Bentley explains that the government has been using the Buy More as field a test to find Intersect candidates, hence the different Gretas. Further, they have been studying Chuck to determine the Intersect's weaknesses: emotionality and a reliance on his handlers. Bentley tells them that they have found Dragan's plane. Chuck flashes upon seeing the plane, but the Captains answer first. The A-Team is being sent to intercept Dragan and grab his cargo. Casey tries to explain to Sarah, but she doesn't want an explanation. He says that Chuck and Sarah don't need him anymore; he was just backup. Sarah and Chuck are still good agents without him. "Yeah, but we used to be the best," retorts Sarah.
Lester tries to get Jeff to use his ESP to figure out where the laptop is. With a rush of wind, Jeff writes down "CIA." Who the hell is "see-ya?" Lester wonders. Upon reviewing some more pictures of Dragan boarding his plane, the Captains simultaneously flash on a suitcase of demolition explosives Dragan is carrying. Due to the danger of the mission, Casey wants Chuck and Sarah as backup, to which Bentley happily agrees, the better to prove her team is better. At the airport, Casey tells Chuck he will be responsible for bomb demolition, while the A-Team will take out Dragan's guards.
Once Chuck is clad in his bomb suit, Casey warns him that it will be hard to move, and very hot. Chuck replies that he saw The Hurt Locker. Casey props up a juice box in Chuck's suit in case Chuck gets thirsty, an old trick he learned in the Army. Chuck is rather appreciative of the gesture from his friend. When Dragan lands and deplanes, the A-Team takes out his guards. He hands over the suitcase he is carrying, but when the Captains see it, they flash. It's a suitcase nuke! Dragan announces that he has the detonator, and runs off, with Sarah and Vicki in pursuit. When Sarah corners him, Dragan shows that he is the detonator -- if his heart stops, the bomb starts. Vicki runs up behind Dragan and raises her guns. Sarah warns her to not shoot Dragan, but Vicki flashes her sharpshooting skills and kills Dragan. This starts a five minute countdown until detonation.
Rick says that the bomb can't be disarmed; it's just to complicated. They can try to get it some place where casualties will only be in the thousands, but Chuck pleads with Casey to let him try to disarm it. Casey, having to choose between his former and current team, let's Chuck have at it. Chuck opens the bomb and flashes that it was made from adapted nuclear submarine-stored nukes. As a safety precaution, the detonator will defuse in salt water, but where can they get salt water? The juice box! Chuck scans it to make sure there is sodium in the juice, which there is (Let's not get into the salt content of sea water versus a juice box. Just go with it.) "Are you about to disarm a nuclear bomb with fruit juice?" Sarah asks in wonderment. Chuck squirts the juice on the bomb and it deactivates.
Back at Castle, Bentley pleads with General Beckman that they need one more mission to work the kinks out of the A-Team. The General, however, has seen enough. The A-Team killed the man they were supposed to protect, threatened Chuck, and acted to robotically. She orders that Chuck is to oversees the Intersect project from here on out. The first order of business? The former Gretas have their Intersect extracted, and are both relieved to have the computer out of their heads. "That poor bastard, Bartowski," Capt. Rick notes. Casey goes to leave, but Bentley didn't dismiss him yet. She thinks Beckman is wrong; the new Intersect can be perfected. She orders Casey to help her fix Orion's computer. What they need, however, is someone who thinks like a Bartowski.
Devon comes home to find Ellie sad because she doesn't have her father's laptop. She was hoping something on the computer would change her from being just a stay at home mom. Devon assures her that she's more than that: she's Mrs. Awesome. Across the way, Casey comes home to Morgan. Morgan apologizes for falling for Chuck and Sarah's ruse, and tries to turn in his wings; he's sorry for letting Casey down, but he just can't lie to Chuck anymore. Casey says he doesn't have to anymore -- they're all on the same team.
There is a knock on Ellie's door. When she opens it, Bentley is there, with a Buy More bag. She explains that the store accidentally brought her Ellie's computer. When Devon gets home, he finds Ellie plucking away on the laptop. "Great news! They found Dad's computer!" Ellie exclaims, to Devon's deep concern.
Commentary
After a couple weeks off, I was very excited to have Chuck back, and "Chuck vs the A-Team" did not disappoint. I'm not sure if it was simply that I was able to actually watch more of the show because I was taking fewer notes (how do we like the more streamlined recap?), but I was laughing out loud through most of the episode, and having a generally great time. We have been conditioned to look for Chuck countering some big bad villain (Daniel Shaw, Volkoff, Ted Roark, etc.), but I am enjoying the idea of Chuck's adversary being other "good guys." It is often the well-intentioned that can be the most trouble, and I look forward to seeing how Bentley manipulates Casey to oppose Chuck and Sarah.
As far as the Greta payoff, I liked where they were going. the idea that the government was using the Buy More to find candidates for the Intersect program is intriguing, although I wish it wasn't wrapped up so quickly. Obviously, the show is running into the problem that this season is coming to an end, and they are not sure if they are returning next season, so some plots need to run their course faster than is maybe desired. Still, I would have liked to see the Captains and their new Intersects conflict with Chuck and Sarah for a couple more missions.
On the Chuck and Sarah front, I thought this was a nice respite from the "stress about the wedding" stories they have been immersed in the past couple episodes. Their mutual disbelief and paranoia that they are being replaced was played very well by Zachary Levi and Yvonne Strahovski, and shows another interesting side of both characters. Particularly, I really enjoyed Sarah's scenes with Casey because it illustrated a vulnerability Sarah has only shown on rare occasions: she doesn't like being abandoned. Rumor strongly has it that Sarah's father will reappear this season, so this fear of abandonment by Casey nicely primes the pump for a confrontation with her father later.
So, what did you think of the episode? Were you as entertained as I was? Do you like Bentley and/or Casey posed as opposition to Chuck and Sarah? Would you have liked to see more of the Gretas? Please leave you questions, comments and theories below. I'll be back next week with another recap. Until then, I'm off to make sure the gun doesn't feel neglected.
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Hey, buddy.:) I really appreciate your recap and I've been reading them since the start of the 4th season (been busy on things, unable to download them (illegally) from sites [don't worry i buy orig Chuck DVDs]); unfortunately, no channels in PH airing Chuck via satellite, they've just recently finished airing season 3 episodes. So, I "need a full rundown." :D Thanks, buddy. ^_=