You're not alone, baby! I have also seen every episode of Jake 2.0! My sister delights in saying that obviously Chuck is superior to my old love, but the more I watch the more I become convinced that Jake 2.0 may actually be superior.
I will admit that Chuck has been a major disappointment to me as well, as episodes come on it becomes more and more clear that this man is a genius, and not just any genius, some sort of specially-wired-brain-megagenius, but he can't seem to manage to do anything.
I often enjoy genius characters, but they are very often portrayed very strangely, probably to accommodate them still being 'everymen'. We're told Chuck is very intelligent in the brains department, but that doesn't seem to keep him from being completely stupid most of the time. It makes him very passive in a way Jake never was and it was really nice to see him be so proactive.
I think at the core of it I think Chuck is a worse concept being executed by slightly better and snappier writers while Jake 2.0 had a better concept/character but wasn't executed quite as well.
Yay~! At this point I'm still very Jake 2.0 > Chuck, but I am trying to keep an open mind. Mostly. I think I find Jake far more adorkable than I do Chuck, regardless of plot and writing.
... I think the fact that I did not even catch that Chuck is supposed to be a genius speaks volumes over the show's ability to do anything with his character. Or that I need to pay more attention and take off the 3-D glasses.
I agree about the concept and the writers, but I think another major part of Chuck's success and Jake 2.0's downfall has been the networks they appeared on. Chuck is not only on a major non-cable network, but it has frequent commercials and advertising. The entire 3-D Super Bowl commercial is testament to that. The addition of Chuck's day job as a retail clerk also helps to bring in a wider range of viewers in addition to any science fiction fans it already has.
Jake 2.0 on the other hand, was televised on the Sci-fi channel and was very much geared towards that particular audience. There was considerably less advertising and those who do not have cable likely still do not know the show ever existed. I understand it was considered a rather tech-oriented show back then, but considering the fanbase for Kyle XY, it might have done really well on ABC Family if they had given it the funds chance.
I will admit that Chuck has been a major disappointment to me as well, as episodes come on it becomes more and more clear that this man is a genius, and not just any genius, some sort of specially-wired-brain-megagenius, but he can't seem to manage to do anything.
I often enjoy genius characters, but they are very often portrayed very strangely, probably to accommodate them still being 'everymen'. We're told Chuck is very intelligent in the brains department, but that doesn't seem to keep him from being completely stupid most of the time. It makes him very passive in a way Jake never was and it was really nice to see him be so proactive.
I think at the core of it I think Chuck is a worse concept being executed by slightly better and snappier writers while Jake 2.0 had a better concept/character but wasn't executed quite as well.
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... I think the fact that I did not even catch that Chuck is supposed to be a genius speaks volumes over the show's ability to do anything with his character. Or that I need to pay more attention and take off the 3-D glasses.
I agree about the concept and the writers, but I think another major part of Chuck's success and Jake 2.0's downfall has been the networks they appeared on. Chuck is not only on a major non-cable network, but it has frequent commercials and advertising. The entire 3-D Super Bowl commercial is testament to that. The addition of Chuck's day job as a retail clerk also helps to bring in a wider range of viewers in addition to any science fiction fans it already has.
Jake 2.0 on the other hand, was televised on the Sci-fi channel and was very much geared towards that particular audience. There was considerably less advertising and those who do not have cable likely still do not know the show ever existed. I understand it was considered a rather tech-oriented show back then, but considering the fanbase for Kyle XY, it might have done really well on ABC Family if they had given it the funds chance.
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