Chuck Versus the Suburbs
Encyclopedia
"Chuck Versus the Suburbs" is the thirteenth episode of the second season
of Chuck
. It originally aired on February 16, 2009. General Beckman (Bonita Friedericy
) sends Chuck Bartowski
, Sarah Walker
, and John Casey
to an Los Angeles
suburb
on an undercover mission, with Chuck and Sarah posing as a married couple. After accidentally obtaining a part of Fulcrum
's Intersect
data, Chuck discovers that the suburban development is a front for Fulcrum. The team is captured by some of their neighbors, including Brad (Andy Richter
) and Sylvia (Jenny McCarthy
), who test Chuck by uploading their prototype to Chuck's brain. Meanwhile, Big Mike is introduced to internet dating
by Morgan Grimes
, Lester Patel, and Jeff Barnes at the Buy More
, which backfires on Morgan.
) and John Casey
provide Chuck Bartowski
and Sarah Walker
with their next mission-to infiltrate the suburb
s of Los Angeles
to locate a sleeper cell
that left a former agent, Yeager (Darren Keefe), debilitated. For the mission, Chuck and Sarah will pose as a married couple living in the Meadow's Branch suburban cul-de-sac
.
Chuck drives to his new driveway and enters his home to find CIA
-manufactured photographs of his "life", including his and Sarah's wedding pictures and vacation pictures. He even has a dog. Chuck finds Sarah in the kitchen, mixing together salad, having invited the neighbors for a barbecue
, during which Sylvia Arculin (Jenny McCarthy
), develops an attraction to Chuck. Afterward, Casey finds a bug
in the appetizers brought by one of the neighbors. Casey's identifies it as belonging to the government, but Chuck flashes and learns that it was stolen by Fulcrum
from a CIA substation in Omaha, Nebraska
in 2006.
Chuck wakes up the next morning to find that Sarah has cooked him breakfast and prepared his travel coffee, even giving him grocery list, demonstrating her enjoyment of the mission. Meanwhile, Casey discovers that that Sylvia's husband Cliff Arculin (Brian Thompson
) has purchased specialty cabling to break into secure government websites. Cliff is identified as Cliff Siljak, a former CIA agent. Chuck is assigned to approach Cliff by pretending to begin an affair with Sylvia.
Sylvia brings Chuck upstairs into her bedroom, removes her clothes, and handcuffs
him to the bed. Chuck delays by asking her for Scotch whisky
. Chuck manages to unlock the cuffs and find Cliff's cabling, which is attached to a computer. The computer requests a password, which Chuck deducts is "salamander". After he enters the password, Chuck unknowingly uploads a fraction of a prototype of the Fulcrum Intersect, incapacitating him.
Cliff rushes home and confronts Sylvia about Chuck. As they head upstairs, Chuck recovers and escapes through a window and off the roof, exposing himself to the neighborhood as he runs home. To keep their cover intact, Sarah feigns anger at his apparent unfaithfulness and slaps him across the face. General Beckman is angered that Chuck was exposed and endangered, removing him from the mission so that Sarah and Casey can focus on the Arculins.
As Chuck fails to understand the data he has uploaded, he flashes on a flier for the neighborhood, revealing the entire cul-de-sac to be a front for Fulcrum. He calls Sarah, only to get no answer. As Casey poses as the cable guy, Brad White (Andy Richter
), a cheerful stationary salesman, tases Casey. Sylvia and another female neighbor take Sarah into their custody. Chuck arrives at the house, frantic and yelling for Sarah. Brad smiles and tases him as well.
Chuck is strapped to a chair, while Sarah is in another room. The Fulcrum agents try to recruit Chuck, planning to see if he can survive their experiments. They are rebuilding Intersect to gain all the CIA's secrets (it is their belief that the government has reverted to pre-existing methods to combat terrorism), but all the other agents have died when they attempted to upload the Intersect to their brain. Chuck pleads that they release Sarah, and the agents, realizing that he is in love with her, mocks his delusion that they could be together.
Chuck is uploaded with Fulcrum's entire prototype, apparently brainwashing him, thus convincing the Fulcrum agents that their experiments were successful. They then move to experiment on Sarah. Meanwhile, Casey has escaped his binds and entered the control room. Chuck asks to speak with Sarah, telling her to close her eyes. As all the agents are in the experiment room and unprotected from the pictorial test, Casey activates the prototype, incapacitating them. (See "Continuity")
At the Orange Orange, Chuck and Sarah remove their wedding ring
s.
, everyone has high spirits for Valentine's Day
, except Big Mike, who is taking his anger out on everyone because his wife has filed for divorce. Morgan Grimes
, Lester Patel, and Jeff Barnes introduce him to internet dating
, where sees attractive women and decides to try it. Mike concocts several lies to get the good dates, fabricating the story that he is a wealthy shipping tycoon.
Big Mike later decides to tell his internet date the truth about himself. The woman, Bolonia (Patricia Rae) arrives at the Buy More, having lied herself, and thinking that the meeting was arranged at the Buy More because her 26-year-old son works there. Mike scans the store's employees, wishing aloud that her son is Chuck. Suddenly, Morgan approaches, revealing that Bolonia is his mother, embarrassed and horrified that she has begun a relationship with his boss.
", but the airing order was swapped in the United States
due to the latter being preempted for a presidential speech. As "Chuck Versus the Suburbs" has a Valentine's Day theme, it was aired on its intended date in the week of Valentine's Day. The house used for filming the interior and exterior scenes of this episode can be found at 25673 Walker Place, Newhall, California.
poster in "Chuck Versus the Lethal Weapon
".
gave the episode a A-, writing that the episode "was a treat for those who've been sticking with the show for so long. A lot happened over in the suburbs with Chuck, Sarah, Casey, and [Andy Richter], but first, a word about the Buy More—those precious Buy More segments that often disappoint. They're usually too distracting from the main story line—and not funny enough to justify it—and always have zero bearing on future episodes. But tonight's worked right up until the end, and set the stage for a lot of wonderful tension." Heisler called the reveal that Meadow's Branch was populated with Fulcrum agents "one of the better reveals in Chucks history".
Eric Goldman of IGN
gave the episode an 8 out of 10, writing, "While not an original concept for a spy scenario, Chuck and Sarah posing as a married couple was an interesting dynamic for the two... Overall, this was a decent episode – it wasn't as funny as some, but it ended up being a bit more important in the overall storyline than first expected."
Viewer response was also positive, with an 8.6/10 user rating at TV.com
. The episode drew 6.836 million viewers.
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...
. It originally aired on February 16, 2009. General Beckman (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...
) sends 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:...
, 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....
to an Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
suburb
Suburb
The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...
on an undercover mission, with Chuck and Sarah posing as a married couple. After accidentally obtaining a part of 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...
's 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...
data, Chuck discovers that the suburban development is a front for Fulcrum. The team is captured by some of their neighbors, including Brad (Andy Richter
Andy Richter
Paul Andrew "Andy" Richter is an American actor, writer, comedian, and late night talk show announcer. He is best known for his role as the sidekick of Conan O'Brien on each of the host's programs: Late Night and The Tonight Show on NBC, and Conan on TBS...
) and Sylvia (Jenny McCarthy
Jenny McCarthy
Jennifer Ann "Jenny" McCarthy is an American model, comedian, actress, author, activist, and game show host. She began her career in 1993 as a nude model for Playboy magazine and was later named their Playmate of the Year. McCarthy then parlayed her Playboy fame into a successful television and...
), who test Chuck by uploading their prototype to Chuck's brain. Meanwhile, Big Mike is introduced to internet dating
Online dating service
Online dating or Internet dating is a dating system which allows individuals, couples and groups to make contact and communicate with each other over the Internet, usually with the objective of developing a personal, romantic, or sexual relationship...
by 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....
, Lester Patel, and Jeff Barnes at 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....
, which backfires on Morgan.
Main plot
General Beckman (Bonita FriedericyBonita 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...
) 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....
provide 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:...
and 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...
with their next mission-to infiltrate the suburb
Suburb
The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...
s of Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
to locate a sleeper cell
Clandestine cell system
A clandestine cell structure is a method for organizing a group of people in such a way that it can more effectively resist penetration by an opposing organization. Depending on the group's philosophy, its operational area, the communications technologies available, and the nature of the mission,...
that left a former agent, Yeager (Darren Keefe), debilitated. For the mission, Chuck and Sarah will pose as a married couple living in the Meadow's Branch suburban cul-de-sac
Cul-de-sac
A cul-de-sac is a word of French origin referring to a dead end, close, no through road or court meaning dead-end street with only one inlet/outlet...
.
Chuck drives to his new driveway and enters his home to find 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...
-manufactured photographs of his "life", including his and Sarah's wedding pictures and vacation pictures. He even has a dog. Chuck finds Sarah in the kitchen, mixing together salad, having invited the neighbors for a barbecue
Barbecue
Barbecue or barbeque , used chiefly in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, New Zealand and Australia is a method and apparatus for cooking meat, poultry and occasionally fish with the heat and hot smoke of a fire, smoking wood, or hot coals of...
, during which Sylvia Arculin (Jenny McCarthy
Jenny McCarthy
Jennifer Ann "Jenny" McCarthy is an American model, comedian, actress, author, activist, and game show host. She began her career in 1993 as a nude model for Playboy magazine and was later named their Playmate of the Year. McCarthy then parlayed her Playboy fame into a successful television and...
), develops an attraction to Chuck. Afterward, Casey finds a bug
Covert listening device
A covert listening device, more commonly known as a bug or a wire, is usually a combination of a miniature radio transmitter with a microphone. The use of bugs, called bugging, is a common technique in surveillance, espionage and in police investigations.A bug does not have to be a device...
in the appetizers brought by one of the neighbors. Casey's identifies it as belonging to the government, but Chuck flashes and learns that it was stolen by 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...
from a CIA substation in Omaha, Nebraska
Omaha, Nebraska
Omaha is the largest city in the state of Nebraska, United States, and is the county seat of Douglas County. It is located in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about 20 miles north of the mouth of the Platte River...
in 2006.
Chuck wakes up the next morning to find that Sarah has cooked him breakfast and prepared his travel coffee, even giving him grocery list, demonstrating her enjoyment of the mission. Meanwhile, Casey discovers that that Sylvia's husband Cliff Arculin (Brian Thompson
Brian Thompson (actor)
Brian Thompson is an American actor. His distinctive square-jaw profile, powerful voice, and imposing stature has led him to be typecast as a villain in many action films and TV series, and a some comedies: Joe Dirt, The Three Amigos, Weird Science, Key West, and Life Stinks.-Career:Thompson has...
) has purchased specialty cabling to break into secure government websites. Cliff is identified as Cliff Siljak, a former CIA agent. Chuck is assigned to approach Cliff by pretending to begin an affair with Sylvia.
Sylvia brings Chuck upstairs into her bedroom, removes her clothes, and handcuffs
Handcuffs
Handcuffs are restraint devices designed to secure an individual's wrists close together. They comprise two parts, linked together by a chain, a hinge, or rigid bar. Each half has a rotating arm which engages with a ratchet that prevents it from being opened once closed around a person's wrist...
him to the bed. Chuck delays by asking her for Scotch whisky
Scotch whisky
Scotch whisky is whisky made in Scotland.Scotch whisky is divided into five distinct categories: Single Malt Scotch Whisky, Single Grain Scotch Whisky, Blended Malt Scotch Whisky , Blended Grain Scotch Whisky, and Blended Scotch Whisky.All Scotch whisky must be aged in oak barrels for at least three...
. Chuck manages to unlock the cuffs and find Cliff's cabling, which is attached to a computer. The computer requests a password, which Chuck deducts is "salamander". After he enters the password, Chuck unknowingly uploads a fraction of a prototype of the Fulcrum Intersect, incapacitating him.
Cliff rushes home and confronts Sylvia about Chuck. As they head upstairs, Chuck recovers and escapes through a window and off the roof, exposing himself to the neighborhood as he runs home. To keep their cover intact, Sarah feigns anger at his apparent unfaithfulness and slaps him across the face. General Beckman is angered that Chuck was exposed and endangered, removing him from the mission so that Sarah and Casey can focus on the Arculins.
As Chuck fails to understand the data he has uploaded, he flashes on a flier for the neighborhood, revealing the entire cul-de-sac to be a front for Fulcrum. He calls Sarah, only to get no answer. As Casey poses as the cable guy, Brad White (Andy Richter
Andy Richter
Paul Andrew "Andy" Richter is an American actor, writer, comedian, and late night talk show announcer. He is best known for his role as the sidekick of Conan O'Brien on each of the host's programs: Late Night and The Tonight Show on NBC, and Conan on TBS...
), a cheerful stationary salesman, tases Casey. Sylvia and another female neighbor take Sarah into their custody. Chuck arrives at the house, frantic and yelling for Sarah. Brad smiles and tases him as well.
Chuck is strapped to a chair, while Sarah is in another room. The Fulcrum agents try to recruit Chuck, planning to see if he can survive their experiments. They are rebuilding Intersect to gain all the CIA's secrets (it is their belief that the government has reverted to pre-existing methods to combat terrorism), but all the other agents have died when they attempted to upload the Intersect to their brain. Chuck pleads that they release Sarah, and the agents, realizing that he is in love with her, mocks his delusion that they could be together.
Chuck is uploaded with Fulcrum's entire prototype, apparently brainwashing him, thus convincing the Fulcrum agents that their experiments were successful. They then move to experiment on Sarah. Meanwhile, Casey has escaped his binds and entered the control room. Chuck asks to speak with Sarah, telling her to close her eyes. As all the agents are in the experiment room and unprotected from the pictorial test, Casey activates the prototype, incapacitating them. (See "Continuity")
At the Orange Orange, Chuck and Sarah remove their wedding ring
Wedding ring
A wedding ring or wedding band is a metal ring indicating the wearer is married. Depending on the local culture, it is worn on the base of the right or the left ring finger. The custom of wearing such a ring has spread widely beyond its origin in Europe...
s.
Buy More
At the Buy MoreBuy 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....
, everyone has high spirits for Valentine's Day
Valentine's Day
Saint Valentine's Day, commonly shortened to Valentine's Day, is an annual commemoration held on February 14 celebrating love and affection between intimate companions. The day is named after one or more early Christian martyrs named Saint Valentine, and was established by Pope Gelasius I in 496...
, except Big Mike, who is taking his anger out on everyone because his wife has filed for divorce. 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....
, Lester Patel, and Jeff Barnes introduce him to internet dating
Online dating service
Online dating or Internet dating is a dating system which allows individuals, couples and groups to make contact and communicate with each other over the Internet, usually with the objective of developing a personal, romantic, or sexual relationship...
, where sees attractive women and decides to try it. Mike concocts several lies to get the good dates, fabricating the story that he is a wealthy shipping tycoon.
Big Mike later decides to tell his internet date the truth about himself. The woman, Bolonia (Patricia Rae) arrives at the Buy More, having lied herself, and thinking that the meeting was arranged at the Buy More because her 26-year-old son works there. Mike scans the store's employees, wishing aloud that her son is Chuck. Suddenly, Morgan approaches, revealing that Bolonia is his mother, embarrassed and horrified that she has begun a relationship with his boss.
Production
"Chuck Versus the Suburbs" was produced after "Chuck Versus the Best FriendChuck Versus the Best Friend
"Chuck Versus the Best Friend" is the fourteenth episode of the second season of Chuck. It originally aired on February 23, 2009. When Chuck Bartowski flashes on Anna Wu's new boyfriend, Chuck is ordered to befriend Jason Wang to determine the extent of his connections with the Triad...
", but the airing order was swapped in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
due to the latter being preempted for a presidential speech. As "Chuck Versus the Suburbs" has a Valentine's Day theme, it was aired on its intended date in the week of Valentine's Day. The house used for filming the interior and exterior scenes of this episode can be found at 25673 Walker Place, Newhall, California.
Continuity
Though the episode itself does not conclusively reveal the fates of the Fulcrum agents, subsequent episodes and online exclusives provided additional information. The activation of the prototype killed Brad, as his brain could not handle the vast amount of data, while Cliff survived the activation and was incarcerated. The fates of Vanessa and Sylvia are unknown. Brad, Vanessa, Cliff, and Sylvia all appeared on the chart hidden behind Chuck's TronTron (film)
Tron is a 1982 American science fiction film written and directed by Steven Lisberger, and released by Walt Disney Pictures. It stars Jeff Bridges as the protagonist Kevin Flynn; Bruce Boxleitner in a dual role as security program Tron and Tron's "User", computer programmer Alan Bradley; Cindy...
poster in "Chuck Versus the Lethal Weapon
Chuck Versus the Lethal Weapon
"Chuck Versus the Lethal Weapon" is the sixteenth episode of the second season of Chuck. It originally aired on March 9, 2009. When Cole Barker escapes after being tortured by Fulcrum and returns to Castle, Sarah Walker and John Casey are assigned to hunt down a scientist codenamed "Perseus", who...
".
Flashes
- Chuck flashes on a bug, learning that it was stolen by Fulcrum from a CIA substation in Omaha in 2006.
- Chuck flashes on a brochure for the neighbourhood, revealing the entire cul-de-sac to be a front for Fulcrum.
- Chuck flashes on the residents of the neighbourhood.
Cultural references
- References are made to The TerminatorThe TerminatorThe Terminator is a 1984 science fiction action film directed by James Cameron, co-written by Cameron and William Wisher Jr., and starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Michael Biehn, and Linda Hamilton. The film was produced by Hemdale Film Corporation and distributed by Orion Pictures, and filmed in Los...
at the beginning of the episode when Morgan, Lester and Jeff observe "Big" Mike at work on Valentine's Day. - Chuck wears a T-shirt that says "Cowbell Hero", parodying both Guitar HeroGuitar HeroGuitar Hero is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems and published by RedOctane for the PlayStation 2 video game console. It is the first entry in the Guitar Hero series. Guitar Hero was released on November 8, 2005 in North America, April 7, 2006 in Europe and June 15, 2006 in...
and the cowbell sketchMore Cowbell"More cowbell" is an American pop culture catchphrase originally derived from an April 8, 2000, Saturday Night Live comedy sketch which fictionalized the recording of the song " The Reaper" by Blue Öyster Cult...
from Saturday Night LiveSaturday Night LiveSaturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
. - Chuck asks if Sarah is enjoying the "whole Martha StewartMartha StewartMartha Stewart is an American business magnate, author, magazine publisher, and television personality. As founder of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, she has gained success through a variety of business ventures, encompassing publishing, broadcasting, and merchandising...
thing". - Chuck is forcibly strapped to a chair and forced to watch encoded images, alluding to the Ludovico techniqueLudovico techniqueThe Ludovico technique is a fictional aversion therapy from the novel A Clockwork Orange administered by Dr. Brodsky with the approval of the UK Minister of the Interior. It involved forcing a patient to watch, through the use of specula to hold the eyes open, violent images for long periods of...
from A Clockwork OrangeA Clockwork Orange (film)A Clockwork Orange is a 1971 film adaptation of Anthony Burgess's 1962 novel of the same name. It was written, directed and produced by Stanley Kubrick...
. - Mike's dating alias is "Lando CalrissianLando CalrissianLando Calrissian is a fictional character in the Star Wars universe. He is portrayed by Billy Dee Williams in Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back and Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi...
", referencing the Star WarsStar WarsStar Wars is an American epic space opera film series created by George Lucas. The first film in the series was originally released on May 25, 1977, under the title Star Wars, by 20th Century Fox, and became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon, followed by two sequels, released at three-year...
character.
Music
- "Once in a LifetimeOnce in a Lifetime (Talking Heads song)"Once in a Lifetime" is a song by New Wave band Talking Heads, released as the first single from their fourth studio album Remain in Light. The song was written by David Byrne, Brian Eno, Chris Frantz, Jerry Harrison, and Tina Weymouth, and produced by Eno...
" by Talking HeadsTalking HeadsTalking Heads were an American New Wave and avant-garde band formed in 1975 in New York City and active until 1991. The band comprised David Byrne, Chris Frantz, Tina Weymouth and Jerry Harrison... - "Fever" by Peggy LeePeggy LeePeggy Lee was an American jazz and popular music singer, songwriter, composer, and actress in a career spanning six decades. From her beginning as a vocalist on local radio to singing with Benny Goodman's big band, she forged a sophisticated persona, evolving into a multi-faceted artist and...
- "I Can See Clearly NowI Can See Clearly Now-Certifications:-Charts:-Other covers:The song also appears in various other films, such as Grosse Pointe Blank, The Break-up, Thelma & Louise, Antz, Deep Blue Sea, Envy, Hitch, Shrek 2s Far Far Away Idol, Viktor Vogel – Commercial Man and Jennifer's Body, as well in a 2009 advertisement for Lipton...
" by Johnny NashJohnny NashJohn Lester "Johnny" Nash, Jr. is an American pop singer-songwriter, best known in the US for his 1972 hit, "I Can See Clearly Now". He was also the first non-Jamaican to record reggae music in Kingston, Jamaica.-Life and career:... - "Freeze And Explode" by Cassettes Won't ListenCassettes Won't ListenCassettes Won't Listen is the Indie rock and Electronic one-man project of multi-instrumentalist and producer Jason Drake based out of Brooklyn, New York. Over the last few years Cassettes Won't Listen has received press from the likes of Spin, Perez Hilton, and URB. Cassettes Won't Listen has...
Critical response
"Chuck Versus the Suburbs" received positive reviews from critics. Steve Heisler of The A.V. ClubThe 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 a A-, writing that the episode "was a treat for those who've been sticking with the show for so long. A lot happened over in the suburbs with Chuck, Sarah, Casey, and [Andy Richter], but first, a word about the Buy More—those precious Buy More segments that often disappoint. They're usually too distracting from the main story line—and not funny enough to justify it—and always have zero bearing on future episodes. But tonight's worked right up until the end, and set the stage for a lot of wonderful tension." Heisler called the reveal that Meadow's Branch was populated with Fulcrum agents "one of the better reveals in Chucks history".
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 an 8 out of 10, writing, "While not an original concept for a spy scenario, Chuck and Sarah posing as a married couple was an interesting dynamic for the two... Overall, this was a decent episode – it wasn't as funny as some, but it ended up being a bit more important in the overall storyline than first expected."
Viewer response was also positive, with an 8.6/10 user rating at TV.com
TV.com
TV.com is a website owned by CBS Interactive. The site covers television and focuses on English-language shows made or broadcast in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland and Japan...
. The episode drew 6.836 million viewers.