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This is part one of our marathon “Critics take on Chuck vs. the Mask” podcast, featuring Mo Ryan of the Chicago Tribune.
This is part two of our marathon “Critics take on Chuck vs. the Mask” podcast, featuring Jace Lacob of TelevisionaryTV.com, the LA Times, and the Daily Beast.
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Hi,
You may have playback isssues with 041 (Mo Ryan) — I am working on a fix.
Thanks,
Gray.
I am perplexed that critics were surprised at the uproar from Chuck Vs the Mask. In a show that has played a, ‘Will they, won’t they?’ dynamic for over two seasons, to an audience where a large component is invested solely in the relationship, any new romantic pairings must be set up skillfully.
In Chuckspeak they have to sell it. And they did not. Hence the reaction.
For any critic that has Chuck as one they review, the 3.07 fan reaction would have been a given to me.
In case this may be another surprise let me put out this warning about the episode airing tonight – 3.08 Chuck Vs The Fake Name. It is expected that a backstory reveal about Sarah will occur. If it does not happen between her and Chuck, expect a repeat of the fan reaction that occurred from 3.07.
PS – big thanks to Mo and Jace for taking the time to do this and kudos to Gray, Mel, and Liz for responding to fan concerns by procuring them as guests for the podcasts.
Hi Lou,
Thanks for listening, and commenting!
I think you just have to remember that while there was a very vocal uproar about the episode, the “loudness” does not necessarily mean it represented a majority of the viewers, or even of active fans.
I don’t say this to invalidate the real feelings many had about the episode, but my personal experience (albeit restricted to a very small corner of Etobicoke and the people I correspond with on Facebook, email and Twitter) is that the actual majority of people I know didn’t have major problems with the episode. It’s not that they agreed with everything, and not that they didn’t see flaws, but they enjoyed the ride and were not angry at all. This happens to be my viewpoint as well.
We are all absolutely entitled to our own viewpoints, and also free to share them. You’ve shared yours, and they shared theirs (as Mel, Liz, and I shared ours). We may have to just agree to disagree…?
Thanks,
G.
Absolutely Gray.
PS – I was not angry. But disappointed.
But as we saw on Chuck tonight (Chuck vs. the Fake Name) They masterfully poked fun at the whole ‘will they won’t they thing’ as Chuck does so well at everything else it seems. I wonder how silly everyone in uproar must have felt….honestly though if you are watching Chuck solely for the romance between Chuck and Sarah then you are missing out on what the show is really about. Besides, as a friend of mine put it, a romance story without any angst or tension at all is a porno. I can’t wait to see all the disappointing reviews on Chuck vs the Fake Name that are clearly not getting out of this show what it has always given beautifully. The show is still young. It’s absolutely acceptable for the two leads to still have a ‘will they won’t they’ thing going on especially a show of this quality and it’s amazing, original, comedic approach to all the cliches in drama.
Here’s to hoping I’m wrong and the latest episode is praised heavily as it should. I’d like a season 4.
I really liked the interview with Mo! after listening to Gray and Jace, I feel that we have been watching different shows this season. I’m completely 180 degrees out of phase with their comments.
Hi Sam,
Thanks for your comment. We actually chose Mo & Jace largely because they had very different points of view on the Chuck vs. the Mask (Mo had major problems with the episode, and Jace did not).
We had originally intended to have them debate this in a round table format. We couldn’t make this happen because of scheduling issues, so we presented their interviews back to back. We used each of their articles on the Mask as a beginning point for the questions.
As with any high school debate, the most interesting and effective way to learn about a topic is to argue all sides of it. If one was a 180 degree spin from the other (though I’d say it was more like 40-50) I’d say we did well.
That, and I don’t think you’d really want to hear 90 minutes of people only talking about the same unique point of view.
I happen to personally share Jace’s point of view, but I also respect Mo’s, Lou’s, and many other takes on the episode. I don’t have to agree with them, do I?
Hope this helps,
Gray.
I think I fall somewhere in the middle on this. The first thing I said to my wife as the episode ended was, “Cue the wailing and gnashing of teeth…”. She just gave me a blank look. ::)
Anyway, while I expected some sort of furor over the whole thing, and I totally understand it, personally, I am more inclined to step back, trust the writers, and see where the story goes before passing judgement. Perhaps there is a method behind the madness.
I think there is a tendency for us to forget our initial reactions to individual episodes from past seasons. We look back at even the downer episodes from past seasons with rose-coloured glasses because we know what’s coming, and we know the payoff was worth it. Well, the writers know the future for this season, and they keep saying the payoff is worth it. They have not let me down up to this point, so I prefer to believe them until proven wrong.
Hi Dean,
Thanks for your message. Yeah, the “Trust the writers” saying is the best to hold on to, because insiders and critics who have seen the next three episodes say that they are among the best Chuck episodes to date.
– G
Just finished part one and was very happy with the positive spin Mo put on this episode arc. As true fans we need to step back and let the story tellers tell the whole story before we become too judgemental. Sometimes it seems that if Little Red Ridinghood was a TV series all it’s fans would have left as soon as grandmother was eaten.
Hi MSB,
great metaphor! I look at it like chapters of a book, myself.
Thanks,
G.