After five seasons, it’s time to say goodbye to the Buy More, as NBC’s spy comedy “Chuck” comes to a close with a two-hour finale at 8 p.m. Friday. Here are six things I’ll miss most about “Chuck.”
6. Jeffster! As Buy More Nerd Herders, Jeff Barnes (Scott Krinsky) and Lester Patel (Vik Sahay) aren’t exactly Employee of the Month material, even after Jeff stopped accidentally inhaling carbon monoxide on a regular basis. But as members of the cover band Jeffster, they are equal parts awful and awesome. Their renditions of songs like “Mr. Roboto,” “Push It” and “Blaze of Glory” provide not only background to the series’ action, but also some of its highlights.
5. Ellie and Chuck’s relationship. With both parents off spying, older sister Ellie Bartowski (Sarah Lancaster) had to step in and be a surrogate parent for Chuck (Zachary Levi). Their relationship provides the heart of the show, especially in the early seasons. The Bartowski dinner table is a touchstone not just for the siblings, but also for friends, estranged parents and loner spies, forming an unlikely but deeply dedicated extended family.
4. Captain Awesome, Awesome for short. Chuck’s brother-in-law, Devon Woodcomb (Ryan McPartlin), is a handsome cardiovascular surgeon with a passion for extreme sports and his wife, Ellie. You’d think with the stress of saving lives, skirting danger and climbing mountains, he’d be stressed. Not so. Whether he’s working with Doctors Without Borders or playing Mr. Mom, Devon is laid-back and, well, awesome at everything he does.
3. John Casey. Adam Baldwin stole every scene in the short-lived “Firefly.” Now, as Ronald Reagan-loving, gun-toting John Casey in “Chuck,” his grunts can carry a scene. When rival security consultant and potential soulmate Gertrude Verbanski tried to take him on a romantic getaway to South Beach, he hated it. She later romanced him with talk of dangerous missions and weaponry, the real way to his heart.
2. Morgan and Chuck’s bromance. Fellow geeks Morgan and Chuck have been best friends since childhood, with a love of the same movies and video games. When he first became a spy, Chuck was reluctant and inept. When best buddy Morgan (Joshua Gomez) stumbled upon Chuck’s secret and started joining his friend on missions, he was less reluctant but even more inept. But they, and their friendship, have managed to survive it all.
1. Sarah and Chuck. Before he became a super spy, Chuck was just a computer geek who worked at the Buy More and wasn’t living up to his potential. When he inadvertently downloaded the top-secret Intersect program into his brain, Sarah Walker (Yvonne Stahovski) was the beautiful CIA handler assigned to baby-sit him. She has killed for him, and he has shown her how to trust. In the finale, it appears that Sarah and Chuck will be pitted against each other, but any “Chuck” fan knows their love story has to have a happy ending. Maybe they’ll finally get that home with the picket fence.
— Heather Chavez
