ChuckTV.net The CHUCK archive
Part II
Note: the moments in question may reside in this episode but that is a matter of circumstance. There are preceding story telling decisions that led up to this point. It is not an issue that can be analyzed in isolation.
Chuck: ‘Sarah and I have a very unique relationship.’
Indeed they do. Relationships are what drive this show. Not just Chuck and Sarah but all of them. More precisely it is the characters. This is the crux of the matter about the unhappiness being expressed by what transpired during the last 8 mins or so of the show. It is not about WHAT of the show. It is the HOW.
When a piece of creative work is put forth to be experienced by an audience there is an unspoken bond taking place between the two parties. The creators are offering a story telling experience via the use of dramatic tokens. In turn for these tokens the audience gives the creator their willing suspension of belief. The creator sets up the premise of the show and within the first half dozen episodes build up an array of dramatic tokens for the audience to use to suspend that belief.
These creative tokens come in various forms via characters, plotting, show mythology, story telling logic, internal consistency, etc. Those tokens create ‘buy in’ for the audience. They know from episode to episode the show will be worth investing in because the tokens will be be in play. The more dramatically and empathically these tokens are woven into each episode the more engrossed the audience becomes. Synergistically so does their suspension of disbelief. The better the creators can get the audience to suspend their disbelief the stronger the audience’s involvement becomes. There is a symbiotic relationship going on between the two parties.
The amount of initial suspension of disbelief is dependent on the type of show. Obviously shows grounded in the reality of our world require less suspension. Comedies and shows with fantastical elements require a greater suspension of disbelief. The creators of such shows must compensate for this by offering up bigger storylines, bigger characters, bigger action and so on.
While Chuck may take place in a real world setting, it is one rife with fantastical elements. The show’s basic premise, that a computer database can be downloaded into a person’s brain, allowing them to access information, and now physical abilities, is a big step for the viewer to take. In turn the show offers a mix of entertainment that includes comedy, action, drama, pop culture/nerd references, romance, music, wish fulfillment, spy world vs real life conflicts, and characters.
Out of all of these tokens the show offers, the bedrock one is the characters. Chuck is blessed with an awesome cast and the chemistry between the two leads is captivating. This has turned out to be both blessing and curse. Double-edged sword as it has been referred to elsewhere. For the character/romance token has become so powerful and so dominant that the other tokens pale in comparison.
What it has allowed the show to do is skate around most tokens with a greater degree of freedom. The tokens of story logic, internal consistency, and story mythology are not scrutinized to the same degree we would with other shows because the entertainment payoff is well worth it. We get some great laughs, action, music, spy intrigue, romance, wish fulfillment, and character interaction because of the cross genre show pedigree.
But the caveat is all of our suspension of disbelief hinges on the characters and, by extension, the Chuck and Sarah romance. They are the realest things in the show. They are the anchor for the viewer’s suspension of disbelief. The moment the show wavers on that token then everything else built around it comes crashing down like a house of cards.
The show has set up the dynamics of a, ‘Will they, won’t they?’ tension that has been carried over the 3 seasons of the show. The longer that tension is maintained the more mass it acquires. The more mass it requires the bigger the elephant it becomes in the room. I liken it to a dramatic ball of inertia, or DB for short.
The longer the show runs with this DB, the more history and emotional investment by the viewers it acquires. So it becomes more and more of a complex story telling exercise that the writers must address if they want to bring in other romantic parties to the mix. The days of having a guest star show up for 1 or 2 episodes and strike up a romantic relationship with Chuck or Sarah are long past.
Now it requires several episodes to set up a storyline that can overcome the inertia that the DB has accumulated. It is not just an operation of injecting the new characters into the storyline. That is the easier part of the equation. The more difficult part is positioning the two leads where the new characters can be integrated into their lives in a manner that is not contrived. To add to the difficulty, all this must be done in a manner that the viewers will find plausible and dramatically interesting.
Extremely vital is the storyline being told, must be told honestly. This means that story points, character traits, etc established previously must be adhered to going forward. With Chuck this comes down to being true to the characters. A difficult one to maintain too as character evaluation is subjective and varies from individual to individual. We may agree on the broad strokes but beyond that there are many interpretations on the finer points.
When it was announced that the third season PLIs were going to be around for 4 and 8 episodes it appeared that the story requirements would be addressed. However as we have seen that has not been done entirely successfully. Of the two, the Chuck and Hannah one has been the more successful. Hannah has been in consecutive episodes and it can be seen that her character is a perfect match for Chuck. Though in 3.06 little was done to advance her arc with Chuck.
(Total aside here – I find it hard to believe that Chuck would be interested in striking up a new relationship given his focus on becoming a spy. He, more than anyone, is aware of the danger he is putting Hannah’s life in by mixing civilian and spy worlds together. This is one of those out of character issues that arise based on previous character history. To date the show has given me little to remove this objection.)
Matching Chuck up is easier than it is for Sarah because of the fundamental nature of the characters. Chuck is open emotionally and provides many doorways to new relationships. Sarah is the opposite and hence requires a lot more story finesse to do so. So when Shaw is MIA in episode 3.06, any momentum built up between him and Sarah is lost. This was a tactical error.
Shaw’s absence places the Shaw/Sarah storyline in a difficult spot. Sarah may have expressed concerns over Chuck turning into a spy in 3.06 but, again, nowhere enough story time is allocated on this point to make the necessary dent in the DB. Especially when Shaw does return in 3.07 and Sarah spurns him for three quarters of the episode. This makes telling the story honestly no longer possible if the goal is to initiate these new pairings by the end of the episode.. What happens then is a rush to move the characters to a targeted position. An exercise in artificiality. In this rush corners have to be cut. This means corners that involve story logic concessions and the use of out of character behavior.
This is the overhead the show must carry when it decides to sustain the, ‘Will they, won’t they?’ dynamic over time. If the Chuck showrunners want to use that device then they must be willing to pay that price. A price that has to be based on honest story telling instead of rushed story telling.
Rushed story telling is what happened in the last 8 minutes of 3.07. That is the HOW that is the issue.
Rushed story telling takes away the capacity for true storytelling and diminishes the most critical dramatic token the show has to offer; that of the characters. That is why the reaction is the one that resulted from fans.
It is not about telling the showrunners what to do.
It is not about objecting to injecting new PLIs into the storyline.
It is about whatever the show does, it does so by being true to the story telling and the dramatic tokens it gave us.
It is about the implicit bond of trust between creator and audience.
A speedbump was encountered on the third season journey. We saw it, we hit it, and we have gone passed it. It was a bump. Not a supernova. Let’s look forward instead of back, shall we? Because the road ahead is oh so, very inviting!
Maybe the rushed elemant was Sarahs jealousy. Maybe she just wanted to get Chuck jealous, or maybe just wanted to move on in any way she could. Although the timing did seem very manipulated by the writers.
Your explanation of what went wrong is right on the money. Not totally enjoying being told I can’t have an opinion by various reviewers, so I really needed to read this. Thank you!
This was right on the money and the reason why ep 7 did not sit well with me either. But the writers have been doing a good job of telling the story so far (even though they have been calling PCs or personal computers hard drives … which drives me crazy considering the venue).
Rod
I agree with all the comments thus far…things could have been fleshed out a bit more in terms of developing Sarah/Shaw, because it went from Shaw being gone in ep 6, to being a viable love interest for Sarah by the end of ep 7. If there was a more compelling reason for them to get together, it might make more sense. Chuck and Hannah have worked, but the overarching issue is that this smacks of previous scenarios. Chuck and Lou did not work out. Sarah and Bryce did not work out because of Sarah’s feelings for Chuck. Civilian girlfriends for Chuck will always be in danger, but Chuck is not yet at the point where he can hold his own as a spy, which would allow a relationship with Sarah, based on the show’s established “rules.”
In short, it is obvious that Chuck and Sarah belong together, but the methods of keeping them apart are fraying with both fans and good storytelling principles. Corners are being cut, rushes are being made, and characters seem to act in ways that contradict what they’ve done before. We can buy the crazy stuff that this show throws at us, unless it includes out-of-character moments.
For that reason, I really hope that Hannah and Shaw represent the final obstacle to Chuck and Sarah’s relationship, and I fully believe that Schwartz and Fedak can overcome the “Moonlighting” curse. Our society today is focused more on the thrill of the chase in relationships, rather than the goal; once we get it, we don’t know what to do with ourselves, and just may turn out to be bored.
If Schwartz and Fedak treat Chuck and Sarah as a marathon instead of a sprint, the show will display a unique element of TV’s portrayal of relationships, and it will go hand-in-hand with the “heart” that the show demonstrates, which sets it apart from most other shows. I believe that “Chuck” will still be compelling television even when Chuck and Sarah get together, because their dynamics and personalities will allow for great entertainment. Case in point: they were essentially together as a married, settled-down couple in “Chuck vs. the Suburbs,” and it was a very strong episode. The show can survive, and thrive, in this manner!
It is totally pointless for fans to boycott Chuck because of how things transpired in Chuck Versus The Mask. Most of the additional episodes have already been filmed and/or written. There is no way that the fans are going to ever change the plans of how the showrunners have Chuck mapped out for the Season.
But there is a very big concern. If the showrunners do plan on bringing Chuck and Sarah together at the end of the season and the ratings continue to decline or stay the same and do not improve then in the end of the season and the series, Chuck and Sarah will go down in history as another example to be used in the future by showrunners as an example as to what happens when you bring two leads characters together. Chuck could end up right next to Moonlighting, Friends, ect as shows that failed as a result of bringing couples together. That is something that people threatening to boycott Chuck should consider before it is too late.
While the media thinks that Chuck could likely be renewed the last Chuck You Tuesday podcast says otherwise. And based on the fact that the media all jumped on the Chuck melodrama afterwards and blamed all the complaints as Chuck and Sarah Shippers instead of the fact that the episode was rushed, and the characters were acting out of character making it unbelievable. Wake up media….it wasn’t that Chuck and Sarah were paired up with Hannah and Shaw, it was how it was done that raised the alarms among fans.
So which do I believe dedicated fans that were on the Chuck You Tuesday Podcast or the media that clearly got it wrong? The dedicated fans of course! So we need to work even harder to try to get more people watching Chuck before it returns March 1st. And buy more Subway Footlongs for the March 1st episode. For any fan(s) out there that are thinking about not watching it, or boycotting future Chuck episodes, do you want Chuck used as an example in the future to keep couples apart? Do you want future shows with WTWT with no resolution because of Chuck? No, neither I nor anybody knows for sure what the showrunners have planned for Chuck and Sarah, but reading between the lines it looks quite promising. Thanks!
It’s my understanding that Moonlighting failed, not because the two leads were brought together as a couple, but because the show had already run its course, and that Bruce Willis really wanted off the show. He was just going through the motions at that point.
Yet, according to urban myth, it failed because the leads were finally joined as a couple. I suspect even if they had not been joined as a couple, Moonlighting was going to be flushed.
I haven’t read through all the comments, so maybe this has been discussed. I know a lot of people have commented about the rushed nature of the last 10 minutes and some things that looked out of character. My reading of the end leads me to believe that part of it was rushed (the training wheels scene.)
However, where I at first thought there was some out of character movement, I have begun to rethink it. The most alarming, or noticeable potential out of character behavior comes from Sarah. Chuck, too, has been out of character the last couple of episodes. I think they both can be summed up with the idea that both characters are going through transitions and are bouncing between what they were, and what they can become, which happens to be the polar opposite. As they find their identity I think the general feeling of out of characterness will come down. At the moment I would say the OOC is the point.
Furthermore, upon rewatch of Sarah’s character in the Mask, I came away with a completely different view of her reaction to Shaw. I think most people are viewing Sarah’s reaction in relation to Shaw and Sarah, which is the obvious first reaction. However, Sarah’s reactions on the show have almost always been about Chuck. When she switches to acceptance of Shaw’s advances, I fully believe it is not about Shaw, but it is about change and movement out of the painful cycle of having Chuck lie to her and leave her. Can’t really blame her. Taking this into account the episode goes down much better, IMO.
Hi Drew:
Thank you for your analysis. After reading your comments, I can see some validity to the changes in behaviour in Chuck and Sarah. They both are going through major changes and it makes sense that they might do things that might be out of character.
Obviously, Chuck going through the changes of being a spy would cause him to suppress normal aspects of his behaviour in the past. He naturally has to be more secretive and can’t be as open due to the nature of his new career. However, you can still see some aspects of his old behaviour where he still seeks a reltionship which likely explains his attraction to Hannah. He does kind of need a release from the pressures of the spy world.
Sarah, I admit, I have some trouble with her change, but since she is becoming more open and emotional I could see that possibly she might have been reacting to moving on to new things in her life. Also, I am sure she still feels the sting from Chuck rejecting her. It is possible that since Sarah had to suppress her emotions for so long that it might be difficult for her to reign her emotions. Where before she kept them internally now the opposite has happened where her emotions are truly open and she can’t quite control them. The example of how she reacted when Shaw gave her coffee would be a good example. Maybe that has something to do with being attracted to Shaw.
Anyway, of course, this is just speculation.
I agree with most of these comments. I’m constantly debating whether to comment here or on NBC’s discussion boards, but I’m staying here for now because the discussion on NBC’s boards is so long and so many pages it’s overwhelming.
For Halley Smith, I agree with you when you say that the fan’s can’t change the show midseason. That is exactly why the fans did everything they could to warn F&S not to do more LI stuff during the hiatus between seasons. Once they film the episodes, it’s too late.
Speaking of rushing the LI setup, I almost couldn’t believe how ridiculous the setup was for Sarah and Shaw. Not only did they do things out of character, but worse, they did something that flat out didn’t make sense: Shaw and Sarah getting together in the first place, but the reason why this shouldn’t have happened is not the obvious one. I am a shipper, but what made me mad was I remembered the scene from the end of the First Class episode. You know, the one where Shaw showed Sarah his deceased wife’s ring and said “we both made the same mistake. We fell in love with spies.” And here they are getting together?? Did I miss something? There was also the thing about Sarah getting in Chuck’s way as he tries to become a spy. The writers failed to apply that concept to Sarah and Shaw even though it did apply. To Sean, I agree with what you say about since Chuck can’t hold is own as a spy yet, he can’t have a relationship with Sarah. That is true. The only problem I see with it is they haven’t presented any reasons why Sarah would get in his way. Therefore it doesn’t make sense. Yes, she does have an effect on the new Intersect, but if anything, it’s a positive effect when they’re together vs split up. This can all be traced back to the beginning of the season. I read an article in the paper that had Schwartz saying the key to these kinds of shows is how you update the characters. I think they updated everybody fine, with one exception: Sarah. Apparently I’m one of the only fans who felt this way, but I thought the traumatic event between Chuck and Sarah between the seasons was pretty ridiculous and stupid. Why? Sarah should never have asked Chuck to run away with her because the moment that Chuck re-intersected himself in the Ring Sarah should’ve known that asking him to run away with her was pointless. Instead they should’ve had her asking him why he re-intersected himself. I know they reconciled it, but it still was clearly done to keep them apart longer, which is the exact opposite of what the fans wanted to see. That was one updating failure. The other failure was not changing Sarah’s role as his handler to his partner or something else. I know the Intersect wasn’t working during the first 2 episodes, so she had to be his handler then. But once the Intersect starting working (episode 3 onward), they should have updated her role to match that change. But they didn’t, and that’s why her getting in his way didn’t make sense because apparently she was still his handler even though there was no longer any reason for her to be. Therefore it didn’t matter that Chuck wasn’t a full fledged spy yet and that Shaw was, so there was no reason for them to break up based on that. Wow, I just noticed something. That was cool. Before I typed the previous sentences, I had actually written something that contradicted what I had said earlier in this comment about how the same “I’ll get in your way” stuff wasn’t applied to Shaw and Sarah even though it did apply, which means I found the logical counter-example that proves the character inconsistencies. What I had written was: …it didn’t matter that Chuck wasn’t a full fledged spy yet and that Shaw was, and that’s why the “getting in your way” concept actually did apply… The contradiction is that based on that deduction, saying that the “concept did apply” at the end of it doesn’t make sense. Hence the counter-example. I took the liberty of changing the contradicting part to: …so there was no reason for them to break up based on that… since that is the conclusion that logically does make sense. That was a cool accident (I would never have been able to think logically that far ahead).
I also think that doing the angst in the MI6 arc with Cole last season was a huge mistake, possibly the biggest of all 3 seasons so far. Not only did the angst ruin the arc, which I think could have been awesome, but more importantly I’m pretty sure it caused the fans’ willingness to tolerate more angst to run out. That was a bad thing to have happen because it obviously wasn’t the right time for Chuck and Sarah to get together for good and have a normal life because of Chuck’s decision to re-intersect himself and become a spy in the Ring, which was the opposite of what Sarah thought he wanted which meant that they would have to be kept apart for longer and with that comes more angst. In other words, they killed off the fans’ willingness to tolerate more angst before it was time to end the angst. Hence the internet uproar after Comic Con and the current fan anger. Some people were saying the fans should calm down after the Mask, but I don’t blame the fans at all. It’s not like F&S weren’t warned about doing this. I had been predicting a situation like this ever since the casting calls for Shaw and Hannah went out. If you’re going to do angst, you need to know how to do it right (setting it up in a way that makes sense), how much is too much (it quickly gets old and tiring), and when it’s time to end it and move on to other things. It seems to me that F&S are apparently clueless on all 3 of those.
Another thing (I know this is a lot, only 1 or 2 things left) is I think the show would benefit a lot, (that’s right: benefit) from getting Chuck and Sarah together for good a few episodes from now. For one thing, it’s what the fans want, and since they saved the show, it would be advisable. Secondly, yes, the tension would be gone, but that’s where all of the shows other elements (spy stuff, action, comedy, etc.) would come in to the picture. They would easily fill the hole left by ending the tension. Plus you have other tension (Morgan, Jeff, Lester, and Hannah). Third, if they don’t do it soon, the ratings are going to suffer and the show will get canceled, and I know nobody wants that to happen. And that brings me to my next point. I’ve seen a lot of comments by fans begging people to keep watching so that the show doesn’t get canceled. Well, if you think about it, it’s not the fans’ responsibility to keep watching so that the show doesn’t get canceled. It’s F&S’s job to give us a show that we like to watch every week. It’s our job to watch if we like it, not watch if we don’t, etc. I know that is somewhat harsh, but it’s the truth as far as I can see.
Lastly, I would encourage people to watch 3.08 because it’s an Ali Adler episode (good news), and also because it’s Hannah’s last, which means things are going to change pretty quickly (although like many fans, I don’t mind Hannah, it’s Shaw that I don’t like). Two indications that F&S are not totally clueless about the show’s current situation. I’m also disappointed with the Olympics because so far I’ve seen tons of promos for NBC’s new shows that are starting after the Olympics, but not one Chuck promo. Also, if there are no spaces between some of my words it was because the space bar didn’t always work. Phew, sorry this was so long. I had a lot to say.
I tend to agree with what you wrote. It seems like JS/CF are writing teen angst.
I said last summer that even if Chuck and Sarah were together as a couple, the writers could still do some fantastic episodes. As you said the spy stuff, action, comedic elements, BuyMore would still be available. Also, even as a couple, things aren’t always smooth sailing. If they were a couple there would be their adjusting to life as a couple that could have been explored both dramaticly, romantically, and in comedy.
And with all that there would still be the relationships with family, and co-workers to development.
I just do not believe Sarah and Chuck being a couple would have been the death nell for the show. If the writers are as good as I think they are, they could have written lots of great episodes with them as a couple.
I also agree about fans having any obligation to watch the show in order to insure a 4th season. I watch shows that are entertaining to me. When a show stops being entertaining to me, I stop watching. Its up to JS/CF and the writers and actors to deliver a show that is entertaining enough for me to watch.
I’m still watching this year, but it certainly, so far at least, not nearly as entertaining as it was in Season 1 and Season 2.
I have also found the last few minutes of the episode rushed and uneasy (even cringe-inducing in a way, as they felt ‘wrong’ in the way they had been written). And although I have read the authors’ explanation on Ask Ausiello, my previous experience with the show is that when such rushed writing is deployed, what’s wrong is not the writing but the character’s actions. My thoughts here is that Shaw and Hannah are both faking… and possibly Sarah is also, probably because she’s not trusting Shaw. Hence the ‘wrongness’ one feels when watching them act.
The last two episodes of Chuck have not been my favorite, with “The Nacho Sampler” maybe being the worst episode of Chuck, ever. With that being said, I still beleive Chuck is the best show on television because it is the most complete show on t.v. right now. No other show manages to do comedy, drama, action and romance with the quality that Chuck does. Even though I hate Shaw and his lame relationship with Sarah, I really beleive the writers are setting us up for something good. Out of 2 1/2 seasons there is not one episode that I can say i wouldn’t watch again. I can’t say that about any other show…….. ever.
So let’s show some faith and support for the writers and actors who have worked hard to give us not only a great show but, possibly the best show ever.
I agree with some of the things that have been said, but while watching “the Mask” i never really felt that the characters walked out of character, they just did things that I didn’t like. Sarah’s decisions with Shaw make sense even if I don’t like them…REALLY don’t like them, but oh well.
I really enjoy watching Chuck grow up as a spy, it sounds terrible, but I enjoy watching him make difficult decisions, shoot the Nacho man, lie to Ellie(though I think its going to be very awesome when she finds out). Point is, I enjoy watching Chuck grow up. Eventually I hope he learns how to shoot a gun
Remember people they are setting us up for Chuck and Sarah to get togther by the end of this season. Watch clips from this season and Chuck comes to Shaw’s door and Shaw tells Chuck you had your chance with Sarah and Chuck hits him. I believe that JS is setting the table for Shaw to be a bad guy and Chuck having to rescue Sarah. Remember that was one eposide, or one layer of the onion. Conflict is a part of this show. People are rooting for Chuck and Sarah to get togther, and I believe it’s time, but this is the last obstacle in their way. Next season I believe that they will be toghter full time. One eposide this season is going to be about an older spy couple giving Chuck and Sarah a glimps into their future.
I like your attitude but “The Nacho Sampler” was crucial to the development of Chuck as a spy (along with drawing connections between Chuck and Sarah). That episode in essence was Chuck parting from his old life to enter the spy life. Chuck is becoming a real spy and losing some of his old qualities (except for his disbelief in guns). One crucial difference between Minoosh (or however it is spelled) and Chuck is their attitude towards women. Chuck respects women whereas Minoosh is looking to score. That is my 2 cents on the matter.
In 3.07 “The Mask” I did not think that anything was particularly rushed. It was believable that Chuck and Hannah hit it off due to moments in the plane. Shaw and Sarah is a bit more complicated. As she is about to die, she apologizes to Shaw for overreacting to his flirtatious advances. He then proceeds to carry her out of castle to get her the antidote. Sarah does actually have a “type.” It is a hero that she ultimately finds herself with. Cole in season 2, Bryce in seasons 1 and 2, and now Shaw in season 3. Shaw is different and you can tell. Part of the writers objective is to plant a seed of mistrust in Shaw (I think Sarah does not trust Shaw either). For his being gone an episode, I think that will play a major role in the next few episodes. Hannah is gone after tonight’s episode. Otherwise, I think Sarah is smart and will not trust Shaw. Shaw has said that he made a big mistake falling in love with another spy. He was very close to discovering Chuck and Sarah’s relationship while they are on the mission and while he talks to Sarah about going off grid in Prague. I believe he intends to exploit Sarah and Chuck’s relationship for his own agenda. I don’t know what that may be but Sarah may be trying to figure out more about him through their relationship. The looks on her face don’t reveal that she is “in” to Shaw. That is just my opinion. The article above was well written and I very much agree with the numbered list.