Hello my friends! It is everyone's favorite blog spot, Dear DR! I have been away for some time, ever since the epic Dear DR that revealed the split between Chuck and Sarah and their running into the arms of other people. Yeah, you thought I was kidding about that, didn't you? That is the magic of Dear DR. It sounds like sarcasm but is the absolute truth. Mwuahahahaha.
But I am not writing this blog to gloat... well, maybe a little bit. No, I am writing this blog to warn you. Not you the regular fan who digs the show and doesn't worry about whether Chuck and Sarah will end up together in the next episode. This one is going out to the crazy shippers. I do like to mock your kind and it has been fun but it is time to prepare you for the fall.
Chuck Versus The Fake Name is THE episode I warned you all about for months. It will crush your little shipper hearts into tiny little bits and make you scream and throw things at your TVs. Hell, even those who are not hardcore fans of the Chuck and Sarah romance will likely cringe while watching this episode. As a hardcore fan, even I am puzzled by some of the choices in it. When I consider that Ali Adler wrote it, I am even more surprised. 3.08 is easily the MOST PAINFUL episode to watch... so far. It makes the forum flame war lead-up to season 2's Chuck Versus The Beefcake seem like we were just making snow angels in preparation for 3.08's nuclear war. I suspect that the reaction to 3.08 will be far more explosive than it was to 3.07. Maybe by two or three thousand times.
Normally I would not write this kind of blog but I want to head off the nuclear apocalypse. Yes, 3.08 is insanely offensive to anyone who likes Chuck and Sarah and adores the established Sarah character. If I didn't warn people of this, I think TV's across the world would end up with holes in them from people tossing their remotes at them.
So, I beg you, shippers, crazy shippers, and other hardcore fan types... please close your eyes while watching 3.08 and plug up your ears and scream "LALALALALALALALA!" for an hour. Though, if you are a Nielsen family viewer, make sure you push your buttons so we get the ratings counted.
Things get much better after 3.08. Things get soooo much better down the line. Stick with it. Thankfully, because I posted this blog now people who would have flipped out will act like it wasn't that bad. So, before I get panicked messages from people on the show, I am doing you a favor. ;)
Thanks.
Your hero, DR.
A dear DR without the usual crazy shipper sarcasm? This going to be some episode. Hopefully we won't get more negative press about the fandom, and ratings won't be hurt.
ReplyDeleteYeah... I actually might join the crazy shippers on this one and set something on fire. ;)
ReplyDeleteForget those crazy shippers... What's this about Sarah?! Does she say no to him again when he asks if she loves him? (and obvious parallel to 1x08)
ReplyDeleteI think the correct term is Shipocalypse.
ReplyDeleteI love that! Shipocalypse!
ReplyDeleteI am going to use it from now on. :) Though, the episode will probably bother more people than just shippers but we will see. I am interested to see what non-shippers think about it.
I love it. Bring on HackSaw! We all know who will stay and who will go in the long run. Chuck and Sarah have to see what they don't want before they can learn what they do want. Also Sarah may be playing Shaw. She did say neither she nor Casey had ever heard of Shaw before he showed up taking control. It seems highly likely she would use pretending to get close to him to learn more about him and if he was the real deal or a double agent of some sort.
ReplyDeleteShippers please consider that and let the story play out.
Offensive to anyone who adores the established Sarah character?
ReplyDeleteI don´t think I would really mind Sarah sleeping with Shaw. And if done right I also wouldn´t mind Sarah sharing her real name with Shaw.
So what else could she do? Answer Chuck´s question, whether she loves him negatively maybe. I wouldn´t really like that.
Or she and Shaw might be manipulating Chuck together.
Anyway maybe I don´t adore the establish Sarah character enough. Or she does something much worse than I speculated.
I think reading the comments afterwards might actually be more painful. ;)
Burkey, the likely issue with the episode is not related to the scene you saw in the trailer that Josh posted the other day.
ReplyDeleteThe Saraholics and shippers will likely mind very much what happens. I can't tell you what happens but I know this fan base and I know what they respond to and... they will respond explosively to a couple of things.
ReplyDeleteWell sounds like i won't like this episode at all and I'm no shipper at all
ReplyDeleteThanks for the heads up. Since the writers want to destroy everything that is Chuck and Sarah especially gasp Ali Adler there is no sense watching this episode. So far the journey hasn't been fun. So instead of quitting the show completely which I am about to do, I think skipping it all together is best. Nothing like watching two guest actors you don't care for wreck the ship.
ReplyDeleteThe genius show runners and now Ali want to chase away their audience, well this is a good way to do it. I really appreciate the heads up so I did not have to waste 42 min of a good Monday. The following week look like a keeper with hopefully none of the C&S angst. Sigh this season has such great promise but they really dropped the ball on this one.
WTWT and angst makes this viewer indifferent. I am sure that is exactly what the show runners had in mind when they created this trapezoid. Normally I woild be pretty vocal about this show and I was in the Mask. But next week you hear a peep out of me. I don't feel like any episode created to drive a certain fanbase crazy is worth my time.
Until Chuck vs The Beard when the real storyline gets going. :D
I'm noramlly okay with these things, and Sarah love interests. And I'm totally fine with Shaw. (whom I love <3) But this post... has me worried. But I'm prepared now, at least. =P
ReplyDeleteBah, she's getting unfairly bashed on already, I can imagine how bad it'll be after Monday.
What happened to your statement that "Sarah will never sleep with anyone but Chuck"? ;)
ReplyDeletewow - i am a big shipper - sort of on the fence as of 3.7 - you sure you are not just messin with me (shippers)?
ReplyDeleteI am not messing with you. This one will be tough to watch. I actually think some people should skip it. It could ruin the show for you.
ReplyDeleteMaybe I should tune in, leave the room, and watch it on DVR back to back with the next episode to avoid a week of despair :/ Chuck is by far my favorite show (all aspects, not just romance) but I don't know if I want to go a week potentially hating Sarah.
ReplyDeleteDid you get screeners for the next four eps. Are you trying to say sarah acts out of character and it bothered you?
ReplyDeleteIs it really that bad? I've heard a lot of good things from most of the critics who have commented on it (I know Maureen Ryan is mixed, but she seems like the exception)...how are the episode's other aspects? I know a lot of shippers dislike the first two Jill episodes but I loved them (not a big Beefcake fan, though I don't HATE it).
ReplyDeleteYou consider yourself a big Sarah fan, don't you DR? You're talking in generalities in the post above, but were you offended by what happens in this episode?
ReplyDeleteOnly you can decide if it is "that bad." I feel like without any warning, it would seem even worse. I have no idea why any critic would say glowing things about this episode... but I cannot imagine that they care as much about these characters as the hardcore fans do if they say they loved it. I don't think Mo Ryan was mixed. I will let her express her feelings in her own space, though. :)
ReplyDeleteI can't really detail for you the other aspects. If I write a review of the next four episodes, I will be more detailed.
Quebert, if I am being completely frank, I would say my reaction to a couple of Sarah elements was... disgusted.
ReplyDeleteAre you writing a review of the next four?
ReplyDeleteI don't know if I am writing a review of the next four. We shall see.
ReplyDeleteSo if I don't care about the relationship aspect of the show but hate the angst. Should I skip this episode? Is it all relationship drama or does it move the plot forward?
ReplyDeleteMagnus,
ReplyDeleteFrom your perspective, do you feel that the inflammatory nature of 3.08 might have long term effects on the show's ratings?
Vlad
JC, I think every episode moves the plot forward in some way. So, I would watch it if I were you, but with the knowledge that it is going to have 12 tons of angst.
ReplyDeleteVlad... I could blow smoke up your butt and say no. But I do think that 3.08 could be a turning point for some people and I hope it isn't because the rest of the episodes are great to crazy epic.
ReplyDelete"Quebert, if I am being completely frank, I would say my reaction to a couple of Sarah elements was... disgusted."
ReplyDeleteDid they assassinate her character, and are you more put off by the character?
Wow. I echo Burkey's sentiments; I too am normally okay (and I'm not going away), but man, I am worried about the fan reaction.
ReplyDeleteI appreciate your instincts to prevent a major meltdown, Magnus. I really hope it pans out.
Joe
Well, as fan big fan of the show (not really a shipper though I like the chuck/sarah dynamic), I'm fine with Sarah FINALLY getting to have some loving from Shaw (if that's what you're refering to). She is lonely, and I HATE double standards, so if Chuck can do it, she can do it too. Equality of the sexes. Go Sarah, be happy for once. ;) Love the show.
ReplyDeleteStar
I kinda hope Sarah gets some lovin ... after 2 1/2 years of 0 action ...poor girl.
ReplyDeleteI don't particularly care for the relationship aspect of the show so ... I ll watch.
Hmmm. No Flamming, no baiting. I think that's what it says just below the "Post A Comment" line.
ReplyDeleteSounds exactly like what your post is all about DR.
And you're suggesting we should skip the episode? Friend of the show are you??
With friends like that, who needs enemies!
I am more put off by the writers thinking any of it was a good idea. It is almost like they got together and tried to figure out a way of pushing things too far. It is puzzling at best.
ReplyDeleteI do think some fans will take it out on Sarah, though. But I don't blame her. I blame the gods who made her. ;)
Magnus, I guess the key word here is patience.
ReplyDelete"Hmmm. No Flamming, no baiting. I think that's what it says just below the "Post A Comment" line.
ReplyDeleteSounds exactly like what your post is all about DR.
And you're suggesting we should skip the episode? Friend of the show are you??
With friends like that, who needs enemies!"
I bet I know who posted this. :) This is not flaming or baiting. These are my feelings about the episode. You don't think I am a fan or friend of the show? Oh well. Pretending to love something doesn't make you a fan or a friend. It just makes you a suck-up.
Vlad, I would say so. 3.08 will likely upset a lot of people and make them think this is going to be the general atmosphere of the rest of the season. It is not.
ReplyDeleteWhat do make of all the tv critics being overly positive about next four eps. You are a fan of charah too right? On the podcasts you say you like them but just don't live for them.
ReplyDelete"I'm more put off by the writers thinking any of it was a godo idea. I do think some fans will take it out on Sarah, though. But I don't blame her. I blame the gods who made her."
ReplyDeleteI gotta say, that's a worrying comment coming from you. You're normally a very big supporter of the writer's creative decisions.
I am just talking about 3.08. I likely agree with any critic who enjoyed 3.09, 3.10 and 3.11.
ReplyDeleteQueuebert, I know that this blog will make me very unpopular with the writers. That is sad, since I do respect them and love their work but if I didn't warn you all, the response on Monday would have been so much worse.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the heads up. I've only become a strong enough fan to start to participate in fan discussion relatively recently. My biggest surprise--now that I've gotten more hardcore--is that episodes I thought were fine--like "Beefcake"--are so despised by the fanbase.
ReplyDeleteI don't know what that means to how I will react to "Fake Name", but your warning has convinced me to stay away from the forums and maybe even twitter next week.
Yeah, the forum fans are very hardcore. And this blog is more for them. The people who don't go to forums and don't live and breath these characters will probably not be bothered by it... much.
ReplyDeleteWhen you say that you're 'disgusted' by some Sarah elements, does that mean that the OOC nature of Sarah from the ending of 3.07 is seen and continued throughout the whole episode, or is it even worse for her character?
ReplyDeleteSo DR, are you telling us the one thing that can't happen regarding Sarah, happens?
ReplyDeleteThanks for answer
ReplyDeleteI should have been more specific though. Does the episode move the spy stuff and Ring plot forward?
Not that I care but Sarah breaks your rule right? Now I feel bad for Cole.
I think the response will be just as bad as you thought even with warning but as least you can say you were the Nostradamus of the next chuckopalypse.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the warning. I had really considered not watching the episode anyway, I really don't want them to ruin the Sarah character for me.
ReplyDeleteIt's really too bad.
I think it makes me ask questions like: Who is this Sarah? Is she a clone? Maybe this is like Broken Heart and she is a replacement? Are there cylons on this show now? What the...???
ReplyDeleteTex, the Sarah-rule will never be broken.
ReplyDeleteMagnus, if you feel the writers are "pushing things too far", I hope that doesn't mean they are breaking one of the unspoken rules of the show. ;)
ReplyDeleteVlad, see the above response. :)
ReplyDeleteit has seemed to me since 3.1, an effort has been made to cut yvonne down to size, and emphasize zach the spy (zack levi won't even talk about Chuck / Sarah from what I can tell), making sarah far less heroic, and much more human .... not so sure the best thing for yvonne might be this to all come to an end, she 'might' have the acting 'chops' to go big time - if she spends too long here, she might get typecast
ReplyDeleteWell, I know that Sepinwall, the guy Sepinwall podcasts with, Televisionary, and Give Me My Remote all mentioned that they liked 3.8 (specifically 3.8, not just "the next four episodes are great), and Sepinwall at the very least is definitely loves the show. Though they did all have the benefit of not having to wait for the next three after 3.8, so that might be part of it.
ReplyDeleteEh, I'll just wait and see. Hopefully this will help defuse some of the post-episode fallout. The people who would be most upset will probably read this and be ready.
I dislike Beefcake, but mainly because Chuck is so whiny and incompetent in it (and I think they go a little too far with the Jeffster plot, even though I generally love them), not because of relationship stuff. But I do respect it because it sets up Lethal Weapon, which is where the brilliant final arc of the season really gets going!
Interesting point but... I actually think they are giving Yvonne more to do with her character. I just think hardcore fans will have a hard time buying it in 3.08.
ReplyDeleteThanks for that DR. Then what the heck are you getting at? lol
ReplyDeleteOnly Sarah sleeping with Shaw would generate the kind of reaction you're positing, imo.
Tex, you will just have to watch to see and then you can tell me how I was wrong. :)
ReplyDeleteMagnus, thanks. Saw it after I posted mine. Whatever happens in 3.08 is one part of a bigger picture. I have come to terms with that.
ReplyDeleteLet's hope the ratings hold up for a renewal so whatever the big payoff is at the end of this season can be explored next season. :)
Gwindor, I think those guys also said positive things about episodes the fan base raged against. I am pretty confident that my finger is better positioned to take the pulse of the hardcore fan base than they.
ReplyDeleteAre you worried this could hurt the ratings for 3.09?
ReplyDeleteWell, if it's not breakage of the Sarah rule, then my next pick would be her name reveal.
ReplyDeleteJC, I am worried about that, yes. I usually wouldn't be but there is a general tone in the episode that could affect people very negatively. I hope that isn't the case because people will be missing lots of awesomeness in the coming episodes.
ReplyDeleteokay, one last question for you. are the things Sarah does in this episode forgivable? Can she be redeemed? Or will this have a lasting consequence for her character here on out?
ReplyDeleteSo you're telling Tex it's implied they sleep together but we just don't see it.
ReplyDeleteQ, That will really be up to the viewer. I do think the NBC forum people will rip her to shreds. The CTV shippers will probably blame the writers/producers. But now that I have let my feelings on the episode loose, who knows? People may be expecting it to be worse than it is. At least I can hope. ;) I do think that stuff that happens down the line will make people either forgive, forget, or allow them to ignore whatever happens in 3.08.
ReplyDeleteWho is crazier? The “crazy” shippers or the producers/writers who know how passionate the shippers are, but want to provoke them as much as possible? Is it crazy that some people are invested in the characters and romance part of the show that the producers have pushed so heavily?
ReplyDeleteIt would seem crazier for the producers of a show, that is always on the bubble for renewal, to tell a story that is as inflammatory as possible and alienate some of their fan base. The producers are taking a risk that some of those shipper fans may not come back even after hinting at things getting better.
If you damage the characters too much in some fans eyes then why would they want to watch them anymore? That is what I fear.
Anyway, thanks for the warning about this episode. I will still be watching, but I am sure I will be grinding my teeth through it. I am glad to hear that the Sarah-rule will not be broken at least.
I agree Tex. It's got to be the name reveal and\or if the punch occurs in this episode, Sarah sides with Shaw (post punch). Episode ends with Chuck Hannah-less, at odds with Morgan (if he's even in the episode), benched and feeling he's lost Sarah again. In a word...hopeless.
ReplyDeleteMagnus, are you being sarcastic or do you mean every word in your post/article/review/warning/whatever you call it ?
ReplyDeleteBR
You think I would be responding to nearly every comment here if I was being sarcastic?
ReplyDeleteVlad,
ReplyDeleteThat seems to be a pretty good possibility. Sarah going to Shaw after the punch would be a pretty good body blow to the shipper fandom. And even worse if she were to reveal her name to him on top of that.
I don't know. We'll find out Monday night.
This episode sounds like it'll make an awesome podcast for you guys. I'm guessing it won't PG rated.
ReplyDeleteThe podcast will be epic. It will certainly be different. I have something planned that will either be hailed as genius or insane. Or both. :)
ReplyDeletePoint taken.
ReplyDeleteBut damn it, I had such high hopes for 3.08... Would you say it's a smart thing to wait for 3.09 to air and only then watch 3.08 and 3.09 at once?
Would that smooth things up, so to speak?
BR
Does the interview bit of 'Sarah feels more comfortable sharing things with Shaw' play into this episode? Possibly the name reveal?
ReplyDeleteThat could piss people off.
BR, the show cannot afford people to not tune in. If you want the big payoff in season 4, you will have to tune in. But you should tune in and just keep telling yourself... it gets better. It gets soooo much better.
ReplyDeleteCan give us something good between Chuck and Sarah happens in the episode or everything is all bad?.. a clue?
ReplyDeleteI am not giving away spoilers. Just letting you know that I predict a very negative reaction. Is there good stuff? Heh. Very difficult to say yes with a straight face.
ReplyDeleteBig payoff in season 4? Are you saying that we have to wait season 4 for the payoff? A season that we don't even know if we'll have?
ReplyDeleteIf there is one honest-to-God "good" Chuck and Sarah scene, I will tune in.
ReplyDeleteTS, there will be payoffs in season 3, for sure. But the biggest payoff will be in season 4. So, we better make sure we get it. :)
ReplyDeleteIt's always darkest before the dawn. Remember Beefcake and Lethal Weapon. Generally reviled but the last 5 minutes of the arc shot the show into the epic Orion arc.
ReplyDeleteI think 3.07 and 3.08 will be viewed similarly in hindsight.
Actually, I just lied in my response to TS. I just don't want to spoil the season. But you will still want a 4th season. I mean, the ending of this season will challenge the HOLY FRAK of the ending of season 2. :)
ReplyDelete"If there is one honest-to-God good Chuck and Sarah scene, I will tune in."
ReplyDeleteWell, I can't judge what you consider "good" so... tune in. :)
Most people tend to react to the now than doing the it gets better thing. Did anything else bother you about the story other than the sarah stuff?
ReplyDeleteVlad, Lethal Weapon is one of the best episodes of the series. Anyone who thinks otherwise is nuts. 3.07 and 3.08 cannot touch it.
ReplyDeleteto paraphrase a competitor (for the show)
ReplyDeleteas the philosopher Mick Jagger once said, Faith has been broken, tears must be cried. :)
No offense but I really don't think it will be as big a deal, people, shippers, fans have seen the promo, they know there's an upswing, I m sure they 'll tolerate the Wild Horses phase
alex
Is the Sarah character attack at all connected to the spoiler that said that she a shaw would have something major in common?
ReplyDeleteIs it more Third Dimension?
ReplyDeleteYeah, I love Lethal Weapon! It's really funny, it's key in the storyline (Suburbs and Beefcake do some stuff to set up the final stretch of the season, but Lethal Weapon is where it really gets going), the action is good, the chart reveal is cool, and I like Cole's relationship with Chuck in that episode.
ReplyDeleteAlex, as far as I know, there has been no promo for 3.08. The promo you saw is for 3.08 to... 3.16.
ReplyDeleteIt is the ending of Mask... on steroids. Or Beefcake, on human growth hormones. Or Third Dimension on tequila.
ReplyDeleteI actually like Lethal Weapon. I think it sets up the latter part of season 2 amazingly well. A lot of what Cole mentors Chuck to do in that episode is carried over into the subsequent episodes.
ReplyDeleteWhat launches into the stratosphere is the last five minutes (which I have watched over and over countless of times).
What I meant was the arc was reviled from a shipper perspective. But upon closer inspection, the payoff is there at the end, with the declaration at the fountain.
It be nice to have a sense of hope at the end of 3.08, but something tells me, we won't be getting that until 3.09 or later.
So you lied. Whatever :) I don't want you to spoil the season. It's just that I didn't buy the turn of the last ten minutes of episode seven, and now you say that probably I won't buy Sarah's character in episode eight. When can I catch my breath...
ReplyDeleteTS, without spoiling anything... you won't have to wait too long to fall in love with Chuck and Sarah all over again. :)
ReplyDeleteVlad, or later.
ReplyDeleteMaybe the fact that there is a What's Next promo and there is not a promo for episode eight is already damage control.
ReplyDeleteDid you like beefcake or hate it? Don't remeber what you said about it.
ReplyDeleteI hated Beefcake when I first saw it. Now, I can like parts of it. But I think it is a very weak episode.
ReplyDeleteJust 1 question, is this episode going to be one of those will Chuck and Sarah have scenes together that makes it look like they hate each other? Like the fight scene in Chuck vs Crown Vic
ReplyDeleteAnswering that would be a spoiler and I don't want to spoil the actual content of the episode.
ReplyDeleteOne last question.
ReplyDeleteIs it a good punch? Does Zach sell the anger behind it?
Will the build up of CS feel natural after this episode? Season 1 & 2 has great build up. Will 3.08 damage their situation so much that the episodes after it will look...somewhat forced?
ReplyDeleteThanks for this Magnus! Hopefully I'll be able to convince myself that I'm about to watch the most painful hour of television ever before I sit down on Monday night. Man, I can't wait to hear the podcast, it's going to be crazy! Still, I'm looking forward to all that Chuck is going to bring to the table, I trust that any stupid stuff I sit through will be payed off eventually. -reesespuff27
ReplyDelete"It is the ending of Mask... on steroids. Or Beefcake, on human growth hormones. Or Third Dimension on tequila." Love this! XD I think I'm ready now. Let's do this!!! Oh wait...it's only Friday. :[ -reesespuff27
ReplyDeleteI don't know if it will damage anything in your mind. Personally, I will pretend 3.08 never happened.
ReplyDeletereesespuff27... you have my word. There is a payoff to all this suffering. :)
ReplyDeleteGreat Question JC! I hope he sells it, I plan on venting my own anger through that punch. -reesespuff27
ReplyDeleteThere are some things you just can't pre-emp. Is that a word? I just meant that while I appreciate the warning, I don't think it would help anything or do anything to prevent Chuckapocalypse 2.0. It's coming and it's going to be ugly. As ugly as Dennis Rodman dressing in drag and marrying himself. Because it's one thing to know and fear and another to experience. The experience is so much more volatile. I just hope the damage isn't too bad and I won't find myself apathetic more than anything afterwards. Thanks anyways, I know you tried.
ReplyDeleteYay! Payoff=New Definition of awesome. -reesespuff27
ReplyDeleteHow is the shaw and sarah relationship handled in the next four episodes? You were looking foward to it do you feel they dropped the ball there?
ReplyDeleteJem, I do think the reaction will still be pretty huge but... without any warning, I can only imagine how much bigger it would be. I still think the reaction will be major. And sadly, most of the critics will treat it with contempt for the fans.
ReplyDeleteSo from knowing that you already saw the following episodes and yet you still want to pretend 3.08 never happened, I'm guessing none of what happens is explained or redeemed, only forgotten?
ReplyDeleteI think if I answer a question about the Sarah/Shaw (Saw) relationship in the next 4, I will spoil something so... I will not answer. Sorry.
ReplyDeleteNot even a general how you thought about it?
ReplyDeleteUmmm... to borrow from a friend: my feelings on the matter are complicated. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for the raised brow! The only time I've ever threatened to abandon ship was if Russell had won Survivor 19! Bring it on!
ReplyDeleteI sure hope Russel will be sole survivor on season 20. :)
ReplyDeleteDid you expect this from Ali Adler?
ReplyDeleteCan I get the gun and shoot my head? JK ^^
ReplyDeleteSay something positive about Charah ;)
If what you say comes true, and I have no doubt it will, don't you think it was kinda dumb for the writers/producers/showrunners to risk the audience like that? Especially coming off the Olympics when the show has been off the air for 2 weeks and having had the lowest ratings the last ep. Guess we'll have to see how the ratings go. As one of those fans with no more investment in Chuck and Sarah together as Chuck and Sarah per se, the show can easily get to a point of blah upon which it becomes a chore to tune in. I really thought the writers messed up 3.07 in the last ten minutes. I'll buy some of what their selling but not all of it and they were asking for a lot in 3.07. Sounds like 3.08 is asking for more than I'm willing to part with. I've always thought Sarah was the one touchstone of the show upon which you could ground it with - looks like they're willing to play on that. Clone indeed. Last time a character got anywhere clone-like the show lost me.
ReplyDeleteMagnus or should I call you Col. Jessep. Is Sarah the ice queen from Pink Slip or worse?
ReplyDeleteCan you give us one line? Funny or otherwise?
ReplyDeleteDon't like survivor me neither. I asked about the shaw/sarah thing because of how for it you were in the podcasts.
ReplyDelete"Did you expect this from Ali Adler?"
ReplyDeleteNo. I expect only perfection from her. But she doesn't create the story on her own. They decide this stuff as a group. I still have faith in Ali to deliver epic Chuck and Sarah stuff... down the line.
"don't you think it was kinda dumb for the writers/producers/showrunners to risk the audience like that?"
ReplyDeleteI don't like taking shots at the writers/producers. They have created one of the most amazing shows I have ever seen. It actually bothers me a lot to even feel like I had to put up this blog. But I only did it because I feel strongly that the reaction will be soooooo negative, and fans were expecting such a different episode with Ali writing it, that I had to say something.
So, was it dumb? I don't know if that is the word I would use. Like I said, it is puzzling. Sad, even.
Sarah was an ice queen in Pink Slip? Did we watch the same episode? If you mean is she pissy and on fire and trying to push Chuck away because he hurt her... then... maybe.
ReplyDeleteDoes chuck do something to make her angry? Will we be mad at something chuck does?
ReplyDeleteOh well I'll have to watch this episode in my sadistic frame of mind. The same frame of mind that ends up landing on FOX News to see what O'Reilly and Hannity or whatever the douches are saying that I know are going to annoy the hell out of me before I change the channel.
ReplyDeleteShaw makes me miss Cole. Jill needs to come back and be the one who assasinates him. (<3 Jill) :-D
So instead of a Countdown of 3 days of looking FWD to an episode of Chuck, I have to bump it back up to 10 days. Whatever the case, I'm excited about 3.09 on. I read great things are in store.
Mmmmm... 3.09. Oooh.... 3.10. Ahhhhh... 3.11. OMFG... 3.12. HOLY POOOOOP 3.13!!!! :)
ReplyDelete"Especially coming off the Olympics when the show has been off the air for 2 weeks and having had the lowest ratings the last ep. Guess we'll have to see how the ratings go."
ReplyDeleteRemember, they write and shoot the episodes well ahead of when they air. They didn't know when they wrote 3.7/3.8 that the Olympic hiatus would be then (in fact, they thought for awhile they might be premiering after the Olympics).
Gwindor, that is correct. They expected that these episodes would run back to back... in April.
ReplyDeleteI smellz the OC season 3 curse befalling Chuck.
ReplyDeleteMagnus, if people tune out promises of payoffs won't get them to tune back in. It's not just about shippers (I m not one) ... if people stop caring about the characters, they stop caring about the show. Makes no difference to them if 10 episodes down the line they do something cool.
Let's give the folks in charge the benefit of the doubt and the handy excuse that they didn't see NBC inserting this two-week break. So no dumbness there, maybe wrong word to use.
ReplyDeleteStill, I feel it is risking the audience when you tinker too much with a product that works really well. Unless the idea is a total strip down then rebuild of it in some more awesome form. Yet, you're reaction makes me think this is not the case.
My reaction to 3.07 was "Oh, come on now?!? Really, you want me to buy that?!?" Its the reaction of a fan who feels like they're pulling my leg here. Looks like 3.08 is going to be more of that. I agree with you, in anticipation of the coming Shipocalypse the critics are going to say exactly what they did for 3.07. So, who's going to hold the folks in charge's feet to the fire. Obviously, they're betting heavily on our love of the show and hoping we all have the patience to get to the other side. But bad writing and execution is just that - bad writing and execution. Sometimes the show you love just plain sucks. And if it keeps sucking then well... you know what happens then.
"Mmmmm... 3.09. Oooh.... 3.10. Ahhhhh... 3.11. OMFG... 3.12. HOLY POOOOOP 3.13!!!! :)"
ReplyDeleteThis makes me smile. Thank you!
I am not a shipper...but I have longed for adult conversation between the S/C characters...is there at least some of that in the next 4eps?
ReplyDelete"Makes no difference to them if 10 episodes down the line they do something cool."
ReplyDeleteI am good at predicting how this fan base will react. And the promise of something down the line will definitely keep them around. People want to hold onto hope... and in this case, there is good reason to keep holding onto it.
ChuckAnonymously, well said.
ReplyDeleteMakes me miss Jill also, what does that say....
ReplyDelete"I am not a shipper...but I have longed for adult conversation between the S/C characters...is there at least some of that in the next 4eps?"
ReplyDeleteThis is going to come down to what you consider an adult conversation. How about adult understanding? One of my favorite C/S moments in season 3 is when she defends him in Castle (in 3.04) and Chuck and Sarah just share a look of understanding that says so much about how much they believe in each other. I prefer that to any forced conversation.
Is the Chuck and Sarah reunion, for lack of a better word, believable or just another 180 to fit the next arc? Are there any further consequences to the actions done in 3.08 that play out in the next few? I'd like Sarah to have to earn Chuck's trust and/or respect for once.
ReplyDeleteI am not going to answer questions that don't deal with 3.08 here. For that, you will just have to return to this blog when I give my impressions of the rest of the season. :)
ReplyDeleteOkay, if you had to watch one on repeat on a desert island, which would it be? Beefcake or Fake Name?
ReplyDeleteThose are my only choices?! I guess Fake Name. It has hotter chicks. :)
ReplyDeletePlease tell me that the "Sarah, do you love me?" is not in this episode.
ReplyDeleteTelling you that would be a spoiler. But I can tell you that most of the scenes in that promo were not from 3.08.
ReplyDeleteWhen I say "adult conversation" I guess I mean spelling it out...a "what are we to each other" conversation that is true and not "this is what I say and not what I mean" thing that seems to be a fav writers/showrunner artiface.
ReplyDeleteHey...if they are two people who spell it out...they are friends...it doesn't say they will always just be friends...but it doesn't give folks proverbial false hopes that cause flaming posts....just my two cents.
They did spell it out in 3.03. They are just friends. Any other conversation that changes that dynamic would be a big spoiler. I am not going to give out a big spoiler in here. ;)
ReplyDeleteheh - bring the pain - i can handel this... and if it get's to bad/mad... ill do the usual things i do when i like a show but then 180's and completely disapoints me...
ReplyDeletei'll just stop watching it... easy
Thanks for the heads up and all of the comment responses! I was unnerved at first, but now I feel better having lowered my expectations. Severely lowered. :)
ReplyDeleteSo does Chuck man up this episode or does he regress to whiny Chuck.
ReplyDeleteOkay...I'm not an expert but I don't think both have ever put their emotional "cards on the table" in verbal form. Because of that Chuck may have thought Sarah wanted him to run away with her b/c she wanted to protect him...not because she loved him. They say they are friends because one person isn't honest with the other or chooses not to reveal information (ie: the memory stick Carina gives Sarah after Chuck thinks she has already heard that important bit of info...and thinking that is dismayed when he overhears her requesting off the assignment (meaning him))
ReplyDeleteIt's funny that a person has to say for certain that it would be better to skip the episode. It's almost like asking for a boycott unconsciously, which is not good.
ReplyDeleteAs you are a smart guy, could say which episodes promo cover? 308-3XX?
"They say they are friends because one person isn't honest with the other or chooses not to reveal information"
ReplyDeleteBut you ignore Pink Slip and how Sarah put ALL her cards on the table for him. She is wounded. Chuck thinks he has lost her for good. So, there is an adult reaction going on here. My problem with 3.07 and 3.08 is that I don't believe the writers established Sarah as a person who would suddenly run into Shaw's arms.
Tulio, a boycott is something very different. I am not asking people to not watch. I am saying that some people would probably benefit from not watching since they will overreact far more than is necessary.
ReplyDeleteBut as we see in Pink Slip...she never spells it out...it is in code...the "this is real" speech--- which is lovely---but in Chuck World could be construed a couple different ways...and not necessarily as "I love you, Chuck." Like you, I think most viewers (and perhaps some writers) would agree they all suffered the whiplash that was the last ten minutes of the last ep.
ReplyDeleteThis is the point. They MUST see the big picture. Not only what is "good" for them.
ReplyDeleteThe reaction to 308 is as important as any other.
What about the promo question?
Did you get a screener because mel at chucktv thought you didn't. Did you just give us a little spoiler in your second to last reply with sarah running into shaw's arms for 3.08.
ReplyDeleteIf you were to assign odds that some deception is involved with sarah's actions - such that 3.8's OOC behaviour is explainable, what would they be, she is so funky with facial tells, eye shifts, head bobs, she would have made a great heavyweight boxer? And again, thx, I assume you took this step knowing you would be pretty unpopular with TPTB?
ReplyDelete"Did you get a screener because mel at chucktv thought you didn't."
ReplyDeleteInteresting. That tells me everything I wanted to know. :)
"If you were to assign odds that some deception is involved with sarah's actions"
ReplyDeleteThere is no deception.
Where there other elements of the story for next ep that bothered you or was it just the sarah stuff?
ReplyDeleteAfter reading this, I am expecting the absolute worst. Hopefully that will make the episode a little less traumatic. I'm thinking about waiting until the end of the week to watch it though because I've got a lot of stuff going on, and I don't want Chuck to ruin it.
ReplyDeleteSo speaking of season 4, what are the prospects for that right now if the ratings don't improve much for the rest of the season?
ReplyDeleteProspects of S4? Hmmm... I would say they are as good as they are bad. Keep working on getting people into the show.
ReplyDeleteSo does this episode have the potential to support an epic drinking game? If someone were to take a shot every time Sarah and Chuck acted out of character would they simply be pleasantly tipsy at the end of the episode, or are we talking a trip to the emergence room for a rousing night of stomach pumping?
ReplyDeleteFYI, I rejected a couple of comments for just being unnecessarily mean spirited to people working on the show. Unlike some sites, I don't roll like that. You want to vent, do it elsewhere. Especially since I know you are full of it and will watch every single episode. So why pretend otherwise. You have been saying the same thing for over a year.
ReplyDeleteOh, one comment got rejected by accident but I did read your comment, Rachael and will take it under advisement.
How is Chuck in the episode, is this the fabled Dark Chuck we've heard about?
ReplyDeleteI'll ask it one more time, maybe you answer (I'm boring) >.<
ReplyDeleteCould say which episodes promo cover? 308-3XX?
Magus I think of Chuck and Sara like I do my favorite sports team The Cincinnati Reds and Bengals every year they seem to disappointment me but I keep coming back every year because there is always hope so as long as there hope for Chuck and Sara I keep coming back even if they disapoint me now and again
ReplyDeleteTulio, I answered that question a long time ago.
ReplyDeleteJC, the whole episode is dark.
Anonymous, it is Magnus... and sounds good. :)
Magnus let's hope after 3.07 and 3.08 the other 11 episodes this season will be great ones at least we know 3.09 3.10 and 3.11 will be good let's keep the ratings up and get a season 4 and thank you for the warning I know this will not make you popular with the Chuck staff right now
ReplyDeleteMy bad. o>
ReplyDeleteKeep up the good work. Some comments may be malicious, but deep down we all love you ;)
The time you spent here was certainly more respectful and productive than that interview of JS/CF after 307.
Lol thanks Magnus I came back here looking to see if my comment was posted and I was like "Hmm was it something I said??"
ReplyDeleteSince I'm sure everyone is just DYING to know what my comment was (heheh), I said that I really hope Magnus reviews the next 4 eps ahead of time like he did for the first 5 of the season. Reason being that he's mentioned that he really liked 3.09, 3.10 and 3.11 ... and if everyone is gonna hate 3.08 this much, his early review of the following three will help ppl realize that the world isn't going to end after 3.08.
I am definitely disappointed to hear that 3.08 is not great though ... I was really looking forward to this one since Ali wrote it. And I love Sarah so I hope I don't dislike her after this ep. Pfft.
That's a lot of comments. Instead of watching the episode as usual Monday, I'm gonna watch with the sound off and listen to Hall and Oates instead.
ReplyDeleteThe show will deliver some amazing things this season. I don't know how well it will all be executed but the story is.... beautiful, I think. There will always be bumps in the road for Chuck and Sarah, and other characters, but I feel the biggest bumps are in 3.07 and 3.08. If you can make it through 3.08 and still ready to fight for this show, then we are going to win this war for the ratings and more seasons.
ReplyDeleteAnd thankfully, most of you will love the direction that writers are taking it all.
You know, I don't really care if Chuck and Sarah are together. I mean I like them. But for me the writers can decide to separate them for good. But it has to be for good. The relationship has become the main story. Even if the writers say it is just a sobplot, they are handling it as it is the main story. This is a problem for the show.
ReplyDeleteTS, I don't mind Chuck and Sarah not being together. I actually prefer that they be with other people (Hannah... so pretty). But there is a segment of the fan base who are very much invested in it and even more so in seeing the characters in a certain light. And this blog is for them... because they are the ones who will react very strongly to this episode (as they did 3.07).
ReplyDeleteI didn't like the last ten minutes of episode seven. They were too rushed. So probably I won't like episode eight either. I found interesting your "I'll pretend episode eight never happened". If you can watch the other episodes deleting episode eight, it's worse^^. I mean it's like the writers wrote episode eight just to overwhelm fans with angst. And this is bad from a storytelling point of view. Because this seems not about the story, but just a game the writers are playing with the viewers. And these games could ruin a show (it did in the past). Of course I didn't watch the episode and I don't know where they are going. I was just considering your words^^. What do you think?
ReplyDeleteI think that 3.07 and 3.08 demonstrate an effort to push forward a story element that some fans will buy (those not as dedicated to the show as many of us are). It is something that works very well in television and it is why writers use it as a plot device. I am not a fan of it and I know "crazy shippers" hate it. So, like I have said already, I posted this blog to temper expectation.
ReplyDeleteReally Hannah over Lou? Stunning and makes a killer pastrami sandwich. No contest.
ReplyDeleteI am weird. I like gorgeousness. I can always order food. :)
ReplyDeleteOne last thing^^. By the way, thank you for your time. I think Chuck/Sarah's thing is an important part of the show. But after two seasons and a bunch of episodes we should have a real answer. Yes or No. "It's complicated" is not a real answer^^. Of course it's complicated in the spy world, but if they are in love they have to fight for it. If they aren't, let's face it and go on with the spy stuff. But all the angst makes the show less funny. As I said I don't care if they are together, but I have to say that I'd like it if "Chuck" was that kind of show that has the courage to put them together for good, and continue with the story. After all, there are plenty of funny scenarios you and I can invent with them together. And Chuck's writers can surely think of funnier situations. Thank you again.
ReplyDeleteI loved the warm, lite, comedy they wrote in S1/S2 which I think many did which almost requires CS interaction, but IMO the S1/S2 spy story was more like get smart or the spy who shagged me than some deep, dramatic spy thriller.
ReplyDeleteI have finally come to grips that S3, the writers are honestly writing a different show - OC-centric in personal relationships (which almost rquires CS LI's) and more serious in the spy plot, it took ep 3.6/3.7 to show me that, obviously 3.8 will reninforce this notion.
but I have decided that I will try to like S3's OC-centric spy drama from a distance while hoping for a return to s1/s2's warmth and comedy, but watch without the emotion I invested in S1/S2's charmer that I fell for - it is gone for me, and I am not willing to give it back. Just one man's opinion.
I understand... and agree in some way. I feel that 3.07 and 3.08 are the hiccup points in this story that are meant to rattle the cage and get people out of their comfort zones because that is what is happening to Chuck. I just don't think they executed it very well. And I think the reason for that is because they rushed us to that point instead of working it out over several episodes. This may be a product of the initial 13 episode order. Whatever the case, thankfully the episodes that follow are better and I think fans will be pleased with the overall direction of the Chuck and Sarah (and Casey) dynamic.
ReplyDeleteChuck will go through a "My life is over" period. So I guess he has to think that everything in his life is falling apart. And that everything will continue without him. He is alone. I get that. But from what you say, it seems that this thing is executed by bending Sarah's character, a little. My fear is that what will happen in the episodes that follow, is not "believable". Or it'll just ignore what happens in episode eight.
ReplyDeleteI remember an interview. Yvonne said: "Things happen in episodes 6-10 that everybody would love to see". What did she mean? :) We had episode 7 and 8. 2 out of 5 are clearly not what everybody wanted to see :) But maybe I'm not everybody. In fact I'm Nobody :) Thanks for the blog.
ReplyDeleteTS, I guess you will be able to tell me how you feel about it in... 2-days. :)
ReplyDeleteNobody, I have no idea what she meant. I don't really remember her saying that but I will take your word for it.
She said that to Ausiello. Ausiello said that the first five episodes were good. She said "The next five are better". And then she added "Things happens...". Maybe it was just advertising. Or maybe in episodes 9-10 something very big happens :) But I don't think so.
ReplyDeleteMagnus,is this just bad writing or is also down to the lack of chemisty between Yvonne and Brandon Routh. Mo Ryan mentioned in the last podcast that she felt the writers were fighting against (unsuccessfully by the sounds of it) the chemistry that Yvonne and Zac have. Is this in part what she was talking about? I'm just failing to see what the showrunners must have thought they saw in Brandon Routh to extend his run. He's just been a bit meh for me thus far.
ReplyDeleteIf Sarah will do "something bad against Chuck", at least I hope Chuck will man up. I don't want to see him sad and depressed over Sarah again. I don't want to see him crawling towards her. She should be the one to do that (if she does something bad against him). But the "Do you love me" scene makes me think this won't happen^^.
ReplyDeleteIs it funny at least? Would this be a bad episode to get someone into the show?
ReplyDeleteNobody, parts of the next five, sure. But she may not even be sure what episode is what, since they shoot these very quickly and move right onto a new one.
ReplyDeleteStrangeWorld, a few people who have seen it have said to me that they felt it was about chemistry but also that it just didn't feel like CHUCK. I think it comes down to forcing something that doesn't feel natural to the show.
TS, there is no "do you love me" scene in episode 8. I don't know why people keep asking me about that. The promo was for a whole mess of episodes, not just one.
Gwindor, I have no idea. Beefcake was an episode the hardcore fans hated but the general public seemed to like. So, I have no idea if it is a good episode to introduce someone new to the show. There is lots of hotness in it. :)
No, I didn't mean that. I said that considering that Chuck is the one who will ask "that" question, this means Sarah won't be the one who will crawl towards Chuck. But again, Chuck will crawl towards her. I hope it's clear now, if you read again the previous post^^.
ReplyDeleteIf I answer that truthfully, I will spoil stuff, so I will just say that you shouldn't speculate about what will happen based on 4 seconds of a promo. :)
ReplyDeleteYou're right. But the promo is too cool to not speculate^^. And we have this great promo and now episode eight^^. It's difficult. Anyway, I'll watch the episode. I'll be back to write my opinions. Thank you again.
ReplyDeleteThe show is getting too tween for me, sorry. They built a chasm between Chuck and Sarah, fine, no problem, they want to resolve it, fine no problem, the problem is they are trying to resolve it like a tween would, not like an adult would. And that sucks for the characters. I mean things like that may work on the OC or GG but they most certainly don't work on a more adult oriented show like Chuck. Somebody IMO needs to tell them that.
ReplyDeleteYou know what I hate by the way? 20 people I know watched vs the pink slip, we were are looking forward to it. Monday there will be 5 of us watching. Not because any of us particularly cared about whether Chuck and Sarah hook up, because most of us feel it's ridiculous how they have the characters behaving.
I love Sepinwall, but he never truly criticizes the show and is pretty much of a suck up to the writers and producers. I think the fans are more honest and more real in their assessment as are the bloggers. I hated 3.7 and I am certain I will hate 3.8 and am disappointed Chuck has become a show I dread watching. 3.9-3.13 won't be the same for me after this midsection. But thanks for the heads up.
ReplyDeleteI don't understand what the writers are doing. Are they trying to make people indifferent? If they put together Chuck and Sarah when nobody will care anymore, what's the point? They are ruining the show for me. They are turning "Chuck" into an average show. They can't count on us to save the show again. They owe nothing to us, it's their story to tell. True. But we owe nothing to them.
ReplyDeleteCarol, I am a big fan of Sepinwall and there was a time when he did take them to task for things, but not since middle of season 2. The same goes for Televisionary. Hell, any of the Chuck fan sites. None of them will speak their real feelings about the show, at least not openly. They are all afraid of losing their contacts. I am different in that I didn't pursue official contacts. So, I have nothing to lose. And even if I did have something to lose, I am always going to give you my true feelings on the episodes. I have spent a life losing... I am a pro at it now. ;) There is nothing they can do to me that is any worse.
ReplyDeleteHaving said that, I think you will be right back to shouting your love for the show after 3.09-3.13. :)
GOB, well... I know others (who will never speak about this openly) feel exactly as you do. All I can say is that, at least on paper, after episode 8, the rest of the season goes into maximum overdrive of quality.
ReplyDeleteYou say "on paper", Magnus - have you seen these episodes or are you going by what you know about the script?
ReplyDelete