Chuck: Finally!

Chuck:

Seriously, how good is it to have Chuck back on TV again? How I've missed it! After seeing this amazing promo poster, watching the Chuck marathon on SyFy last week, and seeing all the commercials featuring Chuck showing off his fancy new skills, I was so excited for the third season premiere that I could barely contain myself!

Did tonight's two-hour offering live up to my expectations? Absolutely. The first episode was very strong, while the second was probably not as good but still featured a lot of great moments (Chuck's acrobatics in the vault come to mind).

Before I get to discussing the actual episodes, I'd like to declare my love for the special Honda commercials with Morgan, Ellie and Awesome! They were so much fun! At first I didn't know if I was watching the actual show, a Honda commercial or a promo for the Olympics, but I didn't care! I loved when Morgan popped up in the back of the car and everyone screamed. And then when he took them to the monument for the "lost curler." Morgan: "They say if you listen quietly, you can still hear him sweeping." The whole thing made me proud that I recently bought a Honda. More please!


"Chuck vs. the Pink Slip"

The play-by-play:

• Chuck's almost too good at this spy thing!
• Wow, Chuck looks hot with this haircut!
• I totally called that this was a training exercise.
• Awww, Sarah wants to run away with Chuck!
• Chuck's going to get huge, eating all these cheetos!
• Look at his beard! Ha ha ha!
• Ellie: "Sleeping with his cheeseballs!"
• OMG, I can't believe he went to the BuyMore looking like that!
• I didn't know they sold cheesepuffs at BuyMore. Surely he could have gone somewhere else to buy them.
• Um, the CIA/NSA really shouldn't let Chuck roam around with this version of the Intersect in his head! He's a danger to public welfare.
• Lester: "Oh, captain, my captain!"
• Um, Chuck, you are not going to get Sarah back looking like this!
• Chuck: "If this works, maybe Beckman will put the old team back together!"
  
  Casey: "Mmm, then all my dreams come true!"
  
• Cleaned-up Chuck looks far too hot to be a BuyMore employee now!
  
• Wow, that was quite the smack Sarah gave to Chuck! She should watch out; couldn't smacking him cause him to flash and unleash the kung fu?
  
• So, how exactly did they want Chuck to react to being slapped in the face?
  
• Ahh, Chuck panicking; this feels like home.
  
• Chuck trying to knock down the door, bouncing off and saying "Son of a..."
  
• HA HA HA at Chuck in the mariachi outfit and getting pushed up on stage. HA! He knows how to play the guitar now!
  
• LOL at him mouthing "assassin" mid-song to Casey.
  
• Yeah, I figured the "musician" he beat up would turn out to be the bad guy.
  
• Awesome: "Still playing the loser cover! You're nailing it!"
  
• It hasn't occurred to Chuck yet that the CIA's not just going to let him leave? I'm surprised they've let him out in the world for this long. (They were going to shoot him several times in the past when he just has version 1.0 of the Intersect in his head, which was less of a threat.)
  
• Oh no, Morgan got fired from Benihana and Anna took off with one of the other employees. Oh, Anna Wu, why?!
  
• That was nice of Casey to stand up for Chuck to Sarah.
  
• Buster (Emmet) listening to "Hold On (For One More Day)"
  
• AAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!! He shot Buster (Emmet)! (I guess Big Mike can have his job back now...)
  
• Sarah's wearing some fancy shoes for running away.
  
• In addition to not wanting to give up being a spy, Sarah should have realized that Chuck wouldn't want to run away from his family and friends. We've established that he really likes them.
  
• I don't like to see Chuck breaking both his and Sarah's hearts, but it was kind of amusing to see the look on her face when the nerdy boy dumped her (at least to the evil side of me).
  
• I wonder if there's a secret reason why he didn't go with her.
  
• Sarah: "Break out of your cell and come and get me. I can't pick the lock."
  Chuck: "There's no way that we could reverse those roles, is there?"
  
• So, to get Chuck to flash, we just need to threaten Sarah? Keep that in mind, everybody.
• Casey to the rescue again!
• Casey's face when Beckman said that Operation Bartowski was back on.
• Beckman: "Now we have to protect the world from Chuck."
• Oh well, if Ellie and Awesome have to move, at least they're just moving across the courtyard. And that is the world's coolest apartment complex, so I can see why they wouldn't move out of it.

"Chuck vs. the Three Words"

• Morgan: "We're just here to help you forget about Sarah for awhile. Look, there's Sarah!"
• I think Sarah already broke the cardinal rule at least once, when she fell in love with Bryce a while back. It seemed like she had been in love with him at some point anyway.
• Lester: "Oh, Morgy, there's no way a girl like you could get a woman like you're describing."
• When does "the whole mission" ever not depend on Chuck?
• How come during the gratuitous scene of Sarah getting dressed, she was wearing a black bra with straps, but now, when she's in the dress, she clearly doesn't have the bra on underneath it?
• Lauren Graham in Parenthood! YEA!
• Chuck, seriously, just shut up. Your insistence on having extemporaneous conversations is even annoying me now.
• Ha ha at Casey trying to string out his speech.
• To get Chuck to flash, Sarah should just say, "Chuck, if you don't go through those lasers and get that weapon right now, I'm going to slit my wrists!"
• Ha, last year when there was nothing really going on between Chuck and Sarah, Beckman was asking every 15 minutes if she needed to get a new agent to watch Chuck, but now that Sarah freely admits that there's something going on with them, she can't get Beckman to reassign her.
• Morgan: "If there was a Japanese word for 'no,' I'd be saying it to you right now!"
• Ha ha ha at Morgan capping off his big speech by drinking the tranquilizer alcohol and passing out!
• Ha at Sarah giving Chuck the tiki torch as a weapon.
• Shaw? Is that the name Beckman called the mystery guy? Who's Shaw? (For a second there, I thought it would be Bryce Larkin, alive again. I guess White Collar will keep that from happening.)
• How long was Chuck's speech in the vault?! The footage just keeps on coming!

Wow, this season it looks like it's going to be hard to figure out if we're watching Chuck or some form of Superman/Smallville with both Brandon Routh and Kristin Kreuk joining the show. I'm glad that Kristin's going to be on this show; Lana did get rather annoying at times on Smallville, but I still liked her overall.

(photo: NBC)

Greek: Professors and Pot Brownies

Greek:

"High and Dry"

Great episode! And the episode's title is genius.

Perhaps I liked this episode so much because I'm an Evan-lover when he's being cute and not acting like an ass. There were a lot of awesome Casey/Evan moments. Who knew those two could be so funny (when they're high)? I also liked Ashleigh finally giving in to Fisher's cuteness and forgiving him, Rusty attempting to get a professor to sponsor him and Calvin coming to regret his decision to wrap Grant's present with embossed wrapping paper. (Did everyone else already know that you only use embossed wrapping paper when you're trying to get in somebody's pants? Like Calvin, I was totally unaware of that fact, so I'm glad Rebecca brought that to my attention.)

After seeing episodes like this one, I think that if I ever had to live in the world of a current TV show, Greek would be one of my top choices. (I'd also consider The Big Bang Theory and Chuck.) It just seems like it would be so much fun at Cyprus Rhodes with all of these awesome/hilarious people around.

Highlights and my thoughts:

• Katherine (Panhellenic president): "I'm sorry, we're in a small room. Why do you think I can't hear you?"
• Cappie: "This is my first experience with nerd-on-nerd hazing."
• Ash: "He smells like cupcakes and man."
• Rebecca: "You have to get Ashleigh to forgive me. I've apologized, groveled, told her I liked though silly arm-warmer things she wears. Nothing's worked!"
• Dale: "I don't really need Nana's Crucifixion linens around right now or my Precious Moments baby angels. They're so judgy."
• Rusty: "I'm really trying to make a name for myself in this department."
  Professor: "You mean besides Anchor?"
  Rusty: "You know about that?"
  Professor: "I believe I started it."
• Ashleigh: "I'm pretending you're the lemon!"

  Casey: "Bitter's not pretty, Ash."
• I love this Panhellenic president girl. She's great.
• Rusty: "That's weird. My nana usually sends me money for my birthday!"

  Beaver: "Times are tough."
  Wade: "She must not love you anymore."
• Cappie: "Where do smart people hang out?"
  Wade: "Computer stores!"

  Cappie: "Ethnic restaurants!"

  Beaver: "The moon?"
• Aww, poor Calvin. This is an awkward situation for him to be in.
• Rusty: "I come from a long line of seamen."
• Oh nooo. Casey and Evan ate pot brownies. Not having ever had a pot brownie, I'm wondering if they taste strange. Would you know that there was something wrong with the brownie you were eating? I'm asking because this seems to come up a lot on TV shows. (90210's finale last year, for example.)
• Cappie: "By the time I'm down with Larson, he's going to name a star after you."

  Rusty (singing): "And that star will be called Rusty!"
• Aww, Beaver is so cute wearing glasses and a sweater!
• Rebecca: "No one uses embossed wrapping paper unless they want to get in someone's pants."

  Calvin: "Definitely should have used a gift bag."
• Ash is going to have a hard time getting a new boy if she insists on wearing that weird jump suit outfit.
• Ha at Casey grooving to the karaoke music. Evan and Casey are freaking entertaining while high. Evan's stoned voice in particular is hilarious.
• Casey: "Do you think cats put us on their pillows?"
• Hilary: "You're David Wong?!"

  Cappie: "Yes. Yes, I am. I was adopted by two gay dudes...from China."
• That sneaky Dale.
• Fisher: "They sat under that table in there for 10 minutes pretending to be shoes."
• Casey: "I used to have so much fun with you...before you cheated on me, hit Rusty with a pledge paddle, paid off a Lambda Sig and dated Frannie."
• Ha at Evan's gaggy face when Casey mentioned him dating Frannie.
• Evan: "Ok, that's it, I'm trying pina colada!!"

  Casey: "No, no, no, don't! I did it once."

  Evan: "Was it delicious?!"
• Evan: "We totally got this." (Bursts out laughing.)
• Casey: "We talked about our lives, our childhoods, ...time travel..."
• Evan: "And she may be afraid of trees, but when push comes to shove she doesn't let you drink the shampoo, no matter how good it smells."
• Aww. Ashleigh needs to kiss Fisher. He may be a cheat, but he's sooooo cute!
• If Cappie wants Casey, he's gotta move now, because adorable, shampoo-eating Evan is going to have her in a matter of weeks.

(photo: abcfamily.com)

My Take on Emmy Nominations: 2009

Emmy nominations will be announced next week, so I've compiled a list of actors, shows, and personalities that the Emmys would be remiss not to include.

(I have not broken them into categories because I'm often completely befuddled by who is deemed "supporting" and who is "lead" and what is a "comedy" and what is a "drama" and I'm trying to avoid that headache.)

Aaron Paul, Breaking Bad: Paul has been flawless at handling everything Breaking Bad has thrown at him. He's been brilliant at comic relief and gut-wrenching with dramatic material. In fact, there's no one I want to see on the Emmy nomination list more.

Adam Baldwin, Chuck: Baldwin is perfect as the gruff Major Casey, giving us little glimpses into the character's humanity but never becoming too much of a softy.

B.J. Novak, The Office: He's just so good at playing such a cocky little jerk (while never losing sight of Ryan's inherent patheticness).

Breaking Bad: I've documented my love for this show before, so should come as no surprise that I'm pegging it not only for a Best Drama nomination, but also for the freaking Emmy itself.

Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad: There's a reason he won the Emmy last year, and Cranston continued to excel this season as Walter's morality became even more nuanced.

Cat Deeley, So You Think You Can Dance: Deeley is easily the best reality competition show host around as anyone knows who has watched her interact with contestants, the judges and the audience. And she's a fashion icon to boot. It's insulting that she wasn't nominated last year.

Chi McBride, Pushing Daisies: If McBride's surly and sassy (but secretly sweet) private investigator isn't on the list of Emmy nominations, I'm going to pull an Emerson Cod and yell, "Oh, HELL no!"

Christina Applegate, Samantha Who?: Applegate was effortlessly charismatic and hilarious as the lovable amnesiac, and it's a bummer that ABC didn't give her more support.

Chuck: The top-notch quality of the show's sophomore season cannot be ignored. With the possible exception of those episodes with that annoying MI-6 spy who kept getting shot, Chuck was firing on all cylinders this season and capped it all off with a season finale that was easily one of the best hours of television all season.

Gabrielle Anwar, Burn Notice: I realize that Burn Notice is one of those quasi-comedy, quasi-drama type shows that people enjoy watching but the Emmys tend to completely ignore (while being all over stuff that nobody is enjoying anymore like Boston Legal), but nevertheless I think Anwar deserves a nod. You'd be hard pressed to fine anyone on TV who is cooler than Anwar's Fiona, and that's got to count for something.

James Roday, Psych: Roday's been overlooked in the past, but as Shawn, a fast-talking, pop culture-obsessed genius, he has proven time and again that he's got serious acting chops.

January Jones, Mad Men: Jones absolutely stole the show's second season with her depiction of cold-hearted Betty Draper. Jones was masterful at giving us glimpses of the fragile girl behind her character's ice queen facade.

Jennifer Esposito, Samantha Who?: Esposito's Andrea is horrendous, but she's also wickedly funny.

Jim Parsons, The Big Bang Theory: Everyone on this show is funny, but Parsons is consistantly hilarious as Sheldon's scientific, antisocial temperament gets pushed to the limit by his friends and surroundings.

Lee Pace, Pushing Daisies: Pace's turn as the sweet and funny Piemaker ended far too soon, but it was beautiful to watch while it lasted.

Lost: Overall, I probably liked Lost's fourth season better than its fifth season, but this show was undeniable as it ratcheted up the suspense and the stakes ever-higher to lead into its final season.

Pushing Daisies: Sure, the second season was ridiculously abridged, but it was also ridiculously good.

Rose Byrne, Damages: Supporting/lead/whatever, Byrne really held her own during Damages' second season, as her Ellen Parsons went toe-to-toe with Glenn Close's Patty Hewes and didn't back down.

Steve Carell, The Office: I adored the high jinks of the Michael Scott Paper Company, and Carell shone throughout, especially in the conference room scene where he masterfully cut David Wallace down to size.

Terry O'Quinn, Michael Emerson, Ken Leung and Jeremy Davies, Lost: Since so many supporting actors had very strong showings on Lost this season, the Emmy list could very well include any or all of them.

Zachary Levi, Chuck: Perfectly balanced Chuck's humor with his humanity, adding a lot of soul to a very fun show.

(photos: amctv.com, abc.com, usanetwork.com, cbs.com)

My Take on Pilot Season: Returning (and Not Returning) Shows

Yeaaaaaa to NBC for renewing Chuck!!! If only the network would please now order more than 13 episodes and bring it back before mid-season. (Ugh, I just noticed that Chuck's official NBC Web site now says that Chuck will return in March 2010. That's horrendous.) Seriously, we have to sit though another painful cycle of Heroes before our weary eyes will again behold the sheer awesomeness that is Chuck? That's just mean.

Yeaaaaaa to FOX for renewing Dollhouse!!! I didn't see that one coming at all. After years of watching quirky and/or complicated show after quirky and/or complicated show get summarily dismissed by virtually every network, it just seemed so bizarre that this one didn't get the heave-ho too. Good for FOX for taking a chance on it. At the very least, Dollhouse will have a small but devoted fanbase next season, which is more than some new shows will garner. Perhaps Dollhouse will even meet with some increased commercial success. The fact that the show was steadily increasing in quality after a lackluster beginning should help. I just hope that Mellie and Victor will get to come back.

After those two announcements, I began to develop the sinking feeling that Upfronts and pilot season were going far too well, and sure enough:

Major boooooooooooooooooooooo to ABC for cancelling Samantha Who? There is NO REASON why this show needed to be canceled. Sure, its audience wasn't great when ABC began jerking it all around the schedule and forcing it into abrupt hiatuses. What show's ratings would survive that kind of cruel Men In Trees-esque treatment? What makes the cancellations more upsetting is that Sam Who? is not really a niche-based show. It had fairly broad appeal, which it demonstrated when it pulled some big numbers leading out of Dancing With the Stars. Christina Applegate is one of the most likable women on TV and the supporting cast was hilarious. The only reason this show had issues was that ABC didn't seem to know what to do with it, which is astounding, because all they had to do was leave it on after DWTS. There's no need to try to make Surviving Suburbia happen at the expense of Sam Who? Any network that airs According to Jim for eight seasons but cancels quality comedies like Sam Who? after two (abridged) seasons, needs to do some serious atoning.

(photos: NBC.com; ABC.com)

Big Bang Theory: Polar Express

The Big Bang Theory:

"The Monopolar Expedition"

The Big Bang Theory is definitely the show I don't watch that I most wish I did. Unfortunately, due to a cruel twist of fate, the programming PTB put this show up in the same time slot as three of my absolute favorite shows--Gossip Girl, Chuck and Greek--as well as another show--Dancing with the Stars--that I have to monitor because of my allegiance to Shawn Johnson. I don't have enough eyes or VCRs to handle 5 shows at once. So, most regrettably, Big Bang Theory has fallen by the wayside.

It is my goal to catch up on as many TBBT reruns this summer as I can. (Impressive goals I have, huh?) And, since Chuck bowed out a little early with it's (fabulous) season finale, I now have the capability of checking in on TBBT now.

I caught last week's episode ("The Classified Materials Turbulence") and thoroughly enjoyed it. Admittedly, I am not a big fan of bathroom humor. When I was in London a few years ago, we saw several plays that absolutely relied on bathroom humor, and I always seemed like the one person who was not loving it. In particular, one (really quite good) production of The Hypochondriac reached its climax with a rousing musical number about anuses. Everyone else in the theatre was basically beside themselves with hilarity, and I was like, "Just make it stop." With that background knowledge, you now know that it is meaningful that even I thought Harold's space-toilet-gone-awry and the potty jokes it inspired were pretty darn funny. (My favorite line was Raj's "You're right. It's a very important scientific breakthrough for two reasons: number one...and number two.")

Last night's season finale ("The Monopolar Expedition") was pretty darn amusing as well. I'd totally sign up to spend three months at the North Pole with Sheldon. Does that make me crazy?

The problem with blogging TBBT is that I found myself trying to write down virtually every line everyone was saying. It got a little ridiculous, but here's the highlight list:

• Sheldon fooling Leonard into thinking he made a mistake with his science.
• Sheldon: "The entire family's fascinated by what time it is and whether people know it."
• Leonard: "He offered to send you to the North Pole?"
  Sheldon: "Yes. In fact, he was quite enthusiastic. He said, 'Frankly, if I could send you tonight, I would.'"
• Sheldon: "I'm a theoretical physicist, a career I chose in no small part because it's indoors!"
• Sheldon: "...I'll be the scientist who confirms String Theory. People will write books about me. Third-graders will create macaroni art dioramas depicting things from my life!"
• Sheldon's friends' glee when he says he tentatively accepted the invitation to join the North Pole expedition.
• Sheldon: "Well, there are others who might be more qualified, but the thought of interviewing them gave me a stomach ache."
• Raj: "But if we're part of the team that confirms String Theory, we could drink for free at any bar in any town with a university that has a strong science program!"
• Harold: "I could also be the engineer of the crossbow that kills Sheldon."
• Sheldon's reaction to Penny knocking on the door back at him.
• Leonard: "Did she seem upset to you?"
  Sheldon: "No. Did she seem upset to you?"
  Leonard: "No."
  Sheldon: "Oh, good. I got it right. Are you upset?"
  Leonard: "A little bit."
  Sheldon: "Two for two! I'm on fire."
• Leonard, Raj and Harold trying to use their "tools" in the freezer.
• Raj's mom: "If the other guys jumped into the Bay of Bengal and tried to swim to Sri Lanka, would you follow them?"

  Raj: "If you were standing behind me nagging, I might."
• The Slanket has seriously got to be the product most used as a comedic prop on TV these days.
• Sheldon: "I know you're concerned about disappointing me, but I want you to take comfort in the knowledge that my expectations of you are very low."
• How did Harold and Raj talk their parents into letting them go?
• They really shouldn't have taught Sheldon how to make jokes. He's getting too good at it.
• So will the boys really confirm String Theory? That would be a major game-changer. That one would not only change the course of the show but also the course of the real world, right? Awesome.

(photo: CBS)

Greek: Avoidance

Greek: "Evasive Actions"

Last Monday, in my excitement over Chuck's epic season 2 finale and Chuck and Blair holding hands, I totally forgot to tape Greek to watch later. So I had to resort to watching it online on the ABCFamily video player and, boy, was that a battle. The picture was all jumpy and not synced with the audio. The nuances of the dodgeball battle were completely lost in translation. The dialogue came through clearly, however, so I was still able to compile my list of funny quotations:

• Andy: "Meet Queen Elizabeth and Queen Latifah!"
• Beav: "Man, science sounds hard. And kinda dirty!"
• Dale's making a valance for the window!
• Cal: "Well, it's been great hanging out with you two in the '50s..."
• Ha ha, the building manager still has the hots for Dale! And, like Rusty, I think it's hilarious.
• Wow, that's one humongous stuffed cat...
• Well, at least no one's under any illusions about the Evan/Frannie relationship anymore.
• Dale: "I DVR The View all week so I can watch them all back-to-back. I just love it when Hasselbeck serves them supper."
• Rusty: "When did you last go outside? Besides just for classes?"
  Dale: "Couple of weeks ago. I think it was raining. Maybe I watched a movie where it rained? I don't know..."
• Casey and Ash doing an air-kiss goodbye to make fun of Frannie.
• Max!
• Max: "Whoever says the U.S. doesn't torture hasn't graded 80 papers on cement elasticity."
• No, Ashleigh, "make over" is not the solution here.
• Evan: "Oh, come on, that was a joke! I misread my audience."
• It seems like everyone needs more friends: Dale, Max, Evan, Jordan.
• Max: "Rusty's concerned that you never leave the apartment. Are you avoiding something out there?"
  Dale: "Yeah, vegans and Coldplay fans."
• Max: "I think it's time to get passive-aggressive."
• Ash: "We go around in a circle and tell our most embarrassing moment."

  ZBZ girl: "Ashleigh, how will you choose?"
• Frannie: "You're such a creature of habit."

  Casey: "And you're such a creature!"
• Casey: "For your information, she's not drunk--she just athletic."
• Cyber church. Lol. That's great.
• Rusty loves Thelma and Louise.
• Ha ha, the KT's are loving Dale. He's making them nachos, pigs in a blanket, cookies... And they've been there for 12 hours!
• Dale telling Casey they should work together and trying to hold her hand.
• I find Dale intoxicating too. Ha ha.
• Why do Dale and Rusty have to switch apartments? Can't they just clean the place up and continue on as usual?
• Frannie: "I love this. I finally get to throw things at you without looking like a bad person."
• Hey, Casey and Max still do associate with each other occasionally! Who knew?
• Where's Rebecca? I bet that girl can throw hard. (Due to the poor quality of the video player, I'm honestly not sure if Rebecca was in that scene, but I didn't see her.)
• Oh no! Is Frannie's going to go after Max now? Nooooo. I do not like that look she was giving Casey and Max. After her scene with Evan, however, maybe the point of her staring at Casey and Max was not so much, "Hey, I'm going to go try to steal Max from Casey too!" but rather, "Hey, so that's what it looks like when your boyfriend actually likes you. Seems nice."
• I'm also not sure how I feel about this Dale and Sheila-the-building-manager thing. Between this and Krystin Ritter's character on Breaking Bad, it seems like a lot of building managers are getting a little too friendly with their tenants lately. I'm all for Dale getting a girl, but I'd feel better about it if she were a little closer to his age. Oh well, we'll see what happens.

Chuck: Two Weddings and a Kung Fu Fighter

Chuck:

"Chuck vs. The Ring"

Please may this not be the last Chuck ever. Please may this not be the last Chuck ever. Please may this not be the last Chuck ever.

This last string of Chuck episodes (ever since we finally got rid of that annoying British spy guy) has been extremely good, so I expected the season finale to be phenomenal, and I was not disappointed. There was so much to like about this episode!

First of all, Ellie and Awesome's beach wedding was gorgeous. I'm going to say that it was easily the prettiest television wedding since Julie Cooper married Caleb Nichol in The O.C. season 1 finale. And that makes me think that Josh Schwartz should be a wedding planner; he clearly knows how to stage one stunning ceremony. (Lily and Bart's wedding last year on Gossip Girl was pretty too.) I'm posting two pictures from the ceremony just because it was so darn lovely.

I'll save my thoughts on the (FANTASTIC) end of the episode for after the play-by-play:

• The song at the beginning of the episode was fun. The Chuck soundtrack has really been top-notch lately.
• General: "Your country is calling you, Mr. Bartowski."
  Chuck: "Then I think my country might have the wrong number."
• Casey: "If you were a true patriot, you wouldn't even cash it."
• That's so sweet that Casey gave Chuck his personal number in case of emergencies.
• BRYCE LARKIN! Woo hoo! Why is the new Intersect project in Zurich? Why does the Intersect have to go in anyone's head? Why can't it just stay on a computer?
• So Awesome has a Toyota, but Zac Levi does commercials for Honda Insights? I'm confused.
• The bridesmaids' dresses are nice. I'd like the dress better in another color, but the style is great.
• Hey, yeah, shouldn't Sarah and Chuck stage a really elaborate breakup scene to explain why she's not going to be around anymore?
• Dr. Woodcomb: "My wife warned me about you."

  Morgan: "Good warnings, I hope."
• I can't believe Bryce knew the truth about Chuck's dad this whole time either. Yeah, Chuck, just hand Bryce over to the bad guys. No need to feel guilty about that; I'm getting sick of him already.
• Jeffster! I saw this coming. ;-)
• Morgan: "Listen, if you hit me, it only teaches me to hit."
• Whoa, Sarah's not going to be able to walk down the aisle in that dress after ripping the whole bottom part of it off.
• Dr. Woodcomb called Lester "an Indian lesbian." Hahahaha.
• Chuck: "Hoe down! I mean, hold on!"
• Chuck: "Oh, God, not the flowers!"
• I liked Ellie sitting on the floor and trying to meditate while her wedding was being stalled.
• Yea, Major Casey!!! That was a great scene with the Marines taking out the bad guys juxtaposed with Jeffster's big finish.
• After all the ruckus in the reception room, Jeff's sparklers set off the fire alarm. Oy vey.
• Throw Ellie the beach wedding, Chuck. That's what she wanted anyway.
• Ellie's wedding dress doesn't look nearly as bad post-sprinkler as I expected it would.
• Marine: "Sir, how do you spell begonia?"

  Casey: "Sound it out. ...No, no, that clashes with the bunting!"
• Where did everyone get whole new outfits for this second wedding? They certainly didn't have time to do the necessary dress fittings in one afternoon. Even Jenny Humphrey doesn't sew that fast! In any event, I'm liking the new bridesmaids' dress color much better. This wedding is gorgeous.
• Why is Casey's Marine shooting Rourke? Uh oh, is he shooting everyone? Who does he work for? Fulcrum big wigs that are higher up than Rourke?
• And the courtyard reception is better too! They always did have such a pretty courtyard.
• Oops, the Intersect's in Chuck's dad's head now! Oh, ha, he's actually had it in there for awhile. That came in handy.
• Maybe, Chuck, being a spy is your real life. It's more of a "life" than you were leading pre-Intersect anyway.
• So Bryce is still in love with Sarah, huh? And he's just sharing this with random faux-CIA agents? That's not very stealth.
• Luckily, Bryce is pretty badass. (Remember how great he was in the pilot? Actually, now that I think about it, he got shot then too.)
• Ouch, that was one awkward fall Chuck just made into the vault!
• Bryce: "Fulcrum is just one part of the ring."
• Oh no, poor Bryce! Rest in peace, buddy.
• So, what's Chuck going to do now? Obviously, he's going to put that darn (and apparently dangerous) thing right into his head.
• Is there going to be a Bryce Larkin-shaped hole in the new Intersect in Chuck's head? Because his body was definitely blocking some of the images.
• Casey: "Oh, Chuck me!"

Well, Chuck me too! That ending was insane. Probably the awesomist 2 minutes of TV all season. I can barely get a hold of myself, that was so phenomenal. I'm freaking out: Chuck knows kung fu! He's got some serious moves! The scene with Chuck beating the crud out of all the bad guys single-handedly was simultaneously hilarious and so cool it hurt.

Chuck: "Guys, I know kung fu."

OMG, that was such a cool season finale! Best case scenario: we get to see the Sarah/Casey/Chuck team fight their way through the rest of "the ring" for many seasons to come. Worst case scenario: if this is all we get, at least I feel pretty confident that whatever the rest of "the ring" includes, New and Improved Chuck with Special Kung Fu Fighting Skills will be able to handle it, and I'll know in my soul that he's out there somewhere kicking ass.

(photos: Ellie & Awesome's wedding album at NBC.com)

Chuck: A Buy More Christmas

Chuck: "Chuck Versus the Santa Claus"

Just the highlights:

• The Buy More-ians commenting (and betting) on the outcome of a car chase reminds me of first season Alias.
• These elf outfits the poor Buy More employees have to wear are awful. Poor Morgan in the yellow tights!
• Ellie: "So my present to my fiance is a ticket to death?"
• Chuck: "This store has a very strict no-bravery policy."
• General: "It's an electronics store, not Basra. Get it under control, Major!"
• Carl Winslow from Family Matters!!!
• That is a terrible picture of Ned.
• Ellie: "A lot of people get by with 9 toes."
  Jeff: "I'm getting by fine with 8!"
• Jeff: "Yes, I'd like to speak to Prisoner 20158 a.k.a. Mom."
• Why doesn't Ellie have the bracelet that her dad gave her mom when she gave birth to Ellie? Maybe she doesn't want it because she doesn't like the dad?
• Ned: "You've been a really good friend to me, Chuck, so I'm going to let your girlfriend go."
  Chuck: "NO!"
  Jeff: "Ouch!"
  Lester: "It's going to be a cold Christmas at the Bartowski house!"
  Buy More girl: "Oh no he didn't!"
• I knew this hostage negotiator was going to be in the Intersect. Saw that one coming for miles.
• Oh no, Fulcrum is all over this situation. Ugh.
• Oh no, now Fulcrum finally knows that the Intersect is in Chuck's head!
• Ned doesn't find anything suspicious about all the boys huddling up and putting their hands in the middle and saying "break!"
• Oh poor Lester! He took quite the kick!
• I knew Morgan would save the day. He usually does, despite is reputation for being a do-nothing.
• Where's Casey? Why was Sarah in the tree lot alone with the Fulcrum guy? Casey went in there with her. Is he easily distracted by a good Fraser fir?
• I guess Sarah doesn't have much confidence in the CIA being able to keep Fulcrum from breaking an agent out of their detention facility, huh? If the situation is that bad, maybe they should just beef up their security.
• The reunion between Big Mike and Carl Winslow was adorable.
• Oh, poor Morgan.
• Doesn't Sarah notice the look of sheer terror that Chuck keeps giving her? She's not a very perceptive spy...
• Whoa, this episode was actually kind of heavy.
  

The bad news: no new Chuck until February 22nd?!?! That's kind of harsh, especially since Chuck has been flat-out tearing it up this season.

My Take on Twilight's Casting

I know that everyone and their little sister have already weighed in on the Twilight movie adaptation's casting decisions, but I can't help but throw in my two cents as well.

Of anyone in the whole world, I think the person who best embodies the vampire's combination of excessive beauty and inherent scariness is Jonathan Rhys Myers. There's certainly something other-worldly about him. Unfortunately, Twilight couldn't really capitalize on Jonathan's clear vamp-ish qualities, because he doesn't really fit any of the book's characters. Perhaps one of the other myriad of vampire related films and shows will be able to take advantage of them at some point.

I'm not sure entirely which Twilight role they should have given him, but I'm convinced that Ed Westwick should have been in the movie. These photos prove that he's got the pale, beautiful, and brooding thing down. Masterfully.

Personally, I don't have a problem with the casting of Twilight's leads. Kristen Stewart is okay by me, and I think she fits Bella pretty well. And Robert Pattinson has certainly turned out to be quite the find. What confuses me is the supporting cast. And namely that several members of the supporting cast were featured in the sub-par season three of The O.C. I don't think Josh Schwartz even liked that season, so why would anyone look there for casting inspiration? And if you had to scavenge amongst The O.C. season three actors, why wouldn't you pick Willa Holland or Johnny Lewis or Eric Mabius, who were definitely the bright spots among the new cast members that year? Why would you pick Volchok and Sadie and Caitlin's boarding school boyfriend? The choices just seem bizarre to me.

Frankly, I imagine I'll always hold some sort of grunge against Cam Gigandet for playing the guy who killed Marissa Cooper and Nikki Reed for her stint as whiny Johnny's annoying jewelry-making cousin. Ick. It's been years, and I still don't even like to think about that whole debacle. What's especially weird about Nikki's casting is that she's playing Rosalie who is supposed to be tall and blond and Nikki is neither of those things. And it's not like tall blondes are rarities in Hollywood, right? I would think you could walk down the sidewalk and swing your arms around and hit 20 or 30 of them.

But this necessary hair dying thing seems to be a trend with the Twilight casting selections. The blond kid from 90210 (Kellan Lutz) had to dye his hair brown. Peter Facinelli had to dye his hair blond. It seems like they were trying to force certain people into certain roles whether they really fit or not.

Peter Facinelli, for instance. I like Peter; I thought he was great in Damages. But I don't think I'd necessarily classify him as "more handsome than any movie star," which is what Dr. Cullen is supposed to be. (And especially not when he's got this freaky blond hair and white makeup.) My suggestion for Dr. Cullen, and I'm pretty confident about this one, would be Ryan McPartlin a.k.a. Chuck's Captain Awesome! I cite his appearance in Mad Men as proof of his handsomeness. I mean, Betty Draper wouldn't put down her gimlet and have a tryst in the back room of a bar with just any guy, right?

Oh, and I've also been pretty turned off to Elizabeth Reaser in general by her messing with poor Alex on Grey's Anatomy and her love of combining Ugg boots and shorts in The Ex List.

I am kind of excited that Rachelle Lefevre landed a role in the film. She keeps popping up in various television shows I watch, and I always wonder what else I've seen her in before I remember that it was Big Wolf on Campus. Yes, I'm admitting that I used to watch Big Wolf on Campus.

So, anyway, my copious television watching has certainly colored my opinions about the Twilight cast. Will any of this stop me from going to see the movie at my earliest convenience? No, it absolutely will not.

(photo: Twilight Official Movie Site)

Chuck: Kissing Casey

Chuck:
"Chuck vs. The Ex"

Yea, college flashbacks! I was excited to find out the whole story about Jill. It was interesting to find out that she dumped Chuck and got together with Bryce after Chuck had already been kicked out of Stanford. For some reason, I had been under the impression both of those things kind of happened at once. Also, we found out that she and Chuck had more or less broken up before she got together with Bryce, which was also not my original understanding of the situation. Obviously, though, it makes sense for the storyline, because if they want to make Jill sympathetic at all, she can't have had cheated on Chuck with Bryce while they were still together.

Interestingly, it turns out that Chuck might not be as over Jill and onto Sarah as we thought. Plus, it's nice that for once someone who Chuck knows outside of the CIA actually knows the truth about what he does. That's gotta be a load off his mind. However, I doubt that this situation will last very long, since it seems that Chuck is destined to be lonely.

BTW, this episode was flat-out hysterical. Highlights were: Chuck not realizing that his microphone was live and ending up in Jill's phone conversation; Morgan and Lester getting Jeff to choke on the pen cap on purpose so that they'd find out the answers to the Heimlich maneuver portion of the test; and Chuck kissing Casey in a misguided attempt to save his life. My goodness, it just kept getting funnier and funnier.

Thoughts and observations:

• Chuck was a tall, adult-like college student. He hasn't aged a day in 5 years ;-)
• Oh dear, Chuck still listens to his "Jill 2003" playlist? This is worse than I thought. Hasn't Sarah (and Lou) made him forget all about Jill by now?
• Jill: "Is there someone who can help me with the tech requirements for my lecture?"
  Guy: "Under the table."
• Chuck: "When you say reconnect, you mean send her an e-mail or invite her to be my new Facebook friend, right?"
• Chuck: "And by the way, she slept with Bryce Larkin."
  Casey: "Who hasn't?"
• Morgan: "Please, we lost Big Mike to doughnuts years ago."
• Buster: "I shudder to think how you would respond to a real catastrophe: a fire, an earthquake..."
  Lester: "An all-out race war."
• Wow, that's quite a car the CIA got for Chuck (that he can't drive).
• Casey's disguise is no good. He looks like John Tesh.
• Chuck: "It doesn't matter... now that I'm alarmingly well-known at this particular restaurant."
• Chuck: "I understood completely 'do you remember biochem?' but after that you lost me."
• Jeff: "Man, if I wanted to take tests, I would have been a boat captain."
• Lester: "So what happens if we don't pass?"
  Morgan: "Oh, we get lousy jobs and live a small, under-realized life in the Valley. Oooh, scary."
• Casey: "I'll just tranq her; she'll wake up in an hour thinking nothing of it."
• Lester and Jeff did a terrible job of making a diversion.
• Chuck's reaction at Jill's boss landing on the roof of the CIA van.
• Jill's last name is Roberts? Is she related to Summer?
• I like Sarah's green glasses! And her Australian accent is nice too.
• The guy who released the bioweapon is CIA? Ahh, he's a Fulcrum agent. Wow, I really don't understand this Fulcrum organization at all. I think I better understood the endgames of SD-6 and the Covenant and all the random Alias terrorist organizations.
• Chuck: "I thought I could spread the anti-virals through saliva."
  Jill: "That's ridiculous."
• It's good that Jill showed up when she did, or Chuck would have had to go all around the room kissing everybody ;-)

(photo: nbc.com)

Mad Men: In the Event of an Emergency

Mad Men: "Meditations in an Emergency"

It's no secret that I didn't love Mad Men the first time I saw it. But, for some reason, I could never really shake this show. When it was on, I'd occasionally check in on it, and I kept abreast of the larger plot points by reading the articles and spoilers about it on tvguide.com and ew.com, etc. It was definitely, though, the show's second season that really hooked me. Somewhere along the line, I found myself watching one of the season 2 episodes and not being able to turn away. Then I watched the next one and then the next one and then the next, and suddenly a full-on obsession was born. With starling precision, Mad Men turned from a show I begrudgingly respected to a show I couldn't stop thinking about. In fact, it's now easily among the 5 shows that I'm most emotionally invested in at the moment (I suppose the others would be Gossip Girl, Greek, Pushing Daisies, and Chuck).

What's most amazing is that the characters I didn't like from the pilot have turned into people I literally spend time worrying about. (Will Don ever get his act together? Will Joan be able to find the strength to leave her asshat fiance? Will Betty float away? etc.) Impressively, Mad Man takes a bunch of characters who are not overly likable on the surface and makes you truly care about them anyway. It's kind of like a show full of Chuck Basses. So of course I'm loving it.

I thought this season 2 finale episode was fantastic. Set during the uncertainty of the Cuban Missile Crisis, the characters struggled with uncertainly in their own lives. The episode was packed with new developments: Betty finds out that she's pregnant, Don finally mans up and makes a better effort at trying to get Betty back, Pete reveals that he knows he should have picked Peggy, Peggy reveals to Pete that she had his baby, Don threatens to leave Sterling Cooper, etc. But even with all of that, Mad Men still found time for some of those heart-wrenching moments of quiet desperation that define the show. This episode was a tour de force from beginning to end, and I think somebody wants another Emmy. (Speaking of Emmys, if the women of Man Men get shut out again, there is no justice in the world.)

Highlights and mediations:

• I adore this show's fantastic opening theme and credits. It's addictive. I just want to keep watching it over and over again.
• I loved how the episode began with Betty looking at the deer panting in the doctor's office. She definitely has a Bambi quality to her and also a deer-in-the-headlights look and attitude.
• Oh, poor Betty is pregnant. Which is just awesome, because Betty and Don make such fantastic parents.
• Doctor: "Are you concerned with your appearance?" (What a butthead.)
• Finally, people are speculating about what Don's problem is and where he disappeared too!
• WHAT?! Don came to the stables? Holy moly, even the slightest show of (normal) effort from him floors me sometimes.
• I have a feeling that "I was not respectful to you" might be the closest thing to an admission of the affair(s) that we're going to get out of Don.
• But, it's not good enough for Betty. No, no, Betty, this might be the best you're ever going to get. It's time to stop being an ice queen.
• Poor stupid Pete is scared out of his mind about the Clearasil thing.
• Oh no, don't promote Pete! That seems like something we might regret.
• Duck's banking on Don having a non-compete clause in his contract with Sterling Cooper.
• Don (to Peggy): "Do I work for you now?"
• Wow, Peggy looks hot today; she's wearing a form-fitting dress. So, what happened, she heard about the Cuban Missile Crisis and decided to tart up her look?
• Pete: "What happened? One minute I'm standing next to you in the car port and the next I'm tap dancing for General Dynamics!"
  Don: "Sorry, I missed that."
• Don: "You wanted to see me?"
  Roger: "About three weeks ago."
• Roger: "Kennedy's daring them to bomb us right when I got a second chance."
• Sally: "Mommy doesn't like to eat."
• That was a gorgeous shot of Betty looking in the store window.
• Well, I guess with all of Betty's drinking and smoking, there's a chance the baby isn't going to make it anyway.
• Wow, Bar Guy is hot! And he sounds familiar...do I know him from somewhere? OMG, I looked it up, and he's Captain Awesome from Chuck!!!! I couldn't even tell from looking at him. Oh, that's so cool.
  
• Whoa, Betty! Making out with Bar Guy in the bathroom hallway! She looks like she's going to pass out. Betty! I know the guy's hot, but this is not the appropriate way to deal with your issues.
• Yea, Betty's eating something! (I guess it takes adultery to make her hungry?)
• Pete's wife (Trudy) is evacuating to Rehoboth Beach!! Count me in!
• Harry: "Bad news! ...I checked the fridge and there's canapes--really good ones!"
• Wow, Pete told Don about Duck being president; he's kind of redeeming himself.
• Don's letter to Betty: "I understand why you want to move on without me, and I know that you won't be alone for long, but without you, I'll be alone forever."
• Roger: "Don, is this necessary?"
  Duck: "It is. Because he likes this room and hearing the sound of his own voice."
• Don doesn't have a contract! He can start his own agency. Wow. That could be very interesting.
  
• Any way the Russians can just nuke Joan's fiance and no one else?
• Pete: "You're perfect... I wish I'd picked you then... I love you and I want to be with you."
  Peggy: "Pete, I could have had you in my life forever if I had wanted to."
• Despite the threat of impending nuclear war, Pete had been having a pretty good day: he was promoted, he got praise from Don...but this scene with Peggy has brought his good day to an abrupt end. He just poured his heart out to her, and she rather calmly replied by telling him what has to be one of the most devastating things imaginable. I know Pete's a schmuck, but you have to feel badly for him now. My guess is that this experience hardens him and he turns into an even bigger jerk than he was before.
• So the Drapers are going to try to get it together for Baby Number Three. I'm sure it won't be an easy road, but it's nice that they're actually going to give it a try.
• I liked that they showed footage from the Mad Men wrap party after the episode. It's nice to see all of the actors in modern clothing (Elizabeth Moss looks so much better). I didn't know that Christina Hendricks has a Southern accent. I wish they would have shown some footage from the Mad Men review as well!

It sounds like it might be a long wait before Mad Men returns, but I can't wait for this fascinating ride to continue.

(photo: amctv.com)

Chuck: Boy Meets Russian Mafia

Chuck: "Chuck Versus the Cougars"

This episode of Chuck was especially exciting for several reasons, not the least of which was that it featured a guest star appearance by Ben Savage a.k.a. Cory Matthews from Boy Meets World. Like most members of the T.G.I.F. generation, I imagine I'll always have a special place in my heart for Cory, Topanga, Shawn, and even Minkus (although my allegiance to him thankfully doesn't mandate me to watch him on One Tree Hill). The last time I saw Rider Strong was his horrifying turn on Veronica Mars where he brutally harassed poor Neil from Freaks and Geeks during a prison simulation. I've made a point of checking out The Dish, Danielle Fischel's new The Soup-esque program on the Style Channel, so I now have semi-regular Topanga fixes. But how I've missed my Cory...and his amazingly hilarious facial expressions (see above).

Another interesting aspect of this episode was that we finally got some back story on Sarah and what her life was like pre-Chuck and pre-Bryce and pre-CIA. Like Chuck, I was really excited to find out that Sarah's real name is Jenny Burton...that is, until we found out that Sarah/Jenny and her father were seasoned con artists and "Jenny Burton" was just one of a long line of aliases. Still, we learned more about her than we knew before: her dad went to prison, she was nerdy, Nicole Richie terrorized her in high school, she joined the CIA as an alternative to going to jail, etc.

Highlights and observations:

• Wow, high school Sarah had terrible hair.
  
• Sarah used to live in San Diego and now works in LA and her cover hasn't been blown yet?
• Oh no, Cory's in the intersect. That's not a good sign.
  
• Chuck does not seem to spend much time in the BuyMore these days. Luckily for him, the management is lax.
• Shades of The O.C.: Chuck talks about cilantro, which Caleb Nichol notably hated. What is it with Josh Schwartz and cilantro? It seems like it's bordering on an obsession ;-)
• Chuck: "Cilantro--very controversial. You either love it or you hate it. I love it."
• Chuck and Cory are not a very unbeatable combination.
• Chuck: "A self-defense class I took at the Y. It was very comprehensive."
• How gullible is Cory if he believes Chuck is "Mad Dog"?
• Lester is the worst manager ever.
• I'm surprised the BuyMore is only out $3700 after these stupid sales practices.
• Whoa, they decorated the reunion with humongous yearbook photos? That's harsh!
• "Mmm Bop"! I hope high school seniors didn't like "Mmm Bop."
• This Dick Duffy joker was on the last episode of The Ex-List. Ugh, I'm embarrassed that I know that.
• Hahahaha, Casey being the deejay was hilarious.
• Ahh, Nicole Richie is Russian mafia. Who'd have thought?
• Sarah should be able to beat up skinny little Nicole Richie.
• Why did Sarah go back into the reunion all wet and bleeding from the mouth? That would seem a bit suspicious.

Next week we meet Chuck's ex! The one that Bryce stole from him? Who we haven't heard a thing about since the very early episodes? The one who was seemingly forgotten all about? Awesome! I've been wondering what was up with her.

(photo: nbc.com)

Chuck: Seducing Julie Cooper

Chuck:

"Chuck Versus the Seduction"

Let's start by stating the obvious: Melinda Clarke is hands down awesome. How I miss Julie Cooper and her conniving ways...and, well, The O.C. in general. My thanks goes out to Josh Schwartz for continuing to employ the former residents of Newport Beach. And it looks like the Coopers really are making a comeback, since Melinda's Chuck cameo will be followed by Willa Holland (Kaitlin) showing up on Gossip Girl (which was the no-brainer casting decision of the century).

The play-by-play:

• Why does Sarah always pose alluringly at the Buy More door before she walks in? And why does there always appear to be a wind machine pointing at her? ;-)
• Sasha's a girl? Aren't Russian Sashas generally boys?
• The CIA has a "seduction school"? I guess that explains why Sydney Bristow always seemed so good at it.
• It was funny when the hardass NSA lady got all flustered when Roan walked in.
• Chuck: "His liver must look like camouflage!"
• Ha ha, Morgan proving that he knows Ellie better than Awesome was funny.
• I like it when Chuck gets egged into being kind of badass...or if not "badass" at least not as pitiful.
• Casey's expression was great when he overheard Roan say, "Don't worry, Charles. I'll teach you how to get her (Sarah) too."
• Roan: "Why do you think she's known as the Black Widow?"
  Chuck: "Because she's African American and her husband died?"
• Roan: "If he survives the night, it will be a miracle."
  Sarah: "He can hear you!"
• Melinda's Russian accent was hilarious.
• If she doesn't drink, why's she hanging out in a bar?
• Roan: "Aww, poor Anton! That's tragic."
• Ellie: "Why of all the movies in the world would Sister Act be my favorite?"
• Nice Chuck! Stealing her necklace (the Cipher, whatever) was smart.
• Chuck: "Leap from the balcony, landing with a flourish, and the Russian judge gives him a 9.4!"
• Morgan is the wounded gazelle! Oh no, the wheel said he was fired! Wow, it's nice that all the Buy More employees have such an allegiance to Morgan.
• Roan: "Lesson number one about being a spy: Don't fall in love."
• As terms of their return, the Buy More employees demand two hour lunch breaks and unlimited bathroom breaks! Can Lester even given them these privileges? Isn't it company policy?
• Chuck gave the Black Widow directions to the Buy More. Ha ha ha.
• Ha, why does the banner say "New Ass Man" now? Just take the whole thing down.
• Who in the CIA had to spread rose petals all over Ellie's house? That's not a very glamorous job.
• I'm not sure Roan meant for Chuck to wear the white dinner jacket over a graphic tee...
• And: damn that Bryce Larkin! That guy just continuously shows up at the worst moments!

(photo: NBC/Chuck)

Premiere Watch '08: Chuck

Chuck:
"Chuck Versus the First Date"

During it's abridged first season, Chuck got increasing- ly better and better and offered up some tremendously enjoyable episodes (Marshall Flinkman as a gymnast spy, Rachel Bilson as an adorable sandwich maker, Bryce's return, etc.). After a very long, forced hiatus, it was fantastic to see that Chuck's return episode maintained its high standard of last season.

The cast is still across-the-board lovable, the constructs of the show still work, it's still funny, and it's still fun.

• Chuck: "You know what, it's never safe in the car!"
• Chuck portrays the NSA as one heartless bitch of a governmental organization. Chuck, an American civilian, does nothing but help them, and then they just want to off him as soon as the new computer comes online. That's harsh.
• Chuck's reaction to walking in on Ellie and Awesome in the shower was hilarious.
• Nooo, I don't want Chuck to move out of Ellie's place! I think it's sweet that they live together.
• Morgan's hair is looking good.
• Big Mike: "[The assistant manager is] the captain of the ship when I'm not around, which we both know is often."
• Sarah works at the frozen yogurt place now? That's neat. I really don't think she should be licking her fingers while she's serving ice cream though. That's gotta be a health code violation.
• Well, it should certainly help to have Sarah around when Casey comes to kill Chuck.
• Morgan has "a black belt in dumplings." That's my kind of person!
• Wow, Casey has a decontamination shower built into his apartment! Cool!
• Chuck: "Is that a Crown Victoria?"
• Go Casey!
• Chuck: "'Somebody order drive through?' Huh? Did you think that up when you were racing over to save us? Hey, maybe I'll say this after I crash into the restaurant!"
• Chuck (when Jeff starts trying to play footsie with him): "That's not called for, or welcome!"
• Chuck: "Of course you don't see anyone! Who do you think we are, the FBI?"
• Go Chuck! Repeating Morgan's specs (for laser tag or whatever it was; I missed it)--nice!
• Nice catch (of Chuck), Casey! Phew.
• Casey: "Yeah, I know, I catch you when you fall."
• Wow, when he was captured, Chuck handled the situation so well! It was nice to see him not screaming like a girl and deftly dealing with a problem that wasn't a technology issue.
• The song they played at the end was cool, but I don't know what it is.
• So who faked the Sipher thing? Casey? He did take it from Chuck, but he also got awfully close to killing Chuck for someone who knew the new Intersect was going to blow up.
• Lester is not a great assistant manager...
• Chuck: "I want out of Burbank...to--"
  Morgan: "Glendale."

Next week it's Chuck versus Julie Cooper Nichol! If that's what it's coming down to, the fate of the free world isn't looking good--Julie is scary!

Premiere Rating: 8.0/10

(photo: nbc.com)

The Highlight of My Day

TVGuide online posted this fantastic interview with Josh Schwartz, my resident superhero.

The interview focuses on the release of The O.C. dvd and is amazing. Highlights include Josh saying that, in retrospect, he wishes they'd kept the characters of Anna and Luke around much longer (I've often thought that their early departures were one of the main flaws of the show) and discussing the tonal similarities between The O.C. and his two new shows (two of my favorites) Gossip Girl and Chuck. Now if only he'd mentioned Chuck's spoof of The O.C.'s New Year's Eve party, I'd be over the moon.

And, the interview is ginormous. I read it during both my breaks at work today, and I still didn't finish it! So, yes, this was definitely the highlight of my day.

Ode to Chuck

Unlike other shows that premiered strong and then tailed off a little or a lot in subsequent episodes (cough, Reaper, cough), the quality of Chuck started high and has even been steadily improving. The two Bilson episodes were fantastic and Bryce's return was also stellar. Along with Gossip Girl, Chuck now tops my list of appointment television. So, the question becomes: is there any way Josh Schwartz could make a show that I wouldn't love?

Oh, Chuck, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways...

Chuck is hilarious. I've got weeks worth of lists of the hilarity that is this show, but I'm going to try to narrow it down to a few examples.

The shining example (at which I'm still laughing) in "Chuck vs. the Nemesis" was:

Awesome: "So, Thanksgiving: we're all supposed to say what we're thankful for..."
Casey: "Pass."
Chuck: "I'm thankful that Bryce Larkin is dead and is not currently in my bedroom making out with my new girlfriend."
Morgan: "Wow, buddy, that was dark."
Awesome: "And specific!"

Highlights in "Chuck vs. the Imported Hard Salami":

Morgan: "She is the hottest piece we are ever going to get! ...Beg for her back, Charles!"

Chuck: "Normally, here on planet Earth, a man will consider his feelings for a woman before jumping atop her."

"Chuck vs. the Truth" was fantastic. I mean, come on: Marshall Flinkman as a former elite gymnast turned rogue intelligence agent? Awesome. (I shudder to think what the world will come to if Blaine Wilson or the Hamm twins turn rogue.) Some of the best lines were:

Morgan: "I am a very busy man-boy."

Ellie: "Chuck, you need a haircut--it's starting to make funny animal shapes... At the time it seemed really important to have a New Kids fanny pack... Words taste like peaches!"

Chuck: "God, [Sarah,] you're so pretty. And Casey, your jaw was chiseled by Michelangelo himself!

And my favorites from "Chuck vs. the Sandworm":

Casey: "I'm sick of feeling like Team Chuck's little fat kid."

Chuck: "We are--chronologically speaking--adults."

And Chuck and Morgan's endless debate about which sandwich they'd want if they were stranded on a desert island, especially Chuck's: "Think about it, Morgan, this is a desert island--mayonnaise doesn't fare well in the tropics!"

Chuck loves The O.C. almost as much as I do. There was my sneaking suspicion that a picture of Ryan and Marissa at Tijuana was hidden amongst the Intersect images and the shout out to "The O.C...season 2, which was underrated" during the awesome Buy More 'name-that-show' competition.

But The O.C. homage to end all homages came at the end of "Chuck vs. the Sandworm" when Chuck and Morgan reenacted shot-for-shot the iconic (to me, anyway) Ryan/Marissa New Year's Eve party moment. They played Finley Quaye's "Dice," Morgan sat looking glum, Chuck ran in out of breath, they spotted each other across the room, Chuck bumped into someone as he hurried toward Morgan and my heart was so full of love I could barely stand it.

Chuck is surprisingly sexy. "Chuck vs. the Imported Hard Salami" was hotter than anything on Grey's Anatomy in at least a year. Chuck (Zach Levi) and Lou (Rachel Bilson) made talking about sandwiches wildly hot. And then the Chuck/Sarah kiss in front of the ticking bomb was crazy sexy. Kudos to Zach Levi for finding a way to be both goofy and sexy. In case the past few years in popular culture haven't convinced you, here's some more proof that geeks are hot.

Chuck is extremely sweet. It is nice to watch a show about a guy who loves his sister and his friends and is a little meek and underachieving and a lot adorable. It just is.

Premiere Watch '07: Round Up!!!

Well, I'm exhausted. Who knew that blogging about television could be so tiring ;-) It sure didn't help matters that there are now about a billion shows that I wanted to a least sample this season. Here are my rankings for the first episodes of almost everything a whole lot of new and returning shows (scale of 1 to 10):

Pilots:

• Pushing Daisies...............9.5
• Reaper..............................8.5
• Chuck...............................8.0
• Gossip Girl.......................7.5
• Dirty Sexy Money..........7.0
• Samantha Who?..............7.0
• Aliens in America............7.0
• Moonlight.........................6.5
• Kid Nation........................6.5
• Private Practice...............5.0
• Big Shots...........................2.5
• Viva Laughlin...................1.0

Returning Series:

• The Office.........................8.0
• 30 Rock.............................8.0
• Ugly Betty.........................7.5
• Grey's Anatomy...............7.0
• Brothers and Sisters........6.0
• Men In Trees....................6.0
• Heroes................................5.5
• Desperate Housewives....5.0

Whew. It seems like no sooner did we wade through all the premieres, than it's time for November Sweeps! Oh well, bring on the weddings, births, deaths, surprise pregancies, etc....

Premiere Watch '07: Samantha Who?

Samantha Who?

Well, this is my last premiere review of the fall season, unless I blog Viva Laughlin for some evil fun tomorrow...which, face it, I'm totally going to do.

Anyway, Samantha Who? was a pretty darn delightful show, which is much more than anyone can say for ABC's other new comedies (Cavemen, Carpoolers), which I couldn't even sit through. I enjoy seeing Christina Applegate back on television, as I was a bit of a Jessie fan back in the day. At times, Christina seemed just a little over-the-top in her portrayal of Sam, but I guess she was going for the always-on-the-verge-of-a-freak-out thing that is popular among female TV characters (and Chuck from Chuck).

After the first episode, I feel pretty sorry for "new" Sam since she's stuck with "old" Sam's scary parents and friends. I love Gilmore Girls' Sookie, but her character was pretty freaky on this show. And, let's just say, if that's how Jennifer Esposito acts in real life (I assume it's not), then I can see why Bradley Cooper divorced her.

I did love Barry Watson in this show. I think he's becoming one of those people who just get cuter and cuter all the time (or maybe he just seems cuter since I don't have to be watching 7th Heaven to see him). It was a nice twist that Todd had already tried to break up with pre-coma Sam. That revelation made a lot of sense because he didn't really seem all that into having her around. I also liked how all the messages on his answering machine were his friends bad-mouthing Sam.

I hope we get to see more flashbacks to pre-coma Sam, because she seems pretty entertaining in her horribleness.

Funniest Part:

Sam: "You raised me. You made me who I am!"

Sam's mom: "What a horrible thing to say!"

Sam's dad: "Apologize to your mother."

What I liked most about this pilot is that it made it seem like there's plenty more material to cover in this story. So hopefully the show won't peter out in the next few episodes, like I think Reaper sadly has.

But I would be remiss not to mention that this show is almost exactly 13 Going On 30 without the fairy dust and the "Thriller" dance sequence.

Premiere Rating: 7 / 10

(photo: abc.com)

Chuck: More of a Shoe Occasion

Chuck:
Episode 3

This was a really good episode. Sending Chuck on missions a la Alias season 1 is genius.

Bullets:

• I liked the scene with Ellie, Morgan, and Awesome debating Chuck's future.
• Chuck: "So, sneakers? Or is this more of a shoe occasion?"
• Chuck's becoming more and more Seth-Cohen sarcastic.
• Chuck learning to tango from Captain Awesome was great.
• Waterman: "I'm too young to retire; too rich to work."
  Chuck: "That's quite a pickle you find yourself in, Waterman."
• Chuck: "It has a Bob Ross-ian quality. Bob Ross? You know, the guy from PBS..."
• Chuck: "Right, apparently, I learned the girl's part of this dance."
• Villain: "Now I have to kill you."
  Chuck: "Have to? No, no, I disagree. I disagree vehemently!"
• Chuck's boss gave him extra points for style since he fixed the computers in his tux.
• Casey: (after throwing a microwave at a bad guy) "Now that's what I call moving some merchandise."

Week 2: Chuck and Heroes

Chuck:
"Chuck Versus the Helicopter"

Pretty good episode #2 for Chuck. I liked that we got a little more information about what in the heck is going on... Bryce was a "rogue" agent, which is why the NSA had no qualms about taking him out. And after a stressful hour of not knowing who to trust, we are now fairly sure that Sarah is not also a rogue agent. So that's good.

This episode was probably not quite as funny as the pilot, but I enjoyed myself. I liked how they made poor Chuck exist in a state of panic for basically the entire episode. That's gotta be exhausting. The standout moment of the episode was when Chuck, desperate to keep his family from eating the souffle he believes to be poisoned, accidentally successfully pulls the table cloth out from under everything on the table.

Bullets (which is an appropriate term to use when reviewing a spy show):

• Now Chuck has a voice over too? I don't like it. Thankfully it only served to get us into the episode and then quickly disappeared.
• They sure played the heck out of Spoon's "Don't Make Me a Target" and Gnarls Barkley's "Gone Daddy Gone."
• As they watch Chuck and Morgan play matador and bull: NSA lady, "Our national secrets were sent to an idiot." CIA guy, "At least they weren't sent to his friend."
• Holy crap!!! Chuck knows what happened to Oceanic Flight 815! As in, the plane that crashed on Lost! This is blowing my mind: Lost is on a different network! But, hey, could Chuck please just tell us what happened to the plane, because that would save us a lot of time and frustration? (And--reading too much into this--Chuck got his knowledge from the government, so the government must know about Flight 815, which adds yet another creepy layer to the Lost saga.)
• The bomber should hide the incinerators better. If you sit the thing right on the backseat, of course people are going to find it in time to get out of the car.
• I liked when Sarah said, "You sister is awesome," because, of course, Captain Awesome had to concur.
• Chuck: "That was the doctor, huh? He's probably not dead."

Heroes: "Lizards"

Ugh. I think I liked this episode even less than last week's. At least I had lowered my expectations accordingly.

I really don't like much of anybody on this show anymore. I like Kensei, but I'm sure I probably wouldn't if anyone other than David Anders were playing him. I'm especially annoyed with Claire. I kind of want "The Company" to find her and subject her to lots of tests just so she'll learn her lesson. And I'm so over all the Petrellis.

Oh, one character I still like is Mrs. Bennet. She had the line of the night:

"We do have a colander, dear. We don't need to get flashy."

Other:

• What newspaper would publish a photo of a someone who had just fallen to their death lying in a pool of blood on the pavement?
• Ando and Parkman have never met?
• Well, telling Maya that she's full of evil was really helpful, healer. Because these people weren't whiny enough.
• Does "I wouldn't do that!" in Japanese really sound like, "Wooaboodaboodaboo?" Because how could anyone take themselves seriously saying that?
• I find Hiro's antics just so delightfully amusing... [Now infuse that statement with as much sarcasm as you can, and you'll see where I'm coming from.]
• Maya needs waterproof mascara. That stuff is dripping all over her face! ;-)
• So the assassin appears to have all the powers, like Peter and Sylar. I assume it's neither of them though. There, I tried to care about something that's going on in this show. Now I'll go back to mocking it...
• Geez. Thank goodness Sark/Kensei appears to have the same power as Claire, or Heroes would have just lost me as a viewer. But, why does Hiro do such a poor job of using his power? He can stop time, yet he just let the arrows fly right into Sark. Come on.
• Mohinder never met the Haitian?
• Eeeeew, eew, eew! I so did not need to see Claire cut off her toe with scissors. But, um, how powerful are those scissors anyway? They cut through freaking bone!