Chuck 4.24 “Chuck vs the Cliffhanger” Recap

Before we plunge into the season finale of Chuck, make sure you’re caught up by reading last week’s recap.

The finale begins five days ago. Chuck and Sarah start freaking out a week before their wedding. Sarah is worried about sharing her intimate feelings in front of a crowd. What about a dry run, Chuck suggests. They’ll be ready for anything if they practice before hand. Smash cut to the ER. Ellie and Devon place Sarah in an ice bath to slow down her heart rate and any possible tissue damage caused by the Norseman. They need to find the antidote for whatever radioactive “poison” was used on her. Sarah rouses and says Chuck looks worried. “Don’t freak out, because we’re ready for anything,” she tells Chuck before falling back asleep. Chuck tells her that he will fix this, and that they will be together.

Chuck turns to Casey and says only Volkoff, the creator of the Norseman, will now how to save Sarah. It could take weeks to get him out, so they’ll have to break him out. They go to the penitentiary, but Volkoff is gone. Casey goes pale when he hears the voice of Clyde Decker, the man the government sends to kill the guy who’s supposed to rub out other agents. Decker tells them that a wash program has been initiated for Agent X and Operation Bartowski. Chuck is ordered to stand down, but he refuses. “You may be a hard ass,” Chuck retorts to Decker, “but I am the Intersect.” Chuck smashes the monitor on which Decker has appeared. “Let’s move,” he tells Casey as they depart.

Ellie calls Chuck to say Sarah’s temperature is down but not stabilizing. She’s breathing on her own, but she still shows signs of deep radiation poisoning. She has about twelve hours. Chuck, Casey and Mary meet General Beckman. She informs them that Decker is moving Volkoff, and they have an hour head start. Chuck asks if they can they still get into Castle? Beckman give them her Level 4 Clearance passkey so they can get in. Chuck wants the Nighthawk super motorcycle even though he has never ridden a motorcycle, but he flashes the skills necessary and straps on the helmet.

Chuck hits the road, with Mary admonishing him for driving so fast. Decker, transporting Volkoff in a large truck, tells his prisoner that he has come in peace. The transfer is because they want to test him regarding Agent X. Chuck comes up on the transport truck. Decker tells Volkoff that his name is really Hartley Winterbottom, but Volkoff doesn’t believe him. Decker places a pair of glasses on Volkoff and he sees Intersect-like flashes. Chuck tells Casey to “light it up,” and the cycle fires guns that disable the truck. Chuck rides into the back and releases Volkoff, but Volkoff doesn’t know who he is. When Decker comes to (he had been knocked out by the blasts from the Nighthawk), he tells Chuck that Volkof isn’t Volkoff anymore: he’s Hartley Winterbottom again. Chuck locks Decker in the cell and tries to make his escape with Hartley, but he is nervous to get on the motorcycle. Hartley holds tight as he and Chuck make their escape.

Hartley sees a picture of Ronald Reagan in Casey’s apartment and wonders if he’s still in charge. “If only…,” replies Casey. Hartley wonders what he has been doing for the last thirty years, but Chuck doesn’t have time to open that can of worms at the moment. He needs Hartley to remember if there is an antidote. Hartley explains that the Norseman was built alongside the Intersect. “Peace with violence,” he notes. Chuck tells Hartley about Vivian, and that mistakes were made that made her Chuck’s enemy. Hartley, of course, agrees to help Sarah, and can mix up the antidote in no time.

While Sarah is asleep, Chuck holds her hand and flashes back to he and Sarah practicing their vows. Sarah says that Chuck is a gift she never dreamed she could want or need, but will spend every day proving he is a gift she deserves. Chuck is dumbstruck by her vows. What she said was so perfect; he needs to rewrite his vows. Ellie tells him that the antidote has bought Sarah some time, but her temperature is still rising. Mary members that Volkoff was developing a next stage antidote called Lead Curtain. Hartley remembers it, but it’s in Moscow. Ellie estimates that Sarah has maybe a day, so they have to be quick. Chuck, Casey, Hartley and Mary leave the hospital, but are met outside by Decker. Decker pulls his gun on Chuck, noting that he can’t outrun a bullet. Chuck flashes his Chuck Fu and disarms Decker and a couple of his men, but others use stun gums on him, dropping Chuck into submission.

Morgan tells stories of his and Chuck’s childhood to an unconscious Sarah to show that Chuck never gives up. Chuck is an interrogation room where he pleads to let him save Sarah. Decker tells him that he is fired and the Buy More will be sold. The whole operation is being shut down. Decker then tries to put “suppression” glasses on Chuck to take the Intersect away. Chuck tries to keep his eyes closed because he needs the Intersect to save Sarah, but agents pry them open — the Intersect is gone.

Casey then meets with Decker. Casey is to convince Chuck and Mary that the mission is over. No one can know about Hartley/Volkoff, Decker tells him. Casey replies that he isn’t going to abandon Sarah. He knows that once he makes a move to leave, Decker can kill them all and say he was a hero. Decker sneers that Casey will be an enemy of the state. Casey answers that he isn’t worried about being the bad guy. He flips the table over on Decker, disarms two agents, grabs some guns, and frees Chuck, Mary and Hartley.

Casey tells Chuck that he needs to get to Russia with Hartley to retrieve the super antidote. Chuck says he doesn’t have the Intersect anymore. Casey says he is Chuck Bartowski, the second best spy he has ever worked with, and they need to save the best one. Hartley will have to pretend to still be Volkoff: a conniving, manipulative monster. Hartley is shocked to hear he was such a man. He figures out that they didn’t tell him earlier because he, Hartley as Volkoff, has turned Vivian into Volkoff herself.

Casey gives Chuck new untraceable identities he had kept for an emergency so he and Sarah can disappear. Is Chuck ever going to see his mom again? “Not if everything goes right,” she replies. Morgan is told to take out the CIA agent guarding Sarah’s room. Ellie suggests Devon take the guy out, but Morgan protests, saying he is the active spy, so Devon should play “The Magnet” and distract the agent for Morgan’s decisive blow. Devon goes to the agent and talks to him while Morgan psyches himself up by cracking his neck and preparing a karate move. When he stops though, scared by what he has to do, Devon sees the hesitation and punches the agent out himself.

Moscow. Chuck and Hartley enter Volkoff Industries. “It’s very…stark,” notes Hartley. Chuck tells him to think angry thoughts and not say much. He should tell the receptionist he is there to see Vivian. Hartley hesitates, thinking hte plan will fail. Chuck swears his plans always work, so why is Hartley freaking out? Hartley responds, what does he say to a daughter he’s never met? A daughter he has set on such an disastrous path? He’s sorry, Hartley says, but he can’t see her, and runs out. The receptionist addresses Chuck in Russian and then English, asking him who he is. He takes off his disguise and says he is Chuck Bartowski and would like to see Vivian Volkoff. “What is this in regard to?” the receptionist asks. “She wants to kill me,” replies Chuck.

Chuck enters Vivian’s office. She can’t believe Chuck showed up unarmed. “Stupid, but bold,” she coolly states. Chuck asks for the super antidote. He is there to plead for Sarah’s life. He is out of plans and clever tricks; the woman he loves is dying and he can only hope Vivian hasn’t completely become this evil person. Vivian pulls a gun on Chuck and says everything he has ever done has been to manipulate her. Why should she believe her father is a good man now?

Hartley enters and apologizes to Vivian, but she doesn’t want to hear it. He made her his succession plan! Chuck insists she is a good person, but Vivian replies that she killed Sarah in cold blood. Chuck, sensing an opening, replies that Sarah is not dead yet: Vivian can still save her. Vivian says she cant go back; she is Volkoff Industries now. Chuck has an idea. He gives her the new identities Casey gave him. She and Hartley can disappear and be the good people they truly are. Hartley protests, those identities are so he and Sarah can be safe, but Chuck doesn’t care — all that matters is Sarah’s survival. Hartley warns Vivian that if she pulls the trigger, she will lose herself forever. “You can still change,” Chuck tells her.

At the hospital, Ellie says her brother is cutting it close. Outside, Mary, Casey and Morgan sit in a car, surveying Decker and his men surrounding the building. Morgan says Chuck will think of something. The CAT Squad then shows up. Morgan called them when Sarah went into the hospital. Decker gets radioed that something is arriving by air. In parachutes Chuck. He says he has the antidote and to let him in. Decker’s men pull their guns, but so too do Casey, Mary, Morgan(!) and the CATs. Decker brings in more men to surround our heroes. Chuck knows this move, but they have a move too, called The Magnet. Chuck looks up and notes the dozens of Russian soldiers parachuting in, “care of Volkoff Industries.” “Russians,” Casey shudders with horror, “so many Russians.”

Decker’s men stand down. “You really are a traitor,” says Decker. Chuck says he has the file on Agent X, Decker and everything else, so if Decker tries to stop Chuck or his family, Chuck will expose him and the whole program. Decker tells Chuck that he is fires, but Chuck retorts that he quits. Chuck bolts for Sarah’s room. Intercut are flashes of their practice exchange of rings, their practice first kiss, etc. He gives Ellie the super antidote so she can administer it. Chuck grabs Sarah’s hand and prays, repeating “It’s not too late” over and over.

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