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Charles Irving Bartowski

ChuckS5cropped
Chuck

Seasons: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Portrayed by: Zachary Levi
Status: Active
Occupation: Owner Burbank Buy More and CEO of Carmichael Industries(Season 5)
CIA Special Agent (formerly),
Nerd Herd supervisor (formerly)
Aliases: Chuck (nickname),
Chuckles (Anna Wu, season 1)
The Intersect (code name, seasons 1-3),
Charles Carmichael (alter ego)
Jorge Carmichael (alias, season 2)
Mad Dog (Casey, season 2)
Schnook (Jack Burton, season 2)
Hans Lichtenstein (season 2)
Francois Espoir (alias,Chuck Versus Tom Sawyer)
The Lemon (Chuck Versus the Pink Slip)
Hector Calderon (alias,Chuck Versus the Pink Slip)
Charlie Charles (alias, Chuck Versus the Honeymooners)
Yuri Shevchenko (alias, Chuck Versus the Ring: Part 2
Piranha (hacker name, season 5)
Relatives: Sarah Walker (wife),
Stephen Bartowski (father, deceased),
Mary Bartowski (mother),
Eleanor Woodcomb (sister),
Jesse Gunter (maternal grandfather),
Mary Gunter (maternal grandmother),
Devon Woodcomb (brother in law),
Clara Woodcomb (niece),
Jack Burton (father in law),
Emma (mother in law),
Molly (adoptive sister in law)
Relationships: Morgan Grimes (best friend)
John Casey (NSA handler)
Big Mike (Buy More boss)
Lester Patel (co-worker)
Jeffrey Barnes (co-worker)
Bryce Larkin (old friend, deceased)
Jill Roberts (ex-girlfriend)
Lou Palone (ex-girlfriend)
Hannah (ex-girlfriend)
Residence: Echo Park, Burbank, CA
Appearances: All
Quote1
Our family is so full of secrets.
Quote2


Charles "Chuck" Irving Bartowski is the protagonist of the television series, Chuck. He is portrayed by Zachary Levi.

Chuck is a twenty-something underachiever who lives in the Echo Park Section of Los Angeles, California and works at a dead end job at the Burbank Buy More, he is the supervisor of its Nerd Herd tech support division. On his birthday in 2007, an e-mail from an old friend changes his life...

Character History[]

Chuck and his sister Ellie are the children of Stephen and Mary Bartowski. Their father, a genius, was described as being constantly preoccupied; their mother disappeared from their lives when Chuck was 9 and Ellie was 12.

605px-Young Chuck

As a child

When Ellie was 19 and Chuck 16, their father fell out of their lives as well, and Ellie finished raising Chuck. As a result, the siblings developed a very close, supportive, and loving relationship, learning to depend on one another since there was no one else. At eighteen, Chuck earned a scholarship to Stanford University, and had dreams of becoming 'Bill Gates with style.'

Chuck's life, however, stalled after his college roommate, Bryce Larkin, planted test answers under Chuck's bed and then reported him to college officials for cheating. This led to the revocation of his scholarship and Chuck's expulsion from Stanford University in 2003, only twelve credits shy of completing his Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering[1].

From that point, Chuck cordially hated Bryce for his betrayal, which he could not understand. Compounding the betrayal was the news that Chuck's college girlfriend, Jill Roberts, began seeing Bryce as soon as Chuck left school. At the time of the Pilot, he had not moved past these twin disappointments, and he remained directionless, unmotivated, and uninspired. [2]

It was eventually revealed, however, that Bryce orchestrated Chuck's expulsion deliberately, in order to deter the CIA from recruiting him, believing that Chuck was too good-hearted to become a field agent and that the CIA would ruin him. Bryce considered Chuck to be his only friend, and he was trying to protect him from the life he had already chosen.

Brycechuck

Bryce and Chuck at Stanford

Following his expulsion, Chuck moved in with his sister in the Echo Park area of Los Angeles, and began working as a Green Shirt at Buy More.[3] Directionless and unmotivated, without even trying, he still managed to rise to the Nerd Herd supervisor, and the person the entire staff looked to for leadership; an early demonstration of his natural charisma and ability.

At the time of Chuck Versus the Intersect, his life revolved around work, his sister, Eleanor Faye 'Ellie' Bartowski, M.D., (Sarah Lancaster), Devon 'Captain Awesome' Woodcomb, M.D., (Ryan McPartlin), and Chuck's best friend since childhood, Morgan Grimes (Joshua Gomez). Chuck's father left home some eleven years prior to the series events, his mother even earlier, so Chuck and Ellie had to fend for themselves most of their lives[4][5]. Learning to rely on one another, they became very close.

On his 26th birthday, in September 2007, Chuck opens an e-mail from Bryce Larkin that uploads the full contents of a CIA/NSA supercomputer known as the Intersect into his brain. The Intersect serves as a database for the combined collected intelligence of both agencies. The primary Intersect computer had been destroyed by Larkin, making Chuck's brain the only depository of this top-secret information. The government learns that Chuck is the last person contacted by Larkin, so both the CIA and NSA, independent of one another, send agents to find him.

The CIA dispatches Agent Sarah Walker (Yvonne Strahovski) to evaluate Bartowski and, if possible, retrieve the Intersect, while the NSA sends Major John Casey (Adam Baldwin). The two agents eventually cross paths, and Sarah fends off Casey, recognizing that Chuck is exactly who he appears to be, a nice guy caught up in events beyond his control. They discover that Chuck has become a human Intersect; he sees a rapid-fire series of images - known throughout the series as "flashes" - of intelligence from the Intersect database whenever he subconsciously recognizes a bit of related information either audibly or visually. The two agencies conclude that Chuck is an intelligence asset and must be protected; they assign Sarah and Casey jointly to the task. [2]

An additional wrinkle in Chuck's life turned upside down is that Chuck is smitten with Sarah from the first moment she walks in the Buy More. Before she reveals who she is, she and Chuck had a semi-successful date, during which she told him she liked him, apparently a sincere sentiment and not just for the sake of her cover.

Sarah Walker[]

A main story line throughout the series is Chuck's romance with Sarah Walker, his CIA handler. Their cover of boyfriend/girlfriend tends to confuse Chuck during the first two seasons, as he develops feelings for her almost immediately, but Sarah's feelings for Chuck are more complicated, she insists their relationship is just a cover and nothing more, and never could be.

Cs s3 1

Chuck & Sarah

During the first two seasons, she is reluctant to admit her real feelings for him to anyone, even to herself, insisting that there was not, and could not be anything personal, she was his handler, and a romance would be unprofessional. In the third season, however, in Chuck Versus the Other Guy, Sarah tells him that she fell for him on their first date, somewhere between him fixing her phone and him defusing bombs with computer viruses. This admission changes the whole tenor of the Chuck and Sarah story. Throughout the rest of the series, their love for each other is never in question.

During the first two seasons the emotional attachment between Chuck and Sarah is evidenced often. In Chuck Versus the Seduction, when Chuck doubts he will be able to charm his mark, Sarah answers, "Why not? It worked on me." In Chuck Versus the Break-Up, Chuck tells Sarah, "The truth is you're everything I ever thought I wanted, and more." Their friends and family can see the attachment they have to each other even though they often cannot, and despite the fact they share several very passionate kisses, there remain complications and uncertainties.

In Chuck Versus the Truth, Sarah receives a dose of pentothal, a truth serum, and Chuck takes advantage of the situation to ask her if there is any future for them. She answers no, but it is later revealed that Sarah has been trained to resist the effects of pentothal. In Chuck Versus the Imported Hard Salami, as a direct result of Sarah's truth-serum declaration, Chuck decides to break up their cover relationship, saying the only person the cover seems to be fooling is him. In an effort for normality, he begins seeing Lou Palone, the owner of a deli near the Buy More. They met when Lou comes into the Buy More to get her phone fixed, in Chuck Versus the Truth. By the end of Chuck Versus the Imported Hard Salami, they part amicably after the myriad of lies Chuck has had to tell her come out. When Lou asks if he ever really liked her, he responds with, "You are everything I'm looking for. I just can't look right now." She then tells him that the kiss they shared was the best she'd had in a long time.

In that same episode, when Chuck and Sarah are unable to defuse what they think is a bomb counting down to zero, with only seconds left, Sarah grabs Chuck and kisses him passionately; he responds enthusiastically. When an explosion fails to manifest, Sarah calls the post kiss moment "uncomfortable" while Chuck says, "it was completely comfortable on my end." The 'bomb' was actually a bio-container holding the comatose body of Bryce Larkin, Sarah's ex.

In Chuck Versus the Nemesis, Sarah is clearly conflicted between Bryce and Chuck. They had had more than just a professional relationship up until a few months before, when Sarah thought he had gone rogue and then been killed. Sarah still had unresolved feelings for him. At the end of the episode, Bryce asks Sarah to go with him on his new assignment, and she is torn. The following day, in Chuck Versus the Crown Vic, Sarah shows up late at Castle for a briefing, causing Chuck some anxiety, but she opted to stay with Chuck. Sarah, however, is initially all business with him, by the end of the episode, however, she manages to accept her choice and they agree to be "friends."

In Chuck Versus the Marlin, it is discovered, someone has bugged the Buy More, and Chuck's cover is in danger. Sarah works tirelessly to protect him from being sent underground, and when the order to take him into custody comes, she has what she thinks is one last conversation with Chuck. As she holds his manacled hands, he asks her to find the right thing to say to his family and friends, to let them know he loves them, and she begins to cry. When Lizzie then kills than agent tasked to take Chuck in, Sarah fights her and takes her over the edge of the roof in order to protect him. In Chuck Versus the First Date, when the danger is past, she agrees to go with Chuck on a real date. She flirts with him and compliments him, and the two are about to kiss, when the moment is interrupted by Chuck's flashes that show that they are surrounded by enemies, and she must go back to being handler.

In Chuck Versus the Seduction, Chuck is assigned to seduce a mark, Sasha Banacheck, in order to acquire a computer chip known as 'the cipher.' To prepare Chuck, the CIA brings in their seduction expert, Roan Montgomery. When he asks what Chuck brings to the table, a bashful Chuck fails to kiss Sarah to Roan's satisfaction, and he challenges Chuck, goading him until he grabs Sarah and the two kiss passionately, evoking a "bravo" from Roan. Roan easily picks up on their feelings for each other, noting it was probably not the first time the two had done that. He later asked Chuck if Sarah was worth dying for, and Chuck said she was. He also assured Chuck that Sarah did not see him as "just an asset" because she protested far too much for that to be true.

In Chuck Versus the Break-Up, Bryce reappears to enlist Team Bartowski's help with a mission. By now, Sarah's feelings have resolved, and she chooses Chuck's safety over Bryce's mission objectives. When Devon confronts Bryce about Sarah, he explains that Sarah's love for Chuck is real. At the end of the mission, Bryce warns Chuck that Sarah's feelings nearly got her killed and may interfere with her ability to function effectively. He says he knows that Chuck will "do the right thing." Chuck then tells Sarah that regardless of how they feel towards each other, they could never have a future together because of who they are. His reasoning clearly breaks both their hearts, but their feelings for each other remain.

In Chuck Versus the Beefcake, MI6 Agent Cole Barker uses his best lines to try to hook up with Sarah, and she rejects him, although she does eventually send Cole back to England with a goodbye kiss, which Chuck sees. Cole is later captured by Fulcrum and tortured, in Chuck Versus the Lethal Weapon, but escapes, and returns to Castle, wounded. After joining the team on another successful mission, Chuck learns to like him, even if he is threatened by his "superhuman" skills. When Cole leaves, he reiterates his invitation for Sarah to come away with him. She refuses, and Cole says, "Who'd have thought it? Cole Barker loses the girl to Chuck Bartowski." Sarah responds, "When you meet someone you care about, it's just hard to walk away."

In Chuck Versus the Ex, Chuck runs into his ex-girlfriend, Jill Roberts. Chuck tries to make himself look good, claiming a software company and great success, and after one bitter outbreak, reconnects with Jill, much to Sarah disquiet. The affair with Jill extends for a three episode arc, until Chuck Versus the Gravitron, when it is revealed that she is a Fulcrum agent. By episode's end, Chuck sees that she is prepared to shoot Sarah, and that brings all into perspective. He coaxes her outside and gives her a Nerd Herder to escape in. Once she gets in, he then activates the detention mode, "You should know I wanted to help you, I was going to let you get away. But when you were about to kill Sarah, you made the decision for me. You're under arrest, Jill, and I'm breaking up with you." She is sent to a secure CIA detention center.

At the end of Chuck Versus the First Kill, Beckman orders Sarah to lure Chuck to Castle with a lie, so he can be taken into custody. Faced with betraying him, Sarah instead warns Chuck of the plan, and says that they have to run. Chuck points out that she is committing treason and could go to prison, she simply said she knows. By Chuck Versus the Colonel, still on the run, they check into a motel. Chuck apologizes about there being only one bed, but Sarah' says she can't let him out of her sight. They wake up together, with Sarah caressing Chuck's hand. When Chuck nuzzles the back of her neck, she turns to face him and as if the dam broke, they kiss passionately. Sarah then waits, out of breath, while Chuck goes to retrieve a condom from his wallet but finds that Morgan has taken it and left an IOU. Casey then arrives ending any further advances. Chuck and Sarah are then taken into custody and confined in Castle, "For whatever it's worth, if I have to spend the rest of my days in a dark, windowless room, I can't think of a better person to spend it with." They share another kiss, before a short blackout allows them to escape.

Bryce returns in Chuck Versus the Ring, but Sarah tells him she won't be going with him on his next assignment. At the end of the episode, as Chuck finds Bryce mortally wounded in the Intersect room, he tells Chuck to "Take care of her."

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During Training in Prague

At the beginning of Season Three, Chuck and Sarah's budding relationship collapses. In Chuck Versus the Pink Slip, it is revealed that, six months prior, when Chuck uploaded Intersect 2.0 and was given spy training in Prague by General Beckman, Sarah worried that Chuck's becoming a spy would change him. So, she offered to meet him at a Prague train station, from where they could run away together - taking new identities and leaving the spy life behind. But when Chuck turns up at the station, he explains that he cannot go with her, citing this as his one chance to become a real spy. He explains that he has an ability to help others that is unique. Sarah is deeply hurt, and turns quite cold, at one point throwing her phone in a pool when she saw it was Chuck calling. Later, when they are imprisoned in Mexico, she admits to Chuck that her behavior was just because she was angry, that she has worked with other spies since, and that none of them are like Chuck. Her anger toward Chuck cools, but their relationship is not completely restored.

In Chuck Versus the Three Words, when Carina Miller returns to enlist Team Bartowski on a mission, Chuck attempts to talk to Sarah on numerous occasions, but she is unwilling to listen. Carina informs Chuck that Sarah is cold because she still loves him. When Chuck is later locked in a vault which is filling with gas and he believes he might die, he attempts to talk to Sarah through the vault door and explain why he did what he did, but Sarah doesn't hear him. Later, in Castle, when Chuck is recovering from the gas, Sarah has a video conference with General Beckman, where she requests a transfer because of Chuck's feelings for her. Beckman refuses, telling her to get on with her job. In the end, Carina supplies her with the tape of Chuck's full explanation: "...look Sarah, I know you were probably very hurt...I get that, I'm sorry. You have to know you are everything I ever wanted. But how could I do that, how could I be with you knowing what I turned my back on? Knowing that what I have in my head can help a lot of people. And you're the one that taught me that being a spy is choosing something bigger. It's about putting aside your own personal feelings for the greater good, and that's what I chose...." Sarah finally understands why he refused to run away with her.

The introduction of Daniel Shaw in Chuck Versus Operation Awesome and Chuck's meeting Hannah during his first solo mission in Chuck Versus First Class represent further roadblocks to the repair and progress of Chuck and Sarah's relationship. Chuck and Hannah begin seeing each other after she joins the Nerd Herd. In Chuck Versus the Fake Name, he and Hannah have a brief affair. Chuck, however, ends his relationship with Hannah when he realizes that his feelings for Sarah are still very much present. Ellie points out to him that things were moving too fast with Hannah, and that “it feels dishonest because the truth is that you still have feelings for Sarah.” He also realizes he cannot keep Hannah safe or even tell her the truth about himself. It is painful for him, as he does not want to hurt Hannah or have her think him a bad guy, but he feels that a break is the only fair and safe option. Hannah is very hurt and lashes out, as is Chuck as he walks away.

Shaw, however, remains. He expressed interest in Sarah in Chuck Versus the Mask, and Chuck Versus the Fake Name begins with Sarah telling Shaw that they have to keep their relationship professional. When she sees how well Chuck takes on the alter ego of a professional assassin for a mission, even pulling one of Casey's teeth in a 'torture' session, she pulls further away from the changing Chuck. She goes to see Shaw in his hotel room and notes how Chuck has become a convincing liar and how he burned an asset in Chuck Versus the Nacho Sampler. She then tells Shaw that, "It's really difficult to see Chuck become a different person. It's like I'm watching Chuck disappear...." At episode's end, Sarah brings Shaw some Chinese food and they kiss. Chuck sees the situation becoming worse when, at the end of Chuck Versus the Tic Tac Sarah goes to Washington with Shaw. Chuck tells himself that the trip was purely professional, but, in Chuck Versus the Living Dead Sarah confesses to having had dinner with Shaw, then a couples massage, followed by a visit to Tiffany's, where Shaw bought her diamond earrings.

Beard

By Chuck Versus the Beard, Chuck's emotions are in such a tangle that he can no longer even access the Intersect. When captured by Fulcrum agents, he finally confesses his double life to Morgan, who wonders how Chuck can deal with having a fake relationship with a girl he clearly loves. Chuck finally admits, "I do love Sarah. I kept telling myself that I didn’t, that I wouldn’t, I couldn’t, but I do.... Morgan, you have no idea how badly I needed to get all this off my chest!" With the weight of all the emotional baggage off his chest, he again can access the Intersect, and saves them both.

In Chuck Versus the Final Exam, Chuck passes a test of his spy skills. But, that night, Sarah gives Chuck instructions for his Red Test. He has to kill a mole in the CIA. In the end, Chuck cannot do it, and Casey, who had been tailing Chuck, shoots the mole for him. But Sarah does not see Casey and assumes that Chuck has now killed a man. At her apartment with Shaw, she takes the blame for the changes in Chuck. When Shaw asks if she is still in love with Chuck, Sarah answers sadly, "Not any more."

Chuck Versus the American Hero begins with Chuck asking Sarah to accompany him on his new assignment in Rome, she says he has changed; he has killed a man. Chuck cannot tell her Casey shot the mole, because that would open his friend up to a charge of murder since he is now a civilian. When Sarah later goes to dinner with Shaw, Morgan calls Shaw away from the table with a fake phone call so Chuck can move in and explain to Sarah his feelings for her. She listens but is still conflicted. While Shaw is away from the table, he discovers that The Ring director wants to talk with him. Back at Castle, he sees this as an opportunity for him to serve as a target for an air strike, to give his life to bring down the organization that killed his wife. Sarah objects to his decision, but she cannot change his mind. She kisses him goodbye, and Chuck sees the kiss. Shaw then swallows a tracker and goes off to his rendezvous with The Ring. Chuck sees Sarah preparing to follow Shaw, so he locks her in Castle and follows Shaw himself, telling Sarah that he knows how much she cares about Shaw. At the rendezvous in an abandoned warehouse, Shaw learns that it was Sarah who unknowingly killed his wife, Evelyn Shaw, during her red test. Chuck enters the building, where he finds Shaw unconscious. As the bombs hit, Sarah, freed by Casey, arrives to see it. She sees Chuck emerging from the flames carrying Shaw over his shoulder.

I always have

"I love you, Sarah Walker. I always have."

Back at Castle, Chuck finally feels he must express his feelings to Sarah. He says, "I'm just going to be blunt and honest; I love you. One more time because it feels really nice to say it; I love you." He then asks her to run away with him. Sarah says she has made a commitment, and not just to Shaw. But Chuck tells her to ignore all that and come with him. He kisses her, and she kisses him back. He ends with “I love you, Sarah Walker, I always have.”

Casey then shows up at Sarah's apartment where she is packing. She tells Casey, "If you came to plead his case, then that's really not necessary." But Casey confesses that he killed the mole, not Chuck, that Chuck simply was not a killer. Sarah thanks Casey, and finishes packing. As she prepares to leave, she tosses her gun on the bed. At that moment, Shaw appears and tells her that she must accompany him. She wants to call Chuck, but Shaw tells her that there is no time. So, as Chuck, waiting at Union Station, gets an email to return to Castle, he does not know that Sarah had decided to join him.

Chuck Versus the Other Guy begins with Shaw leading Sarah to a warehouse which he claims is the Ring headquarters. When they enter, Sarah sees the recording of her Red Test. Shaw then reveals who she had actually killed that night. Sarah is visibly upset, and Shaw tries to comfort her. Meanwhile, Chuck, believing that Shaw plans to kill Sarah, turns up with a special weapons and tactics team, air support, and a tank to rescue her, only to find his efforts appear unnecessary. Back at Castle, Beckman questions Chuck for his waste of resources, and Shaw assures her that Chuck was justified in his actions, that he was looking out for his partner, and that he can still work with Sarah. Beckman, assuming that all is well, continues with her plan for Shaw and Sarah to work together in Washington, while she is not sure what to do with Chuck. Chuck assumes that Sarah has chosen to go with Shaw, and he goes home and gets drunk. Sarah then comes to his apartment, where Chuck finally asks Sarah directly, "Sarah, do you love me?" She says she fell for him a long time ago and kisses him. He breaks the kiss to ask about his red test, but Sarah tells him that Casey had explained, and that it was the best news she had ever heard, because it meant that he was still Chuck; he was still her Chuck.

Sarah then tells Chuck that he is needed as the third member of the team to take down The Ring director. The operation, however, is an elaborate charade by The Ring Director and Shaw. Later, Chuck discovers the ruse, with Morgan's help. Chuck and Casey then follow Shaw and Sarah to Paris on a rescue mission. Shaw drugs Sarah so that she is still conscious, but unable to move. Chuck holds Shaw at gunpoint and is complimented on his ability to find them, but he knows Chuck's problem with guns and attacks Chuck who loses the weapon. Shaw then takes Sarah to a bridge over the Seine to throw her in. But, while Casey deals with the Director, Chuck recovers a gun, and follows. Threatened by Shaw, whose intentions are clear, Chuck shoots him. Shaw falls and grabs Sarah, as does Chuck who he saves her from being dragged into the river. Shaw remains the only person Chuck ever deliberately shot.

As Sarah recovers in a hotel room in Paris, she slowly remembers the events of the last evening, including the fact that Chuck had to shoot Shaw. Chuck explains, "I couldn't let him hurt you, Sarah. Trust me, I did what I had to do, but I'm still the same guy, I'm still Chuck." She says "You saved me," and kisses him. They are interrupted by a call from Beckman ordering them back to Burbank. At Sarah's nod Chuck closes the computer, cutting off communication. As Chuck starts to speak, Sarah interrupts him with "Shut up and kiss me." He smiles and climbs into bed with her.

Feeling Good

Feeling Good

In Chuck Versus the Honeymooners, Chuck and Sarah go off grid, running away in a train bound for Switzerland. After they realize what they want, however, they ultimately decide to stay on the job and pursue their relationship at home. Back in Castle, General Beckman chews them out and points out the hazards of mixing their personal and professional lives, then adds, "But, off the record, it's about damn time."

As the relationship progresses, Sarah accepts Chuck's invitation to move in with him at the end of Chuck Versus the Role Models, and she is finally able to say "I love you" in Chuck Versus the Tooth.

Chuck and Sarah's dynamic as a couple is further developed during Season Four. In Chuck Versus the Suitcase, despite Sarah's aversion to 'planting roots', she admits to Chuck, "You're my home, Chuck, you always have been." In Chuck Versus the Coup d'Etat, Sarah whispers to a Chuck who appears to be asleep that she would marry him, if he asked.

In Chuck Versus the Fear of Death, Chuck is kidnapped by an international criminal, and, in Chuck Versus Phase Three, Sarah breaks rules and laws to find him. Once he is known to be in a lawless region of Thailand, Sarah goes off by herself to get him back. As she leaves, she tells Casey, "You were right, I'm different without Chuck, and I don't like it.... I need Chuck." She then cuts a swath across Thailand, looking for him, terrifying locals as the 'giant blonde she-male.' When she defeats a warlord's best kick-boxer, he tells her where Chuck is being held prisoner. The team finds Chuck unconscious and attached to electrodes. Encouraged by Morgan, Sarah pulls off the electrodes and tries to get through to Chuck. Sobbing, she says, "Chuck, I want to spend the rest of my life with you, I don't care if you have the Intersect or not. Without you, I'm nobody, I'm nothing but a spy. Come back to me, Chuck. I want to marry you," and she kisses him, waking him. Morgan later assures Chuck, "Now you know that girl loves you!"

Balcony

The Balcony

In Chuck Versus the Balcony, Chuck goes to great lengths to find the perfect venue to propose to Sarah. But Casey tells him there was no such thing as a perfect spot, and that all he needs is the girl, so after his perfect proposal on a chateau balcony is interrupted by a tactical team, the proposal finally occurs at the end of Chuck Versus the Push Mix, when Chuck takes advantage of a quiet moment, after the birth of his niece, to kneel in the hospital corridor and propose.

In Chuck Versus the Seduction Impossible, Chuck and Sarah have a disagreement when Sarah wants to elope, while Chuck wants to have a family wedding. Eventually, Sarah explains that she wants to elope because she has no family or friends to fill her side of the church, but she agrees to have the family wedding because she has since realized that his family is now hers.

I Do

You may kiss the bride.

In Chuck Versus the Cliffhanger, Chuck risks everything to save a poisoned Sarah, losing his CIA position and the Intersect in the process, and finally offering himself up to the woman who wants him dead. But his deep sincerity and veracity touches her, and he is able to return to Sarah in time to save her life. At the end of this episode, Chuck and Sarah are married. In her vows, Sarah calls Chuck "a gift," and Chuck's vows include, “How do I express the depth of my love for you? I'll just prove it to you every day for the rest of our lives. You can count on me.”

In Season Five, Sarah's devotion to the spy life wanes, subtly at first, but more pronounced in later episodes. In Chuck Versus the Zoom, she rejects Chuck's proposal of an expensive home, in favor of "a little white house with a red door and a picket fence, like the houses that you see on TV that people live in." Chuck understands and calls her image "very Leave it to Beaver." By the end of the episode, Chuck has found the perfect house, but, by then, their assets have been frozen by Clyde Decker, and they cannot afford it.

In Chuck Versus the Baby, Sarah's mother, Emma, is introduced. After team Bartowski eliminates the threat to Sarah's family, Chuck tells Emma, "You know, I can't even begin to tell you how excited I am that I get to meet you." That night, picnicking in their dream home, Sarah admits that continuing as spies would keep them from the more settled life that they would need as a family, and Sarah asks Chuck to turn down Beckman's offer to rejoin the CIA. He agrees without hesitation. The episode ends with Sarah and Chuck carving their initials into the door jamb of the house.

In Chuck Versus the Kept Man, Sarah thinks that she might be pregnant, but avoids telling Chuck. When Casey finally points out the clues to Chuck, he is appalled he missed them and is at her side when a pregnancy test shows that she is not. They both admit to feeling relieved and disappointed, and they discuss their future with children.

In Chuck Versus the Bullet Train, Chuck is kidnapped and Sarah has to upload a flawed Intersect in order to save herself and Casey. Once they find Chuck, he and Sarah talk about a quiet life and starting a family. Nicholas Quinn, however, captures Sarah and, realizing that she has the faulty Intersect, forces her to flash, suppressing five years of her memories, including those of Chuck. In Chuck Versus Sarah, Quinn tells Sarah that he is her CIA handler and assigns her to kill Team Bartowski and steal the Intersect glasses for him. Chuck knows from the moment she arrives at their apartment that something is wrong, that the Sarah who came home to him was not his Sarah. When she is later captured by the team, Chuck takes her to their dream house, trying to restore her memories. Quinn appears, takes the glasses, admits that he lied to Sarah, and tries to shoot her. But Chuck takes the bullet to protect her, a Kevlar vest saves his life, but Sarah has gone. After they eliminate Quinn, Sarah disappears, and Morgan encourages Chuck to look for her, to follow his heart. He finds her sitting alone on 'their' beach, as she found him five years before. Sarah asks Chuck to tell her their story. When he finishes, he tells her that Morgan believes that her memories will return if Chuck kisses her. Sarah then tells him to kiss her, and he does.

The Intersect[]

See main article: The Intersect

Chuck Flashes

Flashes from the original Intersect,(top) FULCRUM Intersect (middle) and Intersect 2.0 (bottom)

Events in the series often revolve around intelligence Chuck "flashes," which is how he accesses the Intersect. Initially, Chuck is in possession of the original version, destroyed by Bryce in Chuck Versus the Intersect. It is later upgraded in Chuck Versus the Break-Up by Larkin. After Chuck passes Fulcrum's Intersect test upload, he is forcibly uploaded with the Fulcrum Intersect in Chuck Versus the Suburbs. Afterward, flashes consisting of Fulcrum data are differentiated by a slight reddish tint. Stephen Bartowski manages to over-write the Intersect in Chuck Versus the Colonel,removing it from Chuck's brain. By the end of season two, however, Chuck chooses to upload Intersect 2.0 to keep it out of enemy hands.

In early episodes Chuck, Sarah, and Casey occasionally work with other federal agents, or agents of allied foreign governments. Casey and Sarah always identify Chuck as an "analyst", not trained for field operations; the Intersect information is so highly classified that even among federal employees, the knowledge that Chuck Bartowski is the Intersect is on a strictly need-to-know basis. The list of those who know and survive knowing, numbers less than a dozen people over five years.

When trying to determine if the Intersect information could be removed from Chuck's brain in Chuck Versus the Helicopter, they contact Dr. Jonas Zarnow, who had worked on the Intersect project, and set up an elaborate system that allows him to test Chuck's Intersect abilities without letting him learn Chuck's real identity or ever seeing his face; this proves a wise precaution since the doctor then faked his own death and kidnapped Sarah Walker in an effort to force her to reveal the Intersect's identity. Chuck becomes painfully aware that possessing the Intersect not only puts him in great danger, but also threatens the safety of his family and friends.

During the first season, the CIA and NSA were working on replacing the destroyed intersect, at which point the government would no longer need him. Chuck believes that when that day comes, he and Sarah would be free to pursue a "real" relationship and he would have his life back again. Casey, however, was secretly ordered by Graham and Beckman to assassinate Chuck once Operation Bartowski was complete, to keep him from falling into enemy hands.

When the new electronic intersect was minutes form activation in Chuck Versus the First Date, Casey's orders reverted to the elimination of Chuck Bartowski. Although Casey appealed the mission, and noted Chuck's honorable service, his orders stood, and he reluctantly prepared to assassinate Chuck. He was visibly relieved when the orders were canceled at the last moment, following the destruction of the new Intersect computer.

As revealed in Chuck Versus the Suburbs, the NSA and CIA officially abandoned a new Intersect project. General Beckman made it clear to Chuck in Chuck Versus The Predator that she didn't want the Intersect removed from his brain, and that she expects him to train to become a spy. Chuck then opts to hide intelligence on the original design of the Intersect, sent to him by Orion, the creator of the Intersect. He studies the designs, camouflaged by taping them inside a graphic novel. Orion also indicated that it might be possible that the Fulcrum Intersect could be used to remove the Intersect from Chuck's brain.

Chuckeye

Chuck flashing

In Chuck Versus the Colonel, Chuck locates the base where Fulcrum hid the newly-developed Fulcrum Intersect Cube that was being programmed under duress by his father, Stephen Bartowski, who is code named Orion. His father is able to remove the intersect from Chuck's brain using this Intersect Cube. Chuck, however, later uploads the Intersect 2.0 before destroying it to keep it out of the hands of the Ring in Chuck Versus the Ring, this time uploading physical skills, such as advanced martial arts.

It is discovered in the Season Three finale, Chuck Versus the Ring: Part 2, that Chuck had accidentally uploaded an earlier version of the Intersect, that had been created by his father during his childhood. In Chuck Versus the First Fight, Chuck's mother, Mary, uses a Intersect Suppression Device on Chuck to suppress the Intersect and stop it from functioning.

Chuck is subsequently kidnapped by a Belgian who wants the secrets in the Intersect, but it had been suppressed. The suppression issue is resolved when Chuck activates his father's laptop, then in Ellie's care. The laptop resupplies the Intersect 2.0. After he regains the intersect in Chuck Versus the Leftovers, he goes rogue to save Sarah in Chuck Versus the Cliffhanger. CIA hit man, Clyde Decker, tried to thwart Chuck in every way, and had the Intersect forcibly suppressed, telling Chuck he was fired. Chuck compiled all the dirt on Decker, Agent X and the whole cover up, and told Decker he would take him down if his friends or family were ever threatened again.

It is apparent that the first Intersect functions without conscious effort from the host, and will 'flash' multiple times succession regardless of the effect on Chuck, as demonstrated in Chuck Versus the First Date and Chuck Versus the Undercover Lover when he commented that “Man, I'm going to have a headache tomorrow,” after flashing over a dozen times in succession.

Chuck charted every piece of information he could find on the Intersect on the back of the Tron poster in his bedroom,[6] and throughout season 1 and 2 continued to express a desire to have the Intersect removed from his brain.[7] Using the data, Chuck built a bot to search the web for Orion, which he was seen using in the opening scenes of Chuck Versus the Predator. He succeeds in doing what the CIA and NSA could not; he got the attention of Orion who recognizes Chuck as the Intersect and wants to meet him. Orion reveals it is possible to remove the Intersect from Chuck's brain, before he is apparently killed when he turned an MQ-1 Predator drone on the helicopter he is allegedly traveling in after he was captured by Fulcrum. It is later revealed in Chuck Versus the Dream Job that not only did Orion survive, but he is actually Chuck's father, Stephen.

When Chuck chose to upload the Intersect 2.0 in Chuck Versus the Ring it was clear that the mechanics had altered a great deal from the original Intersect. Only minutes were required for the upload as opposed to hours, and although Chuck was staggered and slightly disoriented after the upload, he was not rendered unconscious for hours afterward as had been the case after the upload in Chuck Versus the Intersect.

Spy Life[]

Chuck adopted an alias, Charles Carmichael, as his spy persona. He is endowed with all of the characteristics Chuck believes a super-spy should have, including a liking for martinis, which Chuck does not drink normally. “Let's just say Mr. Carmichael and I share a small kinship. When I first entered Stanford, it's kind of where I envisioned myself being by now.” Carmichael was the person Chuck saw himself as by this time in his life had he not been expelled from Stanford: a millionaire semi-retired software magnate.[8]

Ironically, his fantasy alias eventually gains real respect in the spy community: in Chuck Versus the Predator, Fulcrum agent Vincent told Chuck he has heard of him and in Chuck Versus the First Date Mr. Colt tells Casey, “Your boss, Carmichael, he's good,” much to Casey's irritation, and in Chuck Versus the Aisle of Terror Mary said that “I may not know anything about you... but I know everything there is to know about Charles Carmichael.”[9]

Chuckaliaas

One of Chuck's false passports

His operational aliases, however, are numerous; various false passports and identity documents were shown to be stored in a shoe box under his bed, in Chuck Versus Tom Sawyer.

While police and operational backup personnel have supported Casey and Sarah in various episodes, in Chuck Versus the Ex Chuck is shown to have gained the contact information required to summon such teams on his own initiative. It is further revealed that Chuck carries credentials which give him some degree of authority over local and federal law enforcement agencies. This is demonstrated when, upon arriving at an emergency situation where an assassin released a biological weapon on a scientific conference, Chuck promptly assumes command of the operation without dispute from the senior FBI agent on-site.

In Chuck Versus the Ring, Ted Roark reveals that Fulcrum has specifically ordered that Chuck be killed regardless of whether they recover the Intersect. Chuck uploads the modified Intersect 2.0 after Bryce is killed, before destroying the computer system with the Intersect Overload Cartridge. When confronted by Ring agents intent on taking control of the system, he uses the knowledge received from the Intersect to disable them in hand-to-hand combat.

Chuck was fired by Beckman after failing his spy training in Chuck Versus the Pink Slip, when his strong emotions tended to inhibit the Intersect. By the end of the episode, however, he again proves his value and is reinstated. He is sent on his first solo mission by Agent Daniel Shaw in Chuck Versus First Class. Throughout the third season, Chuck continues to train, and in Chuck Versus the Final Exam, Chuck completes his last test, the Red Test, but only with Casey's help, who realizes that Chuck would never be a killer. Chuck's red test was the assassination of a traitorous agent, but he found he could not kill the man. Casey shot the mole instead, before he could knife Chuck, knowing that Chuck would not. When Chuck asked him why, he replied, “Because you weren't going to. You're not a killer, Chuck.” He is activated as a full-fledged spy by Beckman and ordered to report to Washington, D.C. for induction.

In Chuck Versus the Beard Chuck is forced to share his secret life with Morgan when the two were threatened with torture by Ring operatives: "Morgan, the truth is I am a member of a joint NSA-CIA black ops team, that is stationed here in Burbank. I have a Level 6 clearance, and my code name is Charles Carmichael. I'm a spy, buddy...and, quite frankly, you deserve to know." Chuck was ultimately very grateful he was able to tell his friend all about it, and the emotional release helped repair his glitchy access to the Intersect.

Chuck Kung Fu

Chuck discovers he learned Kung Fu from the Intersect

Chuck developed more and more as an agent as the show progresses. In Chuck Versus the Push Mix, Chuck made a plan by himself for a rogue mission with Morgan to bring down the arms-dealing organization, Volkoff Industries. He does so by pretending to be Orion, hacking into the computers in the office of Alexei Volkoff, thereby scaring Volkoff into leaving his headquarters and staying mobile with the Hydra Network. Chuck then successfully brought down Volkoff Industries by luring Volkoff to his father's cabin and tricking him into speaking the words needed for the voice-activated pass code to begin transferring the Hydra Network to Orion's computers, later to be sent to the CIA. He succeeds in weeks where the CIA failed in decades.

Family Life[]

“There's something you need to know about me.... There's nothing in my life that I care about more than my friends and my family.”

The most important person in Chuck's life prior to the events of the series is his sister, Ellie Bartowski. She remains very important throughout the series as are Sarah, Morgan and Devon. Chuck makes clear numerous times that friends and family will always trump all other consideration for him.

Chuck attempts to locate his father for Ellie's wedding, but meets with no success, since Stephen Bartowski (Scott Bakula) didn't want to be found.

Ellieswedding

Chuck and Stephen at Ellie's wedding

His search ends in Chuck Versus the Broken Heart, when Sarah uses her access to the CIA databases to run her own unauthorized search. She successfully locates him in a trailer located 100 miles east of Barstow, CA and takes Chuck to see him. In Chuck Versus the Dream Job, Stephen eventually reveals to Chuck that he is the long-sought Orion and that he had allowed Sarah to find him. When Chuck goes to work for Stephen's rival, Ted Roark, to help the CIA stop a major virus attack, it leads to Stephen's capture by Roark.

When Stephen appears in Chuck Versus the Dream Job, no real information about his wife is given, except that she left home when Chuck was in the 5th grade. Chuck and Ellie celebrate "Mother's Day" in October each year to commemorate the day they learned to take care of each other.[10]

In Chuck Versus the Ring: Part 2, Chuck quit the Buy More and promised Ellie he would leave the CIA once Shaw was beaten. In Chuck Versus the Anniversary, Chuck is compelled to rejoin the Buy More/CIA, however, after Beckman takes over the site as a CIA cover and blocks Chuck from all other employment options. Chuck attempts to tell Ellie that he has rejoined the CIA and is searching for their mother, but she confides in him that she is pregnant, and he decides to wait to reveal his secret.

In Season Four, Chuck pursues his search for their mother, Mary Bartowski (Linda Hamilton). His father had supplied Chuck with enough information to begin the search, as of the Season Three finale. Stephen had spent his entire career searching for Mary, seeking to bring down Volkoff Industries. Chuck finally meets his mother in Chuck Versus the Aisle of Terror and introduces Sarah to her, asking them not to kill each other. Mary later shoots Chuck to prevent Volkoff from moving against Agent 'Charles Carmichael,' now thought to be dead. The fact that he was her son had to remain secret. In Chuck Versus the Push Mix, Chuck, Sarah, Morgan, and Mary manage to bring down Volkoff and his Hydra Network. They later arrive to Westside Medical just in time for Ellie to give birth to daughter, Clara Woodcomb. While waiting for his niece's arrival, Chuck proposes to Sarah in the hospital corridor, and she accepts.

Personality[]

Chuck-s4e3-chuck-vs-cubic-z-03

Chuck is a highly intelligent, witty, honest, friendly, good-hearted, caring, generous, and personable young man. Because of the danger and secrecy of his secret life, Chuck struggles with maintaining his honesty and integrity, and has frequently been at odds with the deceptive side of his government work. Chuck typically plays the role of a peacemaker, and to some degree, a negotiator, preferring to find a peaceful resolution to conflicts as seen during the hostage situation in the Buy More in Chuck Versus Santa Claus. He also has a deep sense of personal responsibility, leading him to facilitating the defection of a Chinese agent after mistakenly allowing her brother to be taken hostage.[10] Chuck believes deeply in doing the right thing, but objects to means that violate his ethics, especially when he has been asked or ordered to take advantage of his personal relationships.[11] Chuck always puts others before himself, and is very protective of the people he cares about.

Chuck is highly skilled with computers and can solve any puzzle, he was once known to the world of hackers as The Piranha.[3] It is strongly implied that he has genius-level intellect and has the ability to retain vast amounts of visual information. Chuck has shown the ability to mentally upload both the Intersect and the Fulcrum version - which had killed or mentally damaged all previous subjects. He has excellent problem-solving skills and has said that his plans never fail. Even without the Intersect information, Chuck is highly observant, and he has a great deal of familiarity with a wide variety of electronic devices, their capabilities and limitations due to work at the Buy More rather than the Intersect information and demonstrated the ability to recognize advanced surveillance equipment while casing a mansion for a mission because he had seen them at the spy store in the Buy More plaza.

Chuck has admitted to a low tolerance for pain in several episodes and is afraid of needles. A fear of heights was mentioned in Chuck Versus the Gravitron, where he also admits to an “irrational fear of carnivals.” Although he tends to be visibly freaked out in situations involving guns and violence, he has a deep reserve of courage, and always summons the nerve to risk his own life during the course of a mission if he deems it necessary, especially if Sarah or Casey's lives are at risk.

Although he does not hold a management position at the Buy More, and has in fact refused one at least twice, both the Green Shirts and Nerd Herd staff look to him for guidance and leadership, and have on several occasions pointed him out as the guy in charge. Anna Wu (Julia Ling) explains to Emmett Milbarge that the store's chain of command is "There's Chuck, then there's the rest of us." Lester Patel (Vik Sahay) reports that when unsure in a situation, asks himself, "WWCD, what would Chuck do?" When asked "Who personifies the Buy More ideal? Who makes the trains run on time? Who provides your moral compass? Who holds the team together?" the staff unanimously answer "Chuck."[3] Even Big Mike holds Chuck in high regard, and frequently turns to him when things need to be done and done right, and would have preferred him as Assistant Manager over Harry Tang.[12] When Mike's new lady friend reveals her son works at the Buy More, Big Mike could be heard to plead that it was Chuck.[13]

Chuck's friends and family are supremely important to him. He has disobeyed orders in order to protect Ellie,[14] Morgan, and Anna,[15] and his own problems were of secondary importance to finding the ring Devon intended to use to propose to Ellie when a Fulcrum agent stole it in Chuck Versus the Marlin.[16]

Chuck and Ellie

At one point, Ellie, Chuck, Sarah, and Casey had all been exposed to a poison and they had recovered only enough antidote to save one individual, Chuck, without hesitation, stated that he would use it to save his sister's life, though that would mean his death; Sarah and Casey refused to let him do this, because his death would mean the loss of the Intersect secrets, though Casey expressed admiration on a personal level for Chuck's willingness to sacrifice his own life for Ellie's. Chuck ran from them and administered the antidote to Ellie before they could stop him.

He is highly sensitive and caring, and has always tried to be close to Sarah when she needed emotional support.[17][18] Chuck has also attempted to help Casey reclaim the woman he once loved.[19] He promised his sister that no matter what it takes, their father would be present at her wedding.[20] Although often a strength, Chuck's affable, trusting nature has also gotten him into trouble. He almost allowed Laszlo Mahnovski to escape custody,[12] and on numerous occasions has been tricked into helping an adversary. It nearly broke him to burn his asset in Chuck Versus the Nacho Sampler but in the end, he realized that Manoosh Depak simply could not be trusted with his information, that not every one had a moral compass, and he sorrowfully sent Manoosh into protective custody, but hated doing so. Casey has taken advantage of Chuck's naiveté for his own purposes.[20]

Chuck frequently wears Chuck Taylor all-stars Converse shoes and enjoys an eclectic range of music including "indie rock" and blues. Music supervisor of Chuck, Alexandra Patsavas, describes Chuck as a guy who might like The Republic Tigers and The National (both bands have had music in the show), and Chuck has made references to liking both Arcade Fire in Chuck Versus the Sandworm and Nina Simone in Chuck Versus the Zoom. He tells Sarah that he thinks he found what will be her favorite song, Feeling Good by Nina Simone which he plays for her in Chuck Versus the Honeymooners.

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Mixing whiskey and gaming

Chuck is a long time video gamer. He has been seen reading Nintendo Power, and PC Gamer, playing Missile Command, Gears of War, Halo 3, and Call of Duty 4. He has demonstrated several other 'nerd' interests throughout the course of the show, such as an interest in, and extensive familiarity with the plot, characters and details of comic books and graphic novels, genre movies, and other typical 'nerd' interests. In the episode Chuck Versus the Sandworm, Morgan Grimes reveals that Chuck has a "wicked vinyl collection", part of which is seen in Chuck Versus the Alma Mater.

Evolution[]

Chuck continued to evolve over the course of the show. He was initially reluctant to participate in missions, but then began to look forward to them, and was eventually seen as disappointed when he was not included.[21] He also grows noticeably in confidence and becomes increasingly more capable and self-sufficient. Although inexperienced, Chuck's natural intelligence and observational skills make him an effective agent.

Chuckbartowski

Sarah frequently encourages him in this regard, and even Casey notices Chuck's abilities[22][18]. In Chuck Versus the Other Guy Casey told him, “Forget the intersect, forget about being a spy. Before all of that you were smart. You're gonna take this intel, you're gonna figure out where Sarah is.” General Beckman was also impressed that Chuck succeeded where the CIA had failed when he made contact with Orion, though she only admitted it to Sarah and Casey. Every time there is a major victory in the series, it is because Chuck has outsmarted the opposition. He found Sarah in Paris in Chuck Versus the Other Guy, he tricked Shaw into revealing the Ring Elders and then exposing himself as a traitor in Chuck Versus the Ring: Part 2, he lured Volkoff to his fate in Chuck Versus the Push Mix and tricked him into speaking the words required for voice-recognition access to his Hydra network. In Chuck Versus the Santa Suit when Shaw kidnapped Sarah, she responds to his gloating with the confidence that "Chuck has a plan." As Chuck delivers the demanded Macau device to Shaw, so that he can download the Intersect 3.0, Chuck gives him a version infected with the Omen virus, which destroys the Intersect in Shaw's brain.

For most of the series Chuck was strongly pacifistic. He specifically told Sarah he dislikes guns[16] and shows a preference of avoiding or preventing conflict. Until the end of season two, Chuck displays little fighting ability, and was deeply disturbed by Sarah's execution of Fulcrum agent, Mauser.[23]

During the events of Chuck Versus the Suburbs, Fulcrum was attempting to launch their own version of the Intersect. The device was flawed, and until it was tested successfully on Chuck, either killed or inflicted lasting brain damage on the victims. After the team was captured while investigating, Casey escaped Fulcrum custody and entered the system control room while Sarah was being strapped into the device. Although aware of what would happen to the Fulcrum agents, Chuck signaled Casey to activate the Intersect. This incident was the first time that Chuck willingly took a course of action where he knew that someone was going to be hurt or killed as a result of his actions, and as in all such cases, it was done to protect Sarah or another loved one.

  • Josh Schwartz stated that Chuck will continue to develop and gain confidence in his new role.[24] As seen in Chuck Versus the First Kill, neither of the two "kills" were the result of direct action by Chuck. Chuck then deliberately ran down several Fulcrum operatives holding Sarah prisoner with a Dodge Challenger in Chuck Versus the Colonel.

Chuck finally handles a gun for the first time on a mission in Chuck Versus the Lethal Weapon, despite his aversion to firearms, established in this episode and in Chuck Versus the Marlin. Chuck asked Sarah if he got to have a gun for their rescue of his father in Chuck Versus the Colonel.

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Chuck unplugged in Chuck Versus the Anniversary

Upon learning Beckman doesn't want the Intersect removed from him, Chuck uses the resources of Castle, and the skills he learned, to defy the government. He hid information about the Fulcrum Intersect from his handlers in Chuck Versus the Predator and Chuck Versus the Broken Heart, and uses CIA body armor and tranquilizer guns for a rogue operation to gain access to the Fulcrum Intersect in Chuck Versus the Dream Job, and even shot John Casey with a tranquilizer.

After uploading the Intersect 2.0, Chuck becomes an instant expert in Kung Fu much to the surprise of Sarah and Casey.[25] In season 5, Chuck, without his intersect, was still able to fight with Daniel Shaw on even footing, he also blocked attacks from Morgan equipped with the Intersect, demonstrating Chuck becomes a very good hand to hand fighter.

After the Intersect was suppressed in Chuck Versus the First Fight, he continues to train, often with Morgan, and continues to grow as a spy, once it was made clear by Beckman the CIA had a use for an agent of his unique abilities, even without the Intersect.

Appearance[]

Chuck is a tall, attractive man, with dark, curly hair, and hazel eyes. He once described himself as 'lanky of build.' At the start of season one, Chuck's hair is longer, and rather wild, with sideburns – his sister actually tells him at one point that he needs a haircut because it's "making funny animal shapes.”

His hair changes throughout the next four seasons becoming gradually shorter and tidier in tandem with his finding a direction for his life, and his maturity as a spy, leaving his old life and frustrations behind; as he said in Chuck Versus the Masquerade "I never expected this to be my life, but here I am, and I'm happy."

Character Development[]

Zachary Levi was the first actor cast for the series, and was announced as starring in the title role on February 7, 2007. On January 16, 2009 it was announced that Scott Bakula would be appearing as Chuck and Ellie's father in a three-episode story arc along with Chevy Chase. Mr. Bartowski is identified as a software genius, with Chase's Ted Roark as his rival.[26]

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Buy More Land

SciFi Wire reported that English actor Jonathan Cake joined the cast for a three episode arc as MI-6 agent Cole Barker, described as a "James Bond" type agent. He and Chuck each will be actively trying to "Out Hero" each other. Chuck will also be involved in a mission to track down the creator of the Intersect, a man who may be able to help him find a way to remove the computer from his head and give him back his normal life.[27]

Previews for a future episode following the initial airing of Chuck Versus the Lethal Weapon show Chuck taking a much more active role, including donning body armor and confidently wielding two guns.

By Season Three, two more characters discover Chuck's secret life.[28] In Chuck Versus the Colonel, Chuck reveals his work as a spy to Captain Awesome, but asks him to keep it secret. [29] Devon is not told of the Intersect, however. Morgan, though, is told everything in Chuck Versus the Beard.

Interviews with Chris Fedak and Josh Schwartz have likened Chuck's development in the first two seasons to an origin story, describing Chuck as Luke Skywalker and born into his role as opposed to Peter Parker who stumbled into it. Season two focused on Chuck's evolution from a regular guy to potential true hero.[30]

Chuck loses the intersect again in Chuck Versus the Cliffhanger, but learns to live without it, before regaining it at the end of the series.

Note: Zachary Levi suggested that the new skills Chuck learns from Intersect 2.0 will fade again after use.[31]

Trivia[]

  • Chuck's original core Intersect ability is essentially a modernized version of the capacity attributed to Mycroft Holmes, who, according to his brother (Sherlock) in The Adventure of the Bruce-Partington Plans, could best be described thus:- "He has the tidiest and most orderly brain, with the greatest capacity for storing facts, of any man living. The same great powers which I have turned to the detection of crime he has used for this particular business. The conclusions of every department are passed to him, and he is the central exchange, the clearing-house, which makes out the balance. All other men are specialists, but his specialism is omniscience.".
  • As a child, Chuck had two dogs named Peaches, a Cocker Spaniel who was hit by a car, and a Springer Spaniel whose names was technically Peaches II, as was pointed out by Morgan in Chuck Versus the Wookiee. Chuck had been told by Ellie that the original Peaches had run away.
  • Chuck has been shot three time in the course of the series, each time he was wearing a Kevlar vest, and twice the shooter knew that to be so. The third time, he intercepted a bullet meant for Sarah. All three shootings were at point blank range and left him in pain but alive.
  • Chuck has been wearing black and white Chuck Taylor Converse since he was a child.



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Chuck Bartowski


References[]

PLEASE DON'T REMOVE THIS
  1. "Chuck Versus the Alma Mater
  2. 2.0 2.1 "Chuck vs. the Intersect"
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 "Chuck vs. the Ex"
  4. "Chuck Versus the Best Friend"
  5. "Chuck Versus the Broken Heart"
  6. NBC.com: Chuck's Chart
  7. "Chuck vs. the Lethal Weapon"
  8. "Chuck vs. the Tango"
  9. Carmichael could be a reference to the Secret British Agent Henry "Fakir" Carmichael from the Agatha Christie Novel "They Came To Baghdad." This reference makes more sense as Chuck's namesake was going up against a shadowy organization and was known for his ability to make friends and encourage them to protect him.
  10. 10.0 10.1 "Chuck vs. the Sizzling Shrimp"
  11. "Chuck vs. the Imported Hard Salami"
  12. 12.0 12.1 "Chuck vs. the Sandworm"
  13. "Chuck vs. the Suburbs"
  14. "Chuck vs. the Truth"
  15. "Chuck vs. the Crown Vic"
  16. 16.0 16.1 "Chuck vs. the Marlin"
  17. "Chuck vs. the Cougars"
  18. 18.0 18.1 "Chuck vs. the Delorean"
  19. "Chuck vs. the Undercover Lover"
  20. 20.0 20.1 "Chuck Versus the Sensei"
  21. "Chuck vs. the Third Dimension"
  22. "Chuck vs. the First Date"
  23. "Chuck vs. Santa Claus"
  24. Development Update: February 8, 2009, IGN report on New York ComicCon Panel
  25. "Chuck vs. the Ring"
  26. Cast Update: January 16, Zap2It.com
  27. Development Update: February 16, 2009, SciFi Wire
  28. Spoiler: io9.com
  29. Development Update, March 20, 2009: Sci-Fi Wire
  30. Interview: April 7, 2009: What's Alan Watching
  31. Interview: May 1, 2009: Entertainment Weekly


External Links[]


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