Corpvandolay here and we are back with a new recap of the latest episode of Chuck. Things in the Chuck-verse are a little uneasy, as we do not know if there is a third season yet. Regardless, the writers and producers (as in everyone who has a hand in making the show, not just those holding said title) are giving us some top-notch shows to help round out the season. The mythology of the show is ramping up, giving the last episodes a good engine to propel the story. But, enough oabout that, on with the show…
Who Guest Stars?
Well, Chuck is getting some good guest stars this season. And this week sees two biggies. First up is SNL alum Chevy Chase. Chevy is playing the Steve Jobs-ish head of a computer technology company. Second is Quantum Leap star, Scott Bakula. Scott returns to his old NBC stomping grounds as Chuck’s deadbeat dad. And finally, in the third act, look for a mystery guest star (who just won’t stay dead!) to pop up.
What does DirecTV Say?
Chuck is thrilled when he lands his dream job and finds his long-absent father, but things don’t turn out to be what he expected
What Is It Really About?
Chuck and Sarah in his dad’s Airstream trailer. Chuck is very nervous as his dad makes them coffee. Last time he saw his dad, he was a bit crazy. His dad hands them coffee and smiles — it’s good to see Chuck again. He asks about what has been going on with Chuck. He is very proud of him — he was always very smart. And Ellie? She’s getting married in a few weeks to an awesome guy. Married, huh?
Yep. In fact, Ellie was hoping that he’d be there to walk her down the aisle. However, Chuck’s dad says that he can’t be there. Chuck blows up — no, he can do it. Chuck has seen what he can’t do! Chuck apologizes, but his dad understands — he left them. But he’s happy that Chuck would be up here fighting for Ellie. He agrees and goes to get his stuff. Chuck is relived. Things are good. Maybe his dad isn’t as crazy as he remembers. No so fast! His dad comes back with his stuff, ready to go. He then pauses and looks out the window. Maybe they should wait until dark. People are tracking is every move. Hmm…maybe he is still crazy!
Credits roll.
Chuck’s house. Ellie and Captain Awesome are looking at wedding colors, when Chuck comes in with his dad. Ellie is in shock. ‘Pancakes’is all she can say. He dad says he was going to make pancakes. She then goes to her room. In her room, Chuck and Ellie talk about dad. They are mad at there dad, but this could be their last chance at being a family again. Ellie smiles — let’s go.
In the living room, Awesome, Chuck, Dad and Ellie are sitting around in uncomfortable science. It’s broken His dad went to school with Ted Roark or Roark technologies
Chuck flashes on Roark Instruments. Ted Roark’s latest software, Rios, may contain a virus that will wreak havok on machines throughout the world. Chuck is being sent in to Roark as an undercover operative to get a job with Roark. What’s his cover? Himself! He is perfectly qualified to get a job on his own.
At Roark, Chuck is blown away by being there. It is truly his dream job. He walks into the interview room — there is a young guy there (class of 2007) who is interviewing him. 2007? Man! So, where has Chuck been since he graduated? Chuck hems and haws, but admits — he’s been working at Buy More.
The Buy More. Jeff and Lester go up to Big Mike to pitch going to the NextExpo (the Roark Instruments unveiling of their new operating system — Rios) so that they can be better employees. Big Mike sees there point — send Chuck. Uh, Chuck isn’t around. Okay, they can go. Yes!
Chuck has been trapped in a job, in a life, that he doesn’t really like. The interviewer likes Chuck — he’s hired. Chuck goes on the tour. He is in awe of everything. This is all so cool! He turns the corner and runs into…Ted Roark (Chevy Chase). Looking a little more portly than his SNL days, Chevy is a Hawaiian shirt-wearing head of the company — no Sirs around here! He is a bit cocky and easy-going, but something isn’t right about him.
Outside, Jeff and Lester are waiting in line for tomorrow’s NextExpo. Yes, they are true nerds! As they mill about, they see Chuck walking out of Roark. He’s gotten another job! In shock, they phone Morgan with the news, but Morgan feigns that he already knew. Uh oh. There will be a showdown to come…
At his house, Chuck comes home to dinner — everyone is there, including Morgan and Sarah. Dad asks about the bachelor party, to which Awesome nervously says it happened and he doesn’t really want to talk about it. Morgan then takes the opportunity to toast Chuck’s new job at Roark Instruments. Ellie is happy for him, but dad is clearly concerned. Chuck is going to work for Roark — the man who stole everything from him?
The next day, it is the NextExpo at Roark Instruments. Chuck enters the building for his first day on the job. Walking past the people lined up for the Expo, Chuck spots…Casey and Sarah! Yes, Casey and Chuck are disguised as nerds for the NextExpo! Love the glasses! What are they doing there? They are there to go in to retrieve the source code from the operating system. If they do that, they can prevent the virus from being released. Chuck is supposed to keep and eye on Roark in case anything goes wrong. Chuck goes into the main hall, which is like a Apple unveiling on steroids. . Jeff and Lester wave to Chuck, but he flashes on a man that Roark is shaking hands with — it’s a FULCRUM agent. They think he’s already moved on from them and forgotten all about his old friends. Oblivious to them, Chuck let’s Casey and Sarah know that FULCRUM is here, so it’s time to hurry up.
Chuck’s dad watches online via the web stream. He may hate Roark, but he has to watch Chuck’s first day on the job
Casey and Sarah sneak off to get access to the labs and reach the software. However, they cannot get access to the system. Chuck has to stall to prevent the release of the software. But what about his job? It’s not his real job, as Casey points out. Chuck panics, but has only one option — he goes on stage and stops the countdown to release. Chuck tells Roark that his software is infected with a virus that when released will cause world-wide computer damage. Roark doesn’t believe him and calls for security. Just before they grab Chuck, he grabs the remote that activates the software launch and runs for the door. Melee ensues as he races around the auditorium, avoiding people and getting help from Jeff and Lester. He’s going for the door when — Bam! The interviewer tackles him. They get the remote back and it gets to
Chuck’s house. Ellie is freaking out when Awesome gets home — where is Chuck? Is he in jail? Awesome is clueless — he’s been working an 18-hour shift. Ellie then turns on her dad — obviously Chuck’s dad put Chuck up to this. He threw away the job of a lifetime to avenge some decades old vendetta. This is all their dad’s fault! Add to that, she is still upset with Awesome over the bachelor party. She leaves them to go for a walk to clear her head. Chuck’s dad and Awesome spend a little time together. Chuck’s dad tells Awesome that Ellie isn’t really mad about the bachelor party. She just doesn’t want Awesome to turn into her dad, which, Chuck’s dad indicates, isn’t very likely at all.
Later, Chuck is in his room. He is looking at Orion’s cards. Why did he give them those cards? Does he want him to build an Intersect? Does he want him to find an Intersect? How can he find it from these cards? Knock, knock. It’s Chuck’s dad. He comes in and wants to talk with Chuck about the job. If Chuck wants it that bad, he should fight for it. He leaves and Chuck looks down at the Roark Instruments binder he got when he was hired. Wait a sec. That map of Roark Instruments looks strangely familiar. He pulls out the master map the Orion gave him of the new Intersect and overlays it on the campus map. It’s an exact match! Roark has an Intersect!
Casey’s house. Chuck tells them that he thinks Roark has an Intersect. Rios, the new operating system, is a Trojan horse. It is designed to gather and crunch data, making all these computers a giant supercomputer. What proof does Chuck have? Did he flash on something? No. He just thinks it makes sense. Casey laughs at this — Chuck is crazy, just like his dad. Casey leaves and Chuck stops Sarah. Chuck asks Sarah to help him break into Roark so he can get the Intersect out of his head. She can’t. She has orders, and the General made it clear as to what happens when they don’t follow orders.
HQ. Chuck gets suited up in Casey’s gear. He is going to break in himself. He is strutting his stuff as the prime secret agent when Casey interrupts. Casey grabs Chucks papers — what is this? Chuck breaks: Orion contacted him before he died and gave him the schematics of an intersect. They match the layout of Roark Instruments. Casey is upset — Orion contacted Chuck and he didn’t tell them? Chuck pulls a tranquilizer gun on Casey — he has to go. Not a smart move to threaten him… However, it’s no threat. One dart hits Casey. Then two. Casey comes up and grabs Chuck by the neck. Chuck grabs a dart from his vest and sticks it in Casey’s neck. He starts to get drowsy and slumps to the floor. Yes! Chuck escapes!
Chuck sneaks into Roark Instruments. He makes his way through the corridors. People are coming and he ducks into a side room. The voices are from Chuck’s dad arguing with the security guards. He is there to talk with Roark to get Chuck’s job back! The FULCRUM agent is there, too — on a walkie talkie, asking Roark what he should do with this guy. Take care of him. The FULCRUM agent comes up and punches Chuck’s dad in the stomach. Oh no! Chuck sees him — he knows that the security guy is FULCRUM . His dad is in danger! Chuck bursts out into the hall, two guns blazing. We see the FULCRUM agent and all the guards standing in the hall around Chuck’s dad. They drop, unconscious. Score one (or five) for the tranquilizer gun! Chuck is there and he isn’t who his dad thinks he is. Just then, the hall door opens and who should step through? The Mummy! You cannot kill this guy! And more than that, Chuck’s dad isn’t who Chuck thinks he is — he’s…Orion!!
HW. Sarah finds Casey passed out. Where is Chuck? In a world of pain.
Roark Industries. Chuck’s dad is talking to Chuck as they move through the complex. Chuck’s dad ran away because he knew what the government wanted to do with the Intersect. He hid to try and protect Chuck and Ellie from danger. Chuck wants to know why didn’t he just say the truth? Why did he give him things to flash on instead? What would Chuck have thought if he showed up, after ten years away, and told him the truth? Okay — he would have thought he was crazy. Exactly.
They get to the main lab and Orion turns to Chuck — enter the code for the door. Chuck’s brain doesn’t work that way — if it’s not in there already, he can’t find it. Orion smiles — he designed the Intersect; he knows what it can do. Just give it a try. Chuck steps up and flashes on the keypad, seeing the correct code for the door. He’s learning the things he can do with the Intersect!
Inside the room is a floating cube in an oversized glass vial. It is the Intersect 2.0! Orion is going to use the new Intersect to encode images that will cancel out the ones that he absorbed earlier. So, he’s going to overwrite Chuck’s brain? Yep. He hit’s the button and…nothing. It doesn’t work. The door opens and Roark and FULCRUM enter. No, it doesn’t work, but they are sure thet Orion can get it up and running in no time. Yes, it was all a plot to try and get Orion so he can finish their Intersect. Roark tells they to grab Orion and kill Chuck, the CIA agent. But Orion speaks up — he’ll build anything they want if they let his son go free. Roark is feeling generous. Okay. Orion backs Chuck up to the door, it opens and Casey and Sarah are they. He tells Chuck, he tells Chuck it’s okay to trust your handlers. Casey and Sarah show up and pull Chuck away as the door shuts. No! FULCRUM has Orion!
HQ. The General is debriefing Casey, Sarah and Chuck. The situation is dire as FULCRUM has Orion. The General informs them that they are putting their best teams on this assignment. Chuck speaks up — the three of them are their best team! Casey agrees, but Sarah protests — Chuck is too personally involved. FULCRUM knows that Orion is Chuck’s father. However, the General agrees with Casey and Chuck. They can lead the mission to recover Orion, so long as his personal feelings don’t interfere.
Ellie comes home from work and sees pancakes on the table for dinner. She is excited — dad? Nope. Awesome is there — he make dinner for them. Awesome informs her that he thinks her dad is gone. But, Awesome tells her that, no matter how hard things get, he isn’t going anywhere. That’s what married people do. Chuck comes home and Ellie apologizes to him — it seems that dad has left. However, she realized that she doesn’t need him at her wedding to make her life a happy one. He Hasn’t changed — he is the same man as before. Chuck understands, but tells her not to sell him short.
We then cut to seeing Chuck’s dad working alone in a lab on the Intersect 2.0.
What are Casey and Sarah’s Covers?
Casey and Sarah pose as computer geeks to sneak into Roark Instruments. They look so cute in their Lisa Loeb glasses and nerdy clothing. Awww… :-)
Is Awesome in This Episode?
Awesome is front and center in this episode. Okay, maybe not front and center, but he is in this episode quite a bit — for Awesome anyhow. We get to see him throughout, reinforcing the great guy that he is. We have bonding with his step-dad to be, dinner conversation, and assorted other scenes. Unfortunately, ladies, he is fully clothed through the entire episode.
And How Does Sarah Dress? Lingerie?
Sarah is strictly business this week. No lingerie shots. Drat! Although, she does rock the Lisa Loeb glasses as a sexy nerd. However, a sexy nerd that shows no skin.
Does Casey Get Shot, Poisoned, or Otherwise Injured?
We are back to normal this week, as Casey does, in fact, get the short end of the stick in this episode. This time it is courtesy of Chuck. Yes, Casey gets tranquilized and put to sleep by Chuck. Two tranq darts fired into him and one more stabbed in his neck. Ouch!.
What’s the State of the Chuck / Sarah Romance?
Warm, but not moving anywhere fast. Hey, your long-lost dad showing up can do that to the whole dating scene. We open up with Sarah and Chuck playing their dating covers for Dad and all. However, when Chuck appeals to Sarah to step up and help him break into Roark Instruments, she plays the orders card and refuses.
Where is FULCRUM?
FULCRUM is all over this episode. As I said, FULCRUM is becoming more and more dominate as the adversary in every episode towards the end of the season. This time out, we get to see three lead FULCRUM agents (not counting the requisite GI-Joe-green-shirts), and they are learning, as none of them die in the episode. I guess they finally finished the Cobra training DVD on how to narrowly escape certain death.
And the Status of a New Intersect?
Things are building on the interesting development from last week. It seems that there is a new Intersect, version 2.0, that is faster and better, being built. And, worse than that, FULCRUM is in possession of it along with Orion. Doh!
Quote of the Week
‘I’m gonna kill you when I wake up.’
Follow Us
