Six reasons to watch Chuck

CHUCK 101:  Spy comedy on NBC, 2007-renewed for next season

1. It's actually science fiction.  Really!  See, there's this cool computer called the Intersect that can download information straight into Chuck's brain, and the villains have sinister futuristic inventions that must be captured  by our favorite CIA agents. . . and, OK, it's just barely science fiction.  But barely is enough for some.

2. The Buy More shenanigans.  The antics of the Buy More misfits are hilarious, especially in the first few seasons.  (The Buy More, for those who have not seen the show, is the cheap electronics store, located above the secret underground CIA base, that serves as Chuck's cover job).  In a classic episode, scenes from a dangerous spy mission are intercut with scenes from the Buy More, and often these scenes are so funny that you are as anxious to get back to the Buy More as you are to get back to the suspenseful plot.

3. The amazing recurring guest stars.  Some very talented actors have portrayed some very weird and wonderful recurring characters on Chuck:  Scott Bakula (as Chuck's crazy yet genius father), Timothy Dalton (as a charmingly creepy villain), Linda Hamilton (as Chuck's is-she-or-isn't-she-evil mother), and John Larroquette (as the CIA's best seducer), to name a few.

4. The preposterous notions of spyhood.  Being a spy is not a job, in the world of Chuck, it's a calling.  The spies on the show go crazy whenever anyone has a secret.  They lie to each other, interrogate each other, follow each other: they can't help it.  They are SPIES!  Sarah and Casey have no "normal" lives to go back to between assignments, and Chuck's "normal" sister and brother-in-law keep being sucked into Chuck's spy life, in terribly amusing ways.

5. The humor of everyday life.  Whatever is happening in your life right now, Chuck has made fun of it.  I have small children, so I'll never forget the episode in which baby Clara (Chuck's new niece) will only fall asleep to the awful sounds of Jeffster's music played by a stolen stuffed sheep.  Chuck is like a good sitcom made better by the introduction of plot!

6. Characters actually change.  Over the course of the show, Chuck goes from bumbling, clueless spy to nervous, expert spy.  (And if something idiotic has to be done for the sake of a laugh, we now have Morgan as trainee spy to do it.)   Casey reconnects with his family and becomes a bit more human, and Sarah actually unpacks her suitcase and starts to make a home!  It's heartwarming, really.  No, it's hysterical.  It's "Chuck." 

Spring Break

There was not one day, from the third week of January until the second week of May, when all four of us were well.  That's my excuse.  Now, back to the good stuff.