Chuckfest 2010
Well, now that I'm done driving all night to get back home, I thought I'd post my own little review of Chuckfest (seeing as how I can't sleep, lol). It was amazing. Really, it was one of the best times of my life.
It began on Saturday morning, when I went to the Wii Gold Tournament. I entered the room, and my eyes immediately landed on an episode of Chuck v. the Pilot. "Wow," I thought. "So this is really it. I'm in a world full of Chuck fanatics." At first, I blushed. I mean, here I was, finally letting the world know just how much of a Chuck fanatic I really was. But bit by bit, I began to realize just how awesome the other fans were. We're a unique group, to be sure. Everyone was so welcoming and everyone had interesting stories of their own. Some were recent college graduates who had discovered their love for Chuck during the first season. Others were older, who had realized just how amazing this show really was. At least a few came from faroff places, like Chicago, England and Australia. The Chicago chick, especially, was fun to talk with. And I met Farringtongirl, who was awesome and incredibly kind and skilled for putting this altogether. And then there was yokaputo . . . Yok, it was awesome to meet you in person and to share the experience with you. Thanks so much for being my backup camera girl, and for braving the throngs to get me pictures.
Anyway, my Wii golf score wasn't bad, especially considering the fact that I'd never played gold or Wii before in my life. But when I started to fade (I had driven up Friday night, directly after work), I left and went back to the hotel. I ordered cheesecake and merlot wine, hoping to relax. Not that it ever happened. Because the very next day, I'd be meeting the cast.
I think I got about 9 hours of sleep Saturday night, which is saying something, considering how truly exhausted I was. And then I woke up, and it hit me. It was The. Day. I would be meeting the cast of my favorite, of our favorite TV show. When I got to the House of Blues, I felt like I was walking in a dream. I stepped in through the entrance for the restaurant, where I was immediately greeted by about 75 other fans. They were all sitting at tables, about 6 to a booth, waiting for the cast to arrive. After speaking with some people I'd met the day before, I found a spot at Yok's booth with some really awesome individuals. And then we waited. And tried to breathe. And waited. And tried not to hyperventilate. And waited some more.
Finally, about 10 minutes past 4, Zachary Levi stepped into the room. The cheering was immense, especially when he was followed by Yvonne Strahovski, Sarah Lancaster, Adam Baldwin, Joshua Gomez, Scott Krinsky, Vic Sahay, and Mark Christopher Lawrence. We probably cheered for at least two or three minutes, as the cast took in the lot of adoring fans. Finally, they divided up one or two to a table, and came to talk to us. Imagine my surprise when Adam Baldwin plunked himself down at our table and began to shake our hands, introducing himself. And then he started to talk about music, and how his son was in a band. And then he signed autographs and took pictures. I don't know, guys. I don't think Casey's grunts will ever be the same. Adam Baldwin is just such a genuinely sweet, kind man that Casey no longer looks nearly as foreboding. ;-)
So I was a little tongue tied with our first cast member, and when the next cast member sat at our table, I had a feeling that I would need the smelling salts they'd promised to keep on hand. But Zachary Levi (yes, Zachary Levi) was the most vivacious, easy-to-get-along-with individual I've ever met. He immediately shook our hands and introduced himself, just like Adam, and I felt immediately at ease. I have to say that I can't even remember what we talked about, other than how grateful he was that we saved his show. I was too busy staring into those brown eyes. But he signed autographs and he took pictures, and it was amazing.
After Zach departed, we didn't get any more visits for three turns. It became tedious, with us checking our watches because we knew the cast had to leave for a party at 5:00. But soon, Yvonne Strahovski and Sarah Lancaster came to join us. Wow, guys. These two are the nicest women you'd ever meet. They talked to us about the Wii golf tournament, and about the Season 2 brochure I'd brought to have signed. Oh, and Yvonne was nice enough to autograph and personalize two photos I'd wanted for a couple guys who really wanted to be there, but couldn't be. And they even took the time to get photos with us.
After Yvonne and Sarah left, we were joined by Jeffster! It was actually kinda cool. They introduced themselves twice, because they didn't realize the rotation and were dragged to another table the first time. But the second time they plopped down, they said, "So this is the cool table, huh?" *lol* And God, what did we talk about? Let's see here . . . I asked whether Jeffster would perform again, and they said they were under lock and key. I also talked to them about how Adam is such a teddy bear in person. And then we talked about where everyone was from. And they were the most awesome guys. Scott is much cuter in person, and Vik was just a sweetheart. And of course, they posed for photos, too.
Finally, last but not least, we ended the day with Josh and Mark. Again, two awesome guys. I spoke with Mark about where I was from, and he decided he'd nickname me after the city. And I spoke with Josh about problems with my iPhone's camera capabilities. I know this is kinda fangirlish, but he laughed and bumped elbows with me, and I couldn't help but grin. *lol* Anyway, we took photos with them, too, and then the cast all congregated underneath a banner.
They were awesome. Even though they had somewhere to be, they all stayed longer to take more photos and to sign more autographs. I got a second photo with Yvonne, just the two of us. And then I got a second photo with Zach, because my first hadn't turned out very well (and also because I couldn't resist, lol). And then Zach gave a speech about how much he appreciates his fans, and how he wouldn't be able to pay his mortgage without us. There was much cheering, and chanting for a season 3, 4, 5, 10 and 20. And then they left, leaving us all feeling as if we were suspended in a dream.
After the meet and greet, I went with four very awesome fans to a train car on the side of the road, where we had tacos and hot dogs and hamburgers. (Okay, they had tacos and hot dogs and hamburgers. I had a coke.) And then we came back to watch the premiere. And at the premiere, while "Colonel" and "the Ring" were still playing, Yokaputo came to tell me that some very special people had arrived. Up near the bar were Chris Fedak, Josh Schwartz, Ali Adler, two new writers, and Jesse Heiman. And so I braved the crowds once more.
I have to say here that Chris and Josh were awesome. I had about a five minute conversation with Chris about Charah and how he looks for reviews. We talked about how many people are completely into Charah, and he knows how upset they can get when it doesn't always work out. I told him that I had faith in the show, and that I knew it would work out in the end. We also agreed that Zach and Yvonne are great with the subtext, so that even when Charah isn't going strong, we still see it bubbling underneath the surface. He also stated that he looks out for reviews (even bad ones), because he wants to know what people think. And we talked a little bit about how he's from Florida, where the oranges grow.
Now, the reason that I say Chris and Josh are awesome (aside from the obvious) is that they allowed me to interrupt them not just once, not just twice, but three times. The first time, I simply talked to them. Josh and I discussed how awesome the show is, and I wished him the best of luck in the endeavor (he was being accosted by fans, so we didn't have as much time to talk as I did with Chris). And then I was able to get Yok's miracle camera, and she took photos with the both of us (my iPhone just wasn't doing the job in that lighting). And then I went back to my car for my Season 2 brochure, and I got autographs. Oh, and then I introduced them to a couple of other people who wanted to meet them, and took a couple more pictures . . . Wow, they really were awesome. *lol* Because all the while, they kept smiling and greeting their fans.
Ali Adler was also quite fun to meet. We talked about how sometimes people get upset with what she writes, but she hopes the fans have faith in her to keep it going. And she introduced me to two new writers, who gave me autographs. And I took a photo with her, too.
And finally, I happened to spot Jesse. Those red cheeks and that hair just gave him away. So I said to him, "I recognize you." And he said, "Oh, really?" And we started to talk about the show and how funny his scenes are. We also talked about how awesome the premiere party was, and how we were glad the show was still going strong.
And then, after all of that, I sat down and watched the season premiere of Chuck. Honestly? I thought it was fantastic, even though I'm still smarting from the Charah. Let's hope those two crazy kids really can clean up the mess they've made. But I won't get into that here. Suffice it to say that I really enjoyed the show. And afterward, I went to say good-bye to the new people I had met. Of course, Chuck fans don't just say good-bye. They hug. So after exchanging hugs with several people I'd met, including yokaputo, and Farringtongirl and Lauri, both of whom put it together, I hit the road because I have to work today.
It was truly fantastic, you guys. The cast and the crew were all amazing, and meeting the Chuck fans was the best time of my life. I'm so glad I was lucky enough to get the chance to go.