If the series finale of Chuck wasn’t a proper farewell, I do not know what is. These final two hours of Chuck were the most beautiful love letters to the fans, cast, crew, and everyone involved in supporting Chuck over these five incredible seasons. The comedy, the action, the romance, the geek references… it all came to an end last night in the most perfect way. Josh Schwartz and Chris Fedak did not disappoint. Everyone poured their heart and soul into the finale and it showed. What a beautiful ending.
“Wow, it’s all ending, huh?” – Morgan
In Chuck vs. Sarah, Chuck (Zachary Levi) did not have to go far to find Sarah (Yvonne Strahovski) as she made her way back to Burbank… for Chuck’s spy resources in her mission to take down Quinn. The mention of Bryce’s name was the first butterfly to flutter and there were many more after that as the series finale aired. The final nod to Battlestar Galactica did not go unnoticed. We were able to see Chuck riding in the Nerd Herd vehicle one last time. And the flashbacks. Oh, the flashbacks. From the first kiss to the proposal and everything in between… what a wonderful five years this has been. While we will always cherish the moment of Sarah’s moves on the dance floor on her “first date” with Chuck… for some reason, the reference to the yogurt shop is what brought on the choking on your own tears moment over here. What about you?
Chuck wanting to destroy the intersect and Sarah following her orders from Quinn to upload the intersect into the glasses brought a tension that we have never seen before. Everything was going smooth until Sarah showed her “true” colors and attempted to kill her husband, John Casey (Adam Baldwin), and Morgan (Joshua Gomez). Say what you want about Morgan being a terrible person with the intersect… Sarah went above and beyond. If Chuck hadn’t kept one foot in reality, those glasses would not have been switched. But Chuck. Chuck, Chuck, Chuck. My, has he grown over the years. Sarah taught him well. And love drove him to make right decision after right decision after right decision. Love drove Ellie into a parked car with Sarah holding her at gunpoint sitting in shotgun. Love won. Love prevailed. Spies this team may be but its matters of the heart that was the mission this week.
“If you would use a plate when you were eating taquitos, I wouldn’t have to scrub the floors.” – John Casey
When Quinn gets what he wants and turns on Sarah, no time is wasted as Chuck takes the shot for Sarah and tells her to run. They say that if you love someone, let them go. Watching Chuck do that was one of the hardest moments of the episode. With Sarah so far gone, with her memory of certain things (none of which included memories of her relationship with Chuck) coming back slowly, and time dwindling away… it was unclear just how Chuck would get her back. Sarah may not have been open to working things out with Chuck had John Casey not found her and given her the mission log. Watching Sarah’s mission log created yet another tearjerker moment of the night. Sarah may not have felt anything for Chuck before, but at least now (and after hearing their story from Chuck himself) she was finally open to the idea of being won back. Sarah fell in love with a nerd once, Chuck would not allow for such a thing not to happen again. It was like watching the love story all over again. Not only that but Sarah’s interactions with Casey brought upon déjà vu as well. Talk about hard beginnings. If not for Chuck, these two would not have opened up their lives as they have done and to be reminded of that, it’s wonderful. Chuck fans were in for such a treat with the finale. We were given everything we could have ever expected and more. From the comedy to the romance to the drama, we were overwhelmed with all of the reasons we love Chuck in both “Chuck vs. Sarah” and “Chuck vs. the Goodbye.”
“A cloak of invisibility! Yes! You’re a wizard, Harry.” – Morgan
What a host of familiar faces the finale brought! General Beckman (Bonita Friedericy) was not a surprise. Although the Get Smart orchestra activates the bomb story line was. Chuck deciding to upload the intersect one last time in order to cut off the bomb instead of uploading Sarah’s memories of their relationship for her was one of the toughest decisions that Chuck has ever had to make. Watching him make that decision definitely garnered some tears but he is a guy that knows how to do the right thing. Time and time again, that has been tested and every time and chooses right. As difficult as it may have been this time, it was still the right decision. All of that said, he still needed help keeping the music going. Cut to his fellow nerds. Lester (Vik Sahay) and Jeff (Scott Krinsky) may not have been able to convince Big Mike (Mark Christopher Lawrence) about their saving the day moment but these nerds came through big time on their first and last mission. Their eavesdropping and determination to figure out the truth about Chuck saved lives… all while being able to rock the house like they’ve always dreamed of doing. The record deal from Germany that followed was shocking to say the least. But someone out there likes this duo and if they can garner one fan, these two have done their job.
Mary (Linda Hamilton) returning to help save the day was a pleasant surprise. Awesome covering Clara’s eyes as she held the gun brought for yet another laugh out loud moment. More importantly though, the entire (living) Bartowski clan was involved in the mission! Thank you Josh Schwartz and Chris Fedak, thank you! Talk about a perfect delivery. What a precious gift this finale is. Really, there is not enough gratitude in the world to express to the writers for all that they included in the series finale. Watching Casey and Sarah walk out of Castle for the last time was a tough pill to swallow. But the ending was perfect. Bittersweet. Morgan and Alex (Mekenna Melvin) moving in together was predictable and yet suspect given how Alex has reacted in the past in this relationship. But things have been going well after all and perhaps in living together, Alex will take off the rose colored glasses and be able to not take the things that Morgan says in complete seriousness as a joke. Ellie (Sarah Lancaster) and Captain Awesome (Ryan McPartlin) getting offers to work in Chicago was a very fitting and well deserved ending for these two. Chuck telling Sarah their story on the beach with just one kiss bringing her back… beautiful. Truly moving. Sarah’s tears moved viewers everywhere but that kiss brought it home. What a satisfying ending. Everything about the series finale was done right. Every note was hit just right and made for the best series finale of 2012… and the year has just begun. Who else is counting down the months until the Chuck Season 5 Blu-ray/DVD release? Brilliant finale. We will never forget you Chuck! A+.
Favorite Moments:
*The intervention in Chuck’s bedroom was quite comical.
*Chuck accidentally shooting down John Casey’s helicopter in his attempt to shoot a warning shot to Quinn was hysterical. Chuck is not a killer. Anything goes in order not to not hit his target, ehh?
*The “last dance,” if you will, was beautiful.
*Photo Credit: Mitchell Haaseth
