Chuck Versus Santa Claus
Encyclopedia
"Chuck Versus Santa Claus" is the eleventh episode of the second season
of Chuck
, and the 24th overall episode of the series. The episode was directed by Robert Duncan McNeill
and written by Scott Rosenbaum
. It originally aired December 15, 2008.
The episode revolves around a hostage crisis
and is largely presented as an homage to the film Die Hard
. On Christmas Eve
, an amateur criminal on the run from the police crashes into the Buy More
and takes Chuck Bartowski
, Ellie Bartowski, Devon Woodcomb, and the Buy More employees hostage. In order to protect Chuck's cover and the safety of the other hostages, Sarah Walker
and John Casey
secretly go into the store to remove Chuck, but the mission quickly falls apart when Chuck refuses to leave his friends and family behind.
"Chuck Versus Santa Claus" received overwhelmingly positive reviews from critics. According to the Nielsen ratings
system, it drew 7.661 million viewers, making it the second most-watched episode of the season, after "Chuck Versus the Third Dimension
".
, a high-speed chase occurs near a Burbank, California
shopping center, ultimately ending with the fugitive crashing his car through the Buy More
front doors. Nathan "Needlenose Ned" Rhyerson (Jed Rees
) exits the car and, desperate to buy presents for his children, takes Chuck Bartowski
(Zachary Levi
), Ellie Bartowski
(Sarah Lancaster
), Devon Woodcomb (Ryan McPartlin
), and all the Buy More employees hostage. Ned communicates with the police via Chuck, and LAPD
Lieutenant Frank Mauser (Michael Rooker
) negotiates the release of Emmett Milbarge (Tony Hale
) as a sign of good faith
.
Meanwhile, Sarah Walker
(Yvonne Strahovski
) and John Casey
(Adam Baldwin
) watch news coverage of the situation and sneak into the store to rescue Chuck so that the media attention does not compromise his cover, only to be thwarted by Ned. Suddenly, Mauser exchanges himself for two hostages: Chuck's handlers
Casey and Sarah.
When Mauser enters, Chuck flashes on his watch, identifying him is a Fulcrum
agent. Mauser tells Chuck that he knows that Casey and Sarah are CIA
and that they are protecting an unknown asset. He reveals that Ned is a Fulcrum agent who caused the disturbance so Mauser could infiltrate the Buy More. At this point, it is revealed that Ned is far more competent than the hostages where led to believe, having intentionally shot Casey in the foot and separated Chuck from his handlers. Mauser threatens to shoot the hostages if Chuck does not reveal where Bryce Larkin
and the government database the Intersect
are. Chuck reveals to Mauser that the Intersect has been uploaded to his brain.
As Mauser escorts him from the Buy More, Chuck urges Devon to disarm Ned. As Chuck is taken in an ambulance to a Fulcrum facility, Devon, Jeff Barnes (Scott Krinsky
), Lester Patel (Vik Sahay
), Big Mike (Mark Christopher Lawrence
), and Morgan Grimes
(Joshua Gomez
) make a plan. Lester unsuccessfully tries to tackle Ned, but Morgan manages to distract Ned long for Big Mike and Devon to tackle him and end the hostage situation.
Meanwhile, Sarah and Casey learn that Ned is unmarried and had earlier called Mauser rather than his wife, as the hostages were led to believe. They follow the ambulance containing Chuck and Mauser and shoot its tires, sending the vehicle into a Christmas tree
lot and allowing Chuck to escape. After a brief fight, Mauser surrenders, confident that Fulcrum will rescue him. To protect Chuck, Sarah executes Mauser. Unknown to Sarah, Chuck watches the entire confrontation in horror from afar. She lies to Chuck and tells him that Mauser has been arrested. At the Buy More, Ellie and Morgan's girlfriend Anna Wu (Julia Ling
) praise Lester for his act of bravery. Morgan watches as Lester grabs Anna and kisses her, turning away before Anna resists Lester and slaps him. The episode closes with both Morgan and Chuck heartbroken, Morgan believing Anna to be unfaithful, and Chuck believing Sarah to be a murderer.
, and was written by producer Scott Rosenbaum
. It originally aired in the United States
on December 15, 2008, on NBC
as the eleventh episode of Chucks second season and the 24th episode overall.
The exterior shots of the store where most of the episode takes place are of a former Mervyn's store in the Fallbrook Mall in Canoga Park. Reginald VelJohnson
guest stars, reprising his Die Hard role of Sergeant Al Powell, who is revealed to be Big Mike's cousin. Michael Rooker
also guest stars as long-time hostage negotiator Frank Mauser and Jed Rees
as Ned, the hostage taker. Tony Hale
and Bonita Friedericy
reprise their recurring roles of efficiency expert Emmett Milbarge and General Diane Beckman
, respectively.
, which was also centered around terrorists instigating a hostage crisis on the day before Christmas. The episode also has music similar to Die Hard, including the song "Ode to Joy
". Reginald VelJohnson reprises his role of LAPD officer Al Powell from Die Hard and Die Hard 2
. While Powell bought several Twinkie
s for his wife in Die Hard, in this episode he and Big Mike are shown eating Twinkies at the same time. Chuck later parodied Die Hard on a much larger scale in "Chuck Versus the Leftovers
".
The episode contains a number of other references. Its title references the North America
n legend
ary, mythological
and folkloric
figure Santa Claus
. In addition to Die Hard, the episode has been described in part as "a light-hearted Dog Day Afternoon
parody." Ned is believed to be named after Stephen Tobolowsky
's character Ned Ryerson from Groundhog Day
, and Mauser after Art Metrano
's character from Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment
and Police Academy 3: Back in Training
. Chuck reveals that Christmas at the Bartowski household includes Twilight Zone
marathons, while Sarah reveals that Christmas at the Burton household was spent in a Salvation Army
scam.
. Some songs, including "Ode to Joy
" by Ludwig van Beethoven
, are used to further allude to Die Hard. Other songs featured in the episode are "Jingle Bell Rock
" by Bobby Helms
, "I'll Be Home for Christmas" performed by Bing Crosby
, "Silent Night
" by Joseph Mohr, and "Christmas and Me Are Through" by Your Vegas
.
system, "Chuck Versus Santa Claus" drew 7.661 million viewers, making it the second most-watched episode of the season, after "Chuck Versus the Third Dimension
".
The episode received overwhelmingly positive reviews from critics. Eric Goldman of IGN
gave the episode a score of 9.5 out of 10, a series high alongside "Chuck Versus the Colonel
", Season 3
's "Chuck Versus the Beard
" and "Chuck Versus the Subway
", and Season 4
's "Chuck Versus the Cliffhanger
". Goldman described the episode as an "especially strong installment, which delivered on a lot of fronts." Goldman praised the scene depicting Sarah and Mauser's confrontation, writing, "The entire ambience of the scene was terrific – a rainy night at a Christmas tree lot, with Chuck secretly watching as Sarah shot the unarmed, surrendering Mauser in cold blood - to the tune of 'Silent Night', no less. Of course she did this because she loves Chuck and wants to protect him, but all Chuck knows is that he just saw Sarah in a very scary light, and it's a great new dynamic to their relationship." HitFix writer Alan Sepinwall wrote, "Chuck vs. Santa Claus" was moving along amusingly enough when it still seemed like Ned Rhyerson was just a hapless criminal with the bad luck to crash into a store built above a top-secret government intelligence facility, but the surprising left turn it took when Chuck flashed on Lt. Mauser took things to another level." Steve Heisler of The A.V. Club
gave the episode an A-, writing "Santa Claus certainly delivered (character) goodies to everyone tonight. Morgan gets to be a hero, even if no one notices, taking down Ned with a fake snow machine. Jeff calls his mother–in prison–then finds the time to break up a mistletoe makeout session. Lester sneaks a smooch from Anna, and isn't even remotely fazed when it causes her to run for the hills. And Big Mike's embrace of cousin Big Al is a keeper."
Chuck (season 2)
The second season of Chuck contains 22 episodes and was originally aired from September 29, 2008 to April 27, 2009. The season continues to focus on Chuck's constant struggle to keep his spy life and real life apart as he becomes more accustomed to being a spy. More background on the Intersect...
of Chuck
Chuck (TV series)
Chuck is an action-comedy/spy-drama television program from the United States created by Josh Schwartz and Chris Fedak. The series is about an "average computer-whiz-next-door" named Chuck, played by Zachary Levi, who receives an encoded e-mail from an old college friend now working for the Central...
, and the 24th overall episode of the series. The episode was directed by Robert Duncan McNeill
Robert Duncan McNeill
Robert Duncan McNeill is an American actor, producer, movie director, and television director who is best known for his role as Lieutenant Tom Paris on the television show Star Trek: Voyager.-Acting:...
and written by Scott Rosenbaum
Scott Rosenbaum
Scott Rosenbaum is a writer and producer for television. He first worked on the 1999 television series Grown Ups as a writer. He joined the writing staff of The Shield in 2002, writing 16 episodes until he left the series in 2007...
. It originally aired December 15, 2008.
The episode revolves around a hostage crisis
Hostage crisis
A hostage crisis develops when one or more terrorists or criminals hold people against their will and try to hold off the authorities by force, threatening to kill the hostages if provoked or attacked....
and is largely presented as an homage to the film Die Hard
Die Hard
Die Hard is a 1988 American action film and the first in the Die Hard film series. The film was directed by John McTiernan and written by Jeb Stuart and Steven E. de Souza. It is based on a 1979 novel by Roderick Thorp titled Nothing Lasts Forever, itself a sequel to the book The Detective, which...
. On Christmas Eve
Christmas Eve
Christmas Eve refers to the evening or entire day preceding Christmas Day, a widely celebrated festival commemorating the birth of Jesus of Nazareth that takes place on December 25...
, an amateur criminal on the run from the police crashes into the Buy More
Buy More
Buy More is a fictional big box electronics retail chain in NBC's action-comedy series Chuck. The Buy More is a parody of similar chains, particularly Best Buy....
and takes Chuck Bartowski
Chuck Bartowski
Charles Irving "Chuck" Bartowski is the main and titular character of the American fiction television show Chuck on NBC. He is portrayed by Zachary Levi.-Character profile:...
, Ellie Bartowski, Devon Woodcomb, and the Buy More employees hostage. In order to protect Chuck's cover and the safety of the other hostages, Sarah Walker
Sarah Walker (Chuck)
Sarah Lisa Bartowski is the alias of one of the main characters of the fictional television show Chuck on NBC. She is portrayed by Yvonne Strahovski and is one of two agents assigned by the NSA and CIA to protect Chuck Bartowski after he unwittingly downloads the secret government computer known...
and John Casey
John Casey (Chuck)
Colonel John Casey is portrayed by actor Adam Baldwin on the television show Chuck on NBC. Prior to the episode "Chuck Versus the Tic Tac," he was partnered with CIA agent Sarah Walker to protect Chuck Bartowski....
secretly go into the store to remove Chuck, but the mission quickly falls apart when Chuck refuses to leave his friends and family behind.
"Chuck Versus Santa Claus" received overwhelmingly positive reviews from critics. According to the Nielsen ratings
Nielsen Ratings
Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
system, it drew 7.661 million viewers, making it the second most-watched episode of the season, after "Chuck Versus the Third Dimension
Chuck Versus the Third Dimension
"Chuck Versus the Third Dimension" is the 12th episode of the second season of Chuck. It aired on February 2, 2009. This episode was originally aired in 3-D, as the name suggests, using the same ColorCode 3-D technology as some of the commercials in Super Bowl XLIII...
".
Plot
The morning before ChristmasChristmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
, a high-speed chase occurs near a Burbank, California
Burbank, California
Burbank is a city in Los Angeles County in Southern California, United States, north of downtown Los Angeles. The estimated population in 2010 was 103,340....
shopping center, ultimately ending with the fugitive crashing his car through the Buy More
Buy More
Buy More is a fictional big box electronics retail chain in NBC's action-comedy series Chuck. The Buy More is a parody of similar chains, particularly Best Buy....
front doors. Nathan "Needlenose Ned" Rhyerson (Jed Rees
Jed Rees
Jed Rees is a Canadian Comedy Award-nominated actor from Vancouver, British Columbia, best known for his roles in movies such as Men With Brooms and The Ringer -Early life:...
) exits the car and, desperate to buy presents for his children, takes Chuck Bartowski
Chuck Bartowski
Charles Irving "Chuck" Bartowski is the main and titular character of the American fiction television show Chuck on NBC. He is portrayed by Zachary Levi.-Character profile:...
(Zachary Levi
Zachary Levi
Zachary Levi Pugh , better known by his stage name Zachary Levi , is an American television actor, director, and singer known for the roles of Kipp Steadman in Less than Perfect, Chuck Bartowski in Chuck, and Flynn Rider in Tangled.- Early life :Zachary Levi Pugh was born in Lake Charles,...
), Ellie Bartowski
Ellie Bartowski
Eleanor Faye "Ellie" Bartowski Woodcomb, M.D., Ph.D., is the older sister of title character Chuck Bartowski on the television series Chuck. She is portrayed by actress Sarah Lancaster.-Biography:...
(Sarah Lancaster
Sarah Lancaster
Sarah Lancaster is an American actress. Since the show's inception in 2007, she has co-starred in the NBC comedy-spy series Chuck, as the title character's sister, Ellie Bartowski....
), Devon Woodcomb (Ryan McPartlin
Ryan McPartlin
Ryan McPartlin is an American actor, best known for his role as Devon "Captain Awesome" Woodcomb on NBC's Chuck.-Early life:...
), and all the Buy More employees hostage. Ned communicates with the police via Chuck, and LAPD
Los Angeles Police Department
The Los Angeles Police Department is the police department of the city of Los Angeles, California. With just under 10,000 officers and more than 3,000 civilian staff, covering an area of with a population of more than 4.1 million people, it is the third largest local law enforcement agency in...
Lieutenant Frank Mauser (Michael Rooker
Michael Rooker
Michael Rooker is an American actor.-Early life:Rooker, who has eight brothers and sisters, was born in Jasper, Alabama and studied at the Goodman School of Drama in Chicago, where he moved with his mother and siblings at the age of thirteen, after his parents divorced.-Movie career:He made his...
) negotiates the release of Emmett Milbarge (Tony Hale
Tony Hale
Tony Hale is an American actor, best known for his role in the Fox comedy series Arrested Development as the neurotic Byron "Buster" Bluth.-Early life:...
) as a sign of good faith
Good faith
In philosophy, the concept of Good faith—Latin bona fides “good faith”, bona fide “in good faith”—denotes sincere, honest intention or belief, regardless of the outcome of an action; the opposed concepts are bad faith, mala fides and perfidy...
.
Meanwhile, Sarah Walker
Sarah Walker (Chuck)
Sarah Lisa Bartowski is the alias of one of the main characters of the fictional television show Chuck on NBC. She is portrayed by Yvonne Strahovski and is one of two agents assigned by the NSA and CIA to protect Chuck Bartowski after he unwittingly downloads the secret government computer known...
(Yvonne Strahovski
Yvonne Strahovski
Yvonne Strahovski is an Australian actress. Born in Australia to Polish immigrant parents, Strahovski speaks Polish and English...
) and John Casey
John Casey (Chuck)
Colonel John Casey is portrayed by actor Adam Baldwin on the television show Chuck on NBC. Prior to the episode "Chuck Versus the Tic Tac," he was partnered with CIA agent Sarah Walker to protect Chuck Bartowski....
(Adam Baldwin
Adam Baldwin
Adam Baldwin is an American actor, known for his roles as Animal Mother in Stanley Kubrick's Full Metal Jacket, Ricky Linderman in My Bodyguard, Knowle Rohrer in The X-Files, and Marcus Hamilton in Joss Whedon's Angel...
) watch news coverage of the situation and sneak into the store to rescue Chuck so that the media attention does not compromise his cover, only to be thwarted by Ned. Suddenly, Mauser exchanges himself for two hostages: Chuck's handlers
Agent handling
In intelligence organizations, agent handling is the management of agents, principal agents, and agent networks by intelligence officers typically known as case officers.-Human intelligence:...
Casey and Sarah.
When Mauser enters, Chuck flashes on his watch, identifying him is a Fulcrum
Fulcrum (Chuck)
Fulcrum is the codename of a fictional hostile espionage organization on the television series Chuck. Fulcrum serves as the series' main antagonists up until the end of season two, though their specific goals beyond acquiring the Intersect have not yet been fully revealed.-History:Very little...
agent. Mauser tells Chuck that he knows that Casey and Sarah are CIA
Central Intelligence Agency
The Central Intelligence Agency is a civilian intelligence agency of the United States government. It is an executive agency and reports directly to the Director of National Intelligence, responsible for providing national security intelligence assessment to senior United States policymakers...
and that they are protecting an unknown asset. He reveals that Ned is a Fulcrum agent who caused the disturbance so Mauser could infiltrate the Buy More. At this point, it is revealed that Ned is far more competent than the hostages where led to believe, having intentionally shot Casey in the foot and separated Chuck from his handlers. Mauser threatens to shoot the hostages if Chuck does not reveal where Bryce Larkin
Bryce Larkin
Bryce Larkin is a recurring character on the spy comedy series Chuck on NBC. Bryce is the ex-college roommate and fraternity brother of the series' main character, Chuck Bartowski and was formerly partnered and once romantically involved with Chuck's CIA handler Sarah Walker. Bryce was responsible...
and the government database the Intersect
The Intersect
The Intersect is a fictional secret technology appearing in the television series Chuck. Within the series, it is used to house and analyze large quantities of encoded data...
are. Chuck reveals to Mauser that the Intersect has been uploaded to his brain.
As Mauser escorts him from the Buy More, Chuck urges Devon to disarm Ned. As Chuck is taken in an ambulance to a Fulcrum facility, Devon, Jeff Barnes (Scott Krinsky
Scott Krinsky
Scott Krinsky is a Los Angeles-based actor and comic best known for his role as Jeff Barnes on the hit TV series Chuck and his role as Darryl on The O.C.....
), Lester Patel (Vik Sahay
Vik Sahay
Vikram "Vik" Sahay is a Canadian actor best known for playing Lester Patel, a member of the Nerd Herd in the NBC television series Chuck on which he became a series regular from the second season, and Rama in the Roxy Hunter Saga.-Life and career:...
), Big Mike (Mark Christopher Lawrence
Mark Christopher Lawrence
Mark Christopher Lawrence is an American character actor, stand-up comedian and voice-over artist. He is perhaps best known for his role as esoteric D.J., Tone Deaf, in the 1994 satirical rap mockumentary, Fear of a Black Hat. He has co-starred in popular films such as Terminator 2: Judgment Day,...
), and Morgan Grimes
Morgan Grimes
Morgan Guillermo Grimes is a major character on the television series Chuck. He is portrayed by actor Joshua Gomez, and is the best friend of Chuck Bartowski....
(Joshua Gomez
Joshua Gomez
Joshua Eli Gomez is an American actor best known for his role as Morgan Grimes on Chuck. He is the younger brother of actor Rick Gomez....
) make a plan. Lester unsuccessfully tries to tackle Ned, but Morgan manages to distract Ned long for Big Mike and Devon to tackle him and end the hostage situation.
Meanwhile, Sarah and Casey learn that Ned is unmarried and had earlier called Mauser rather than his wife, as the hostages were led to believe. They follow the ambulance containing Chuck and Mauser and shoot its tires, sending the vehicle into a Christmas tree
Christmas tree
The Christmas tree is a decorated evergreen coniferous tree, real or artificial, and a tradition associated with the celebration of Christmas. The tradition of decorating an evergreen tree at Christmas started in Livonia and Germany in the 16th century...
lot and allowing Chuck to escape. After a brief fight, Mauser surrenders, confident that Fulcrum will rescue him. To protect Chuck, Sarah executes Mauser. Unknown to Sarah, Chuck watches the entire confrontation in horror from afar. She lies to Chuck and tells him that Mauser has been arrested. At the Buy More, Ellie and Morgan's girlfriend Anna Wu (Julia Ling
Julia Ling
Julia Ling, born Xiao Wei Lin , is an American actress most widely known for her television work, including her recurring roles on NBC series such as ER, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, and most recently, as a series regular on Chuck.-Biography:Ling was born in Temple City, California.At age 6,...
) praise Lester for his act of bravery. Morgan watches as Lester grabs Anna and kisses her, turning away before Anna resists Lester and slaps him. The episode closes with both Morgan and Chuck heartbroken, Morgan believing Anna to be unfaithful, and Chuck believing Sarah to be a murderer.
Production
"Chuck Versus Santa Claus" was one of many episodes to be directed by producer Robert Duncan McNeillRobert Duncan McNeill
Robert Duncan McNeill is an American actor, producer, movie director, and television director who is best known for his role as Lieutenant Tom Paris on the television show Star Trek: Voyager.-Acting:...
, and was written by producer Scott Rosenbaum
Scott Rosenbaum
Scott Rosenbaum is a writer and producer for television. He first worked on the 1999 television series Grown Ups as a writer. He joined the writing staff of The Shield in 2002, writing 16 episodes until he left the series in 2007...
. It originally aired in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
on December 15, 2008, on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
as the eleventh episode of Chucks second season and the 24th episode overall.
The exterior shots of the store where most of the episode takes place are of a former Mervyn's store in the Fallbrook Mall in Canoga Park. Reginald VelJohnson
Reginald VelJohnson
Reginald VelJohnson is an American actor of film, stage and television, well known for his role as Carl Winslow on the sitcom Family Matters, where he was the only cast member to appear in every single episode. He also portrayed LAPD Sgt...
guest stars, reprising his Die Hard role of Sergeant Al Powell, who is revealed to be Big Mike's cousin. Michael Rooker
Michael Rooker
Michael Rooker is an American actor.-Early life:Rooker, who has eight brothers and sisters, was born in Jasper, Alabama and studied at the Goodman School of Drama in Chicago, where he moved with his mother and siblings at the age of thirteen, after his parents divorced.-Movie career:He made his...
also guest stars as long-time hostage negotiator Frank Mauser and Jed Rees
Jed Rees
Jed Rees is a Canadian Comedy Award-nominated actor from Vancouver, British Columbia, best known for his roles in movies such as Men With Brooms and The Ringer -Early life:...
as Ned, the hostage taker. Tony Hale
Tony Hale
Tony Hale is an American actor, best known for his role in the Fox comedy series Arrested Development as the neurotic Byron "Buster" Bluth.-Early life:...
and Bonita Friedericy
Bonita Friedericy
Bonita Friedericy is an American actress. She currently can be seen in the television series Chuck as NSA Director Diane Beckman. She has also appeared on Malcolm in the Middle, Veronica Mars, Star Trek: Enterprise, Bones, The Nine, The West Wing, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and in the film...
reprise their recurring roles of efficiency expert Emmett Milbarge and General Diane Beckman
Diane Beckman
Brigadier General M. Diane Beckman, USAF is a fictional character in the NBC television series Chuck. Beckman is a senior official of the National Security Agency, working within the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. She holds her rank of brigadier general in the United States Air...
, respectively.
Flashes
In this episode, the Intersect is activated once. When Mauser walks into the Buy More, Chuck "flashes" on his watch. This flash reveals that Mauser is a Fulcrum agent, and Chuck urges Devon to end the hostage situation.Cultural references
The episode is largely presented as an homage to and parody of Die HardDie Hard
Die Hard is a 1988 American action film and the first in the Die Hard film series. The film was directed by John McTiernan and written by Jeb Stuart and Steven E. de Souza. It is based on a 1979 novel by Roderick Thorp titled Nothing Lasts Forever, itself a sequel to the book The Detective, which...
, which was also centered around terrorists instigating a hostage crisis on the day before Christmas. The episode also has music similar to Die Hard, including the song "Ode to Joy
Symphony No. 9 (Beethoven)
The Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125, is the final complete symphony of Ludwig van Beethoven. Completed in 1824, the symphony is one of the best known works of the Western classical repertoire, and has been adapted for use as the European Anthem...
". Reginald VelJohnson reprises his role of LAPD officer Al Powell from Die Hard and Die Hard 2
Die Hard 2
Die Hard 2 is a 1990 action film and the second in the Die Hard film series. The film was directed by Renny Harlin, and stars Bruce Willis as John McClane...
. While Powell bought several Twinkie
Twinkie
The Twinkie is an American snack cake made and distributed by Hostess Brands. They are marketed as a "Golden Sponge Cake with Creamy Filling".-History:...
s for his wife in Die Hard, in this episode he and Big Mike are shown eating Twinkies at the same time. Chuck later parodied Die Hard on a much larger scale in "Chuck Versus the Leftovers
Chuck Versus the Leftovers
"Chuck Versus the Leftovers" is the tenth episode of the fourth season of Chuck. It originally aired November 29, 2010. Chuck Bartowski's mother comes over for "Thanksgiving leftovers" dinner the day after the holiday...
".
The episode contains a number of other references. Its title references the North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
n legend
Legend
A legend is a narrative of human actions that are perceived both by teller and listeners to take place within human history and to possess certain qualities that give the tale verisimilitude...
ary, mythological
Mythology
The term mythology can refer either to the study of myths, or to a body or collection of myths. As examples, comparative mythology is the study of connections between myths from different cultures, whereas Greek mythology is the body of myths from ancient Greece...
and folkloric
Folklore
Folklore consists of legends, music, oral history, proverbs, jokes, popular beliefs, fairy tales and customs that are the traditions of a culture, subculture, or group. It is also the set of practices through which those expressive genres are shared. The study of folklore is sometimes called...
figure Santa Claus
Santa Claus
Santa Claus is a folklore figure in various cultures who distributes gifts to children, normally on Christmas Eve. Each name is a variation of Saint Nicholas, but refers to Santa Claus...
. In addition to Die Hard, the episode has been described in part as "a light-hearted Dog Day Afternoon
Dog Day Afternoon
Dog Day Afternoon is a 1975 drama film directed by Sidney Lumet, written by Frank Pierson, and produced by Martin Bregman. The film stars Al Pacino, John Cazale, Charles Durning, Chris Sarandon, Penny Allen, James Broderick, and Carol Kane. The title refers to the "dog days of summer".The film was...
parody." Ned is believed to be named after Stephen Tobolowsky
Stephen Tobolowsky
Stephen Harold Tobolowsky is an American actor. He is well known for his role as Ned Ryerson in Groundhog Day, as well as portraying Commissioner Hugo Jarry in Deadwood for nine episodes and Bob Bishop in Heroes for eleven episodes over the second and third seasons...
's character Ned Ryerson from Groundhog Day
Groundhog Day (film)
Groundhog Day is a 1993 American comedy film directed by Harold Ramis, starring Bill Murray and Andie MacDowell. It was written by Ramis and Danny Rubin, based on a story by Rubin....
, and Mauser after Art Metrano
Art Metrano
Arthur "Art" Metrano is an American actor and comedian, born in Brooklyn, New York City. Metrano may be best known for his role as Lt./Capt./Cmdt. Mauser in Police Academy 2 and Police Academy 3....
's character from Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment
Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment
Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment is a 1985 comedy film directed by Jerry Paris. It is the first of six sequels in the Police Academy series.Many actors return from the first film to respectively reprise their roles...
and Police Academy 3: Back in Training
Police Academy 3: Back in Training
Police Academy 3: Back in Training is the third film in the Police Academy film series, released on March 21, 1986.-Plot:The film begins in a large garage structure, where Lt. Proctor and Commandant Mauser meet up with former Police Academy cadets, Chad Copeland and Kyle Blankes...
. Chuck reveals that Christmas at the Bartowski household includes Twilight Zone
The Twilight Zone
The Twilight Zone is an American television anthology series created by Rod Serling. Each episode is a mixture of self-contained drama, psychological thriller, fantasy, science fiction, suspense, or horror, often concluding with a macabre or unexpected twist...
marathons, while Sarah reveals that Christmas at the Burton household was spent in a Salvation Army
The Salvation Army
The Salvation Army is a Protestant Christian church known for its thrift stores and charity work. It is an international movement that currently works in over a hundred countries....
scam.
Music
The majority of the episode's soundtrack is composed of Christmas musicChristmas music
Christmas music comprises a variety of genres of music normally performed or heard around the Christmas season, which tends to begin in the months leading up the actual holiday and end in the weeks shortly thereafter.-Early:...
. Some songs, including "Ode to Joy
Symphony No. 9 (Beethoven)
The Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125, is the final complete symphony of Ludwig van Beethoven. Completed in 1824, the symphony is one of the best known works of the Western classical repertoire, and has been adapted for use as the European Anthem...
" by Ludwig van Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven was a German composer and pianist. A crucial figure in the transition between the Classical and Romantic eras in Western art music, he remains one of the most famous and influential composers of all time.Born in Bonn, then the capital of the Electorate of Cologne and part of...
, are used to further allude to Die Hard. Other songs featured in the episode are "Jingle Bell Rock
Jingle Bell Rock
"Jingle Bell Rock" is the name of a popular Christmas song first released by Bobby Helms in 1957. It has received frequent airplay in the United States during every Christmas time since then. "Jingle Bell Rock" was composed by Joseph Carleton Beal , and James Ross Boothe...
" by Bobby Helms
Bobby Helms
Robert Lee Helms , better known as Bobby Helms, was an American country music singer who enjoyed his peak success in 1957 with his hit, "Jingle Bell Rock". He was mostly known for the Christmas song...
, "I'll Be Home for Christmas" performed by Bing Crosby
Bing Crosby
Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby was an American singer and actor. Crosby's trademark bass-baritone voice made him one of the best-selling recording artists of the 20th century, with over half a billion records in circulation....
, "Silent Night
Silent Night
"Silent Night" is a popular Christmas carol. The original lyrics of the song "Stille Nacht" were written in Oberndorf bei Salzburg, Austria, by the priest Father Joseph Mohr and the melody was composed by the Austrian headmaster Franz Xaver Gruber...
" by Joseph Mohr, and "Christmas and Me Are Through" by Your Vegas
Your Vegas
Your Vegas are a British rock band from Leeds, England.-Background:The band started playing music together while attending Prince Henry's Grammar School in Otley, West Yorkshire. Their first band was called Orka but they later changed their name to Salvadore...
.
Critical response
According to the Nielsen ratingsNielsen Ratings
Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
system, "Chuck Versus Santa Claus" drew 7.661 million viewers, making it the second most-watched episode of the season, after "Chuck Versus the Third Dimension
Chuck Versus the Third Dimension
"Chuck Versus the Third Dimension" is the 12th episode of the second season of Chuck. It aired on February 2, 2009. This episode was originally aired in 3-D, as the name suggests, using the same ColorCode 3-D technology as some of the commercials in Super Bowl XLIII...
".
The episode received overwhelmingly positive reviews from critics. Eric Goldman of IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
gave the episode a score of 9.5 out of 10, a series high alongside "Chuck Versus the Colonel
Chuck Versus the Colonel
"Chuck Versus the Colonel" is the 21st episode of Chuck's second season, and the 34th episode overall. It aired on April 20, 2009. Chuck and Sarah go on the run in an effort to locate Chuck's father. At the Buy More, Morgan becomes a pariah among his coworkers after Big Mike's demotion.-Main...
", Season 3
Chuck (season 3)
The third season of Chuck was announced on May 17, 2009 with 13 episodes, with NBC reserving the option of nine more episodes. Production for the third season began on August 6, 2009. On October 28, 2009, NBC added 6 more episodes to the third season which brings the season total to 19...
's "Chuck Versus the Beard
Chuck Versus the Beard
"Chuck Versus the Beard" is a third season episode of the television series Chuck. It originally aired March 8, 2010, and was the television directorial debut of series star Zachary Levi...
" and "Chuck Versus the Subway
Chuck Versus the Subway
"Chuck Versus the Subway" is the 18th episode of the third season of Chuck. It originally aired on May 24, 2010 in a special two-hour block with "Chuck Versus the Ring: Part II." As the Intersect continues to malfunction Stephen hurries to complete the Governor for his son...
", and Season 4
Chuck (season 4)
The fourth season of Chuck was announced on May 13, 2010. Having initially ordered 13 episodes, NBC ordered an additional 11 on October 19, 2010 for a total of 24 episodes....
's "Chuck Versus the Cliffhanger
Chuck Versus the Cliffhanger
"Chuck Versus the Cliffhanger" is the fourth season finale of the American NBC action-comedy television series Chuck. Aired on May 16, 2011, it is the season's 24th episode, and the 78th overall episode of the series. The episode was directed by Robert Duncan McNeill and written by series...
". Goldman described the episode as an "especially strong installment, which delivered on a lot of fronts." Goldman praised the scene depicting Sarah and Mauser's confrontation, writing, "The entire ambience of the scene was terrific – a rainy night at a Christmas tree lot, with Chuck secretly watching as Sarah shot the unarmed, surrendering Mauser in cold blood - to the tune of 'Silent Night', no less. Of course she did this because she loves Chuck and wants to protect him, but all Chuck knows is that he just saw Sarah in a very scary light, and it's a great new dynamic to their relationship." HitFix writer Alan Sepinwall wrote, "Chuck vs. Santa Claus" was moving along amusingly enough when it still seemed like Ned Rhyerson was just a hapless criminal with the bad luck to crash into a store built above a top-secret government intelligence facility, but the surprising left turn it took when Chuck flashed on Lt. Mauser took things to another level." Steve Heisler of The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club is an entertainment newspaper and website published by The Onion. Its features include reviews of new films, music, television, books, games and DVDs, as well as interviews and other regular offerings examining both new and classic media and other elements of pop culture. Unlike its...
gave the episode an A-, writing "Santa Claus certainly delivered (character) goodies to everyone tonight. Morgan gets to be a hero, even if no one notices, taking down Ned with a fake snow machine. Jeff calls his mother–in prison–then finds the time to break up a mistletoe makeout session. Lester sneaks a smooch from Anna, and isn't even remotely fazed when it causes her to run for the hills. And Big Mike's embrace of cousin Big Al is a keeper."