My Farewell to Chuck

Back in October, I wrote a love letter to NBC's Chuck, and back then the idea of the show coming to an end was kind of a foreign concept. I knew that Season 5 was going to be it, but it still felt so far away. Unfortunately, the day is finally here, and we all have to say goodbye to Chuck, Sarah, Casey and the Buy Morons. Three months ago, I thought that I'd be ready for the finale ... and then I realized that I'm not.

Chuck was a one of a kind show. It was able to combine action, comedy, drama and romance into fun one-hour installments that somehow lasted for 5 years in spite of dwindling ratings and taking permanent residence on the renewal bubble. Only a special show can claim these feats, and only a special show can change how the television business works. Most executives are bottom-line people who care about the numbers, but it's no secret that the Subway fan campaign played a role in its last minute reprieve. Chuck proved that fans can make an impact. Again, not many shows can claim that.

I think it's pretty safe to say that there will never be another television series like Chuck. Sure, we'll see spy dramedies in the future because it's a genre that can be mined for great stories, but it'll be hard for any show to do what Chuck did, and this is why it's going to be so hard to say goodbye. No other show will speak to me like Chuck did, and I'm not sure I'd want one to.

I could be greedy and get upset that we only got 13 episodes to wrap everything up, but I know that Chucksters are a lucky group of fans, and I'm grateful for the journey that we've been able to take over the years. I'm just sad that this is the end of the show that changed my life, and these last 2 hours are going to be an emotional ride. All I can say now is thank you Chuck, and I'm going to miss you.