Chuck Versus Tom Sawyer
Encyclopedia
"Chuck Versus Tom Sawyer" is the fifth episode of the second season
of Chuck
. It originally aired on October 27, 2008. Life in espionage takes its toll on Chuck Bartowski
and everyone is taking notice. Chuck tries to explain his unusual behavior to Ellie Bartowski
and to the quirky Buy More
efficiency expert
Emmett Milbarge (Tony Hale
), but a new assignment only complicates things. After a global terrorist comes searching for Jeff Barnes, Chuck is forced to socialize with Jeff in order to find out what role the oddball plays in the mission.
World Championship in San Fernando Valley
, California
. As Jeff claims his prize of $100 in quarters
and a year's supply of Slim Jims, the announcer says that Jeff has raised the level of video gaming to an art form. When asked what is next, Jeff replies, "How can I make up my mind when there are so many tasty options?" In present-day Burbank
, Jeff again says "I have so many tasty options" while looking at a vending machine in the Buy More
.
Chuck Bartowski
arrives late to the Buy More and Morgan Grimes
warns him about the new efficiency expert. As Chuck meets Emmett Milbarge (Tony Hale
), he flashes on a tough-looking bald man (Faran Tahir
). Feigning sickness, Chuck tries to slink away but runs into the man, who shows him a picture of Jeff and asks Chuck if he knows him. Chuck says no and suggests that he check the other thirteen Southern California
Buy Mores.
John Casey
identifies the man as Farrokh Bulsara, a global terrorist. Chuck's assignment is to approach Jeff socially to find out why a terrorist is tracking him; the other option is to grab Jeff and have a federal team interrogate him. Ellie Bartowski stops by the Orange Orange and talks to Sarah Walker
about Chuck. When told that Chuck may be spending time out with "Nerd Herd, creepy, serial killer
Jeff", Ellie says they really need to talk.
Chuck approaches Jeff, but is interrupted Emmett. After a brief talk about Emmett's love life, Chuck ducks out of an interview, postponing it to the next day. Chuck catches up with Jeff and asks him out for a beer, which Jeff declines in favor of a dozen beers. Instead of going to Jeff's house, they agree to meet at the Buy More.
Jeff presents his music video of Anna Wu as the night's entertainment. We then switch back to the Buy More to see Chuck pounding a beer. Chuck then asks Jeff about the man who was looking for him. Jeff thinks it is one of his fans and reveals a video to Chuck that he has not shown to anyone else, a 25-year-old news video of Jeff being declared the Missile Command world champion. Chuck flashes on the man awarding the trophy and prizes, Mr. Morimoto (Clyde Kusatsu
). While Chuck and Jeff watch the video, a van of terrorists pulls up to Buy More, which Casey notices on the Castle monitors and goes to the Buy More to warn Chuck about. After Jeff passes out, Chuck is forced to carry him out the back door. Just as Sarah tells Ellie that Chuck is mature and responsible, Chuck bursts in carrying the drunken Jeff.
Back at Buy More, Sarah takes Chuck away before Morgan and Lester Patel can announce that they have become best friends as a form of retaliation. It is revealed that Morimoto, the designer of Missile Command, worked for the Japanese military
and was in the command of actual missiles, loaded into a satellite that is laying dormant in orbit. Chuck is able to attack Atari
headquarters with a computer virus as a cover for Team Bartowski to gain access to Morimoto. Chuck and Casey are not successful trying to enter as computer experts in headquarters full of computer experts. Sarah, however, is a much more successful distraction and Chuck and Casey run up the stairs. Chuck encounters Bulsara and gets locked in a room. In the room, Morimoto plays Missile Command while listening to the Rush
song "Tom Sawyer
", and it is revealed that he hid secret codes to the satellite on the arcade game
's kill screen
. Morimoto claims that the complex equations to progress to the kill screen are based on the "music of the universe." Casey breaks in and wonders why Moritmoto is still playing when Bulsara has the code. It is then revealed that a bomb has been wired to the game console, and Morimoto urges them to run before it explodes. Chuck refuses to leave him behind, but Casey does not give him a choice. They escapes before the bomb explodes, incinerating Morimoto.
At Castle, General Beckman realizes that the satellite must be shot down. Chuck proposes the alternate plan of having Jeff play Missile Command to the kill screen, which Jeff agrees to, in exchange for grape cough syrup
, M&M's
not colored brown, his lucky game console, Anna wearing a grass skirt
, and the attendance of his fans
. Casey argues that Jeff's fans have already moved on, but when word spreads about Jeff, his fans immediately flock to the Burbank Buy More to see him win the game.
While the media covers the event, Chuck notices some static on a television and flashes on a local news station, where Bulsara plans to control the satellite. Sarah goes to the news station as Casey prepares to order that the satellite be shot down. Jeff prepares to play to the kill screen, but collapses under the pressure. Chuck attempts to win the game, but fails. He then flashes on a bystander's Rush jacket, and the Intersect
correlates Rush music to the game. Chuck remembers Morimoto's words about the "music of the universe" being the key to win and realizes that the mathematical pattern underlying the game is the same as the song "Tom Sawyer". Morgan plays the song, and Chuck achieves 2,000,000 points and is able to play to the kill screen in front of the crowd.
Sarah finds and defeats the terrorists at the local television station and gains control of the satellite controls. When Chuck unlocks the kill screen and reveals the access codes, he relays them to Sarah, who controls the satellite and averts World War III
. Later, Jeff walks up for one more round of Missile Command.
When told by Sarah that Chuck may be spending time with Jeff, Ellie says they really need to talk. They meet Ellie at the apartment and Ellie worries that Chuck is slipping back to old self, having no confidence and no direction, mentioning that he was only twelve course credits short of graduating from Stanford University
when he was expelled. Sarah insists that, as with a duck, "Sometimes it seems like [Chuck] is just gliding along, but beneath the surface his little feet are just paddling away like crazy," and that deep down Chuck is mature and responsible. Just then, Chuck bursts in carrying the drunken Jeff, who wakes in the morning and scares Ellie. As Chuck hurries him to a waiting cab, Ellie tells Chuck he should go back to school. Chuck responds he still has all the goals he used to have.
When Chuck returns home after winning Missile Command, Ellie presents him with an electrical engineering
diploma
from Stanford, which Sarah and Casey arranged for based on Chuck's "practical studies". Chuck thanks Sarah for the thought and the fake diploma but she tells him it is real, earned from all of his field work with the CIA
. They share a romantic moment wishing on a shooting star, or the weapons satellite burning up in the atmosphere (see Main plot).
". The interviews go poorly as Emmett writes his impressions such as "untrainable" and "prostitute?" in large, red letters across the evaluation forms. All employees answer that the one who holds everything together is Chuck.
Chuck arrives late to work and Morgan warns him about Emmett. As Chuck meets Emmett, he flashes on a tough-looking bald man and feigns sickness to slink away. Emmett later interrupts Chuck for another interview, but, after a brief talk about Emmett's love life, Chuck ducks out of the interview, postponing it to the next day.
Later that night, Emmett records his findings of the branch by saying there is "no sign of intelligent life." He observes Chuck pounding a beer, recording various accusations.
After the rally (see Main plot), Big Mike congratulates Chuck and announces that Emmett will be staying as assistant manager.
gave this episode a score of 9.3 out of 10, writing, "This was perhaps the geekiest episode of Chuck yet – and certainly the one that anyone who grew up in the 80s will most appreciate. It was one of those installments that worked to bring Chuck's spy life and Buy More life together in a major way, and did so in an incredibly funny and entertaining manner." Goldman also praised Hale's addition Chucks recurring cast, writing, "The always awesome Hale is another great addition to a show that's really delivering these days."
Steve Heisler of The A.V. Club
gave the episode an A-, writing "Clearly, Chuck is about nerds. But there's a danger to that as well. When the show tries to prove its "nerds are cool" message, it comes off as disengaged... But as was evident even from moment one
of season two, the show is trending in a much more exciting direction: This is now a show about nerds, for nerds, doing all it can to embrace things nerds find cool. And thus Chuck no longer feels like a defense of the culture, but a celebration of it.
" Unlike Goldman, Heisler found Hale's performance "lacking".
Viewer response was also positive, with an 8.5/10 user rating at TV.com
. The episode drew 6.698 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 October 27, 2008. Life in espionage takes its toll on 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 everyone is taking notice. Chuck tries to explain his unusual behavior to 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:...
and to the quirky 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....
efficiency expert
Business process reengineering
Business process re-engineering is the analysis and design of workflows and processes within an organization.According to Davenport a business process is a set of logically related tasks performed to achieve a defined business outcome....
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:...
), but a new assignment only complicates things. After a global terrorist comes searching for Jeff Barnes, Chuck is forced to socialize with Jeff in order to find out what role the oddball plays in the mission.
Plot
In 1983, Jeff Barnes wins the Missile CommandMissile Command
Missile Command is a 1980 arcade game by Atari, Inc. that was also licensed to Sega for European release. It is considered one of the most notable games from the Golden Age of Video Arcade Games...
World Championship in San Fernando Valley
San Fernando Valley
The San Fernando Valley is an urbanized valley located in the Los Angeles metropolitan area of southern California, United States, defined by the dramatic mountains of the Transverse Ranges circling it...
, 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...
. As Jeff claims his prize of $100 in quarters
Quarter (United States coin)
A quarter dollar, commonly shortened to quarter, is a coin worth ¼ of a United States dollar, or 25 cents. The quarter has been produced since 1796. The choice of 25¢ as a denomination, as opposed to 20¢ which is more common in other parts of the world, originated with the practice of dividing...
and a year's supply of Slim Jims, the announcer says that Jeff has raised the level of video gaming to an art form. When asked what is next, Jeff replies, "How can I make up my mind when there are so many tasty options?" In present-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....
, Jeff again says "I have so many tasty options" while looking at a vending machine in 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....
.
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:...
arrives late to the Buy More 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....
warns him about the new efficiency expert. As Chuck meets 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:...
), he flashes on a tough-looking bald man (Faran Tahir
Faran Tahir
Faran Tahir is a Pakistani-American film and television actor.-Early life:Tahir was born in Los Angeles, California, where his Pakistani parents had been studying acting and directing at the University of California, Los Angeles . Growing up in Pakistan, Tahir returned to Los Angeles in...
). Feigning sickness, Chuck tries to slink away but runs into the man, who shows him a picture of Jeff and asks Chuck if he knows him. Chuck says no and suggests that he check the other thirteen Southern California
Southern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
Buy Mores.
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....
identifies the man as Farrokh Bulsara, a global terrorist. Chuck's assignment is to approach Jeff socially to find out why a terrorist is tracking him; the other option is to grab Jeff and have a federal team interrogate him. Ellie Bartowski stops by the Orange Orange and talks to 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...
about Chuck. When told that Chuck may be spending time out with "Nerd Herd, creepy, serial killer
Serial killer
A serial killer, as typically defined, is an individual who has murdered three or more people over a period of more than a month, with down time between the murders, and whose motivation for killing is usually based on psychological gratification...
Jeff", Ellie says they really need to talk.
Chuck approaches Jeff, but is interrupted Emmett. After a brief talk about Emmett's love life, Chuck ducks out of an interview, postponing it to the next day. Chuck catches up with Jeff and asks him out for a beer, which Jeff declines in favor of a dozen beers. Instead of going to Jeff's house, they agree to meet at the Buy More.
Jeff presents his music video of Anna Wu as the night's entertainment. We then switch back to the Buy More to see Chuck pounding a beer. Chuck then asks Jeff about the man who was looking for him. Jeff thinks it is one of his fans and reveals a video to Chuck that he has not shown to anyone else, a 25-year-old news video of Jeff being declared the Missile Command world champion. Chuck flashes on the man awarding the trophy and prizes, Mr. Morimoto (Clyde Kusatsu
Clyde Kusatsu
Clyde Kusatsu is a U.S. actor.Kusatsu was born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii, where he attended ʻIolani School. Kusatsu began acting in Honolulu summer stock, and after studying theatre at Northwestern University, started to make his mark on the small screen in the mid-1970s...
). While Chuck and Jeff watch the video, a van of terrorists pulls up to Buy More, which Casey notices on the Castle monitors and goes to the Buy More to warn Chuck about. After Jeff passes out, Chuck is forced to carry him out the back door. Just as Sarah tells Ellie that Chuck is mature and responsible, Chuck bursts in carrying the drunken Jeff.
Back at Buy More, Sarah takes Chuck away before Morgan and Lester Patel can announce that they have become best friends as a form of retaliation. It is revealed that Morimoto, the designer of Missile Command, worked for the Japanese military
Japan Self-Defense Forces
The , or JSDF, occasionally referred to as JSF or SDF, are the unified military forces of Japan that were established after the end of the post–World War II Allied occupation of Japan. For most of the post-war period the JSDF was confined to the islands of Japan and not permitted to be deployed...
and was in the command of actual missiles, loaded into a satellite that is laying dormant in orbit. Chuck is able to attack Atari
Atari
Atari is a corporate and brand name owned by several entities since its inception in 1972. It is currently owned by Atari Interactive, a wholly owned subsidiary of the French publisher Atari, SA . The original Atari, Inc. was founded in 1972 by Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney. It was a pioneer in...
headquarters with a computer virus as a cover for Team Bartowski to gain access to Morimoto. Chuck and Casey are not successful trying to enter as computer experts in headquarters full of computer experts. Sarah, however, is a much more successful distraction and Chuck and Casey run up the stairs. Chuck encounters Bulsara and gets locked in a room. In the room, Morimoto plays Missile Command while listening to the Rush
Rush (band)
Rush is a Canadian rock band formed in August 1968, in the Willowdale neighbourhood of Toronto, Ontario. The band is composed of bassist, keyboardist, and lead vocalist Geddy Lee, guitarist Alex Lifeson, and drummer and lyricist Neil Peart...
song "Tom Sawyer
Tom Sawyer (song)
"Tom Sawyer" is a song by Canadian rock band Rush, named after Mark Twain's literary character. The song was released on Mercury Records and PolyGram in 1981 on the Moving Pictures album and numerous compilations thereafter, such as 1990's Chronicles. It has also appeared on several live albums and...
", and it is revealed that he hid secret codes to the satellite on the arcade game
Arcade game
An arcade game is a coin-operated entertainment machine, usually installed in public businesses such as restaurants, bars, and amusement arcades. Most arcade games are video games, pinball machines, electro-mechanical games, redemption games, and merchandisers...
's kill screen
Kill screen
A kill screen is a stage or level in a video game that stops the player's progress due to a programming error or design oversight. Rather than "ending" in a traditional sense, the game will crash, freeze, or behave so erratically that further play is impossible.Video games, like any other computer...
. Morimoto claims that the complex equations to progress to the kill screen are based on the "music of the universe." Casey breaks in and wonders why Moritmoto is still playing when Bulsara has the code. It is then revealed that a bomb has been wired to the game console, and Morimoto urges them to run before it explodes. Chuck refuses to leave him behind, but Casey does not give him a choice. They escapes before the bomb explodes, incinerating Morimoto.
At Castle, General Beckman realizes that the satellite must be shot down. Chuck proposes the alternate plan of having Jeff play Missile Command to the kill screen, which Jeff agrees to, in exchange for grape cough syrup
Cough medicine
A cough medicine is a medicinal drug used in an attempt to treat coughing and related conditions. For dry coughs, treatment with cough suppressants may be attempted to suppress the body's urge to cough...
, M&M's
M&M's
M&M's are dragée-like "colorful button-shaped candies" produced by Mars, Incorporated...
not colored brown, his lucky game console, Anna wearing a grass skirt
Grass skirt
A grass skirt is a traditional part of dress wear on tropical islands all over the world . This is referred to many kinds of dress wear. These are popular with Hula girls on Hawaii. Many of these are seen at Hawaiian parties....
, and the attendance of his fans
Fan (person)
A Fan, sometimes also called aficionado or supporter, is a person with a liking and enthusiasm for something, such as a band or a sports team. Fans of a particular thing or person constitute its fanbase or fandom...
. Casey argues that Jeff's fans have already moved on, but when word spreads about Jeff, his fans immediately flock to the Burbank Buy More to see him win the game.
While the media covers the event, Chuck notices some static on a television and flashes on a local news station, where Bulsara plans to control the satellite. Sarah goes to the news station as Casey prepares to order that the satellite be shot down. Jeff prepares to play to the kill screen, but collapses under the pressure. Chuck attempts to win the game, but fails. He then flashes on a bystander's Rush jacket, and 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...
correlates Rush music to the game. Chuck remembers Morimoto's words about the "music of the universe" being the key to win and realizes that the mathematical pattern underlying the game is the same as the song "Tom Sawyer". Morgan plays the song, and Chuck achieves 2,000,000 points and is able to play to the kill screen in front of the crowd.
Sarah finds and defeats the terrorists at the local television station and gains control of the satellite controls. When Chuck unlocks the kill screen and reveals the access codes, he relays them to Sarah, who controls the satellite and averts World War III
World War III
World War III denotes a successor to World War II that would be on a global scale, with common speculation that it would be likely nuclear and devastating in nature....
. Later, Jeff walks up for one more round of Missile Command.
Moving on
When Chuck is awakened by his alarm clock, he is still wearing the last night's name tag and clothes. As he rushes to exit the apartment, Ellie and Devon urge him to not miss breakfast, offering a ginseng protein shake. Ellie notes how later Chuck came home the night before, which Chuck explains as playing video games. Devon asked what happened to all of Chuck's big plans, and Ellie adds that Chuck should be moving on.When told by Sarah that Chuck may be spending time with Jeff, Ellie says they really need to talk. They meet Ellie at the apartment and Ellie worries that Chuck is slipping back to old self, having no confidence and no direction, mentioning that he was only twelve course credits short of graduating from Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
when he was expelled. Sarah insists that, as with a duck, "Sometimes it seems like [Chuck] is just gliding along, but beneath the surface his little feet are just paddling away like crazy," and that deep down Chuck is mature and responsible. Just then, Chuck bursts in carrying the drunken Jeff, who wakes in the morning and scares Ellie. As Chuck hurries him to a waiting cab, Ellie tells Chuck he should go back to school. Chuck responds he still has all the goals he used to have.
When Chuck returns home after winning Missile Command, Ellie presents him with an electrical engineering
Electrical engineering
Electrical engineering is a field of engineering that generally deals with the study and application of electricity, electronics and electromagnetism. The field first became an identifiable occupation in the late nineteenth century after commercialization of the electric telegraph and electrical...
diploma
Diploma
A diploma is a certificate or deed issued by an educational institution, such as a university, that testifies that the recipient has successfully completed a particular course of study or confers an academic degree. In countries such as the United Kingdom and Australia, the word diploma refers to...
from Stanford, which Sarah and Casey arranged for based on Chuck's "practical studies". Chuck thanks Sarah for the thought and the fake diploma but she tells him it is real, earned from all of his field work with the 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...
. They share a romantic moment wishing on a shooting star, or the weapons satellite burning up in the atmosphere (see Main plot).
Buy More
Big Mike reveals that it is time for things to get moving at the Buy More. Emmett Milbarge is introduced as an efficiency expert sent by Buy More corporate. Emmett announces that he will be interviewing the employees and evaluating their performance, "perhaps even trimming the fatLayoff
Layoff , also called redundancy in the UK, is the temporary suspension or permanent termination of employment of an employee or a group of employees for business reasons, such as when certain positions are no longer necessary or when a business slow-down occurs...
". The interviews go poorly as Emmett writes his impressions such as "untrainable" and "prostitute?" in large, red letters across the evaluation forms. All employees answer that the one who holds everything together is Chuck.
Chuck arrives late to work and Morgan warns him about Emmett. As Chuck meets Emmett, he flashes on a tough-looking bald man and feigns sickness to slink away. Emmett later interrupts Chuck for another interview, but, after a brief talk about Emmett's love life, Chuck ducks out of the interview, postponing it to the next day.
Later that night, Emmett records his findings of the branch by saying there is "no sign of intelligent life." He observes Chuck pounding a beer, recording various accusations.
After the rally (see Main plot), Big Mike congratulates Chuck and announces that Emmett will be staying as assistant manager.
Production
This episode marked the introduction of Tony Hale in his recurring role of Emmett Milbarge.Flashes
- Chuck flashes on Bulsara.
- Chuck flashes on Morimoto in Jeff's video tape.
- Chuck notices static on a television and flashes on a local news station where Farrokh plans to control the satellite.
- Chuck flashes flashes on a bystander's Rush jacket, correlating the song "Tom Sawyer" to Missile Command.
Cultural references
- Jeff Barnes' flashback is a parody of Jeff SpicoliJeff SpicoliJeff Spicoli is a fictional character in Fast Times at Ridgemont High, where he was played by Sean Penn. While he is a freshman in the book, he is a senior in the film...
's dream sequence in Fast Times at Ridgemont HighFast Times at Ridgemont HighFast Times at Ridgemont High is a 1982 American coming-of-age teen comedy film written by Cameron Crowe and adapted from his 1981 book of the same name...
. Visually nearly identical, the scenes share several lines, and both Jeffs are flanked by models. A fictional "Stu Brewster" (Bill Lewis) substitutes for the late Stu NahanStu NahanStu Nahan was an American sportscaster best known for his television broadcasting career in Los Angeles from the 1950s through the 1990s. He is also remembered for his role as a boxing commentator in most of the Rocky films. He received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6549 Hollywood Blvd...
(himself) from the film. - Chuck pretends not to recognize Jeff's photograph, asking Farrokh Bulsara if Jeff is a "Sweathog", one of the remedial student characters of Welcome Back, KotterWelcome Back, KotterWelcome Back, Kotter was an American television sitcom starring Gabe Kaplan and featuring a young John Travolta.It originally aired on the ABC network from September 9, 1975 to June 8, 1979.-Premise:...
. - The episode's title references the song "Tom SawyerTom Sawyer (song)"Tom Sawyer" is a song by Canadian rock band Rush, named after Mark Twain's literary character. The song was released on Mercury Records and PolyGram in 1981 on the Moving Pictures album and numerous compilations thereafter, such as 1990's Chronicles. It has also appeared on several live albums and...
" by Canadian band Rush, which itself is named after Mark TwainMark TwainSamuel Langhorne Clemens , better known by his pen name Mark Twain, was an American author and humorist...
's popular novel The Adventures of Tom SawyerThe Adventures of Tom SawyerThe Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain is an 1876 novel about a young boy growing up along the Mississippi River. The story is set in the Town of "St...
. - The game Missile Command is also prominently featured. In the Chuck universe, Morimoto is the game's designer, likely a reference to Nintendo video game designer Shigeru MiyamotoShigeru Miyamotois a Japanese video game designer and producer. Miyamoto was born and raised in Kyoto Prefecture; the natural surroundings of Kyoto inspired much of Miyamoto's later work....
. - When Morgan offers his ZuneZuneZune is a digital media brand owned by Microsoft which includes a line of portable media players, a digital media player software for Windows machines, a music subscription service known as a 'Zune Music Pass', music and video streaming for the Xbox 360 via the Zune Software, music, TV and movie...
, Chuck asks "You have a Zune?", to which Morgan replies, "Are you kidding me? No, I'll grab my iPodIPodiPod is a line of portable media players created and marketed by Apple Inc. The product line-up currently consists of the hard drive-based iPod Classic, the touchscreen iPod Touch, the compact iPod Nano, and the ultra-compact iPod Shuffle...
." - The episode has also been compared to The King of Kong: A Fistful of QuartersThe King of Kong: A Fistful of QuartersThe King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters is a 2007 American documentary film that follows Steve Wiebe as he tries to take the world high score for the arcade game Donkey Kong from reigning champion Billy Mitchell...
. - The name "Emmett Milbarge" is a reference to the comedy Spies Like UsSpies Like UsSpies Like Us is a 1985 American comedy film directed by John Landis and starring Chevy Chase, Dan Aykroyd, Steve Forrest, and Donna Dixon...
, combining the names of Chevy ChaseChevy ChaseCornelius Crane "Chevy" Chase is an American comedian, writer, and television and film actor, born into a prominent entertainment industry family. Chase worked a plethora of odd jobs before moving into comedy acting with National Lampoon...
's character Emmett Fitz-Hume and Dan AykroydDan AykroydDaniel Edward "Dan" Aykroyd, CM is a Canadian comedian, actor, screenwriter, musician, winemaker and ufologist. He was an original cast member of Saturday Night Live, an originator of The Blues Brothers and Ghostbusters and has had a long career as a film actor and screenwriter.-Early...
's character Austin Milbarge. - "Farrokh Bulsara" is the birth name of QueenQueen (band)Queen are a British rock band formed in London in 1971, originally consisting of Freddie Mercury , Brian May , John Deacon , and Roger Taylor...
vocalist Freddie MercuryFreddie MercuryFreddie Mercury was a British musician, singer and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist of the rock band Queen. As a performer, he was known for his flamboyant stage persona and powerful vocals over a four-octave range...
. - When Jeff agrees to play "Missile Command", he asks for provisions, including "a bag of M&M's without the browns". This stems from the story that the band Van Halen (band), during the Eighties, stated on their contracts during gigs that they wanted bowls of M&M's backstage without the brown ones. Although a lot of people took this as a rock star excentricity, it was just a way for them to be sure that every details on their contract was thoroughly taken care of.
Music
- "All Out of LoveAll Out of Love"All Out of Love" is a pop–ballad by Air Supply, released in 1980. It reached number 2 in the US and number 11 in the UK. The song is considered to be one of the greatest love songs, placing 92nd in VH1's list of the 100 Greatest Love Songs....
" by Air SupplyAir SupplyAir Supply is an Australian soft rock duo, consisting of Graham Russell as guitarist and singer-songwriter and Russell Hitchcock as lead vocalist. They had a succession of hits worldwide, including eight Top Ten hits in the United States, in the early 1980s... - "Council Estate" by TrickyTrickyTricky is an English musician and actor. As a producer and a musician, he is noted for a dark, rich and layered sound and a whispering sprechgesang lyrical style. Culturally, Tricky encourages an intertwining of societies, particularly in his musical fusion of rock and hip hop, high art and pop...
- "Tom SawyerTom SawyerThomas "Tom" Sawyer is the title character of the Mark Twain novel The Adventures of Tom Sawyer . He appears in three other novels by Twain: Adventures of Huckleberry Finn , Tom Sawyer Abroad , and Tom Sawyer, Detective .Sawyer also appears in at least three unfinished Twain works, Huck and Tom...
" by RushRush (band)Rush is a Canadian rock band formed in August 1968, in the Willowdale neighbourhood of Toronto, Ontario. The band is composed of bassist, keyboardist, and lead vocalist Geddy Lee, guitarist Alex Lifeson, and drummer and lyricist Neil Peart... - "The TouchThe Touch (Stan Bush song)"The Touch" is a rock song by American singer and guitarist Stan Bush. The song prominently features in the 1986 animated film The Transformers: The Movie, and appears on the soundtrack album released the following year. It was also released as a double A-side with "Weird Al" Yankovic's "Dare to Be...
" by Stan BushStan BushStan Bush is an American singer-songwriter and musician whose most notable work includes the songs "Dare" and "The Touch" from the soundtrack to the 1986 animated film The Transformers: The Movie, and "She's Got the Power", featured in the American voice dub of the animated series Sailor Moon... - "Sleepdriving" by Grand ArchivesGrand ArchivesGrand Archives is an American indie rock band that formed in Seattle. They were originally called Archives and are led by principal songwriter Mat Brooke, formerly of Carissa's Wierd and Band of Horses.-The Grand Archives:...
Critical response
"Chuck Versus Tom Sawyer" received positive reviews from critics. Eric Goldman of IGNIGN
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 this episode a score of 9.3 out of 10, writing, "This was perhaps the geekiest episode of Chuck yet – and certainly the one that anyone who grew up in the 80s will most appreciate. It was one of those installments that worked to bring Chuck's spy life and Buy More life together in a major way, and did so in an incredibly funny and entertaining manner." Goldman also praised Hale's addition Chucks recurring cast, writing, "The always awesome Hale is another great addition to a show that's really delivering these days."
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 "Clearly, Chuck is about nerds. But there's a danger to that as well. When the show tries to prove its "nerds are cool" message, it comes off as disengaged... But as was evident even from moment one
Chuck Versus the First Date
"Chuck Versus the First Date" is the second season premiere of the action-comedy series Chuck. It first aired on September 29, 2008. Chuck's time as the Intersect is coming to a close as the CIA and NSA have completed construction of the new Intersect....
of season two, the show is trending in a much more exciting direction: This is now a show about nerds, for nerds, doing all it can to embrace things nerds find cool. And thus Chuck no longer feels like a defense of the culture, but a celebration of it.
" Unlike Goldman, Heisler found Hale's performance "lacking".
Viewer response was also positive, with an 8.5/10 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 6.698 million viewers.