Chuck and Reaper: Buy More vs. The Work Bench (part one of three)

“When you buy more, you save more. And when you save more, you can buy more. And when you buy more, you save more. It all starts when you BUY MORE.”

Thus reads the simple motto of Buy More, employer to Chuck Bartowski and the rest of the crew (or some of them) on NBC’s Chuck. The Work Bench, job-home of Sam Oliver and gang on Reaper (The CW, returning 3/3 at 8:00 PM), doesn’t appear to have a motto. Or at least I can’t find it. But rest assured, it would probably be something catchy like that of the Buy More. Maybe, “When your workbench needs filling, for sawing and drilling; to The Work Bench you’ll flutter, this motto flows like butter.” Maybe not.

Anyway, as we all know, The Work Bench and the Buy More are representative of Home Depot (or Lowes, etc.), and Best Buy, respectively. Now, I’ve never been inside the former(s), and I bleed Circuit City red (I know I’m screwed, but I hate Best Buy), but I take the premise at its word. And my understanding is that a considerable amount of work went into making the two big-boxers appear authentic. Why bother? Because, on their respective shows, these two retailers are living and breathing organisms.

So what, you say? First of all, what’s with all the questions? Huh? But more importantly, so the following: it’s not often that a character’s employer plays such a large role in each and every episode. Sure, it happens on legal dramedies, medical weepers, and fashion magazine romps. But I’m talking about shows where the pitch, the reason we’re watching, as well as the hook that sold the show to the networks in the first place, is something else entirely. Chuck is about a guy who gets a super secret computer downloaded into his brain, instantly becoming the government’s most prized possession. Reaper tells the tale of a different guy, whose parents sold his soul to the devil. Now he must reap (yes!) the “reward.”

And because these shows lean so heavily on their characters’ “side” jobs, the angle should really be used to market the show to audiences. The teams are a rare breed, and they deserve a little respect. So what say we do a bit of comparison shopping, Chuck vs. Reaper style. Cleanup on aisle three!

The main character: Chuck vs. Sam: I know what you’re all thinking: Chuck (Zachary Levi) is a little whiny. No kidding. But he’s also an interesting study of what someone can achieve if only they’re given the chance. This guy got bounced out of college, and ended up working as a Nerd in the Herd at an electronics retailer. But throw him into a seriously dangerous situation, and what does he do? Okay, usually he disregards his orders to remain in the car, and gets in the way. But me? I’d be hiding in the backseat under a blanket. So it says something that he even makes it out the door.

Sam (Bret Harrison), on the other hand, is all awesome. Talk about getting screwed: his parents sold his soul. Now he’s chasing down escapees from hell all over town. The Devil is ruining his life, and a bunch of demons are trying to get back into God’s graces by overthrowing Lucifer, with Sam as the key to their success. Talk about a bad day. But through it all, Sam finds the time to tie on his apron and get to restocking those shelves. I think he’s worse than Chuck in the skills with women department, but I’ll take facing down an undead maniac with nothing more than a cigarette lighter over flashing on images of nuclear weapons any day.

The best friend: Morgan vs. Sock: Morgan Grimes (Joshua Gomez) is the future. Man-children who work for minimum wage, live at home (I think he does) and play video games all day long. He’s emotionally stunted, immature, and wears a pretty nasty beard. At the same time, Morgan is one of the funniest parts of the show. As Chuck’s best friend since childhood, Morgan knows the titular character in and out. And while he’s in the dark on this whole spy thing, there’s no one that Chuck leans on more than his dim little friend. Morgan was around when Chuck and his sister Ellie (Sarah Lancaster) ended up alone, and he was there when Chuck got kicked out of Stanford. He may seem like he’s always too busy playing Call of Duty, but in reality, he has consistently been Chuck’s rock. And its nice to see him play the same role for Ellie, too. Morgan’s a good guy.

If Morgan is the future, Sock may not make it that far. Talk about a sloth; Bert ‘Sock’ Wysocki (Tyler Labine) needs a nap after exerting the effort to wake up in the morning. Sock also utilizes the vast wares at The Work Bench to aid him, Sam and Ben (Rick Gonzalez) on their various missions. But there’s no questioning Sock’s loyalty. He’s never far from Sam’s side, be it when chasing down a soul or while taking a stand against his parents. Sock is also hysterical, a constant source of comedy, both verbal and physical. I’ve always enjoyed Labine whenever he’s popped up, and I appreciate the exposure that Reaper has provided him. But he knows what’s what. For jumping at the chance to help, while being completely in the dark, best best friend should really go to Morgan.

Who’s yet to come? Check out the next installment to find out!

Clacked by Aryeh S.
on Feb 27, 2009 @ 13:02 EST5EDT