CHUCK Recap: “Chuck vs. The Undercover Lover”

CHUCK was back, and I didn’t realize just how much I missed it. Equally as excited was SB, our famed CHUCK recapper. Here’s her first of two recaps from last night’s CHUCK sandwich.

Episode: “Chuck vs. The Undercover Lover”
Original Airdate: 1.24.08
GMMR Recapper: SB

Yay! You guys, I have missed recapping (and Chuck) so much, that a double-header is exactly what I needed. And not only that, but we got a Casey-centric episode! WHAT?!?! The only thing that would have made it more perfect is if the stupid Apprentice hadn’t been stuck in the middle. Don’t worry, though, Billy played Guitar Hero for an hour so we didn’t have to watch that crap. Also, before we get going, I have to tell you that my friend and pop culture goddess, Amity, came over and was awesome to watch with because she catches things that I don’t, and who wins in that scenario? YOU do! She is now invited every week.

Okay, so … Casey. So much Casey hotness this week. What! I had heart palpitations for like an hour. That cannot be healthy. We open up on a flashback to some Casey back story, where he is speaking Russian and lying on a hotel bed, lamenting that he’d gotten involved with a photojournalist. The girl fake laments getting involved with an energy consultant, so that must be Casey’s go-to lie. She calls him Sugar Bear, and can I just say … Sugar Bear? SB? Coincidence? I think not. She goes to kiss him and it is SUPER hot. But then, you knew I’d think so. Meanwhile, all I can think about is how this is the slutty girl from Just Like Heaven, starring Reese Witherspoon and Mark Ruffalo. Am said she was also a slutty girl in something else, but I forgot which movie because it probably wasn’t that awesome. But she also, especially with the dark hair, looks like Julia Roberts’ hooker friend in Pretty Woman. Although obviously she’s much younger than Laura San Giacamo, and yes, I did know that was her name without looking it up.

Anyway, the “photographer” leaves (did anyone actually buy that she was a photographer?) and there is a giant explosion. Casey runs outside, finds her charred camera, and stands there holding it, instead of going to look for her, which, you know, would be the logical thing to do. But then it wouldn’t segue as nicely into him holding a digital camera for an obnoxious customer at the Buy More, now would it?

Anyway, long story short, Jeff (of course) is looking at a fancy hotel’s computer and finding out celebrity phone numbers and room numbers and all sorts of information that Jeff really should not have. Chuck takes over and flashes on approximately one zillion names, including Ilsa, a.k.a. The Girl Who Called Casey Sugar Bear. Apparently, there’s a Russian arms dealer convention in town. Ah, yes. Isn’t there always? So Team Chuck goes to check it out, where Casey sees Ilsa and they have a moment, right up until some bad guys says they’re there to celebrate his wedding to … you guessed it, Ilsa. Waa waa waaaaah.

From here (and, okay, leading up to here), the spy plot is pretty predictable. Ilsa turns out to be a French spy trying to take down this arms ring from the inside, and she and Casey work together to kick some ass. When it wasn’t Sugar Bear Love Story or the spicy not-quite-sex scenes, I got a little bored with it. Amity, however, couldn’t stop laughing at Chuck and Casey being tied together and Chuck hanging off the balcony yelling about his weak thighs. I think that was her favorite part of the entire night.

Meanwhile, back in subplot land, Ellie and Awesome are fighting over what to get for their anniversary. It’s a semi-funny role-reversal, in that Ellie wants a flat screen and Awesome wants a washer and dryer, but mostly it’s a plot device that lands Awesome in a poker game with the Buy More crowd, which turns out to be all guys and strip poker, which leads to him appreciating his life with Ellie more; and which also leads to Ellie getting drunk by herself and waking up to Morgan. I can’t complain, though, because it also gifted me with MY favorite moment of the night (and one of my most favorite, period) of Morgan waking up and saying, “Come on, ma! I’ve got my headgear on!” Sixteen Candles quote!!!!!!! So glorious. Awesome comes in to find Morgan and Ellie on the bed, and Morgan awkwardly tries to explain that nothing happened, while Awesome obviously didn’t think for one second that anything ever WOULD have happened.

Also, Ellie getting drunk on plot contrivances made for a pretty awesome montage of drunk Sugar Bear, who had his hot legs showing … so thank you, whoever made that artistic decision! Chuck asked if he wouldn’t like having the American Dream, and he said that, nah, he did what he did so that all the other slobs could have it. And can I just say … let’s take a tangent here. Why not? We do it all the time. So I was in college when 9/11 went down, and like a week or two before that happened, one of my friends joined the National Guard. To get money for college. How much does THAT suck? Anyway, you’ll recall that everyone was all patriotic and whatnot around that time, and no one more than him. And he was all about giving patriotic speeches worthy of like freaking MacArthur or Abraham Lincoln or whatever, and you could practically see a computer generated, semi-transparent flag waving in the background behind him as a majestic eagle flew overhead, and it was SO ANNOYING. But this story really has nothing to do with Chuck. Just what I was thinking about as I watched it.

We also got a sweet little “The More You Know” PSA when Chuck wouldn’t let Sugar Bear drink and drive. Awwww. But I guess … yay for not drinking and driving? Although we did already get the “smoking is bad” lesson from Chuck, so I guess let’s just keep them coming! If they need any new ideas for what not to do, they should talk to my grandma, whose wise and very modern ideas include “Only prostitutes go out after nine o’clock.”

Oh, what else? I also really enjoyed everyone spying on each other for entertainment, because hello, I totally do that! I used to listen through the walls in college, yes, sometimes with a cup, and I am an expert at peeking out my blinds. I got really good at that as a kid when I lived next door to Mr. Hell’s Angels, who used to work on his car all the time, but he’d always get mad and end up throwing his tools down the street and combining cuss words in the most innovative ways. So all the looking in and out of windows to see what people are doing really made me laugh.

Okay, three paragraphs later, I’m going to get back to the actual plot of the episode, and Ilsa of course went back undercover, and Sugar Bear goes back to being Casey, even after some handholding and kissing and general junior high mushiness (minus the walk of shame—I HOPE no one is doing that in junior high!). Is it so wrong to sort of want a regular or semi-regular love interest for Casey? It kind of reminds me of Supernatural season two when Dean has Jo around to worry about and protect. I guess I have Damsel in Distress Syndrome, because I really like when the big tough guy is all looking out for his equally-bad-ass-but-still-a-girl girl.

Onto the next recap! It’s nice that we don’t have to wait long and that we got two episodes in one night. It is NOT so nice that there’s still a writer’s strike on and no new Chuck. Somebody tell those suits to stop being such turds!