Recap – Chuck 3.13 “Chuck vs. the Other Guy”

Did you miss last week’s super episode of Chuck, “Chuck vs. the American Hero”? If so, check out a recap here.

This week’s episode (the original season finale before NBC ordered six more episodes) begins with Sarah and Shaw, guns drawn, casing a warehouse. Shaw tells Sarah that this is from where the Director has been broadcasting. Sarah cracks the security code and makes her way inside, asking Shaw to “cover me.” She makes her way downstairs, but is conspicuously alone. She hears the door close above her and calls out to Shaw, but receives no answer. Meanwhile, at the Buy More, Chuck is looking for Casey. He runs into Morgan who wants to “officially” be part of Chuck’s spy team. To try to get Morgan out of the way, Chuck tells him that if he can find Casey, Morgan can be part of the team. Fortunately for Morgan (and thanks to his peripheral vision), Morgan sees Casey exiting the bathroom. Chuck, despite Casey’s protestations, tells the ex-spy about Sarah, Shaw and Sarah killing Shaw’s wife. Sarah’s distress signal goes off, so Chuck pleads with Casey for help. “Come on man, you know how I feel about her!” Casey reluctantly grabs a pen and writes down a phone number on Chuck’s hand. The number is for Colonel Sanders (don’t laugh at his name); he can provide Chuck with the tactical support necessary to save Sarah.

At the warehouse, Sarah makes her way into an open room where she finds video screens playing the video the Director showed Shaw of his wife, and subsequent murder by Sarah. While Sarah is transfixed by what she sees, Shaw enters from behind with his gun drawn. Outside, Chuck arrives with a full tactical unit. He gives the order that the Agent Walker is to be reacquired with no harm coming to her. “Yes, sir!” the men answer Agent Bartowski. Inside, Shaw lowers his gun and tells Sarah that the woman she killed in her Red Test was, in fact, Evelyn Shaw, his wife. Sarah is crushed, but Shaw tells her that he knows it’s not her fault. As Chuck arrives at the scene, Sarah and Shaw embrace. Chuck’s radio sounds that the squad is making their entrance. Agents crash through skylights and flood the room, circling Sarah and Shaw. Chuck gives the order to stand down, “Cancel air support….and the tank,” and sheepishly smiles at Sarah.

Back in Castle, General Beckman rips into Chuck for ordering a full assault. Who gave him authority for a full tactical assault? Clearly, Chuck is not ready to lead missions in Rome. When Chuck protests that the General, too, thought Shaw was going to harm Sarah, she stops him, telling Chuck that his bill for the assault is “longer than my copy of Atlas Shrugged!” Shaw comes to Chuck’s defense, telling the General that, believing his team to be in danger, Chuck’s actions were that of a true spy. Sarah privately thanks Chuck for saving her. “I appreciated the tank,” she says with a grin. So what now? the team wonders. The General says the only thing to do is break up the team; it is clear they cannot all work together with their entwined emotions. Shaw objects, saying that he is OK with working Sarah if she is. She agrees, leaving Chuck to retort, “Great. Everyone’s back together again.” Once more, Shaw is in the way of his and Sarah’s relationship.

Upstairs in the Buy More, Big Mike enters his office and finds a pacing Morgan. Morgan is distraught — he needs to quit the Buy More for another opportunity. Big Mike understands, and says that Morgan has to do what he has to do. Mike is clearly upset, but he’s can’t show emotion, lest the rest of the employees take advantage of his weakness. Watching the blubbering men from the showfloor, Jeff and Lester posit to Casey that Morgan is dying. Their grief doesn’t stop Lester from calling dibs on Morgan’s locker, and for the two of them to offer Casey admittance into their crew. The suggestion is met with a typical Casey grunt.

Chuck arrives home and immeditely calls up the General on his computer. He doesn’t think that Shaw can act professionally. The General says that Shaw is clearly an ideal agent who can keep his emotions in check (unlike Chuck, which is left unsaid). Chuck says that Shaw may seem that way from the outside, but he’s an emotional wreck on the inside. The General tells Chuck that despite that possibly being the case, she is planning on breaking up the team: Shaw and Sarah will come to D.C. and Chuck will stay in Burbank until she can figure out what to do with him.

Morgan is cleaning out his locker when Casey enters. He calls Morgan on the reason for his quitting the Buy More. “Going to work for Chuck?” he asks the bearded one. Morgan confirms Casey’s suspicion, but suggests that Casey should get his old job back so the two of them can work together. “General Beckman doesn’t forget a little thing like ‘treason,'” Casey replies. Casey sits back in his chair and remarks that he’s actually beginning to enjoy his new life. Well, Morgan is getting into the spy business. He slaps Casey on the shoulder as he exits, saying, “Enjoy my old life, Casey.” “You too,” Casey replies wistfully. Morgan arrives home to find a dismaying scene. Chuck is mixing gaming (Guitar Hero) with whisky. Chuck, clutching the bottle of Johnnie Walker Black from “Chuck vs. Nacho Sampler,” laments that Sarah has, once again, chosen the other guy. Morgan tries to remove the bottle from Chuck’s clutches, but the two fight over it until Chuck flashes some restraining skills. Next thing he knows, Morgan is bound with video game cables, and Chuck is left drunkenly clutching his (fake) guitar and listening to 80’s music. “She said she couldn’t be with someone who didn’t believe in her, but I believe in her. I just didn’t believe in me,” Chuck says. The tied-up Morgan can’t take it, “You’re misquoting the line, and ruining Pretty in Pink for me. Sarah enters, surveys the scene, and frees Morgan. Chuck apologizes for the “bit of a low spot” he’s in — he thought he could save Sarah, but it didn’t happen. Sarah remarks that Shaw is a great spy, and that he’d never turn on his country. Chuck sarcastically replies that he knows Shaw is a great spy, everyone does. Now Sarah’s there to tell him that she and Shaw are going to run off to D.C. to save the world. Chuck pauses, and turns to Sarah, wanting to ask her one simple question, “Sarah, do you love me?” She doesn’t answer. Chuck realizes that he’s sitting in his underwear holding a plastic guitar, and, as a result, has a good chance of embarrassing himself. “Yes,” Sarah says. OK, Chuck will put some pants on. “No, Chuck,” she corrects him, “Yes.” She fell in love with Chuck a long time ago. Sarah grabs his face, and kisses him. But what about Chuck’s Red Test? Casey told her the truth, which was the best news she could hear. “You’re still Chuck. You’re still myChuck.” (Let the teariness in my apartment commence!) Chuck wants to celebrate, but Sarah tells him that there is no time. Shaw has tracked down the Director and The Ring’s headquarters, so they have a mission. Mission? Morgan is ready for a mission! He is officially Chuck’s assistant so he will get a quickly sobering Chuck ready. Sarah smiles.

The team is geared up and overlooking an elevator shaft. The plan is for Chuck and Sarah to descend into the Director’s private elevator and grab him when he gets in. Shaw assures Chuck that he holds no hard feelings about what happened at the warehouse or with General Beckman; he trusts Chuck completely. Sarah and Chuck descend and land on top of theelevator car. Chuck tells Sarah that, despite Shaw’s assurances, he is worried about Shaw. “His emotions are like Swiss cheese,” Chuck tells Sarah. At that moment, two goons attack Shaw atop the elevator shaft. He fights them off, accidentally firing a couple shots down the shaft. Chuck thinks Shaw is trying to kill them, but once Shaw dispatches the men, he radios an apology to his team. Chuck and Sarah draw their guns and enter the elevator car. Chuck tells Sarah that his gun is just a tranquilizer gun; he is no intention of killing anyone. The Director enters the car and the spies pull their guns on him. The Director tells them that there is no way they will get the Cypher, but they have no idea what he’s talking about. Shaw informs them that The Ring is building their own Intersect, and that the Cypher is the CPU. Chuck notices the Director has had his hand in his pocket the whole time. “I like your Ring phone,” Chuck tells him. “What Ring phone?” the Director replies. Sarah cocks her gun, to which the Director says, “Oh, you mean this Ring phone,” as he hands it over to Chuck (a well played Princess Bride reference). They order the Director to call his assistant to bring the Cypher, which she does. With Sarah and Chuck out of the assistant’s sight, the Director tells her to cancel his trip to “Barcelona.” Sensing that he just tipped off the assistant, Chuck grabs the blonde and pulls her into the elevator. The elevator doors reopen, and a janitor is there saying he hear a commotion in the elevator. The Director looks up at the removed service panel, so Chuck pulls the janitor in too. “Welcome to the party.”

With five of them now in the elevator car, the Director laughs, telling the spies, “It’s over. This was a trap…for you!” The assistant and janitor pull out guns, resulting in a five-way Mexican standoff. The Director, recognizing Chuck’s tranq gun, makes fun of him, questioning whether he is a real spy. “I ama real spy,” Chuck insists. The elevator doors open to reveal three more goons with guns, but they are not long for this world. Shaw arrives and takes out the three goons, the assistant and the janitor. He tells Chuck and Sarah to take the Cypher and move to the fifth floor while he handles the Director. Chuck and Sarah leave, and the elevator doors close behind them. They hear one shot, and a body hit the floor. “Yeah, I think we should wait to tell him about us,” Chuck tells Sarah. Inside the elevator, the Director stirs. As do the assistant and the janitor. They all remove blood packet special effects. This was all a set-up. Shaw is working with The Ring!!

Back at Castle, the General is angry that Shaw killed the Director. Chuck, repaying the courtesy and coming to Shaw’s defense, tells the General, “We’d all be dead if not for Shaw.” General Beckman relents and tells them that the Cypher has been analyzed. The Ring is still a ways away from finishing the Intersect, but this opportunity should not be wasted. Shaw has discovered that The Ring’s design facility is in Paris, so he and Sarah are to go and destroy it. Chuck, always longing to see Paris, wants to go, but is told that he’s not ready yet (although he’s had twosolo missions so far!). Sarah tells Chuck privately that they will have their chance to go to Paris when she gets back. She kisses him, and is off to prepare for the mission.

Chuck arrives home with an extra spring in his step. Morgan tells Chuck that he quit his job since he’s officially part of the spy team. Chuck, knowing that Morgan actuallybeing a member of the team is far-fetched at best, tells his best friend that he shouldn’t have quit the Buy More. Realizing what he has done, Morgan begins to worry about his future. Chuck assures him that once Shaw and Sarah get back form Paris, he will talk to General Beckman for Morgan. Sarah and Shaw are going to Paris together?, Morgan wonders. He’ll be able to win Sarah back! Chuck tells him that Shaw is actually a great guy, and as proof, he has video of their last mission. Chuck shows Morgan security camera footage that Shaw had tapped into, showing Shaw take on the two goons atop the elevator shaft. Morgan immediately notices something out of place. Morgan has seen a million action movies, and he can tell Shaw is pulling his punches. Chuck sees the same; this can mean only one thing: Shaw is working for The Ring! Chuck and Morgan head to Castle, and dial up the General’s home video-conference number. Chuck’s call wakes up the General in bed (she *clap, claps* to turn on the lights. Nice!). Chuck begins to tell her what he and Morgan saw on the security footage. Morgan steps into screen to explain, but begins by pitching himself for a job. The General is horrified that Morgan is involved in all of this, and that Chuck has made these wild accusations. Chuck is suspended, and the two are ordered out of Castle. Chuck tells Morgan that they only have one choice: the two of them must save Sarah alone. “No, there is another,” Morgan tells Chuck.

In Casey’s apartment, Chuck tells the robe-clad ex-spy the whole story. Casey, sipping on some tea, tells Chuck the he can’t help as he’s no longer a spy. “But you’re the ultimate spy!” Chuck encourages Casey. “No, he’s been Buy More’d,” Morgan laments before ripping into Casey for becoming soft and complacent. Before Casey knows it, he’ll be hanging out with Jeff and Lester! Casey hears enough, and pins Morgan against the wall. “Get me my suit from the closet. The black one,” he orders Morgan. Cut to Casey and Chuck in coach on a Paris-bound flight. Chuck looks at a photo of Shaw, and flashes, but only general information and the words “Windsor Night,” a ten year old mission. He can’t flash anything useful. Casey reminds Chuck that before the Intersect and the abilities, Chuck was just a smart guy. He needs to take the intelligence on Shaw and find Sarah.

Sarah and Shaw walk along the Seine and up to the Cadez le Passage, the same street Sarah killed Shaw’s wife. Noting the place and feeling something is wrong, Sarah pulls her gun on Shaw. “Is this a trap?” she asks him. “You killed my wife,” Shaw coolly tells her,” Did you think I would let you get away with that?” But Shaw told her that he didn’t blame her. True, but he told Sarah many things to get her to where they are. Sarah is shot with a tranquilizer dart, and Sarah drops her gun. The Director(!) picks it up, and says to Sarah, “Relax. It’s all over now.” The men bring Sarah to an outdoor cafe and prop her up in a chair. Shaw explains that the poison she has been injected with simply immobilizes the nervous system. She isn’t dying, she just can’t move or speak — Shaw wants her to see what’s next. The Director tells her that Shaw is the newest Ring agent. This plan gives Shaw the opportunity to not only avenge his wife’s murder by killing Sarah, but destroying the institution that ordered the hit, the CIA. The CIA thought that Evelyn was a member of The Ring, and ordered Sarah to kill her. Shaw continues, saying that the CIA betrayed the wrong man. They need to feel what he has felt all these years. With tears streaming down her face, Shaw tells Sarah he has to kill her.

As payment for setting up Sarah, Shaw gives the Director schematics for the Intersect. The Director and his goons leave Shaw and Sarah. Unbeknownst to Shaw, Chuck comes up from behind with his (real) gun drawn. Chuck was able to find them because he noticed in Shaw’s file that he returns to that spot once a year since his wife’s death. Chuck tells Shaw that he is under arrest. Shaw taunts him, telling Chuck he should just pull the trigger. Chuck looks into Sarah’s eyes and says that he would never do that. With the sounds of Casey (and his guns) taking out the Director and his men, Chuck orders Shaw to stand up. Shaw spins around and knocks the gun from Chuck’s hand. He pushes Chuck up against a wall and Chuck flashes fighting skills, including the choke hold. Shaw grabs a knife and tries to push it to Chuck’s throat. Chuck steps on the edge of a fork and flips it up to his hand. Shaw eventually gains the upper hand and punches Chuck, knocking him down. Shaw grabs Sarah up and taunts Chuck, remarking that he knows Chuck’s emotions get in the way so he can’t flash. He tells Chuck to not follow him or he will have to kill Chuck,a she drags Sarah away. Chuck doesn’t heed the warning, grabs his gun and races after them. Shaw is going to drop the immobilized Sarah off a bridge into the Seine where she will drown. Chuck draws his gun, as does Shaw. Chuck pleads with Shaw to stop, “Please. It doesn’t have to be like this.” Chuck lowers his gun, as Sarah begins to gain some movement back. Chuck tells Shaw that he can’t kill someone. “You can’t,” Shaw replies, “but I can.” Shaw moves to fire, but Chuck is quicker on the draw. He fires three shots directly into Shaw’s chest! Both he and Sarah are shocked as Shaw stumbles to the bridge’s edge. As he goes over the side, Shaw grabs Sarah’s wrist to pull her down after him. Chuck quickly grabs onto Sarah. Shaw’s hold begins to falter, and he falls, dead, into the river below. Chuck picks Sarah up and holds her tight.

Casey, smoking a victory cigar, gets on a video conference with General Beckman. She says she has nothing to say to him as he’s no longer a spy. “You don’t want to talk about our ofld friend, the Director?” he asks the General. “What do you want for him?” she asks. Well, Casey has a couple demands: full reinstatement, a new Crown Victoria, and a request she’s not going to like. Cut to Morgan in Big Mike’s office. Realizing the mistake he made, he asks for his old job back. Big Mike eagerly welcomes Morgan back to the family, and gives him back his title as Ass. Man. “You can always come home,” Big Mike tells Morgan. “Thanks, Big Mike,” Morgan replies. “Thanks, Dad,” Big Mike corrects. “Thanks…Big Mike,” Morgan insists. “Thanks, Poppy,” Big Mike tries. “Let’s go with Dad.” Morgan leaves the office and receives a call on his cell phone. It’s the General. She informs Morgan that he is “officially a member of Operation Bartowski.” Morgan is beside himself, he’s going to go quit his job again. The General tells him not to, as the Buy More will be his cover. “Of course!”

Sarah is asleep in bed. She wakes to the sound of Chuck typing on a computer. Over his shoulder, outside the window is the Eiffel Tower — they are finally in Paris. Chuck goes to her, but she can’t remember what happened. Chuck tells her that Shaw is dead, and she realizes that Chuck shot him. Chuck pleads that he is still the same guy, he just did what he had to do. “You saved me,” Sarah smiles to Chuck. She kisses him long and hard. The computer comes alive as the General appears. The two ask their boss for a couple more days in Paris. Negative, they have a new mission and must return to Burbank immediately. Sarah simply turns the computer around. Chuck worries that the General will get mad, but Sara tells him, “Shut up and kiss me.” They do as Sarah closes the computer on the General, and the camera pans to the Eiffel Tower.

Commentary

Well, there you have it. In what was supposed to be the season finale before NBC, wisely, ordered six more episodes, most Chuckfans (including me) got exactly what they wanted: Chuck and Sarah in love, with each other, at the same time. How they got there, I have to say, was exquisitely done. I was never a Shaw (or Hannah) hater, and took the interjection of his character into the story as a welcome, and natural, obstacle to Chuck and Sarah’s relationship. I rarely felt the plot strained to keep the two of them apart (although I did have problems with Sarah’s constant worried realization that Chuck “isn’t the same guy”), so this payoff was well-earned. From the previews of the coming six episodes (the next new episode is April 27th), it seems we will be getting a little Mr. and Mrs. Smith feel to the show as the lovers work out how to be spies together. Personally, I think this can be a gold mine for these two characters that we care about so much.

As far as this particular episode is concerned, I thought it was great. True, we didn’t see Ellie and Devon (are they already in Africa?!), and only a glimpse of Jeff and Lester, but I thought Morgan was used and integrated into the story very well. There were the couple great 80’s references (the music during Chuck’s drunken stupor, The Princess Bride, and even an allusion to Hans Gruber’s death in Die Hard) that every successful Chuck episode contains, but most importantly, I thought the drama was fantastically done. From the tension of the opening scene (was Shaw really going to kill Sarah?), to the double cross in the elevator, to the Paris sequence, it was all done masterfully. Yes, everything wrapped up in a nice bow, as season finales frequently do, but it certainly made me excited to find out how Chuck and Sarah are going to work together and how Morgan is going to become an actual member of “Operation Bartowski.” We saw one clip at the end of Casey training Morgan on how to use a gun. That is going to be a golden comedy pairing. Hopefully we’ve seen the end of one other story line, as well: passive Sarah Walker. I understand that for Chuck to save Sarah, she’d have to be put in situations where she literally had no ability to defend herself (she is a trained assassin after all), but emotionally, she has been passive for most of the season, floating between Shaw and Chuck. Hopefully, with her love life settled, she can now return to the kick-ass spy we loved from the first two seasons.

So, what did you all think of “Chuck vs. the Other Guy”? Were you as satisfied as I was? Happy to see Shaw floating in the Seine? Did you think the Eiffel Tower represented anything…uh…else at the end of the episode when the two lovers fell into bed? (Oh, come on, I wasn’t the only one thinking it!!) Are you excited to see where there story goes in the last six episodes? Please leave your comments, theories and questions below. Remember, Chuck returns on April 27th, so I’ll be back on the 28th with a new recap. If any Chuck news develops in meantime, we will be on it here at TVOverMind. Until then, I’m off to hang in Woodland Hills.