Yvonne Strahovski, Adam Baldwin To Appear At T2

Mark your calendars, Chuck fans, the guests for next summer’s T2 convention are being announced and Yvonne Strahovski and Adam Baldwin are on the ticket! T2 is a three day convention for fans of Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, Chuck and Firefly featuring:

• guest talks
• photo and autograph sessions
• competitions
• parties
• and much more

T2 takes place 11-13 June 2010 at the Thistle Hotel, Heathrow, England. Visit their website for more information.

John Casey: Clown or Stalwart Defender?

It would be easy to mistake the character of Colonel John Casey for a cardboard cutout. He grunts. He makes sarcastic remarks. He follows orders. As for thinking outside the box, Casey doesn’t even seem aware that there is a box. And he likes it that way.

But what has also struck me recently is how a character who is often portrayed as a parody of a fervent Republican – he reminds us with relish and undisguised enthusiasm that “Ronald Reagan won the cold war” – seems to be more than capable of bending and even breaking the rules from time to time.

With John Casey, though, there is something notable in his disobedience. He never disobeys orders or strays from the rules for personal gain. He’s done it for Chuck to keep the Intersect from being stowed away in a government bunker, ironically after telling Chuck with a smirk that he would be put in a place where he would “forget what fresh air smells like.” He’s given Sarah a free pass when she messed up, thereby endangering the lives of herself, Bryce, Casey and the Intersect that she is charged to protect. And he’s joined up with Chuck and Sarah when they went AWOL instead of capturing them and bringing them into custody, his reaction to an about‑face on General Beckman’s part that broke Casey’s personal code of honour. Casey has also advocated to the general on Chuck’s behalf citing his honourable actions and service to his country. But, being Casey through and through, once the general confirmed the kill order on Chuck, he was prepared to go through with it. Luckily for Chuck fans, Casey was very slow to set up the shot, which left time for Sarah to make her entrance and save the day. Whew!

So what would make a man like John Casey, a man who is apparently so lacking in imagination that we can see visual evidence of this in Adam Baldwin’s fluid facial expressions as his brain clicks laboriously through any new idea presented to him – effectively a Sugar Bear of very literal brain – struggle so with such a heady concept as the personal safety and human dignity of two people he normally communicates with via attitudes ranging from ridicule to outright scorn?

If he were to simply follow orders in relation to Chuck and Sarah like a good career soldier, his life would certainly be a lot simpler. Add to this Casey’s dogged tendency to see everything in black and white, and it would be very easy for the viewer to dismiss him as merely a comic foil, a clown.

I see Casey’s role beyond that of straight man to Chuck’s quirky funny man, as a part-time conscience of the covert community. In spite of the fact that he’s a ruthless killer, Casey has shown us through the selfless choices he has made when the chips were down that he has the ability to draw a moral line and stay behind it, and in this way he acts as the very thinnest of shields between Chuck and a force against which the computer nerd would have absolutely no defenses – the faceless and soulless machine of government bureaucracy.

Perhaps because he’s been in the “business” for such a long time, Casey is in the best position to know what Chuck is up against from the people who are running him, who to trust, when to trust, and just how much it would be safe to trust. And thus he guards Chuck from the enemy within, possibly without even being consciously aware that he is doing so.

And because Adam Baldwin plays Casey with such subtlety and clarity, we can buy that he is both a source of laughs and a stalwart protector, a defensive, competitive, child‑like man and a gruff hero who will always have your back.

As a result, whenever Casey – the man who keeps a framed photo of Ronald Reagan on the table during evenings of surveillance in his jammies while eating milk and cookies – defies the authorities that he also reveres to keep his friends safe, the audience is compelled to sit up and take notice.

Ducky & GMMR Visit Chuck

Ducky (of Ducky Does TV) and GMMR (of Give Me My Remote) visited the set of Chuck last week and got a sneak peek at a new set, Brandon Routh guest starring, and more from season 3. Check out Ducky’s photos on his site, and stay tuned for their podcast featuring interviews with Zachary Levi, Yvonne Strahovski, and Adam Baldwin.

On a related note, our own Gray (producer/co-host of Chuck vs. the Podcast) will be spending a lot of time on the Chuck set while he’s in L.A. over the next couple of weeks. If you have questions for any of the cast or creative team, leave a comment for him on the Chuck vs. the Podcast website.

VIDEO: Chuck Cast, Co-Creator Say Thanks!

Chuck co-creator Chris Fedak and cast members Ryan McPartlin, Joshua Gomez, Zachary Levi, Adam Baldwin, Yvonne Strahovski and Sarah Lancaster send their thanks from the set of Chuck after we hit a million streams (episodes watched via ChuckMeOut.com) this week.

‘Chuck’ At the TCA Press Tour (UPDATED)

The gang from Chuck appeared at NBC’s TCA Press Tour party last night, fresh off their first table read for the season (filming began today). We’ve added photos to the Gallery and have a couple of interviews to share.

Access Hollywood video with Zachary Levi, Adam Baldwin, Yvonne Strahovski and Joshua Gomez
E!Online chats with Yvonne Strahovski

Updated 08.07.09: NBC.com has a couple of videos of the Chuck gang on the red carpet, including a special seranade for the fans. Feel the love!

Adam Baldwin: The Comic Con Interview

ChuckTV.net was invited to join in the Chuck press room at Comic Con this year, totally the highlight of our day. We have interviews with a slew of Chucksters coming your way, all edited by the fabulous siskj. First up, if Joss Whedon is the King of Comic Con, then Adam Baldwin is surely the Mayor. Give it up for the man who can say 4 words and bring down the house.

VIDEO: The Chuck Comic Con Panel

NBC has posted the Chuck panel from Comic Con 2009, minus the JEFFSTER! performance (licensing issues). This video will only work the U.S., so apologies to overseas fans for that.

Grab a beverage and a snack, and settle in to watch. If you want the true Comic Con experience, go stand outside for two hours, starting about 2 blocks down the street, and slowly walk to your house. When you get to your front door, let out a cheer and walk quickly (but don’t run!) to your computer, jostling imaginary people on the way to make sure you get the best seat.

PHOTOS: Chuck at Comic Con

While we sort out our own photos from Chuck at Comic Con, the professionals have been getting theirs up on Wireimage for us to view. A handful of photos from the panel are up, plus some from the Wired and EW/Syfy parties. If you have photos you’d like to share, send them to mel@chucktv.net along with how you’d like to be credited.

Chuck vs. Comic Con: Details Announced

With only a month to go until Comic Con, Warner Bros. has released some details about the Chuck panel. Here’s what we know so far: the Chuck panel will happen on Saturday, July 25, most likely at 10AM in Ballroom 20. Confirmed attending are Josh Schwartz, Chris Fedak, Zachary Levi, Yvonne Strahovski, Joshua Gomez, Ryan McPartlin, Mark Christopher Lawrence, Vik Sahay, Scott Krinsky, Julia Ling, Sarah Lancaster and Adam Baldwin. We’ll see a retrospective highlight reel (nothing from season 3 since they won’t have begun filming yet) plus “a special surprise from some of your favorite characters!” Can you say Jeffster concert?!? Also, Chuck cheerleader Alan Sepinwall will be moderating the panel, so you know it’s going to be extra awesome.

Liz, siskj and I will be there covering the Chuck-ness live. We plan to organize some sort of get-together for Chuck fans as well, possibly Saturday night. If you’ll be at Comic Con and are interested, leave a comment so we can get a feel for how many people want to meet.

Top 10 Disguises Worn By Adam Baldwin As Casey

Chuck fan Manny @ My Disguises put together a humorous post tallying his top 10 favorite John Casey disguises over the past two seasons. Did your favorite make the list?

#10 – Business Man (Ep. 215: Chuck Versus the Beefcake)

Here’s Adam Baldwin dressed up as a businessman. Admittedly, not much of a costume, but I do love his disguise: A coffee latte! LOL, without that he would totally get noticed. It’s all about your environment.

See Manny’s other 9 faves here…

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