safe), and people in the spy business are often used/manipulated. Most of all, he has a desire to live a normal life, when circumstances (including his natural abilities) constantly put him in a position of unique responsibility to do the extraordinary. To rise to the occasion, Chuck must rely on what strengths he has. His affable and wholesome nature makes those around him protective of him. At Stanford, Bryce protects Chuck from a life that he thinks will destroy Chuck, though this does cause Chuck some pain. Sarah immediately gets the impression that Chuck is a good guy after they meet, which leads her to protect him rather than suspect him of being a villain, and breaks protocol repeatedly (even risking her career and freedom) to help Chuck. Casey has trouble bringing himself to kill Chuck, even on orders. Jill, a Fulcrum agent, has trouble betraying Chuck, and risks being recaptured to go back and tell Chuck where his father is being taken. Even Shaw, following being turned into a Ring Agent, protected Chuck's identity as the Intersect from the Ring. Among his excellent problem-solving skills, Chuck is proficient in the use, identification, repair, and manipulation of a variety of electronics due to his experience in the Nerd Herd. These skills have come in handy many times, and his job as a member of the Nerd Herd has given him a good cover on missions. His job at the Buy More has, however, been a double-edged sword; he has been called away from the Buy More or away from his handlers by enemy agents (or, in Carina's case, agents who are not trusted) on a false 'computer emergency.' At base, Chuck has inherited and developed a powerful intellect and has an impressive ability to solve puzzles. In "Chuck Versus the Alma Mater", Professor Fleming touts Chuck's ability to retain subliminal information, saying that his essay responses correlated to 98% of the exam, making him one of the top candidates for a CIA military project (and the ideal recipient of the Intersect). His well-developed geek interests, from music to video games to learning the Klingon language, have managed to come in handy on several missions. He has used a Tron movie poster and a comic book to hide his personal research from his handlers. And last, although he tends to be visibly frightened in situations involving guns and danger, he has