Chuck vs. Goodbye

Last night I watched my favorite show leave the air . . . I watched Chuck vs. The Goodbye and was able to say "goodbye" to the past half-a-decade of my life. Now if you're reading this, you either are included in the handful of my facebook friends that watches Chuck, or you are just a really good friend of me and read my blog just to humor me. Odds are, you really don't about this show that doesn't exist anymore. I'd like to share with you why this show has impacted my life- not in a stupid dramatic way, but in a very serious way. (Alright. . . it actually probably will be stupid and dramatic.

Warning: I do talk about the finale a bit, so if you don't want to know, remember this blog post and come back to read it when you're ready. If you don't ever plan on watching Chuck, I promise I will make sure that all of this makes sense anyway.

First of all, I should just let you know how this started. I remember seeing the original Chuck promo. It was nerdy, it was funny, it was action-packed. That's what I consider good television right off the bat. So, little twelve year old Marta snuggled up on the couch and watch the pilot of what is now my favorite show to date- and I watch a lot of televisionThe first way I would say this show impacted me is my views on television. I've learned soooooo many things from this show. First of all- I've always been in love with the music in Chuck. This is a job I would love to have- choosing the music for a TV show. They were pretty much all unknown, and all were things that I would picture the main character to listen to. Check out my spotify playlist on the music- I guarantee you that everyone will find at least one song that they love. 

The other is the nerdy connections it makes. If you're a geek in any sense, you'll catch all of the things that they put into the show to satisfy the true nerds. Things like StarTrek references, putting Christopher Lloyd, Chevy Chase. . . in the show . . . Read this article to see all the little things that I mean. (You don't have to . . . I know that no one probably cares as much as me.)

One big thing, probably the biggest thing, is character development. This, you would think, should be the most important thing in a show. Well . . . from what I've seen on the air, it's not always the case. People just make it funny or dramatic just because they can- much like Glee was in its second season. Chuck has always kept their eye on the ball of character development. Last night after watching the finale, I went back and watched the pilot. Each and every character had changed dramatically . . .for the better!

 

The nerdy characters stayed nerdy, while managing to grow up.

The angry characters who found value only in violence found value in family.

Families grew.

And of course . . . the love story plot soared.

This show was different. It was always there for me, as dumb as it sounds. No matter what was going on, I could turn to my friends online and escape. It wasn't happy all the time, but it was good all the time, and that's what I appreciated. I appreciated how in the finale they went back to their roots. 

So, as difficult as it was to say goodbye, I wouldn't have it end any other way. So, here's to Subway sandwiches, helicopters, sizzlin' shrimp, tranq guns, vegetarian pizzas with no olives, diffusing bombs with porn, Tron posters, Castle, Buy More, Nerd Herds and computer glasses that change the world. I'll never forget the one of the most beautiful shows to air on television.

#NerdHerdForLife #GoodbyeChuck

Lasts

I'm sad. I just found out that my favorite show just filmed its last episode today. If I'm being 100% honest, I cried about it. On September 24, 2007, I watched for the first time, unknowingly, my favorite show. I saw the previews. It was a geeky guy in a spy life. What's not to love? Little did I know that this show would become so much to me. On some of my worst days, I could put in a Chuck DVD and feel so much better. I've been to where Chuck was filmed and seen some of their sets.

I even drink tea out of a Nerd Herd mug to make me feel even better. If that's not dedication, then I don't know what is.

Even though I've had some complaints with NBC about how they are finishing their last season, Chuck has never failed me. And this  is a wonderful example of good television. A wonderful indication of the quality of a show is through it's fanbase. Chuck has been threatened with cancellation year after year, but because of popular demand, it has stayed on air up until the very end.

So, while bitterly awaiting the finale on January 27, 2012, I celebrate the four and a half years that Chuck has given to television. As dumb as it sounds... it really has shaped how I view television and has a wonderful contribution to what I want to do with my life. . . but more on that later :)

Episode One Syndrome

One show I've been struggling with is Glee. As a Christian, should this show be on that side bar to the right of my favorite television shows? Lately, Glee has been making some choices that may be hurting or may be growing their audience. Let me explain.

Glee has been choosing to develop very sexual plots. In their first season, they had a very strict plot where they wanted to go. But, after taking a break and returning in the late winter/ early spring, they had what I'd like to call "Episode One Syndrome." What's Episode One Syndrome? Well, when starting up a show, whether for the first time after a break, a season premire, and especially the pilot episode (very first episode of the show) there is going to be a lot of material that draws a general audience into the show. This includes several things like alcohol, drugs, and sex. Now, this draws a general audience, but as a Christian, this makes it difficult to discern between "Episode One Syndrome" and it being a show contaminated and only filled with this kind of material.

At the beginning of Glee, there was some "E.O.S" in it's pilot episode, but it improved. However, come season two, the "E.O.S" never went away. Sexual references made and acted upon, and a lot of them have been homosexually related. It's something I'm not comfortable watching. I don't feel comfortable having that show on the screen when my seven year old sister is walking around the room.

"E.O.S." may be considered "good business." There are people out there who don't usually watch the show who are drawn in because of some of the more raunchy things, but they're not full time viewers. So, here's my suggestion....

My anecdote for E.O.S. is to express all views on the show. If E.O.S works to draw in viewer like that, I think that going into depth in things like religion would also draw in more viewers. If they could express multiple viewers, they would find, in fact, that their viewership would then be multiplied as well.

Communications

As of now, my monthly major is "communications." With a degree in communications, I'd like to get into advertising. Looking at my life, right now what I know most about is music and television shows. I can pretty much tell you why any television show is on at what time, why it is or isn't successful, and how it's trying to make money. What I'd like to do with degree in communications is work with advertising. I'd like to be able to match up ads with the correct audience using things like time slots, background music, and catching imagery to bring in an audience to a product. When I hear a song on the radio, I think "This would be great in a chick-flick movie trailer!" or "I can really see this going in an iPod song," or "I can picture this going into a very sad scene on a TV show." I can really see things when I listen to music.When I watch advertisements, I think about what I would have done differently to make it more catchy to the viewer. It's just my thing. It's something I've been doing for a while and very recently discovered that I could make a career out of it!

What is "Monthly Major?"

Ah... the timeless question: "What do you want to do with your life?" This honestly changes for me all the time. Education, social work, music, communications... it seems to change with the month- hence, "Monthly Major." This blog is a bit different than my other blog. I'm using this blog to monkey around with what I'd like to do with my life. I'd like to talk to you about what I'm noticing in the media and advertising. I hope you'll enjoy!