So much navel gazing about Chuck going on today! Apparently the people who are into the whole Chuck and Sarah thing aren't happy about the twists and turns in Monday night's episode.
Me, I'm fine with the Hannah character and fine with the Shaw character and any way they could potentially twist any of that I don't really care. Just give me more Jeffster please.
Anyway, last night's episode have produced some wacky responses. Apparently some have suggested the best way to influence the producers to make better episodes of Chuck is to not watch the show. It's the craziest (and dumbest) "save our show" campaign ever!
I guess the theory is it will force the producers to write the show in a way that's more pleasing to some of the fans. Of course if the ratings go down and there is no show...
As for the ratings. With the exception of last night's episode the ratings have been pretty steady. I throw out the season premiere ratings (2.9 with adults 18-49), most shows go down from the premiere and Chuck is no exception.
The four episodes after the premiere other than last night were 2.6, 2.5, 2.5, 2.4 with adults 18-49. Last night's 2.2 is a bit worrisome, even on NBC. But I'm not reading anything into it yet.
If it pulls another 2.2 in its first episode after the Olympics, I'll definitely understand any hand wringing that results from it, but (especially with promotion during the Olympics) it seems more likely it would pull a 2.6 than a 2.2. The real test though isn't the numbers for the first episode after the Olympics but rather for the following episode on March 8.
Update: Josh Schwartz told Alan Sepinwall that while NBC has been incredibly supportive he did "not expect to see a lot of promotion for us during the Olympics."
There's a full month before we'll have any real clue about Chuck's ratings. My advice: enjoy yourselves and don't worry about the ratings until then!
Update: NPR article with a headline that includes "Chuck vs. The Entitled Fanbase":
By all means, have an opinion. Show not working? Say so. Don't want to watch it? Good thing it's not mandatory. But it's not your show, even if you bought a Subway footlong to save it. It's the creation of its creators, and they're never going to give you what you want just because it's what you want. Which is why they haven't started inviting you to story meetings.
I’m totally with you on Jeffster!!! And I also agree. I LOVE the twist and turns going on with Chuck and it will just make the next episodes so much sweeter! I trust the writers! Go for it! Twist this thing! Can’t wait to see how it all shakes out!
And yes…more Jeffster please!!!
Most idiotic idea I ever heard. The episodes have already been shot. They are shooting episodes now where [spoiler deleted -- please no spoilers, thank you].
I hate Shaw. I am geuninely upset about this Sarah/Shaw thing.
that one comment has gotten so much attention today..
I feel sorry for Chuck fans.
Sorry about that. I was steaming mad when I wrote that and did not think about what I was saying. Sorry if I spoiled it for anyone who read that.
The Sarah Shaw thing is suppose to provoke emotions … to make the Chuck and Sarah thing that much better.
I kind of like Hannah. She seems like a better fit for Chuck.
It’s probably too early to hit the panic button, that’s true Robert. And of course the powers that be didn’t know that this episode would be followed by an Olympic break when they shot it. Hell, they didn’t even know they’d get 19 episodes when this was shot. But a downward trend is not what you want going into a break, just like losing your last football game before the bye week.
I agree the March 8th numbers are more important than the March 1st numbers, but without good March 1st numbers, March 8th becomes irrelevant.
I love chuck. I will give the writers and the rating more time to shake things out before i go haywire about either.
RE: The concept of forcing the producers to write the show in a way that’s more pleasing to some of the fans.
Yea, good luck with that one, armchair fans. Unless someone manages to get their hands on a well-used blue police box that travels through time, the best the show-runners can do is write a great set of stories that will draw you into the lives of one or more characters in such a way that you are eager for more. More often than not they miss the mark, and matters are further complicated by the tastes of the collective potential pool of viewers at any given moment (not to mention the Nielsen ratings, which don’t record quality storytelling — how could it, to be fair — just viewers who watch a specific show), and, well, show-runners should be stockholders in companies that sell aspirin and heartburn medications.
Patrick, true enough. I will be surprised if March 1 isn’t better than February 8, but, we have three weeks to wait even to find that out.
Sometimes I wish the Chuck fanbase was not so rabid, we manage to all get lumped together and passed off as loonies because of days like today.
Patrick J Murphy:
All valid points. The only tweak I would add is that I would look at the entirety of the March month trends to get a feel for Chuck’s direction with a bit of extra importance to the March 8th ratings. If it is still sliding down after the March 29 episode, then Chuck fans should worry.
I haven’t seen yesterday’s episode yet, but if it involves less Chuck and Sarah together than I’m all for it. That has been the worst part of the show the first 2 seasons and I’ve been pleased so far that they haven’t focused on it much this season. It’s also been nice to see Chuck not such a crybaby… well he still is a little, but not as much.
Even a 2.2 rating is better than Heroes and they’re a lot cheaper as well. I’d say 95% chance Chuck is back next year.
dancanman
If it makes you feel better (and not being sarcastic, so please don’t take it that way), I do understand the pull-your-hair-out frustration with the broad strokes catching everyone because of what a small fraction of passionate fans with misdirected zeal say or do, especially when something “out of the blue” happens that “would NEVER happen because a, b, c, d, e, f, and g!!!!!”
The problem isn’t the romantic complications…it’s that IT’S THE EXACT SAME ROMANTIC COMPLICATIONS the show has done before.
Shaw is just Bryce and that British Guy. Hannah is just Lou…there’s no difference in the story.
The Show’s problem is summed up right here. Last week, Morgan and Ellie get together to figure out what’s going on with Chuck. Morgan is goning to have Jeffster stalk him, so Jeffster vs Spy hijinks will ensue for an ep, as the plot line progresses.
This week “They weren’ as good as I thought” ends that entire subplot with Jeffster, and the Morgan and Ellie bit goes nowhere new. Not maybe finding out his secret, not putting clues together (so they really think he flew to France because he was depressed?). It didn’t even lead to Three’s Company like confusion with Chuck and Awesome wondering why they keep finding Ellie and Morgan together at weird times.
Oh and the big secret spy group operating within the US Spy Agencies…has shadow chamber with a Glowing, Animated Ring like a Power Rangers set. Seriously?
By all means, have an opinion. Show not working? Say so. Don’t want to watch it? Good thing it’s not mandatory. But it’s not your show, even if you bought a Subway footlong to save it. It’s the creation of its creators, and they’re never going to give you what you want just because it’s what you want. Which is why they haven’t started inviting you to story meetings.
I LOVE this, and it is needed for so many shows!
I don’t watch Chuck, so I don’t really care what happens to it, but I read the NPR article. It has a good point that really is applicable to every show.
This is the only title for a post that could be so simple.
“Chuck”
That’s really all you have to say.
I really enjoyed last nights episode. I guess not being a big “shipper” helps apparently lol I love Chuck and Sarah, but it isn’t the sole reason why I watch the show. It never fails to entertain me. I enjoy the hidden pop culture *winks* along with the music, comedy, action, etc that really makes this show so much fun to watch. The actors are all great as well. I think both Routh and Kreuk have been great guest additions to the cast this season. I can’t help but love Hannah. Her character is too cute and so far has brought a refreshing side to the Buy More realm. Ok she is hot too lol. I have to admit that Shaw and Sarah is a little harder to swallow…something just seems off. But maybe that is the point. All I know, is that it is going to be a long wait until March 1st.