"Chuck Versus the Cougars" | |
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Chuck episode | |
Episode no. | Season 2 Episode 4 |
Directed by | Patrick Norris |
Written by | Allison Adler |
Featured music | "Tubthumping" by Chumbawamba "Open Late Weekends" by Daniel May "Shop Till You Drop" by Billy Martin "Variatio 1. a 1 Clav." from "The Goldberg Variations" by J. S. Bach "Beautiful Disaster" by 311 "Everybody (Backstreet's Back)" by Backstreet Boys "MMMBop" by Hanson "I Don't Want To Wait" by Paula Cole "Smack My Bitch Up" by The Prodigy |
Production code | 3T7254 |
Original air date | October 20, 2008 |
Guest appearances | |
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"Chuck Versus the Cougars" is the fourth episode of the second season of Chuck . It originally aired on NBC on October 20, 2008.
Chuck Bartowski learns more about Sarah Walker's past when they run into her old high school nemesis Heather Chandler (Nicole Richie). Sarah's teenage insecurities come to surface and she tries to avoid Heather at all costs. Chuck, on the other hand, does everything he can to hear more about Sarah's hidden life. When Heather's nerdy husband Mark Ratner (Ben Savage) turns out to be a key player in a new mission, the agents must attend Sarah's high school reunion to prevent the sale of potentially dangerous super-bomber plans – all the action ends with the ultimate cat fight. Meanwhile, Big Mike leaves town for the weekend and the Buy More's new assistant manager Lester Patel decides to implement a new sales policy.
"Chuck Versus the Cougars" received generally positive reviews from critics, and Richie's performance was praised. Eric Goldman of IGN gave this episode a score of 9 out of 10, praising Richie's and Strahovski's performances, writing, "This was a highly entertaining episode, which shed some very interesting new light on Sarah, while still making sure there were plenty of questions left to answer. Kudos to Yvonne Strahovski for her portrayal of the young, braces wearing outcast Sarah. It was a funny and effective change, and while the hair and makeup people did great work making her look so different, Strahovski also gave it her all by showing a much more shy, closed off version of the girl we know. Yvonne Strahovski looks the way she does – bad hair, a bad complexion and braces wouldn't make her still not be a pretty girl underneath all of that. But the way the young Sarah was portrayed, it came off as believable that she would be a loner, simply because of how different and reserved her demeanor was... It all led up to one hell of a fight between Sarah and Heather at the reunion, which not only was done to the tune of "Smack My Bitch Up", but also eventually had the women mercilessly beating up on each other in the showers, with the water of course blasting down on them. It's amazing to think how clunky and bad the circumstances I just described could be if done by creators who didn't have the style and wit that Chuck's do. " [1]
Steve Heisler of The A.V. Club gave the episode a B+, writing "... What I imagined to be a gimmicky outing was actually a pretty fun, well-rounded episode, albeit slightly lacking the control of the last three." [2]
The episode drew 6.872 million viewers. [3]
Yvonne Jaqueline Strzechowski, known professionally as Yvonne Strahovski, is an Australian actress. She is known for roles as Sarah Walker in the spy comedy drama series Chuck (2007–2012), Hannah McKay in the drama series Dexter (2012–2013) and Kate Morgan in the event series 24: Live Another Day (2014). Strahovski stars as Serena Joy Waterford in the drama series The Handmaid's Tale (2017–present), for which she has received nominations for two Primetime Emmy Awards, three Screen Actors Guild Awards and a Golden Globe Award.
Sarah Lisa Bartowski is the alias of one of the main characters of the 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 as the Intersect into his brain. Throughout the series, she is Chuck's primary love interest and initially poses as Chuck's girlfriend to conceal their identities as spies from the public. In the Season 4 finale, "Chuck Versus the Cliffhanger", Chuck and Sarah were married, dismissed from government service, and given ownership of Volkoff Industries, with which they bought the Burbank Buy More and the secret Castle base thereunder. During the final three episodes of season 5, Sarah gets her memories suppressed due to a faulty Intersect upload, the signs of recovery from which are exhibited throughout the final episode. At an episode later in the series her real first name is known to be Sam, and a while later her real middle name is said to be Lisa.
"Chuck Versus the Intersect" is the pilot episode of the American action-comedy television series Chuck. The episode was directed by McG and written by series co-creators Josh Schwartz and Chris Fedak. It originally aired on NBC on September 24, 2007.
"Chuck Versus the Wookiee" is a first-season episode of the television series Chuck. It originally aired on NBC on October 15, 2007. Chuck and the team are ordered by Graham and Beckman to recover a stolen diamond to assist Sarah's old DEA friend, whose tendencies towards improvisation tend to get her and those she works with into trouble.
"Chuck Versus the Predator" is the seventeenth episode of the second season of Chuck. It originally aired on NBC on March 23, 2009.
"Chuck Versus the Break-Up" is the third episode of the second season of Chuck. It originally aired on NBC on October 13, 2008.
"Chuck Versus Tom Sawyer" is the fifth episode of the second season of Chuck. It originally aired on NBC 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, 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.
"Chuck Versus the Ex" is the sixth episode of the second season of American television series Chuck. It originally aired on NBC on November 10, 2008. Chuck Bartowski runs into his ex-girlfriend Jill Roberts while on a Nerd Herd call. In an attempt to save face, he lies to the girl who broke his heart and tells her that he is more successful than he really is. When Chuck flashes on Jill's boss, a research scientist who may have developed a deadly bio-weapon, he, Sarah Walker, and John Casey must find out if Jill is involved. Meanwhile, at the Buy More, Big Mike nearly chokes to death, which leads company efficiency expert Emmett Milbarge to implement a mandatory CPR course taught by Devon Woodcomb.
"Chuck Versus Santa Claus" is the eleventh episode of the second season of Chuck, and the 24th overall episode of the series. The episode was directed by Robert Duncan McNeill and written by Scott Rosenbaum. It originally aired on NBC on December 15, 2008.
"Chuck Versus the Suburbs" is the thirteenth episode of the second season of Chuck. It originally aired on NBC on February 16, 2009. General Beckman sends Chuck Bartowski, Sarah Walker, and John Casey to a 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 and Sylvia, 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.
"Chuck Versus the DeLorean" is the tenth episode of Chuck's second season, and aired on NBC 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.
"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. Chuck must juggle his new relationship with Hannah while at the same time taking on the role of an assassin hired by the Ring.
"Chuck Versus the Push Mix" is the thirteenth episode of the fourth season of Chuck. It originally aired on January 31, 2011. Much like "Chuck Versus the Other Guy" in the third season, this episode was intended to be the fourth season finale before an additional eleven episodes were ordered. As a result, the episode featured the conclusion of several story arcs, and series co-creator Josh Schwartz boasted that it would end with the "best 10 minutes in the show's history".
"Chuck Versus the First Bank of Evil" is the seventeenth episode of the fourth season of Chuck. It originally aired on February 28, 2011. Chuck Bartowski encourages Vivian McArthur to get in touch with her inner villain for a mission; Morgan Grimes' search for a new roommate has unexpected results.
"Chuck Versus the Family Volkoff" is the 20th episode of the fourth season of Chuck, and the 74th overall episode of the series. The episode was directed by Robert Duncan McNeill and written by Nicholas Wootton and Amanda Kate Shuman. It originally aired April 11, 2011.
"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.
"Chuck Versus Agent X" is the 22nd episode of the fourth season of the American action-comedy television series Chuck, and the 76th overall episode of the series. The episode was written by Phil Klemmer and Craig DiGregorio and directed by Robert Duncan McNeill. It originally aired on May 2, 2011.
"Chuck Versus the Last Details" is the 23rd episode of the fourth season of Chuck, and the 77th overall episode of the series. The episode was written by Henry Alonso Myers and Kristin Newman, and directed by Peter Lauer. It originally aired on May 9, 2011.
"Chuck Versus the Cliffhanger" is the fourth season finale of the American NBC action-comedy television series Chuck. Aired on May 16, 2011, it is the season's 24th episode, and the 78th overall episode of the series. The episode was directed by Robert Duncan McNeill and written by series co-creator Chris Fedak, along with Nicholas Wootton. Despite the episode's eponymous cliffhanger ending, supposedly leading into a fifth season, it was anticipated that Chuck would be cancelled after the fourth season for declining viewership, making "Chuck Versus the Cliffhanger" the de facto series finale. However, a fifth and final season was ordered on May 13, 2011.
The fifth and final season of the American action-comedy television series Chuck was announced on May 13, 2011. It included 13 episodes, which premiered on October 28, 2011, and concluded on January 27, 2012, with a two-hour finale.