Although a lot of series are restarting now after the summer, my husband and I were scrolling through viewing options on Amazon Prime a couple of months ago when I pointed to a fun looking image of a nerdy guy and a sexy woman that screamed romantic action comedy, and said, "why don't we try that?" My husband stared at me for a second, then said, "Chuck?" He stared at me some more. "You haven't seen Chuck?" I shook my head and my husband hit play. Apparently this was one of those shows that had been on a few years ago already - the sort he'd watched by himself because I hadn't been interested...Yeah, there are a few of those, like Psyche, which I'll mention again below.
Fortunately, my husband hadn't seen the first couple of seasons, so I didn't feel too guilty about having him watch it again with me and while I wasn't entirely sure what to expect or how good the show was going to be, I soon became addicted.
Here's the gist: A Buy More (i.e. Best Buy type store) employee whose life if fairly dull and ordinary, is suddenly the CIA's most important asset after having all of the CIA's intelligence downloaded into his brain. His handler, Sarah Walker and an NSA guy, Casey, become his partners, joining him on secret missions and saving the world with Chuck often wondering what he got himself into.
It's funny, romantic, action packed and creative. The plots are interesting and always full of surprises, so I'd say there's a little bit here for everyone. Secondary characters are really strong too and allow for some compelling sub plots. There's Chuck's sister and her boyfriend + Chuck's childhood friend, Morgan, who also works at the Buy More and all the crazy Buy More employees, all of whom have to be kept in the dark about the CIA's secret operations and the base that's located right beneath their feet.
So if you're looking for a great show to binge watch, this is one I would definitely recommend along with Psyche and Castle. They're all built on the same premise of an ordinary guy getting thrown into unusual circumstances in which he has to find the skills with which to cope while a more experienced female counterpart backs him up.
There's also a cuteness factor because of the comedy and the romantic interest between these men and the bad ass women on their teams. Of course there are also the annoying moments where you wish the hero would be a bit more adept at matching the heroine's skill set, but since they have other talents (like Chuck being a whiz at computers), it doesn't matter so much if they're not martial art pros. BUT...what is fun with Chuck, is when the program downloaded into Chuck's brain gets an update and he's suddenly able to tap into that kind of knowledge, like how to use a gun, do kung fu or speak another language, but for that you'll have to make it to season 3 - no cheating!
I wish there were more shows like these on T.V. Or maybe there are and I just haven't found them yet.
So give it a try if you haven't already and if you have, share your thoughts in the comments below. Did you enjoy Chuck, Psyche or Castle? Are there other similar shows out there that you'd recommend?
