Chuck vs. Ace the Average Asian

Just how I like to spend my Friday nights -- staying in and blogging! I LOVE my life... ooooh yeeeaaahhh...

Anyway it's been about a week since the madness that was Comic-Con 2009, and it's my turn to throwdown some coverage so here we go...


There are two, and only two shows that I watch religiously. And anyone who knows anything about me knows that the first of those shows is 24. (Jack Bauer kickin' ass on a weekly basis! Need I say more?) The other one may surprise you a little. Well, maybe not since it's in the title of the post. But yes, I love CHUCK!


Now I actually had the opportunity to check out both panels, and as much as I love 24, tonight I'll only be reporting on Chuck because it was honestly the best panel of the Con. Granted, I have some biases, but hopefully by the end of this article, you'll see why it was the best.

But before I go into the panel stuff, allow me to briefly say why I love this show:

First and foremost, Yvonne Strahovski... or rather Strahotski. Hot blond girl playing a sexy CIA agent already scores major points; throw in the fact that she's really Australian and an extremely talented actress... seems like a winning combination to me. In fact, the only reason I wanted to go to the Con this year was to meet her and take a picture with her... and mission FAILED... but more on that later.

Secondly, the show is essentially about an ordinary guy being called upon in extraordinary situations to do extraordinary things. He's an Average Joe, who's just trying to find his niche in life, but is unwittingly caught up in the world of espionage. And Average Joes everywhere, like me, basically live vicariously through Chuck, as he saves the world and gets the girl in the end (at least we hope).

Lastly, the show has a great balance of action and romance, drama and comedy, (a "romaction dramedy" as I like to call it... I'm sorry for that... that was terrible) which appeals to all audiences. The entire ensemble genuinely seems like they enjoy working with each other, and they all share great chemistry. It's so easy to watch and fall in love with because of all its wit and charm. The writers do a great job of subtly alluding to pop culture icons throughout each and every episode. Plus, Sepinwall said it best that CHUCK provides a level of escapism for viewers. In these harsh economic times, when hope is scarce, and all other television dramas require a level of "bracing for impact," CHUCK allows all viewers to easily escape and forget about their worries for an hour.

Admittedly, I wasn't always a fan of the show. I watched it intermittently, despite my friend's suggestions to really give it a chance. Long story short, I gave it a shot and fell in love with it. And like I said earlier, the entire reason I wanted to go to Comic-Con this year was to meet my future wife, (even though she doesn't know it yet) Yvonne Strahovski. But imagine my distress when I found out that CHUCK was on NBC's chopping block. So I was committed to ensure that the show garnered a 3rd season, and making sure that the cast was going to be at the Con. So I joined the Chuck phenomenon. I worked hard to protest CHUCK's cancellation -- I wrote letters, I sent NERDS (the candy, not people), and I bought ALOTTA Subway! ($5 Footlongs are still my favorite food btw!)

I know that you all think that I'm some kind of super-fan by now... but hey, all our hard work paid off. The cast was at the Con this year and it was... A-W-E-S-O-M-E! Where other panels almost felt like the panel-guests were there out of obligation to plug their shows and movies, Chuck's panel was genuinely all about fans.

Now, you have to understand that words can't really do justice to fully describe the experience, but I'll do my best. The stage was set with celebratory exuberance from the get-go, starting with a performance of Queen's "Fat Bottom Girls" from the show's very own cover band, Jeffster. Right as the song approached its peak, the rest of the cast marched out onto stage, celebratory hands raised in victory, applauding the efforts of the fans.

When the crowd finally settled down, Zachary Levi (Chuck) said a few words of genuine, heart-felt appreciation to the fans for starting grassroots campaign and fighting so hard to bring back the show. But aside from all that, I thought that it was just so cool, for lack of a better word, that the ENTIRE cast came out. Like I said earlier, most of the other panels at the Con were there solely for the purpose of promoting their respective movies or shows, which consequently brought out only of the few obligatory stars. But how cool is it that CHUCK's ENTIRE cast was there, just to say "thank you" to the fans?? There was really nothing for them to promote, since they had no footage of the upcoming season (because they haven't started shooting yet), just genuine, honest appreciation and love. The simple act of all of them just being there really was an earnest gesture of gratitude.




The cast was so gracious and so appreciative that they really tried to give the fans what they wanted -- extending their time up on the panel as long as possible. They insisted on extra questions from the audience. They came out after their photo-op on stage, after their panel was over, as fans flocked to the stage to get their last minute photos, and shook hands, fistbumped, and signed autographs. NO other panel did that!

Of course I'm generalizing here, but in my honest and humble observations, I saw that during a hectic Convention, where everyone was there essentially to promote their own agendas and create a buzz for themselves (basically whoring themselves out to all the geeks and nerds) out of sheer obligation to their respective studios, CHUCK was in a class of its own, as the sole program and cast that was there truly for the fans.

So I guess all that's left to say is... "Aces, Charles. You're Aces."

(As for my mission... well let's just say that I was too late to jump into line for autographs. BUT there's always next year!! Help me get there again! WATCH CHUCK!! EAT SUBWAY!!)

Thanks for reading and You stay classy... Planet Earth...