Bryce Larkin
Encyclopedia
Bryce Larkin is a recurring character on the spy comedy series Chuck
on NBC. Bryce is the ex-college roommate and fraternity brother of the series' main character, Chuck Bartowski
and was formerly partnered and once romantically involved with Chuck's CIA handler Sarah Walker
. Bryce was responsible for sending Chuck the Intersect, beginning the events of the series. He is portrayed by Matthew Bomer.
" established that Bryce was originally from Connecticut. He attended Stanford University, where he met Chuck Bartowski on his first day of class in 1999. As shown in "Chuck Versus the Alma Mater
," Chuck and Bryce quickly became friends because of their mutual interest in computers and video games. While in Stanford they wrote their own version of the classic computer game Zork
in C++
. The same episode also established that Bryce was friends with Jill Roberts
, who would later begin dating Chuck. Bryce and Chuck enjoyed games of Gotcha!
in the school library.
Bryce was recruited into the CIA by Professor Flemming in 2002. The following year, Bryce learned that Flemming intended to recruit Chuck as well for the Omaha Project. As shown in "Chuck Versus the Alma Mater," Bryce sacrificed his close friendship with Chuck to protect Chuck from the government, which he told Flemming would destroy him. He conspired with the professor to frame Chuck for cheating on his exams, and Flemming expelled Chuck, claiming that Bryce tipped them off. To make matters worse, Jill Roberts told Chuck that she had left him for Bryce, a lie she told under the orders of a CIA splinter group called Fulcrum
.
Because he protected Chuck from the government, he was the only spy Stephen J. Bartowski
(a.k.a. Orion, the creator of the Intersect) would trust, and Bryce promised Orion not to let the Intersect fall into the wrong hands.
Sometime in 2005, Bryce was first partnered with Sarah Walker. At some point, their professional relationship spilled over into an intimate one and they became lovers. However, as established in "Chuck Versus the Nemesis
," Bryce was later contacted by Fulcrum to steal the Intersect, leading to his separation from Sarah and the central events of the series.
. Although Bryce only appears sporadically throughout the first two seasons, his theft of the Intersect and sending it to Chuck gives him an important place in the series' mythology, as his actions set the overall arc in motion.
Revelations about the events surrounding this theft and Bryce's motives are meted out over the course of the first two seasons. Bryce stole the Intersect to keep it out of Fulcrum's hands, and did so under Stephen Bartowski's guidance. But despite Stephen's wishes to keep Chuck out of it, Bryce sent the Intersect to Chuck because he knew Chuck could handle the Intersect and that Sarah would find Chuck.
Chuck was unaware of Bryce's work with the CIA and his apparent death until told about both by Sarah in "Chuck Versus the Intersect." Dialogue throughout the first half of the first season reinforces the appearance that Bryce's betrayals destroyed Chuck's life. Because Bryce had not informed Sarah of his plans, she initially believes he betrayed both her and his country. Chuck and Sarah attend his funeral in "Chuck Versus the Helicopter
".
After the pilot, Bryce's next appearance is in flashbacks throughout "Chuck Versus the Alma Mater," when the team's mission takes them to Stanford and forces Chuck to confront his expulsion. The truth of events is revealed, and Chuck and Sarah realize that Bryce only betrayed him to protect him.
It is first revealed that Bryce survived being shot by Casey in "Chuck Versus the Imported Hard Salami
." More information, including why he stole the Intersect, is revealed in the following episode
, when Bryce introduces Chuck and the team to Fulcrum, whose agent, Tommy Delgado, Bryce deceived into believing he possessed the Intersect in his head. After defeating Tommy, Bryce is ordered by General Beckman to go into deep cover and pursue Fulcrum. According to Bryce, for all intents and purposes, he was to remain dead.
Bryce resurfaces again in "Chuck Versus the Break-Up" to obtain the team's assistance in recovering an update for the Intersect that was stolen by Fulcrum. The operation is nearly botched when Sarah abandons the assignment to protect Chuck, who had been captured. Bryce also continues to push Sarah on restarting their relationship before he is confronted by Devon Woodcomb
, who tells Bryce that Sarah loves Chuck. Bryce attempts to warn Chuck off by telling him that Sarah's feelings for him endangered not only the mission but both her and Chuck's lives. Before disappearing, Bryce leaves Chuck a pair of sunglasses containing an Intersect update.
In Bryce's appearances leading into the second season finale, "Chuck Versus the Ring," he is used to derail Chuck and Sarah's developing relationship. However, in that episode he ultimately realizes Sarah's true love for Chuck, as she decides not to accompany Bryce on the new Intersect project, where Bryce is meant to be the human Intersect. Bryce is mortally wounded in "Chuck Versus the Ring" and asks Chuck to destroy the Intersect for him before dying from his injury. Chuck, knowing that the intel is essential for the CIA, and for lack of any option, sacrifices his normal future by taking Bryce's place as the human Intersect, uploading the Intersect 2.0 before destroying it.
In Chuck Versus First Class
, Sarah told Daniel Shaw
that she spread Bryce's ashes in Lisbon, Portugal where they took their first mission. It is unknown if this is in fact the truth or a lie Sarah told to cover her intent to go rogue with Chuck in Chuck Versus the Pink Slip
.
Bryce Larkin's return in Season Two was first revealed in June, 2008 and later confirmed in an interview with Chris Fedak
, Josh Schwartz
and Zachary Levi
in August. IGN.com noted that once again, Bomer's return was spoiled by his name appearing in the credits of "Chuck Versus the Seduction
."
in "Chuck Versus the Nemesis" proves that his and Sarah's abilities strongly complement each other. Further commendation of Bryce's abilities comes in "Chuck Versus the Nemesis" when Casey calls him dangerous, and later tells Chuck, "When you have a chance to shoot Bryce Larkin, you shoot to kill." In "Chuck Versus the Intersect," a party-goer who knew Bryce at Stanford embarrassed Chuck with all of Bryce's accomplishments while there. On several occasions Chuck has commented how short he falls in comparison with Bryce.
In "Chuck Versus the Intersect," Bryce is already acquainted with Casey, and their dialog together throughout "Chuck Versus the Nemesis" suggests that the two have an antagonistic past. Bryce is still in love with Sarah and has continued to pursue a relationship with her. He was hurt in "Chuck Versus the Break-Up" when he realized that Sarah had moved on and had feelings for Chuck. Bryce highly values his friendship with Chuck. He also highly regards Chuck's innocence, honesty and integrity. In fact, it is implied while Chuck looks up to him, Bryce looks up to Chuck for those reasons and he was willing to destroy that relationship to protect him from losing those traits. In "Chuck Versus the Nemesis," Bryce tells Chuck that Chuck is the only friend he really has, which begins to repair their damaged friendship. The two share many of the same interests, including computers, programming and video games. Both speak Klingon, which they successfully used as a code during a mission.
The series has not revealed how much of a relationship Bryce had with Chuck's family or other friends. Although Devon spoke with him face to face in "Chuck Versus the Break-Up," he didn't recognize Bryce. Morgan nearly did in "Chuck Versus the Nemesis," but passed it off as him just being a look-alike. Morgan was the first one to make it clear (inadvertently) to Bryce how badly his actions derailed Chuck's life after he was expelled.
Chuck (TV series)
Chuck is an action-comedy/spy-drama television program from the United States created by Josh Schwartz and Chris Fedak. The series is about an "average computer-whiz-next-door" named Chuck, played by Zachary Levi, who receives an encoded e-mail from an old college friend now working for the Central...
on NBC. Bryce is the ex-college roommate and fraternity brother of the series' main character, Chuck Bartowski
Chuck Bartowski
Charles Irving "Chuck" Bartowski is the main and titular character of the American fiction television show Chuck on NBC. He is portrayed by Zachary Levi.-Character profile:...
and was formerly partnered and once romantically involved with Chuck's CIA handler Sarah Walker
Sarah Walker (Chuck)
Sarah Lisa Bartowski is the alias of one of the main characters of the fictional television show Chuck on NBC. She is portrayed by Yvonne Strahovski and is one of two agents assigned by the NSA and CIA to protect Chuck Bartowski after he unwittingly downloads the secret government computer known...
. Bryce was responsible for sending Chuck the Intersect, beginning the events of the series. He is portrayed by Matthew Bomer.
Biography
Most of what has been revealed about Bryce's background has been in dialogue, with some details provided in flashbacks. "Chuck Versus the IntersectChuck Versus the Intersect
"Chuck Versus the Intersect" is the pilot episode of the American action-comedy television series Chuck. The episode was directed by McG and written by series co-creators Josh Schwartz and Chris Fedak...
" established that Bryce was originally from Connecticut. He attended Stanford University, where he met Chuck Bartowski on his first day of class in 1999. As shown in "Chuck Versus the Alma Mater
Chuck Versus the Alma Mater
"Chuck Versus the Alma Mater" is the seventh episode of the first season of Chuck. It aired on November 5, 2007, and finds Chuck returning to Stanford to track down a data disk, and answer questions about his past...
," Chuck and Bryce quickly became friends because of their mutual interest in computers and video games. While in Stanford they wrote their own version of the classic computer game Zork
Zork
Zork was one of the first interactive fiction computer games and an early descendant of Colossal Cave Adventure. The first version of Zork was written in 1977–1979 on a DEC PDP-10 computer by Tim Anderson, Marc Blank, Bruce Daniels, and Dave Lebling, and implemented in the MDL programming language...
in C++
C++
C++ is a statically typed, free-form, multi-paradigm, compiled, general-purpose programming language. It is regarded as an intermediate-level language, as it comprises a combination of both high-level and low-level language features. It was developed by Bjarne Stroustrup starting in 1979 at Bell...
. The same episode also established that Bryce was friends with Jill Roberts
Jill Roberts
Dr. Jill Roberts is a recurring character on the action/comedy series Chuck on NBC. She is a prominent figure in the series mythology, though did not appear until the middle of the second season. Jill is Chuck's ex-girlfriend from Stanford, and is portrayed by Jordana Brewster...
, who would later begin dating Chuck. Bryce and Chuck enjoyed games of Gotcha!
Assassin (game)
Assassin is a live-action game...
in the school library.
Bryce was recruited into the CIA by Professor Flemming in 2002. The following year, Bryce learned that Flemming intended to recruit Chuck as well for the Omaha Project. As shown in "Chuck Versus the Alma Mater," Bryce sacrificed his close friendship with Chuck to protect Chuck from the government, which he told Flemming would destroy him. He conspired with the professor to frame Chuck for cheating on his exams, and Flemming expelled Chuck, claiming that Bryce tipped them off. To make matters worse, Jill Roberts told Chuck that she had left him for Bryce, a lie she told under the orders of a CIA splinter group called Fulcrum
Fulcrum (Chuck)
Fulcrum is the codename of a fictional hostile espionage organization on the television series Chuck. Fulcrum serves as the series' main antagonists up until the end of season two, though their specific goals beyond acquiring the Intersect have not yet been fully revealed.-History:Very little...
.
Because he protected Chuck from the government, he was the only spy Stephen J. Bartowski
Stephen J. Bartowski
Stephen J. Bartowski is a recurring character on the television series Chuck portrayed by actor Scott Bakula. Stephen is the estranged father of Chuck and Ellie Bartowski, and under the government codename "Orion" was the chief designer of the Intersect....
(a.k.a. Orion, the creator of the Intersect) would trust, and Bryce promised Orion not to let the Intersect fall into the wrong hands.
Sometime in 2005, Bryce was first partnered with Sarah Walker. At some point, their professional relationship spilled over into an intimate one and they became lovers. However, as established in "Chuck Versus the Nemesis
Chuck Versus the Nemesis
"Chuck Versus the Nemesis" is the tenth episode of Chucks first season. It aired on November 26, 2007. Chuck is forced to confront his former college roommate and the man who ruined his life when Bryce Larkin is discovered alive.-Main Plot:...
," Bryce was later contacted by Fulcrum to steal the Intersect, leading to his separation from Sarah and the central events of the series.
Series
At the beginning of the series, Bryce is shown on an apparent rogue mission stealing the Intersect from the National Intelligence Directorate. During his escape attempt, he sends the entire database to Chuck-using their custom Zork game as a code-just as he is shot (apparently fatally) by NSA Agent John CaseyJohn Casey (Chuck)
Colonel John Casey is portrayed by actor Adam Baldwin on the television show Chuck on NBC. Prior to the episode "Chuck Versus the Tic Tac," he was partnered with CIA agent Sarah Walker to protect Chuck Bartowski....
. Although Bryce only appears sporadically throughout the first two seasons, his theft of the Intersect and sending it to Chuck gives him an important place in the series' mythology, as his actions set the overall arc in motion.
Revelations about the events surrounding this theft and Bryce's motives are meted out over the course of the first two seasons. Bryce stole the Intersect to keep it out of Fulcrum's hands, and did so under Stephen Bartowski's guidance. But despite Stephen's wishes to keep Chuck out of it, Bryce sent the Intersect to Chuck because he knew Chuck could handle the Intersect and that Sarah would find Chuck.
Chuck was unaware of Bryce's work with the CIA and his apparent death until told about both by Sarah in "Chuck Versus the Intersect." Dialogue throughout the first half of the first season reinforces the appearance that Bryce's betrayals destroyed Chuck's life. Because Bryce had not informed Sarah of his plans, she initially believes he betrayed both her and his country. Chuck and Sarah attend his funeral in "Chuck Versus the Helicopter
Chuck Versus the Helicopter
"Chuck Versus the Helicopter" is the second episode of the television series Chuck. It aired on October 1, 2007. Chuck is meeting with a government specialist connected with developing the Intersect to determine if the secrets can be removed from Chuck's head, but suddenly finds himself unsure...
".
After the pilot, Bryce's next appearance is in flashbacks throughout "Chuck Versus the Alma Mater," when the team's mission takes them to Stanford and forces Chuck to confront his expulsion. The truth of events is revealed, and Chuck and Sarah realize that Bryce only betrayed him to protect him.
It is first revealed that Bryce survived being shot by Casey in "Chuck Versus the Imported Hard Salami
Chuck Versus the Imported Hard Salami
"Chuck Versus the Imported Hard Salami" aired on November 19, 2007. It is episode nine of the first season of Chuck. Chuck is ordered by General Beckman to take advantage of his new girlfriend, Lou, to get close to her smuggler ex-boyfriend, while Morgan looks for a girlfriend of his own.-Main...
." More information, including why he stole the Intersect, is revealed in the following episode
Chuck Versus the Nemesis
"Chuck Versus the Nemesis" is the tenth episode of Chucks first season. It aired on November 26, 2007. Chuck is forced to confront his former college roommate and the man who ruined his life when Bryce Larkin is discovered alive.-Main Plot:...
, when Bryce introduces Chuck and the team to Fulcrum, whose agent, Tommy Delgado, Bryce deceived into believing he possessed the Intersect in his head. After defeating Tommy, Bryce is ordered by General Beckman to go into deep cover and pursue Fulcrum. According to Bryce, for all intents and purposes, he was to remain dead.
Bryce resurfaces again in "Chuck Versus the Break-Up" to obtain the team's assistance in recovering an update for the Intersect that was stolen by Fulcrum. The operation is nearly botched when Sarah abandons the assignment to protect Chuck, who had been captured. Bryce also continues to push Sarah on restarting their relationship before he is confronted by Devon Woodcomb
Captain Awesome
Devon Christian Woodcomb, M.D., often referred to as Captain Awesome or simply Awesome, is a character on the TV series Chuck, and is portrayed by the actor Ryan McPartlin. The character's nickname comes from Chuck's assertion that "everything he does is awesome," and his frequent use of the word...
, who tells Bryce that Sarah loves Chuck. Bryce attempts to warn Chuck off by telling him that Sarah's feelings for him endangered not only the mission but both her and Chuck's lives. Before disappearing, Bryce leaves Chuck a pair of sunglasses containing an Intersect update.
In Bryce's appearances leading into the second season finale, "Chuck Versus the Ring," he is used to derail Chuck and Sarah's developing relationship. However, in that episode he ultimately realizes Sarah's true love for Chuck, as she decides not to accompany Bryce on the new Intersect project, where Bryce is meant to be the human Intersect. Bryce is mortally wounded in "Chuck Versus the Ring" and asks Chuck to destroy the Intersect for him before dying from his injury. Chuck, knowing that the intel is essential for the CIA, and for lack of any option, sacrifices his normal future by taking Bryce's place as the human Intersect, uploading the Intersect 2.0 before destroying it.
In Chuck Versus First Class
Chuck Versus First Class
"Chuck Versus First Class" was the fifth episode of Chucks third season. It aired on January 25, 2010 in the US . While Chuck embarks on his first solo mission, Morgan faces a continued revolt of his co-workers masterminded by Lester....
, Sarah told Daniel Shaw
Daniel Shaw
Daniel Shaw is a fictional government agent on the television series Chuck. Shaw is introduced in the third season episode "Chuck Versus Operation Awesome" as a government agent specializing in the terrorist organization known as the Ring, and who becomes a mentor to Chuck Bartowski and ultimately...
that she spread Bryce's ashes in Lisbon, Portugal where they took their first mission. It is unknown if this is in fact the truth or a lie Sarah told to cover her intent to go rogue with Chuck in Chuck Versus the Pink Slip
Chuck Versus the Pink Slip
"Chuck Versus the Pink Slip" is the third season premiere episode of the television series Chuck. It aired on January 10, 2010 in a special two-episode block...
.
Development
Rumors of Bryce Larkin's return began to appear in early October, 2007. His return was confirmed with Matthew Bomer's cameo at the end of "Chuck Versus the Imported Hard Salami," although many reviewers noted that both the promo for the episode, and Bomer's name in the credits for the episode spoiled the ending. Bryce's return for "Chuck Versus the Nemesis" led to an increase in ratings to well over 8 million viewers for the night.Bryce Larkin's return in Season Two was first revealed in June, 2008 and later confirmed in an interview with Chris Fedak
Chris Fedak
Chris Fedak is a co-executive producer of Chuck. He has also co-written several episodes with Josh Schwartz.Chuck is Fedak's first television credit.Schwartz says that the idea for Chuck originally came from Fedak:-External links:*...
, Josh Schwartz
Josh Schwartz
-Film school at USC:In 1995, Schwartz realized his boyhood dream of attending film school to study screen and television writing at the University of Southern California...
and Zachary Levi
Zachary Levi
Zachary Levi Pugh , better known by his stage name Zachary Levi , is an American television actor, director, and singer known for the roles of Kipp Steadman in Less than Perfect, Chuck Bartowski in Chuck, and Flynn Rider in Tangled.- Early life :Zachary Levi Pugh was born in Lake Charles,...
in August. IGN.com noted that once again, Bomer's return was spoiled by his name appearing in the credits of "Chuck Versus the Seduction
Chuck Versus the Seduction
"Chuck Versus the Seduction" is the second episode of Season 2 of the U.S. television series Chuck, first airing October 6, 2008. Chuck must go undercover to retrieve the Cipher from Sasha Banachek , known as the Black Widow...
."
Personality
Bryce Larkin is presented in the series as all the things Chuck is not: confident, athletic, brave under fire, and an excellent spy. Bryce is a skilled martial artist, and a fight scene in the Buy MoreBuy More
Buy More is a fictional big box electronics retail chain in NBC's action-comedy series Chuck. The Buy More is a parody of similar chains, particularly Best Buy....
in "Chuck Versus the Nemesis" proves that his and Sarah's abilities strongly complement each other. Further commendation of Bryce's abilities comes in "Chuck Versus the Nemesis" when Casey calls him dangerous, and later tells Chuck, "When you have a chance to shoot Bryce Larkin, you shoot to kill." In "Chuck Versus the Intersect," a party-goer who knew Bryce at Stanford embarrassed Chuck with all of Bryce's accomplishments while there. On several occasions Chuck has commented how short he falls in comparison with Bryce.
In "Chuck Versus the Intersect," Bryce is already acquainted with Casey, and their dialog together throughout "Chuck Versus the Nemesis" suggests that the two have an antagonistic past. Bryce is still in love with Sarah and has continued to pursue a relationship with her. He was hurt in "Chuck Versus the Break-Up" when he realized that Sarah had moved on and had feelings for Chuck. Bryce highly values his friendship with Chuck. He also highly regards Chuck's innocence, honesty and integrity. In fact, it is implied while Chuck looks up to him, Bryce looks up to Chuck for those reasons and he was willing to destroy that relationship to protect him from losing those traits. In "Chuck Versus the Nemesis," Bryce tells Chuck that Chuck is the only friend he really has, which begins to repair their damaged friendship. The two share many of the same interests, including computers, programming and video games. Both speak Klingon, which they successfully used as a code during a mission.
The series has not revealed how much of a relationship Bryce had with Chuck's family or other friends. Although Devon spoke with him face to face in "Chuck Versus the Break-Up," he didn't recognize Bryce. Morgan nearly did in "Chuck Versus the Nemesis," but passed it off as him just being a look-alike. Morgan was the first one to make it clear (inadvertently) to Bryce how badly his actions derailed Chuck's life after he was expelled.