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Devon Christian Woodcomb

Captain Awesome

Seasons: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Portrayed by: Ryan McPartlin
Status: Alive
Occupation: Cardiologist at Westside Medical
Aliases: Captain Awesome (nickname),
Awesome (nickname), Six Pack (Ellie, season 5)
Relatives: Eleanor Bartowski (wife),
Clara Woodcomb (daughter),
Woody and Honey Woodcomb (father and mother),
Chuck Bartowski (brother in law),
Sarah Walker (sister in law)
Stephen Bartowski (father in law, deceased)
Mary Bartowski (mother in law)
Relationships: Morgan Grimes (friend and fellow secret keeper)
Residence: Echo Park, Burbank, CA
Appearances: All
Quote1
You seem like someone who can offer sage wisdom in confusing times, and this is one of those times I am really confused, bro.
Quote2


Devon Christian "Captain Awesome" Woodcomb, M.D., is the husband of Ellie Bartowski and the brother-in-law of Chuck Bartowski in Chuck.

Chuck and Morgan began calling Devon Captain Awesome from his love of extreme sports, his apparent ability to do anything superbly, and his frequent usage of the word "awesome" in conversation, "Everything he does is awesome; climbing mountains, jumping out of planes...flossing."

He is portrayed by Ryan McPartlin.

Series[]

Devon Woodcomb is a major recurring character in the series. He primarily appears in plots involving Chuck's home life, although he has been involved with the main plot occasionally. Devon was directly involved in the events of the hostage crisis at the Buy More, in Chuck Versus Santa Claus in which he formulates a plan with Big Mike, Morgan, Jeff, and Lester to take down Ned Rhyerson, though Chuck manages to dissuade him from it until he learns Ned is part of a Fulcrum plot.

Vs Helicptr X39

Morgan, Devon

Devon has also been a source of advice to many characters, although he is well aware of Morgan's crush on Ellie,[1] Devon is not at all threatened by him, and when Morgan comforts her after she had a fight with Devon, he never for a moment believes it possible that anything might have happened; his trust in her is total.[2] Devon actually seems to consider Morgan as a friend. He offers him advice on the finer points of being an adult when Chuck dressed him down for his immaturity, and he turns to Morgan for advice on how to woo Ellie. Devon also loans Morgan money for an apartment, though he was later was irritated when Morgan uses the money to buy a used Delorean instead. He gives permission for Morgan to stay on the couch for a few days so he could escape Big Mike's noisy relations with his mother. However, it was cut short to one night when he and Ellie walked into the kitchen to see him nude.[3]

Devon sees Chuck as a surrogate brother and the man of Ellie's family in the absence of their father. He felt it was important he have Chuck's permission before proposing marriage to Ellie. On several occasions, he has advised Chuck on his relationship with Sarah, which he believes is real, until told otherwise, and remarks on how slowly they were taking things, and that he had not realized how old fashioned Chuck was.

Awesome - being Awesome

Awesome - is.

He always tried to help Chuck with his love life, since the disastrous break up with Jill. He personally singled out several "candidates" for Chuck to get to know at the birthday party he and Ellie threw for him, in Chuck Versus the Intersect, and when Ellie follows up on how Chuck was doing, he commented, "not awesome."[4]

He taught Chuck to tango when preparing for his first mission, though inadvertently taught him the "women's part" of the dance.[5]

When Sarah was injured in an explosion and Bryce visited her in the hospital, Devon took it upon himself to run interference and deflect Bryce, telling him Sarah had moved on.[6] Knowing Bryce only as Sarah's ex, a conversation with Awesome convinces Bryce that Sarah is no longer in love with him, and that her feelings for Chuck are genuine.[6] Devon apparently had never actually met Bryce before his presumed death, since even though he confronted him face to face Devon didn't recognize him.

Devon is very much in love with Ellie. Though they were shown to disagree and even argue in a few episodes, their relationship never really falters. For an anniversary gift, he wants to buy a washer and dryer because he saw it as a chance for them to be able to spend more time together, which upset Ellie, who wanted to buy a new flat screen TV. When she left him to decide what to get, he automatically chose what he wanted, rather than considering her feelings. Eventually, he realized his error, and presented her with a television.

Eldevwed

Beach Wedding

He proposed to Ellie in the season one finale giving her his great-grandmother's ring, and then was involved in helping plan the wedding. He attempted to outsource some of his responsibilities to Chuck by asking him to find a band. Jeff and Lester offered their services, and after their audition failed when Lester froze, Jeff convinced him to give them a second chance. Although Jeffster! was less than impressive, Devon told Ellie that he could still let them live their dream for five minutes, [7] showing himself to be a genuinely nice guy.

In Chuck Versus the Broken Heart, Chuck and the male Buy More employees kidnapped Devon for a bachelor party, though Chuck only participated because he thought it might be an easy way to appropriate Devon's hospital security card for a mission. Devon seemed pleased with their efforts, calling it "awesome," and explained to Ellie that Chuck and the boys kidnapped him for a party. He reaffirmed his love for Ellie during the bachelor party, declining to compromise his relationship with inappropriate behavior, even though Agent Alex Forrest, posing as a stripper, lured him into the home theater room where she attempted to remove the access card from him under the guise of a strip-search. When he refused, she tranquilized him. While in a state of momentary confusion before passing out, he overheard Chuck talk of the CIA. These glimpses did not seem to have a lasting impression, however. While in Chuck's bedroom, he later got a brief glance of General Beckman on Chuck's TV when he inadvertently triggered a video conference by uttering Chuck's CIA alias, Charles Carmichael. Ellie later saw some photos taken of him with Agent Forrest from the bachelor party, which bruised Ellie and Awesome's relationship. He felt thoroughly ashamed that he may have stumbled, though he could remember nothing, and Chuck assured Ellie that nothing had happened.

In Chuck Versus the Colonel, as Devon searches for the missing Chuck, he is taken to John Casey's locker by the master stalkers, Lester and Jeff. He learns of Casey's extensive surveillance of Chuck, and uses keys from his locker to enter Casey's apartment. While attempting to access his computer, he initiates a lock down, with metal bars blocking the windows and doors of the apartment. When Casey releases him, a major confrontation ensues between Devon and Casey, with Casey pulling a gun. Devon attacks him with a bust of President Reagan and delivers a decent right hook. Casey shakes it off, with the compliment, "Not bad for a frat boy."

Vs Intrsct 19

Chuck and Sarah then arrive and take down Casey. Chuck sees no other option than to admit to Devon that he is a high level CIA asset and Casey and Sarah are his handlers, telling Sarah, "He can handle it." Chuck then tells Devon, "I need you to be cool about this. I need you to cover for me with Ellie. I need you... to be awesome. Can you be awesome?" Devon is delighted that his assessment of Chuck was right all along; "This is... awesome! I knew you weren't just a loser who worked at the Buy More!" He agrees to provide cover with Ellie for Chuck. He becomes the first of Chuck's secret keepers.

Secret Keeper[]

Devon and Ellie married in Chuck Versus the Ring. He allows Morgan to stall the first ceremony at the church when he was told the order came from Chuck. He realizes something is wrong when Chuck and Sarah are nowhere to be seen. When the church ceremony ends in inevitable disaster, a second ceremony took place later on the beach, arranged and paid for by Chuck.

Ellieawesome

Ellie and Awesome

In season three, in Chuck Versus El Angel de la Muerte, Chuck is forced to allow Devon to come with him on a mission after the doctor turns out to be the one who treats the visiting premier, Alejandro Goya whom Team Bartowski are supposed to be protecting. Chuck debriefs Devon on the premier's condition and discovers a case of probable poison rather than natural causes. Goya, after learning who saved his life, invites Devon, Ellie, Chuck, and Sarah to his embassy party, where Chuck tries to save the dictator from an assassin, and bags a political protestor, leading to his removal from the consulate. Devon, knowing Goya is a target, then spots a furtive man approaching and tackles him. Unfortunately, the man was Casey who then disappears into the bowels of the consulate, leaving Devon feeling guilty even as he is praised by Goya. When another attempt on Goya is made by the assassin, the premier specifically asks for Devon to come save his life. Devon goes to Chuck with a way of getting him into the embassy so he can save Casey. The three make it through the gates and Devon goes to work on the premier while Chuck and Sarah go save Casey. He manages to save the dictator's life again, in large part by giving the dictator a blood transfusion from Casey. Afterwards, Devon confesses that he doesn't like having to lie to Ellie, and he wants to distance himself from Chuck's secret life.

304Chuckvsawesome

Devon in danger

Chuck Versus the Angel of Death ends with Devon treating Goya's assassin, who comes at him with a syringe. In Chuck Versus Operation Awesome, it is shown that he was, in fact, captured by the Ring who mistook him for the CIA operative they knew was in the area, and sought to recruit him. The Ring believes Devon is the CIA operative and tests him by ordering him to kill Daniel Shaw under threat of death. Under Chuck's guidance, Devon infiltrates Shaw's base and stages the murder to the satisfaction of Ring agent, Sydney Prince. With the death of Prince at episode's end, Chuck tells Devon that the threat to him was over, much to his relief.

In Chuck Versus the Beard, Devon is so keyed up, being a secret keeper, he decides he and Ellie have to take a vacation, and head to Malibu, when Chuck desperately needs someone to talk to, he calls Devon who for the first time is less than helpful, "Chuck, I went on vacation to get away from your spy life." He tells Chuck, in essence, he's out, only to be approached a few hours later by Sarah and Shaw who think he might be in danger. Devon has a freak out, and the calm he had been working to restore is shattered. By episode's end, he is so freaked out that he suggests to Ellie that they get far away, join Doctors Without Boarders, and go to Africa.

In Chuck Versus the Tic Tac, Devon is still trying to convince Ellie to join Doctors Without Borders when she gets an invitation for a Fellowship at USC neurology, her lifelong dream job, and he freaks a little that she won't leave. They then talk to Morgan, who initially sides with Ellie, until Devon pulls him aside, "If you had all the information that I had, you'd know that it's not safe for her here." Morgan counters it is the safest place for Ellie. Instantly suspicious, Devon finds out that Morgan is also a Secret Keeper, and he tells Morgan he can never put Ellie in danger, and Chuck's life is dangerous. By episode's end Ellie talks to Chuck about the choice facing her and tells him, "if there is one thing that I know for sure, it's that I want to be with Devon. And it might require some sacrifice from both of us, but he's the best choice I ever made." Devon then takes Ellie inside and tells he was sorry for not congratulating her on the Fellowship, for not talking to her about Africa, and tells her to take the job, they can work everything out together.

By Chuck Versus the Honeymooners, Devon and Ellie have decided to go to Africa, and by Chuck Versus the Role Models, they have been working in a field clinic for two weeks. In a call to Chuck, the exhausted Ellie says, "I can't really talk to Devon about anything, he's, like, born to be here. The villagers love him, they have this nickname for him. We can't really pronounce it in Bantu, but it loosely translates to 'Dr. Super Fantastic White Person.'" Before the month is out, however, the Ring, in the form of Justin Sullivan, tracks Ellie down and forces her back to the US by making Devon ill, "I took care of the husband, made it look like malaria. She doesn't suspect a thing."

Awesomestatue

Awesome in marble

After his recovery, he goes back to work at Westside Medical, and has less to do with Chuck's spy life until he and Ellie then receive an invitation from Premier Goya to visit his country. They accept, seeing it as a chance for a 'babymoon,' a last vacation before their baby comes. To make him feel safer, Chuck and Sarah agree to accompany them, and then have to get them all out of danger when a coup is launched by Goya's wife. Goya had showed him the 12 foot statue of Devon as 'lifesaver' before it's head was shot off in the coup.

With the reappearance of Mary Bartowski in Chuck Versus the Leftovers. Chuck is forced to bring his mother and Alexei Volkoff to Ellie and Devon's Thanksgiving Leftovers dinner, Devon introduces himself to Mary for the first time, and is impressed by her friend; "This Alexei is totally awesome. First guy I've met who's free-climbed K2, no oxygen. Hardcore, bro." When Chuck finally gets a chance to tell Devon that Alexei is not the friendly guy he appears, and they are all in terrible danger, he is upset but willing to help. He goes to Chuck's apartment alerts the CIA and brings back a pistol for Sarah. He then fakes an emergency call from the hospital and gets Ellie out or the apartment.

Mardevellclar

Clara's family

In Chuck Versus the Push Mix, he and Ellie are approaching their baby's due date. He asks Chuck to make a music compilation for the event, since Ellie seems to hate his music choices. Chuck helps him out and tells him the plan is in place, to which Devon replies, "No deep terror can eat away at me from the inside now." He does, however, have a major freak out when he and Ellie must finally go to the hospital, and he discovers the Push Mix Chuck made for him has gone missing, "I'm not ready for this. Perfect plan not perfect. Oh, God! It's gone! No push mix: no baby. It's all gone!" He manages to call the emergency number Chuck left him, and the CIA arrives to escort them to the hospital, where Devon is practically catatonic. Ellie tells him to take five minutes, but to come back to her as he's all she has. Casey finds him out in the hall and tells him to get inside with Ellie, not to miss something he'll regret later. He does so, and tears up when he gets to hold Clara for the first time, whispering, "Awesome."

In the season four finale, he served as Chuck's groomsman in his long delayed wedding to Sarah in Chuck Versus the Cliffhanger.

Spokesman[]

Flyer

In season 5, Chuck has purchased the Buy More, and it suffers from a decided lack of customers. With Chuck's approval, Big Mike sets out to find the new face of Buy More for an updated television commercial. When Devon arrives in the store, Mike realizes he's a "pretty man" and just what they need for the commercial. He convinces Devon to be the Buy More spokesman and star in their commercial. Business picks up almost immediately as the thoracic surgeon and Buy More patron, wearing a Buy More green shirt sporting the name tag, Captain Awesome, touts their products.

In Chuck Versus Sarah, he and Ellie are both being wooed by the Shuman Medical Center in Chicago with very lucrative offers, "They want me to head up the cardiac division." They decide to make the move to the Midwest and pack up their apartment ready for the move by series end.

Development[]

When originally cast, Devon was only planned to have appeared for a handful of episodes before being revealed as an enemy spy at the end of Season 1. Because of the popularity of the character, however, this plan was dropped and Ryan McPartlin was added to the credits as a regular member of the cast from Season 2.[8] Ryan McPartlin indicated that Devon would be featuring more prominently towards the end of Season 2, and that he would be growing suspicious of Chuck's actions and begin "asking questions."[9]

Personality[]

Devon Woodcomb is shown as very laid-back, and has only very rarely been shown angry, and then usually only when something threatened Ellie's happiness or safety. Chuck's father describes him as a "straight arrow";[10] his and Ellie's mistaken belief that while drunk he may have gone too far with an exotic dancer at his bachelor party horrifies and shames him.[10] This is all explained once he learns of Chuck's spy life.

Tango 164

His nickname comes from his perceived perfection in everything he does, and he's first identified with the name "Captain Awesome" by Chuck in the pilot episode. In Chuck's words, "Everything he does is awesome. Rock climbing, hang-gliding...flossing." All the other characters frequently use the nickname except for Ellie, although she did refer to his parents as the "Very Awesomes."[11] He also frequently uses the word "awesome," to the point where under the effects of truth serum, Ellie angrily tells him that if everything is 'awesome,' then awesome by definition becomes mediocre. Devon is very fit and active. In addition to extreme sports, he's also an avid biker and frequently works out.

Devon is shown as very relaxed about his masculinity and proud of his appearance. He taught Chuck to tango while wearing nothing more than his underwear and a bathrobe (which he eventually discards). He dresses up for Halloween as Adam wearing only flesh-colored briefs with a fake fig leaf. This comfort level also extends towards sex in general, as he frequently makes suggestive remarks about Chuck and Sarah's[12] sex life, as well as and his and Ellie's physical relationships.

Devon is intelligent and observant. Although he's unaware that Chuck and Sarah's relationship is just a cover, he accurately recognizes that Sarah's feelings for Chuck are genuine.[6] He may have observed more than is good for him when going under, due to a tranq and later a glimpse of General Beckman on Chuck's computer monitor in Chuck Versus the Broken Heart. He later learns of Chuck's secret life in Chuck Versus the Colonel and is both delighted and highly impressed with his brother-in-law upon realization that Chuck was not "just a loser who worked at the Buy More". His willingness to support Chuck's covert life is shown in Chuck Versus the Ring where he agrees to let Morgan stall the wedding upon learning Chuck asked for it.

Wookie 33

Family Circle

After learning of Chuck's spy work, he initially expressed interest in becoming involved in it himself, assuming it to be a glamorous, adventurous line of work. After the incident at the Costa Gravas embassy, however, he decides he has had enough, being unwilling to jeopardize the life he has with Ellie for the lies he would have to tell. This point was further driven home, when he found himself in genuine danger when he is kidnapped and threatened by Ring agent, Sydney Price. After this, Devon is insistent that Chuck keep his spy work away from him and Ellie, even convincing Ellie to join him in volunteering with Doctors Without Borders in Africa to get away from it.

He proves his metal in Chuck Versus the Ring Part 2 when he is willing to sacrifice almost everything in order to help Ellie save Chuck.

Trivia[]

  • Devon was originally intended to be an embedded spy working against Team Bartowski but proved so popular with the fans that this plan was abandoned. It was mentioned by several characters how much more like a spy Devon seems than Chuck.
  • Devon and Chuck make reference several times to the fact that Devon is probably the world's worst liar.
  • Awesome's first name was first revealed to be Devon in Chuck Versus the Helicopter. His middle name "Christian" was revealed in Chuck Versus the Ring.
  • Devon maintains a close relationship with his UCLA frat brothers, and dislikes Stanford's football team.[13]

References[]

  1. Captain Awesome's Blog, February 14, 2009: Captain Awesome's Tips for Being Awesome
  2. "Chuck Versus the Undercover Lover"
  3. "Chuck Versus the Beefcake"
  4. "Chuck Versus the Intersect"
  5. "Chuck Versus the Tango"
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 "Chuck Versus the Breakup"
  7. "Chuck Versus the Best Friend"
  8. Video Captain Awesome's Audition
  9. Development Update, March 20, 2009: Sci-Fi Wire
  10. 10.0 10.1 "Chuck Versus the Dream Job".
  11. "Chuck Versus the Gravitron"
  12. "Chuck Versus the Lethal Weapon"
  13. "Chuck Versus the Alma Mater"


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