Chuck vs Sarah / Chuck vs the Goodbye: Every Ending a Beginning

While littered with the kind of plot holes we've learned to overlook the past five years, the Chuck series finale magically stitched together highlights from the past seasons into a cohesive story line. Meanwhile, nearly every character got both a comedic spotlight and a ride into his or her respective sunset. That just left Chuck and Sarah's more ambiguous ending, which is less ambiguous depending on how the viewer chose to watch the series. Regardless of whether you believe the "princess kiss" solved anything, in the continuing series that we'll never see, it seems obvious that the nerd gets the girl -- again. I must confess, it got a little dusty in the Drake den during those final scenes.

That final montage was of course backed by Seattle's own The Head and the Heart, which made it awfully precious. There might be a bit of THATH fatigue in Seattle at the moment, but having "Rivers and Roads" to end the series didn't feel tired in the least bit. Plus, we got one last shot of Jeffster!, an act which had become a special bullet to only be used in finales, and as a way to save General Beckman via a-ha's "Take On Me" qualifies as good use.

Playlist: Chuck - Episode 5.12-13 (Spotify / Rhapsody)
1. "Your Hands" - Ghost Society [mp3] [iTunes]
2. "Goshen" - Beirut [mp3]
3. "Gold on the Ceiling" - The Black Keys [mp3]
4. "Take on Me" - a-ha performed by Jeffster! [mp3]
5. "Cruel and Beautiful World" - Grouplove [mp3]
6. "Rivers and Roads" - The Head & The Heart [mp3]

Previously: Chuck vs the Bullet Train (Episode 5.11)

Music on TV - Week of 01.02.12: Guided By Voices

The Classic lineup of Guided By Voices appears on Late Night with David Letterman January 3, 2011.

The reunion of Guided By Voices' classic lineup ('93-'96) was one of the great stories of 2010 (reunion at Matador 21), 2011 (touring all over) and with the release of their first album of new material together in 16 years (Let's Go Eat the Factory -- out January ), 2012 is already shaping up to make it three years in a row for Robert Pollard and the gang.

As the lineup would suggest, LGETF is a throwback to the Vampire on Titus, Bee Thousand and Alien Lanes days of lo-fi goodness. For GBV fans, there's a lot to love, especially guitarist Tobin Sprout contributions, which have been missed as a foil to Pollard's sometime need for an editor. NPR still has the album streaming as part of their First Listen series. The process must have been great for the band as they're already finishing up the follow-up (Class Clown Spots A UFO, due in May).

They play The Late Show with David Letterman (CBS) for the first time on Tuesday. The last time the classic lineup was on the tube, I believe, was back in 1995, on the Jon Stewart's short-lived talk show on MTV (video below).



Elsewhere, Seattle folkies The Head and the Heart continue their meteoric rise with a performance on Austin City Limits. Can you think of any band to get a headline on the long-running show this early in their career? They're joined on the program's lineup this night by the UK band Gomez, who've been around considerably longer. (Preview below.)

Watch The Head and the Heart/Gomez - Preview on PBS. See more from Austin City Limits.

Picks for the week
Monday, January 2
ABC: Jimmy Kimmel Live: Lukas Nelson and Promise of the Real (REPEAT)
NBC: Late Night With Jimmy Fallon: Twin Shadow (REPEAT)
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: Laura Marling (REPEAT)
SYNDICATION: The Ellen DeGeneres Show: Coldplay (REPEAT)
Tuesday, January 3
ABC: Jimmy Kimmel Live: Mariachi El Bronx
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: Guided by Voices
NBC: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: will.i.am
NBC: Late Night With Jimmy Fallon: Black Star
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: The Horrors (REPEAT)
TBS: Conan: Everlast
Wednesday, January 4
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: WU LYF
CBS: Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson: RZA
NBC: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Shaggy
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: Lykke Li (REPEAT)
TBS: Conan: Chris Isaak
Thursday, January 5
ABC: Jimmy Kimmel Live: tUnE-yArDs
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: The Barr Brothers
NBC: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Chris Cornell
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: Roll the Tanks, Fool's Gold (REPEAT)
Friday, January 6
ABC: Jimmy Kimmel Live: Boyz II Men
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: Blind Pilot
NBC: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Van Hunt
NBC: Late Night With Jimmy Fallon: Wild Flag, David Murray sits in with The Roots
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: Frightened Rabbit (REPEAT)
Saturday, January 7
BBCAMERICA: The Graham Norton Show: Noel Gallagher
NBC: Saturday Night Live: Kelly Clarkson
PBS: Austin City Limits: The Head and the Heart, Gomez