In the most James Bondian episode yet, Chuck gets to play super-spy under the tutelage of Agent Roan Montgomery (John Larroquette), an aging Lothario known for his awesome prowess in the Seduce and Destroy School of Intelligence.

Larroquette was quite good in this role, channeling Cary Grant and Sean Connery to create the perfect sex machine/spy. He almost made me forget about The John Larroquette Show entirely. (It had its good moments, true. And it also had Darryl 'Chill' Mitchell. But other than that, I remember nothing about it.)

Now that the faux-cipher has blowed up, Chuck and Company are on a quest to find the real cipher, Chuck's only chance at returning to normalcy. The good news is that the CIA has sprung for a legit base of operations in the back of the Orange Orange, which does not, as Casey insisted last week, contain either yogurt or fun, but rather tons of surveillance equipment and super-computers. A sexy Russian spy, Sasha Banacheck (Melinda Clarke), is currently in possession of the real cipher, although we have no idea how she got it or if she was working with Fulcrum to create the faux-cipher, and the team must recover it. The only way to do this is to seduce her and steal it from her, so Chuck et al have to go out to Palm Springs, rouse Montgomery from his drunken stupor and get him to train Chuck to be the bestest, sexiest, spyiest spy ever.

Montgomery, once he wakes up and quaffs two dirty martinis with three olives to get going, teaches Chuck how to entrance his victims with a kiss by having him practice on Sarah, resulting in one of the hottest "we probably shouldn't have" kisses so far on this show. Other lessons include using protection (i.e. guns) and how to drink a martini like you were born to do just that, proving that the art of the martini is the Othello of booze: a minute to learn, a lifetime to master.

As Chuck prepares to begin Mission Seduce Sasha, Montgomery fills him in on one final piece of information about his target: her nickname is "The Black Widow."

Mongtomery: Why do you think they call her The Black Widow?
Chuck: Because she's African-American and her husband died?
Montgomery: Because she kills her mates.

Thus, Chuck begins his potentially deadly dance of seduction with Montgomery and Sarah feeding him tips and information over an earpiece in order to get him into Sasha's bed. Chuck orders two dirty martinis with three olives, but Sasha refuses because she no longer drinks.

"How is he supposed to seduce her without alcohol?" --Montgomery

But after a discussion of the piano players at a casino in St. Tropez, Sasha begins to fall for Chuck, until a spilled martini shorts out his wire and he loses communication with Montgomery and Sarah as well as Sasha's attention. Thinking the mission has failed, Sarah and Casey run in to assist. Here Montgomery supplies the final prong in his four-pronged seduction plan: be a complete asshole. Chuck does, insinuating that if Sasha does not take him back to her room, she will regret not having the best lover of her life. This is enough for Sasha, who takes Chuck back to her room just as Sarah and Casey approach the elevator doors.

Unfortunately for Chuck, Sasha does not want to make passionate sex, but rather wants to kill him as she's figured out his game. Chuck is a lot better at stealing ciphers dangling on necklaces than he is at unhooking bras, though, and manages to escape Sasha's clutches with the cipher before she can stab him to death. In his stead, she captures Sarah and Casey, forcing Chuck to work with Montgomery to trap Sasha in yet another stand-off at the Buy More, which I now know is at 9000 Burbank Blvd.

In the B-story, Ellie wants Captain Awesome to try his hand at making their real relationship as romantic as Chuck and Sarah's fake one appears to be. Morgan, still in love with Sarah, tricks Awesome into substituting the original plan of rose petals, fireplace and romantic meal with cheesy 8th grade dance songs, Klondike bars and Sister Act. As thanks for his hard work seducing and destroying The Black Widow, Chuck convinces the CIA to set-up Ellie's perfect evening and help Awesome be as awesome as he thinks he is.

With that picture perfect evening going off without a hitch and the cipher being safely delivered to the hands of the CIA and NSA, Chuck believes he can once again have a chance at the kind of life he wants and he heads off to grab a date with Sarah only to find that his formerly dead, super-spy ex-roommate Bryce has returned from being deep undercover and is one again stealing his girl!

I will definitely take a Bryce Larkin vs. Chuck Bartowski arc for a few episodes until something inevitably goes wrong with the real cipher. Perhaps Chuck would have benefited from Mongtomery's advice back at the beginning:

"Lesson number one in being a spy: never fall in love."

The Husband:

I am currently going through the entire James Bond collection on an ultimate DVD set borrowed from work and watching most of these films for the first time ever. (Never having been raised on the series, I only saw bits and pieces of some of the Roger Moore ones at friends’ houses and during down days in middle school science class, finally watching the series in theatres starting with Brosnan’s Goldeneye. (So yes, that would mean I’d only seen five Bond films in their entirety.) Right now I am about 15 minutes into The Man with the Golden Gun, so I’m keeping at a pretty good pace so far.

I mention this because, yes, Chuck is a very Bondian show, and as aforementioned was especially so with this episode, and so with my official induction into being a Bond watcher, I’m getting a great deal of enjoyment out of the show in ways I never did last season. (Same with Venture Brothers.)

It’s like how, after having seen all of Futurama’s episodes about four times over, I started to watch Star Trek: TOS and realized I was still missing dozens of jokes thanks to my ignorance of all things Gene Roddenberry.

That said, Larroquette’s was a fairly poor imitation of Bondian swagger and psychology, even if he was playing a character that showed what would happen to 007 after all the cool spy stuff went away. David Niven’s portrayal in the apocryphal Bond spoof Casino Royale is definitely more how I would imagine a military man and spy past his prime. This was more if Dudley Moore’s Arthur were an agent.

(And no, I don’t think John Larroquette was ever, ever, suave.)

I’m glad to see more Josh Schwartz alumni show up on Chuck, and so with the appearance of Melinda Clarke this week and Rachel Bilson last season, I kind of want to see everybody from The O.C. show up at some point or another. (Except for you, Mischa Barton. You’re dead to me. And Adam Brody, since he already did Mr. & Mrs. Smith.) I’d love for Benjamin McKenzie to show up as an assassin (he was always a better actor than The O.C. allowed him to be) and maybe Peter Gallagher can make an appearance as Papa Bartowski. And though she was Pushing Daisies only last week, I would definitely like me some Autumn Reeser as a double-agent somewhere down the line. It’s too bad Olivia Wilde is a regular on House now, and that Samaire Armstrong is in rehab, because they’d be welcome here, too.

Episode Trailer:

Episode description - Spoiler's ahead:

Emmy Award winner John Larroquette guest-stars as the legendary debonair spy Roan Montgomery and Melinda Clarke guest-stars as a sultry but dangerous female spy known as the Black Widow. Chuck must go undercover to retrieve the Cipher from the Black Widow. But in order to get close to his target, Chuck must learn the art of seduction from the suave and sophisticated Roan. Unfortunately for Chuck, Sarah and Casey, Roan is no longer the world’s greatest spy. Meanwhile, Morgan offers Captain Awesome some advice for a romantic night with Ellie, and Lester struggles to gain respect at Buy More as the new assistant manager. Jeff Krinsky, Julia Ling and Mark Christopher Lawrence also star.

Episode Stills:
Thanks to Melinda Clarke France, I have 6 promotional pictures from 'Chuck' Season 2 Episode 2: "Chuck Vs. The Seduction" which Melinda Clarke will be guest-starring in. I'm so excited for her role. If anyone is interested in 'Chuck', check out Chuck Online, my other website ;)

Onto business-- last night's episode of Chuck was EASILY the best season premiere of any show I've watched this fall (aside from The Office premiere, which was hilarious).  What last year was a solid series with a unique premise and really good cast showed up this year as a great series with a unique tone and a cast that looks truly comfortable in its own skin.  Allow me to explain:

TONE-- For those of you who have never watched Chuck, the premise is simple: Chuck Bartwoski, a brilliant college dropout who wastes his talents as a Nerd Herd tech at Buy More, accidentally has a secret NSA/CIA computer called "The Intersect" downloaded into his brain.  Each week, Chuck is asked to use his knowledge to assist his handlers, Casey (Adam Baldwin) and Sarah (Yvonne Strahovski), in a variety of dangerous missions.  Hilarity and heroism ensues.  Great.  Sounds like a fun season of television.  

What creators Josh Schwartz (of The O.C. & Gossip Girl) & Chris Fedak have done this season is elevate the series to a new level by introducing a new element, one found in all great television shows: tone.  Another word for it might be "feel" or "level of reality."  Take a show like Scrubs for example, the first great example I thought of.  Scrubs has an incredibly unique vibe; in one scene, a patient might be dying of some horrible disease, and a scene later, the entire hospital staff will be getting funky to Turk's new cell phone ring.  It's a unique emotional/stylistic stamp that no other show has.  

In last night's premiere, for the first time, Chuck had its own unique tone.  Whereas before the show was a regular reality based on a ridiculous premise, now, we've got a ridiculous premise and a semi-heightened reality, a small adjustment that I think makes all the difference in the world.  Take last night's incredible bungee cagematch scene.  Last season, they maybe have Lester and Jeff thumb war for the assistant manager job.  This time?  They a full out cagematch with spotlights, various staff members yelling and climbing on the cage, and Morgan on the microphone.  This over-the-top scenario gives the show a sense of heightened reality, which I think is a far more suitable reality for such a high concept show.  If you're going to have this average joe become a super spy, it makes more sense for the rest of his world to match that level of wackiness.  Its a smoother fit, it gives the series a feel all its own, and it allows the writers to have more fun.  

Another great example of this new tone was the way they showed Chuck coming to work the first day as opposed to the second day.  On the first day after finding out about "the cypher" (a device that would replace him as the intersect, thus allowing him to live a normal life), Chuck is Mr. Sunshine.  He has a bounce in his step, the soundtrack is effervescent and happy, and he looks like a million bucks.  The next day?  His tie is untied, he drags his feet along, the color palette is darker, and the soundtrack cries of his misery.  It's over-the-top, its heighten, its self-aware; it's exactly the boost this series needs to push it, well, over the top.  

CAST-- The difference between a comfortable cast and a new one is subtle and difficult to describe.  Here's an analogy that might work: When you first make a new group of friends, at summer camp or something for instance, you aren't a 100% comfortable with one another.  You might come to really like each other and spend all your time together, but its just not 100% that summer.  But when you come back next summer?  It's like you've known each other your entire lives and you slide right back into your groove, and now, you're definitely 100% comfortable.  Whether you get my drift or not, suffice it to say that the cast of Chuck looks like they've spent a year getting to know each other and now, the real fun can begin.  Their chemistry is palpable and their relationships feel fuller and more real.  Within the first scene between Chuck, Ellie and Capt. Awesome, you could already sense this new closeness and comfort.  A happy cast means a happy audience!

GRATUITOUS BOOTY SHOT-- You know what I'm talking about.  It was jawdroppingly incredible.  Good lord does that girl know how to rock a lacy booty short.  And those close-ups of Sarah's beautiful face during her date with Chuck?  Stunning.  The best she's ever looked on this series, BY FAR.

CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT -- Something needs to change in characters from one season to the next.  It's not rocket science, but you'd be surprised how many shows allow their characters to tread water from year to year.  In this one episode, we already saw enough development in Chuck, Sarah and Casey to make this season more interesting than last year.  Chuck, finally faced with the possibility of a spy-free existence, decides he's ready to grow up, quit the Buy More, and make something of his life.  Seeing this change in Chuck infuses the rest of the series with new stakes, because we now know how devastated he is when this tantalizing opportunity for a normal life is snatched away from him at the end of the episode.  Each mission he now undertakes is another step farther away from what we know Chuck wants deep down.  Stakes!  It's what drama is made of.  

Casey, after spending all of last season treating Chuck like a baby, comes to like and respect him after seeing how smoothly and bravely he handled Michael Clark Duncan and the cypher.  This change totally alters his relationship with Chuck, and I'm interested to see what their new dynamic will be like, now that  Casey believes in Chuck's worth and abilities.  And Sarah, who we know has always liked Chuck, is finally ready to stop being so aloof about it.  So now her feelings for Chuck are really on the table-- how will this change her dynamic with Chuck?  With Casey?  

Julia, Jeff, Lester and "Big" Mike (did you catch his name plate on his desk?  Hilarious.) are all series regulars now.  As charming as Zach Levi is, its the Buy More crew that brings the majority of the funny on this show.  And now Lester is the Assistant Manager of the Buy More?  I smell comedy!

Last night's episode had everything you could want from a season premiere.  Why?  Because it felt like a pilot.  The narrative was totally self-contained, but the thrust of the rest of the season is set.  If you never saw a single episode of season one, you didn't need to, because you got all the important info again, but in a fresh way that never felt redundant or the least bit boring.  You had action, intrigue, comedy, romance, one of the best purposely terrible lines in history ("Somebody order drive-thru?"), and you had Sarah in booty shorts.  What more could you possibly want?

If you don't watch Chuck yet, start now!  It's the perfect time to jump in-- and then, when this series blows up in a few weeks due to increased fan and critical acclaim, you can say you've been watching all along.  Niiiice.

Grade: A

Last season, we left Chuck dangling on the precipice. And that's how this season began, both literally and figuratively. Literally, Michael Clarke Duncan had Chuck’s ass out a window. Figuratively, with the new Intersect coming online in a matter of hours, Chuck's purpose in the spy world seemed to be potentially at an end, allowing him to return to a normal life . . . at the Buy More.

Knowing that it may no longer be necessary for Chuck Bartowski to moonlight as Charles Carmichael, Super Spy, Chuck begins to contemplate exactly what he wants out of life. Should he take the assistant manager job he's been offered at the Buy More, potentially committing himself to retail hell for the rest of his days? Or should he follow Ellie's advice and pick up where he left off: finally finishing college and beginning a more adult career, with some potential road trips to Europe included? Should he turn his fake relationship with Sarah into a real relationship?

However, the NSA and the CIA seem to have other plans for the newly retired Chuck. As his brain is still filled with government secrets, he cannot be let free to live life as he chooses. Instead, Casey has to kill him. This is not an easy assignment for Casey, who despite his harsh exterior seems to have warmed to Chuck and doesn't really want to kill the guy. This doesn't stop him, however, from preparing to follow orders to doing a little target practice with a silencer in his apartment, shooting a row of ducks that include Hitler, his beloved President Reagan (it was a test, he didn’t shoot Reagan) and Chuck . . . the only target Casey can't quite hit.

Chuck, riding the high of potential freedom, turns down the assistant manager job at the Buy More and, as punishment, must conduct interviews for the other candidates, which basically consist of the rest of the Nerd Herd. Morgan, ever Chuck's personal assistant, helps facilitate the interviews and also comes up with an amazing video game attack plan to launch on the Buy More's sworn enemy, Large Mart. Chuck heads over to Sarah's new place of business, Orange Orange, which is Pinkberry, but orange, to ask her on a real, live date. We got a huge kick out of the music that they play over this scene in our new Weinerlicious upgrade: Flight of the Conchords's "Foux Le Fa Fa," which we posted in an ANTM write-up the other week.

On Chuck's ill-fated date with Sarah, Casey, who nearly died when the Intersect was stolen by Fulcrum agents, comes to drag them both out of harm's way when Michael Clarke Duncan comes to capture them. Casey and Sarah embark on a venture to retrieve the stolen Intersect, thinking that Chuck will be safer if he stays home. Unfortunately, Michael Clarke Duncan lures Chuck to his warehouse by calling the Buy More for Nerd Herd assistance. Good move, criminals.

Chuck outwits MCD and crew by putting on his Charles Carmichael act and employing the specifics of Morgan's Large Mart assassination plan to trick them into thinking that they're surrounded on all sides. I'm glad Morgan has time to confirm such details while he presides over the Assistant Manager Cagematch. With the bad guys thoroughly distracted, Chuck manages to escape with the Intersect . . . until Michael Clarke Duncan catches him and defenestrates him.

Luckily, Casey was there to catch Chuck's fall, proving that Adam Baldwin will always, always be the best bodyguard ever.

The trio escape with their lives and the Intersect, and arrest MCD and his cronies. Chuck, thinking that the new Intersect is safe, tries to have a second date with Sarah as Agent Casey lurks in the shadows of Chuck's house, waiting to complete his mission. Unfortunately for Chuck, Sarah arrives at the house bearing bad news: their date has been cancelled because the Intersect was a bomb planted by Fulcrum, killing everyone in the room the minute it went online. Casey is relieved that he doesn't have to kill Chuck, and Chuck returns to the Buy More under the watchful gaze of the new assistant manager, Lester.

I think we all knew that the show's central conceit could not be destroyed in this episode, but regardless, this was a really interesting look at Chuck's emotional response to his work, skillfully punctuated by the hip sounds of Huey Lewis and the News not once, but twice.

The Husband:

I forget which online TV critic pointed this out, but Josh Schwartz has done something very special juggling two shows at once. Between Gossip Girl and Chuck (as well as his earlier series The O.C.), he has made completely different shows with their own unique fingerprints. Whereas Seth MacFarlane’s shows all seem like Seth MacFarlane shows, and all Shonda Rhimes shows seem like Shonda Rhimes shows, Schwartz does what is best for the respective show instead of merely serving his ego.

Chuck is a very special case, a comedy-action hybrid that finds a great balance – there’s that word that I use again, “balance” – between its many different inspirations and makes its own unique fingerprint, a savvy and witty mixture of big-budget thrillers and goofy pop culture-heavy references. I love pretty much every aspect of it from the cast to the production design – L.A. has never looked cooler on TV in my opinion – and while the show isn’t worthy of an “A” rating, it skirts dangerously close every once in a while.

The glue that holds it all together is Zachary Levi, a tall, lanky, entertaining self-proclaimed nerd who seems like the coolest guy ever. (Last week on Conan he demonstrated his iPod’s special Star Wars lightsaber feature, then proceeded to fake cut Conan’s head off with said device.) Adam Baldwin, too, is very comfortable in this world, and I am very glad to say that Chuck breaks his vicious showkilling streak. (Seriously, three cancelled TV shows in a row? That’s rough.)

Last night we finally saw Chuck become comfortable as a secret agent, for once not merely relying on the Intersect in his brain and then letting his handlers do all the grunt work, but actually getting right in on the action and using his own geek knowledge to outwit Michael Clarke Duncan (who seems to have lost a great deal of weight since The Green Mile but still looks like he can tear your head off with ease). This is a good direction for the show, now that Chuck more fully understands the responsibility of his position with the CIA and the NSA, as the action elements of the show – which can sometimes flag in some of the worse episodes – can now be more fully realized.

But nerd humor is where I get the most kick out of the show. The Assistant Manager Cagematch was a big take-off on Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome, complete with the fighters bounding on bungee cords from the ceiling. They didn’t go all the way to saying which employee was Master Blaster, but I guess in the end Master Blaster was Jeff, since Lester was victorious and thus making him Mel Gibson.

"Chuck Versus The First Date"

September 29th, 2008

When the TV critics started receiving their screeners for the first three episodes of Chuck's first season, there was a lot of very positive things being said about the show really flourishing in its sophomore episodes. When the first six episodes were watched by NBC, they saw enough growth to give the show its Back Nine before it even aired an episode. And when the first episode streamed on Hulu.com, iTunes and Amazon a week ago, reviews were simple: this is a show that knows where it's going.

For those of us who followed it last year, this news is that much more welcome. This was a show that everyone kind of appreciated, whether it was Adam Baldwin's angry John Casey, the charm of Zachary Levi's Chuck Bartowski, or the beauty of Yvonne Strakhowski's Sarah. The problem was that it felt like we were appreciating parts and not the whole: while there were building blocks that really clicked on an individual level, trying to find a balance between the spy antics, the interpersonal team dynamics between Chuck/Sarah/Casey, Chuck's relationship with his family, and the antics of the Buy More employees was something that couldn't be done in only twelve episodes of a strike-shortened season.

But Josh Schwartz and Chris Fedak went back to the drawing board over the lengthy break, and they've come back with a bang: even with an "imposing" guest star, the need for heavy exposition to welcome back (or welcome in) viewers, and a lot of emotional baggage from last season, Chuck is at its finest for its premiere - if it can continue on this trend, this is (as many have called it) the show to watch in the coming season.

In what one has to take as one of the most ingenious ways of bringing exposition into the action itself, we open on Chuck being held over a ledge by the monstrous and quite funny Michael Clarke Duncan. He goes through and explains the setup: he saw government secrets, he's an important spy/agent, and he isn't actually very good at the stealth parts of this job. Of course, we know all of this as fans, but it's a solid introduction. The episode as a whole surrounds this basic idea: with the new intersect about to come up and running, Chuck is starting to move away from the job as he knew it before in favour of a new life.

The new life is complicated, of course, and for good reason: Sarah and Casey are going to get resassigned, and we are aware that Casey is under strict orders to kill Chuck as soon as it goes online. Now, anyone with half a brain should surely realize that Chuck won't be dying, nor will Sarah and Casey be leaving the series, so there's little surprise when at episode's end the new Intersect explodes, Sarah will need a new CIA supervisor, and we still have ourselves a show. But allowing Chuck to have this glimpse of a normal life allows them to ratchet up the romantic tension between Chuck and Sarah, to focus on his role at the Buy More, and even his relationship with his sister and Captain Awesome.

The episode is smart like this, as it does lay things on thick otherwise. The episode has the most simplistic of MacGuffins, and it is more about being clever than about being action-packed or suspenseful. One of the smartest things is the episode is the neat integration of Morgan's Call of Duty game plan, a part of Chuck's life that he is trying to put behind him on his path to something bigger than the Buy More, into his predicament in the spy game. It's the kind of thing that represents the kind of balance the show has strived for: where the events that can seem comic and frivolous in the context of the Buy More can come full circle to present nice cohesion to each individual episode.

Nothing about the show has changed, but something about its overall quality has: Casey still loves Ronald Reagan (Love him hiding the antidote behind Reagan's picture), Sarah still fights bad guys (the choreography with her and Clarke Duncan was inspired), and Chuck still gets in over his head at work, at the spy game, and with the genius of Captain Awesome. But something about all of these elements work better in their new forms: the show seems to be taking the responsibility of getting a second season at all to heart, focusing on what works best when it matters most.

That critics are claiming this as the start of a trend is all the more welcome - it shows that the show isn't just using this relaunching pad to head onto the same old path, but really using the lessons we saw in place here to advance the series even more. When it comes to these shows stopped early by the strike, there was every chance they'd come back feeling limp and underdeveloped: instead, Chuck feels like it is on a sophomore surge (credit for the politically relevant term goes to Alan Sepinwall), and one that I can wholeheartedly say is working wonders for Monday night television.

Cultural Observations

• The Buy More comedy is solid in this episode, as we see Lester take over as Assistant Manager and Morgan having to come to terms with a bit more responsibility and devolving into pure chaos in the jumping suits. Note also that Jeff, Lester and Anna have all been added to the main credits - while too much Buy More is never good, being added to the cast reflects the new balanced approach the show is making.
• Zachary Levi played this episode very well, from Chuck's date with Sarah (Which nicely called back to their first date in the pilot), to his very real emotional struggle coming to terms with a potential future that includes travel, and education and personal achievement.
• Really liked Michael Clarke Duncan's guest spot, but I liked more the great scene where Casey drove into the restaurant, and the requisite line from Chuck chiding him for thinking up the one-liner and not saving them a bit sooner.
• Completely forgot to mention the awesome use of Huey Lewis to signify Chuck's various wake-up moods. Wonderful.

Bisher besprochene Serien:

Back to you
Welcome to the Captain
Samantha Who?
Aliens in America
The Simpsons
Scrubs
My Boys
Reaper
The Big Bang Theory
IT Crowd
My Name Is Earl
Californication
30 Rock
How I Met Your Mother
Pushing Daisies

=====================================================

Chuck

Der zweite der beiden, für mich, alles überragenden Neustarts der abgelaufenen Season 07/08, ist der Action-Comedy-Hybrid Chuck, der im Grunde alles hat, was einen richtigen Hit ausmachen sollte – einzig die überragenden Quoten bleiben für NBC leider aus. Chuck schwebte Woche für Woche in lediglich soliden Quotensphären bei ca. 7-8 Mio. Zuschauern, dies aber immerhin sehr verlässlich und stabil, ohne größere Schwankungen nach oben oder unten. Doch worum geht es?

Hauptfigur ist, wie kaum anders zu erwarten ein Chuck (Bartowski), ein klassischer Vetreter der Generation Y, der sich seine Brötchen im IT-Service eines Elektrogroßhandels verdient, ohne dass er große Ambitionen hegt, in seinem Leben etwas zu bewegen – bis ihm eines Tages sein ehemaliger Kommilitone Bryce Larkin eine Email zusendet, in der sämtliche Geheimnisse von CIA und NSA kodiert sind. Beim Anschauen des Anhangs der Mail werden all diese Geheimnisse in Chucks Unterbewusstsein eingespeist. Ärgerlich für die beiden Geheimdienste, wird Chuck doch dadurch zum alleinigen Träger sämtlicher Geheimdienstinformationen der USA – Bryce hatte vor dem Versenden dieser Informationen nämlich das gemeinsame Computerzentrum komplett zerstört. Dies macht Chuck also zum begehrtesten Menschen von CIA und NSA und muss beiden fortan als „Schnittstelle“ zur Verfügung stehen, um Terroranschläge, Attentate und organisierte Kriminalität zu verfolgen, während er als Tarnung nebenbei sein gewöhnliches Leben beibehalten muss. Klingt erst einmal recht unglaubwürdig – aber wenn man sich auf die sehr SciFi-lastige Grundkonstellation einlässt, dann funktioniert das absolut gut.

Während sich aus der Geheimdiensttätigkeit Chucks also vor allem die Actionkomponente in die Serie zieht, birgt der Widerspruch zu seinem normalen Leben als eher antriebsloser Slacker einiges an komödiantischem Potential – ein Spagat, der der Serie immer wieder aufs Neue hervorragend gelingt. Gerade auch im späteren Verlauf dieser Season, in der die Serie zunehmend dramatische Wendungen nimmt, wie z.B. in der Beziehung zu Chucks Aufpasserin von der CIA und seinen emotionalen Zwiespalten.

Auch hier muss man wieder sagen, dass ein guter Cast der Schlüssel zu einer klasse Serie ist, denn auch bei Chuck passen die einzelnen Figuren wieder maßgeschneidert zu den jeweiligen Darstellern. Angefangen bei Hauptdarsteller Zachary Levy, der den Geheimagenten wider Willen perfekt mimt, über den wunderbaren Adam Baldwin als Major John Casey bis hin zu Joshua Gomez als geeky Sidekick Morgan Grimes. Und Yvonne Strahovski natürlich nicht zu vergessen, die durchaus mehr als ein Eyecandy ist.

Wer also denkt, dass sich das Konzept eines Losers, der sich ungewollt als Held beweisen muss, höchstens für eine begrenzte Laufzeit wie z.B. einen Kinofilm trägt, der wird hier eines Besseren belehrt. Denn nicht, dass Chuck einfach nur sein Niveau halten könnte – nein, durch eine hervorragende Figurenzeichnung, speziell auch in den Nebenrollen, ein brillantes Gefühl für Timing in Sachen Regie und auch ein ausgezeichnetes Musikverständnis seitens der Macher, schafft es die Serie mit der Zeit immer besser zu werden und so gut wie gar keine Hänger über sämtliche dreizehn, jeweils 45 Minuten dauernden Episoden hat.

Für mich DER Hit dieser TV-Season, die erfreulicherweise trotz der nur mittelmäßigen Quoten jetzt schon eine komplette Order für die zweite Staffel bekommen hat.

Auch auf dem deutschen TV-Markt sollte diese Serie bei entsprechender Platzierung und adäquater Werbekampagne eigentlich hervorragend funktionieren. Denn die Mischung ist einfach bestechend – hoffen wir also, dass ProSieben, die sich auch die Rechte dieser Serie gesichert haben, diese Serie vernünftig platziert und damit dann auch das entsprechende Publikum erreicht. Verdient hätte es die Serie allemal.

Wohl keine Frage, dass hier meine absolut dringende Sehempfehlung ausgesprochen sei!

10 von 10 begeisterten Gabeln

PS: Eigentlich steht ja nun der Teil mit den Serien aus dem Bereich „Drama“ an. Ich kann noch nichts versprechen, da ja nun auch wieder die neue Season anfängt, aber falls Interesse besteht, werde mal schauen, was sich einrichten lässt…

www.serialit.com

www.cartoonmag.org

]]> http://tasithoughts.wordpress.com/?p=1652 Wed, 03 Sep 2008 04:51:37 +0000 tasithoughts http://tasithoughts.pt-br.wordpress.com/2008/09/03/gossip-girl-second-season-looks-even-hotter/  

Gossip Girl started its second season sizzling hot marking CW’s most provocative and wildly popular teen drama show on the air.  Last year debuting with its mixture of Cruel Intentions edginess, Beverly Hills 90210 drama, and sprinkled with Abercrombie and Fitch Poster sexiness this show exploded into the pop culture consciousness. 

The cast members have become a mainstay in young celebrity Hollywood which has made the CW even more entrenched as the breeding ground of the young and beautiful of the showbiz industry. 

For the few not familiar with the show, it centers on a few elite young people in the upper echelons of the society in New York City.  The show is actually based on a novel series by Cecily von Ziegesar.   

The first episode of the new season shows the characters maturing to some degree. However, there are some over the top surprises like the guy who was supposedly American who was brought home by Blair Wardorf (played by Leighton Meester)  to make bad boy , Chuck Bass,  ( Ed Westwick)  jealous. Later you find out he is a British Lord  and not  a social climbing scum-bucket.   

The first episode of new season scored its best audience ever -3.4 million viewers. 

Blake Lively who plays Serena van der Woodsen; Chace Crawford who plays Nate Archibald; and Penn Badgley who plays Dan Humphrey are stand outs in the cast. The show was developed by Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage. It Airs on Mondays on the CW at 8:00 p.m. Eastern/ 7:00 p.m. Central. 

Need a little guilty pleasure- Tune in to Gossip Girl on Monday Nights! 

He has a point.

Chuck is up against the likes of Prison Break, Gossip Girl, ratings juggernaut Dancing With the Stars, and CBS' Big Bang Theory/How I Met Your Mother pairing.

So since he was worried, I was worried. Seriously? Although I fully expect Fringe to rock my face off, and although I am quite involved with LOST, and although I can never quite get enough of Hugh Laurie, David Boreanaz and/or John Krasinski, Chuck is pretty much my favorite show. It combines everything -- humor, action, snark and a really satisfying will-they-won't-they love story.

But thanks to NBC via Kristin Dos Santos, I can heave a ginormous sigh of relief. The network's picked up Chuck's back nine (yes, before the premiere's even hit), and so the show's second season is assured.

Thank you, NBC. Please disregard anything negative I might've said earlier.

Pick of the Week:

Gossip Girl Season 1 - Perhaps the biggest surprise of the entire new season of shows, this has a terrible pilot but from there on in is the most ridiculous, silly, sassy, smart show on TV. It's a beautifully rendered portrait of upper-class New York life which pokes fun in all the right places and, in Ed Westwick's Chuck, has the most delicious semi-villain yet conceived for a teen-targeted show. The next season promises more sex, drugs and, well, more sex so I can't flippin' wait. As much fun as you can have with a new show right now.

Also out

Chuck Season 1 - Patchy and slightly uninspired tale of an accidental spy from the pen of The OC's Josh Schwartz. Just never really kicked into an acceptable gear despite mostly decent cast. In fact, the key reason for its failing is Morgan, the sidekick to our eponymous hero, who is about as annoying as a human being can be.
Persepolis - Beautiful and charming little story and you can read my thoughts on it here.
Happy Go-Lucky - Mike Leigh's new piece about a young lady with an unbreakably positive outlook on life. I will be watching it this week.
Never Back Down - Step Up 2 The Streets with mixed martial arts. So bad, it's awesome.
Stop-Loss - Misguided but valiant attempt at engaging with the psychology of modern warfare although it is packed with talented young males, not least the outstanding Joseph Gordon Levitt.
Love is the Devil - Intense portrait of Francis Bacon from Derek Jarman and starring Derek Jacobi. A fine, well-acted and well-balanced piece of work.
Pathology - Milo Ventimiglia from Heroes in some surgery horror thing. Haven't seen and likely won't.
Street Fight - A recounting of the battle between Cory Booker and Sharpe James to become the Mayor of Newark. An incredible, eviscerating study of dirty local politics with a bleakness to its conclusion which was eventually solved by life.
Lonesome Jim - Not seen but directed by the great Steve Buscemi and starring the soon-to-be-great Casey Affleck alongside the never-will-be-great-but-still-charming Liv Tyler.

'A new life for Ryan Atwood, the Cohen and the Cooper families, and basically everyone else in the wealthy, picturesque, secretive, turbulent community of Orange County.
Be prepared to meet spoiled rich kids and watch Ryan struggle to fit in with his new crowd'

While it's too early to tell whether Gossip Girl will sustain or collapse after it's partial, writer strike affected first season, we feel it's not to early to call genius on two of Schwartz' crew member picks. Bringing back Grammy award-nominated music supervisor and The OC alum Alexandra Patsavas was brilliant. The music of Gossip Girl has been pretty solid all throughout the first season. Second was the hiring of Tonya Huskey as costume designer. We've been pretty unenthusiastic about the designs of in-universe designer "Eleanor Waldorf" but what could have easily been an utterly predictable preppy and fashion-staid wardrobe for the show's teenage main characters has been refreshingly fashion-forward, varied, and tasteful - when the characters are keeping it on.

Well done Team Gossip Girl!

Posts on all-star stand outs from the show that you should download or wear to come later. Yay instant/mass communimercialication!

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Veja os vídeos dos principais momentos da edição 2008 do Comic-Con em San Diego, onde foi revelado um estupendo vídeo com os melhores momentos dos episódios já filmados da nova temporada de Chuck.

Além do elenco regular, que inclui Zachary Levi (Chuck), Yvonne Strahovski (Sarah), Sarah Lancaster (Ellie), Joshua Gomez (Morgan) e Adam Baldwin (John) e do elenco recorrente, onde se inclui Ryan McPartlin (Captain Awesome), Vik Sahay (Lester), Scott Krinsky (Jeff), Julia Ling (Anna), Bonita Friedericy (General Beckman) e Mark Christopher Lawrence (Big Mike), no vídeo podemos confirmar a participação de John Larroquette, Melinda Clarke, Michael Clarke Duncan, Nicole Richie, Jordana Brewster, Tony Hale e Matthew Bomer que regressa como Bryce Larkin.

Veja ainda como correu o Painel Chuck na Comic-Con, que contou com a presença de Levi, Strahovski, Baldwin, Lancaster, Gomez, McPartlin e dos criadores Chris Fedak e Josh Schwartz.

I'm not even sure I would've wanted to be at the Twilight panel because as I've stated before, I have a real problem with the weird fandom it seems to attract and I'm sure I would've run out of Advil halfway through from the migraine-inducing shrieking that seemed to drown out every other syllable, from the little footage I've seen.

However, I *would've* liked to see Joss. And Dr. Horrible, which for some reason, I haven't even downloaded yet. (What is with me lately?) And the JJ Abrams/Fringe panel.

And, of course, the showrunners panel, which consisted of Josh Schwartz, Bryan Fuller, Josh Friedman, Carlton Cuse, and one of my major crushes, Damon Lindelof.

From Kristin Dos Santos:
Welcome to a very special Comic-Con Concert with Darlton and the Pips!

That "Pip" thing was Josh Friedman’s joke, not mine, and came out of the fact that the large majority of the fans attending the showrunners panel—starring Josh Schwartz (Chuck, Gossip Girl), Bryan Fuller (Pushing Daisies), Friedman (Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles) and Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse (both of Lost)—spent a heck of a lot of time asking about that teleporting island we hold so dear.

Newsflash: People who watch Lost have a few, um, questions.

Still, there was much love for the other shows (despite Schwartz’s assertion that “I feel Gossip Girl is verboten here” even that series got some raucous cheers), and even a little scoop. Click in for the goods...

Claire-Bear Will Be Back: Following up on my earlier scoop that Emilie de Ravin is not a series regular for the upcoming fifth season of Lost, Darlton promises: "You will see Claire again. Not right away but what happened with her will be explained."

Chuck's Mama Drama Is So Coming Out: “We are picking up 10 months later,” Fuller says of Daisies’ second season opener. “And all the secrets have been kept by our people for a long time and they are going to burst.” Fuller says he also was told by ABC that Daisies would not get a “previously on” opener, so he is cramming a lot of cool exposition into the first three minutes of the premiere for any new viewers.

Ditto the Other Chuck: “The second season premiere is a pilot for us,” says Schwartz. “We are treating this season as if the show were off the air for years.” He says the new season will start off where season one left off, with Chuck Bartowski being dangled off the roof, and telling the story of how he got there.

Chuck Bartowski Knows Lost Secrets: Remember when Chuck (Zachary Levi) flashed on the location of the crash of Oceanic Flight 815? Well, Schwartz recalls that, “[Damon and Carlton] sent me a box of cookies that said ‘If you give away any more of our secrets we’ll kill you.” Funny, I got the same cookies one time from ABC after revealing a Lost death but they were laced with arsenic. (Yum!) Meanwhile, Carlton had a question for Josh about the whereabouts of the crash: "Wait, where is it?"

Terminator vs. Terminator: When asked if the Terminator movies and Terminator television show are now two totally separate worlds, Friedman replied, “They really don’t commune. We’ve always felt the TV show is an expression of the universe and the movies are another expression of the universe. They are alternate paths taken through the timeline.” He added that he spoke to McG about this very topic, and "We agreed it’s best that he does his thing and we do our thing and never the twain shall meet.”

“Serena Is Now a Cyborg!” You heard it here first, people, the latest on Blake Lively’s glamorous socialite character from Gossip mastermind Schwartz, who revealed Serena Van der Woodsen's robot status in response to Damon’s artfully crafted take on why mythology genre TV shows and movies rock, and are taking over the world. (See: Dark Knight.) Only question: Does Dan Humphrey like toasters?

Put the Kiddies Away! When Damon slipped an s-word into an answer, Bryan kindly pointed out the sign in front of him which Damon read aloud, “Please be aware that there may audience members under 18,” then added,“So you guys are f--ked.” Hee.

Damon Loves Dr. Horrible and Dex: "Considering the job that we do and that it takes 300 people to do an episode of Lost, I’m just in awe of Dr. Horrible," says Damon, who also admits he’s a "huge fan of Dexter." Fuller, who won big points with this crowd for his clear love of mythology, genre, Star Wars, Star Trek (his past writing gig) and everything of the like also got a huge laugh when he announced the one series he’d love to work on: “Um, I love Project Runway.”

Wait a Minute, Yvonne Strahovski Was Almost Bionic? Okay, perhaps Schwartz was kidding around, but he made it sound as though Chuck’s resident butt-kicking hottie could have ended up the leading lady on NBC’s now-dead remake. “We saw Yvonne on a tape from Australia, and our casting director was literally waiting for her at the airport and snatched her up before Bionic Woman could take her away,” says Schwartz. I’m moderating the Chuck panel tomorrow and you can be sure I'm gonna follow up on that. If you have any more questions for the Chuck crew, be a peach and post them below, will ya? I wanna know what you wanna know.

Please check back later for some seriously awesome (no joke) Lost video that is still uploading...And 24!

Spoiler Alert - View trailer's: Trailer one : Trailer two

Upon looking at my "Most Played" playlist on my iTunes, I realized that in the past month the top songs on the list are songs that caught my aural attention because I had heard it used in a film, television show, trailer, or commercial.  Recently, I also realized that a good amount of my book reading selection has been based on whether or not there is a movie for it or a movie that is coming out that is based on it, but that is a whole other story for a whole other post.  

In any case, it is quite interesting how much a song can change meaning, for better or worse, after it has been attached to a particular scene in a film.  In some cases, (re: the O.C. example below) songs you would never find yourself listening to in your life become songs that urge you to upload the  "Music from the O.C.: Mix 2" CD you find at the public library. 

There's an immense amount of power that is created when a song is attached to a scene.  Once the attachment is established, every time the song plays, you can only think of the part of the film it was in.  If films are two hour periods of escapism, then listening to a song after watching the film is a means to prolong that feeling through your own fruition.  By pressing Play, you are able to return to that happy or sad place of the film.

I've decided to start a regular series of mini-programs, showcasing some of these moments in film and television and comparing them to the available music video of the music artists performing the songs.  Enjoy!

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Lars and the Real Girl

The O.C., Season 2

Dios Malos, "You've Got Me All Wrong" (live performance)

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The Science of Sleep

The Velvet Underground, "After Hours" (fan video)

How awesome is this news? I love Melinda and 'Chuck' so Im over the moon at the moment! First it was Rachel on 'Chuck, and now it's Melinda :)

You may have heard reports about a spinoff for The CW's hit series Gossip Girl. The show's creator, Josh Schwartz, says rumors to that effect are premature - there is no spinoff in the works. However, he also says there is potential for one in the future. (Cynopsis 6/12)

Although the housing market is in crisis, television shows about purchasing, renovating and flipping homes are as popular as ever. The programs consistently attract audiences of 700,000 to 1 million viewers and include TLC's new "Date My House" and HGTV's "House Hunters." (The New York Times 6/12)

Below: Jay Goldman/HGTV; Top right and bottom right, TLC

NBC announced the celebrity family match-ups for the new version of Celebrity Family Feud produced by FremantleMedia North America opening July 1 at 8p and hosted by Al Roker. (Cynopsis 6/12)

WE will offer five specials this summer that cater to its mostly female audience. These specials include "OMG! Sextuplets," "Chain Gang Girls," "Prince William: Sexy and Single," "How to Marry a Prince" and "F.L.I.P. Mysteries: Women on the Case." (Variety 6/11)

Hollywood studios are looking to deliver theatrical movies in HD to homes much earlier than their release on DVD -- but they are also looking for greater copy-protection control. The studios want the FCC to block signals from traveling over certain plugs connected to TVs and video recorders -- until the movies are released on DVD, but some groups assert that such a move would give studios power over choosing which digital connections they would use, thus cutting off products without those connections. (The Wall Street Journal 6/12)

The SEC has given E.W. Scripps Co. permission to split into two public companies: E.W. Scripps Co. and Scripps Networks Interactive. Scripps Networks Interactive will focus on cable networks and online shopping, including shopping-comparison sites Shopzilla and uSwitch, while E.W. Scripps will continue operating broadcast-television networks and newspapers. (The Boston Globe/Associated Press 6/11, TVNEWSDAY 6/11)

Time Warner, which is spinning off its cable unit, may use the $9.25 billion dividend from that transaction to buy back stock and acquire the Weather Channel, according to Sanford Bernstein analyst Michael Nathanson. Such a move would boost earnings-per-share growth 8.7% annually. (Iwantmedia 6/12, http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601204&sid=aU8MKZytxbuI 6/11)

Charter Communications has forged a tentative deal that will permit the MSO to deliver analog, digital and high-definition programming offered by LIN TV Corp.'s stations. "Consumers are demonstrating a growing desire for quality high-definition content, and Charter's priority is to provide our customers value and choice through a broad array of programming, packages, and enhanced services that include HD and video on demand," said Ted Schremp, Charter senior vice president of product management and strategy. (Forbes/Thomson Financial News 6/12, TVNEWSDAY 6/11)

[Alan: ]Whatever happened to the Kaitlin spin-off where she was in boarding school?

I was about 17 episodes into the first season, and I was asked to go up into Rupert Murdoch's boardroom. Rupert wasn't there but all the head honchos at Fox were there, and I was asked, with a fair amount of pressure, to do another show. I was shown a schedule where, if I did this, "The O.C." would remain on Wednesdays at 9 and the new show would be on Tuesdays at 9 after "Idol." Who wouldn't want to do that? It wasn't wise of me to do that, I had plenty to learn about the TV business, but I said, "Okay, I don't want it to be a spin-off." I was worried about cannibalizing the show too soon, and spin-offs usually fail. Everyone signed off on that fact, I went off and worked on a pilot called "Athens." It was a big honor, it was going to keep "The O.C" behind "American Idol." Then I turned in the script and everyone said, "So how do we turn it into a spin-off?" It became a protracted battle not to make it a spin-off. Then I arrived at the upfronts to announce the new show and they said "The O.C." was moving to Thursdays, that was a perfect storm of its own. When it felt that was the only version of the pilot that was going to move forward was one I didn't believe in, I said, maybe as a compromise, we'd have discussions about a Kaitlin boarding school drama, and then Gail Berman went to Paramount, and those discussions ended.

How fitting, then, that I looked at this so recently, as now we've got the exact same situation with almost eerie comparisons to this earlier one. As it completes its first season, Gossip Girl is now being spun-off by its producers (Schwartz included, one presumes) as another hit series of books by the author of Gossip Girl is being optioned. And, interestingly, "The It Girl" series surrounds the character of Jenny Humphrey falling off the wagon at Constance Billard and being sent off to board school just as Kaitlin had once been destined under the scenario Schwartz described.

From The Hollywood Reporter:

Humphrey is a self-esteem challenged outsider who struggles to fit in. In the books, a series of public embarrassments (such as appearing in a teen magazine wearing next to nothing) results in Humphrey having to either repeat ninth grade or find a new school. She elects to enter a boarding school and reinvents herself as a popular girl. Her story is told in a series of six "Gossip" spinoff novels called "The It Girl."

I don't think it is so simple, however, to spin-off this character- Kaitlin was a nothing in The O.C.'s first season, and Jenny was anything but in Gossip Girl's first frame. There are things about her character that are integral to Gossip Girl and might not be as expendable, and with no confirmed reports of them using Jenny's character in the spinoff I'd have to think that they'll figure this out as well.

I'm not a fan of Jenny's character, to be honest: Taylor Momsen has done admirable work in the role, but there is just something about her that annoys me, and I think I've figured it out. You see, Jenny acts like, well, a teenage girl.

And that's something that I, as a viewer, find annoying - yes, I'm aware it's a teen drama, but at the same time I think that her storylines are bound to be the whiniest, or the most misguided, or in some cases just plain shrill. I like her character well enough, but as someone who doesn't relate to her problems or understand her perspective it's kind of difficult for me to consider her on the same level as the other characters.

In some ways she is expendable - there's more than enough drama on the show without her, her relationship with Dan was severely downgraded in the second half of the season, her romantic storyline more weirded me out than interested me, and her father has more than enough issues to work out without dealing with a teenage daughter at the same time.

However, this is the perspective of a TV critic who isn't exactly in the show's core demographics. That core demographic of female teens is what the show is really worried about, and there's two arguments why they'd watch the show: as wish fulfilment for their own lives (I'll leave the analysis of the poor role modeling to someone else), or as their own gateway into seeing how these people work. In that sense, Jenny Humphrey is their avatar, the person that they can relate to as she walks into this world wide-eyed and desperate for attention.

To lose that from Gossip Girl seems misguided, especially when you consider how much work the show has done to place her smack dab in the middle of all of that trauma. Without her, there is no non-rich female characters outside of Vanessa, and I refuse to accept any situation wherein Vanessa is given more of a role to play. Jenny is really the only thing even close to the average viewer on the series, and I think you need that.

I'm sure some would argue that The O.C. didn't have one, and therefore Gossip Girl doesn't need one either, but the narrative frame of The O.C. was Ryan struggling to fit into this world - taking Ryan away from the show would have been awfully strange, and certainly FOX would have balked at Seth as a main protagonist. It was also a show that really stumbled into its best female leads, with Summer going from bit-part to main love interest and Taylor going from third season running joke to fourth season heroine. Gossip Girl, however, is built around these female characters, and taking one away would mean something to its core narrative.

So now they have a choice to make - either the producers are willing to take Jenny Humphrey out of the fold to follow the book series' storylines directly, or they create a new character who can follow the same path and eventually find their way into the spinoff series. The prior option is the safer bet, and will likely appeal most to the network (The CW has not committed any sort of interest to the series, although logic would see the struggling network dying for more chance to brand themselves based on the series' success). The latter, however, might be the best bet for the original series itself - losing Jenny might be a bit of a tough sell to the producers, although one has to presume that the Gossip Girl books lived on just fine without her, so perhaps it could be for the best.

But it would mean a change, and a fairly substantial one - Kaitlin leaving The O.C. (as she eventually did only to disappear for two seasons) for boarding school is of little impact, but Jenny leaving New York would change the way the show operates. I don't know if I'd miss her in particular, but I think that some viewers would certainly miss the point of view she provides, a certain innocence that Blair and Serena just can't provide after we've seen their illicit hookups.

Of course, the series might not even make it to air - there is a chance that The CW has no interest considering Gossip Girl's modest ratings success, and that the show could languish. In that instance, the show could be shopped around, and things could get even more interesting. For now, however, it's just an idea - but an idea with a lot of complications, and therefore a lot to think about as the development of the show (and Gossip Girl's second season) continues.

But if we see Jenny posing for a racy magazine shoot in her underwear, chances are it's goodbye for Ms. Humphrey.

Kristin Veitch of E! recently answered some fan queries regarding Gossip Girl on the E! website. Here it is, quoted verbatim:

Wendell in New Orleans: I’ve heard conflicting reports about Michelle Trachtenberg being on the new season of Gossip Girl. Do you know if she’ll be back?
I’m told there has been a little back-and-forth but that so far, M.T. has not been asked back for season two. Michelle herself said: “[Josh Schwartz] has told everyone that everyone is coming back and that it’s going to be like a crazy, wild cast of a million people, so I’d love to, I think it’d be great fun. It’s a character I’ve just thoroughly enjoyed…and pretty sexy.” Schwartz-love, bring her back so I can practice my Tae-Bo kicks at the screen! Wouldn’t be as much fun without someone to boil our blood.

Silas in Tacoma, Wash.: Have you heard this rumor about CW president Dawn Ostroff leaving her job? What does this mean for my fave shows like Gossip Girl?
According to my inside source at the network, there is some truth to the rumor. There have apparently been some talks with potential replacements, and the scuttlebutt is that Ostroff is looking for a new gig. Apparently, one way or another, regime change at the CW is likely to happen sooner rather than later. As for Gossip Girl, fear not. There isn’t a chance in Hades any new prez would kill that show.

Marcus in Miami: Any word on Gossip Girl next season?
Hope you are sitting down for this and have a paper bag to breathe into because I’m hearing the future is not looking good for Dan and Serena. Gaaahhh! I know, I know, come here and I’ll hold you. Sources tell me that in season two, Dan and Serena will be up and down and all around and everywhere except happy coupledom. The crazy-good news, though? Bluck or Chair or whatever you want to call them are so on. Apparently, the producers have noticed the crazy-good chemistry that lies within that naughty-by-nature duo, and there’ll be much more of them ahead. I’m actually told they will be “the couple” moving forward. (Holler if you’re happy in the comments! I’ll meet you there.)

Sarah in Anacortes, Wash.: OMG! Will Serena hook up with Nate?!
In the season premiere, we’ll see that there is a lady in Nate’s life, and she’s all kinds of trouble, and she’s…not Serena. (Or Blair!) More on that in the next Watch With Kristin Show. I’m also hearing there’ll be some new characters next season. They’re casting for the season premiere as we speak, and Dan has a summer job working for a Norman Mailer type.

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Yipee! I looked at the comments and believe me, there are a lot of Blair-Chuck fans out there. Click here if you want to read the comments, as well as the scoop on other tv shows.

Anyway, Leighton Meester (Blair Waldorf) and Michelle Trachtenberg (Georgina) attended a Chanel Concept Boutique Party last May 29.

Ed Westwick (Chuck Bass) also talked to Skymag and here's what the sexy Briton has to say regarding the series and stuff:

--- "The lunches are great. You can choose from a chicken or fish dish with salad, there's old-fashioned lemonade to drink and between scenes, nibbles are handed out too."

--- "The girls spend more time with the stylists but the boys have to be looked after too. Chuck has a very original look. I'd wear a lot of his clothes but I'd team them differently. One of my favorite outfits was a devil costume. It was made especially and cost a thousand pounds!"

{He must have meant this. I also love Blair/Leighton's outfit}:

--- The show's sets are located at Silvercup Studios in Long Island. Ed says that, "It's like a doll's house there. You can walk from the Waldorf's living room to Ed's hotel suite (which also doubles as Serena's too, thanks to crafty decorating), then on to Nate's house."

--- On party scenes: "For the drinks, ginger ale is mixed with water to act as scotch, and only mixers are used for martini. There's no real alcohol involved."

--- On their trailers: "Mine is quite new. I've got a lovely leather recliner but my TV doesn't work so I'll be on my laptop or listen to the radio."

--- On his fellow cast members and himself: " Everyone gets on really well but we each have our own quirks. I have little rituals, like shaking my hands a bit before we start filming. Blake Lively (Serena) pretends to be from the ghetto. Chace Crawford (Nate) sings. Leighton Meester (Blair) is glued to her phone. And Penn Badgley (Dan) walks about looking cold all of the time!"

Skymag also talked to the show's set decorator, Christina Tonkin, and production designer, Loren Weeks.

--- On their jobs

Christina: I'm responsible for the look of the show when it comes to the sets --- the ones we build and the location shoots.

Loren: I design everything that's built so I work alongside Christina. I also help find different locations for each episode.

--- On the scenes they had the most fun working on

Christina: The masquerade ball was good. We worked with the wardrobe department on the colour scheme and the gowns the cast would be wearing.

Loren: The Waldorf's set --- it's really elegant. I based it on the American architect Rosario Candela, who designed lots of New York apartment blocks in the 20's and 30's.

--- On jobs that proved to be particularly tricky

Christina: Creating the illusion of snow in the Christmas episode. We had three projectors above the set aimed at the walls while confetti was blown with a fan.

Loren: Building a tunnel for Taylor Momsen (Jenny) to walk through on her way to the ball. We had to add twinkling lights.

--- On their current project

Loren: We're designing a set for season two. All I can say is. it's a tall modern home for someone...

Here's the Sky magazine scan by the way:

If you missed my post on Chace and Ed's very candid pics, click here. Believe me, it's worth checking if you're a true-blue Gossip Girl fan. Until then, I'll leave you a pic of my favorite couple, Chuck and Blair. Toodles!