monday night tv

I watch a lot of tv. Wait too much. More than is probably healthy. I think once I got the DVR hookup, I started watching even more television. Because, you know, I could record sooooo much.

The next few months are proving to be a little bit stressful. As so happens (quite randomly, or not...) Monday nights are going to be furiously insane tv viewing nights. There's How I Met Your Mother and Heroes (which I still begrudgingly watch - I have faith, you know?), and now 24 has come back. But more importantly than all that I am in love with Chuck.

Why Chuck, you ask?

Well, I've decided that instead of writing about the possibly stalker esque owner of my gym (a place which reminds me of Average Joe's in the movie Dodgeball) or the local opinion columnist doing all that is in his power to convince people my place of employment should not exist or the fact that my co-worker "Accidentally" wore her mom's pants to work yesterday - I will write for you TEN REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD WATCH CHUCK.

1. It's created by Joshua Schwartz. Who's he? Well he created The OC. And Gossip Girl (which I have yet to watch - it's in my Netflix queue). Say what you will about The OC, but that first season was fab. It was wonderful. I was such a sucker for Ryan's brooding and Seth's adorableness. Marissa didn't piss me off yet. And hello, Summer Roberts was totally awesome!

2. It's about a regular guy becoming a spy. And who doesn't love that idea? I used to love playing spy games as a kid. And this crazy thing called the internet makes spying (or stalking - it's all semantics people) so much easier. Yes, the plot is a tad contrived - according to IMDB.COM - When a twenty-something computer geek inadvertently downloads critical government secrets into his brain, his former college friend turned CIA recruits him as a secret agent, all while keeping him out of evil hands -- But trust me, it works.

3. One reason it works so well is Zachery Levi or Chuck. He's tall, slightly awkward, and not immediately attractive, yet cute. This is also known as the Jim Halpert effect. He's not immediately handsome. He spends most of the show wearing the uniform of the Buy More Nerd Herd and drives around in a tiny Toyota Matrix (I think that's the car.) And that site of him in the car is hilarious. But he also carries his part well. You root for him even if you think the story is ridiculous.

4. Another reason it works so well is Yvonne Strahovski. She plays Sarah, a CIA agent with the task of protecting the "asset" known as Chuck. It's pretty clear she has feelings for Chuck, but plays her role deftly and brilliantly. She does more with a look then the entire cast of Heroes does with words. Oh and she's hot. And she can kick ass. OH! And she is a woman who is hot and kicking ass and not using sex to do so.

5. Oh another reason it works so well is Adam Baldwin. He plays Casey - an operative with the NSA who is also given the task of protecting Chuck. But we all love him as Jayne on Firefly. And that's really the reason I started watching the show. I love anything Firefly related (although I still haven't been able to watch the Sarah Connor Chronicles.) Plus Adam Baldwin plays uptight Casey as someone tough on the outside but soft in the middle. He has this gooey inside that you can't wait to see crumble week after week as he develops real emotions for Chuck.

6. The writing. I had been watching this after Heroes. And the drastic difference between that writing and this writing is astounding. The show is clever. Pop cultures are thrown in but not overabused (something Josh Schwartz learned with The OC). I am never bored by the dialogue. I don't get distracted by a knitting project and miss half of what just happened. I'm sucked in from beginning to end.

7. Chuck loves his iPhone. And I love my iPhone. iPhone's make everything better.

8. Captain Awesome and Ellie and Morgan and the rest of the Buy More crew. When they all work seamless - the show cracks, pops, and sizzles.

9. Gary Cole as Sarah's (CIA agent) dad. He may or may not make a re-appearance. But his brief spot this season was brilliant. It reminded me of why we love Gary Cole. He's Lundberg. He's the dad from the Brady Bunch movies. He's good in everything he does.

10. The theme song is Cake's "Short Skirt, Long Jacket." 'Nuff said.

And this would be the end of my Chuck Public Service Announcement.