Chuck Versus the Last Details
Encyclopedia
"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.
In the episode, Chuck Bartowski
(Zachary Levi
) and Sarah Walker
's (Yvonne Strahovski
) wedding preparation includes one final detail: ensuring that the mother-of-the-groom, Mary
(Linda Hamilton
), makes it to the ceremony alive. Meanwhile, Morgan Grimes
's (Joshua Gomez
) responsibilities as best man include his most dangerous mission yet, as he faces Vivian Volkoff (Lauren Cohan
). Elsewhere, Ellie Woodcomb (Sarah Lancaster
) tends to the last details of the rehearsal dinner
and seeks help from an unlikely source.
"Chuck Versus the Last Details" received generally positive reviews from critics. According to the Nielsen ratings
system, it drew 4.1 million viewers, the third-lowest number in Chuck history, after "Chuck Versus the Family Volkoff
" and "Chuck Versus Agent X
". It had a 2.4/4 share among all households and 1.4/4 share among those aged 18–49.
(Linda Hamilton
) sneaks into a mine in Amacayacu, Colombia
to retrieve the fully assembled "Norseman" weapon, only to be captured by Vivian Volkoff (Lauren Cohan
) and Riley (Ray Wise
). To ensure that Mary is at his wedding, Chuck Bartowski
(Zachary Levi
) travels to the mine and rescues Mary, leaving best man Morgan Grimes
(Joshua Gomez
) in charge of creating a video montage as his wedding present to Sarah Walker
(Yvonne Strahovski
). Morgan allows Jeff Barnes (Scott Krinsky
), Lester Patel (Vik Sahay
), and Big Mike (Mark Christopher Lawrence
) to create the first cut so that he can partake in the mission, but John Casey
(Adam Baldwin
) forces Morgan to stay in Burbank
due to Alex McHugh's (Mekenna Melvin
) worry for his safety.
Later, Morgan is assigned to infiltrate the meeting where Vivian intends to sell the Norseman, posing as a recently captured criminal he closely resembles. At the meeting, Riley uses the Norseman to kill all the buyers, eliminating all "competition" to Volkoff Industries
. Morgan escapes, but the team is forced to confront Riley and Vivian, who believes Chuck to be "Agent X". Chuck then reveals the truth that Vivian's father Alexei Volkoff
was Agent X. Riley twists the information to further manipulate and shape Vivian, only to be shot and killed by Sarah. Vivian, however, manages to escape.
At Chuck and Sarah's rehearsal dinner
, Morgan tells Alex that he will stop going on missions and simply become an analyst
. Chuck's sister Ellie (Sarah Lancaster
) is unable to make her own video montage, having previewed and rejected Lester's deeply disturbed first cut. However, Jeff offers his own flawless cut of the montage, being rewarded with a kiss from Ellie. During the video, Chuck gets a phone call from Vivian, who intends to make him suffer. Vivian activates the Norseman device on a target at the dinner, who Chuck initially fears is his mother. Suddenly, Sarah's nose starts to bleed and she collapses in Chuck's arms as he calls out for help.
, based on a script by Henry Alonso Myers and Kristin Newman. The episode originally aired in the United States
on May 9, 2011, on NBC
as the 23rd episode of Chuck fourth season and the 77th episode overall.
Zap2it
confirmed in April 2011 that Linda Hamilton
, Lauren Cohan
, Mekenna Melvin
, and Ray Wise
would reprise their recurring roles of Mary Elizabeth Bartowski
, Vivian Volkoff, Alex McHugh, and Riley, respectively. Michael Bailey Smith
also guest starred as a Volkoff security guard, Vlad.
Series co-creator Chris Fedak
revealed at the 2011 Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo
that the series would focus less on the band Jeffster!
than on Jeff and Lester's "other obsession" as amateur film makers, saying that the "two young "au-teurs
" will "ma-ture" right in front of [the audience]."
. Star Wars
theme
"The Imperial March
" by John Williams
is both hummed by Chuck and Morgan to prepare for Morgan's meeting with Vivian and played when Morgan enters said meeting.
and Han Solo
to rescue Princess Leia in the original film
, by referring to the bound Casey as "Chewie
." During the same scene Casey mutters "I have a bad feeling about this," a catch-phrase used by characters throughout the film series. The series is twice referenced directly, by Chuck when Sarah fails to understand his "Chewie" reference, and by Casey, who says, "This is what happens when you draw your plans from Star Wars." Chuck and Morgan also make use of "The Imperial March" as a means to prepare Morgan for his mission to pose as a villain while infiltrating a meeting with Vivian.
The episode contains a number of other references. Sarah comments that she has "finally" watched Mannequin
. Mary is later shown doing pull-ups
from her bed frame in her prison cell, referencing the film Terminator 2: Judgment Day
, where Sarah Connor (also portrayed by Hamilton) did the same thing. While practicing his Italian accent
, Morgan quotes video game character Mario
's catchphrase "It's me, Mario!" Morgan later comments that buckets of acid are going to be used in the same way as on Breaking Bad
, recommending the series to Casey.
system, it drew 4.099 million viewers, higher only than "Chuck Versus the Family Volkoff
" and "Chuck Versus Agent X
". The episode had a 2.4/4 share among all households and 1.4/4 share among those aged 18–49.
The episode received positive reviews from critics. HitFix
Senior Editor Alan Sepinwall wrote, "It wasn't a perfect episode, mainly because Vivian remains a fairly muddled, bratty villain, and because I don't feel like the show ever really used Ray Wise to his full potential. But so much of it was so satisfying, both emotionally and comedically, that, until Vivian called Chuck during the rehearsal dinner, I actually thought to myself, 'You know, this would be a pretty damn good finale in and of itself. Ryan McGee of The A.V. Club
rated the episode a B on an A+ to F scale. McGee wrote, "The last act was fairly phenomenal, but we had to get through a lot of troubling material in order to achieve true liftoff on the hour. With so many loose ends to wrap up, the hour felt overstuffed: the impending wedding, The Norseman, Agent X, Morgan's first field assignment...I mean, that's a lot of stuff. And it doesn't help that Vivian Volkoff is at the center of three of those things, and inserted herself into the fourth at the last moment. And in thinking about the clunkiness of aspects of this episode, I thought about the clunkiness of this latter half of the season as a whole." Eric Goldman of IGN
gave this episode a score of 8.5 out of 10, writing that it was a mistake not to include Timothy Dalton
as Alexei Volkoff after the plot twists of the previous episode. Sarah Stegall of SFScope wrote, "Chuck is killing me by inches. So close, so close to the Chuck/Sarah wedding, but things keep going wrong."
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 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 77th overall episode of the series. The episode was written by Henry Alonso Myers and Kristin Newman, and directed by Peter Lauer
Peter Lauer
Peter Lauer is an American music video and television director.He directed the music videos "Run's House" for Run-DMC and "It Takes Two" for Rob Base and DJ E-Z Rock....
. It originally aired on May 9, 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...
's (Yvonne Strahovski
Yvonne Strahovski
Yvonne Strahovski is an Australian actress. Born in Australia to Polish immigrant parents, Strahovski speaks Polish and English...
) wedding preparation includes one final detail: ensuring that the mother-of-the-groom, Mary
Mary Elizabeth Bartowski
Mary Elizabeth Bartowski is a character on the television series Chuck. Mary is the estranged mother of Chuck and Ellie Bartowski. She is portrayed by Linda Hamilton.-Biography:...
(Linda Hamilton
Linda Hamilton
Linda Carroll Hamilton is an American actress best known for her portrayal of Sarah Connor in The Terminator and its sequel Terminator 2: Judgment Day and Catherine Chandler in the television series Beauty and the Beast, for which she was nominated for two Golden Globes and an Emmy...
), makes it to the ceremony alive. 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....
's (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....
) responsibilities as best man include his most dangerous mission yet, as he faces Vivian Volkoff (Lauren Cohan
Lauren Cohan
Lauren Cohan is an American actress. Her most recognized role to date is that of the role of Bela Talbot on Supernatural...
). Elsewhere, Ellie Woodcomb (Sarah Lancaster
Sarah Lancaster
Sarah Lancaster is an American actress. Since the show's inception in 2007, she has co-starred in the NBC comedy-spy series Chuck, as the title character's sister, Ellie Bartowski....
) tends to the last details of the rehearsal dinner
Rehearsal dinner
A rehearsal dinner is a pre-wedding ceremony in North American tradition, usually held after the wedding rehearsal and the night before the wedding ceremony....
and seeks help from an unlikely source.
"Chuck Versus the Last Details" received generally 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 4.1 million viewers, the third-lowest number in Chuck history, after "Chuck Versus the Family Volkoff
Chuck Versus the Family Volkoff
"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.The episode has several...
" and "Chuck Versus Agent X
Chuck Versus Agent X
"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 had a 2.4/4 share among all households and 1.4/4 share among those aged 18–49.
Plot
Mary Elizabeth BartowskiMary Elizabeth Bartowski
Mary Elizabeth Bartowski is a character on the television series Chuck. Mary is the estranged mother of Chuck and Ellie Bartowski. She is portrayed by Linda Hamilton.-Biography:...
(Linda Hamilton
Linda Hamilton
Linda Carroll Hamilton is an American actress best known for her portrayal of Sarah Connor in The Terminator and its sequel Terminator 2: Judgment Day and Catherine Chandler in the television series Beauty and the Beast, for which she was nominated for two Golden Globes and an Emmy...
) sneaks into a mine in Amacayacu, Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
to retrieve the fully assembled "Norseman" weapon, only to be captured by Vivian Volkoff (Lauren Cohan
Lauren Cohan
Lauren Cohan is an American actress. Her most recognized role to date is that of the role of Bela Talbot on Supernatural...
) and Riley (Ray Wise
Ray Wise
Raymond Nicolas "Ray" Wise is an American actor, known for his roles as Leland Palmer in Twin Peaks, as Leon C. Nash, right-hand henchman to villain Clarence Boddicker in the science fiction classic RoboCop, and recently as the Devil in the CW television series Reaper.-Life and career:Wise was...
). To ensure that Mary is at his wedding, 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,...
) travels to the mine and rescues Mary, leaving best man 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....
) in charge of creating a video montage as his wedding present 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...
(Yvonne Strahovski
Yvonne Strahovski
Yvonne Strahovski is an Australian actress. Born in Australia to Polish immigrant parents, Strahovski speaks Polish and English...
). Morgan allows Jeff Barnes (Scott Krinsky
Scott Krinsky
Scott Krinsky is a Los Angeles-based actor and comic best known for his role as Jeff Barnes on the hit TV series Chuck and his role as Darryl on The O.C.....
), Lester Patel (Vik Sahay
Vik Sahay
Vikram "Vik" Sahay is a Canadian actor best known for playing Lester Patel, a member of the Nerd Herd in the NBC television series Chuck on which he became a series regular from the second season, and Rama in the Roxy Hunter Saga.-Life and career:...
), and Big Mike (Mark Christopher Lawrence
Mark Christopher Lawrence
Mark Christopher Lawrence is an American character actor, stand-up comedian and voice-over artist. He is perhaps best known for his role as esoteric D.J., Tone Deaf, in the 1994 satirical rap mockumentary, Fear of a Black Hat. He has co-starred in popular films such as Terminator 2: Judgment Day,...
) to create the first cut so that he can partake in the mission, 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...
) forces Morgan to stay in 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....
due to Alex McHugh's (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...
) worry for his safety.
Later, Morgan is assigned to infiltrate the meeting where Vivian intends to sell the Norseman, posing as a recently captured criminal he closely resembles. At the meeting, Riley uses the Norseman to kill all the buyers, eliminating all "competition" to Volkoff Industries
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...
. Morgan escapes, but the team is forced to confront Riley and Vivian, who believes Chuck to be "Agent X". Chuck then reveals the truth that Vivian's father Alexei Volkoff
Alexei Volkoff
Alexei Volkoff is the alias and alter ego of Hartley Winterbottom , a fictional character on the television series Chuck. Volkoff is the head of Volkoff Industries. For the first six episodes of the fourth season, he was an unseen character, directing his operatives from behind the scenes...
was Agent X. Riley twists the information to further manipulate and shape Vivian, only to be shot and killed by Sarah. Vivian, however, manages to escape.
At Chuck and Sarah's rehearsal dinner
Rehearsal dinner
A rehearsal dinner is a pre-wedding ceremony in North American tradition, usually held after the wedding rehearsal and the night before the wedding ceremony....
, Morgan tells Alex that he will stop going on missions and simply become an analyst
Intelligence analysis
Intelligence analysis is the process of taking known information about situations and entities of strategic, operational, or tactical importance, characterizing the known, and, with appropriate statements of probability, the future actions in those situations and by those entities...
. Chuck's sister Ellie (Sarah Lancaster
Sarah Lancaster
Sarah Lancaster is an American actress. Since the show's inception in 2007, she has co-starred in the NBC comedy-spy series Chuck, as the title character's sister, Ellie Bartowski....
) is unable to make her own video montage, having previewed and rejected Lester's deeply disturbed first cut. However, Jeff offers his own flawless cut of the montage, being rewarded with a kiss from Ellie. During the video, Chuck gets a phone call from Vivian, who intends to make him suffer. Vivian activates the Norseman device on a target at the dinner, who Chuck initially fears is his mother. Suddenly, Sarah's nose starts to bleed and she collapses in Chuck's arms as he calls out for help.
Production
"Chuck Versus the Last Details" was directed by Peter LauerPeter Lauer
Peter Lauer is an American music video and television director.He directed the music videos "Run's House" for Run-DMC and "It Takes Two" for Rob Base and DJ E-Z Rock....
, based on a script by Henry Alonso Myers and Kristin Newman. The episode 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 May 9, 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 23rd episode of Chuck fourth season and the 77th episode overall.
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 Linda Hamilton
Linda Hamilton
Linda Carroll Hamilton is an American actress best known for her portrayal of Sarah Connor in The Terminator and its sequel Terminator 2: Judgment Day and Catherine Chandler in the television series Beauty and the Beast, for which she was nominated for two Golden Globes and an Emmy...
, Lauren Cohan
Lauren Cohan
Lauren Cohan is an American actress. Her most recognized role to date is that of the role of Bela Talbot on Supernatural...
, 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...
, and Ray Wise
Ray Wise
Raymond Nicolas "Ray" Wise is an American actor, known for his roles as Leland Palmer in Twin Peaks, as Leon C. Nash, right-hand henchman to villain Clarence Boddicker in the science fiction classic RoboCop, and recently as the Devil in the CW television series Reaper.-Life and career:Wise was...
would reprise their recurring roles of Mary Elizabeth Bartowski
Mary Elizabeth Bartowski
Mary Elizabeth Bartowski is a character on the television series Chuck. Mary is the estranged mother of Chuck and Ellie Bartowski. She is portrayed by Linda Hamilton.-Biography:...
, Vivian Volkoff, Alex McHugh, and Riley, respectively. Michael Bailey Smith
Michael Bailey Smith
Michael Bailey Smith is an American movie and television actor. He is best known for his appearances on the hit television series Charmed, where he played Belthazor, The Source of All Evil, a Grimlock leader and Shax.-Early life:...
also guest starred as a Volkoff security guard, Vlad.
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 2011 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...
that the series would focus less on the band Jeffster!
Jeffster!
Jeffster! is a fictional cover band on the television series Chuck. Its principal members are Jeff Barnes and Lester Patel , both of whom work in the Nerd Herd division of the Buy More...
than on Jeff and Lester's "other obsession" as amateur film makers, saying that the "two young "au-teurs
Auteur theory
In film criticism, auteur theory holds that a director's film reflects the director's personal creative vision, as if they were the primary "auteur"...
" will "ma-ture" right in front of [the audience]."
Music
The episode's soundtrack includes the songs "Everything Falls Apart" by The One AM Radio, "First Day of My Life" by Bright Eyes, and "You Are A Tourist" by Death Cab for CutieDeath Cab for Cutie
Death Cab for Cutie is an American alternative rock band formed in Bellingham, Washington in 1997. The band consists of Ben Gibbard , Chris Walla , Nick Harmer and Jason McGerr ....
. Star Wars
Star Wars
Star 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...
theme
Theme (music)
In music, a theme is the material, usually a recognizable melody, upon which part or all of a composition is based.-Characteristics:A theme may be perceivable as a complete musical expression in itself, separate from the work in which it is found . In contrast to an idea or motif, a theme is...
"The Imperial March
The Imperial March
"The Imperial March " is a musical theme present in the Star Wars franchise. It was composed by John Williams for the film Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back...
" by John Williams
John Williams
John Towner Williams is an American composer, conductor, and pianist. In a career spanning almost six decades, he has composed some of the most recognizable film scores in the history of motion pictures, including the Star Wars saga, Jaws, Superman, the Indiana Jones films, E.T...
is both hummed by Chuck and Morgan to prepare for Morgan's meeting with Vivian and played when Morgan enters said meeting.
Cultural references
Multiple references are made to the Star Wars saga throughout the episode. Chuck directly compares their attempting to sneak in to Vivian's base to the same method used by Luke SkywalkerLuke Skywalker
Luke Skywalker is a fictional character and the main protagonist of the original film trilogy of the Star Wars franchise, where he is portrayed by Mark Hamill. He is introduced in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, in which he is forced to leave home, and finds himself apprenticed to the Jedi master...
and Han Solo
Han Solo
Han Solo is a fictional character in the Star Wars franchise played by Harrison Ford. Introduced in the film Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope , Solo and his Wookiee co-pilot, Chewbacca , become involved in the Rebel Alliance against the Galactic Empire...
to rescue Princess Leia in the original film
Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, originally released as Star Wars, is a 1977 American epic space opera film, written and directed by George Lucas. It is the first of six films released in the Star Wars saga: two subsequent films complete the original trilogy, while a prequel trilogy completes the...
, by referring to the bound Casey as "Chewie
Chewbacca
Chewbacca, also known as Chewie, is a character in the Star Wars franchise, portrayed by Peter Mayhew. In the series' narrative chronology, he appears in Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, Episode IV: A New Hope, Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back and Episode VI: Return of the Jedi...
." During the same scene Casey mutters "I have a bad feeling about this," a catch-phrase used by characters throughout the film series. The series is twice referenced directly, by Chuck when Sarah fails to understand his "Chewie" reference, and by Casey, who says, "This is what happens when you draw your plans from Star Wars." Chuck and Morgan also make use of "The Imperial March" as a means to prepare Morgan for his mission to pose as a villain while infiltrating a meeting with Vivian.
The episode contains a number of other references. Sarah comments that she has "finally" watched Mannequin
Mannequin (1987 film)
Mannequin is a 1987 romantic comedy film, starring Andrew McCarthy, Kim Cattrall, Meshach Taylor, James Spader, G. W. Bailey, and Estelle Getty...
. Mary is later shown doing pull-ups
Pull-up (exercise)
A pull-up is an upper body compound pulling exercise where the body is suspended by the arms, gripping something, and pulled up with muscular effort...
from her bed frame in her prison cell, referencing the film Terminator 2: Judgment Day
Terminator 2: Judgment Day
Terminator 2: Judgment Day is a 1991 science fiction action film directed by James Cameron and written by Cameron and William Wisher Jr.. It stars Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Robert Patrick, and Edward Furlong...
, where Sarah Connor (also portrayed by Hamilton) did the same thing. While practicing his Italian accent
Italian phonology
This article is about the phonology of the Italian language. It deals with the phonology and phonetics of Standard Italian as well as with geographical variants.-Vowels:Notes:*In Italian there is no phonemic distinction between long and short vowels...
, Morgan quotes video game character Mario
Mario
is a fictional character in his video game series, created by Japanese video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. Serving as Nintendo's mascot and the main protagonist of the series, Mario has appeared in over 200 video games since his creation...
's catchphrase "It's me, Mario!" Morgan later comments that buckets of acid are going to be used in the same way as on Breaking Bad
Breaking Bad
Breaking Bad is an American television drama series created and produced by Vince Gilligan. Set and produced in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Breaking Bad is the story of Walter White , a struggling high school chemistry teacher who is diagnosed with advanced lung cancer at the beginning of the series...
, recommending the series to Casey.
Reception
"Chuck Versus the Last Details" received the third-fewest viewers of any episode in the series. 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, it drew 4.099 million viewers, higher only than "Chuck Versus the Family Volkoff
Chuck Versus the Family Volkoff
"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.The episode has several...
" and "Chuck Versus Agent X
Chuck Versus Agent X
"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...
". The episode had a 2.4/4 share among all households and 1.4/4 share among those aged 18–49.
The episode received positive reviews from critics. 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...
Senior Editor Alan Sepinwall wrote, "It wasn't a perfect episode, mainly because Vivian remains a fairly muddled, bratty villain, and because I don't feel like the show ever really used Ray Wise to his full potential. But so much of it was so satisfying, both emotionally and comedically, that, until Vivian called Chuck during the rehearsal dinner, I actually thought to myself, 'You know, this would be a pretty damn good finale in and of itself. 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...
rated the episode a B on an A+ to F scale. McGee wrote, "The last act was fairly phenomenal, but we had to get through a lot of troubling material in order to achieve true liftoff on the hour. With so many loose ends to wrap up, the hour felt overstuffed: the impending wedding, The Norseman, Agent X, Morgan's first field assignment...I mean, that's a lot of stuff. And it doesn't help that Vivian Volkoff is at the center of three of those things, and inserted herself into the fourth at the last moment. And in thinking about the clunkiness of aspects of this episode, I thought about the clunkiness of this latter half of the season as a whole." 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 this episode a score of 8.5 out of 10, writing that it was a mistake not to include Timothy Dalton
Timothy Dalton
Timothy Peter Dalton ) is a Welsh actor of film and television. He is known for portraying James Bond in The Living Daylights and Licence to Kill , as well as Rhett Butler in the television miniseries Scarlett , an original sequel to Gone with the Wind...
as Alexei Volkoff after the plot twists of the previous episode. Sarah Stegall of SFScope wrote, "Chuck is killing me by inches. So close, so close to the Chuck/Sarah wedding, but things keep going wrong."