I usually hate reruns. Hate 'em. You've built some momentum watching a show, especially when the season starts, then suddenly you're faced with an episode from last year that you already saw. That can be especially incongruous when you're a fan of a show like How I Met Your Mother, which ended last week's episode with a number of monumental character developments.However, reruns allow you to explore shows that you've wanted to watch but never get a chance to, even in this day and age of DVRs and online viewing. Take Chuck, for instance. I DVR HIMYM just in case I miss something when I watched it live and want to include it in my review. So I don't even record Chuck, a show I enjoyed last year and I've heard has gotten even better in its second season.
Because Mother (and The Big Bang Theory) was a rerun this week, I decided to tune into Chuck, and was greeted with an episode that was better than almost any I had seen last year. It was funny, nerdy, and touching all at once (I mean... who didn't like the scene between Chuck and Sarah after she managed to convince Stanford to give him his degree?).
Despite what Rich thought, I was actually happy that Chuck completed his mission without leaving the nutty environs of Buy More; defeating a killer satellite by finishing Missile Command -- a game that was past its prime when Chuck was in diapers -- was an ingenious move on the part of the writers. And the moment of triumph at the end, where the nerds cheer him for defeating the game, not knowing that he just saved the free world, was a great climax. Even using "Tom Sawyer" as the key to defeating the game worked well; I hate Rush, but liked how it was used in the climactic scene.
So, what does a one-DVR guy do? I really would hate to miss something on HIMYM and have nothing to back me up. Do I just watch Chuck online? Let me know in the poll below and in the comments about what you would do.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
10-28-2008 @ 12:19PM
Brad Trechak said...
And that wasn't even the best episode of the season so far.
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10-28-2008 @ 1:07PM
jeff said...
just download them and dont worry about it, geez.
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10-29-2008 @ 2:01AM
WhoElseButME said...
WORD!
But keep watching too for the incompetent dufuses at Nielsen.
10-29-2008 @ 11:05AM
TVGenius said...
The problem is that if the actual airing network cancels the show, due to low ratings, it probably won't make a difference how well it's been selling online. At least not until the money is substantial enough, and right now, the money is still in the initial broadcasts.
10-28-2008 @ 1:18PM
CRVBOY said...
get a multi-tuner DVR or get a second one. Everyone should have more than 1. What sucks about Monday nights is trying to record big bang, mother, sarah connor, heroes and prison break. even with the ability to record 6, it's still tough with overlap. and i'm screwed when the closer returns...
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10-28-2008 @ 1:28PM
gonnabechef said...
Multiple tuners? Technically, I can record three things at once with my MythTV box -- HD clear QAM on my HD tuner card, SD cable on my SD card, and anything via Firewire from my cable box that doesn't have a broadcast flag. Cost me less to build than an HD TiVo and the program guide data is $20 per YEAR.
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10-28-2008 @ 1:24PM
Ginger said...
Chuck, Chuck, Chuck, Chuck, Chuck, Chuck, Chuck,one of the best shows on TV right now!
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10-28-2008 @ 1:26PM
Superfrayed said...
I record HIMYM as I watch and then through the wonders of time shifting I set the pvr to record Chuck when it airs in the West while I'm in bed. WIN-WIN!
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10-28-2008 @ 2:00PM
BDUB said...
We have a cheap Comcast DVR and it can record two shows at the same time.
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10-28-2008 @ 1:43PM
Fred said...
I've been watching HIMYM on CBS' website without a hitch.
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10-28-2008 @ 1:47PM
Alissa said...
you can watch full episodes of both legally online. I think they're both on hulu.com, and they're certainly available at their network's websites. I wholeheartedly love both shows, and so far haven't needed to choose!
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10-28-2008 @ 1:48PM
Dafyd Jones said...
Why not watch Chuck live and record HIMYM - you'll watch it an hour later, then can watch it as many times as you want...
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10-30-2008 @ 2:05AM
Andy said...
This is such an obvious solution I can't believe it wasn't one of the poll options.
10-28-2008 @ 2:44PM
Dan said...
Dude, HIMYM and Chuck are both worth watching, so get a two-tuner DVR and record them both! Or get a Media Center PC...or download off of torrents, or watch on Youtube or Hulu...so many options, but none of them is "Ignore one of them" because if you do, one of them will go away!
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10-28-2008 @ 2:11PM
Cyantre said...
I think you should watch this show however you can and review instead of Rich. The past few reviews from him he's been nitpicking and tearing the show apart as if watching it is something he just has to do, not something he wants to do. I'd much rather read reviews from you as you seem to generally enjoy the show and appreciate it for what it is.
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10-28-2008 @ 5:18PM
Franklin said...
Yes! Someone should do the reviews that actually seems to enjoy watching Chuck. I liked it last year, but this year it's just plain fantastic and it's a shame to have it nitpicked.
10-28-2008 @ 3:00PM
Joel Keller said...
Considering Rich has only done one Chuck review to date, it's hard to say that he has a history of being picky about the show. Are you thinking of someone else?
10-28-2008 @ 2:11PM
Ryan said...
My Mondays:
I watch BB Theory, HIMYM, and Heroes. I record Chuck. I then watch Gossip Girl and Terminator via online means.
What's so hard about that? ;-)
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10-28-2008 @ 2:29PM
MarcDom7 said...
Yeah, who has a one-tuner DVR anymore? I record both.
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10-28-2008 @ 2:55PM
Blair Mitchelmore said...
I watch Chuck and PVR HIMYM later that night. Then I download both so I can enjoy them any time I want.
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