“Chuck Versus the Undercover Lover”
January 21st, 2007
While NBC is planning to air the final two pre-strike episodes of Chuck as part of an Apprentice sandwich on Thursday, January 22nd, CityTV chose to air the episodes in Canada on the show’s regular night, Monday. The result is that viewers had a chance to gorge on the last bits of spy dramedy goodness a little earlier here in the Great White North, and that I’ve had a chance to see the final two episodes.
And, to reference one of the characters seen quite frequently in the two episodes, they’re pretty awesome. Taken as a pair, they represent both the care-free and enjoyable elements along with the dramatic core of the series. I’m going to separate them, but this does not mean they do not work in tandem. Rather, I want to stretch out the blog posts. So, for all of the details on “Chuck Versus the Marlin,” tune in tomorrow morning.
For now, let’s talk about how the show was smart enough to return to the well of Adam Baldwin’s Casey.
Cultural Learnings’ 10 Shows to (Hopefully) Watch in 2008 is a list which reflects not the best series to possibly air in the calendar year, but rather those which shall prove most interesting to watch both in terms of the show itself and the buzz surrounding it. Some shows have made this list due to curiosity, hype, or a genuine interest in their creative future. Some of these shows may not air a single new episode of television until the fall, but it’s never too early to look ahead. On with the list!
Last year, I designated an episode of Heroes (“Company Man”) as the #1 episode of television during February Sweeps, and perhaps during the entire year. Ultimately, I’d probably give that distinction to an episode from another series, but the fact remains that Heroes did some great things in the past year that should make them something to watch in 2008. Unfortunately, almost all of that goodwill has been squandered.
I feel obligated to place one of the season’s midseason debuts on the list, but don’t view this as a token selection – Terminator: Sarah Connor Chronicles is perhaps one of the most interesting drama series to hit the airwaves this year. This attempt at spinning off the Terminator franchise seems a terrible idea on paper, but its execution is solid: the pilot presents a level of action and drama that at the very least appears to offer a smarter and more cohesive alternative to NBC’s fading sci-fi series.
Cultural Learnings 