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Chuck fan Jeff R. emailed me after “Chuck vs. the Gobbler” with an interesting observation: Casey’s fate in that episode was foretold all the way back in episode 1.3, “Chuck vs. the Tango.” Ready? Here are the five points on Jeff’s line.
- In season 1, “Chuck vs. the Tango,” the female terrorist La Ciudad has captured chuck and ponders just how she should go about torturing him. Â She mentions three possibilities–1) cut off a toe, 2) pull out a tooth and 3) chuck him out a window.
- Later in season 1, “Chuck vs. the Undercover Lover,” Casey goes out the window, but it’s while tied to Chuck as they’re escaping the bad guys.
- In Season 2, “Chuck vs. Santa Claus,” Chuck Mauser dropped a gun and shot Casey in the toe. Â It just seemed an odd coincidence.
- Then in Season 3, “Chuck vs. the Fake Name,” Chuck has to pull out Casey’s tooth to prove his legitimacy to the goodfellas.
- Season 4, “Chuck vs. the Gobbler,” completes the hat trick with Casey being thrown out of the window. Â Chuck doesn’t do it himself, but since it was still a member of he Team Bartowski, I am going to say that it counts. Also, the same actor who played La Ciudad’s bodyguard Uri played the Gobbler in this episode.
What do you think, can we credit the writers with such a long payoff? Or is Jeff’s throughline coincidence?
That’s amazing!
Casey is getting to be the Kenny McCormick of this show…
Maybe, but he’ll never get to the standard of vincent in season 2! That guy just would not die!
In sesaon 2 chuck vs the santa cluase chuck didnt drop the gun Ned did. chuck tell him how put the safe on.
Quite right. Ned Ryerson accidentally shot Casey in “Santa Claus”. The time that Chuck dropped the gun was in “Lethal Weapon” (2.16) where he got his foot caught in the window, and the discharging weapon hit Perseus in the leg.
That right! yeah i remember that casey tells sarah before chuck comes in that chuck has Gun! that so funny!
In an episode where the writers couldn’t remember that Chuck’s food of choice when he’s depressed is a big jar of Cheese Balls–not Cheetos or Fritos?
No. We can not credit the writers with such a long payoff from foreshadowing that Casey would be thrown out a window. It was simply the easiest way for them to have Sarah “kill” him and not know his true fate.
If you guys want to watch a show where foreshadowing is done right, watch Babylon 5. Even in the midst of uncertain renewel and cancellation.
J. Michael Straczynski did this by creating a series bible including the pilot script, artwork, lengthy character background histories, and plot synopses when he pitched the show.
Fedak and Schwartz seem to have a long term plan for Chuck but based on what’s we’ve seen on screne, it doesn’t appear to be as detailed a plan as Straczynski had. Seems like more of a fluid outline giving their staff of writers more artistic license and creativity.
Babylon 5 required such detailer preplanning. Chuck doesn’t.
Give the writers some credit – I’m thinking that was more product placement than an oversight.
I think this is entirely true, Jeff, and we should all be looking back, combing through the original episodes for indications of what might be coming up in future arcs. Because it’s fun! Thanks for this new fan game.
p.s. I hope your parents didn’t name you after Jeff Barnes. 😉
I think they did this to Casey because we the audience know that as a character, he is indestructible.
Well, you could say Casey is either Kenny or Wolverine…
No, no, no—the writers do not get credit for such a long term set up–They routinely leave too much hanging in the wind unresolved to think they can plan this far ahead. If they were to read this it would be news to them.
This Jeff R guy needs to get laid….. To much time on his hands.
probably a total coincidence… the chuck writers had no idea the show would last this long haha
I say Casey is the heart of the show and u know why? without him Chuck and Sarah prolly would still be apart dancing the will they/won’t they bs. Casey is my hero!!!! now i hope thye stop treating him like the fat kid already, too much Charah around, where’s the love for Casey? not just Alex, Casey need a woman, Kathleen, Ilsa, hey also Carina why not??
There was an episode where I believe chuck and the gang got out of a van that said “Tuttle something” on it.
Foreshadowing? Probably not but still interesting how little things tie in.
^ Sorry, it was a Fulcrum agent in a “Tuttle Electric” van in 02×07.
I think some things are more planned and tied in and some are just coincidences. I think it’s more of a coincidence than jeff’s reasoning coming into play.
It was Ned who dropped the gun, not Mauser.
Ned didn’t drop the gun. He was feigning unfamiliarity as how to disengage a cocked gun when he “accidentally” discharged it into Casey’s toe.
Ned never dropped the gun. Since he was FULCRUM, he shot Casey intentionally and made it look like an accidental discharge.
I agree I doubt the writers could plan a story arc that far in advanced especially when your just existing saeson to season and thinking that episode thirteen of each season will be your last Sending people in and out of windows seems to be the way the writers deal with many situations and characters over the course of four season Casey has to fall out the window in Chuck v’s the Couch lock to save himself before climbing into the dumpster Le ciudad Escapes smashing her way in and out windows In Chuck vs the Gravitron the fulcrum agent fallls out the window to his death before chuck can save him In Chuck versus the Other Guy Shaw escapes through the window to the Flag pole Chuck and casey go out the window together in Chuck V’s the Unndercover Lover to land in the swimmming pool I sure if look closely there is much more window related incidence see what you can spot
While we are talking about planning storylines, everybody remember back to Chuck vs. the Santa Claus. In that episode Ned lets everyone make a phone call to a loved one. Casey calls someone and says “Hello Mother, It’s Johnny Boy”. Now that we know his name was Alex Coburn and everyone thought he died that was bad planning on the writer’s part. But they do such an awesome job on most everything else, I am willing to let it slide.