Enjoy the screen caps and always remember Chuck!

*Originally posted on Sunday, January 27, 2013; reposted Friday, February, 1, 2013 due to data loss.

We believe Adam Baldwin, Mark Christopher Lawrence and Mekenna Melvin will Join Yvonne on the Conversation Panel but the lie-up is still to be official announced to they may change.

Nerd HQ will also be doing like Webcasts of each Conversation Panel, which we will be sure to link you all to, for more information on Nerd HQ – click Here.

If you missed the Conversation Panel or want to see it again, Break have now uploaded the Panel in two parts below – Enjoy!!

Please vote HERE and give Yvonne, Zachary Levi and “Chuck” an award they all really deserve!!! [You can vote once a day]

DVD/BluRay Extras

• Chuck: The Final Episode – An intimate look at the climactic shooting of the final episode
• Sandwiches and Superfans: The Saving of a Show
• Spy Tunes: Scoring the World of Chuck
• Chuck: The Beginnings
• Chuck: Through the Years
• Chuck: The Future
• 2 full-length audio commentaries on the final two episodes by executive producers and key cast members
• “Declassified” scenes
• Gag Reel
• Full versions of the Buy More TV commercials with Big Mike and Captain Awesome
• Extended version of the series finale episode

US: [DVD] [Blu-Ray]

UK: Released in October 2012.

 The Figures Include
Chuck Bartowski Collectible Figure
This exclusive Chuck Bartowski Collectible Figure is a uniquely stylized version of the Nerd Herder extraordinaire.

Chuck Charles Carmichael Collectible Figure
This exclusive Chuck Charles Carmichael Collectible Figure is a uniquely stylized version of the super spy.

Chuck Sarah Walker Collectible Figure
This exclusive Chuck Sarah Walker Collectible Figure is a uniquely stylized version of the CIA agent.

Chuck John Casey Collectible Figure
This exclusive Chuck John Casey Collectible Figure is a uniquely stylized version of the former Marine colonel, Black Ops commando, NSA agent, and Buy More employee.

You can View each figure above or the set of 4 HERE.

Oh… don’t forget to comment on your Favourite Caps of the Final episode

P.S. Yes, we are still on a Chuck hangover a month later.

Oh… don’t forget to comment on your Favourite Caps

As much as we may not want to accept the end, it is upon us. We’re about to lose all of our beloved characters to television history, but as they say — all good things must come to an end. And boy was Chuck a good thing.

It was ultimately a story about family, and in a case of life imitating art, a family of fans have grown up around the show. We fans of Yvonne Strahovski joined over a common bond many years ago on Strahotski.com and now have moved to YvonneDaily.com. The good news is that while Chuck may be going off the air, Yvonne Strahovski is surely not going anywhere!

But enough of the sentimental stuff (for now), let’s get on to my very last review of Chuck — Episodes 5.12/5.13: Chuck Versus Sarah/Goodbye.

“Put Chuck Bartowski to rest… once and for all.”

Well that was a doozy. It was an emotional rollercoaster with laughs and tears. It was the end of an era. It’s hard to write a review for this final episode.  It’s hard to separate the critical review of these standalone episodes with 5 years of the friendships I feel like I’ve built with these characters.

Chuck has largely stayed on the air because of a rabid bunch of fans — fans like us — who refused to let it die. These last two episodes were clearly written for the fans. I applaud the writers and crew for really throwing it all out there for us. They could have made the ending more mainstream, but instead they wrote an ending for the fans with endless references and throwbacks; with writing that gets at the heart of the show.

It’s clear to me from these episodes that the creators of Chuck have come to love us for loving Chuck as much as we love them for giving it to us. The final episodes might have been about Team Bartowski, but they were really about the fans, the creators, the stars — the worldwide Bartowski family.

“Loosen up that Leggy Blonde!”

For a show called Chuck, these episodes gave Sarah Walker and Yvonne Strahovski more to work with than most any other episode in the series. It was a beautiful night to be a Strahovski fan. Her performance as evil Sarah turning back into our Sarah was a masterful performance. It was Yvonne Strahovski condensing Sarah’s entire transformation over the course of the show in the span of two hours.

As much as I love Zachary Levi and Adam Baldwin, Yvonne Strahovski absolutely stole the show leading up to the end of the series. Chuck was clearly meant to be the heart of the show, but as love goes, in the end it was the fusing of Chuck & Sarah both that were really at the heart of it.

I’m not sure the writers set out to create a love story, but ultimately that is what Chuck became.

“I’m really glad we’re having this 3rd last mission.”

As much as I loved the Sarah transformation, it necessarily ended up detracting from some of the supporting characters. Casey and Morgan had some great stuff at the beginning of the two hours with their discussions about how things had changed, but then there just wasn’t enough time to really get as much of them as I would liked.

Morgan is always good for a laugh, and was able to get some jabs in but I sorta felt like Casey was too quick to turn against Sarah and then back to his old, ruthless spy life. I can appreciate the goal there — to remind us all where our characters started from — but it wasn’t done nearly as deftly with Casey’s story as it was with Sarah’s.

Still, I absolutely love what Casey and Morgan have built over the years. They were perhaps the most unlikely of friends, but Baldwin and Gomez really managed to convince me that they had a true bromance perhaps every bit as strong as what Morgan and Chuck had at the beginning.

Casey leaving to find Gertrude at the end would have been bittersweet if not for Alex. Knowing that Casey and Morgan will likely be linked by marriage in the future makes the whole dynamic permanent in a satisfying way.

“How many people are in my room right now?”

Chuck has always had a strong supporting cast. I was reminiscing about how one of my favorite moments in the first episode was the description of “Captain Awesome.” He was a throwaway character for some laughs. At the time, I half expected him to just disappear.

But Awesome stuck and together with Ellie formed a really strong support system for the show. The contribution of these two characters really can’t be overestimated. Without them, Chuck wouldn’t have had something to ground himself to. He needed them to always remind us that he wasn’t always a spy.

The ending for Awesome and Ellie wasn’t bad, but it was kind of random. I don’t have any problem with them moving away to Chicago for new opportunities, but it didn’t have the same character motivation that the other endings had. That disappoints me a little, but I can let it go.

“One word: Jeffster.”

What would a Chuck finale be without Jeffster? Those rascals have really managed to worm their way into my heart over the years. At times I thought they were annoying, or too detached from the main storyline, but they had staying power and I found myself lighting up as I started to realize that the only way to save Beckman was for Jeffster to once again take the stage.

Their input into the finale was minimal before that scene, but it was an appropriate way to use them. I can’t think of a better ending for those two then to head off to become German superstars.

“Shut up; we’re saving you.”

Two other minor characters that got their just endings were Beckman and Big Mike. They were the rocks of their respective teams and mirrored each other in more ways than one.

Beckman could have no other ending than she did. She is and always will be the General. Having her saved by Team Bartowski one last time was a welcome treat, and it’s nice to know the team has an open invitation. Maybe we’ll get a made-for-tv movie one day of just one more mission!

Big Mike’s ending is hilarious. The writers deserve so much credit for turning their sponsorship from Subway into one of the funniest running gags in the show. It’s the sort of thing that newcomers probably roll their eyes at, while us long-time fans are laughing every time Subway makes an appearance. I think Subway should consider continuing to use Mark Christopher Lawrence as  a Subway spokesperson in commercials.

I also want to give a quick shout out to Linda Hamilton making a return appearance. I didn’t expect to see her and her entrance was epic. I really wish we would have gotten to see Sarah’s dad as well in some small role.

“Find the porn virus – find it now!”

I loved all of the references in the last episode. It was like a flashback episode with far more cleverness than normal. I imagine there were references that I missed and have long since forgotten, but it was more than just writing. The set designers went out of their way to make sure there were props and clothing reminiscent of previous seasons.

Among some of the less obvious ones, I noticed Sarah’s jacket from season 1 and the Desert Eagle from earlier this season. The obvious ones were also tons of fun — it was great to revisit the White Room and Wienerlicious. It’s too bad the Orange Orange didn’t work its way in there somehow.

That sort of attention to detail is exactly what I mean when I say that these episodes were for the fans. Only we could possibly pick up and appreciate all of those references. It was a great trip down memory lane.

“You fell for me, Sarah.”

And now we have to discuss the ending. I imagine some people aren’t going to like it – they’re going to want to definitively know whether Sarah got her memories back. Is it enough for her to rebuild them and start over with Chuck, or does she really have to get them back to be the “old” Sarah?

It’s a tough question that I guess we’ll never know the answer to. But it’s good to end a series with a question – it will be the age old debate of Chuck fans for years to come. We will undoubtedly have believers on both side of the coin, and we’ll always have to wonder just how powerful that kiss was. It was certainly passionate.

From a character arc perspective, I like where it ended. The problem with the romance between Chuck and Sarah was always complicated because of where it started. By starting over, Sarah gets to really start with her guard down and I think that will only make them closer in the end.

At any rate, I think it was pretty clear that there are Baby Bartowskis in their futures.

It’s been a wild ride, guys, and though I wasn’t able to stick it out til the bitter end with Strahotski.com and writing reviews here, I’m honored to have been allowed back to see it all off.

Chuck is awesome. The fans are even moreso. Long live Buy Moria!

Oh… don’t forget to comment on your Favourite Caps

At the end of the last episode, Quinn kidnapped Chuck, which lead to Sarah downloading the Intersect. The same damaged Intersect that Morgan downloaded, to less than stellar results. Quinn takes Chuck to Japan. He expects Chuck to use his knowledge and experience with the Intersect to help him fix the program in the glasses. He thinks his men are bringing the glasses to Japan, and that Sarah & Casey are dead. Quinn is obsessed with becoming the new Intersect.

But, Sarah and Casey are actually on the train to save Chuck. As we know, trains have been important to this series. “Chuck vs the Honeymooners” used a train to effectively bring Chuck & Sarah together. “Chuck vs the Bullet Train” seemingly uses this fast train to tear them apart.

The one key focus of the episode is the Intersect:

· Sarah having it, and the potential problems she faces;
· Ellie & Devon in Castle researching Morgan’s brain to figure out how the Intersect caused him to “lose memory and deteriorate socially.”
· Chuck and Sarah talking about how cool it is to have the Intersect.
· And, of course, Quinn fixating on how to get an Intersect for himself.

All of this is leading up to next week’s two episode series finale. The Intersect has obviously been a focus of the series from the first episode. Here, however, it is the ribbon that will ultimately bring the series to a close.

Perhaps an even more important focus is how these characters have grown in these five years. Chuck and Sarah have an intimate conversation about their future, with the house, the picket fence, the dog & the baby. Chuck even makes a drawing of the two of them in front of the house, with the dog & baby (Sarah, when Chuck asks if she remembers the picture, says, “I would never forget that.” Any chance this might be significant?!?). The emotional growth and love that these two have created in these five seasons is stellar. Sarah admits that “I don’t want to live my life in danger, anymore” and “I’m ready to retire and start a family. Our future is exciting enough.” Each of them captures the hope of their future in one word: “someday.” But, of course, that is what is put on the line in the name of Fedak’s “epic.”

No one would argue that the greatest emotional growth has come from John Casey. The cold-school killer has evolved into a caring partner and loving father. His fear for Sarah having the Intersect is clearly visible. He worries about the brain deterioration: “What’s your name, rank & serial number?” he asks; and his reaction when Sarah tells them she “can’t remember anybody named Alex” is a strong sign of his concern for these people who have become like family.

Of course, his greatest growth has come from his relationship with his daughter, Alex. When she is kidnapped by Quinn’s man, he is forced to turn on his own team to save her. “Sorry, I have no choice,” he tells Chuck & Sarah. When Sarah seemingly takes out Quinn and person keeping Alex alive, Casey goes full-tilt to save his daughter. He enlists Morgan & Devon to mount an attack to save her, giving them access to his stash of weapons in the Crown Vic. When this fails, he succumbs to using Jeff & Lester as his point of attack. He even reveals that he is NSA, Chuck & Sarah are CIA, and pleads, “I need your help, my daughter needs your help and your country needs your help.” In one of the episode’s lighter moments, Lester replies, “Canada?”

For all the negatives the Intersect brings to Sarah, one element that can only be described as AWESOME is her fighting. At the end of last week, we saw her single-handedly take out Quinn’s men. But she steps it up a notch in this episode. As Chuck comments, “That was some major ass-whooping, honey. What have you been taking, strip kick?” The choreography of these fights is outstanding. And, Yvonne and her stunt double create action sequences that are breathtaking. The cage fight in “vs Phase Three” was amazing. But the fight sequences with Sarah as the Intersect are truly awesome.

The overall mood of this episode is one of foreboding. Obviously, everyone knows the problems the Intersect can create. So there is an overriding concern for Sarah and her mental stability. This is coupled with Quinn as an opposing villain. He lacks Volkoff’s flair…or Shaw’s creepiness. But he exhibits menacing desperation as he will literally do anything to get the Intersect that he feels he deserves. Screwing up Chuck’s life – the man who got the Intersect instead of him – is an added bonus. By destroying Sarah’s memories and taking her back five years to CIA enforcer, he believes he can create the ultimate revenge: that Sarah will kill Chuck.

So here we have it, “Epic.” Some of us could have lived with safe and funny for the series ending. But not Fedak. He has seemingly taken the series back to its core. The opening credits were redone to a “Star Wars”-like look. Even the promo for next week is “epic.” Apparently the way to tie up the series’ loose ends it to cauterize them.

The series we all love is ending. That is sad enough. Dragging us through “epic” just seems cruel.

Maybe taking us back to what brought Sarah and Chuck together in the first place is important. Maybe putting everyone in danger (much like Season 3’s “The Subway”) makes the series more potent. Maybe Fedak just can’t see that happy endings don’t have to come from gut-wrenching melodrama. Of course, none of the information given in any of the interviews actually talks of a happy ending, just a satisfying one.

Next week, we are faced with “Chuck vs Sarah” and “Chuck vs Goodbye.” Both titles give off an ominous tone. Thankfully, the promo presents some bright spots that may prevent the fan-base from any violence, either to themselves or TPTB.

We’ll persevere. We’ll laugh & cry and lovingly remember the great characters & the many wonderful stories.