225 replies to this topic

[TWoP Mars]

From TVGuide.com:

Chuck embarks on his final mission in the series finale. He must revisit his past in order to save his future, as he teams up with family, friends and unlikely allies to vanquish sinister villain Nicholas Quinn, who is intent on destroying all that Chuck has built in the past five years.

[enlightenedbum]

I choose to believe Morgan was right. Because if that's true (and that was a far more open and emotionally vulnerable Sarah in a friggin' montage than we got in the first two and a half SEASONS, so I say it is), that was (almost) perfect. Chuck makes the right and moral decision at great self-sacrifice. He and Sarah obviously get each other, and Sarah gets to keep her regained humanity. Ellie and Awesome get awesome jobs and Ellie no longer feels like she needs to watch after Chuck. Casey gets a life of danger and Verbanski, Morgan gets Alex (and vice versa), Jeffster gets a recording contract in Germany (which is perfect), and Big Mike gets a Subway within walking distance.

The only wrong note was trying to establish a parallel for Casey. But who cares, whatever. I cried.

[Samurai]

Holy cow, and people thought the fandom got split on the Morgansect at the send of season 4...already the way they ended this is controversial.

Look, I understand that the ending largely implies that Sarah is beginning to recall the times she had with Chuck, and those feelings are coming back very quickly. But after the buildup of quitting the spy life and the house with the picket fence and the red door, to basically leave it to the fan's imagination to "hope" that Sarah got her memory back...that's a very, very cold thing to do with what is really the fairytale romance. So did the geek get the girl in the end? It's up to you to decide...

So torn. I loved the symmetry of ending on the same beach that the pilot started, but I just dislike the ambiguity so much, and that our last imagery of Sarah Walker is not the one we watched grow over the past 5 years. If only there was a sign/hint (like her flashing) that showed any definitive sign of her remembering...

All the flashbacks were nostalgic, but I was sitting here, screaming mentally at the show to have Sarah remember somehow, anyhow. I don't care how contrived it would have been.

At least 'Alias', despite the many, many problems with its ending, had Vaughn and Sydney living with their kids on the beach.

[SmallNatural30]

I think they went the right way in not having Sarah get her memories back and needing Chuck to upload the Intersect to save everyone.

That said, it kinda sucks that we just have to imagine or imply that everything turns out fine with Sarah and her memories, as they didn't show a series of shots of her remembering stuff during/after the final kiss. Or at the very least, Charah falls in love all over again and they get their 'happily ever after'.


But I guess that's what fanfiction is for, right Joshua Gomez?

[GreenPhoenix]

Mark f'ing Pellegrino! He's built up some impressive geek cred over the last few years and I've really really wanted him to show up. I never thought it would actually happen. I think he could have been fantastic as Quinn, but James Bishop might be my favorite villain ever, so seeing Pellegrino as a major villain again might have been weird for me.

[CJohnson]

Very well done. I really liked how they weaved in the past moments and I kind of like the way they left it up in the air about whether she fully regains her memory. I just kind of think the romantic in me thinks that the whole message was that whether she did or not, that they would fall in love again.

One of the things I always really appreciated about the show was how it had that jokey, pop-cult reference side, but unlike most shows in that vein, the show has always had an uncynical sweetness to it, and that really is the thing that stood out about the finale to me. The final scene was pretty and a nice way to end. Enjoyed it a lot.

[enlightenedbum]

So torn. I loved the symmetry of ending on the same beach that the pilot started, but I just dislike the ambiguity so much, and that our last imagery of Sarah Walker is not the one we watched grow over the past 5 years. If only there was a sign/hint (like her flashing) that showed any definitive sign of her remembering...

Remember: she knows where the stuff in the Wienerlicious goes, she remembers writing Chuck + Sarah in the wall of their future house, she remembers Irene DeMova. The implication that she's remembering is clear. The ambiguity is whether Morgan's ridiculous idea worked. I choose to believe it did and I'm someone who was hoping she'd flash to their wedding (the one flashback we didn't get) when Chuck kissed her.

Also, as I say above, pilot Sarah would not laugh/cry/openly ask for Chuck to kiss her during that story. "Our" Sarah would.

Edited by enlightenedbum, Jan 27, 2012 @ 11:12 PM.

[arcadia63]

So when do we start bugging NBC for the followup TV movie? :)

[MDL]

Part 2 was great-especially when Sarah looked at the DVD that Casey gave to her.

[SmallNatural30]

I really should re-watch before I ask this... but when Sarah got knocked out before falling out of the jet - did anything come of that as far as helping her remember anything? Or was it just a coincidental knock and only proved for a segue from Morgan bringing Chuck's spirits up about her to her walking up in mid-fall??

I guess we could fanwank that her remembering the Wienerlicious & Irene Demova stuff was a result of that, but I don't recall anything specific that would make her getting knocked on the head, hard enough to lose consciousness, seem important.

[StayclassyBklyn]

Am I the only one who only cried when Jeffster performed? Nothing else got me emotional. I guess it descended into too much romance in every single episode for me over these last two seasons so my interest started to drift. But Jeffster brought back all the good memories of the quirkiness of this show. And I will sorely miss it.

[Billpatine]

"Our" Sarah. I love that.

God damn right.

StayclassyBklyn Nope, I was laughing like a loon and crying like a little girl. Awesome.

Edited by Billpatine, Jan 27, 2012 @ 11:20 PM.

[hjmugillecuty]

Chuck uploading the Intersect, running through the concert hall and stopping the bomb to Jeffster! singing "Take on you" was so very...Chuck. If it had ended there, I probably would have been happy.

[ybrik]

I really enjoyed the finale. Sarah coming out of the ocean was fantastic.

Loved Mama B popping up how she did in the episode.

Great callbacks to the pilot and the beginning of the series.

Interesting dynamic with Sarah being season 1 like also seemed to cause Chuck to go back to early Chuck. Without her memories Sarah couldn't remember how much she trusted Chuck so she tried to do things alone and without Sarah, Chuck fell back to his old patterns.

I will say that I liked the ending. There were hints that Sarah's memories are there somewhere. Also there is Morgan's fairytale kiss theory, I don't need to see what happens next because like all good fairytales after the kiss, they live happily ever after.

I will miss this show. I may not have loved every episode but for 5 years this show has been the one show I would always look forward to. Sad this comes to an end but glad that they had five years to tell a story and allowed to end it.

[enlightenedbum]

"Our" Sarah.

God damn right.

Alternately: human Sarah. Which is why a non-memory conclusion would crush me. This show is about Chuck and Morgan gaining confidence and growing up. But it's also about Sarah and Casey regaining their humanity... so yeah, cutting that out would have been awful. THAT was clearly restored.

[Jayrod]

Also, as I say above, pilot Sarah would not laugh/cry/openly ask for Chuck to kiss her during that story. "Our" Sarah would.

Exactly. She wouldn't have told Chuck to kiss her at that moment if she didn't feel something deep down, even if she didn't quite know why. I choose to believe they fall in love all over again and it's happily ever after. I don't know if that's a reaction to the show just killing me the first hour or so, but I choose hope.

And I thought they did show the wedding during the "tell me our story" flashbacks? I don't want to rewind and watch any of it just yet, though, to check.

[enlightenedbum]

And I thought they did show the wedding during the "tell me our story" flashbacks? I don't want to rewind and watch any of it just yet, though, to check.

I know I saw Sarah's vows, but I don't think I saw the wedding itself.

Granted that it was dusty at that point.

Edited by enlightenedbum, Jan 27, 2012 @ 11:25 PM.

[Samurai]

And I thought they did show the wedding during the "tell me our story" flashbacks? I don't want to rewind and watch any of it just yet, though, to check.

They did, I remember seeing it at some point - I think it was at the end of Chuck v. Sarah.

[MagniFicent]

Okay...here's the good part. Regardless of whether or not the kiss restored Sarah's memories (I choose to believe it did) - Sarah was getting her memories back anyway. Irene Demova, the Wienerlicious, the carving in the house wall, the beach...and that's just the first couple days. One way or another, Sarah and Chuck are gonna be together.

What I DIDNT like:

Morgan, Casey, Ellie, Devon all seemed way too unconcerned about Chuck losing Sarah. "Don't worry! I'll make you pancakes!" Seriously?

I'm not a fan of Quinn's character in general. Very anticlimactic villain to end the series.

Here's the big one...I didn't like the bomb/Intersect/concert hall plot, and how it was handled. Why do I hate this? Two reasons.

1. Chuck says he needs the Intersect to defuse the bomb. *BUZZER* He defused a bomb in the pilot with the Irene Demova virus, not Intersect-Fu. Why Sarah was the one to remember that and not him, I dunno.

2. He says that there's only enough power for one upload. Let's assume for a moment that your trained spy team doesn't know how to manually defuse a bomb, and needs the Intersect, despite seasons worth of evidence to the contrary. Simple solution - give the glasses to Sarah and have her defuse the bomb. I know she had issues with the Intersect, but they could just take it out after. That was supposed to be the uncorrupted version, anyway.

Edited by MagniFicent, Jan 27, 2012 @ 11:28 PM.

[Nerg]

Well, that's it. Farewell, Show.

I loved it. So many awesome/funny/cheesy/romantic moments to remind me why I fell in love with this show in the first place. How I almost failed a final because when I first started watching (in Season 2), I couldn't stop. How I bought a Subway sandwich and actually, for once, wrote a damn save-our-show letter and mailed it to the network executives. Only this show could get me to do that.

The final Jeffster performance was gold, and though I would've loved to have Sarah get her memories restored before the end, the way they ended it was better. Just a beautiful, bittersweet finale all around.

This show has brought me so much joy over the years. Thanks, Fedak, Schwartz, et al., for making such happy and entertaining television.

[RaeleeBlue]

A little thing that I loved... Fedak mentioned it in an interview.

There's always been that "Chuck & Sarah" theme in the background music that plays over all of their emotional/relationship moments. We've never heard the actual end of that music... until the final scene.

And on the topic of music, I laughed like a maniac with Jeffster performing. They had to go there and I'm glad they did.

My favorite part overall? Just the nostalgia.

[Samurai]

1. Chuck says he needs the Intersect to defuse the bomb. *BUZZER* He defused a bomb in the pilot with the Irene Demulva virus, not Intersect-Fu. Why Sarah was the one to remember that and not him, I dunno.

He needed it to unlock the case holding the Prism computer, not to load the virus into it.

2. He says that there's only enough power for one upload.

If you remember in season 1, Bryce left the Intersect shades with the update in it on Chuck's desk. The same thing happened then as well - the data chip in the side burned out. So I think all of these glasses have chips with one-time uses.

That said, all of you are making really good comments. It's just that I always imagined Chuck as one of those shows that would end on a fairytale ending (like one of those episodes where everyone is together at Chuck + Sarah's place wining and dining), but this just seemed a bit out of step with the overarching aura around the show - things may get dark, but they always end up okay. Here, we're left to hope they end up okay.

[ReadIshmael]

Loved it. I thought there were enough hints that Sarah would and could remember everything that it was fair for them to leave it there without it meaning we never got the Sarah we loved back, and the ending was very, very tear-inducingly sweet.

Loved the Jeffster performance; I knew it was coming as soon as they decided to tag along on the mission, and I was thrilled. It was just so goofy and fun.

Morgan convincing Casey to stick with the team was one of my favorite things in the whole two hours. I love how far they both came from where they started.

I'm gonna miss this show so much.

[enlightenedbum]

2. He says that there's only enough power for one upload. Let's assume for a moment that your trained spy team doesn't know how to manually defuse a bomb, and needs the Intersect, despite seasons worth of evidence to the contrary. Simple solution - give the glasses to Sarah and have her defuse the bomb. I know she had issues with the Intersect, but they could just take it out after. That was supposed to be the uncorrupted version, anyway.

To restore the memory, they'd need another upload even if they gave it to Sarah. And theoretically the last one is destroyed (though how the plans aren't is your Chuck Plot Hole of the Week "TM Sepinwall), so they'd be shit out of luck.

If you remember in season 1, Bryce left the Intersect shades with the update in it on Chuck's desk.

Season 2, actually. Chuck vs. the Break Up. Wherein Chuck is just as heart breakingly self-sacrificing for the greater good as he was here.

[Matt K]

I honestly hated the finale for all the reasons Samurai mentioned. Plus, I just didn't understand the whole "only 1 flash left" I mean the first 2 intersect uploads were on computers so why not just use the key in conjunction with that? Plus seeing as how I hated the whole Sarah amnesia plot from square one this last 2 episodes just pissed me off further.

And really, the show ends with everyone moving forward but Chuck and Sarah? There's hints she'll get her memory back and I guess they're going to do that Cyber Spy stuff but for a series finale I'd prefer to have the ending at least a little more spelled out. It's not like this is some big drama, it's a cute quirky spy comedy with dramatic elements so to have such a downer ending just feels cheap.

And they had what, 12 episodes to wrap it all up and the we're getting random plot elements like the Woodcombs going to Chicago in the last hour or less. This season really came across like they just plotted each episode as it came with little regards to creating a memorable finish for the show. If this was any other season I would have dropped the show then and there.

And to wrap this up, I would have loved it if they say finished the story line last episode and then had the finale as a flash forward a few years. See them deal with some threat to get a sense of where they are in their professional career and then spend the rest of the episode with their home lives. Maybe set it as their 5 year anniversary to get everyone together or even perhaps Morgan's Wedding or even the anniversary of Papa B's death/birth to add a someber moment to the man responsible for everything. Now that at least would have been a heart warming finale with the same tone as the rest of the series.

[Dalmatian90]

Aces, Charles.

The very end was probably the best...guess that's why they're the writers and I'm not :)

My alternatives would've been either (1) Sarah flashing with the kiss ("reboot", whatever); or (2) someone mentioning it was hopeless, no one can bring her back and Ma Bartowski saying, "No, there is another." <cut to black>.

[sissykay]

I knew Chuck could find Sarah at the beach. Their first time there was one of my favorite scenes and it was great they ended the show there.

[GreenPhoenix]

And I thought they did show the wedding during the "tell me our story" flashbacks? I don't want to rewind and watch any of it just yet, though, to check.

I think I remember that when they were at the beach. Chuck was dipping Sarah back at the altar.

[OptimisticCynic]

I agree with Matt K. I hated the way the show ended. I think the storyline of Sarah losing her memories could have been compelling, if the arc had been planned 5 episodes ago and it would have been resolved accordingly. Or if it had been done last season finale and this season would be Chuck taking the time to fall in love with her again. What's the point of getting to know these characters if the last episode you could completely erase one of them? It creates great stakes but without an ample reward it seems detrimental and frankly wrong sighted. This was never a concept bending show or something like The Sopranos or Lost that was meant to be mysterious (I never watched Lost but the problem with The Sopranos finale as "genius" as many people find it is more about talking about David Chase than it is about the Soprano family or the story). This show isn't even Nikita, so they should have stuck to lighthearted fun spy comedy.

I wish I could just pretend the show ended in Paris with Sarah and Chuck. That would have been a perfect finale. Instead, they go through all the trouble of getting them married, talking about kids and houses and then snatch it away.

I feel like the concept behind Sarah losing her memories was an excuse for the show to have all those significant flashbacks in the episode. Like, the writers were in a room and said "you know what would be great? if we could show snippets of all the great moments of the show....but how could that storyline make sense?" and someone said "I know! Let's have Sarah lose her memories!" and they went from there.

The one good thing was seeing Mark Pellegrino. And I do have to give props to Zachary Levi for a wonderful performance.

Edited by OptimisticCynic, Jan 28, 2012 @ 12:02 AM.

[Dust Bunny]

Mark f'ing Pellegrino! He's built up some impressive geek cred over the last few years and I've really really wanted him to show up. I never thought it would actually happen. I think he could have been fantastic as Quinn, but James Bishop might be my favorite villain ever, so seeing Pellegrino as a major villain again might have been weird for me.

Remember, he played a nameless Fulcrum agent in "Chuck versus The Fat Lady" in season 2. I saw he was going to be on tonight, so I rewatched that episode for continuity fun. It was way cool for the writers to bring him back after his rise via LOST.

I'm so thankful Chuck was able to intentionally hit its series finale like that. Most shows would be so lucky.

It was like an Easter Egg hunt for references of the 5 seasons. I loved that they put Sarah in a brown leather jacket for when she was at the Nerd Herd desk bell, just as in the pilot. I love that she did Bryce's fighting choreography from the pilot when she took down those 5 guys. I loved Sarah in the Mission Log - kudos to the stylists and Yvonne for bringing that continuity. I loved Quinn's line, "I never liked The Ring" before he shot the agent. Total fan-service to us. Over and over there were winks - some big and some little.

Zach brought it in the dream house scene. Casey's hug and Ellie's "Aces" were the final catalysts for my tears. Everyone got their Swan Song, as well as new hopeful journeys. Well done, writers.

I liked that last scene. I was getting frustrated with how Chuck and Sarah's relationship and history were being threatened over the course of the two hours. Yet, there was a beautiful innocence in that beach scene - Chuck being the rock for Sarah. And I can easily imagine them falling in love all over again. Sarah smiling through tears as Chuck was telling their story sold that for me.

This show ended on a wonderfully positive note. I'm going to remember it that way.

And just for good measure: PINEAPPLE!