Chuck Versus the Wedding Planner
Encyclopedia
"Chuck Versus the Wedding Planner" is the 21st episode of the fourth season
of the American action-comedy
television series
Chuck
, and the 75th overall episode of the series. The episode was written by Rafe Judkins
and Lauren LeFranc and directed by Anton Cropper
. It originally aired on April 18, 2011.
In the episode, Chuck Bartowski
(Zachary Levi
) and Sarah Walker
(Yvonne Strahovski
) get conned out of their wedding money, and there is only one man they can turn to for helpSarah's conman father, Jack Burton (Gary Cole
). Meanwhile, Morgan Grimes
(Joshua Gomez
) and Alex McHugh (Mekenna Melvin
) pressure John Casey
(Adam Baldwin
) to face Alex's mother, Kathleen (Clare Carey
).
"Chuck Versus the Wedding Planner" received positive reviews from critics. According to the Nielsen ratings
system, it drew 4.219 million viewers, with a 2.5/4 share among all households and 1.3/4 share among those aged 18-49.
, Idaho
, Sarah Walker
(Alexa Blair) assists her father Jack Burton (Gary Cole
) with a number of confidence trick
s. Sarah begins saving her earnings in a piggy bank
to go on an adventure with her father. When Sarah's grandmother (Pamela Roylance) forces Jack to leave Sarah, Sarah sneaks into his car. Jack returns Sarah to her bed after she has fallen asleep, taking the piggy bank with him.
In modern day Burbank
, California
, Sarah (Yvonne Strahovski
) and Chuck Bartowski
(Zachary Levi
) pay their wedding planner, Daphne Peralta (Lisa LoCicero), only to learn that Daphne has "conned" them. Advised by Jack to use their government resources, Chuck pretends to "flash" on Daphne, linking her to a known terrorist and causing General Diane Beckman
(Bonita Friedericy
) to redirect government resources to finding Daphne. After Daphne is captured, Sarah and Chuck reveal the truth and are suspended. However, when reading the plans for the Gerlich wedding, Chuck flashes on the names of Franz (Thom Williams), Bruno (Kevin Makely), and Paulie Klüg (George Ketsios), Hungarian scientists in the possession of Iran
ian nuclear research on a portable device called the "Zephyr", which one of the brothers is always carrying. All three brothers will be at their sister's wedding reception
in Los Angeles
. Beckman, however, refuses to grant them government resources.
Chuck and Sarah turn to Jack to help them continue Daphne's con and capture the Zephyr. They manage to lead the Klügs away from the reception and incapacitate them, only to find that none of them has the Zephyr. Jack realizes that the Klügs have been performing a shell game
: the government has been pursuing them for the Zephyr when none of them ever had it; their father (Timothy V. Murphy) had it all along. Meanwhile, the bride's father realizes he is being conned and leads Morgan Grimes
(Joshua Gomez
) away at gunpoint. When Chuck and Sarah confront him, Klüg uses Morgan as a human shield
, but John Casey
(Adam Baldwin
) takes aim at his head. However, Jack manages to talk Klüg down for the sake of the bride's happiness.
Meanwhile, Morgan and Alex McHugh (Mekenna Melvin
) lead Alex's mother Kathleen (Clare Carey
) to the Buy More
so that Casey can reveal he is alive, but Casey asserts that Kathleen deserves better. However, Kathleen sees Casey and has an off-screen conversation with Alex about him. Kathleen find her daughter disillusioned about Casey being a government hero. A confused Kathleen follows Casey and confronts him at the reception, telling him to tell Alex the "truth", but Casey is urged by Chuck to continue with the con. Later, however, Kathleen witnesses Casey arrest Klüg, identifying himself as a colonel
and an NSA
agent.
Despite Chuck and Sarah's efforts, Jack discovers that they are getting married. Chuck invites Jack to attend, but Jack refuses to make promises he cannot keep. Instead Jack leaves Sarah her old piggy bank, to which he has only added cash, never taken, more than covering the cost of the wedding.
"Chuck Versus the Wedding Planner" was directed by Anton Cropper
and written by Rafe Judkins
and Lauren LeFranc. It originally aired in the United States
on April 18, 2011, on NBC
as the twenty-first episode of Chucks fourth season and the seventy-fifth episode overall.
"Chuck Versus the Wedding Planner" began filming on March 7, 2011. Series co-creator Chris Fedak
revealed at the Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo
(C2E2) that Gary Cole
would return as Sarah's father Jack Burton, and Zap2it
confirmed in April 2011 that Cole would appear in "Chuck Versus the Wedding Planner", after last appearing in the second season
episode "Chuck Versus the DeLorean
". Lisa LoCicero also guest starred as Daphne Peralta, the eponymous wedding planner
. Mekenna Melvin
reprised her recurring role of Casey's daughter and Morgan's girlfriend, Alex McHugh, and Clare Carey
portrayed Alex's mother Kathleen.
When Sarah travels to Miami, Florida
to meet her father, aerial shots of the city are shown. The background that follows, however, has been described as "badly CGI
'd".
noted several continuity errors in the episode. Among them is the fact that Jack is surprised that Sarah is a CIA
agent, rather than running her own cons, when in fact it was made clear to him in his first appearance that she was "on the right side of the law". Also, Kathleen refers to Casey by his real name, "Alex", but the episode never acknowledges the fact that "Sarah Walker" is an alias.
In contrast, Alan Sepinwall and Eric Goldman noted, in their respective reviews for HitFix
and IGN
, allusions in "Chuck Versus the Wedding Planner" to past episodes. As in his first appearance, Jack refers to Chuck as "Schnook" and Casey as "Cop Face". Chuck also makes his "famous" chicken
pepperoni
pizza
for Sarah, alluding to "Chuck Versus the Fake Name
".
, "Tierra Lejana" by Orquesta Mazacote, and "The Bomb" by Pigeon John
. As deejay
, Chuck plays the songs "What I Like About You
" by the Romantics
and "At Last
" by Etta James
. "A Million Years" by Alexander plays during the final montage.
system, "Chuck Versus the Wedding Planner" drew 4.219 million viewers, with a 2.5/4 share among all households and 1.3/4 share among those aged 18-49.
The episode received positive reviews from critics. Gary Cole's return was highly praised, as well as the scene in which Sarah imitates the face Chuck makes when the Intersect
has a "flash". HitFix Senior Editor Alan Sepinwall wrote, "Cole's return was as much fun as I hoped it would be - in some ways, even better than his first appearance in season two's 'Chuck vs. the Delorean,' where I liked Sarah and Jack's interaction but thought the actual con job was a bit thin. 'Chuck vs. the Wedding Planner' had its own flaw in the section where Sarah and Chuck are illegally using government resources to catch the con woman and wind up getting more government 'help' than they bargained for... But once Jack turned up in Burbank to help his daughter and her schnook of a fiance be heroes and get back in the good graces of General Beckman, 'Wedding Planner' was really very strong, both as a comedy piece (loved Yvonne Strahovski's accent as she impersonated Daphne) and another story about Sarah's colorful but ultimately sad past."
Ryan McGee of The A.V. Club
gave the episode a B on an A+ to F scale, writing that the "episode didn’t really take advantage of Jack Burton's return to the show. Instead, it pushed him off to the sidelines to make room for a storyline that had no earthly business in this episode." Eric Goldman of IGN gave this episode a score of 8.5 out of 10, calling it "a nice break from the Volkoff
drama". Melody Simpson of Buzz Focus wrote, "This story line has the potential to bring lots of drama but the way that it has been building up to this moment." Stephen Lackey of Mania called the episode "fun stuff just lacking in drama where drama was required." Brittany Frederick of Starpulse wrote that the episode reminded her "of all the reasons I fell in love with this show a year ago. It's fun, and funny without being campy, but more importantly, it's got heart. It's an episode that made me think, 'This is why people fight for this show season after season.' If it helps turn out more episodes like these, Gary Cole can drop by anytime he likes. I, for one, will be glad to see him."
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....
of the American action-comedy
Comedy
Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...
television series
Television program
A television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...
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 75th overall episode of the series. The episode was written by Rafe Judkins
Rafe Judkins
Rafe Lee Judkins was a contestant on the 11th season of Survivor, which took place in Guatemala. He is a working TV writer with credits on shows such as My Own Worst Enemy and Chuck....
and Lauren LeFranc and directed by Anton Cropper
Anton Cropper
Anton Cropper is an American television director and producer.Cropper began his career working as stage manager on the Nickelodeon series Kenan & Kel, All That and The Amanda Show before moving on as an assistant director on the series Cousin Skeeter, Popular, Arli$$, That Was Then, Six Feet Under...
. It originally aired on April 18, 2011.
In the episode, 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,...
) 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...
(Yvonne Strahovski
Yvonne Strahovski
Yvonne Strahovski is an Australian actress. Born in Australia to Polish immigrant parents, Strahovski speaks Polish and English...
) get conned out of their wedding money, and there is only one man they can turn to for helpSarah's conman father, Jack Burton (Gary Cole
Gary Cole
Gary Michael Cole is an American actor. Cole is known for his supporting roles in numerous film and television productions since the 1990s.-Early life:...
). Meanwhile, 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....
) and Alex McHugh (Mekenna Melvin
Mekenna Melvin
Mekenna Melvin is an American actress known for playing the role of Alex McHugh in Chuck, Angela in Three Rivers, and Stefanie Fife in Lie to Me. She also co-created and will be starring as Amber Hannold in Amber Lake, an independent film due for release in 2010.- Personal life :Melvin was born...
) pressure 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...
) to face Alex's mother, Kathleen (Clare Carey
Clare Carey
Clare Carey is a film and television actress.-Background:Carey was born at a Catholic mission in Zimbabwe where her father and mother were serving...
).
"Chuck Versus the Wedding Planner" received 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 4.219 million viewers, with a 2.5/4 share among all households and 1.3/4 share among those aged 18-49.
Plot
In 1988 McCallMcCall, Idaho
McCall is a resort town on the western edge of Valley County, Idaho, United States. Named after its founder, Tom McCall, it is situated on the southern shore of Payette Lake, near the center of the Payette National Forest...
, Idaho
Idaho
Idaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....
, 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...
(Alexa Blair) assists her father Jack Burton (Gary Cole
Gary Cole
Gary Michael Cole is an American actor. Cole is known for his supporting roles in numerous film and television productions since the 1990s.-Early life:...
) with a number of confidence trick
Confidence trick
A confidence trick is an attempt to defraud a person or group by gaining their confidence. A confidence artist is an individual working alone or in concert with others who exploits characteristics of the human psyche such as dishonesty and honesty, vanity, compassion, credulity, irresponsibility,...
s. Sarah begins saving her earnings in a piggy bank
Piggy bank
Piggy bank is the traditional name of a coin accumulation and storage receptacle; it is most often, but not exclusively, used by children. The piggy bank is known to collectors as a "still bank" as opposed to the "mechanical banks" popular in the early 20th century. These items are also often used...
to go on an adventure with her father. When Sarah's grandmother (Pamela Roylance) forces Jack to leave Sarah, Sarah sneaks into his car. Jack returns Sarah to her bed after she has fallen asleep, taking the piggy bank with him.
In modern day Burbank
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....
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, Sarah (Yvonne Strahovski
Yvonne Strahovski
Yvonne Strahovski is an Australian actress. Born in Australia to Polish immigrant parents, Strahovski speaks Polish and English...
) and 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,...
) pay their wedding planner, Daphne Peralta (Lisa LoCicero), only to learn that Daphne has "conned" them. Advised by Jack to use their government resources, Chuck pretends to "flash" on Daphne, linking her to a known terrorist and causing 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...
(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...
) to redirect government resources to finding Daphne. After Daphne is captured, Sarah and Chuck reveal the truth and are suspended. However, when reading the plans for the Gerlich wedding, Chuck flashes on the names of Franz (Thom Williams), Bruno (Kevin Makely), and Paulie Klüg (George Ketsios), Hungarian scientists in the possession of Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
ian nuclear research on a portable device called the "Zephyr", which one of the brothers is always carrying. All three brothers will be at their sister's wedding reception
Wedding reception
A wedding reception is a party held after the completion of a marriage ceremony. It is held usually as hospitality for those who have attended the wedding, hence the name reception: the couple receives society, in the form of family and friends, for the first time as a married couple. Hosts...
in 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...
. Beckman, however, refuses to grant them government resources.
Chuck and Sarah turn to Jack to help them continue Daphne's con and capture the Zephyr. They manage to lead the Klügs away from the reception and incapacitate them, only to find that none of them has the Zephyr. Jack realizes that the Klügs have been performing a shell game
Shell game
The shell game is portrayed as a gambling game, but in reality, when a wager for money is made, it is a confidence trick used to perpetrate fraud...
: the government has been pursuing them for the Zephyr when none of them ever had it; their father (Timothy V. Murphy) had it all along. Meanwhile, the bride's father realizes he is being conned and leads 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....
) away at gunpoint. When Chuck and Sarah confront him, Klüg uses Morgan as a human shield
Human shield
Human shield is a military and political term describing the deliberate placement of civilians in or around combat targets to deter an enemy from attacking those targets. It may also refer to the use of civilians to literally shield combatants during attacks, by forcing the civilians to march in...
, but 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...
) takes aim at his head. However, Jack manages to talk Klüg down for the sake of the bride's happiness.
Meanwhile, Morgan and Alex McHugh (Mekenna Melvin
Mekenna Melvin
Mekenna Melvin is an American actress known for playing the role of Alex McHugh in Chuck, Angela in Three Rivers, and Stefanie Fife in Lie to Me. She also co-created and will be starring as Amber Hannold in Amber Lake, an independent film due for release in 2010.- Personal life :Melvin was born...
) lead Alex's mother Kathleen (Clare Carey
Clare Carey
Clare Carey is a film and television actress.-Background:Carey was born at a Catholic mission in Zimbabwe where her father and mother were serving...
) to 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....
so that Casey can reveal he is alive, but Casey asserts that Kathleen deserves better. However, Kathleen sees Casey and has an off-screen conversation with Alex about him. Kathleen find her daughter disillusioned about Casey being a government hero. A confused Kathleen follows Casey and confronts him at the reception, telling him to tell Alex the "truth", but Casey is urged by Chuck to continue with the con. Later, however, Kathleen witnesses Casey arrest Klüg, identifying himself as a colonel
Colonel (United States)
In the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, colonel is a senior field grade military officer rank just above the rank of lieutenant colonel and just below the rank of brigadier general...
and an NSA
National Security Agency
The National Security Agency/Central Security Service is a cryptologic intelligence agency of the United States Department of Defense responsible for the collection and analysis of foreign communications and foreign signals intelligence, as well as protecting U.S...
agent.
Despite Chuck and Sarah's efforts, Jack discovers that they are getting married. Chuck invites Jack to attend, but Jack refuses to make promises he cannot keep. Instead Jack leaves Sarah her old piggy bank, to which he has only added cash, never taken, more than covering the cost of the wedding.
Production
| "The mom thing we're not addressing right now. However, we do have Gary Cole returning as Sarah's dad. It's very much like a classic Chuck episode – like one of our episodes out of season two 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... . It falls back into Sarah's back-story Back-story A back-story, background story, or backstory is the literary device of a narrative chronologically earlier than, and related to, a narrative of primary interest. Generally, it is the history of characters or other elements that underlie the situation existing at the main narrative's start... . We get a good heist mission as well. And that's an episode we're working on right now – we're cutting it. It's very much an old-school kind of like our team pulling a big con as opposed to a big spy mission episode, which is kind of a nice change up for us." |
| — Chris Fedak Chris Fedak Chris Fedak is a co-executive producer of Chuck. He has also co-written several episodes with Josh Schwartz.Chuck is Fedak's first television credit.Schwartz says that the idea for Chuck originally came from Fedak:-External links:*... , when asked at C2E2 Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo The Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo is a Chicago fan convention dedicated to comics, pop culture, graphic novels, anime, manga, video games, toys, movies, and television... if the season would reveal more of Sarah's back-story |
"Chuck Versus the Wedding Planner" was directed by Anton Cropper
Anton Cropper
Anton Cropper is an American television director and producer.Cropper began his career working as stage manager on the Nickelodeon series Kenan & Kel, All That and The Amanda Show before moving on as an assistant director on the series Cousin Skeeter, Popular, Arli$$, That Was Then, Six Feet Under...
and written by Rafe Judkins
Rafe Judkins
Rafe Lee Judkins was a contestant on the 11th season of Survivor, which took place in Guatemala. He is a working TV writer with credits on shows such as My Own Worst Enemy and Chuck....
and Lauren LeFranc. 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 April 18, 2011, 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 twenty-first episode of Chucks fourth season and the seventy-fifth episode overall.
"Chuck Versus the Wedding Planner" began filming on March 7, 2011. Series co-creator Chris Fedak
Chris Fedak
Chris Fedak is a co-executive producer of Chuck. He has also co-written several episodes with Josh Schwartz.Chuck is Fedak's first television credit.Schwartz says that the idea for Chuck originally came from Fedak:-External links:*...
revealed at the Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo
Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo
The Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo is a Chicago fan convention dedicated to comics, pop culture, graphic novels, anime, manga, video games, toys, movies, and television...
(C2E2) that Gary Cole
Gary Cole
Gary Michael Cole is an American actor. Cole is known for his supporting roles in numerous film and television productions since the 1990s.-Early life:...
would return as Sarah's father Jack Burton, and Zap2it
Zap2it
Zap2it is an American website and affiliate network that provides news, photos and video, local TV listings and movie showtimes. The site is produced by Tribune Media Services , part of the publishing division of the Chicago-based Tribune Company...
confirmed in April 2011 that Cole would appear in "Chuck Versus the Wedding Planner", after last appearing in the second season
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...
episode "Chuck Versus the DeLorean
Chuck Versus the DeLorean
"Chuck Versus the DeLorean" is the tenth episode of Chuck's second season, and aired on December 8, 2008. Sarah's con artist father appears, and Chuck and Casey are ordered to use his latest scam to pursue a Saudi sheik with terrorist connections.-Main Plot:The episode begins with a flashback to...
". Lisa LoCicero also guest starred as Daphne Peralta, the eponymous wedding planner
Wedding planner
A wedding planner is a professional who assists with planning and organization of weddings. Weddings are significant events in people's lives, and those involved are often willing to spend a considerable amount of money to ensure it is organized as perfectly as possible.Professional wedding...
. Mekenna Melvin
Mekenna Melvin
Mekenna Melvin is an American actress known for playing the role of Alex McHugh in Chuck, Angela in Three Rivers, and Stefanie Fife in Lie to Me. She also co-created and will be starring as Amber Hannold in Amber Lake, an independent film due for release in 2010.- Personal life :Melvin was born...
reprised her recurring role of Casey's daughter and Morgan's girlfriend, Alex McHugh, and Clare Carey
Clare Carey
Clare Carey is a film and television actress.-Background:Carey was born at a Catholic mission in Zimbabwe where her father and mother were serving...
portrayed Alex's mother Kathleen.
When Sarah travels to Miami, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
to meet her father, aerial shots of the city are shown. The background that follows, however, has been described as "badly CGI
Computer-generated imagery
Computer-generated imagery is the application of the field of computer graphics or, more specifically, 3D computer graphics to special effects in art, video games, films, television programs, commercials, simulators and simulation generally, and printed media...
'd".
Continuity
Jordan Bienstock of CNNCNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
noted several continuity errors in the episode. Among them is the fact that Jack is surprised that Sarah is a 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...
agent, rather than running her own cons, when in fact it was made clear to him in his first appearance that she was "on the right side of the law". Also, Kathleen refers to Casey by his real name, "Alex", but the episode never acknowledges the fact that "Sarah Walker" is an alias.
In contrast, Alan Sepinwall and Eric Goldman noted, in their respective reviews for HitFix
HitFix
HitFix, or the HitFix.com is an entertainment news website that launched in December 2008 specializing in breaking entertainment news, insider information and providing reviews and critiques of film, music and television...
and 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...
, allusions in "Chuck Versus the Wedding Planner" to past episodes. As in his first appearance, Jack refers to Chuck as "Schnook" and Casey as "Cop Face". Chuck also makes his "famous" chicken
Chicken (food)
Chicken is the most common type of poultry in the world, and is prepared as food in a wide variety of ways, varying by region and culture.- History :...
pepperoni
Pepperoni
Pepperoni is a spicy Italian-American variety of salami usually made from cured pork and beef, but poultry may be added, if labeled correctly, for less expensive versions. Pepperoni is characteristically soft, slightly smoky, and bright red in color...
pizza
Pizza
Pizza is an oven-baked, flat, disc-shaped bread typically topped with a tomato sauce, cheese and various toppings.Originating in Italy, from the Neapolitan cuisine, the dish has become popular in many parts of the world. An establishment that makes and sells pizzas is called a "pizzeria"...
for Sarah, alluding to "Chuck Versus the Fake Name
Chuck Versus the Fake Name
"Chuck Versus the Fake Name" is a third-season episode of the television series Chuck. It was the eighth episode of the season, and the first to air after a two-week hiatus for the 2010 Winter Olympics...
".
Music
The episode's soundtrack includes the songs "Goody Two Shoes" by Adam AntAdam Ant
Adam Ant is an English musician who gained popularity as the lead singer of New Wave/post-punk group Adam and the Ants and later as a solo artist, scoring ten UK top ten hits between 1980 and 1983, including three No.1s...
, "Tierra Lejana" by Orquesta Mazacote, and "The Bomb" by Pigeon John
Pigeon John
Pigeon John is an American hip hop rapper raised in Hawthorne, California and based in Los Angeles, California.-Biography:Pigeon John is a Los Angeles area rapper who has recorded four studio albums as a solo artist, as well as several others as a member of the groups like L.A. Symphony and...
. As deejay
Deejay
A deejay is a reggae or dancehall musician who sings and toasts to an instrumental riddim .Deejays are not to be confused with disc jockeys from other music genres like hip-hop, where they select and play music. Dancehall/reggae DJs who select riddims to play are called selectors...
, Chuck plays the songs "What I Like About You
What I Like About You (song)
"What I Like About You" is a song by American rock band The Romantics. The song, written by Romantics members Wally Palmar, Mike Skill and Jimmy Marinos is featured on the band's self-titled 1980 debut album, and was also released as a single. Marinos, the band's drummer, is the lead vocalist on...
" by the Romantics
The Romantics
The Romantics is an American New Wave band from Detroit, Michigan, formed in 1977. The band adopted the name "The Romantics" because they formed on Valentine's Day, 1977. The Romantics achieved popularity in the United Kingdom, The U.S...
and "At Last
At Last
"At Last" is a 1941 song written by Mack Gordon and Harry Warren for the musical film Orchestra Wives, starring George Montgomery and Ann Rutherford. It was performed in the film and on record by Glenn Miller and his orchestra, with vocals by Ray Eberle and Pat Friday...
" by Etta James
Etta James
Etta James is an American blues, soul, rhythm and blues , rock and roll, gospel and jazz singer. In the 1950s and 1960s, she had her biggest success as a blues and R&B singer...
. "A Million Years" by Alexander plays during the final montage.
Reception
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 the Wedding Planner" drew 4.219 million viewers, with a 2.5/4 share among all households and 1.3/4 share among those aged 18-49.
The episode received positive reviews from critics. Gary Cole's return was highly praised, as well as the scene in which Sarah imitates the face Chuck makes when 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...
has a "flash". HitFix Senior Editor Alan Sepinwall wrote, "Cole's return was as much fun as I hoped it would be - in some ways, even better than his first appearance in season two's 'Chuck vs. the Delorean,' where I liked Sarah and Jack's interaction but thought the actual con job was a bit thin. 'Chuck vs. the Wedding Planner' had its own flaw in the section where Sarah and Chuck are illegally using government resources to catch the con woman and wind up getting more government 'help' than they bargained for... But once Jack turned up in Burbank to help his daughter and her schnook of a fiance be heroes and get back in the good graces of General Beckman, 'Wedding Planner' was really very strong, both as a comedy piece (loved Yvonne Strahovski's accent as she impersonated Daphne) and another story about Sarah's colorful but ultimately sad past."
Ryan McGee 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 a B on an A+ to F scale, writing that the "episode didn’t really take advantage of Jack Burton's return to the show. Instead, it pushed him off to the sidelines to make room for a storyline that had no earthly business in this episode." Eric Goldman of IGN gave this episode a score of 8.5 out of 10, calling it "a nice break from the Volkoff
Volkoff Industries
Volkoff Industries is a major organization on the television series Chuck. It is a public business front owned by an international arms dealer named Alexei Volkoff, portrayed by Timothy Dalton. Volkoff Industries is introduced in the third season finale as a threat against which Stephen J...
drama". Melody Simpson of Buzz Focus wrote, "This story line has the potential to bring lots of drama but the way that it has been building up to this moment." Stephen Lackey of Mania called the episode "fun stuff just lacking in drama where drama was required." Brittany Frederick of Starpulse wrote that the episode reminded her "of all the reasons I fell in love with this show a year ago. It's fun, and funny without being campy, but more importantly, it's got heart. It's an episode that made me think, 'This is why people fight for this show season after season.' If it helps turn out more episodes like these, Gary Cole can drop by anytime he likes. I, for one, will be glad to see him."