‘Unpacking Chuck’ Takes a Deeper Look at the Series {UPDATED}

You may have noticed the ad there on the right for Unpacking Chuck, a book about the series by G. Walter Bush. This first book of its kind, Unpacking Chuck was released earlier this summer after Bush watched the series on Netflix. That’s right, Chucksters, he’d never watched the show when it aired live on NBC.

“I saw bits and pieces of episodes from Season 1 when I walked through the family room as my teenage son watched it on Netflix,” Bush said. “While it was entertaining, some of the things I saw actually intrigued me on a deeper level. It wasn’t your typical TV show.” A college prep high school English teacher, Bush was impressed with the show’s unique blend of comedy, drama, romance and espionage. He also noted how the music, lyrics and cinematography worked in concert with the script and acting to create a text with substance and complexity. Drawn in, he decided to sit down and watch the show from the beginning.

And Bush liked what he saw. “I was impressed with the subtle controlling metaphors and visual imagery that, on a deeper level, accented the central themes and character growth developed in the script.”

Similar to his research for his master’s thesis on Ridley Scott’s iconic film, Blade Runner, the deeper Bush looked, the more hidden links he discovered. Chuck fans have been dissecting, debating and debunking the deeper meanings of the show for years in our forum and posts, but Bush wanted to take the conversation to a more formal level. He decided to write a book of critical essays covering dramatic elements from all five seasons of the show. Unsurprisingly, half of the final product is Chuck and Sarah-centric, clearing up ambiguities regarding them and their relationship, while other chapters are devoted to Bryce Larkin, Orion, Frost, Ellie, Morgan, and three chapters devoted to Casey.

What started out as a personal challenge, though, has morphed into something much larger. With only a shoe-string budget, Bush self-published Unpacking Chuck as a Kindle book on Amazon in early July, quickly finding a global demand waiting for the book.

“I was thrilled when my first copy sold outside the United States in the United Kingdom,” he said. In September, the book also began selling on Amazon’s sites in Germany, Australia, and Canada. Italy joined the list in early October, and Bush is working on making it available in additional countries. “I think the show appeals to discerning fans everywhere, not just here in the U.S.”

In the U.S., the ebook entered the top 100 of Amazon’s Kindle category of Television: Guides & Reviews (out of 607) upon publication and began making appearances in the top ten in September. By early October, it claimed the #1 ranking in the category and broke into the top five for books published in any format within the category. Bush sees this success as revealing something unique about the show and its fans, given the book didn’t appear until more than two years after the last broadcast of Chuck.

“I think a large part of the fan base is still committed and hungry to relive, think and embrace something fresh about the show,” Bush said. “They want to continue the conversation.”

Bush is surprised and gratified by reactions from die-hard fans, like one he received from a viewer who caught the Chuck bug in Season 1 and still regularly re-watches the show on DVD. The writer noted his initial reluctance to purchase the book because he didn’t want to ruin the enjoyment of “MY show,” worried that a critical examination would diminish it somehow. Instead, the reader thanked Bush for helping him to see the deeper meanings embedded in the show. A Chuck latecomer, Bush takes that as the ultimate compliment. “When an original Chuck fan tells you that, what more can you ask?”

Next Bush is considering a softcover edition of Unpacking Chuck. “The one criticism I have encountered from fan comments—usually with many exclamation marks– is the lack of a physical book for those that don’t own Kindles, though the book can be downloaded to a phone or computer as well as a Kindle. It’s hard to gift an ebook, and the holiday season is coming. Hopefully an alternative can be provided by November.”

UPDATED 11.17.14: The paperback version is now available! Click here to order.

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