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Bryce Larkin

Bryce Larkin

Seasons: 1, 2
Portrayed by: Matthew Bomer
Status: Deceased
Occupation: CIA Agent
Bank accountant (cover)
Aliases: Mr. Anderson
Bruce (by Sarah in conversation)
Relatives: None known
Relationships: Chuck Bartowski (friend)
Sarah Walker (ex-partner/girlfriend)
Residence: Connecticut (formerly)
Appearances: Chuck Versus the Intersect
Chuck Versus the Imported Hard Salami
Chuck Versus the Alma Mater
Chuck Versus the Nemesis
Chuck Versus the Seduction
Chuck Versus the Break-Up
Chuck Versus the Ring
Quote1
Your Klingon is a bit rusty, Chuck.
Quote2


Bryce Larkin is a recurring character on the spy action-comedy series Chuck, on NBC. He is portrayed by Matthew Bomer.

Bryce is the former college roommate and fraternity brother of Chuck. He was once the partner of and romantically involved with CIA agent Sarah Walker.

Bryce was responsible for sending Chuck the Intersect, instigating the events of the series.

Biography[]

Bryce was born July 14, 1981 in Connecticut, as established in the episode, Chuck Versus the Intersect.

ChuckGotcha!

Bryce and Chuck at Stanford

He attended Stanford University, where he met Chuck Bartowski in 1999 (Chuck Versus the Alma Mater). Chuck and Bryce quickly became friends, beginning with their mutual interest in computers and video games. While at school, they wrote their own version of the classic text based computer game Zork in C++. They also competed against one another in games of Gotcha! on campus.

It was Bryce who was acquainted with Jill Roberts, and offered to introduce Chuck to her, eventually leading to a semi-serious relationship between Chuck and Jill.

Unbeknownst to Chuck, Bryce was recruited into the CIA by Professor Fleming in 2002. The following year, Bryce learned that Fleming intended to recruit Chuck, as well, for the Omaha Project. In Chuck Versus the Alma Mater, Bryce sacrificed his friendship with Chuck to protect him from a military operation, for which they were going to offer him no choice, effectively drafting him. He feared Omaha would destroy Chuck, who he thought was too good-hearted for the life that represented, and he wanted his friend out of it and safe. He therefore conspired with the professor to frame Chuck for cheating on his exams, and thereby invalidate the results for the CIA who would then lose interest in Chuck. When Fleming then called Chuck in, instead of interviewing him as intended, he accused Chuck of cheating, and told him Bryce turned him in. This led to his expulsion from Stanford, and thereby safety in obscurity.

Jill Roberts told Chuck that she was seeing Bryce after his expulsion and their breakup, and for five years Chuck believed Bryce had betrayed him twice over. Jill later claimed she was never in a relationship with Bryce, and only said she had been on the orders from Fulcrum who had recruited her just as the CIA had recruited Bryce.

Chuck Versus the Ring would imply that Bryce had been in contact with Orion, Chuck's father, either just before or just after the expulsion incident, since Bryce said Orion was aware that he had protected Chuck and kept him out of the CIA draft.

In Chuck Versus the Break-Up, it was established that Bryce was first partnered with Sarah prior to 2005, confirmed by the pictures on Sarah's phone, marked 'Cabo 2005', and showing apparent private photographs of the couple. At some point, their professional relationship also became an intimate one.

In Chuck Versus the Nemesis, Bryce was contacted by a CIA splinter group called Fulcrum,  and tasked with stealing the Intersect. He decided to destroy it while on an apparent rogue mission, before Fulcrum could gain access to it; he did not share his plan with Sarah, not knowing who to trust. This is the mission seen in Chuck Versus the Intersect.  Bryce is shown stealing the Intersect and sending it to Chuck, using their custom Zork game as a code, before he is shot by Casey. Chuck had mentioned earlier that evening that he thought Bryce had become an accountant. It was later revealed, in Chuck Versus the Ring, that Bryce's mission to destroy the Intersect was assisted by Stephen Bartowski.

Series[]

For much of the first season Bryce Larkin is believed to be dead, and Chuck attends his funeral in Chuck Versus the Helicopter. Dialog throughout the first half of Season 1 reinforced the idea of Bryce's betrayal of Chuck, and that his accusation of Chuck cheating on his exams utterly derailed Chuck's life, sending Chuck on a downward spiral he had not yet recovered from. Chuck is unaware of Bryce's work with the CIA and his apparent death until told of it by Sarah in Chuck Versus the Intersect.

1999bryce

Bryce meets Chuck

Bryce's theft of the Intersect and his sending it to Chuck gives him an important place in the series' mythology as his actions set the overall arc in motion.

Bryce is next seen in flashbacks in Chuck Versus the Alma Mater, when the team's mission takes them to Stanford and forces Chuck to confront his history there. During the course of the episode, the truth of the events surrounding his expulsion are revealed, and Chuck is made aware that Bryce did what he did to protect him.

It is first revealed that Bryce survived being shot by Casey in Chuck Versus the Imported Hard Salami. And in Chuck Versus the Nemesis, while being held in a government facility, Bryce refuses to speak to anyone but Chuck. Chuck, however, is reluctant, "You want me to go in there and and ask him what exactly? Just so we're on the same page. Hey, Bryce why did you send me the Intersect? Why did you chose my life to ruin? How exactly do I start that conversation?"

Chuck is then forced to prove his identity to Bryce by responding to a question Bryce posed in Klingon. When asked, Bryce was dodgy about why he sent Chuck the Intersect. He asked that his friend lean in closer, then he breaks free and holds Chuck hostage. After escaping, Bryce makes his way to Chuck's apartment, where he tells him and Sarah that he is not rogue. He confirms this by stating the operation name, "Sandwall," which Chuck then flashes on. He explains that Fulcrum agent, Tommy, was led to believe that Bryce possesses the Intersect, which was the reason Bryce was revived by Fulcrum. Bryce needs to tell the CIA about this conspiracy, but needs to know that he is being handed over to the real CIA, not Fulcrum agents. A handover is arranged for him to take place at the Buy More.

Obit

Bryce's cover obituary

When Chuck doesn't flash on the retrieval agents, Bryce is on his way. Unfortunately, Tommy had deduced that Chuck was the real human Intersect, and appears at the Buy More to apprehend Chuck. Bryce and Sarah escape an ambush and rush to save him. After defeating Tommy by shooting Chuck, who confirmed - in Klingon - that he was wearing Kevlar, Bryce is ordered by General Beckman to go deep under cover and pursue Fulcrum. According to Bryce, for all intents and purposes, he was dead and was to remain so. Not even Chuck, whom he regarded as his only friend, could know where he was going. Fulcrum agents, thereafter, believed that Bryce was the human Intersect.

Bryce resurfaces in Chuck Versus the Break-Up to obtain the team's assistance in recovering an update for the Intersect that was stolen by Fulcrum. To Bryce's shock, Sarah abandoned the pursuit of the intel to protect Chuck, who had been captured. Bryce continued to push Sarah on her feelings, before he was confronted by Devon Woodcomb, who told Bryce that Sarah was in love with Chuck. Bryce attempts to warn Chuck off, by telling him that Sarah's feelings for him nearly got her killed. Chuck responds that she was doing her job; protecting him.  Bryce said he knew Chuck would do the right thing - he always did. Before disappearing, Bryce left a pair of sunglasses behind for Chuck, when Chuck tried them on, he found they contained the Intersect update. Knocked off his feet by the upload, he mutters, "I hate Bryce Larkin."

In Chuck Versus the Ring, Bryce finally realizes Sarah is truly in love with Chuck, and she would not be accompanying him on his next assignment. In that episode, Bryce is chosen by the CIA to be the agent to upload the Intersect 2.0 at the Intersect building, but the base was  infiltrated by Ring agents. Bryce complains to an agent that Sarah was “in love with another guy” and comments “it’s a bad day to be me”, to which the agent responds, “you have no idea,” and a gun is pulled. Bryce grabs him, shoots several Ring agents, using the man's body as cover and dives into the Intersect room, but is badly wounded.

Brycedies

Bryce's final death

He locks the door, and dragging himself inside, he sees Chuck break into the room via the ceiling vents. Bryce asks Chuck to use the Intersect Overload Cartridge as the Intersect cannot fall into the Ring's hands:
Chuck: Oh, my God, you've been shot.
Bryce: Yeah. I'm really sorry about this, Chuck.
Chuck: No. No, it's okay... it's okay. You're going to be fine - it's not that bad.
Bryce: Take care of her.
Chuck: Don't...don't say that. You're not dying. She needs you, man, okay? You guys are going to go on missions together and do exciting things and save the world. You'll be a team again - it will be great.
Bryce: She wasn't going to come....
To Chuck's shock and dismay, Bryce then dies, and he is forced to make a decision. He uploads the Intersect 2.0 and then destroys it.

In Chuck Versus First Class, it is revealed that Bryce and Sarah's first mission together was in Lisbon. In that episode it is mentioned that Sarah went off grid there in order to spread his ashes.

Development[]

Rumors of Bryce Larkin's return began to appear in early October, In 2007, his return was confirmed with Matthew Bomer's cameo at the end of Chuck Versus the Imported Hard Salami, although many reviewers noted that both the promo for the episode, and Bomer's name in the credits for the episode spoiled the ending. Bryce's return for Chuck Versus the Nemesis led to an increase in ratings to well over 8 million viewers for the night. Ratings Update: November 27, 2007: Chuck Climbs Again

Brycelarkin

Bryce Larkin's return in Season Two was first revealed in June, 2008[1] and later confirmed in an interview with Chris Fedak, Josh Schwartz and Zachary Levi in August.[2] IGN.com noted that once again, Bomer's return was spoiled by his name appearing in the credits of Chuck Versus the Seduction.[3]

Personality[]

Bryce Larkin is presented as confident, athletic, brave under fire, and ruthless. Bryce is a skilled martial artist, and a fight scene in the Buy More in Chuck Versus the Nemesis, proves that he and Sarah's abilities strongly complement each other. Further commendation of Bryce's abilities comes in that same episode when Casey calls him dangerous, and later tells Chuck, "When you have a chance to shoot Bryce Larkin, you shoot to kill."

In Chuck Versus the Intersect a party-goer who knew Bryce at Stanford pointed out his many successes, of which Chuck was very familiar. On several occasions Chuck has commented how short he feels he falls in comparison to Bryce.

In the Pilot, Bryce is already acquainted with Casey, and their dialog in Chuck Versus the Nemesis suggests that the two have an antagonistic history. Bryce apparently still wants Sarah, and continues to attempt to pursue their relationship. He was noticeably hurt in Chuck Versus the Break-Up when he realizes that Sarah had moved on, and had feelings for Chuck. His warning to Chuck that Sarah's feelings put her in danger, led Chuck to putting distance between them. Bryce, however, highly values his friendship with Chuck, calling Chuck his only friend. He also highly regards Chuck's innocence, honesty, loyalty, and integrity, and he was willing to destroy their friendship to keep him from losing those traits, as seen in Chuck Versus the Alma Mater.

Onefriend

"I got one friend in this world"

In Chuck Versus the Nemesis he tells Chuck he is the only friend he really has, Chuck accepts his reasoning if not necessarily his actions and makes the first steps in repairing their shattered friendship. The two share many of the same interests, including computers, programming, and video games. Both learned the invented Klingon language from the Star Trek franchise of television and movies, which they successfully used as a code during a mission.[4]

There appears to have been no more than photos and stories between Bryce and Chuck's circle of friends and family since none of them know him well at all, but only through Chuck's history. He apparently never met any of them. Devon spoke with Bryce face to face in Chuck Versus the Break-Up and he didn't recognize him. Morgan though he looked familiar in Chuck Versus the Nemesis, but passed it off as him just being a look-alike. Morgan was the first one to make it clear, though inadvertently, to Bryce how badly his actions had derailed Chuck's life after he was expelled. It seems apparent that they had never before met him face to face, perhaps only seeing photographs of him previously.

It is implied in the Season 2 finale that Bryce had the ability to absorb vast amounts of visual information in a similar manner to Chuck and his father.

References[]

  1. Development Update: June 5, 2008: Episode 2.03
  2. Development Update: August 9, 2008: Schwartz, Fedak & Zac Spills (some) Beans on Season 2
  3. Review: October 7, 2008: IGN.com Review
  4. "Chuck Versus the Nemesis"


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