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'Chuck': Casey has a heart!
The first slice of our Chuck Sandwich reminds us how freakin' awesome this show is -- great lines, fabulous action, and a bit of romance to make things that much sweeter. Plus, every single character is on fire tonight -- no one annoys! How often does that happen? Even the interstitials were fun!
Spoilers ho!
Let's get that plot thing out of the way so we can dive into the lines, the gestures, and the cut-away brilliance that was the show. Chuck Intersects that a whole bunch of Russian thugs are at a swanky downtown hotel. That's great, but what really piques his interest is that Casey's ex-girlfriend, Ilsa, is also on the list. That's right -- Casey has an ex. She was a gorgeous photojournalist that he wooed in Grozny (because Chechnya is for lovers, and for horrific civil wars). She died tragically in a bomb blast.
Or did she? Because she's looking awfully lively when Casey spots her in the hotel. Unfortunately, she's there to marry a crooked Russian oligarch who is up to no good. Casey denies that this affects him in any way, but Chuck convinces him to go after the woman he loves.
Except it turns out she's not an innocent little flower -- she's actually an undercover agent for the French secret service. The marriage is a ploy to get access to enough evidence to convict the bad guy. Casey goes home to sulk (most awesomely), but Chuck discovers she was bugged, and therefore the bad guy knows all about her. They run to the rescue. That rescue attempt is interrupted by men with guns, who decide to dress Casey up in a tux -- thank you, bad guys! -- so he can take the place of their boss when a tragic plane crash cuts short the honeymoon. Cue the fight, the fall from a great height into a pool, the armed standoff, and the "little girls" taking the bad guy down. Wheee!
Meanwhile, at Buy More, Ellie and Awesome hit the skids over big anniversary presents -- Ellie wants a huge TV, while Awesome wants a washer/dryer -- and Morgan, Lester, Jeff and some random carrot-top guy all play it up to the hilt. Yes, even Morgan made me happy this week. Bliss!
Spy highlights
It's going to be hard to choose my favorite moments, since this episode was one long highlights reel. But here goes:
- We learn about Ilsa when Casey has a flashback over a camera an irate customer is trying to return. Chuck (just barely) keeps Casey from throttling the guy. "Just breathe, Casey, breathe..." Chuck counsels. "...or growl, that also works."
- Chuck brings up the ex in front of Casey: "Does the name Ilsa Trenkina mean anything to you... sugar bear?" Casey grabs him by the throat, slams him against a wall and lifts him a good two feet off the ground. "Casey, you're hurting the Intersect." Chuck gasps. And wasn't that a nice boneless heap Chuck puddled into when Casey let him go?
- Sarah greets Chuck at Wienerlicious: "Try this: It's the new breakfast corndog with country sausage and syrup wrapped in a pancake." Sadly, I can imagine that being marketed -- if it isn't already.
- Chuck expresses surprise to Sarah about Casey's torrid love affair: "You know, for the longest time I always imagined Casey was built like a Ken doll, you know, downstairs." After seeing Casey emerging from a pool, dripping wet, in a tux... I sure as hell hope that's not the case.
- I loved Chuck and Sarah being drawn into the Russian mosh pit at the hotel. Hee!
- Casey denied he had any feelings to be hurt for the longest time when Chuck was trying to get him to open up about Ilsa. Finally, he admits that Ilsa was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen. Chuck grins manically -- "It's alive!" Way to be supportive there, Chuck.
- Casey discovers Ilsa is a spy, but before things can get too heated, Victor returns to the hotel room. Chuck and Casey hide under the bed. Victor jumps on top of Ilsa in bed. Casey calmly pulls out his gun and aims it through the bottom of the mattress. The look on his face is just perfect.
- Ilsa tells Casey that she's undercover looking into Victor. Ilsa: "The only way we could take him down is" Casey cuts in "By screwing it out of him? How... French." Hee!
- Casey mourns his lost love by drinking at least a liter of Scotch and listening to "Love on the Rocks" by Neil Diamond. In his underwear.
- Casey and Chuck get jumped by Victor's stooges. He tells them how he plans to have Casey's body stand in for his in the plane crash (never mind that Casey's a foot taller than him...) Chuck will die too -- he can be the pilot, or "man stewardess." Chuck, later on: "Casey, I don't want to die a man-stewardess!"
- That fight, with Casey and Chuck tied up back to back but still kicking butt? That fight made me so very happy. Casey just swirls around and uses Chucks flying legs as a bludgeon. It's awesome.
- And then there's the plunge into the pool. Casey walks out of the pool in his tux, as "Love on the Rocks" reaches it's crescendo. Everyone looks at him, misty eyed -- until half a dozen Russian mobsters stand up and point guns at him. The music screeches to a halt in mid line.
- Andy, my all-seeing editor, informs me that "Ilsa was the love interest on 'Love Monkey,' a great show canceled too soon." Now you know!
Civilian highlights
Even the bit players had great lines and situations this week. A sampling:
- Jeff crows that he has Tara Reid's phone number. "What have I told you about stalking 'celebrities' online," Chuck says. "And by the way, who doesn't have her phone number."
- Ellie at Buy More: "Awesome, right?" Captain Awesome: "Oooh, it gives me chills when you say it, babe...."
- After Ellie and Awesome fight, Awesome joins the Buy More crew for a game of poker. He's getting into it, especially when the guys start complimenting him. Jeff: "Mancake like you? You should install a turnstile on your bedroom door." Then Awesome realizes they're playing strip poker, and makes a hasty exit. Jeff calls after him: "Hey, Mancake, what do you think? Want to do this again tomorrow, single guy?" As Awesome disappears: "We gotta get that guy's pants off... "
- Morgan is a perfect gentleman with a seriously clingy, needy Ellie. The next morning, she thanks him. "You're kind of like a sister to me," he says. She hugs him. "A sister I want to have sex with so bad..." he continues. Way to ruin the moment!
- Awesome comes back to his lady love and completely ignores Morgan. Morgan is indignant -- surely I'm something of a threat? Nope. Sorry, Morgan. Not in a million years.
What was your favorite part? Did you love the Casablanca shout-outs? Is Casey in a dripping wet tux your idea of a good time? And what did you think of the interstitial bits -- funny or annoying?
Sarah greets Chuck at Wienerlicious: "Try this: It's the new breakfast corndog with country sausage and syrup wrapped in a pancake." Sadly, I can imagine that being marketed -- if it isn't already.
It is. And it's so delicious!
Robbie | Jan 24, 2008 11:05:40 PM | #I loved both eps on Monday - that's right I said Monday! I hated having to wait 3 days to read this column. Even though I don't really have anything to say or add to the column, I do enjoy reading it/them after the eps.
BTW, the eps aired on Monday in Canada - hence the reason I said I saw the eps then.
Rishi | Jan 25, 2008 3:27:35 AM | #As an aside, Ivana Milicevic was also Sensa on "Felicity" (the first thing I remember her in - even though she had done stuff like a Seinfeld and Jerry Maguire that I had seen her in, they weren't memorable parts), was a Bond Girl in the Casino Royale, was Riley's wife on Buffy (Sam) and was a regular on "Mind of the Married Man"
Rishi | Jan 25, 2008 3:36:32 AM | #this show just continued to get better with each episode throughout the season and these continued that trend. I loved the bits right before they went back where they had the cast riffing. I especially loved to here Yvonne's native accent. That girl can't get any hotter! The bit where Morgan/Joshua tries to do her accent was hilarious.
steve | Jan 25, 2008 5:54:23 AM | #He's ali~ive! ... And he wants pa~nts!
Chuck is easily the best show on TV; it's a shame it's on NBC (which may not bode well during the 2nd season).
This episode deserved all those highlights. It was indeed AWESOME.
pakopako | Jan 25, 2008 6:40:44 AM | #This episode was great. I saw it on Monday too, since it aired earlier in Canada.
This show just keeps getting better and better. Let's hope it continues to thrive in the second season.
The Casablanca shout-outs in this ep were awesome! HAHA, I love saying the word "awesome".
Jake | Jan 25, 2008 7:17:09 AM | #so good, i watched it twice. monday in canada and again last night. woooot. awesome.
steffy | Jan 25, 2008 8:04:26 AM | #When Chuck and Casey were under the bed and Casey pulls out his gun, Chuck says something like, "Wait Casey, you don't know whose on top". I think the look on his face may have been because, from past experience, maybe he thought he had an idea who was on top. In this case I think he was wrong. Good thing Chuck intervened.
My fav was the "How ya like me now, Sucka!" from Chuck as Casey was swinging his legs around and he connected. Awesome.
tia | Jan 25, 2008 11:49:14 AM | #adam baldwin, need i say more. the man is a bona-fide sex machine
mary | Jan 25, 2008 12:53:47 PM | #Great show!
Keep up the good work
Of the two, this was my lesser favorite, although it was still a hoot all the way through. The Russians in the hotel scene reminded me of numerous other shows and movies where the same sort of thing happens, only on "Chuck" they skewered it perfectly. The only thing missing was the drinking contest and tossing the skinniest male in the room up in the air a dozen or so times. Chuck's reaction at being under the bed while Casey and Ilsa were about to start getting it on reminded me of the fourth Harry Potter movie, when Harry is following Hagrid to go see the dragons and they meet Olympe, with whom Hagrid makes goo-goo eyes while Harry tries not to gag. I did miss Tony Todd in this episode, as it's his ridiculously-low bass voice that adds all kinds of menace to the show every time he's on screen. So, not the my favorite of the two, but still quite good.
Dark Disciple | Jan 25, 2008 7:22:17 PM | #I figured that many female viewers would enjoy Adam Baldwin in a wet tux! Mmmm!
;-)
Oh, did anything else happen in this episode?
I liked how the writers reversed the typical purchases that Ellie and Awesome chose for their anniversary. In most other shows, the boyfriend would want the plasma TV, and the girlfriend would want to buy the washer/dryer. I also love how Morgan pretended to be their couples counselor. It sounded like Morgan had already been through a lot of therapy himself. It was great to see Awesome was bonding with the guys at Buy More-- that is until they started taking off their pants!
It was too bad that all the NBC promos spoiled the big stunt where Casey and Chuck plunged into the pool. I really like when these two work together. Of course, Chuck gets all the funny lines, while Casey beats up the bad guys.
I found it an interesting parallel that both Casey and Sarah have exes who are spies who show up after being "dead". They might bring Ilsa back next season, just like they will probably bring back Bryce. I noticed that Casey was watching Casablanca when he was in the Buy More screening room, so I correctly predicted that the last line of the episode would be: "I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship." AWWWWW! :-)
Paige | Jan 26, 2008 7:57:34 AM | #Favorite line - Morgan, on waking next to Ellie gives a shout out to movie classic Sixteen Candles.... "What Mom - I got my headgear on". Hilarious.
Susan | Jan 28, 2008 10:48:46 PM | #
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