Episode 24: Vegas Vacation (1997)

The Griswolds hit the Strip in Vegas Vacation (1997), the fourth installment in the beloved National Lampoon series and one that doesn't get nearly enough credit. Mark, Chris, and Mike cash in their chips on this sun-baked comedy that transplants Clark Griswold's particular brand of well-intentioned chaos from the open road to the neon-drenched excess of Las Vegas. Chase is at his most endearingly unhinged here — a man who can lose a fortune at the blackjack table while somehow radiating pure, oblivious optimism — and the guys make the case that this late-era entry deserves a second look from fans who wrote it off as a franchise on fumes.

From the Hoover Dam to the casino floor, the trio dig into how Vegas itself becomes as much a character as any Griswold, and whether the film's sharper satirical edge on American excess and gambling addiction sneaks in something smarter than it's given credit for. Chevy Chase fatigue be damned — this one might just hit the jackpot.