The Romance of Chuck - in Pictures
Kayla Hart
In the original pilot for Chuck there were two female love interests, Kayla Hart and Sarah Kent. After casting Yvonne Strahovski as Sarah (last name changed to Walker) they began filming and noticed immediately that the chemistry between Zac Levi and Yvonne would make it less than believable that he would have two romantic interests.
After removing Kayla from the script and editing her from the early pilot production we get the team seen in the pilot screened at Comic Con San Diego in 2007 and the one viewed on NBC in September.
Bryce Larkin
Sarah has a complicated history with Bryce Larkin, the CIA agent and former friend of Chuck. Partners before Bryce went rogue and stole the Intersect, Sarah feels betrayed by Bryce and ignores an order from Langston Graham in order to investigate Chuck Bartowski further and “fix” what Bryce did by sending the Intersect to Chuck.
Their history is further complicated by the romance that took place between them while they worked together.
Bryce returns and proves he was not a traitor. He wants Sarah to be his partner again but sees the attraction between her and Chuck.
Jill Roberts
Bryce betrayed him and he was thrown out of Stanford. To make it even worse, she dated Bryce after Chuck was gone. Their reunion goes well and Sarah watches as Chuck is able to have a relationship while being honest about being in the CIA. Too bad Jill is Fulcrum and it doesn’t last.
Cole Barker
Cole Barker works with Chuck and Sarah for a case he brings to the CIA. Sparks fly as he pursues Sarah and, Chuck feels there is no way to compete. Luckily, Cole is a smart guy and sees that Sarah only has eyes for one guy.
Things Heat up Between Chuck and Sarah
The second half of season two sees a real turn in Chuck and Sarah’s relationship. It seems that even though nothing is admitted verbally, Sarah has realized she loves Chuck. That is manifested without a doubt in Chuck vs the Broken Heart and Chuck vs the Colonel. In both these episodes Sarah picks Chuck over duty and job. Unfortunately she is still his handler.
We finally know where Sarah stands but the job is still in the way. The only solution she can come up with is to run away. That is a consistent theme for her when it comes to her relationship with Chuck.
Running away was not well thought out in Chuck vs the Colonel. General Beckman does not let her best CIA agent run off with her top asset without sending her best NSA agent after them. Although Sarah risks her job and her freedom to save Chuck from going underground, running away is not the answer.
Bryce comes back to convince Sarah to be his partner again but she refuses. Her loyalties lie elsewhere. When he leaves to download the new Intersect he is captured and killed by Fulcrum. So ends the Sarah and Bryce story.
Faced with panic over Chuck becoming a ‘real’ spy, Sarah tries the running away option again. Who would have thought the one to stop her this time would be Chuck himself. Devastated by his rejection, we now enter the longest estrangement of their relationship. There’s a rocky road ahead.
Despite agreeing to be ‘just friends’ Chuck and Sarah don’t hide their true feelings very well. Ellie, the “Chuck Intersect”, sees through their cover and tells Sarah so. The healing could be happening for Sarah and Chuck seems a little more patient.
Daniel Shaw and Hannah
Agent Daniel Shaw enters the picture, brought in by the CIA as a Ring specialist to help Team Bartowski infiltrate and bring down the Ring. Sarah and Casey are suspicious, but Chuck is challenged, although intimidated.
Sarah fights against Chuck’s spy training with Shaw but his first solo mission brings Hannah into Chuck’s world. They reconnect when she shows up at the Buy More looking for a job.
As Chuck and Sarah grow farther apart, Chuck believes he can have a relationship with Hannah. After she spends the night, and he introduces her to his sister, he is unable to say the word ‘girlfriend.’ A realization soon follows.
Sarah is in crisis. Emotionally estranged from Chuck because she can’t handle watching him become a ‘real’ spy, Sarah vents to Shaw about her feelings. Their relationship begins as Chuck realizes that he and Hannah are done.
The Road Back Together
Believing that Chuck has taken the final step to becoming a man she no longer recognizes, Sarah turns away from him. Despite having moments of weakness (his ability to charm her has never diminished) she tells him their relationship is over because he is a spy.
Chuck is a spy, Sarah is ‘with’ Shaw and Chuck’s dream of a spy team composed of himself, Sarah and Morgan is nothing but a mirage. The Intersect project will be headed by Shaw with Sarah as his partner.
After saving Shaw and the mission, Chuck declares himself to Sarah and asks her to run away with him. Shaw convinces Sarah to help him find the Fulcrum leader. Chuck, convinced Shaw has been turned into a double agent, finds them and ‘saves’ Sarah. Beckman grounds him for his actions.
Love, Finally
Sarah has seen the light. Chuck is not like other guys, he can be a spy and still be ‘her’ Chuck. Casey only adds to that conviction by telling her Chuck never killed anyone. She says,”yes” when he, in desperation, asks her if she loves him.
Sarah and Chuck keep their new relationship a secret until the mission is finished. Sarah leaves with Shaw to finish the job and Chuck discovers proof that Shaw has been turned. When Beckman refuses to listen to him, Chuck, Morgan and Casey follow them to Paris. Chuck shoots Shaw and saves Sarah.
Sarah awakes from being drugged by Shaw to find Chuck, her hero, sitting with her in a Paris hotel room overlooking the Eiffel Tower. When Beckman video calls to give them their orders it is clear a new mission is not on their minds. The real relationship begins
Excellent relationship overview via these pics and comments! Thanks!
There will be some more pictures added in the future. I know there are more and I’m determined to hunt them down.
Love this overview! Just seeing the pictures is enough to relive the journey. Thanks for putting it all together.
Thanks for doing this. I had no idea that the original idea called for two love interests. Very interesting. Glad they went the route that they did.