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(Its Not Will They, Won’t They? Its They Will, Won’t They!)
Of Journeys Versus Destinations, Work Environments, and Relationship Geometries
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Part I
(The views express in this article are those of the author and do not reflect those of the universe. (On this topic that is a certainty.))
Forums and blogs are great sources for mining material for that next article. With the start of Season 3 it has become clear there is a new dread on the horizon. The return of Potential Love Interests(PLIs) in the form of Hannah for Chuck and Shaw for Sarah. Maybe even vice-versa! (PS – that is a joke.)
There is a collective expression of why do we have to go through this again? The show has already done this in each of the previous two seasons. What possible benefit could there be to recycling the PLI story device? Again? Why do we need all these relationship trapezoids or triangles or whatever? Why can’t the show just put Chuck and Sarah together already?
Let us start with the, ‘Why are Chuck and Sarah not together yet?’ issue. This is a divisive topic. For the ‘Together Now’ camp the prevailing attitude is that anyone towing the party line – the party in question being Josh Schwartz and Chris Fedak – are mouthpieces for the show. If someone states that they enjoy or have no issue with the, ‘Will they, won’t they?’ setup it is a token that anything the show does is fine by them. This line of thought does not bear up under even the modicum of scrutiny for it only takes a few minutes of forum browsing to see that such fans invariably have issues with other aspects of the show.
What it boils down to is a journey versus destination viewpoint. Some people enjoy the process of going from the start and seeing how the events along the way forge the path that leads to the end. Others are focused on the destination. In the case of Chuck and Sarah there is the additional argument that Chuck and Sarah being together is not the destination. It is merely a way stop onto the real story that many want to see; Chuck and Sarah working together as a team, in synch, on personal and professional levels.
Chuck and Sarah working as a team, supporting each other, and conquering all challenges is a powerful and romantic concept indeed. Except for one major issue. The characters as they exist now are not capable of successfully juggling those two sides of their lives.
Yet.
There is a journey needed to get them there. The journey the show is currently in the process of dramatizing. The spark for this article came from a blog post over at ChuckThis written by Ernie Davis entitled, ‘Geometry 101: Enough with the polygons. How about two points connected by a straight line?’
In his article Ernie asks the fair question of why polyshaped relationship constructions, or PLIs at all, are still needed going into Season 3? Good article and highly recommend you take the time to read it and leave Ernie feedback. Also bookmark ChuckThis as a regular site to visit as they have an articulate stable of fans that are compelled, like so many of us, to put down their thoughts about Chuck and discuss them.
The straight line paradigm of putting Chuck and Sarah together caught my eye because it can be used to demonstrate why they are not currently together. The construction of any geometric shape, simple or complex, rests on one major assumption. That assumption is that the start and end points to any side of a shape or straight line are fixed and stable.
It is an understandable one to make. The flaw here is that Chuck and Sarah are far from fixed points. They are characters that have been undergoing constant evolution since the show started. They are constantly moving and changing. Sometimes regressing. Sometimes progressing. A picture is worth a thousand words. Have you ever seen what happens to a suspension bridge when an earthquake occurs?
Observe:
If Chuck and Sarah represent the end points and the bridge is their relationship; putting them together now would have the same results. The relationship would be torn asunder and both of them would be fatally hurt by that fallout. Chuck and Sarah need to evolve emotionally and professionally to make themselves ‘earthquake’ proof. They need to be stable; sure of themselves and each other. Able to compartmentalize their personal feelings while engaged in missions. This has to do with their work environment. In the spy world, mistakes are deadly. Putting Chuck and Sarah together now would end in tragic results.
They would be DEAD in a short matter of time.
We saw in Chuck Versus The BreakUp the near tragic results that could have occured when Chuck and Sarah flirted with one another. Both of them put each in harm’s way because of their inability to keep their two worlds separate. This is in contrast to say Jim and Pam from the Office. What is the worst thing that could happen in their world if they make a mistake on the job due to a relationship issue distraction? Papercuts? Misfiled contracts? Jim and Pam live in a world where do overs are possible. Chuck and Sarah do not. They make a mistake and it would be fatal.
Put them together now, as the characters currently stand, is not viable. Put them together now and they would have to act out of character in order to have them survive.
Season 3 is about that journey to mature Chuck and Sarah so that they are earthquake proof. So that they have the mental, professional and emotional skillsets to allow them to juggle a relationship in the deadly world of espionage.
This seems like a good stopping point. Next week will touch on the work environment a bit more, on PLIs, and why the show uses them. Everything will be tied up and the message of the title will become clear.
Until then, post away, stay calm, and remember this is supposed to be fun. Not life or death.
I’m a firm believer in the journey being just as important as the destination and I think this article makes some very good points. There is a lot at stake because of the world they live in. Because of that and both of their emotional hangups, I’ve never thought that they needed to be together right now in order for the show to work. But based on those two things, both the characterizations and the perils of spy life, I just find it hard to believe other potential love interests are legitimate obstacles at this late of point in the show.
I completely agree with you!!!
Ah but are the PLIs truly obstacles? More next week. 😉
“Put them together now, as the characters currently stand, is not viable. Put them together now and they would have to act out of character in order to have them survive.”
I couldn’t agree more! One of the things I love most about this show is watching the characters learn from each other and grow – by themselves, as a ‘couple’ and as a team. And as it stands now, Chuck and Sarah just aren’t completely ready in every way to be in a relationship. They are making progress, getting closer – and I have no doubt that they will get there – but they just aren’t there yet. I, for one, am willing to wait it out and watch all the issues thrown at the couple because that will just make the moment that they do get together all the more epic and powerful.
The reason why some fans suggest that anyone who defends the way the relationship is going is towing the party line is because the people who defend how the relationship is going refuse to believe there were alternate ways to make the journey.
The problem with your position is that you think putting Chuck and Sarah together is “an end.” Anyone who has ever been in a real relationship can tell you that it is the beginning. The moment Chuck and Sarah come together is not the end of anything. It is the beginning of a whole new series of challenges.
I assume Chuck and Sarah will be together because, despite what TPTB might have originally planned for the show, it has been defined by the on-screen chemistry of Levi and Strahovski and the fans’ quite logical reaction to what they see on the screen. Denying that chemistry, inventing supposedly portentious obstacles to that chemistry, threatens to undermind the plausibility of the show. And guess what, folks: The rest of the show is fantasy, as it should be. But relationships, even on TV, have to have a semblance of reality because that is the one thing that people have personally experienced.
A simple reality: Chuck and Sarah crossed the relationship Rubicon at the end of Colonel. (And TPTB can try to ret-con that all they want, but that is what they clearly wrote then.) The simple fact that they may NOT have been emotionally ready for it was PART OF THE CHARM. Everything these two characters need to face going forward should have been faced together from that point on.
The real and adult way to have handled season 3 was to have Chuck and Sarah together, starting from that starry-eyed high point at the end of Colonel and facing the real-world challenges from that point on. Most of Season 3, from the Chuck-Sarah angle, is a recitation of previous themes. We KNEW they had those problems from Season 2. They writers showed us ALL of that in Seasons 1 and 2.
An adult, real-world approach to Chuck and Sarah in Season 3 would have been to put these two wounded and emotionally damaged and immature people together and let them try to work out the feelings they had and define the committment they were showed making to each other.
And, by the way, having Chuck and Sarah together trying to work out the issues they still so obvious have would have been a better story-telling choice because it wouldn’t have overwhelmed the show’s other story points. Now all anyone cares about is WHEN Chuck and Sarah are put together–either because you WANT them together or you want them together so the show can move on… The Charah thing has constipated the show because it’s like a car accident. No one can take their eyes off it.
Mary you must have skimmed over the part where I said that Chuck and Sarah getting together is NOT the end.
I agree that is not the end. But as I pointed out in my article they need to evolve to get to that point.
Follow the course you suggest and they will not be around very long without radically changing the characters.
Thanks for your feedback.
Great post Lou! I agree both Chuck and Sarah need more growth before they can be a real couple. And you are right at this time they would end up getting killed pretty quickly. It should be very interesting to see how Shaw and Hannah play into this. I suspect that the PLI’s will actually be more of wedges or barriers then actual love interest. I have already mentioned it on Twitter, but I am positive that Shaw will step in as Sarah’s cover boyfriend to create a barrier between Chuck and Sarah when not on missions. The challenge for Chuck will be to trust Sarah and believe in her that she does not feel anything for Shaw. I really don’t think she will feel anything other then dislike for Shaw. For Sarah she will have to trust Chuck with Hannah, which I am convinced is spy related. Episodes 3.01-3.04 have shown Chuck and Sarah moving forward after the train station disaster and reconnecting. Some have been upset that they didn’t get back together as cover boyfriend/girlfriend, but I am not. What caught my attention was how well they were communicating and on the same page as well as they joked about being friends. That is much much more important then a cover relationship. Those two are so much in love!! In Beefcake Chuck broke up with Sarah because he didn’t think he had a real chance to be with her. For Sarah the only allowable way for being with Chuck was through the cover relationship only. When Chuck broke up with Sarah, Chuck wasn’t the only one hurting. Sarah was hurting too. She felt rejected and Cole enters the picture. While some can’t bare to watch the episodes with Cole I enjoyed them and Lethal Weapon is one of my favorites. Now getting back to the present and future, both Chuck and Sarah know they messed things up with each other. While Sarah wanting to run away with Chuck was romantic, it was not logical. Her emotional state not only took over but she seriously lost control. She wasn’t thinking about how Chuck would not be willing to sever the connection with Ellie, Devon, and Morgan. It did not take long for Casey to track them down in the Colonel after Chuck called Ellie. Plus a life on the run is not a real life. Constantly in fear of getting caught. Of course Sarah’s childhood may have played a part in that? Sarah needs to have emotions, but more importantly needs to control them. Just as Chuck does in order to control the intersect. I believe Season 3 is just that for Chuck and Sarah, them having feelings for each other, but learning to control those feelings. Going back to the end of Angel Of Death when they are joking about being friends, they are comfortable with not having to be cover boyfriend/girlfriend not because they don’t want to but because they messed things up and they are not sure where to go from here. They obviously can’t foresee the future because of not being cover boyfriend/girfriend it now allows Shaw and Hannah to fill those positions. Episodes 3.01-3.04 show Chuck and Sarah as they essentially repair their fractured relationship. It is my belief that Shaw and Hannah will represent obstacles on the steps of the stairs and not steps backwards for our beloved pair. Chuck and Sarah will have to grow and mature to push or fight past these two obstacles to be together. In other words Chuck loves Sarah and Sarah loves Chuck and I am convinced we will know that in each episode regardless of the spoilers, video clips possibly and probably taken out of perspective. I am convinced that these two PLI’s (Shaw and Hannah) are Not Bryce, Lou, Jill or Cole sequels. They are different. So please try having a little faith everyone it is and will continue to be the best Season ever of Chuck! Thanks, Halley Smith (Charah673)
Excellent comparison to The Office, Lou. While both shows have couples we root for, the circumstances of their (fictional) lives are very, very different.
There is one thing I don’t understand about people who talk down on the relationship angst. What show are you rooting for? The Chuck show I’ve come to glue myself to inseparably would be the show where relationship angst is what makes it run. It allows for Spyworld and BuyMore Symmetry, as well as home/Spyworld symmetry. You can relate from one another through an issue that you’d otherwise see no linkage toward. Issues that, by the way, force action by the characters beyond ‘and they live happily ever after.’ Afterall, in season 3, Emotions are the only obstacle between Chuck and the perfect spy. I think some fans are expecting James Bond, where as this simply isn’t the show’s description. His name is Chuck. And he’s doing a mighty fine job.
I think the problem I have is the continuity of the relationship from one episode to the next. I don’t know, maybe it’s because they have different writers for each episode and each one puts their own spin on it. Case in point, at the end of 3.02 Sarah sees the video of Chuck’s anguished explanation of the decision he made in Prague,displaying all the qualities that made her fall in love with him in the first place. Then in the next episode you get the lets be friends speech with no ackowledgement of that event. Season 2 is rife with that, Santa Claus to the Third Dimension is perfect example.
The line i think that says it all was when Chuck is cleaning up the court yard at the end of 3.02 and Sarah comes out and says something along the lines we made mess of this, we now need to clean it up. Then she say you’ll have to clean the court yard on your own (nice icebreaker line). The reality is there is a lot that needs to be repaired between the two. Look i don’t like the idea of Hannah and Shaw but i understand that they may need to be there so that Chuck and Sarah can start the next stage of their lives.
Friends maybe the starting point they need and i don’t think Sarah has every been in a ‘loving relationship’, where each person is giving rather than taking from each other.
Remember the look on her face as Chuck talked down Carl?
He was so obviously talking about Sarah and himself, especially after an opening line or two, I think he repeated “liability” and then the tone of his voice changed and he spoke more softly and with more anguish.
Very moving.
I read Ernie’s piece, Lou’s and Mary Fran’s post. Some excellent writing. A hundred times better than some of the crap we’ve seen of late. I don’t think it’s a secret that I’m in the camp of Ernie and Mary.
I get Lou’s journey quest; he’s been steadfast in that belief. And in the two Monday espisodes after the Sunday season opening double-dip, I’ve seen the subtle little communication they’ve used, the support they’ve lent and the progress made as friends he alludes to. He seems to confidently believe things will work out well eventually. I guess my question, Lou, is do you know something that we don’t, or are you merely optimistically speculating and foreshadowing?
Anyway, I’ve been with Mike B. Why has Sarah not at the very talked to Chuck about what she saw on the memory stick. I’m necessarily stating that her seeing it would completely “clean up the mess” overnight, but it certainly could reassure Chuck. I guess this is the regressing Lou refers to.
Sure, Beckman puts the team back together, but where was the acknowledgement or apology from the general, Casey or Sarah after being called a lemon and mission crasher. He was correct at the club. And Javier would have killed Sarah had he not flew off the stage.
Perhaps this indirectly covered in Sarah’s beautiful line to Shaw. “Sometimes it’s good to know when you have something to lose.”
terrible.
misspelled episodes, insert the word “least” between very and talked, a “not” between I’m and necessarily, a ? following crasher, and a “was” between this and indirectly.
My apologies.
I think they need to put them together now and make it final and without question ala The Office’s Pam & Jim. Sure there will be issues that go with it but it gets them past the questioning if they’re committed to each other, which is becomming a redundant question.
I would hate to see them go the route of Lois & Clark: Adventures of Superman and stretch it out so long that when it does happen it just kills the show because it was built up too long. Do it now and make it a fact and something they’ll just have to deal with during their job but that they know that they’re for each other and don’t have to re-affirm that in every season finally just to have it all reset the next season premiere.
I don’t know how much longer I can hang on to this great series when every fifth episode has some new love interest interrupting the Chuck/Sarah progress on one side or the other. I’m sure having them committed to each other would open the door to a lot of clever dynamics without giving the audience such anxiety as a result of liking these characters.
Kyle – when you say now – do you mean the very next episode or at some point this season?
Lou, thank you for your article. Stability and trust in a relationship is vital if the relationship is to move forward. The producers of the show have shown in Sarah’s past there is a lack of trust and stability while growing up and nothing was real. From the time she was trained to be a spy, “never fall in love†was drummed into her mind. She fell for Bryce he was killed, she fell for Chuck he wanted to become a spy whom equated in her mind that he could be killed. Why would she want to loose another love? My thoughts are that Karina drummed in her mind that real spies “do not fall in loveâ€. As shown in Ep-4 Sarah still has real feelings for Chuck and wants to protect him. With Chuck running off on solo missions and trying to become a real spy, she may loose Chuck, thus ending the stability and trust. With this pain in her heart, Shaw represents a way to alleviate the hurt and get her mind off Chuck (Rebound sex). And with any rebound relationship they seldom last. But with her having to work closely with Chuck and not being able to distance herself from him, the love that she has for him can not be extinguished, and once he is better able to handle his abilities, the stability and trust will increase in the relationship helping them to come together.
Chuck was an abandoned child, his Mom left his Dad left the only one that stayed by him was his sister. Ellie gave him love and nurturing while growing up and once he was kicked out of Stanford she continued to provide for him until Doctor wedding. Ellie was his emotional crutch even when Sarah came into the picture, but this was ending. The show has Chuck loosing everything, his career, Sarah, Ellie & Morgan. Chuck is on a mission to get back as many parts of his life as he can. I can only assume that the Sarah-Shaw relationship directed him to Hannah. Chuck just wants to be loved and not left, with Morgan and Ellie’s help he is a little more adjusted than Sarah, but he has a long way to go. Chuck wants to be the Master Spy like Bryce or now Shaw but he has to be able to control his emotions as a spy and with Sarah. This season appears to be not man to spy but Chuck control your emotions thus controlling your abilities. Shaw has been brought in to trigger Chuck’s emotions so that he can learn to control them. Once Chuck can control his emotions, he will be able to protect himself and Sarah so that one of them does not end up dying. The writers have kept Sarah there to spike chucks emotions creating a situation where emotional control is the greater need (more at stake). With Chuck and Sarah together now, emotional control would be lost eliminating the stability and trust needed for Chuck and Sarah to be together. Or simply put, if Chuck could not flash when needed he or Sarah could die.
I sometime wonder if poeple realise they are watching a tv show that has something other than Chuck/Sarah, crazy missions, great action and brilliant homages and quality comedy… not Twilight.(yeah i burned an entire fandom *whip noise*)
My only quarrel that i have with the C/S romance is the repetition. i agree with the article but the basic season arc for romance seems to be.
—-
Chuck – Lou (thought she was brilliant)
Sarah – Bryce
—-
Chuck – Jill
Sarah – Cole (BTW Cole is ‘da MAN’ who should be appriciated not constantly berated)
—-
Chuck – Hannah (who im pretty sure works for CIA or NSA)
Sarah – Shaw (once married…to Sarah maybe )
—-
1 each with a constant bubberling tone of them two wanting to rip each others clothes/faces off.
Heh – i dig Chuck no matter really, but constant angst i dont deal well with.
also a little part of me, not hardened by the constant hate i feel for most things wants to see Chuck and Sarah get a little couple time… before the series is canned and reverted to cult/god like status
You are right, chuck has the potential to be so much more but the repetition created almost draws all attention away from the show and makes it seem as if that is the only part.
I think putting chuck and sarah together soon would be best, let’s be honest with nbc’s current financial state and buy out by comcast (who doesn’t mess around when it comes to profits) chuck will probably be CANNED this season. So putting chuck and sarah together now at least gives maybe six episodes for them to grow together, and battle their problems as a couple (just like real relationships). This also means that chuck and sarah can stop being this awkward confusion to new watchers and people can just turn on the tv and watch the episode for the witty humor and action that makes chuck such a great show. Because right now without knowing their history they would just seem like awkward friends.
But if all else fails and the writers decide that chuck and sarah aren’t meant to be then get it over with! Let chuck move on and let sarah do her insecure spy thing and just find the next hot guy to be with. Hey maybe they could use it as a chance to develop john casey a bit more…. stranger things have happened.
To a certain extent your article begins with a faulty premise. The various viewpoints aren’t necessarily a reflection of the different weights Chuck fans place on the journey vs. endpoint of the Sarah and Chuck relationship. I would posit that a sizable fraction of fans, perhaps even a plurality feel that Chuck and Sarah are not yet to the point where they can be a successful couple for many of the reasons you listed, but are growing weary of the journey and wonder whether they’ll even care once our two heroes reach the end of their journey. Why exactly are PLI’s necessary to further the necessary developments of Chuck and Sarah? Are the writers unable to devise of any other mechanisms to catalyze character growth?
You make Sarah and Chuck sound like human versions of iron smelters in the amazon, greedily consuming other people, leaving behind shattered individuals in order to fuel their own emotional growth. Lou had real feelings for Chuck, and Bryce and Cole had real feelings for Sarah. It’s really kind of sick and twisted that they’re going to offer up another pair of human sacrifices to help Chuck and Sarah work through their problems. Overly dramatic I know, but why do they need other relationships to work through their problems? Why not have them work through some of them together, or with the help of friends and family, or through meaningful experiences (besides love interests) that promote introspection?
i definitly agree, it seems that every show ive watched has used the same PLI device in order to develop the main couple..id personally like to see a different form of development…and like you said that other people must get hurt in order for chuck and sarah to grow, it also brings up the question, how interested are chuch and sarah with each other if they continue to break from one another and hook up with someone else?
Oh, and one more thing. Chuck is supposed to be fun! The relationship between Chuck and Sarah was for the most part light and heartwarming with some heartbreak thrown in. It was like a peanut butter cookie fresh out of the oven with small bits of bittersweet chocolate inside. Now…well at least there’s still the action, humor, and John Casey.
i agree mostly with the article, especially that both characters need to grow before they can truly be together…
however chuch and sarah’s relationship is not always something that can cause mistakes in the spy world…we have seen in several episodes that their relationship is both a liability and an asset. it seems however that their relationship is usually a liability when they are having problems admitting that they care for each other…it causes chuck to be extremely emotional and distracted and he makes a mistake…
although i dont mind other love interests, they often cause the same issues in the spy world that may come up if chuck and sarah were together…also, i feel that if the season 3 love interests turn into real relationships for chuck and sarah, it brings up the question of how much do chuck and sarah really love each other if they are hooking up with other people…i feel like that would cause too much drama and may take away from the show…
now i do believe that chuck and sarah need to take it slow in order to really grow and allow the show to continue developing, so by this i mean they don’t need to be together yet… but i do not want the show to be overdo any drama because of extra love interests….although so far the writers have done a good job with it, so hopefully season 3 love interests wont stray away from that
To a certain extent your article begins with a faulty premise. The various viewpoints aren’t necessarily a reflection of the different weights Chuck fans place on the journey vs. endpoint of the Sarah and Chuck relationship. I would posit that a sizable fraction of fans, perhaps even a plurality feel that Chuck and Sarah are not yet to the point where they can be a successful couple for many of the reasons you listed, but are growing weary of the journey and wonder whether they’ll even care once our two heroes reach the end of their journey. Why exactly are PLI’s necessary to further the necessary developments of Chuck and Sarah? Are the writers unable to devise of any other mechanisms to catalyze character growth?
You make Sarah and Chuck sound like human versions of iron smelters in the amazon, greedily consuming other people, leaving behind shattered individuals in order to fuel their own emotional growth. Lou had real feelings for Chuck, and Bryce and Cole had real feelings for Sarah. It’s really kind of sick and twisted that they’re going to offer up another pair of human sacrifices to help Chuck and Sarah work through their problems. Overly dramatic I know, but why do they need other relationships to work through their problems? Why not have them work through some of them together, or with the help of friends and family, or through meaningful experiences (besides love interests) that promote introspection?
The PLI issue will be addressed next week.
As to what part of the journey, just pointed out where some people want the story to be at. It does not change the state of the Chuck and Sarah characters and as such incurs no inaccuracy to said analysis of the characters.
As to the people devouring, these are characters in a story. All characters are raw material created to service the main characters. So beyond some vivid imagery you have pointed out nothing new.
The sad thing is that people using happens far too often in real life too.
Thanks for the feedback.
although it is true and sad that people using happens all the time in real life, the problem with doing it too often in tv is that it takes away from the likeness of the characters….i wouldnt say this show has really overdone it yet, but its starting to cut close…i dont think anyone wants to see chuck or sarah as selfish users because they are supposed to be characters we love and although they make mistakes, we dont want their mistakes to make them look like jerks
Well, am I supposed to be thinking of the guest characters in Chuck as raw materials for the smelting oven, or am I supposed to suspend disbelief and regard them as real people for about 43 minutes every week? If it’s the second, then Sarah and Chuck look significantly less sympathetic and likable each time they involve themselves with and spit out another PLI.
It’s almost like Chuck and Sarah stepped out of the Great Gatsby. I wonder if Daisy, I mean Sarah will coo over Shaw’s wardrobe.
Thanks for the insights Lou. It’s obviously triggered thoughtful reflection as evidenced by the length and depth of the responses. I agree that these two need to grow – emotionally & professionally in order to have the type of relationship we BELIEVE they can have and deserve. Without that growth, there can be no real trust and without trust, no relationship. I’ve long believed that it comes down to a matter of trust – in themselves, in each other, in their future. That said, I doubt they can get there by themselves, and as you’ve stated in other articles and alluded to here, this might be the relationship steroid necessary to move them forward quickly. Its a tribute to the writing and acting that fans are so passionate about this fictional couple and hope that TWWT. I’m sure I’m not the only one who was emotionally drained after 3.01 &02 and part of me says that there is more coming. All this makes the journey memorable for sure. And that’s where the matter of trust becomes personal – I trust that there will be a joyful payoff that will be equal to the pain. And yes, I DO trust!
AGREED, Peter.
Very insightful article, Lou. Personally, I’m enjoying season 3 so very much. I’m really digging the realism, the drama, the intrigue, and the relationships’ depth and exploration. Great stuff! And yes, I also root for Chuck & Sarah, I would love to see them together in the not so far future, but I’m also enjoying the angst, haha, and I’m sure I’m not alone.
The truth is that I’m more of a journey type of person. Any way, this show is awesome.
Oh, and I really like Shaw. Most intriguing character ever in this show.
I completely agree and understand your post. Season 3 both Sarah and Chuck are different people. He was, “I want my life back” and Sarah was, “Don’t you ever wonder what it’d be like if things were different.” After all the forces, CIA, NSA, Sarah, that Chuck went through, he decided, well, this is something I can do, and want to do. He, at least, wants to take a shot at it BECAUSE he loves his family, Sarah, and his friends. Sarah did what she did her entire childhood, run away.
Chuck is in the mindset this season of, “I can do it, I know I can.” He’s finally growing up out of that stuck at Buy More and not moving forward in life. He wants to make a difference in the world and he wants to do whatever it takes to get there. Sarah is hurt and mad that she let her feelings go so far and she took such a huge chance with Chuck.
They have to re-establish themselves as people who have grown up. They’re realizing that things have changed, and they have to grow into that. She’s afraid of her feelings again getting the best of her, and Chuck is trying to let her know that he didn’t want to hurt her. He wants to help the best way he can and that he would never betray her.
This gets me to this point though. I don’t mind love interests, and infatuations coming up along the way, and it is a good way to have them realize their true feelings and be able to cope personally and professionally. Ellie, “I know that there are bumps in the road, and you have your ups and downs…”
The problem is when these PLI’s start having the characters act out of character. Would Chuck, after doing everything he did to win Sarah over and over again mess around with someone else? Would Sarah, after having her feelings interrupt the things in her life she cares the most deeply for, have a fling with yet another man she doesn’t know anything about? I mean, c’mon… You have to tread carefully when you’ve built up such an important romantic tie.
Sure, I can see interests, and feelings coming up. I mean we are human, and we have desires. But sharing intimacy and deepest darkest secrets would be disastrous.
One little request – for those of you posting longish answers – paragraph breaks are highly recommended. Otherwise it is a blob of text difficult to digest.
Thanks
Some very good points. The one thing I am impressed with in S3 is that although I’m not crazy about the relationship angst, the writers and cast made the current state of Chuck and Sarah credible for me. I know there are many others that will disagree, but for now I’m ok with it.
The road that twists and turns, although slower, is a much more interesting road to take than the straight multi-lane highway. The good thing is that it still gets you to where you want to go.
Are you talking about Ellie, Awesome and Morgan’s road trip? Even the Honda commercials are funny this year. 🙂
I will repeat my mantra from last season…”In Ali we trust.” I think the writing staff will have ALL of us covere; a little this, a little that. Just have faith and hold on for the ride!
I may post a bit more after I catch up, but my slightly modified response to your response to my response to your articles is over at Chuck This Blog.
great article
Took me away from my home work for a couple of minuets
Dont have time to write a huge response but I have a few things to say:
Cant wait for next part
To people who say the show will get canned, Stop please WIth ratings better then heros i think that it will have a 4th unless NBC is not around then
and mabye CBS or ABC could pick chuck up
And
The next post should be about Casey and his grunts
thanks again
There’s only one problem with this article… it only works when time is on its side. In the case of network television, time is something the fans are not guaranteed. That is why fans are upset we are seeing the WT/WT, PLI issues again for the 3rd time. We are upset because Season 3 may be the last season. We want those dots connected and so we get to at least see some of that journey of togetherness. If that doesn’t happen and you look back at cancellation you start to wonder why seasons 1 2 and 3 are all the same. In 3 years of network television what has Sarah and Chuck accomplished? A few kisses….lame.
I’ll agree with the article that the journey is needed to get them emotionally hardened for a spy/couple life, but in network television a show that is always on the cancellation bubble you have to have some form of acceleration, especially when the show follows real time condensed down to 13-22 weeks. Honestly I believe season 1 was the set up, season 2 should’ve been what season 3 is now (chuck/sarah emotional hardening), and season 3 should’ve been them as a couple learning the spy business as a couple. That way if Chuck were cancelled after this season, we can all look back and be somewhat happy about it (beginning, middle, and end), considering the length of time that is allowed on TV. Like I said before, we’ve only gotten 3 seasons of the same thing (feels like we’re still at the beginning)….lame.
Now if Chuck were guaranteed another 2 seasons, I wouldn’t mind the way season 3 is panning out. Seasons 4 and 5 of them together… really great. But this is network TV, Chuck doesn’t have the ratings to get seasons 4/5…. Chuck isn’t some kind of network juggernaunt like House. I’m pretty dissapointed in the writers this season.
I understand the time concern but a story cannot be designed based on that criteria. A story has to be told honestly. To have Chuck and Sarah together now would require character changes. And that would be a hollow scenario. It would be a lie.
I agree to rush the story so much as to force changes to the characters would be a lie. But so is having PLI’s for the third time.
The only scenario with which I’d agree is that is Shaw’s “pursuit” of Sarah is fake and designed as a way to take her out of the picture, to intentionally get Chuck to focus on learning how to better control hi emotions and by extension, the Intersect. THAT would make it worthwhile in my opinion.
Honestly, Lou, in every one of these articles you write you talk about the story v. the destination and all that, but seem to miss the essential contrivance that these love interests are, as they are IN EVERY story, no matter what it is, Chuck or otherwise. The bottom line is, this is the third season. Unless the writers have figured out a way to deal with the love interests in a NEW way, there’s no reason to have them.
Well said Kevan.
I must completely agree with your second paragraph. And at this point, after all that’s happened Sarah is not the type of character to let her guard down and fall for Shaw.
I was quite upset about the direction of the relationship after episode 301. But after episodes 302, 303, and 304, I’m back. I can see that there is more individual growth ahead for both Chuck and Sarah before they are truly ready to go the distance as a couple.
Bryce, Jill, Katrina, and Ilsa clearly illustrate that the ability to fake love and intimacy is a critical and powerful weapon in a spy’s arsenal. [Casey is the only one who has not had to rely upon some romantic guile to create an opportunity or an advantage in an assignment. I’m not sure he could pull it off anyway. Like he said “You’ve go to play to your strengthsâ€, and that’s not one of his.] Of course, the fake-love weapon only really works if the cardinal rule of spying is strictly followed — “never fall in love.â€
Sarah broke the cardinal rule with Bryce and with Chuck, partly because of her own desire for the “normal life†that she has never had. Knowing that Bryce and Cole are pre-hardened masters in the cardinal rule, there was not a lot of room for her to open up in a spy-on-spy relationship. Any other spy that comes along as a PLI is going to have the same downside—can they ever be trusted with her real emotions?
Chuck is different. He is genuine, caring, and wears his heart on his sleeve. His biggest handicap (as a spy) is his inability to hide or control his true emotions. That is his true nature, and because of that, Sarah could trust that his love is the real thing.
She opened her heart to him; she was ready to give up everything with him; and then Chuck left her in Prague. After a life of fooling everyone else with her father and then as a spy, she must have felt a mark who had just fallen for the “big con†– LOVE. This was critical event for setting up the rest of the season. In many ways Sarah has also been fooling herself (about what she does and why she does it).
In retrospect, Sarah shouldn’t just run away from the spy world toward a cliché life as a “normal coupleâ€. At best, whatever she thinks is a “normal life†is just fantasy, and she could never be authentically happy in going through the motions. She can’t have a real future that doesn’t grow out of her past.
Chuck’s path is clear. He needs to prove himself worthy of Sarah’s love and Casey and General Beckman’s respect. But while Chuck is convinced that he can do this spy thing, he hopes (but he’s not sure) that he can do it without becoming a killer.
One of the things I like most about Chuck is his genuine reluctance to kill. I’d like to see his Intersect 2.0 skills develop so he can neutralize the enemy like the Terminator in T2 (Casey can help here). Chuck may appear to be scared and weak, but he consistently looks for and finds (so far) a solution that doesn’t require killing.
Chuck was already intelligent, clever, creative, and compassionate before the Intersect. With the Intersect, he may be able to blend his compassion into the cut-throat spy world and become a super-spy without accumulating a body count. Sarah’s perspective will be crucial in helping Chuck to stay true to himself as his spy skills develop. In teaching Chuck, Sarah should also learn a lot about her own life choices.
By the end of season 3, Chuck and Sarah should work things out and commit to each other. Even then, the fake-love weapon may need to drawn from time to time. It’s always very risky (in life and in love) to be a spy.
Love in the spy world is like the Kobayashi Maru scenario from Star Trek. By design, it is a no-win scenario. But I’m betting Chuck and the Intersect will find a way to cheat the game and win with Sarah.
Good post. I think Sarah will come to realize that she doesn’t care as much about a normal life, but rather a real relationship with the man she loves.
That is what Chuck will give her a real relationship with family and friends thrown in for good measure.
Just as Chuck realized that a normal life wasn’t as important as being with the woman that he love.
When Sarah comes to this realization, that is when the charm bracelet comes out, and all will be right with the world.
I think what the writers are gonna do is that they put chuck with hannah and sarah gets jealous and she gets with shaw and chuck and sarah both realize they should be with each other. I think thats how they end up together
I agree with the journey being more important, and more enjoyable to watch than the destination. That being said I hope S3 is the last leg of that journey, or very close to it.
I would hate to be so emotionally vested in Charah only to have their entire relationship resolve in the last two episodes of the season because the writers find out so late in it that they are cancelled. I pray every Monday for at least one more season.
My theory on Shaw and Hannah are that they are working together(Possibly married to one another, hence Shaw’s ring), to drive a wedge between Chuck and Sarah. Shaw obviously believes that their relationship is the crutch that keeps Chuck from becoming the super spy that he has the potential to be. When in fact, we’ve seen that the only time Chuck can be counted on to flash on cue, it is with Sarah’s emotional support.
I think that Operation: Dismantle Charah won’t work, and in the end make their relationship stronger. Thus accomplishing what Shaw is trying to do, in a roundabout way. This is what I hope for, anyway. Oh, that and Jeffster playing “Glory of Love” by Peter Cetera in the episode that our two heroes finally commit to one another, possibly with a Karate Kid theme throughout. 🙂
Your correct about the emotional support (“don’t freak out, I promise we’ll talk after”) from Sarah helping Chuck calm down and flash. The other time he can flash is when he senses Sarah is in some kind of immediate danger.
Examples: When Myles pointed the gun directly at Sarah in the white room; When Javier threatened Sarah to Chuck in the cell and he was made aware she couldn’t “pick the stupid lock; OK she also offered up praise that all the best spies in the world couldn’t do what he can; she needed him to flash to escape down the wire, the same task he couldn’t complete at the simulation exercise in Prague.
Thanks Lou for the observations on the journey between Chuck and Sarah. You have had better insights than most on this website regarding Charah especially when you first predicted that Sarah would be Chuck’s kryptonite as he tries to master Intersect 2.0.
I see both Chuck and Sarah as being sensei’s to each other. Sarah has been teaching Chuck that he is capable to doing anything that he wants to do and Chuck has been teaching Sarah that she is capable of experiencing real love.
As much as I am rooting to see them together as a committed couple, I am more interested in seeing them grow personally as individuals so that when they do get together it will be for all the right reasons and not just because of some fleeting animal attraction.
I agree that it is potentially dangerous for C&S to get together at this point, especially with the Intersect 2.0 in play, but in v. the Break Up, when Sarah failed to shoot her gun, they weren’t together. In fact, one could argue that they were not as close as they are now.
Carina gave Sarah that security clip and Sarah heard what Chuck had to say. That can’t be taken back or forgotten. It’s now in Sarah’s mind. She’ll try to push it away, of course, but now that it’s clear that they feel even more strongly for one another, it’s even MORE dangerous than it was in “Break Up.” Now the situation has had an extra year to stew and feelings are out on the table.
Yet the show will push on. Sarah will keep being Chuck’s handler, Chuck will learn to be a spy, they’ll try to keep their feelings unspoken. But that situation is no less dangerous than it was in “Break Up,” since now we’re deeling with REAL, spoken and acted upon feelings.
SO bringing in the PLI’s is even more artificial on the show’s part. I agree that C&S both need to mature because of the danger of personal feelings in their line of work, but come on. They can do it without romancing other characters (if that is indeed what happens).
I like everyones take…..Im thinking were all waiting for the big hook up for a reasn. My wish is this……if and when this series decides to end (which would suck ass) they should give us the option on dvd to pick alternate endings for the fans liking. I really want to see Casey make the Costco runs and coach a little league team,but first and foremost a Chuck/Sara proposal…then wedding and everything inbetween. Love the show everyone…….I think I watched season 1 8 times now and season 2 im on my 3rd go around (not too much great tv these days)
A fine article, but one point that was brought up, that I didn’t think was answered was, “Why should we still care?” I’d like to hear that discussed more. So the characters change (and some may argue, they change week-to-week with no foreseeable reason to fit the plot of the given story, but I’ll leave that alone for now), but are they changing into people that we’ll still care about? And did we ever get a hold on who they were? What they are changing from?
Your posting shows you do care which renders the original question moot.
If one does not care they stop watching. Like a child maturing, changes are inevitable. Like evolution, some will adapt and adopt the changes. Others will not and watch something else.
Chuck is becoming more emotionally mature. Sarah is becoming more emotionally open. Makes for compelling viewing.
What you say is true but you have to be very not to angered the fan base that worked so hard to get the show renewed I was angry but have calm down since I will give them end of the season if I don’t see progrees towards a stable relationship I am out
Another point I Like to add this is TV not real life they don’t have all the changes they could write the characters as two people who could have a relationship and a professional life and one more thing they are already in love with each other so the theory of them risking their lives for each other are still there without them being a couple and we don’t know if there will be a season 4. With the cancellion of Jay Leno and the fact that the first five episodes got solid ratings up from last year does give us hope.
The chuck/sarah relationship has left me kinda wanting for more I understand the concept that they need to grow, however you keep saying that in the scenario that chuck and Sarah getting together now as a couple and forging relationship while working in their environment thereby evolving as a couple and as individuals would change their characters radically. Haven’t their characters already changed, Sarah has turned from dedicated professional to a pining, critical and sad person that seems to stalk corners and is repeatedly shown watching chuck from monitors while thinking how much he is changing and can’t seem to even hide her emotions and carry out her duties (I miss how she was in season 2 she was so much more attractive then than how she is now) it’s not that I don’t like that she is becoming more emotional I just wish she would suck it up already and act more professional, now she is rather annoying, its making the show more tense than it has to be after all its a feel good show not a drama (if I wanted to feel sad all the time I would go watch a medical drama they seems to tons of them airing). I long for more yoghurt shop foux du fafa daydreams
And chuck the one that generally wears his heart on his sleeve seems to be more in control with his emotions.
And on the issue of the PLI’s I believe other ideas could have been utilised, however it is the most common chemical element to stir up feelings so either way I accept their usefulness to character development. I’m rather sure that nothing will happen between Sarah and Shaw (she did turn down both Bryce and Cole), chuck on the other hand I’m not so sure about, he seems to be able to push aside his feelings for awhile. People seem to have forgotten that in season 2 -chuck vs the graviton chuck in a rush to find a meaningful relationship, jumped into the sack with Jill while he “supposedly†still had feelings for Sarah (although thinking that things would not work out between them) but when things didn’t work out with Jill came right back to Sarah rather faithless oh him don’t you think hmm…..?
Also has anyone thought about the fact that apart from Lester and Jeff only Sarah hasn’t had sex in the past 3 years, Chuck had sex with Jill in season 2, Casey had sex with his Russian former girlfriend in season 1, Morgan was dating Anna and got lucky with Katrina in season 3. Only Sarah has been sex free I think giving the opportunity she should jump at the chance to get it on with superspy Shaw though I would have preferred Cole Lol!!!!!!!!!
Well I stand corrected..Egg on face. After viewing the clip from next weeks episode it is clear that Chuck and Sarah are not working together in some mature fashion and using Shaw and Hannah. Chuck and Sarah have regressed to hormone driven teenagers. I am sure they are using Shaw and Hannah to make each other jealous in part but obviously they do not really love each other like I thought they did. Why did Chuck say that he loved Sarah in the vault? If he truly loved Sarah would he be so interested in Hannah so quickly? I don’t need Chuck and Sarah together immediately or even by the end of the 19 episode season and I agree that they need to mature before they can be in a committed relationship, but I would prefer some mature logic for the PLI’s!! Sure the conflict and jealousy is amusing to watch, but being that they are on a mission that can be incredibly dangerous. Not to mention that the jealousy could and probably will cause the intersect to malfunction. I am sure it is great for many laughs but the mature love story of Chuck and Sarah I fear is coming to an end. I have to question whether Chuck and Sarah should be in a relationship together at all. Like many people have said the show is not called Chuck and Sarah so who knows what the future will bring. If there is a Season 4 will Sarah and Casey be in it? Maybe or maybe not.