(no subject)
[series]: Chuck
[character]: Dr. Eleanor Fay "Ellie" Bartowski
[character history / background]: Ellie Bartowski is one of two Bartowski children. She and her younger brother, Chuck, practically raised themselves. Their mother left early on and their father was never a constant presence in their lives. Ellie and Chuck were left to fend for themselves, creating a tight and impermeable bond between the two. They are, for all intents and purposes, the only biological family each other has.
Ellie studied medicine at UCLA where she met her boyfriend future husband Devon Woodcomb. They dated for years after college and overcame their fair share of obstacles before they married in 2009. One of these obstacles came when Chuck was expelled from Stanford for cheating. He got a job at the local Buy More, moved in with Ellie and Devon, and basically never moved out. Living with little brother was actually not as much of a strain on Ellie and Devon's relationship as you would think. Devon and Chuck get along just fine and, like any good sister, Ellie uses the living situation to her advantage, both for protecting her brother and motivating him.
Although she was happy to accept Devon's proposal, the engagement was a major source of stress in Ellie's life. Planning the wedding was difficult as Ellie herself wanted a small, quiet beach wedding while Devon's parents insisted on a larger scale ceremony. Knowing that her own family would pale in comparison to the ever-present Awesomes Woodcombs was also something that nagged at Ellie. For all that she might claim not to need her parents, Ellie still held on to a hope that her father would be the one to walk her down the isle. Upon hearing of this desire, Chuck set out to find Stephen Bartowski. He eventually succeeded, bringing home a father who was...less than stable. In fact, he was said to be just as crazy as the father the siblings remembered from their youth. Still, Ellie was pleased to have her father back. That is, until Stephen disappeared yet again. Ellie gave up all hope after this but Chuck did not. He managed to find Stephen and Ellie's father did attend her wedding. The wedding that was then destroyed by Chuck's "little friends" from the Buy More. Chuck admitted he was responsible for the destruction of Ellie's wedding and promised to fix it. He did. The expensive and overdone wedding of Mr. and Mrs. Woodcomb's dreams was replaced with the simple, natural wedding Ellie had always wanted.
Things Ellie does not know: everything. She is unaware that her brother has an Intersect computer in his head, that his girlfriend Sarah is actually a CIA spy and their "lovely" neighbor John Casey is with the NSA. She does not know the true reason for Stephen Bartowski's absence- that he worked on the Intersect project and was forced into hiding if he hoped to keep his family safe.
[character abilities]: Any abilities a person would presumably acquire in medical school and through work experience as a doctor. She is also a good cook.
[character personality]: Ellie is very family oriented. Her younger brother, Chuck, is the most important person in the world as far as she is concerned. A very close second is her boyfriend (or, depending on the season, fiance or husband) Devon. Because her own family is far less than perfect, Ellie is dedicated to making a new one for herself and Chuck. This new family is constantly growing and sometimes unconventional- the Bartowski siblings celebrate Mother's Day in October on the anniversary of the day their mother abandoned them. They consider it the day the two learned to fend for themselves. The growth of the family is usually due to unexpected guests around the holidays, often friend of Chuck's. Ellie welcomes them on these occasions, although she often complains about her brother's acquaintances.
A consequence of becoming a part of Ellie's family is that she will be protective and expectant of you. Usually, her sole expectation is your timely presence. Chuck's failure to be punctual is often problematic. Her tendency to become protective of the people she loves, particularly Chuck, is a source of some irony. More often than not, it is Chuck who needs to be protect Ellie as she is a favorite target of Fulcrum and other enemies. Still, Ellie takes it upon herself to make sure Chuck is living up to his potential, or at least encourage him to do so.
Trust is a tricky thing with Ellie. A person who has been let down as often as Ellie has would have no reason to trust others. As it stands, Ellie is perhaps too trusting. She likes to believe the best in people although it isn't something she'll admit in most cases. Examples would be the negative attitude she projects towards her father and Morgan Grimes. In her father's case, she knows that he may never stop disappointing but refuses to stop hoping for the best. Even after decades apart, she still hopes he will somehow miraculously show up for her wedding. As for Morgan, she knows he means well, he just tends to fall short. Ellie's eagerness to hope for the best in others is the reason she takes disappointments so hard -- for her, they're personal.
Like any older sister, Ellie has a bit of a pushy side. After Chuck's expulsion from Stanford and break-up with Jill Roberts, he gave up on both his career and on relationships. Ellie takes it upon herself to motivate Chuck to return to school and begin dating again. The series actually begins with a birthday party Ellie has thrown Chuck. She invited numerous women with hopes that Chuck might meet someone who interests him.
It isn't solely with Chuck that Ellie is a caring person. In fact, she tries to take care of everyone in some way. She may claim to dislike Morgan and routinely rejects his advances but she comes to his aide when he is in trouble. For example, when he's on the verge of losing his job at the Buy More because he hasn't met the sales quota, Ellie spends a good few hundred dollars in Morgan's name -- early Christmas shopping. Her ability to care for others, even strangers, is likely a reason for her becoming a doctor and definitely why she makes a good one.