Having dispatched the bad guys with alacrity, Chuck radios to Morgan, “Talk to me Goose.” He has the nanochip, so the submission is on. Morgan tells him to head back to the balcony as it is three minutes until sunset. Chuck arrives on the balcony and finds Sarah, looking radiant. He mentions the sunset, and she remarks that it is perfect. As Chuck is about to propose, a grappling hook secures itself around the balcony’s column. “Thats our ride!” says Sarah. She slides down the rope just as Pierre arrives with his gun drawn. Chuck gives a wry smile and says, “C’est la vie!” before sliding down the rope.
Back at Castle, Chuck, with Casey, looks at the unused engagement ring. General Beckman enters with Sarah. She informs them that they have to go back to France. Well, Chuck and Sarah do; Casey is spared form having to travel back to the loathed country. It will be easier for Pierre to think Chuck and Sarah are rogue CIA agents who are willing to sell him the nanochip. What they will give him instead is a tracking device that will lead the CIA back to his bosses. Finally, Beckman asks Sarah to make drop because the operation is so sensitive.
Upstairs in the Buy More, Lester prepares for the arrival of his arranged wife, Jinsana. Getting the typical “Hot Woman Enters the Buy More” slo-motion and wind-in-the-hair entrance, a beautiful Indian woman makes her way into the store. Lester pulls Jeff under the Nerd Herd desk. “she’s a 12!” Lester exclaims to his friend. This woman beats all of his expectations. He has three fat girls with which to break up so Jeff needs to welcome this woman. Big Mike, however, sees his target and moves to let her down easy for Lester. Jeff saves day by stopping Big Mike mid-sentence and asks to reschedule Lester for an half an hour hence.
As he prepares for his new mission, Chuck laments to Morgan that he missed his opportunity to propose. Morgan reassures him that moonlight is better anyway. They will make all new plans to carry out his submission during the return trip to France. Their plans may hit a snag, however, as Sarah hears them through an air vent.
At the appointed hour, Jeff leads Jinsana to the home theater room, which Lester has tricked out in all the best traditional Indian and Canadian decor. He tries to woo her with his Indo-Candian-ness, but she replies that she’s just a simple girl. He’s much more traditional than she is, and it’s kind of freaking her out. Lester immediately drops the charade, and assures her that this display is not really him (despite Jeff’s sitar playing). He swears that he makes a great third impression, if she’ll just give him another shot. She agrees, much to his delight.
Morgan returns to his office, but once htere, is scared to high heaven by a lying in wait Sarah. She knows everything about the submission, and she wants intel on Chuck’s proposal. Morgan protests that she shouldn’t want to know so the proposal will be a surprise. Sarah retorts, I’m a spy. I hate surprises.” Morgan admits that Chuck told him about her parents, and the scuttled restaurant proposal. Chuck is planning this proprsal all for her, and to wipe the slate clean for her regarding proposals. He’s trying to give her everything she wants. Sarah replies that she’s taking control of the submission, and Morgan is now working for her. He will be a double agent. “We’re going to make this proposal happen for Chuck’s sake…and for mine,” Sarah concludes, with an absolutely beaming smile.
The Loire Valley at night. Chuck watches from a window as Sarah awaits Pierre. He suggests a stroll around the chateau after the exchange. Sarah says that sounds nice, but something feels off. Morgan radios Sarah on a secure line. He says that the proposal is a go, but then Chuck calls Morgan. Chuck tells Morgan that Sarah seems jumpy. Is she on to them? Morgan doesn’t think so. He hears clicking coming from the other end of the line. “Are you futzing with the ring box?” he asks Chuck. That will tarnish the sheen of the ring, he warns. Chuck cuts off the conversation when he sees Pierre arrive. Sarah hands Pierre the case, and the spies separate. With the mission so quickly over, Chuck babbles about being done, and asks if Sarah will meet him for a glass of wine. Of course, she agrees.
In Burbank, Jinsana returns to the store to meet the real Lester. If she wants to meet the real Lester, that is what she will get. “Jeffery, hit it!” Lester yells while ripping off his shirt and revealing a leather vest. It’s the return of Jeffster! With a crowd gathering, Lester announces that this song, “Is This Love,” is for his lady. Over the singing stylings of Jeffster!, Chuck shadow boxes on the balcony and practices his speech. As the song climaxes, Chuck is throttled from behind by one of Pierre’s goons. Chuck flashes, but Pierre is there as well and punches Chuck in the stomach. The blow sends Chuck and his strangler toward a wall, which Chuck runs up and flips around. He release shimself from the strangler’s grip, and takes out Pierre and his goon. Morgan heard the tussle on the radio and asks if Chuck is OK. Chuck is, save some dirt on his shirt. Morgan directs him to the Tide-to-Go Sticks he placed in Chuck’s jacket pocket. Lester’s song ends. He asks Jinsana what she thought. Her reply is that that was the most uncomfortable five minutes of her life. She storms out, telling Lester he should probably try the Internet to find a wife.
Downstairs in Castle, Casey scares Morgan. Is that the chateau security feed Morgan is viewing? “Are you conducting a submission? Is he going to pop the question to Walker?” he queries. Morgan wonders how he knew all of that, but Casey reminds him that he is a spy. Well, Chuck is going to need all help he can get, Casey the hopeless romantic informs Morgan. On the camera feed, they see Sarah stop on her way to the balcony. She’s actually nervous; she has butterflies. Casey grunts over this moment of weakenss, but Morgan, trying to soothe her nerves, gives permission to Sarah to marry Chuck.
As Sarah arrives on the balcony, Casey notices a problem: Chuck dropped the ring box during his final scuffle with Pierre. Casey informs Sarah, who tells Chuck to look at the moon. When he does, she grabs the ring. They share a kiss, and she drops the box into his pocket. Casey and Morgan share a fist pump. Sarah tells Chuck that she’s never been to place as beautiful as this. Chuck has — every day he is with heris the most beautiful day ever. Eevery time he looks at her, it’s the most beautiful place he’s been. He knows that in this moment, he should be as smooth a spy as James Bond, but she interrupts him. She fell in love with Chuck, not Bond. “She’s good,” Casey notes to Morgan. He asks Sarah to not freak out, but he wants to spend the rest of his life with her. He wants to be by her side, always.
Chuck takes out the ring,a nd gets down on one knee. Then, spotlights cut through the night and destroy the moment. It’s the CIA. Agents jump out, grab them both and announce, “Sarah Walker, you’re under arrest for treason!” They lead her out as Chuck plaintively looks to where she once stood.
Back in Castle, Sarah sits in a cell in handcuffs. Chuck worries to Casey nearby. He tells Casey that he was going to propose. Casey lights a cigar and tells Chuck that he proposed once. He screwed up the timing as he was ordered to ship out, so instead of proposing during a romantic getaway to Niagra Falls, he proposed in the Buffalo bus station. There is no such thing as the perfect place. “All you need is the girl,” he informs Chuck.
With that encouragement, Chuck goes to see Sarah. He tells her that they don’t need a balcony or sunset. “We have each other, and that’s all that matters,” he tells her. “Chuck, I’m leaving,” Sarah replies. With the criminal underworld believing she turned on the CIA, it is a perfect chance to establish Sarah’s cover as a double agent. She wants to live the rest of her life with him, but she needs to be the old her for a little while longer so she can infiltrate Volkoff Industries and take it down from inside. Chuck protests, but she assures him that she is doing this for him, and for his mother. The couple exchnage I love yous. “I’m not coming back without your mom,” Sarah definitively tells Chuck. They share a deep kiss, and Sarah is led out of her cell. Left alone, Chuck closes the ring box.
Commentary
Man, has it been a long time since we last saw Chuck, or what? Well, since we had to wait so long, it was great that we were welcomed back with a fantastic episode. Honestly, what was missing from this installment? Witty reparte? Check (the Two Buck Chuck reference; Morgan at the restaurant). Kick-ass action? Check. Deep sentimentality? Check. Winning performances? Check. Great chemistry between Zachary Levi and Yvonne Strahovski? Check. Great chemistry between Adam Baldwin and Joshua Gomez? Check. Jeffster! performance? Check. Everything that makes for a wonderful Chuck episode was present….except for one thing. No Ellie and Awesome. We all understand why the entire cast can’t be in a number of episodes, but I do have an affinity for Chcuk’s sister and brother-in-law, and would be willing to trade Jeffster! for the doctors. That’s just me though.
Honestly, I don’t have much else to say because I really loved the episode. This season has really seen the reclamation of Sarah Walker as a superior television comedy character, and Yvonne Strahovski, now with much meatier material to dig into than Season Three, is just knocking it out of the park. There is currently a movement to get Strahovsky nominated for an Emmy, and with the work she has done this season, I am fully in support. Can you name five better leading comedic female performances this season? Let’s assume Amy Poehler will be great again. Then you have Tina Fey and probably Edie Falco (why Emmy voters think Nurse Jackie is a comedy, I’ll never know). Who else? Lea Michele is better than Strahovski this season? I don’t think so. Maybe Eva Longoria on Desperate Housewives, but for some reason, the Emmy committee has a blind spot for her. the Modern Family, Community, and The Office folks are considered supporting roles for the Emmys. Who else is there? I’m willing to hear arguments., but for my money, Strahovski should be there come this August. Further, it appears that for at least the next couple episodes, Sarah will become the central role in the attempt to bring down Volkoff. Throw in the black wig and cat suit, and methinks Strahovski will be blowing folks off the screen.
Alright, that’s what I have for the return of Chuck. What did you think of the episode? Did you enjoy it as much as I did? Are you eagerly looking forward Sarah taking on Volkoff? Do you want the proposal to just happen already? Please leave your questions, comments and theories below. For another opinion, be sure to check out Emma’s review here. I’ll be back next week with another recap. Until then, I’m off to find the stork on the cork.
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There is a syringe inside which he removes to inject himself.