Unpacking Chuck 2.0: The Conversation Continues

When self-publishing Unpacking “Chuck” last July, G. Walter Bush had no idea that less than a year later his literary analysis of Chuck, still the only book on the former NBC series, would be read in over 20 countries. Or that it would reach #1 Kindle best-seller on Amazon (TV: Guides & Reviews) in October, and the softcover, released in November, would crack the top 5 in the same category (1700+ titles). That success, along with a 4.8 out of 5-star average review rating, got him thinking about writing a follow-up volume, especially since the first book was only a partial treatment of the show.

Unpacking Chuck 2.0: The Conversation Continues focuses more on supporting characters – heroes, villains, sidekicks, and comic relief – and their impact on the show’s main characters.

“The first volume focused primarily on Chuck and Sarah, Team Bartowski, and a few key good guys: Bryce Larkin, Frost, and Orion,” Bush said. “Though some attention is given to key points about Chuck and Sarah missing from 1.0, the focus this time around, character-wise, largely shifts to auxiliary characters and the two main villains.” Entire chapters are devoted to Big Mike, Jeff, Lester, Beckman, Devon, and Volkoff, with an additional chapter on Jeffster and another two on Shaw.

The two opening chapters focus on The Intersect, arguably another supporting character, and two more on cues to reading the show’s audio-visual text, specifically hand and stage props as well as recurring cinematography motifs.

The book is rounded out with analyses on Season 2’s Jill Arc, the “Chuck vs. The Baby” episode of Season 5, and a consideration of how a Chuck movie could be shaped to complete the five-season story.

Despite the differences, Bush insists that the 2.0 will be much like the 1.0.

“As in the first book, elements from all five seasons are addressed, and each analysis, using an objective perspective, is based on detailed support from the text. There’s also a fair amount of variety in the topics.”

Not surprisingly, he’s pleased with the product. “I think the 2.0 is every bit as good as the first book, and in some ways may even be better. This time around I had a clearer focus on the content I would be covering from the start, even before the research began, let alone the writing.”

Unpacking “Chuck” 2.0 will be available in softcover and Kindle editions from Amazon on May 30, 2015.

Until then, there’s still time to read Unpacking “Chuck”.