Recap – Chuck 3.14 “Chuck vs. the Honeymooners”

It’s been a long three weeks since we saw Chuck and Sarah fall happily into bed in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower. If you don’t remember what happened in “Chuck vs. the Other Guy,” check out a recap here.

We pick up Chuck on a train somewhere outside of Paris. A man sharpens a large knife and makes his way toward a sleeper car. He knocks on the door, and is met by a lingerie-clad Sarah (quite literally, she was breathtaking). The porter asks if she would like him to carve the meat. Obviously in a hurry to get back to whatever she was…ahem…doing, Sarah replies, “No thank you. I’m good with knives.” The porter is then shown bringing meal after meal to Chuck and Sarah’s room. He advises the couple that the train does have a rather nice dining car, but, as Chuck explains, they really like their room. With the porter gone, Chuck continues a previous conversation with Sarah: his incredulity that Sarah doesn’t have a favorite band. As she explains that she’s never really been into music, Chuck’s cell phone rings. It’s General Beckman. Chuck turns to Sarah and tells her that there is nothing holding them back anymore — they should just run and no longer be spies. “Sarah Walker, do you agree to quit the spy life with me?” Chuck proposes. “I do,” Sarah replies as she throws the phone out the train window.

In Burbank, General Beckman quizzes Casey about Chuck and Sarah’s whereabouts. Since she has not heard from them since the incident with Shaw, she now considers them AWOL, and she wants Casey to find them. When he protests that he has no way of finding the spies, the General reminds Casey that he has access to a unique resource: Morgan. Morgan and Chuck have a co-dependent relationship, so if anyone will know how to find Chuck, Morgan will. Meanwhile, at their apartment, Ellie and Devon are preparing to leave for Africa. Although she is temporarily distracted by the fact that her husband wants to pack free weights, Ellie is worried that Chuck won’t show up for the couple’s going away party. Devon assures her that Chuck would never miss it; no matter where he is, he’ll get back in time.

That may prove to be more difficult that Devon imagines, as Chuck and Sarah are currently in Lyon, France. The couple, as the porter notes, has finally stepped out from their compartment and has made their way to the dining car. Chuck introduces himself as Charles Car….Charles. His name is Charles Charles, Sarah is Mrs. Charles, and they are on their honeymoon. As the porter leaves, Chuck immediately worries that he blew their “cover.” He should have said they were exclusively dating each other. “That is safe to assume, right?” Chuck asks. “Chuck, we’re running away together,” Sarah replies, much to Chuck’s glee. Sarah continues their happy thoughts, spying a number of other passengers and noting that if they tire of the train, they can go skiing in the Alps, see concerts (at Chuck’s suggestion) or go to Canada. It doesn’t matter as long as they are always together. Three men then walk by. Sarah sees that one is carrying a gun in his waistband. When Chuck looks up at the men, he flashes one one of them: He is Juan Diego Arnaldo, a member of the Spanish Basque terrorist/separatist (depends on which side you’re on) organization ETA. Both hide their natural inclinations to investigate the situation and toast each other, “To not being spies!”

At the Buy More, Morgan tells Casey that he has no idea where Chuck is — Chuck hasn’t updated his Facebook page. Casey thinks it’s obvious where Chuck is; he and Sarah are, let’s say, enjoying each other’s company. Morgan is a little slow on the uptake, so Casey explains it a little more explicitly, “Chuck’s going to need a walker once Walker is done with him.” At that moment, Devon enters the store and immediately finds Morgan. He, too, wants to know where Chuck is. Morgan, as an official member of Team Bartowski, pulls rank on Devon, letting Captain Awesome know that he is on a need-to-know basis. Well, Devon needs to know because Ellie will be devastated if her brother isn’t at their going away party. Did someone say “party?” Jeff and Lester pop out from behind a display, and inform Devon that although their invitation was likely lost in the mail, they will be attending the party.

Back on the train, Chuck and Sarah are getting ready for bed. They sit on the bed back to back, clearly tense over what each saw in the dining car. They reiterate that they are really going to quit the CIA, but Chuck hedges a bit, wondering what he should do if he flashes. They agree to just ignore his flashes, and live like a normal couple. Each turns off his or her light and they lie down, but it isn’t long before each jumps up. Simultaneously, Sarah wants ice cream and Chuck wants some fresh air. Throwing on a robe, Sarah heads out of the room, and makes a straight line to Arnaldo’s room down the hall. Just as she closes the door behind her, Chuck makes his way into the hall. Sarah finds a passport and a notebook full of codes and dates. She hears something out in the hall, and ducks into the bathroom. The disturbance was Chuck, who enters into the room as well. He finds the passport and notebook, and, too, hears something in the hall. This time, it’s Arnaldo and his men. Chuck tries the bathroom door but it is locked. The only way out is the window, so Chuck climbs out and up on top of the train car. Arnaldo’s men notice the bathroom door is locked. As they are about to bust it open, Sarah bursts out, sporting one thick Southern accent. Explaining that she thought it was her room (six drinks get her all “cuhhhhn-fewwwzed”), she deftly makes her way out. Chuck is met with a harder escape route. On top of the moving train, Chuck makes his way to his room’s open window. He edges toward it, and luckily, he flashes some acrobatic skills. Chuck flips into the open window and onto the bed, just as Sarah reenters with an ice cream sundae. The two lay down in bed, each clearly thinking about what they found and what to do next. Finally, Sarah blurts out, “I can’t fake this, not with you.” “Wait, you’ve been faking it the whole time?!” Chuck concernedly inquires. “No, not that,” Sarah replies, assuring Chuck of his “skills.” Sarah admits to what she saw in the dining car and what she found in Arnaldo’s room. Chuck responds by admitting what he found in the room. “That was you?” Sarah asks Chuck about the noise she heard. “That was you in the bathroom?” Chuck asks Sarah. The two are now facing each other, sitting up on their knees on the bed. Both of their tales of daring-do are clearly turning them on. Chuck, caught up in the electricity now flying between them, suggests they have one last mission before they quit the spy business. Sarah agrees, one last mission.

Casey and Morgan are in Castle. When Morgan tries to help Casey find Chuck and Sarah, Casey threatens to squash Morgan. The bearded one tells Casey that he [Casey] is scared, scared of asking Morgan to help him. Always proving that he isn’t scared of anything, Casey lets Morgan jump on the computer. Knowing that Chuck needed to get a regular prescription filled, and that the pharmacist would have to call Chuck’s doctor, Morgan is able to trace the fulfillment of that prescription to Paris’ Fourteenth Arrondisement. Close to the pharmacy is a train station The duo call up the station’s security camera footage, but there is too much to search through. Morgan further remembers that the latest issue of Chuck’s favorite comic book came out that week, so he searches the camera footage for newsstands. Voila! There is Chuck reading the comic book, and better yet, displaying his train ticket. Morgan zooms in to see that it is a train ticket to Zurich, Switzerland. Casey compliments Morgan’s deductive reasoning and tells him to grab his passports — they’re flying to Europe to intercept the train. Morgan, thrilled by the opportunity to go to Europe, wonders aloud about the delicacies and luxury he will experience on the government’s dime; however, Morgan and Casey find themselves in coach. Casey suggests Morgan get some rest, but Morgan demurs: he needs to stay awake in order to root that the plane stay up in the air.

Chuck and Sarah devise a plan to apprehend the men: they’ll handcuff them somewhere in the train and call Interpol to come pick them up. There’s a problem though, they left their spy equipment in Paris (I’m sure the CIA loved that!). It is time for them to improvise. First, Sarah hits on the musician they saw earlier in French. Chuck “accidentally” bumps into the guy. With the musician distracted, Sarah lifts the handcuffs he has attached to a chain off of him and hands them behind her back to Chuck. Next, after flashing some French of his own, Chuck assists an injured French skier by placing a pillow under her ankle, while swiping her Oxycontin. Lastly, back in their room, Chuck removes a gold ring off the bedside lamps and places it on Sarah’s finger as a wedding band. The heat between them at this obvious “moment” is palpable. Outside Chuck and Sarah’s stopped train, Morgan and Casey prepare to board. Morgan, fearful of the way Americans are treated in the rest of the world, carries an overly large backpack with a Canadian flag patch sewn on. The porter asks the men for their tickets. There is a bit of a delay as Morgan reaches down his pants to find the ticket in his “super secret money pouch.” Once on board, Casey and Morgan split up to find Chuck and Sarah. The couple are actually in the dining car under the guise of Sarah’s Southern newlywed and Chuck as her husband. Sarah drags Chuck over to Arnaldo and his men who are also dining in the car. Sarah apologizes for being in their room the night before, and as she does, “accidentally” knocks over Arnaldo’s drink into his cheese plate. Chuck insists on buying new drinks for the men and hurries off.

At their apartment complex, Ellie and Devon prepare their going away party. Jeffster! is there, too, doing a sound check before their big gig that night. Jeff, playing way too loud, blows the amp. Lester admonishes him, “Jeffrey, it’s not the size of hte instrument, but how much, how long and how often your mother caught you playing that matters.” He continues that they need to find Chuck because he would know how to fix the amp. Ellie snaps that they don’t need Chuck…for anything. Lester tries to comfort the obviously shaken Ellie by giving her good news: Jeffster! is going acoustic tonight!

In the train’s bar, Chuck doses the drinks with ground-up Oxycontin, and brings them to the men. He and Sarah apologize for the mishap and return to their table. The couple make goo-goo eyes at one another and compliment themselves for working so great together (complete with tiger growls and hand claw groping). “I know it’s our last mission,” Chuck tells Sarah, “but we make a great team.” They share a kiss. “Oh, God,” they hear someone grumble. Of course, it’s the master of grumbles, John Casey. When Casey asks why they haven’t returned to Burbank, Chuck explains the mission they are on. Not believing them, and as Arnaldo’s two henchmen pass out, Casey handcuffs them to each other, saying, “What kind of a chump do you take me for?” Chuck and Sarah simultaneously respond, “Sorry,” as they jointly punch him in the face, and run off to grab Arnaldo who is making his escape. Meanwhile, Morgan is still searching the train. He comes upon a beautiful woman wearing a scarf with a Canadian Maple Leaf on it. Working the Morgan magic, he explains that he too is a Canadian, and is wondering if she has seen his friend. “Talk to me again, and I will cut you,” she replies before walking off. Getting the message, Morgan returns to his mission.

Sarah and Chuck arrive at Arnaldo’s room. Though Chuck wants to protect Sarah by going in first, she doesn’t give him much of a chance as she barges in the room. Arnaldo quicklyshoves the door shut, trapping the handcuff chain in the closed door, leaving Sarah inside the room and Chuck in the hall. One handed and stuck to the door, Sarah fights off Arnaldo. She eventually shoves Arnaldo into the bathroom and closes the door. She opens the main door just as the train brakes to a stop, which sends them flying onto the bed. Casey rushes in and finds Chuck on top of Sarah with her legs up in the air. Seeing the scene, Casey incredulously asks, “Terrorist, huh?” They explain that Arnaldo is in the bathroom. Casey opens the bathroom door and does see Arnaldo lying there. He shoots a couple tranquilizer darts into the ETA man, but doesn’t notice that the darts were actually stopped by the notebook in Arnaldo’s pocket. As Chuck and Sarah try to explain what is going on, Arnaldo jumps up and runs out of the room. The spies chase after him. Casey sees Morgan and tells him to get out of the way. Morgan turns to cower, but actually knocks Arnaldo out the open train door and onto the station platform. Casey apprehends Arnaldo, who begs that if they are just going to kill him , they should do it now. “Why would we kill you, we’re the CIA,” Morgan proudly explains. “Maybe you shouldn’t share that with just anyone,” Chuck tells his friend. Arnaldo asks if they are CIA, why did they take out the Interpol agents that were guarding him? Confused, the spies ask why a terrorist was being guarded by Interpol agents. Arnaldo explains that they were putting him in a witness protection program as he has testified against other members of ETA. Casey wants to know if Chuck and Sarah were really on a mission ordered by General Beckman. Chuck explains that they wanted to conduct the operation under cover. When Morgan asks why, Casey replies, “Because they’re quitting.” Morgan pleads with Chuck not to quit, telling his best bud that this is the life Chuck always wanted. Chuck replies that what he’s always wanted was Sarah, and that they came to the decision together. As Casey, a bit disgusted, gives Chuck the key to the handcuffs, the girl with the Canada scarf is seen behind the spies on her cell phone. She explains that Arnaldo’s Interpol detail has been taken out. ETA should send men to her location so they can kill Arnaldo!

Team Bartowski gets on a satellite link with General Beckman, who lambastes Chuck and Sarah for their “mission.” She tells them to just keep Arnaldo safe until a new Interpol team arrives. Morgan and Chuck sit with Arnaldo at a cafe. Morgan tells Chuck that he’s running away from the life he really wants. Chuck explains that he’s actually running toward something: Sarah. The scene cuts to Sarah and Casey sitting with Arnaldo at the same cafe. Sarah knows why Casey is there, but Casey explains that he understands the decision she has to make. Further, he won’t stop her from running. Arnaldo pipes up, having heard both conversations, and asks if it has to be a choice; can’t they be together and be spies? Some great editing reveals that Arnaldo is actually asking this of both Chuck and Sarah in their separate conversations. Both reply that running away is what the other one wants. Morgan, in a last ditch effort, begs Chuck to make sure this is what Sarah wants. Casey and Sarah return to Chuck and Morgan’s table. Casey tells Chuck and Sarah that if they want to run, they have to leave now. Hugs are exchanged, and the couple exit the cafe. Back in Burbank, Jeffster! plays “Leavin’ On a Jet Plane,” acoustically (and rather well!) at Ellie and Devon’s party. During the song, which is being videotaped by Devon, Ellie keeps slamming back shots. Lester then calls for her to give a speech, much to Devon’s chagrin.

Chuck and Sarah walk back toward the train, discussing, again, their quitting the spy life. Chuck says that he’s never seen the world, and can’t wait to do so with Sarah. Sarah replies that she has seen the world, but never really had a home. Back in the cafe, the new Interpol agents arrive. Morgan asks where they are stationed, to which they reply Lake Como. Morgan continues, quizzing the men about the location. Sensing something in their answers doesn’t match up, Morgan asks about the palaces in Lake Como. One of the agents replies that they are magnificent. Morgan knows that there are no palaces in Lake Como, causing Casey to pull his gun on the men. They pull their guns as the scarf-wearing terrorist enters with back-up. Guns drawn as well, a standoff ensues. Near the train, Chuck tells “Agent Walker” it’s time to leave. “I’m no longer Agent Walker, ‘Mr. Charles’,” Sarah replies, a bit wistfully. Picking up on this, Chuck asks Sarah if this is what she really wants. “It’s OK, you can say,” he implores her. “Does it have to be one or the other?” Sarah asks. But before Chuck can respond, the drugged Interpol agents seize upon them with guns drawn, demanding to know what they did with Arnaldo. Chuck explains that the CIA was handing them over to other Interpol agents. The men inform them that the back-up Interpol agents have been killed, and handcuff Chuck to Sarah again. In a nice callback to just a bit earlier, Chuck and Sarah punch out the agents. Chuck tries to find the key to the cuffs, but Sarah warns him there is no time. Chuck sees a scooter, so the couple jump on, with Sarah on Chuck’s lap, and hurry off to the cafe.

The ETA terrorist, with Casey and Morgan tied up, wants to know everything Arnaldo told Interpol. At that moment, the scooter crashes through the cafe window. Sarah grabs a gun, and Chuck flashes his kung fu. The handcuffed pair expertly take out the terrorist goons (including a nice move where Chuck swings Sarah around by her hands and she kicks some men in the face). Chuck is left to face the female terrorist, but he stops. “I can’t hit a girl,” he says before getting, quite comically, kicked in the face. Sarah spins around. “I can!” she exclaims before kicking the terrorist back. Morgan and Casey are able to stand up, and with the female terrorist now training her gun on Chuck and Sarah, Casey spins around, causing Morgan to knock her out. With the bad guys dispatched, Arnaldo safe, and Casey and Morgan freed, Casey tells Chuck and Sarah that they have a train to catch. When they hesitate, Arnaldo tells them that they can’t run from themselves. Maybe he’s right. Chuck suggests that if they tell General Beckman the truth, maybe they can have it all. They kiss, and Sarah asks, “Chuck Bartowski, will you agree to not quit the spy life and be with me?” “I do,” Chuck answers before planting another kiss on her. Casey can only look on with a disgruntled “Casey face.”

Back at Castle, General Beckman congratulates Casey on his work. Not begrudgingly, Casey shares the praise with Morgan. The General acknowledges Morgan, telling them, “An unlikely pair often produces the best results.” Morgan, trying to defend his best friend, tells the General that Chuck and Sarah may have acted impulsively, but they are meant to be spies together. Not wanting to hear this, the General dismisses Casey and Morgan. Chuck and Sarah both immediately try to take the blame for their “mission.” General Beckman orders them not to lie to her. Chuck takes Sarah’s hand in his and attempts to explain their relationship. “Release Agent Walker!” the General commands, before telling them that she doesn’t need to know the details. Chuck explains that they want to tell her the truth. Sarah speaks up and just tells the General that she and Chuck love each other, but want to remain spies. The General explains that personal lives interfering in their line of work can be dangerous. “But, off the record, it’s about damn time!” General Beckman tells them before signing off. Chuck goes to kiss Sarah in celebration, but notices the security camera trained on his apartment complex. He forgot that Ellie is leaving!

Chuck enters Ellie’s apartment, but finds no one there, except a DVD of the party. He pops it into the player and sees Ellie’s speech. Tearily, she explains that all she wanted was a chance to say goodbye to Chuck. Slumped with guilt, Chuck turns off the DVD, just as Ellie enters; she forgot her phone. Chuck profusely apologizes for missing the party, but Ellie explains that she was just upset that she’s leaving her little brother. “I’m not so little anymore,” Chuck tells her. Further, she’s not leaving him alone. He points to the doorway, where Sarah is standing. “You’re together?” Ellie happily asks. “We’re together,” a beaming Chuck responds.

As Chuck says, “I think I found the one,” the scene dissolves to his bedroom where he’s putting on a vinyl record. “This will be your favorite song,” he informs Sarah. As Nina Simone’s version of “Feelin’ Good” plays, the two lay down on the bed. “I like this,” Sarah tells Chuck. “Well, it’s a good start,” he replies. As the refrain is sung, “It’s a new dawn/It’s a new day/It’s a new life/For me/And I’m Feelin’ Good,” Sarah cuddles up onto Chuck. They kiss in relationship bliss, as the scene fades to black.

Commentary

Wow. That was an absolutely incredible episode of Chuck. It was well worth the three week wait. Everything that makes this series great was present. There was comedy in the pairing of Morgan and Casey. There was emotional drama in Chuck and Sarah’s decision to run or remain in the spy business. There was some great action with two well-choreographed handcuffs fight scenes. There was great music (is there anything better than that Nina Simone version of “Feelin’ Good”? Sorry Buble.). There was even a perfect dose of sentimentality with the final image of Sarah and Chuck cuddling on his bed. Further, how great was it to see Sarah and Chuck smile — through an entire episode?!

After all the time spent by fans wanting Chuck and Sarah to be together, I can’t think of a better way it could have been executed. Yes, many will argue that the Shaw/Hannah plot was one roadblock too many (I, personally, would not argue this), but without it, the payoff here would not have been as great. Think about it, if Chuck and Sarah got together after Season Two, when they weren’t on (relatively) equal footing as spies, there is no way a relationship could have worked. The series needed Chuck to go through thirteen episodes of spy training so he could get to that equal footing. Now, it is feasible that these two people could be lovers and spies, even if it may not be advised. The release of this romantic/tension was so beautifully scripted and played by Zachary Levi and Yvonne Strahovski that all involved should be right proud of this season and how they executed this pairing. The actors have such chemistry that it is fantastic to see the relationship so well-earned. I have read that there will be some obstacles coming up to Chuck and Sarah’s relationship, but the way their coupling has come to fruition, I believe these will just be stumbling blocks, and not something to cause them to separate. In fact, I think there may be hell to pay from fans if the creators do split Chuck and Sarah up, having so well-earned the position they are in now.

Another great pairing is the one developing between Casey and Morgan. This is just going to be comedy gold, I can tell. I definitely look forward to the coming weeks as Casey trains Morgan how to be a more effective spy, although I hope that Casey isn’t relegated to Morgan-sitting duties for too long. The three original spies had such chemistry as a trio that I hope that grouping isn’t thrown by the wayside entirely. Lastly, how great was Jeffster’s performance? Seriously, they should release that song on iTunes.

OK, that’s what I have for “Chuck vs. the Honeymooners.” What did you think? Did you enjoy this episode as much as I did? Did you buy Chuck and Sarah as a couple? Do you think their jobs will cause too much strife? What training are you most looking forward to Casey teaching Morgan? Do you want more or less Jeffster? How about Ellie and Devon, are they being used effectively? Please leave your comments, questions and theories below. Be sure to check out TVOvermind for all of your TV needs, and come back next week for a recap of “Chuck vs. the Role Models.” I’m off to have pastries for breakfast.

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