The no-bread sandwich

Just when I'd nearly forgotten about Chuck, the series comes back for two episodes and is gone again, serving as a bittersweet reminder of what the strike has kept me from. While Chuck was the bread in last night's sandwich -- Celebrity Apprentice breaking up these strike-induced final two episodes -- it was the first episode ('Chuck Vs. The Under Cover Lover') that had all the meat.


Actually, nearly any episode that gives the spotlight to Casey (Adam Baldwin) is a winner in my book, and this one, like the previous episode ('vs the Crown Vic') gives Casey more depth while Baldwin still has his comic timing on display (full recap). And it's Casey who gets all the music as well. He drinks scotch in his underwear to Neil Diamond's "Love on the Rocks" ("I need pants!") and then later tries to take down his captors to Gogol Bordello's great song "Ultimate," featuring one of my favorite lyrics of 2007:

There were never any 'good old days'
They are today, they are tomorrow
It's a stupid thing we say
Cursing tomorrow with sorrow

Like always, there was plenty of cultural references to go around last night between both episodes... for instance:

Sixteen Candles: Morgan wakes up in Ellie's bed and exclaims "Damn ma, I’ve got my headgear on."
Casablanca: "Well Casey, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship."
Spies Like Us: The bug that Chuck finds in the Buy More are GLG20's, a reference to the rank of Foreign Service Operative in the Chevy Chase/Dan Aykroyd spy comedy.
Over the Top: Jeff and Lester throw down in a thumb-wrestling match. I'm mildly disappointed we didn't hear Sammy Hagar's "Winner Takes it All" or Frank Stallone's "Bad Nite" from the schlocky soundtrack.

Also fun to see the cast host the in between moments, but who was writing the corny sexual overtones between Zachary Levi and Sarah Lancaster? I realize they're not supposed to be in character, but why risk even a whiff of incest? Chalk that up to the writer's strike as well.

Previously: Casey up to Bat (Episode 1.11)