Chuck Versus the Artificial UST

I'm fond of the NBC series Chuck. Yeah, you have to buy into a completely unrealistic base premise, but that's hardly uncommon. Adam Baldwin is hysterical, the guy playing Chuck is enjoyable (though I'm one of those weirdoes who thinks the Morgan guy is actually cuter), and the Sarah actress is strong (especially given what they put the character through). The Buy More coworkers and Ellie and Awesome are all complex, intriguing characters. I love that Chuck and Ellie's broken family is mostly taken for granted, but the difficulties and their bond are both given their due. The set design (of the Buy More especially) and the detail of the computer screens are fantastic.

There are drawbacks. The fetishization and objectification of Sarah verges into squick territory too often for my taste. (I will commend that although Sarah gets pimped out far more often, at least both Chuck and Casey have been pimped out as well.) NBC has earned a slot in Shepherd Book's Special Hell (as far as I'm concerned) for airing episodes out of order. The A and B plots don't always mesh well. I really loved the three episodes going into the Christmas break, because Chuck started contributing meaningfully rather than simply flailing and screwing up all the time.

( Vague spoilers through 2x15 'Chuck Versus the Beefcake' after this point. )