mxpw vs. Frea - Chuck vs. the Zoom

Chuck vs. the Zoom
Season 5, Episode 01, Air-date: October 21 October 28, 2011



Chuck must adjust to his new life as a business owner and being a spy without the Intersect in his head or the support of the CIA. Carmichael Industries' first mission is a rich thief Jean Claude and a conning investor, Roger Bale, who has stolen money from some of the world's most dangerous people. In the mean time Morgan helps Chuck with a special surprise for Sarah. Back in the Buy More, Jeff and Lester have taken things to another level with their latest scheme.

Both mxpw and Frea had expectations lower than a teen starlet's self-esteem going into this episode. Did the show meet those expectations or did it laugh in Max and Frea's faces? Click the break to find out.

Chuck vs. the Zoom Icons!

Hey all, Frea here.  Remember when I used to make loads of icons from the various episodes?  Well, I was bored yesterday.  If you want one, take, but just please sound off in the comments.

- Frea

Inane Chatter - Chuck 5.01 - Chuck vs. the Zoom

Here we have the very first review by one of our new Chuck contributors. You may know her as @ShoeLin_1685 on Twitter, but here on the blog, we just know her as Shoe. And Shoe has written us a wonderful review of Chuck vs. the Zoom.

Read more and find out what she thought of the episode after the jump.

"Only-Somewhat-Creepy" Halloween Lineup 2011

So Monday is Halloween.

That probably means something different to me than to most people, as I've been doing Nanowrimo since 2002. Halloween to me means "my last day of sanity until December." To the world, however, Halloween speaks of sugar highs and spirits and stuff like that. People are allowed to step out of their everyday lives and for one day, pretend to be something they're not. Office workers become ninjas. Kids become superheroes. At least one person will become a bad pun, like the cereal killer.

(For the record, I usually pretend to be the "before" version of Mia Thermopolis as it means I don't have to dress up. You'd think, with my imagination, I go crazy over Halloween, but for one reason or other (read: I forget), I never dress up. This year, my friends want me to be a pirate with them. They may be in for a shock when I show up in a brown coat and suspenders.

However, imagination runs rampant throughout the Chuck fandom, which is fantastic. And this means that there are a whole slew of Chuck fanfics to read that celebrate All Hallows Eve. Some are serious, some are silly, and some aren't about Halloween so much as they are about...zombies and vampires! This list is by no means exhaustive, but it's full of delicious treats for you. Since Fringe won't be on tonight, you'll have plenty of time to sit back, grab some apple cider (alcohol optional), and enjoy some of the greatest Halloween offerings this fandom can provide.

Check out the list after the break!

Lights! Camera! ...Now what?

Hey, everybody! Compared to some, I haven't been around the Chuck fandom for a long time. I mean, the great and mighty mxpw has a story on the second page of the archives at fanfiction.net, and if that's not a sign of old age, I don't know what—I mean, wow, mxpw is great, right? So full of wisdom and so smart, too!

Anyway, what I was getting at before I insulted Maximus, I haven't been around the fandom a long time in comparison to some of the greats, so I missed some big things in the early days. One of those things was Sharpasamarble, who's still working on his five-part series that starts with Chuck vs. Auld Lang Syne. And if you want a good measuring point as to how long this series has been around? Auld Lang Syne was started during season ONE. And Sharp still updates on the latest in the series, Chuck vs. the Watch. He was one of the first authors I read when I started reading Chuckfic and is one of my favorite authors today, so you can imagine my sheer excitement and glee when he volunteered to write something for Castle Inanity.

Yes, I said VOLUNTEERED. In no way, shape, or form do I have Sharpasamarble chained up in the basement next to Maximus.  That is RUMOR, people, not fact!

One of Sharp's writing strengths is writing action. I'm a bad person: I skip ahead during action scenes on the page, but with his, I usually end up paying attention, so I asked him to give some advice about just that today (how to write action, not how to pay attention). Recently, Sharp's taken some time off writing fanfiction, so you may not have seen him around. I kind of feel like he has a good excuse, though, since he's been focused on writing people actually pay him for. Check out his article after the break!

Inane Chatter - Castle 4.06 - Demons

Castle contributor Alris is here to provide you his thoughts on this week's Castle. Find out what he thought after the jump!

Also, keep in mind, he's British!

Brain Lint The First

Hey, all! Frea here, coming to you TWICE in two days. Before you fall over from shock however, or reach for that paper bag to breathe into, I'm just here doing some introductions. Firstly, we've got some new faces filling the blog out while I get ready for Nanowrimo this year, awesome people like the wonderful BDaddyDL and Shoe. (it's really hard not to go a step farther and just call her Chuck)

Today's special guest columnist is one of my favorite people in the fandom. It's her fault Top Gear now plays for at least two hours a day in chez Scan, and that I now regard librarians suspiciously and await the throwing stars at any moment. Seriously, if you haven't gone over to ff.net and followed her wonderful works-in-progress, Ninja Librarian 2 and Chuck vs. the Sound of Music, your days are 113% less awesome.

And today, we've got a real treat, as quistie64 has put her thoughts to paper and handed that paper over to Castle Inanity. Muhahahahahahahah—I mean, please read after the break. :)

mxpw vs. Frea - The Preseason Games

Frea: So, fans, friends, foes, and everything in between, it's a sad day for me. That's right. (No, the Dr. Pepper supply has not been tampered with, no worries) The great and mighty Maximus has convinced me that the world cannot live without mxpw vs. Frea.

Frea: Naturally, I am hesitant about this. After all, the show and I did not end Season Four on amicable terms.

mxpw: Understandable. I remember it was sleeping on the couch a lot by the end.

Frea: Only because it sneaked in through the window after I changed the locks, that bastard.

mxpw: Well, it probably learned its lock picking skills from Sarah.

mxpw: She's pretty good at it. Casey even said so.

Frea: And he couldn't lie! He was on Super Convenient Truth Juice at the time!

Frea: But anyway, another reason I'm so hesitant is because...well, it's been awhile and things get rusty. I mean, we tried to keep up the mxpw vs. Frea love over the summer with Fringe, but we got our start on Chuck and we need to come back to Chuck. So think of this like a practice mxpw vs. Frea, if you will.

(more after the break)

Inane Chatter - Castle 4.05 - Eye of the Beholder

New contributor Alris is here to provide you his thoughts on this week's Castle. Find out what he thought after the jump!

Welcome to My New Minions, and a Castle Review!

So here’s the down-low. I’ve been recruiting minions from far and wide to help cover things on the blog, as working full time, doing side projects, writing, and being a good family member with four needy dogs means that I just don’t have that much time anymore. Oh, and I like to read and watch TV, too. And sleep! I hear sleep is important!

So starting on October 29th, we’ll be getting two new writers to cover the Chuck beat, giving you episode recaps and reactions. I’d like to welcome ShoeLin85 (blog name: Undecided) and BDaddyDL to the blog (you can check out BDaddy’s first contribution post here), and we’ll see some great writing tips and other odds and ends from some mystery guests (I hope) soon!

But another show we really like here on the blog is…Castle. Part of it comes from our love of Firefly, but the rest of it is that we think Castle is just a really great show in need of some attention. So mxpw and I put out some feelers to find somebody to write about this great detective/writer duo, and we got a hit.

One problem: he’s British. That’s right. The British have invaded Castle Inanity and they’re bringing their extra “u” words with them. Give a warm welcome to Alris and check out his review of Castle, Season Four, Episode Four, Kicking the Ballistics, after the break while I go run away from the Australians and the Canadians who’ve been sharpening their pitchforks for the last paragraph.

Frea

PS – A “thank you” birthday post is en route!

Inane Chatter -- Castle

I'm going to use a Friends style title for last night's episode of Castle. What did everybody think of The One Where Ryan Had More Than Two Lines? I found it a little dull. Am I crazy and missed something awesome, or do you agree?

- Frea

Happy birthday, Frea!

I have no fun text, cool graphics, or radical new blog design. I am not Frea. Good thing, that, as I'm pretty sure the world only has room for one Frea. But we are blessed to have that one Frea.

Today we celebrate her birthday. So please use this space to wish Frea happy birthday, discuss why she's so awesome, pay homage to the MBO, etc. etc. You get the idea. Let her know you care, I'm sure she'll appreciate it!

Happy birthday, Frea.

Inane Chatter — Fringe — 4.03 - Alone in the World

Hey!

What did everybody think of the third episode of Fringe? Sound off in the comments!

- Frea

Let the Minion Speak....

 So I found out today that my application for minion had been approved after I promised to wear a tutu. I don’t think that the MBO realizes how much brain bleach will be required to empty her mind after she sees me in one. Thanks, Frea, for even letting me participate in this wonderful place you got here.

I want to get my feet wet and mention three fics that have not gotten a lot of attention. More after the break…

Fringe Benefits Incorporated - 4.02 - One Night in October

Lou, Jan, Maximus and I got together like we do every Sunday night to do one thing...

Drool over Olivia Dunham.

- Frea

Inane Chatter — Castle 4.03 — Head Case

What'd everybody think of the third episode of Castle Season 4, Head Case? Graceless and I were laughing through the whole thing, though we agreed we weren't altogether impressed with the murder of the week.  Except for the fact that it made me quote Futurama even for an hour after the episode.  Somebody may have even gotten a kidnappster joke in there....

:)

Frea