The power of keeping a positive attitude. I’m happy to say my guitar issue was resolved with everyone winning. That’s what I hoped for and kept in mind during this. So, I got the guitar I wanted. The store kept its sale and didn’t get a return. We’re all happy.
Things were looking bleak this morning when I called the salesman and told him I wanted to return the guitar. He said since it was a special order, store policy is no returns or refunds on special orders. Sure enough, that’s written clearly on the back of my receipt.
For me it wasn’t about getting back the money. It was getting the right guitar. That’s all I wanted. So after nearly blowing a gasket talking to the salesman over the phone this morning, I calmed down and agreed to meet with the manager to see if we could work something that would make everyone happy.
Then by some miracle the salesman decided to check their computer inventory for the guitar I wanted. Low and behold there were two in California. One of them was in his store. He was as shocked as I was. Maybe more because he had been checking their inventory on my behalf and no guitar. Suddenly…bling!
I was able to do an exchange and voila, I got to take my new baby home. Playing it in store even the salesman could tell the difference - me and this guitar just fit. And as lovely, great sounding and nearly identical looking as the other one was…we just didn’t.
There’s a life lesson somewhere in there, I think…
One is smaller and thinner. And that's the one I wanted. I do not like bulky guitars.
Here's the problem. I had been going to music stores for the better part of a year, playing the smaller/thinner model. I fell in love with it. It was going to be the next guitar I purchased. I needed a new acoustic steel string since I sold my old one.
When I went to the music store to purchase it in April it was gone. It had been sold. I was heartbroken. I had just played it again not a month or two before. So, instead of taking my money across the street to another music store to see if they had one, I did what the salesman suggested. He said I could put a deposit down and when they got in another batch of these, he'd call me.
Later I found out that next batch wouldn't arrive until early June. I was okay with that. I wasn't in a rush. I had waited this long to get it. Then as early June came and went, he called me again and said they wouldn't get them in until July 23rd.
JULY 23rd! That date is going to be the death of me. I thought well this will ease the pain of not being able to get Comic Con tix for that date. I had no problem waiting.
This Monday the salesman calls me. The guitar is here! He said he badgered and cursed out the manufacturer so they made one for me to send to the store early. (Not sure if I'm completely buying that story)
I go to pick it up. I try it out at the store to make sure I still like it. It feels bulkier than I remember. I convince myself that maybe my memory was faulty. I pay balance and take it home. While registering the guitar online, I finally discover that the company makes two models that LOOK ALMOST EXACTLY ALIKE! Except one was smaller and thinner. In fact the model number is almost exactly alike - one is the 000CXE (fatty) the other 00CXAE (supermodel).
I hadn't known this when I did my original research. I got what I thought was the right model number off the internet and confirmed it with the salesman to order it. Now the problem is, as great as this guitar sounds, I know I'm going to hate playing it because it's bulky. IT'S STILL NOT THE GUITAR I WANT!
I emailed salesman and asked if there was anyway we could do an exchange for the thinner model. He gets back to me and says none are available anywhere across the country and won't be until Feb/March 2012. By then I could do a trade in and get .25 on the dollar for the one I bought. Of course he doesn't mention their store has a 45 day refund policy if the customer is not satisfied.
I tried convincing myself I'd be okay with the guitar. It really seems like a minor thing, right? But I've been playing guitar for over 30 years and it took me about 20 of those to really figure out what I like and don't like in a guitar. In fact, this same thing happened to me in 1988. I want in to a store to buy a thin acoustic, but since it was slightly out of my price range, rather than walk out, I let the saleman talk me into the cheaper bulky one.
As great as that guitar sounded, I grew to not like playing it. As it got older, the more it stayed in it's case. It's the one I sold and would be replacing with this one.
I really can't let that happen again, as minor as it may seems. I'll own a guitar I'm going to grow to hate. The music store will have a better chance selling it and getting the best price than I ever will. And I'm trying to decide if it was a punk move for the salesman not to tell me about the return policy in order to keep his commission.
I can't believe I forgot one. This is especially troublesome to me since the original was by one of my all time favorite bands:
"Black Magic Woman" by Santana" I'm admittedly not the biggest Santana fan. I'm not a fan of excessive guitar solos...or any kind of instrument solos for that matter. I like songs. I like when they have a beginning, middle and an end. I like music that serves the purpose of telling the story or emotion the lyrics are trying to convey. So if a solo or extended musical sequence does that in a song, I'm all for it. But if they're just there to show what a great musician you are...dude, I get it. I usually get it within the first few notes. Please stop.
"Black Magic Woman" is one of those songs in which the remake has completely obliterated the general public's knowledge of the original. Of course, most people don't have public knowledge of Fleetwood Mac before 1975. In the late 60s they were a blues band led by one of the greatest guitarist of that era, Peter Green. He wrote this song, eventually went insane, and pretty much left music altogether to the benefit of Santana fans around the world.
Here's the original. Had Peter Green not gone nuts you would hear his name mentioned with the likes of Clapton, Hendrix and, well, Carlos Santana.
I was sitting around the other night thinking of Hall & Oates. Yes, that Hall & Oates. The duo (or group) from the 70s and 80s that carried the mantled of Blue Eyed Soul through that era, continuing what the Righteous Brothers had wrought in the 60s. Hey, I'm not afraid to admit I love me some Hall & Oates.
I've always thought their remake of the Righteous Brothers' "You've Lost That Loving Feeling" was really quite great. Which lead me to thinking about other great remakes. Which lead me to thinking of compiling a list of other great remakes. I don't know. My brain needs something to do right now.
So here's my list. Great songs. Great remakes. At least according to me. Accordingly:
"I Heard It Through the Grapevine" Marvin Gaye
Here's a remake that many may not realize is a remake. Sometimes the remake can outshine the original so much that most people forget the original ever existed. In this case the original you've forgotten was by Smokey Robinson and the Miracles. But I don't think Smokey is crying too much. He's written a number of classic songs by many artists that no doubt keep him warm at night.
BTW Marvin Gaye's version of "Grapevine" happens to be one of those songs I've heard so many times over my lifetime, I really don't need to hear it again. And I love Marvin Gaye. But, please, this song and "Sexual Healing," as great as they are, can be given a rest as far as I'm concerned.
"You've Lost That Loving Feeling" Hall & Oates
Blasphemy! They've simplified the Phil Spector's Wall of Sound sound! But in a good way. Really good cover of a legendary song. Plus, it's Hall & Oates. Need I say more?
"Pretty Woman" Van Halen
Do we dare declare the 80s the decade of the great remake? Nah. But here's another example that happens to be from that era. Van Halen took Roy Orbison's "Pretty Woman" and did a stellar job rocking it out a bit.
My gosh, I don't think I've seen this video in 25 years. Warning: It takes 90 seconds before the song really starts, and those 90 seconds are kind of creepy. But when it kicks in it's a nostalgic trip back to the David Lee Roth era of Van Halen. That band was fun and at the top of it's game. Eddie VH was the guitar god of the 80s!
"Blue Bayou" Linda Ronstadt
As a kid growing up in the 70s certain songs seemed everywhere. "Hotel California" by the Eagles, "Best of My Love" by the Eagles... hell, anything by the Eagles. This song was everywhere too. But for good reason. It's a great cover of Roy Orbinson's classic hit from the 50s. Linda was one of the top singers of the 70s and it's a shame nowadays you wouldn't even know it. I don't know how much Love Linda gets anymore, but if it's as little as I think it is, it's a sad oversight.
"Crying" KD Lang
Roy Orbinson for the trifecta! He's bowling a turkey, I tell you! Or if you're a singer and want to cover a song, go full Orbinson. His songs seem to lend themselves to good remakes. But what I appreciate about this remake is, well, KD was one of the great voices of the mid to late 80s. Simply amazing. Simply beautiful. And in picking this song she was able to fix one glaring problem on the original - the last note Roy sings on the song is horribly off key.
"Groovy Kind of Love" Phil Collins
I'm gonna switch it up here. I admit, this Phil Collins' hit from the non-hit movie "Buster" was a guilty pleasure of mine back in 1988. I had no idea until almost two decades later that the song was a remake. Doh, why wouldn't that dawn on me about a song with the word "groovy" in the title?
And as I type, I was going to totally credit the original version of this song to The Mindbenders. Which I was totally stoked about because once I discovered their so very 60s sounding version, I fell in love and kicked Phil Collins' version to the curb. But it seems that's not the case. The original version was recorded in 1965 by Diane & Annita (never heard of them either) and has been remade many times ever since. Maybe because songwriters Toni Wine and Carole Bayer Sager heavily based it on the Rondo movement of Sonatina in G major, op. 36 no. 5 by Muzio Clementi. Who knew? And who said cheesy pop songs can't be classy!
"Superman" REM
I first heard this song on a Superman themed TV series that shall remain nameless. Oh, okay, it was the 90s and it was "Lois & Clark." Yes, I watched the show religiously. I stand by my nerdom.
What I didn't know back in the 90s was that this song was a remake. Originally done in the 60s by the band The Clique, the two versions don't sound to far off from each other - except REM manages to give the song a little more life. On a sad note, if you watch the scene from "Lois & Clark" on DVD or streaming online in which this song was used, you'll notice a different song in it's place. I guess they couldn't get the sync rights to the music. Which is too bad because the song they replaced it with suuuuucks!
"Guess I'm Dumb" The Wondermints
This is perhaps a song that only has interest to me. But it's one of my all time favorite songs. Actually written by Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys, which he recorded in 1965 with then session musician, sometime touring Beach Boy, pre-Rhinestone Cowboy Glen Campbell as a solo record. 45 rpm, baby.
What I love about the Wondermints' take is while the Brian Wilson/Glen Campbell version is very much in the vain of Brian's sound during 1965 (think "California Girls") the Wondermints took the song and re-imagined it as Brian may have recorded in a year later in 1966. Their version could easily be an outtake from the seminal Beach Boys album "Pet Sounds."
Sadly, I can't find a clip of the Wondermints version on the internet. That ain't right!
Hey, whatta ya know? Found it! Ok, I uploaded it to soundcloud.
"Got to Get You Into My Life" Earth, Wind & Fire
It's not often you best the Beatles with their own songs. It's not ever you best the Beatles with their own songs! But if I were to pick one "fluke" this would be it. It really is better than the original. The Beatles wrote "Got to Get You Into My Life" but there's just something wholly unsatisfying about their recording. It's like they needed to finish up the album and didn't have time to fully realize the potential of this song.
But the Beatles failure is EW&F's benefit. Their version from the universally panned 70s film "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" was a sparkling gem shining amongst the rubble.
"Come Together" Aerosmith
Another gem in the rubble of the Sgt. Pepper 70s movie fiasco. The Steves' Tyler and Perry give the Beatles "Come Together" a fantastic spin. While it won't topple the original the way Earth, Wind & Fire does with "Got To Get You Into My Life," it is a really good cover. Aerosmith would live to see better (and no doubt cleaner) days in the decades to come. And Steve Tyler would go on to become a judge on American Idol...and still manage not to seem like a total sell out. Genius.
"Mr. Roboto" Jeffster
And last and probably least, I really couldn't finish this post without including the world's greatest fictional cover band. From the TV show "Chuck" I bring you JEFFSTER!
Really, I had a difficult time picking which of their cover songs done on the show to pick for it's horrible awesomeness. Their first appearance singing Toto's "Africa"? Their hilarious version of Salt N Pepa's "Push It" performed in a maternity ward? However, nothing, I say nothing, could beat the epic-ness of their version of "Mr. Roboto." The guns, the gowns, the knives, the wedding cake, the bride, the groom, the machine gun toting parachuting Marine airborne squad, Morgan Fairchild, Bruce Boxlietner, Chevy Chase, Scott Bakula, the roman candles and the sprinklers! E P I C !
Sadly the embed request on this video has been dismantled by YouTube but you can click here Mr. Roboto by Jeffster to see all the fun
Carol Kaye was a member of The Wrecking Crew, a group of Los Angeles studio musicians who played on just about every hit song from in the 1960s. They were the West Coast counterpart to Detroit's/Motown's Funk Bros. The most amazing thing, Carol was the only female musician amongst this group of pros.
Yes, you've most likely never heard her name, but you've heard her bass. Anytime you hear "These Boots Were Made For Walking," "Good Vibrations," "I"m A Believer" and "River Deep, Mountain High." And it that weren't impressive enough, she's also credited with playing guitar on Ritchie Valens "La Bamba" and The Righteous Brothers "You've Lost That Loving Feeling." Sick.
To read more about Carol http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carol_Kaye or http://www.carolkaye.com/
Haven't done a "Chuck" episode post in a while. But this past Monday's episode, Chuck vs. Phase Three, did so many things to remind me of why I love this frickin' show. It's Gender Role Reversal Time again folks!
Ever since Chuck got an upgrade (Intersect 2.0) and has been able to kick a little ass on his own, well, I like that Chuck can kick a little ass on his own. It's even better when he and Sarah duo tag team in the ass kicking department (Honeymooners, anyone? Which, as side note, I'd like to thank the creative team on the show for the number of sexual positions they put those two in without actually showing them having sex. Nice touch lol).
But the first two season of the show had Chuck as the perpetual damsel in distress and Sarah as the knight in shining armor (or at least with shining scary knives strapped to her thigh). He was Lois to her Superman/Clark Kent. Always finding himself in some kind of trouble. Always in peril. And she always there to save him. So it's nice from time to time when the show returns back to that premise. I wouldn't want it to be a permanent thing or something they use too often since this show has been great about letting it's characters grow, but fun little revisits are always welcome.
This week we get a little revisit. Briefly, Chuck gets kidnapped with the Intersect 2.0 malfunctioning. Sarah goes apeshit looking for him. Fighting her way across Thailand and quickly becoming a legend the locals call the Giant Blonde She-Male. I don't think I've ever seen a scarier Agent Walker.
“You've got me. I’m just a needy, love-crazed girl on a husband hunt … who’s trained in over 200 ways to kill you.”
"Anyone else want to be my boyfriend?"
But her scary determination serves a purpose. Chuck grounds her. Being with him allows her to cling on to her humanity and innate goodness. Her scariness in this episode was a glimpse of what she would be (and what she once was) without that connection.
Which leads me to the whole point of this post. The Sleeping Beauty and the fun this show has with gender role reversal. My gosh, Chuck is even wearing a dress! Sarah to the rescue again. And a very nice nod to the fairy tale - awoken with a kiss. Serious kudos to Yvonne Strahovski in this episode. She's always shown amazing range on this show, but just when you think she couldn't possibly get any better, she outdoes herself.
I was totally freaked out yesterday. A couple weeks ago I decided to go to the Ken-Mar Rescue Wine and Cheese fundraiser in which Yvonne Strahovski of "Chuck" was a special guest. Really, I had no intentions of going to this. Celebrities kind of freak me out in general. Which is weird because of the nature of my job I end up crossing paths with famous people from time to time. Even crazier is the few people I've met ended up being very nice and down to earth.
Downside number 2 was I had a bad experience with an online TV fandom in the past and I really don't want to relive that. But thanks to Twitter, I interact with a lot of "Chuck" fans now. So far, they have been great. In fact it's gotten to the point where I kind of love "Chuck" fans. I think I've managed to spot the creepy assholes in the fandom to keep my distance. But, the women who watch the show (the few of us who do), well half of you are Filipino (what's up with that?) but all of you are kind of awesome.
My plan had been to keep my distance from anything fandom oriented as much as possible. So going to things like this fundraiser are usually on my 'no' list. But things in life change, especially for me this year. One of those changes is I need to get out more to mingle and network with people. Around the time I was coming to that realization I kind of got the message I should attend this event. Plunge. (To be honest, the final straw was there was going to be a live rock band there. Seriously lol)
"Chuck" is pretty much a cult show and Yvonne is far from a household name, but seeing as I have a mad girlcrush on her I knew this wasn't going to be easy. I figured, ok, I'll go, meet with other fans, drinks some wine, eat some cheese, watch the band, and then find a corner to kind of hide in and watch everything else. Of course, when you're hanging with fans (now friends) they encourage you to do other stuff. Like take a picture with your mad girlcrush.
I had repeatedly declined. But it gets to the point where you're asked so much you start to look like a dick for saying no. So I caved. What the hell. I got in line with the others. Plunge, again.
If you think this will be one of those stories where it turns out Yvonne was very nice, and I was overreacting and it really wasn't so bad after all, you're wrong. Yvonne was very nice. I went up and said Hi, nice to meet you. Shook hands. Had a few photos snapped. Bye and thank you. Shook hands and got the hell out of there. I think I looked up at her once (you have to look up, she's frickin' tall) and because there were bright lights shining on us it totally reminded me of this scene from the pilot episode of "Chuck"
That really didn't help my nerves. But once it was done, it was done. And I wouldn't look like a dick in front of the very nice, fun people I got to hang out with for the afternoon. However, then we got the idea to take a group photo with Yvonne. The Sarah Walker fangirls with, well, Sarah Walker. I would have preferred that in the first place, so it seemed like a cool idea. Although looking at those photos later, particularly the Charlie's Angels poses ... yeah, what the hell were we thinking?!?!? rotfl!
Eh, it was mindless. It was for a good cause. And everyone was really cool. Why be a dick about it?
Since Wednesday was September 2, 2010 or better known as 90210, many people acknowledged memories of the show Beverly Hills 90210. Well, I never watched it. And the 90210 part of L.A.'s zip code I could take or leave. Doesn't hold much appeal for me. Especially since the residents of said zip code managed to drive a good friend of mine back to her home in the Midwest after just one year managing a store there. She loved California and hates cold weather, that's how bad the people were.
The following was 90310 and too my surprise that is a zip code in my beloved hometown of Inglewood, California! Holla! Yeah, I'm pretty sure no one says holla anymore. In honor of 90310 I have to celebrate the 'Wood. Which got me thinking: Do you grow up in Inglewood or do you survive it? A little of both, perhaps.
Inglewood City Hall or as I like to think of it Wonder Woman's headquarters from the 70s TV show World Famous Randy's Donuts! Use to stop here in the mornings on the way to high school. Right behind it the fast food place formerly known as Quik N Split Burger. Known for its fabulous burgers. Also known for its constant infighting among the staff members working the counter. And who can forget when the "l" fell off of "Split" and was never replaced. Quik N Spit Burgers...may be the reason they're no longer in business there. IPD! Not fair, my brother is IPD. He's a great cop, great person and has helped so many Inglewood kids avoid a life a crime to make something of themselves. You rarely hear that story though. Crenshaw Boulevard, aka "The Shaw," and one of its many traffic cams. Why does Inglewood have more of these than any where else in L.A.? Hmmm.... Yet one of many churches that occupy a spot that, well, wasn't a church to begin with. I don't think this place has been a theater since I was a small kid. Hollywood Park Racetrack & Casino, which isn't much of either these days... now that we've got a Red Lobster. The long gone Century Drive Inn. Had many dangerous childhood adventures there. Thanks to Mom, we survived them. The Fabulous Forum, legendary rock concert venue and host to many Lakers Championships. It's now a church as well. See what I mean? Magic & Bird happened here, folks How could I forget one of my favorite places in all of Inglewood. Brolly Hut = Love!
I've been talked into joining Tumblr which is kind of a cross between Twitter and Blogger. I'll still post stuff here. I like that I can run off at the mouth (keyboard) here. While I suppose I could do that there as well, one of the things I love about Twitter is trying to get something across in the least amount of space. Tumblr will just be a step up from that for me.
I'm in love already! Yes, it's quite a stretch to declare a new favorite show to something that hasn't even aired yet, but I got very excited when I saw this first cast photo for the new JJ Abrams spy drama "Undercovers."
1) They look hot! I love watching ridiculously good looking people on TV. Especially when they're paired up. This time the hotness is in the form of fellow people of color. YAY!!! I was surprised the leads in this show were black (or more accurately bi-racial.) Yes, we have the Obama presidency now, but I still have to pinch myself on that one every few months because it's so unbelievable (political leanings aside.) Hot black leads on a major network action-drama? New territory, people! I'm lovin' it!
2) It's a show about spies. Many may know me as a fan of superhero and sci-fi genres but the spy genre has always been a favorite of mine. Especially if there's comedy going on.
3) It's JJ Abrams. So many people love Josh Whedon, but I really haven't figured out the love (even though I love "Firefly" I attribute that to Tim Minear's involvement.) Thanks to the recent Star Trek movie, and a few 1st Season episodes of "Alias" and "Lost," I'm more team Abrams. Although, I can't quite commit as both "Alias" and "Lost" failed to hook me completely. And he has the distinction of writing the movie that's on my most hated list, "Armageddon."
So, yeah, it is a bit early for me to declare this favorite show when I have yet to watch it. I'm usually not a fan of dramas (with a few exceptions) but if this show manages to have a little comedy bent, it would help. Come fall I'll be checking it out. So, good luck, "Undercovers"!
Somehow "Chuck" managed to get a fourth season for which I'm very happy. I'm also very realistic. This show is a cult show. And will remain a cult show. Any chance of it breaking out and catching on should have happened by now. It has survived a lot: Being cut short in it's first season due to the writers strike. Surviving a rumored vendetta by a tv exec who helped develop the show, then got fired by NBC, hired by FOX and made the decision to move "House" to Mondays to get back at his former network. And now Season 3 in which one bad casting misstep, hiring Brandon Routh for 8 episodes, sucked the air, fun and chemistry out of the show (he was *that* bad, that is, until he turned evil) and put this show on the bubble again.
Fortunately, I suspect its the kind of cult TV show people who work in TV absolutely love. I do believe NBC and WB really do love "Chuck." I know Season 4 is likely cannon fodder for the launch of JJ "Alias" Abrams' "Undercovers" (a show with a spy couple, so why not try to transfer the devoted fan base from another show that also has a spy couple rather than launching from zilch?) I'm also good with knowing this will probably be it's last season. And I love that the network has faith enough to dangle a possible back 9 with it's original S4 order of 13 episodes. They, along with many of us, feel this show should be a bigger hit than it is. (Still, they're responsible for some bad show handling as well.)
BUT, all this happy news has been dampened by word that three of the best writers from the series are leaving. Scott Rosenbaum was plucked away midway through and made showrunner of "V." Matt Miller plucked away last week to be co-showrunner of "Human Target." And now Ali Adler, the amazing Ali Adler, is moving on to "No Ordinary Family," a new show on ABC. See that's how you know a show is well loved by people who work in TV. They steal away the best writers from a show that barely gets renewed every year.
Between what these three have written or co-written, I could easily compile a top 10 list of the series best episodes ever. Including the best ever, the Matt Miller penned "Chuck Vs The Colonel." This show has been gutted! Scary thought. I'm crossing my fingers they can bring on a new set of writers who really have a feel for the show and the characters. I hate when original writers from a series are plucked away from it. You can tell a difference.
I am hopeful though. Two writers they've added this season, Judkins and LeFranc, fit right in and have done some stellar work already. In fact, they've brought a tightness to the spy plots I feel has been missing from the other writers this season (included the aforementioned three.) I've also felt this year the humor hasn't been quite as sharp as in the past. Could easily be writers fatigue and a tendency to coast a little bit once you've been writing a show for three years. Maybe what the show needs is a little fresh blood?
So, I'm here for ya, Season 4 of "Chuck." Please keep making me happy.
EDITED TO ADD: Found out more news that Phil Klemmer is also leaving the show. That makes four writers who have been with the show since the beginning. Sigh...
I haven't blogged much about "Chuck" lately. Honestly, I haven't had the time. It's not for a lack of want but to be truthful Season 3 of my current favorite TV show has also required some time for processing.
After the Season 2 Finale, I knew the show would be changing. I welcomed it. I looked forward to it. I thought it would be awesome. I knew there would be an effort to have the characters change and grow in some way. Coolness. So many shows don't do that and I had faith this was one show that wouldn't change them so much I wouldn't recognize or no longer like the fictional friends I tune into each week.
Accepting that change? Well, there's a little 'easier said than done' going on for me as well. Hence the processing. So far I'm not finding S3 to be as sharp or as fun as S2 was. Mainly I blame budget cuts they had to enact to keep the show on the air. A bit of balance and polish that made S2 a well oiled machine of pure television escapist entertainment is missing.
But the show is far from "jump the shark" territory. It takes me a little longer to process the episodes, and they are not without some occasional clunky moments that S2 didn't have, but I'm enjoying the hell out it. There's lots of great stuff going on. There's character growth going on. And I'm fully committed, engaged and along for the ride.
Psst... Chuck. When the super hot blonde CIA agent asks you to run away with her, don't turn her down.
Oh and my little subheading is more in reference to what other fans may be saying about the show, but not me. I knew they were going to stretch things out for another season and I was cool with that. However, if they don't resolve things between those two by the end of S3, I'll be jumping on that train.
S3Ep01: Chuck Vs The Pink Slip
Chuck flunks spy training, loses the girl and drowns his sorrows in a large tub of cheese balls. I like to call this episode "Chuck: The Movie" as it's tone and pacing are different from a standard episode. It's also easily become one of my favorites because of that. It's a well put together hour of television. Whether it was the best way to start off the season had me worried.
It is a bit Chuck/Sarah relationship centric (as is episode 2 of this season). While I love me some Chuck/Sarah, I was afraid after watching this ep the show might be in danger of focusing too much on them. There are many story lines outside of the "ship" to explore and they've always kept a nice balance of all of them. Wouldn't want them to lose that.
Carina returns! And she and Sarah go clubbing! Awesome! Also features one of the hottest scenes ever on television. Normally I'd roll my eyes at something so gratuitous but somehow this show manages pull these scenes off and make 'em work. And, damn, is it sexy! Thanks, show, for making me temporarily gay.
Later in the episode is one of my all time favorite scenes of the entire series. Chuck, trapped in a vault that's rapidly filling with poisonous gas, decides to spill his heart out to Sarah who he thinks is still on the other side of the door. Meanwhile, she's climbed up into a ceiling vent, dress, heels, make-up and all, to shut the gas off.
Some more of the male-female role reversal this show has so much fun with
When she returns she has to take out two bad guys who are now standing outside the vault door laughing at Chuck spilling his heart out. Poor Chuck. Thankfully Sarah's there to catch him when he falls, or passes out from the exposure to gas.
Reaction to the three words
S3Ep03: Chuck Vs The Angel of Death
Another one of my favorite parts of the whole series is in this ep. Chuck flashes on dancing skills and cha cha's himself and Sarah across a dance floor to stop a would be assassin. It cracks me up because he's really into it and suprisingly kind of good.
This ep sort of sets up more of Casey's back-story. And while there's quite a bit of silliness played here, when the secrets in his past come up again later in the season, you really do wonder what crazy, nefarious things the Colonel has done.
This episode made me breathe a sigh of relief as the relationship stuff took a backseat and balance was returned to the force, er, show. Plus we find out the one thing Capt Awesome can't do awesomely...lie! Es Muy Awesome.
This is not a new segment on the blog. Don't get use to it. I just had a fun experience this week, but I'm starting to wonder if the after effects were worth it. Dammit!
You see, there's this local newscaster I use to have a crush on. I mean, who wouldn't? Dude is hot! I remember seeing him on TV many years ago. It was about three in the morning and I couldn't sleep so I did what most people do in that situation. I flipped on the TV. I found some odd show on at that ungodly hour that was about the paranormal and UFOs and stuff like that. He was the host. All I could think of was 'who is that and where has he been all my life?'
Of course as these things go I never saw another episode of that show. Oh I looked, but I seemed to catch the tale end of it's run. I tried to remember the host's name for future reference. But my memory being what it is, and was then - fat chance. You do what any normal human being would do; you move along. But you hope to see such loveliness pop up on your TV screen again in the possible future.
A few years later and I'm settled in my new apartment in Los Angeles, working on my morning routine - you know, wake up, turn on the TV, at some point roll out of bed and get dressed for work, etc. I go through morning routine TV phases. Could be a nationally broadcast morning show for a few years, could be no TV at all just to enjoy the peace and quiet. I mean who wants all that bad news to digest just after you wake up?
I like the balance I discovered with watching the local news. Especially one particular channel here in Los Angeles who pioneered the local morning goofy newscast. The serious issues of the city were leveraged with the teasing and prodding and joking the newscasters did with each other. One morning I woke up earlier than usual, flipped on the TV to this channel and guess who was hosting the early, early edition of this newscast?
Alas, I found him again! He was local. So local that the studio they broadcast from is less than two miles from my apartment. I searched his name on the Internet and, yes, it was the same guy who hosted that show I saw once in the middle of the night. From then on, sometimes I'd wake up earlier on purpose. Sometimes he'd be charged to fill in for someone on the later, early morning newscast. I wasn't complaining. What a lovely way to wake up every day.
Flash forward a few years - maybe it was because I was getting older, maybe I was stuck in a morning news rut, but I decided I needed a change from the goofy morning news thing. Oh, my guy was still there and as good looking as ever, but after so many years of crushing on someone from afar you begin to think 'what's the point?' It's a fantasy. He's out of your league. He's unobtainable. Add to that now you know he's taken. I found this out just after I learned he also likes to play the guitar (DUUUUDE! Could you be any more perfect?) I also remember one morning him mentioning he got a gift from his sweetie. For the record, his sweetie wasn't me. Then and there I decided to put my crush away.
For some reason this year I decided to return to the goofy morning news format I had given up so long ago. Okay, I know exactly why; 2009 hasn't been a fun year. At all. I've had tragedy and hard times in my personal life this year. It was depressing to turn on the TV every morning to hear everything else was going to hell as well. A couple months ago I decided to check in on my old local news. It was nice to hear about less scary local issues. It was nice to see, while a few faces in the newsroom had changed, the same goofy spirit remained.
It was also nice to see a familiar handsome face was still there. Although that didn't mean I was breaking my crush out of the mothballs. Nope. Now he was just that still great looking guy I use to have a crush on who is still anchoring the early, early local morning goofy news. Nothing more.
This week, to kick start the Thanksgiving spirit, the station got together with a couple fire departments around town to host a food drive. Great. I've had some boxes of mac n' cheese that I bought in bulk that I could donate. I bought them back when I had a relative living with me, for extra food to fix, but, honestly, I'm not the biggest fan of mac n' cheese. Once the relative moved out, the boxes sat there.
Double great. One of the fire stations that would be serving as a food drop stop was near where I work in West Hollywood. So I continued piddling around my apartment, getting ready for the day, news on in the background, trying to remember to drop off mac n' cheese stash on the way to work. One instant I look up at the TV and guess who had just arrived at the WeHo station to help out with the food drive?
'I should do it' I thought. I went from trying to remind myself to make the drop off to telling myself I should not miss this opportunity! I could go see my former crush in person, all in good fun. I could take look, maybe say hi, and then be on my merry way to work. No expectations. No ridiculous fantasies. I was curious if seeing him in person would reignite my crush. So what if it did? I haven't crushed on someone in a long time. In fact because of my luck lately, it would be nice to see someone I found attractive. I was beginning to think something was wrong with me.
Plus, me being older, more mature, and generally over the 'I can't live without you' kind of crap you believe when your young, re-igniting a fun little unobtainable crush wouldn't hurt anybody. At least I'd feel something again. Even better I'd understand it's place and not pretend there was anything more than that.
So I did it. I grabbed my bag of food to donate and drove to the fire station. I saw him and another newscaster in front of the station talking to each other as I drove up. I parked around the corner, hopped out the car with my little bag and went for it. Neither of them saw me when I first walked up. His back was turned to me while he was talking to the other guy. I thought, fine, I got a glimpse. I'll just drop of the food with the fireman manning the food table and just say hi on my way out if they happen to look up.
As I pass them on my way to the table I hear the other newscasters say 'Are you here to donate food?' Que deer in headlights look. 'Oh hey. Yeah, I'm here to donate food.' I'm looking back and forth between them, and back at the food table, and the other newscaster walks up to me to take the bag. I hand it to him with an 'uh, what do I do now' look on my face. He takes it to bring it to the table saying "great!", leaving me with "The Crush."
And my god, he's beautiful in person. He looks at me, puts out his hand to shake mine. We look each other directly in the eye, he shakes my hand and says "Thank you." I have no idea what I replied. Probably said "Sure!" I just know I had the biggest smile on my face. Then I noticed at that moment Mr. Unobtainable Crush from all these years was giving me a look that said he might not be so unobtainable. Holy crap!
We let go hands (my god, great hands!) and we both kind of shyly walked away from each other. I went back to my car, hopped in and went to work. I spent the rest of the day wondering did I experience what I think I just experienced? My crush is definitely back along with something more. Like if circumstances were different, or I had a stroke of dumb luck for a change, who knows? But things being as they are, I couldn't pursue anything without coming across as some crazy stalker. Damn, damn, damn.
It's just nice to feel something for someone again. Even if its a fleeting thing. And if I gain anything from this encounter, at least I've very much clarified what's my type.
So I've been hanging out with one of my nieces a bit lately. She's a 20 year old college student who reads a ton and who I've managed to get hooked on not only The Show, but also Chuck.
She's also well aware of my affinity for folklore and mythology. One weekend we were hanging out together and she begin asking me questions about the topic. I figured what better way to explain it than to give her a homework assignment. Take world renown comparative mythologist Joseph Campbell's Hero's Journey cycle or 17 stages of Monomyth and apply the to the show she and I discuss the most at the moment, "Chuck."
Here's what I've done so far. Didn't get as in depth as I could, because, you know, it's not like I'm writing a thesis. Chuck as Monomyth
Plus using Campbell's guidelines is kind of cheating since I'm sure many writers in Hollywood use them thanks to George Lucas and "Star Wars".
Carole Kaye rocking the bass and GoGo boots. Epitome of coolness.
