Susan Hated Literature

Created/Writer: Chris Fedak & Josh Schwartz
Dir: McG

1. Zachary Levi … Chuck Bartowski
2. Adam Baldwin … John Casey
3. Yvonne Strzechowski … Sarah Kent
4. Joshua Gomez … Morgan
5. Sarah Lancaster … Ellie Bartowski
6. Ryan McPartlin … Captain Awesome
7. Don Abernathy … Traveler

So having been alerted to the fact that pre-air tv programmes have slipped through onto the wonder that is the internet, and, having heard that Adam Baldwin was in this one, how could I not dl it for a gander? You can see the trailer on the NBC site, and there will be spoilers if you read on.

The opening scene introduces us to Chuck and his best friend Morgan as they discuss how best to make their escape. Only, this isn’t some life-threatening situation. Oh no, this is a party. Chuck’s birthday party in fact. But he knows no-one there, his sister has invited all her doctor type friends so that Chuck can find himself a girlfriend.

So we get the info that Chuck is a bit of loser. Especially when it comes to dealing with the opposite sex. And even more especially when compared to his ex-room-mate Bryce. Cause as Chuck attempts to talk to one of the party guests we learn all about how great Bryce was. And also how Chuck had a girl, Jill, but something occurred, and she ended up staying with Bryce.

And speak of the devil. Cause who do we cut to only Bryce, as he does spy-type work, and look, typing away on computers, showing off how great his gymnastic skills are. But other spy-types are in pursuit. Hey look, it’s Adam. Yay!

But is a baddie, cause he has just killed Bryce, and he totally shot first.

Before Bryce bought the farm however, he did manage to send an email. And to who, but Chuck! Good Lord, who saw that one coming?

Chuck opens the email and, after fond memories of some computer game featuring nasty knives, all the information that was contained comes spilling out, leaving Chuck quite transfixed. In fact, he doesn’t move, but remains staring at the ‘puter all night. Collapsing in the morning. Only to have Morgan wake him. He doesn’t seem to know quite what happened, but while taking a shower he listens to the news and suddenly Info-Dump, or at least that is how I intend to describe these sorts of flashes of images and info. Cause I figure they are going to continue to happen, and I can’t think of a better description, yet.

Of course he still doesn’t know what all these images are about, so he heads to work, moaning about a headache. A headache that means he’d like Morgan to drive. Morgan is thrilled, Chuck acts all “whatever” but then suddenly tells him to take a certain route because the police will have a phased deployment of some technical description. Cue looks of puzzlement.

But obviously they get to work, at the Nerd Herd. Or at least Chuck works there, Morgan works in the wider store. Anyways, irrelevancies aside. Chuck begins his day by briefing his fellow employees on a computer virus, and describes how visiting some Russian sex site leads to the total melt-down of your computer.

After another Info-Dump Chuck helps out a few customers. He flirts with a pretty woman called Sarah. He goes out of his way to be nice to a father and daughter. All letting us know that Chuck, he really is a good guy, isn’t he? Anyway, after work he and Morgan head for Chuck’s home, only to disturb a ninja-like robber trying to make off with Chuck’s ‘puter. Or at least the hard-drive of it. The confrontation results in a comedy fight, of sorts, and the ‘puter is disturbed. The ninja leaves, and omg! it is pretty Sarah that Chuck was flirting with earlier.

Back at the store, I think, Chuck bumps into a suspicious looking dude. And Info-Dump. But despite Chuck’s worries, sus-dude wanders off and eventually leaves after buying whatever hardware it was he needed.

Meanwhile Sarah is telling her boss that the ‘puter has been destroyed. He calls her off the case, saying they are handing it over to Adam’s crowd. She protests. Asking for 12 hours, just in case there is an external drive floating around somewhere. Then she hangs up and goes to visit Chuck playing the flirt-card, and succeeds in getting Chuck to come on a date with her.

Adam watches. Okay, his character’s name is John Casey. So, Casey watches.

Chuck floats home and reveals the news about the date to his sister. Or, to be more accurate, Morgan beats Chuck to the revelation.

Then we get to see Chuck and Sarah as they prepare for the date. Chuck with the shirt and whatnot. Sarah with the sharp pointy weapons and the body armour. She also talks to her boss again, and asks what should she do if he tries to run. “Kill him” comes the response. Just as Chuck arrives at her door, flowers in hand.

They head off to a restaurant, where they chat. Chuck about his sister’s boyfrriend “Captain Awesome”, and Sarah about her ex, Bruce. Hmmm, Bruce… Bryce. Could they possibly be the same. D’ya think! They wander through the streets, still chatting, Sarah doing a little digging, or trying to, but she likes him. Info-Dump as Chuck spots a convoy of big black cars with a police escort. But he brushes it off, and they head out to a club.

Casey is still watching. He and some agents are sitting in a car as Casey gives the orders. Chuck is the mark, he should be captured. The skirt, she can die.

At the club Sarah spots that they are being trailed, and under cover of dancing she takes out a whole host of agents without Chuck even noticing. Casey watches from a distance, and follows as Sarah and Chuck leave. She then shows great skill in breaking into Chuck’s car, and in driving in reverse. But eventually Casey’s crew rams Chuck’s much smaller car. Chuck and Sarah take off on foot, but Casey’s car is still running, so Sarah, in quite a cool move, uses some emergency bollards to disable their car, if by disable you mean crash and cause to explode

Sarah begins to reveal the secrets; Bryce was in the CIA. They know all about the email, and she tells him all about the information. Then she tells him she is going to point a gun at his him, but he really shouldn’t freak out. Casey arrives on the scene; he has his gun pointing at Sarah. He wants Chuck, but she bluffs that she’ll kill him. Chuck starts to freak out. And then gets a handy Info-Dump that the NATO dude who has been on the news is going to be killed. Tonight.

Casey now thinks maybe Chuck should die, and the standoff continues with his gun aimed at Chuck, while Sarah aims at Casey. She also tells Chuck that Bryce is dead. Chuck is shocked, and begins to wonder what happened. This derail is slightly annoying Casey, so he fires his gun, just to get them focused on the issue at hand. Chuck reveals that he knows that a bomb has been planted, to klil the NATO general, so they set off to be heroes.

At the hotel Chuck guides them to the correct spot, running through “a lot of genitalia” along the way. But they make it to the right room, and find the bomb, and a right tangled mess of wires it seems to be. And it is getting near detonation time.

I’m not going to spoil the very ending. But you can sorta guess it, right? But suffice to say that Casey isn’t a BAD bad guy. All in all, this was an entertaining enough programme. I wouldn’t be rushing to watch, but there are some nice touches and flashes of humour. It could work well.

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