Chuck

Chuck Bartowski began the series as a sad disappointment.  But, in a way, it was a content sadness.  He had a steady job that he was good at, he had his best friend to spend time playing computer games with and he had a supportive sister.  He still has all those things a third of the way through season 2, but things have grown vastly more complicated.  When we first met Chuck, the disappointment he had in his life was shared.  At least, he could be honest about it.   Chuck is still the same disappointment in the eyes of his loved ones, only now he has to keep much of his life a secret from them and will have to continue to do so for an undetermined length of time.  The last two episodes of Chuck have brought Chuck hope, given him an outlet for honesty which was sorely lacking.  However, this was false hope, and one has to wonder how much further the presence and betrayal of Jill will toss him down into the gutter of his own psyche.  

Chuck, neuroses and all, is an upbeat guy.  He's a king of nervous laughter, wringing out the humor in any situation.  This is because his show is ostensibly a comedy.  But think about this – what if Chuck kept the same characters and plot lines, but turned into a humor-less drama?  A dramatically drawn Chuck Bartowski would be the saddest, most pathetic character on TV.  Not pathetic because of anything he did, or even the way he carries himself, but because of the predicament he finds himself in.  He is in a jail of responsibility.  The weight of keeping your entire life a secret can't be understated.  Being unable to explain the reason you remain an utter disappointment to the objective viewer/loved ones has to wear on a person's psyche. 

Point being, can the writers reasonably afford to paint Chuck as anything but a tragic figure following Jill's imminent departure?  This would take away from the comedy of the show, but the character seems ripe to explode once he learns the truth about Jill.  He's been placing all of his eggs in the Jill basket for two episodes, and his happiness is basically up to Jill.  The truth will be crushing.  Dwelling on darkness is not Chuck's MO, but it would be fitting for at least the next few episodes to find Chuck in a dark personal state. 

This is why, I think, Sarah and Chuck's relationship might take the next step soon enough.  The two clearly have feelings for each other.  The question has always been whether Sarah would be willing to follow through on those feelings or, in another way, allow herself to feel those feelings in the first place.  Jill's presence has brought about jealousy, though silent, in Sarah.  Last night's episode illustrated this perfectly.  I think the whole Jill saga will be the spark Sarah needs to go through with it.  Also, once Sarah sees Chuck's Jill-induced heartbreak, she'll know that he's going to need her company.  Complications will abound if the two decide to shack up, openly or not, and could be a solid plot thread for the remainder of the season.

Or, they could remain apart and Chuck could perk up out of sheer will and comedic necessity.  I've been wrong before.  All too often, in fact. 


-Oscar Dahl, BuddyTV Senior Writer
(Image Courtesy of NBC)