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.
It tied up nicely, and was a great episode. It really drew the season (so far) together. I liked the arc, and like you, felt the Hannah and Shaw interlude was necessary. Sarah and Chuck as a couple is worthless unless they have to fight for it, to earn it. I realized something last night that is nagging at me. Sarah made a huge deal of not being able to be with Chuck after she thought he'd killed a man. She said he wouldn't be the same Chuck, and acted as if this killing thing was the kiss of death (pun intended, sort of.) Remember last year (can't remember which episode) when Chuck witnessed Sarah shooting down an unarmed man? He was disappointed in her, turned away from her for a bit. But he found a way to forgive Sarah, and was able to move forward. So that's okay for her, but not him? She can kill wantonly and Chuck is supposed to look past that, but if Chuck were to kill, that's it, Sarah's gone. This is all moot now that Chuck killed Shaw and Sarah's cool with it (if only because he saved her life), but it does seem a bit hypocritical on Sarah's part.
I agree with you, I'm so glad someone was not a Shaw/Hannah hater besides me!
<<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.>>what is the name of the song in this scene,,,,,pleaseeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
MALAKAS??NICE NAME…..IF YOU LEARN ANYTHING ABOUT THESE SONG , LET ME KNOW.
I did a happy dance when Shaw bit it, I wibbled over Chuck and Sarah, I cracked up over the clapper and Casey and Morgan working together (even though I can't stand Morgan)…what a great episode. And a great recap Micheal, thanks!(The whole bit with Sarah being pavulonized but still breathing had the ICU nurse in me doing a major *facepalm* though ;) )
Hey Guys, I believe the song is "Kettering" by The Antlers
no it isn't unfortunately