star is AWESOME; and Brandon Routh, who acknowledges the intricacies of Casey’s grunts. Also, relationship stuff. Brace yourselves.

Reminder: the comment guidelines are there for a reason; play nice, Chucksters!

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96 comments

  1. Oh Boy! Here we go!

    Keep calm, everyone. Repeat after me, “In Ali we trust!”

  2. Loved season 1 & 2, and that ending with Chuck knowing Kung Fu was SO awesome!! More of that please!

    Really excited for Season 3!

  3. OK. OK. I’m saying in my head the following!

    “In Ali we trust!” “In Ali we trust!” “In Ali we trust!”

    I sure hope so!

  4. I’m not influenced by negative spoilers because I don’t care anymore Charah.It has been losing its speciality day by day.Chuck and Sarah can always fall for someone else.Sarah can fall for Devon.It doesn’t surprise me.Chuck will share the same destiny with O.C.Yet,Chuck fans are responsible for this situation.Although fans are upset due to angst stuff,they will watch love trapezoid episodes.

    • Reminding posters to be nice just underscores the arrogance of the people heading up the show. Angst and the tendency of the show to be more like a soap opera than an adventure comedy have caused me to be very apathetic about it’s return. If I watch it at all I will be watching after I record the show–sounds like seasons 1 & 2 with a few more guests and a lot more of the angst I despise. As I said before the comedy and adventure just are not strong enough to overcome the heartache. I am one that will not watch a love trapezoid, it is just too easy to turn the dial. Having a guest for 6 episodes is just too many –The writers ought to explore a lot more storylines that are available–lazy or not creative. Sorry if this conflicts with what you want to hear but it is the way I feel. It will be interesting to see if this post survives.

  5. “tears” im gonna hv to grit my teeth through the love interest episodes. I wonder how both Chuck and Sarh will react with the other hving a love interest, i dunno if they’ll be jealouse b/c they both will be occupied with theier respective love interests. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr y did they have to put angst into it

    • Agreed
      We are just gunna gave to deal with the shaw and hannah episodes till they are over, because we know that after they are done, Chuck and Sarah will be closer than ever before. Thats what i will be thinking of when i watch the episodes. Cant wait till the new season starts. Better be in January!!

      • Well I will watch the show in the beginning then skip all the Shaw Hannah BS the when and if they get back together I will come back. If no Charah relationship then I have no reason to return.

        Watching this love trapezoid is not even close to the show I fell in love with. What a shell of it’s former self. I don’t trust Ali at all. It is called blowing smoke or pandering to the audience. Matter of fact I think when Ali says it will be a great season is because the angst would be so good. Well if your into angst the go for it.

  6. None of this is new to anyone so I don’t understand all the drama and carrying on. Yvonne never said she falls for Shaw, and Brandon only mentioned that after 3 episodes they might explore a relationship outside of work. What kind of relationship isn’t mentioned. Sounds like harmless enough stuff to me. (Although if he’s now “the boss” it would put Shaw in the same position David Letterman was in, wouldn’t it?)
    Those of us who watch the “gestalt” of the show will keep watching. Those who seem to focus with laser precision on a complicated relationship and pin all their hopes on it will preferably not torture themselves and go watch something else. I’m sorry for saying that but it gets very tiring hearing the same complaints from the same people everytime.
    On a lighter note, it tickled me that Zachary felt the Chuck set was alot like Cheers. I loved that show and its spin-off Frasier.

  7. Hahahaha I love how Zachary Levi either doesn’t answer an interviewer’s question, or answers it in such detail that it takes up the whole time slot.

    And for those of you who are scared of the love-interests: Both do leave at some point. Shaw isn’t permanent and Hannah is even less permanent. Will we see the classic, “Don’t hurt him,” line from Sarah? I hope so. And hopefully Chuck isn’t such a pushover about Shaw and Sarah, either. Beefcake showed me there are no limits to emasculating the main/title character, but maybe the Intersect can have a say in that.

  8. I agree there was nothing new really said in this interview. It’s a rehash of the same old vague “love interests” shtick they’ve been peddling since the end of season 2. It’s still not exactly reassuring. When they repeat the same thing it’s pretty hard to not to suspect they might mean exactly what they say. While I don’t watch the show for Charah, Chuck and Sarah are the show’s central characters and as such the relationship between them is of key importance. Show of hands how many people rank “Beefcake” in there top 5.

    The entire body suffers if the heart is ripped out. Not saying that the most chilling nightmares of the Charah focused will come to pass, but if Sarah began a physically and emotionally open relationship with her boss after about a month when she had denied the same to Chuck for 2 years because he was an asset, it kind of sucks the positive vibe out of the show.

  9. how hot is zach!!!

    In this interviews they dont use the words “possible” love interest, they simply use the word ‘love interest’. I cant help but take it as both Shaw and Hannah will be proper love interest lyk lou was to chuck in the first season. As much as i luv chuck it does dissapoint me that they keep chuck and sarah apart.I also get very annoyed with sarah b/c everytym a new hot spy shows up she turns head over heels for that guy but yet when it cums to chuck she says it is “unpporffesional” (btw has any1 noticed how hot and lovable chuck is). I also do get a bit dissapointed when chuck has a luv interest but i understand his point of view, as he continually makes a move for sarah but only gets rejected.

    • “I also get very annoyed with sarah b/c everytym a new hot spy shows up she turns head over heels for that guy”

      This is an exageration, I mean, apart from Brice and Cole, How many other hot spies has she felt attracted to?? None. Sure she had strong feelings for Brice, but he was part of her past so it’s very understandable, no? Cole was just a hot and brave guy she kinda liked, but to say that she fell head over hills for him well, that’s just not true. You can love someone and still find another person sexy and attractive but that doesn’t mean is anything deep, real or lasting.

      Personally, I’m excited for season 3. Why? Well because I think seasons 1 and 2 ROCKED. So my faith is not blind, it’s realistic. Even the worst eps of Chuck are good and entertaining. I liked Beefcake and the Jill trilogy. Not the best eps for sure but fun nonetheless. But that’s me.

      • Well, it would make Sarah 4/5 with the men she works worth with, Casey being the notable exception. Of course, maybe the writers can have Chuck walk in on Sarah and Casey some time during the season and make it 5/5. That would be angsty goodness.

        I think HHIZ’s point was that Sarah often dredges up the dreaded “P” word (professional) regarding her lack of relationship with Chuck. The other one is her ability to protect Chuck. Dating your partner, sucking face with a foreign intelligence agent, and fraternizing with your spy boss wouldn’t qualify as professional, making Sarah’s protestations rather hollow. Sarah’s involvement with Shaw is as egregious an offense as a relationship would Chuck would be. Could the relationship lead her to put Shaw’s life above the Intersect’s safety? Would Shaw’s relationship with Sarah compromise his decision making process, placing the entire team at risk?

      • Nope, it would make Sarah 1.5/4:

        Bryce: they were as in love as she could be at that point, and she was betrayed when Bryce went rogue (or so she believed). As a result she’s erected even more walls around herself and appears to have made a vow not to get involved with anyone she works with again.

        Chuck: a work in progress.

        Cole: she kissed him as part of her cover when they still thought he was the enemy. She may have felt some superficial attraction to him at some point, but during pretty much the entire 2-episode arc all she talked about was Chuck. Even Cole knew she wasn’t into him.

        Casey: Nope.

        I don’t know who you’re counting as number 5.

      • Casey noted in Truth that Sarah had a habit of falling for men she works with. You’re right. There’s only been four. I don’t count Cole and I’m not tracking the notches on Sarah’s bedpost.

        She had feelings for Bryce. That’s 1/1
        She has feelings for Chuck. That’s 2/2
        If she develops feelings for Routh, that’s 3/3
        She doesn’t have feelings for Casey 3/4

        If you add Cole that makes it about 3.5/4.5. She doesn’t really develop significant feelings for him so that’s not a full point, but at a same time they’re only around each other for 2 days so it’s not a full fledged working relationship either.

  10. Relationship-wise, this is nothing new we haven’t heard before. So people freaking out need to calm down.

    However, Beckman being “demoted” from Team Chuck is very interesting. Will Beckman go quietly into the night? Does Shaw have skeletons in his closet that Beckman knows about?

    Also, the video also mentioned that Casey and Shaw will butt heads. Now that will be interesting to watch too.

  11. I wonder y there isnt any interviews with adam baldwin, i wld luv to c that and considering he is 1 of the 3 main characters doesnt it make sense?

    • He probably wasn’t on set at the time the interviewer was there. When Gray visited and nabbed interviews for Chuck vs. the Podcast, Yvonne wasn’t filming so he didn’t get a chance to talk to her.

  12. BR said they were Love Interest not Potential it tears the heart out of the main relationship. The only reason I read spoilers is that I can find out what to do when the season starts. I really do not enjoy love interests away from the main characters. I stopped watching season 2 after Jill turned up and beefcake ratings say I was not the only one. Well at least we know which episodes to avoid they said it was 3 episodes into BR run which means it’s about episode 6. I decided several months ago to read the reviews then watch what I want to watch seems to me I will not enjoy episode 6 onwards. There is always repeats and DVD.

    • Tim i cant help but feel the same way as you. I honestly cant understand y they keep chuck and sarah apart to me it makes no sense, ive seen other succesful shows were the main couple stayed together without any other love interests. And if the majority of the fans hv made so obvious that they want chuck and sarah together i dont understand y they wldnt just keep them together!!!

      • hi jayden

        I do want them together as do the fans that have answered the poll on this website, the fans at comic con, the fans that placed chuck and Sarah 2nd in the recent poll of couples that should get together. I do not mind that they are not together but I mind the love interests. People in love do not do that if they are adults and are really in love and not in lust. I know plenty of times I have turned someone away as i loved someone else. It may happen here but the traumatic things that happen to Sarah and Chuck that was mentioned at Comic Con and Zac saying the door is open to new loves means that the relationship between chuck and sarah is over. It stretches realistic relationship for them to get back together. I understand there is an end game that may make Chuck and Sarah understand how much they feel for one another. But what those that just say its ok suck it up need to understand there are alot of general fans that are the main viewership that do not see the long game they want to watch an enjoyable show and ratings show the love interests is a killer and nearly got the show cancelled. So I really will just read reviews and decide which episodes to watch and I will not be the only one. I owe this show no loyalty it has shown me none. Poking fun at the fan base is not wise given it was nearly finished last season.

      • Tim, it’s certainly your prerogative to skip episodes you’ve decided you aren’t going to like as whole because one part isn’t how you want it to be, but I do want to point out that Routh said that they “start to explore a relationship outside of work,” not that they become involved. Why? Well, we’ll have to wait and see what the context is before we start judging either of them. How far will it go? Sarah is a series regular, Shaw is in a handful of episodes, so that already puts a limit on it.

        I’m not one to go around chanting “in the writers/Ali we trust”, but it does seem silly to get all worked up about something we won’t see for several months, don’t know the context of, and can’t change anyway.

      • Hi Mel

        It’s all assumptions at present but to my mind what people are saying is quite right Sarah is starting to look pretty bad. IF she goes off with Shaw and its sounds like she will be “exploring a relationship outside of work” sounds like boyfriend and girlfriend. I do not care why they do it that means nothing to me. Maybe it’s due to Chuck becoming an arrogant agent guy that makes Shaw look great. It may not be but all the evidence from Zac saying the door is open for romantic relationships sounds like they will all date other people. Maybe people that say it will be ok maybe correct but who knows. All we can do is respond to what we know; it is fine to say if we do not like something. I do agree that chuck and Sarah’s relationship is not the only things in the show but it’s not pleasant to see them go off with other people. Casey is brilliant. Really I am not getting worked up; I will not watch Shaw’s and Sarah date or chuck and Hannah I and many others are just not interested in that. As I said I will read what happens in those episodes then pick them up if I like what I read. The story is such that missing an episode here and there makes no difference.

      • Tim–I plan on pretty much doing what you said you intend to do–Angst generation is completely up to F&S and I will be selective in what episodes I watch. The journey sounds painful and I plan on getting on and off the bus at different times during season 3 unless it gets really bad.—F&S have decided this is the way they want to tell the story – The cast and writers of course know how the storyline will end, however that may blind them to the feelings of those of us that do not know and despise the angst. To me it damages all aspects of the show not just the romance.

  13. Hm, I don’t know, whether I like the idea of Chuck and Sarah having other relationships, but I think, if they would have a solid relationship one of the most interesting parts of the show would get lost.

  14. Calm down people. We all know they’ll get together…eventully. However, the only thing we need to worry is if CHUCK will around long enough for us to see them together. Suffer through the Hannah and Shaw eps people so we can get another season. I thought since the first season of CHUCK that the fourth season would be the one they get together. So deal with it people. There more to this show then them.

    • hi chuck fan

      for some thats fine but many as we know did not watch the beefcake thread thats one reason why the show was nearly cancelled. There is some really good points in the NBC angst thread which i always go for great debate. Season 1 was great, that was the season where the other parts of the show ruled as you mention and there was few angst other than Bryce but it was not real. Everything we are hearing points to this being real. Season 2 was ok i cherry picked some of the episodes and Season 3 i will do the same. It does seem that the show has hit self destruct given it needs viewers. Most general fans will just switch over if they do not see something they like. If you stop caring or having any sympathy for the main characters then people will not care if we get a season 4 or not which is a shame its another great show that started well that dies off second or third season. They are going to need those extra episodes to repair the damage they do to the characters in having relationships in front of one another. In real life you never forgive or forget and you do not stay in love long or friends for that matter when you see your so called love go off with someone. This is going to be a very difficult season for fans and I think for the show as its make or break and I think alot of fans just think I will not watch the shaw with sarah and chuck with hannah.

      all the best

      • “for some thats fine but many as we know did not watch the beefcake thread thats one reason why the show was nearly cancelled.”

        So you’re saying that the show was nearly cancelled BECAUSE most people, including hardcore fans and general fans, didn’t like the eps where Chuck and Sarah are with other people?? That’s a Big assumption. It could be just that general audiences don’t find the show about a nerd with a computer on his head all that interesting, or maybe the show hasn’t been promoted properly, or they might like it but prefer to watch House, who knows??

        I just find it arrogant that a lot of fans on the Chuck boards assume that most people watch the show mainly for the Chuck/Sarah relationship. Personally, as much as like them, I like other things in the show just as much. Here is hoping the showrunners deliver a great season 3. I’m very hopeful.

      • So you are going to skip some episodes all because one piece of the show is not going the way you want it. Thats pretty low. True chuck fans will watch no matter what. There are great story lines involved as well as amazing actors and actresses. And the comedy is pretty good also. I think most chuck fans will watch even though it might be a little disappointing at times, but the ending of the episodes will be great once Sarah and Chuck realize they love each other. I hope that Chuck can draw in some more viewers, i know i have gotten about 8 or so poeple hooked since season 2 finale, and there will be a season 4. Come on January(I hope)

      • Chuckaholic

        sorry but that kind of personal attack is not very nice there is alot of people saying the same thing we will watch the things we wish to watch not the things we do not. I think it is personally offensive to say i am low for that and its inappropriate behaviour. I am a fan a general viewer but I will not wish to waste my time on things I do not wish to see.

      • Why is it the “we love chuck no matter what” brigade personally bully and attack people who post something they do not like. I have seen this so many times.

      • Im sry if u thought that was a personal attack, that wasnt what i was getting to at all. I mean u said it yourself chuck is a great show and to keep this great show on we need fans to watch all the episodes. i guess thats what i was getting at, why u would call it a great show but then not watch some of the episodes. i dont know, it just struck me the wrong way i guess. i wasnt trying to be a bully. sry if it came out that way.

      • Doesn’t make sense now does it? I for one know one thing. I going to keep on watchin Chuck because its well awesome.

      • You make some pretty big assumptions without back it up.

        “but many as we know did not watch the beefcake thread thats one reason why the show was nearly cancelled”

        Now that’s just plain dumb. So you’re blaming “Beffcake” for Chuck getting nearly canceled? How about something to back that up? Here are some things to back up a more LOGICAL argument.

        Go to TVByTheNumbers or check out the ratings for Chuck episode by episode on Wikipedia. It’s very obvious what happen to Chuck’s ratings when HOUSE was moved opposite of CHUCK. The week before HOUSE premiered opposite of CHUCK, Chuck got 6.6 million and 2.4 in the demos. The week HOUSE premiered, CHUCK got 5.8 million and 2.1 in the demos. Now, if “so many people” hated Beefcake, then why did Chuck GROW in viewership the following weeks (5.8 to 6.1 million)?

        Don’t forget about the “LENO effect”. It is widely noted that without Leno, Chuck (and MNIE, Medium) would have been saved virtually guaranteed another season. But with LENO taking away 5 hours, that reduced the spots for scripted shows. And luckily, Chuck was saved, the other 2 were not (Medium moved to CBS).

        “They are going to need those extra episodes to repair the damage they do to the characters in having relationships in front of one another.”

        What damage? You’re making an assumption and stating it as fact. You have not seen the episodes yet and already you made up your mind about the characters already. That IS sad. Stop flaming the characters until you watch the episodes.

      • See, I disagree completely. I think this season is going to be a blast with all the Intersect 2.0 stuff, Chuck training to be a spy, continuing his hero’s journey, and The Ring becoming more of a threat. The Chuck/Sarah relationship is fun to watch develop, but it’s low on my list of reasons to watch Chuck. I’m even more interested in Casey’s and Sarah’s respective backstories than I am the romance, although it is sweet to see them together.

      • “See, I disagree completely. I think this season is going to be a blast with all the Intersect 2.0 stuff, Chuck training to be a spy, continuing his hero’s journey, and The Ring becoming more of a threat. The Chuck/Sarah relationship is fun to watch develop, but it’s low on my list of reasons to watch Chuck. I’m even more interested in Casey’s and Sarah’s respective backstories than I am the romance, although it is sweet to see them together.”

        AGREED, Mel!

      • I second that!!

      • I with u Mel. Wonderful comment. 🙂

  15. Love interests for Sarah and Chuck. Well, I guess we are not supposed to remember the last episodes of season 2. Sarah refused her assignment in order to be with Chuck, and he declared outright that he loves Sarah. How can people respect the heroes when they are this flaky? Seriously. If either’s eye can stray to another, then the character that’s been built up for both leads is pretty much destroyed.

    As for what ‘stargazer’ said in this comments column, ” I just find it arrogant that a lot of fans on the Chuck boards assume that most people watch the show mainly for the Chuck/Sarah relationship.” If people aren’t drawn to the heroes to the point of tuning in, then why do the producers insist on meddling with their relationship to keep them apart. The show runners have put the focus on Chuck and Sarah. They’re the heart of the show. Without them, this is kind of a cheesy comedy/action show.

    But the producers are showing a lack of imagination in continuing the meddle with Chuck and Sarah. This is not a soap opera, be more inventive.

    • oh so correct DN.
      We can only hope, that this LI stuff is for appearances sake…

    • Hi DN

      To true DN. As as I said this will be a difficult season. As someone said it looks more and more like the OC. We all know how that went. Really you begin to think of the characters as nothing but shallow. There has been some debate that sarah and chuck will actually be the biggest cheerleaders to the new lover interest for one another. Which would completely destroy their characters and any liking you could have for them. I do hope not its really just then the end of any kind of love story between those two they are the heart of the show. But as I and others have said I will read the spoilers and episode summaries and then decide if i wish to watch. I have no doudt from the feedback i am not the only one. I guess thats the only way we can register our displeasure.

      • Tim there are a lot of people that agree with your position, I am one of many and if people disagree that is fine it is a free country and the markets will dictate what happens. I think I will be skipping several episodes this season. It really does not matter what other people think, it is only a television show and it is my decision. If the Medium star (Arquette?) had agreed to 13 episodes instead of staying with the 22 she had contracted, I doubt Chuck would have a third season. Chuck has great potential but it will never come close to that potential with an anchor of angst around its neck. F&S could easily increase viewership if they would open their ears to the fans (purely my opinion). I think they will have to save the show in the last 6 episodes -or not.

      • hi Larry1234

        With you there in every way.

    • Hi Dn
      i totally agrre with your comments. If these to keep running into the arms of other people it makes there character very superficial. I also agree with hhiz(gr8 name by the way,lol) comments that sarah’s excuse to not be with chuck is very flawed. Ever since the beefcake episode i hv kind of lost some respect for sarah’s charecter, as all it takes for her to turn her back on chuck is some handsome guy. If this happens in season 3 im going to be very dissapointed with the writers.

      • You may want to watch the episodes again. You said you lost respect to Sarah’s character, why? You didn’t provide a logical reason why.

        Answer these questions for me:

        1. Did Sarah go off with Bryce in “vs. The Nemesis?”

        2. Did Sarah go off with Cole “vs. the Lethal Weapon?”

        3. Did Sarah go off with Bryce in the season 2 finale?

        Every single time she chose Chuck, not Bryce or Cole. Did you forget that little nugget of info? When has Sarah ever turned her back to Chuck?

      • well, if you really insist ;
        1.Sarah did eventually stayed in the beginning of “Crown Vic”, but IMO it was more a matter of duty and professionalism(her job was to protect the Intersect)than her feelings for Chuck, Nemesis has clearly demonstrated that at the moment Bryce was higher up…maybe in hindsight she could say , she knew he wasn’t the right guy…but not at that moment.
        2.Let’s not even speak about those two episodes, the end outcome is not the only factor…the road to there is as important as the final lot, and in that test she failed(the kiss with Cole, for instance), the same way Chuck had failed with Jill.
        3.She didn’t went with Bryce, but she had to put the whole system in excruciating pain with her ‘leaving in the morning’, telling Chuck he is a ‘hero’, and waiting too late to tell him how she feels and what happened… the moron downloaded the Intersect 2.0 and ruined their chance of a life together(at least now).
        So, let’s be precise.

      • just to be clear, I was answering Buymoriaking.

      • “the moron downloaded the Intersect 2.0”?!?! So Chuck is a moron for embracing his destiny? That is precisely what the main storyline is, not Chuck and Sarah finding love. All through seasons 1 & 2 Chuck thought he was a regular guy that had the bad luck to have the intersect happen to him. What he realized in the Ring was that he really is a hero and that the intersect coming to him was fate, even though his father tried his best to save him from it. That is what Chuck was thinking about as he placed his hand on the activate button.

      • Exactly how is Chuck a “moron” for downloading Intersect 2.0? Eowyn made a great post about that.

        Is it because he’s a “moron” that, according to you, he’s ruined his chances with Sarah? Where exactly did you get that idea from? Even from all the spoilers, not one of them has said that their relationship is ruined. Care to show me where it said that Chuck and Sarah are doomed?

        So, as you say, “lets be precise”. You’re making an assumption and stating it as fact.

      • All im saying is that in the beefcake episode when she kissed cole at the end i lossed sum respect for her, thats my opinion, these comments are hear so that pplz can express there opinions right?

      • to buymoriaking

        in ‘vs. The Nemesis’ sarah clearly chose bryce over chuck and i believe the only reason she stayed behind was that it was her job to stay and protect the asset. But b/c she had a past relationship with him its understandable

        in ‘vs. the Lethal Weapon’ she did choose to stay with chuck, but in the beefcake episode she kissed him at the end.

        In the season finale she did choose to stay with chuck at the end. But if fulcrum hadnt showed up and forced the second wedding i doubt she wld hv.

        All in all i don’t mind sarah’s character but it is b/c of various reason i hv lost some respect for

      • Yes, you are welcome to express your opinion within the comment guidelines. We’re glad you’ve joined the discussion here and hope to hear more from you on other topics in addition to Charah.

      • Yes but leaving with the guys cannot be the only criteria. They were upset because she had some kind of romance with her love interests. Bryce is her former lover, Cole she was attracted to and kissed him outside of the mission, Shaw has yet to be determined what explore the relationship outside of work means. It is silly to say but Sarah never left. Well as long as Yvonne wants a job Sarah is going to stay.

        is their perogative if they do not want to watch Sarah kiss other guys. You could easily watch Lethal Weapon by skipping Beefcake and save yourself a lot of angst.

        Would you rather have them skip the Shaw and Hannah arcs because they get so upset with Chuck and Sarah kissing other people or would you rather have them quit the show entirely.

        Everyone has their own angst threshold. Romance with other people seems to turn people off and it is their right to not watch. They shouldn’t be judged for it.

        We shouldn’t critizie the fans who love the Chuck and Sarah love story. It is the heart of the show and they love the show for it. Since when did we as Chuck fans start labeling fans for their viewpoints.

        If the showerunners want to ruffle the relationship feathers they have to realize that they will lose some fans for those episodes. No one should be strong-armed into watching something they don’t enjoy.

        I would rather have them skip 3 episodes rather than quit the show.

      • very true Rich, except ‘we’ in that context is a mistake…
        Since most CHUCK viewers love the Chuck and Sarah love story, and quite a big number of them see this as the main theme of the show.

      • Rich

        thank you i am shocked at the personal comments directed at some of us its bullying at the worst degree your post is a breath of fresh air. We that complain about this are called dumb, low i am seeing them hounded such as jayden and myself.

        Those that have posted about this and there are alot have not got personal against anyone in this list. Many of us have said its assumption we are going on the evidence we so far have. This is what this is for as jayden said to discuss it and eress opinions.

    • Of course we’re all drawn to the main characters, but there are not just two and we are all not personally invested in those two getting together. I wish to see Chuck grow as a hero and as a human being. That has been the show I’ve been watching for two years.
      I don’t know what your definition of cheesy is, but Chuck is a clever comedy and an action show that has won awards for its stunt sequences. It also has the science fiction angle and the nostalgia thrown in for those of us who remember the 80s personally (who me?)
      I think you are supposed to remember the last episodes of season 2. That is how you will remember that having an interest might be only that, an interest, not a love affair or an improper relationship with one’s boss.

    • “If people aren’t drawn to the heroes to the point of tuning in, then why do the producers insist on meddling with their relationship to keep them apart. The show runners have put the focus on Chuck and Sarah. They’re the heart of the show. Without them, this is kind of a cheesy comedy/action show.”

      Personally, I think they rushed the C/S relationship. So, I don’t mind if the writers/producers keep them apart some more. But it depends how they do it. So far it has worked, IMO. Some angst/tension between them is necessary because it keeps the story going. Once they get together/get married a lot of the tension is gone and general viewers might loose interst. It has happened before in other show like “Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman” for instance.

      Also, let’s remember that our heroes are really NOT normal people like us. They are warriors who sacrify so much of their lives/time for the grater good. Plus Chuck is now becoming a real superhero/super spy like noone before him. He has to learn to control this new Intersec and to find a balance in his life, which includes Sarah, the woman he loves. The problem is Sarah is not happy about his decision of becoming The One. 😀 This will bring some good amount of angst, and I can’t wait for it! 😉

      • ^sorry I meant ‘sacrifice’.

        Also, not all cheese is bad. Lots of it in very entertaining and successful movies and shows. I think the cheese in this show is fantastic actually.

  16. Instead of dwelling on negatives, why not dwell on the positives. I think the turmoil the Shaw character will create in Team Bartowski will be very interesting. Especially the Shaw/Casey dynamic.
    I don’t think the Shaw/Sarah relationship or the Chuck/Hannah relationship will amount to very much and will be resolved quickly. Just because Shaw is around for 6 episodes doesn’t mean that he and Sarah will be sucking face for 6 episodes.
    There could be some mutual attraction between Chuck/Hannah and Shaw/Sarah but I think both Chuck and Sarah will pull back before either relationship gets very serious. Who knows, maybe Casey will set them both straight.
    Let’s think of the phrase that Yvonne used in the televisionary interview with respect to love triangles: “There will be a little bit of that”. Emphasis on the “little bit”.
    I was over on the NBC boards and the “Angst Vs True Lies” thread has gone nuts.
    I think some fans are working themselves into a frenzy over a minor diversion in the Chuck/Sarah love story.

    • Hi Gord

      Yeah its got busy today on the NBC angst thread. I hope you are right as i do not wish to miss to many episodes of chuck season 3. It the damage that is done to the characters that worries me to all this.

  17. From: @Charah673
    Sent: Nov 7, 2009 6:28p

    @AliAdler Well I have complete faith that Season 3 is going to be the best yet. While a very few are worried, I am not. We love you Ali!

    From: @AliAdler
    Sent: Nov 7, 2009 6:35p

    @Charah673 So excited about #chuck S3 too! The doubters will see… Or maybe not, and never know & have a hollow feeling inside forever.

    • Halley Smith

      Thanks for that it may help us all. We have to take it on face value and we are all seeing the worst case scenario and actually its going to be ok. Ali always struck me as someone that is sensible enough not to smoke screen. So maybe its not going to be as bad as we think? I hope we will get a pleasant surprise.

      • Just remember that Ali has been saying this all along. She made a similar tweet a couple of weeks back. Ali, along with most of the writers, already know the direction of the show for this season. And basing things of the most recent podcast, it seems like, at this moment and until we hear otherwise, the 6 extra episodes will be another arc. So the original 13 episodes, Ali and Team Chuck know which direction to take the show.

    • I like Ali’s response. I hope she is referring to Charah as well and not just the show in general.

      Because we all know the show will rock we just want to enjoy the realtionship as well.

      • It is Ali’s job -what did you expect her to say–she has zero credibility, that is not a knock on her personally it is the real world of employment–if I skip an episode or two and missed something I can always see it later.–I am not condemning all the episodes until I see what they have to offer–I will at least wait until season 3 starts–I do anticipate that I will be skipping several. I think some associated with the show put their foot in their mouths and are now being considerably more careful in what they say. If enough people skip episodes and it hurts ratings it is the fault of F&S not the viewers.

  18. Where’s Casey?We don’t see him here.I love him=)

  19. To buymoriaking,I wasn’t even talking about the spoilers – just the plot as it evolved from the reasonable ending of “The Colonel” versus the bad and stupid premise of “The Ring”…
    I meant he ruined his chances at that moment…not forever.
    Obviously, since this is American TV, Chuck and Sarah will end up together.
    But Chuck downloading the Intersect 2.0 (regarding his reasons for doing so, there are a lot of differing ideas and reasons for that which I’ll not mention now, it’s for another discussion) took him and Sarah back to asset/handler position which again derails their relationship(because the producers and writers can’t think of anything creative to put them together).
    Of course that in hindsight, one might say that if he wouldn’t have downloaded it, him Sarah and Casey would have probably died, granted that, however…If Sarah were to tell him earlier how she felt, and that she wants to stay with him(apparently), they wouldn’t have gone to that building in the first place, and probably start a real relationship, that’s all.

    Alex

    • The producers and writers have been saying that they had this ending planned all along. They knew that sooner or later Chuck needed to make the intersect a choice rather than a burden. It was a logical progression to further Chuck’s character, not an afterthought meant to keep Sarah and Chuck apart artificially.
      The moment when Chuck shows Casey and Sarah the gauntlet on his arm and insists on going with them “I’m a Bartowski” is when Chuck demonstrates hi changed outlook. I’m not saying Sarah had nothing to do with it, but I’m saying even if she had told him she was staying, All three of them still would’ve gone into the building to save Bryce and stop Fulcrum.

      • “The producers and writers have been saying that they had this ending planned all along. ” – They may have been saying that, but that is simply not true…They made so many changes that season, first by adding stuff they planned for season 1 and couldn’t(because of the writer’s strike) and then by expanding the background, as the season approached it’s end, there was no immediate pick-up for S3 and because of that they had to cram “3 seasons” worth of material into that remaining time, which includes the ending as well.
        We have seen footage of a completely different wedding, and heard of a different ending way before that contrived “Ring” stuff started circulating around, so it’s one thing to say they made that(poor) choice of a Finale because they tried to commit the network with a cliffhanger that had to be resolved somehow(instead of a perfect finish like “The Colonel, sans the last minute)and it’s quite another thing to say they had it all planned up, their separation attitude towards Chuck and Sarah during the two seasons run proves quite clearly that keeping them apart is a high production priority, and if you look at Schwartz’s other shows that motif is a rehashed shtick.

        Alex

      • “they had to cram “3 seasons” worth of material into that remaining time, which includes the ending as well.”

        Right, meaning they had this ending planned all along. The timing may have been different than originally mapped out, and they had to leave out some elements that were originally planned that would have required a few more episodes to deal with, but Chuck choosing to becoming the Intersect/a spy was the original game plan.

        What footage from another wedding? And what other ending (from reliable sources, please)? I read most of the scripts from season 2 and while some things were changed/rewritten before production, I don’t recall either of those things.

      • I may actually have it(the material) on my HD, I’ll check and e-mail it to you….
        anyway it was leaked in Strahotski.com and other reliable sites, the same ones this site get his info from

      • You know I’m a “she”, right? 😉 Liz and I (co-owners of the site) are both female. I’ve never seen “leaked footage” of the wedding, and what we saw in the episode (wedding-wise) is exactly what I read in the script before the episode went into production.

      • I said hisd regarding the site, not it’s owners…lol
        I know you and Liz are women…(duh..).
        As I said, it’s been a while but I’ll check my extensive Hard-Disk to see if I saved the material, after all is has been more then half a year since these issue were relevant.

      • I think he is referring the deleted scene where she destroys the bouquet instead of catching it. If they filmed the scene for a reason but decided not to use it. Glad they didn’t because it would have never fit into any storyline that ended well.

      • this scene is but a fraction of what was planned(not necessarily filmed) and changed because the producers ‘had’ to
        change their concept in order to compress it all to make the it to the season’s end.
        Actually, it’s not a good example since I disliked that scene…it was weird and served no purpose.

  20. ” but Chuck choosing to becoming the Intersect/a spy was the original game plan.”

    And thank God about that. I mean, the C/S relatioship is nice and all, BUT I’m here to watch a hero’s journey, not just the story of his love life.

    So yeah, I’m so glad Chuck chose to be that hero, and boy does the world need heroes. I’m so glad he realized that he is a really special and gifted individual; he so far is the ONLY person capable of living with ‘The Intersect’ in his head. I’m sure there is a reason for that. He is The One. This show is about him, that’s why is called “Chuck”.

    • “not just the story of his love life.”…what love life, he has none…lol
      Well, barring Jill(-big mistake-).
      And though I don’t want to get dragged to off-topic…ing again(besides what I told Mel, that is), I have to say that while you are not interested in his proverbial ‘love life’, for me and many others(and I say that only because I spoke with those others…lol)the main interest of the show is the Chuck – Sarah relationship(I’m avoiding the word ‘Charah’ , so whiners won’t call me ‘crazy shipper’),THAT is what keeps me(and them…lol) hooked and emotionally invested in CHUCK, so the comedy is nice, the action is fun and the drama is good(as long is it doesn’t turn to cheap angst)…but all those things are secondary,tertiary and what not and I can’t enjoy them while my primary interest is being abused.
      Also, I see the hero’s journey as merely a facet of the whole show.
      That’s it, I’m not going to repeat this any longer or to deal with the subject…we’ve been off-topic enough.

      Alex

      • Alex, can you see though that just because the people YOU’VE talked to think the relationship is the main interest of the show doesn’t mean that it IS? I certainly don’t think it is, and I’m one of the show’s biggest fans, otherwise I wouldn’t invest so many hours and dollars into this site. Granted, it’s about perception, but that means every viewer has their own idea of what the show is about, while it’s the writers/show runners who actually know and it would seem to me, based on the title of the show, that it’s about Chuck. Yes, I want to see Chuck and Sarah together eventually, but that’s less important to me than seeing Chuck become the hero I think he is destined to be. There’s a reason the show is called CHUCK, not CHARAH or THE MANY LOVES OF CHUCK or CASEY GRUNTS AT CHUCK ABOUT SARAH. The clue is in the title, my friend, the show is about CHUCK.

      • You dragged me back into this, just remember that…lol
        It’s nice that you verbally indicated that the show is named after it’s hero, how very observing.
        No really, do you think that because “FarScape” was called after John Crichton’s module, it means that the show should mainly revolve around the Fly craft itself, instead of Crichton and Aeryn, or Moya’s gang or the Sebaceans and Scarrans cosmic struggle ? obviously not.
        The same applies to CHUCK, it doesn’t have to be called “The Chuck and Sarah Chronicles” in order for the Charah to stand above anything else and be the heart and the center of the show.
        And I didn’t say that just because me and mine think and feel it(the C/S relationship) to be the zenith of the show it is as such, just like the fact that you and others in this site claim the opposite does not make it the gospel truth.
        I ‘signed on’ to this show in the beginning to see action,comedy and a
        pretty blond, but pretty fast I got connected to CHUCK for two themes,
        one being ‘The nerd gets the girl’ and the other being was the everyday man forced to face challenges he never sought or was prepared for.
        Hero’s journeys are a dime a dozen in a lot of shows, this is not what
        I eagerly waiting for, a show that can bring her leads together and write smart and intelligent stories who preserve the tension without
        unnecessary angst, and has the guts to cut traditional ‘couples’ crap
        while still maintaining interesting plot-lines, is what I hoped CHUCK will be.

        Alex

  21. I feel like some people here don’t understand how to plot a piece of fiction. You NEED to take a step backwards in order to take two steps forward… that’s just the way it works. Setbacks in a character’s goals and desires, and his/her struggle to overcome these setbacks are what give the story tension and conflict. A straight ride to the top is boring. That is true of the over-arching story as a whole, the various subplots (of which the Chuck/Sarah relationship is one), and also the story within a single episode. If the writers know their business –and I have every reason to believe they do– the end result will be more satisfying than if things had gone more smoothly for the characters.

    • That is if we get to the end. Also why does getting Charah together have to be the end game. If it was then this show is not about Chuck alone. Chuck becomming the hero would be the end game. Yet everyone is waiting for the central theme of getting Charah together in the end.

      A hero cannot have a realationship with his love, we must end the show.
      Someone please tell me why this has to be the last thing that happens. Are they that afraid to write them as a couple. This is not a movie where they have their kiss at the end and roll credits. So how about the end is after they both have dated for a while they get married and Sarah get pregnant or something. If this show is about family then they can go that way also.

      If they are so scared of giving us the relationship then I feel that the producers themselves make it all about that.

      Break the mold on the will they won’t they and let them grow as a couple. They will have tension they are spies afterall but stop with the backsliding on the relationship.

      • I think Chuck and Sarah getting together could be the start of enhancing the comedy, adventure and the ratings. My concern is if this is not as important to Mel, and she seems to know more about the writers direction than any of us, it sounds to me watching the show is going to be an exercise in futility for those of us who have the romance #1 as our reason for watching. If that is the case let us know so we will not waste our time.

      • My preferences are my preferences, not the writers’, which I happen to accept since they’re the ones with the talent to write it and I’m not. I enjoy almost everything they put on screen, including the romance (I’m a fan of British drama, which should explain a lot about why the prolonged, restrained arc of this romance appeals to me), it’s just not my top priority. My favorite episodes are when we’re deep in the spy world and Intersect mythology. When some romance is mixed in with that, even better, but it’s not the only reason I watch.

        Larry, you’ve stated over and over that you have no confidence or even real desire to watch season 3. Not sure why you’re still over here commenting if you don’t think you’ll be interested, but rest assured, we get your point.

  22. Ok. I Get everybody’s point of the view, but i’m personally going to wait for season 3 to begin; lets not start judging so early it’s just bad for our chuck-souls! LOL!

  23. Brandon Routh bores me sooooooo much he is probably like a Cole barker of season 3 and Kristen Kreuk is like the lou!!i realllllllly cant wait!!! at least in my country they are still on 2×09 so that will keep me till season 3 !!!! i am hoping for January !!!!!!

  24. I cannot WAIT to see more Chuck, I thought for sure it was canned. BRING ON THE NEW INTERSECT!

  25. Hi All:

    It is interesting to hear all the comments about the Chuck and Sarah relationship. I often hear people say that “two adults would not act like Chuck and Sarah.” Actually, I agree, but I don’t consider Chuck and Sarah adults, emotionally.

    If you look at their back stories, it is easy to conclude for both characters that they did not have the “normal” upbringing that most people have. So when you state adults would not act in this manner, I don’t think Chuck and Sarah fall into that category.

    So far, after Stanford, Chuck appeared to not have been in any deep relationships before he met Sarah. He stated in Season 1-episode 2 to Sarah that, “this is the best SECOND date that I have had in years.” Hearing that comment seem to conclude that the five years between Stanford and meeting Sarah that he had very little experience with relationships and women. Dealing with relationships, like anything, require experience and it appears that Chuck really doesn’t have that much experience with how to interact with women.
    Also, his interaction with Jill could leave many men broken. Chuck believed that his girlfriend dumped him and slept with his best friend in college? I think it would take a while for most men to get over that event.

    Sarah, actually, I think is even a more extreme example where it appeared throughout her whole life, before the C.I.A., she had very little interaction with people. She was often traveling from town to town very seldom getting to interact with young men and have even any friendships. Even her relationship with Bryce Larkin seemed based more on physical satisfaction than emotional depth. She believed that Bryce betrayed her which did not help her development. Also, when you consider the type of father she had, it is very easy to be very nontrusting of people. I am amazed she is relatively “normal” after all her experiences in life. Obviously, all these events contributed to her detachment and having trouble opening up and trusting people.

    So, when you see this “back and forth” nature of their relationship, I don’t think it is unrealistic when you consider the two characters. People say they act as teenagers, but emotionally they really are. They haven’t experienced the normal development that adults have to have healthy relationships. I think it will take a long time before they both develop the emotional experience and depth to deal with each other as adults. I think that is why the writers and directors portray them in the teenage manner.

    • “I think it will take a long time before they both develop the emotional experience and depth to deal with each other as adults.”

      Really…what’s your definition of a long time, Pat? another season or two, because by then there will only be a handful of people watching the show…
      and now regarding your theory, I do agree that both of them are damaged, emotionally…Sarah much more than Chuck, but I think that calling them teenagers(even emotionally) is really extreme and somewhat insulting.
      The only reason that the creators are portraying them in that manner(sometimes, and every time it’s displayed it throws you right out of the fluency of the episode) is that this is the only way Schwartz knows how to portray relationships; O.C and Gossip girl style, nothing mature.
      and so it always come back to this, in spite of the writers best wishes.

      • Good comment Pat. Though I doubt it will take 2 or more seasons for them to get together. I know they won’t be together at the beginning of this season but maybe by the end if not the beggining of the fourth season. Which then brings us to my other point that you Chara lovers out there need to watch all the eps of S3, even the Shaw and Hannah ones ’cause if you don’t, we won’t be able to see them get together for there won’t be a fourth season. We also won’t have our beloved Casey, nerd herders and buy morons anymore if we dont have faith and keep on watching. There will not longer be a show called “chuck” that is filled with heart, action, suspense, and drama. This show is just to damn good to let get canceled. Have faith people in the writers. They havn’t let us down yet. S3 is going to be AWESOME and you all know it. I don’t want the one show that my entire family can watch. The one show that gets all warm and fuzzy inside and puts a smile on our face everytime we think about it to end. I want more Chuck. I want more Buy More. I want more spy action and spy humor. I want to see Chuck try and become a spy while still being the same goofball that we have all come to love. And I want the show to come to a rightful conclusion in which all the characters are happy, Chuck and Sarah are together, Casey gots some love, and Chuck is a bloody hero. So please, have faith. These spoilers are misleading and meant to get us fired up or in this case piss us off, but that does not mean they are the definate truth of what is going to happen during the third season of Chuck. Keep on Chuckin people and you will be rewarded with laughter, dazzling stunts and effects, great acting, and a love that can last a life time as well as drive us crazy at times, at least once a week, every Monday at 8pm, beginning March 1st. Now that something worth looking forward too. 🙂 Be AWESOME PEOPLE!!!!

  26. CHUCK DIEHARD FANS

    If true they keep chuck and sarah apart and they have lusting love affair with thier respective love interest, season 3 will be the last season for chuck. We would not support chuck anymore. The scence potray sarah like a cheap girl, easily fall into men’s arm and bed. For chuck, he will lost is innocent and nerd character.