Chuck season 5 and the series itself comes to a close with its ultimate thirteenth entry in tonight’s "Chuck Vs. The Goodbye," as Team Bartowski races to retrieve the final Intersect from Nicholas Quinn (Angus Macfadyen), and restore Sarah's lost memories of the last five years.  "Chuck Vs. The Goodbye" closes the series on a high note, balancing both the sweet with the bittersweet in the manner the show has come to employ so very well over the last few years.

Wow.  Thus endeth Chuck.  I don’t often have a lot to say when it comes to TV finales, and it’s been a good long while since a series I actually cared about managed to wrap things up on its own terms, but this one got to me.  I actually saw both "Chuck Vs. Sarah" and "Chuck Vs. The Goodbye” a few nights ago when NBC decided to release the screeners, and since watching I’ve likely listened to The Head and the Heart’s “Rivers and Roads” about forty times, if only to relive such wonderful sentiment that caps off five years of sweet memories.

I first started watching Chuck about midway through its second season, powering through old episodes as often as I could, though I don’t quite remember what turned me on to the series in the first place.  Mostly what I remember was the warmth, lying there on my door room bed dreaming of that wonderful world where nerdery and dead-end jobs could end up the adventure of a lifetime, provided you never lose the heart that made you yearn for them in the first place.  Even after Chuck’s second season finished, and NBC listened enough to Subway sandwich purchases to grant the series a budget-reduced season 3, it never lost that sense of childish wonderment and enthusiastic glee.  We love Chuck, because we are Chuck.  Chuck Bartowski consistently surprised everyone around him with his intelligence, his heart, and his willingness to risk anything for those he loved, and so too did Chuck as a series keep on braving insurmountable odds to come back year after year.

To be honest, I’m not even sure how I’d go about putting into words a goodbye to Chuck, let alone an in-depth response to “Chuck Vs. The Goodbye,” but I’ll do my best.

In a way, "Chuck Vs. The Goodbye" is all about bringing everyone back to the beginning.  I wish I’d had a chance to go back and watch the series again from its very first episode in time for tonight’s finale, but writing about TV can be a harsh mistress.  Instead, “The Goodbye” does most of the work for us, with Sarah’s memory erasure bringing her in line her badass 2007 self, Chuck an unremarkable layabout with a girl on his mind and no supercomputer powers to speak of, and Casey a career military man trying to eschew any emotional ties.  In that way we get to re-live Chuck all over again, discovering how Chuck’s heart and Sarah’s skill make them the perfect team, and Casey’s emotional entanglements actually made him a better agent in the end.  By going back to Chuck’s roots, we learn along with the character that after five years,  life isn’t so much about how things have changed, but why they’ve changed, and how to take those lessons into the future.

Still, Chuck wouldn’t be Chuck without it’s nostalgia.  And that’s why all of “Chuck Vs. The Goodbye’s” many, many callbacks feel like enthusiastic celebrations rather than rehashes.  Whether it’s one last epic Jeffster performance, an unceremonious reappearance from an old Fulcrum agent (Mark Pellegrino) or Chuck and Sarah re-living the most memorable of their early missions (Wienerlicious outfit alert!) in succession, everything about Chuck’s finale feels as thrilling as it does familiar.  In truth, I practically jumped out of my chair cheering once I realized that a Jeffster performance was on the way to keep Nicholas Quinn’s bomb from killing our heroes.  And if you’re not at least on the edge of tears when Chuck and Sarah once again meet on the beach to discuss their future, flashing through five years laughter and love, then your Intersect must be broken.

Really, most of the little things don’t even matter.  Chuck does re-Intersect-ize himself (and presumably keeps it) by the end of the hour, but the Intersect only serves a base role in unraveling the final threat.  In the end, it’s Sarah’s fleeting memory of Chuck’s past ingenuity that saves the day with a welcome, if surprising callback to the “Irena Demova Virus.”  Nor does the villainy of Angus Macfadyen’s four-episode turn as Nicholas Quinn really amount to anything, considering Sarah just kind of, well…shoots him.  Chuck’s climax lies in bringing together its players to do what they do best by working together; Chuck as the brains, Sarah and Casey the muscle, Morgan the plucky support, and Jeffster the soundtrack.

The climax actually reminded me a bit of similarly heartful series Futurama’s "ending" “The Devil’s Hands are Idle Playthings,” not merely for the operatic climax, but rather that it and Chuck were both wonderful series that never quite found their niche.  They shared a relatively generous run, all things considered, and ended on a beautifully sweet note  with just a hint of ambiguity.  Unless Chris Fedak and Josh Schwartz want to out-right tell us, we’ll always cherish that fairy-tale ending of the magical kiss that may, or may not have rescued true love from the depth of Sarah’s memory.  Either way, they’ll figure it out.  We all will.

And no matter what, we’ve gotten a decent amount of closure to all our beloved characters; Morgan and Alex will move forward with their relationship, Casey will find Gertrude again, Ellie, Devon and Clara will move on to Chicago with Mama Bartowski (Linda Hamilton) in tow, and even Jeff and Lester ride off into the sunset toward the inevitable German superstardom of Jeffster.  Hell, even Subway sandwiches have a  happily ever after!

So, to Chuck I say goodnight, sweet prince, and flights of angels sing thee to thy rest.  Who knows when we’ll see another series as nerd-celebratory, or full of heart as the Buy More boy who met a girl and became a secret agent?    However Chuck goes down in history,  I can’t wait for the day when I can share it’s effortless charm and soul with a leggy blonde of my very own.

And Another Thing…

• After five long years, all the Buy More extras finally get lines!  Really, really creepy lines!

• If Chuck WEREN’T ending, I imagine Sarah hiring out Team Bartowski for missions might’ve been a new dynamic to explore in another season.

• Sheesh, are Desert Eagles really that big?

• There really wasn’t any need for Linda Hamilton to reprise her role as Mary Bartowski, but hey, a friendly famous face is a friendly famous face.

• "I'm a Casey.  I don't run, I stalk my prey."  Well, technically you're a Coburn.

• Did anyone catch any fun easter eggs I failed to mention?

• Sigh.  Goodbye, Chuck.  Aces.

What did YOU think?  Give us your best Chuck memories in the comments below!

Chuck 5.13 "Chuck Vs. The Goodbye" Series Finale Review

Chuck season 5 intersects its ultimate end with its penultimate twelfth entry in this week’s "Chuck Vs. Sarah," as Sarah returns harboring a dark secret from Nicholas Quinn (Angus Mcfadyen) while Team Bartowski searches for the final Intersect.  "Chuck Vs. Sarah" has a mostly thankless role to play in the Friday night two-part finale, but still serves up one of the darkest, most memorable hours yet.

Obviously “Chuck Vs. Sarah” isn’t the highlight of our Friday night, given that NBC decided to air both “Sarah” and “Chuck Vs. The Goodbye” back to back as one two hour-long series finale, but I’d be remiss if I didn’t treate the two separately and offer up a few quick thoughts on the penultimate Chuck episode.

After all, Chuck has been a joy to watch, discuss and write about for five years now, and I just wouldn’t be a fan (or a capitalist) if I didn’t take every opportunity to talk about this much-beloved series.

“Chuck Vs. Sarah” faces something of an awkward role in its position as the penultimate Chuck episode, serving both as a stand-alone episode and the bridge to the series finale itself.  With Sarah’s memories of the last five years totally erased, we’re essentially back to the basics of season one in the awkwardness between her and Chuck, serving as a sort of nostalgic reminder of just how far the two have evolved in five seasons.

At the same time, “Chuck Vs. Sarah” works on hammering home the idea that we’ve indeed come upon the end, sometimes haphazardly  positioning us toward “the future,” whether in Morgan’s meta-reference or Devon and Ellie’s sudden invitation to co-manage a hospital in Chicago.  Transition episodes are never easy, but here Chuck manages to pack just enough emotion and action into an hour that nothing feels too amiss.

Watching Chuck has always been bittersweet given its uncertain future and limited budget, but perhaps never more-so with an idea as rich as pitting Sarah against her husband and former teammates.  The idea of an “evil Sarah” was mostly played for laughs in season four, but here seems genuinely frightening given the character’s well-established proficiency, and the emotional devastation created in her wake.  I imagine that another series (maybe Alias) might have had room to play something like this over the course of a full season, but we’ll have to make due with these two episodes.  Perhaps it’s best left as a short arc, given how the concepts of Sarah's memory and identity raise larger philosophic questions that even shows like Dollhouse weren’t big enough to tackle, let alone Chuck.

The best part, however, of “Chuck Vs. Sarah” very much comes from Zachary Levi, who gives his most emotional Chuck performance to date in desperately trying to win back his wife from her memory-loss.  Sometimes it isn’t about how cleverly the series can choreograph its battles, but rather the emotion behind them, and Chuck has never been more heartbreaking than the knock-down, drag-out fight through the barely-dressed halls of their once dream home.  “Chuck Vs. Sarah” essentially capitalizes on the title character’s greatest fear since the first season, the idea that the beautiful woman can only see the nerdy guy as a mission rather than a man.

I’m thrilled that we got to explore one last, last, last mission with Team Bartowski before the end.  That perfect balance of fun (Morgan’s amusement at the DARPA invisibility cloak), nostalgia and heartache are what made the series so sweetly poignant to begin with.

And Another Thing…

• Sorry, still not buying Nicholas Quinn as a villain.  Maybe we could have chosen someone a little younger, maybe in better shape to resonate as a physical threat to both Chuck and Sarah?

• I wondered in the beginning why Sarah wouldn’t ask Quinn for additional log entries to confirm his story, but I’m glad we got to see Casey be the one to show her, in a wonderful two-sided performance for Yvonne Strahovski.

• Not to get all philosophical, but could Chuck really destroy the Intersect?  Like Iron Man, isn’t a certain level of scientific advancement inevitable, no matter who has the first breakthrough?

• I wrote “BE ALL THE BADASS!” in Sarah’s one-woman guard smashing scene.

• I guess it would have been a little convoluted to explain, but it amuses me that both Chuck and Sarah separately refer their first kiss after attempting to defuse a bomb, but neglect to mention it turned out to be Bryce Larkin in stasis.

• Finale time!  Watch, watch, watch!

What did YOU think?

Chuck 5.12 "Chuck Vs. Sarah" Review

Tonight is the Chuck series finale and we have interviews with Zachary Levi (Chuck), Joshua Gomez (Morgan) and Adam Baldwin (Casey) to share; they look back with fondness over the five seasons and talk about favorite moments, what the fans mean to them and the overall Chuck experience.

The one consistent talking point in these interviews (that you can see below) is how much they all appreciate the fan support and that they would not have hit this five season mark if it wasn't for the fans. Zachary Levi thinks that "every show should be so lucky to have fans like ours" and that the "integrated fan experience" is both unique and what kept the show on air. Joshua Gomez reiterates this connection with the fans and thinks that Comic Con and social media allowed for this bond to exist and thrive. The passion of the fans is something that Adam Baldwin calls "overwhelmingly uplifting" and it is clear that even if Chuck was never a ratings juggernaut, that the fans made up for this with their devotion.

Both Zachary Levi and Joshua Gomez name the season 3 episode "Chuck vs. the Beard" as a favorite; not just because it was Levi's directing debut but because it was the moment that Morgan found out the truth about Chuck and his spy life. Levi's favorite episode moments are generally when there was a big character reveal but he also loved the 'kick ass fights' and the guest stars that the show has scored over the years.

They share some information about the final episode including the hint of an epic Jeffster! performance and that you should probably have some tissues to hand. Levi says that "It's an emotional finale. Chuck fights with everything he has for his girl." This emotion can be seen in Levi himself during the interview as he is clearly trying to hold back the tears on a couple of occasions. Adam Baldwin hints that Casey will also have to make a decision about his future about whether he should follow his heart.  Alas, there is no video interview with Yvonne Strahovski (Sarah), but she did talk to TVLine about the end of Chuck saying "There will be a satisfying ending, but it's almost slightly, slightly tragic, the lead-up to what happens."

What are you going to miss most about Chuck?

Check out the video interviews below and for sneak peeks from tonight's episode head here.

Chuck Cast Talk Series Finale: "All Good Things Must Come to an End"

Chuck season 5 speeds along toward the end with its ante penultimate eleventh entry in this week’s "Chuck Vs. The Bullet Train," as a newly Intersect-ed Sarah and Casey look to rescue Chuck from Nicholas Quinn (Angus Macfadyen) aboard a Japanese bullet train.  "Chuck Vs.The Bullet Train" marks the beginning of the end for Chuck, and proves a strong start before next week's two-hour series finale.

Well, that was certainly something, wasn’t it?

As the ante penultimate episode of Chuck, “Chuck Vs. The Bullet Train” had a lot of ground to cover in setting the stage for next week’s two-part finale, something the hour absolutely delivered in terms of scale.  Not only did “Bullet Train” do an excellent job of creating an altogether exciting story for Team Bartowski, but managed to raise stakes in a palpable way.  From the moment the title crawl unfolds along the bullet-trains track like a big-screen Chuck movie we’ll never see, it became apparent that we’d be in for a treat with these final three hours, lovingly crafted to keep us invested in the present while reminding us of years past.

As I brought up with last week’s “Chuck Vs. Bo,” it feels good for the series to return to its roots by finally bringing the Intersect back into the equation as a plot device.  After all, the Intersect and the players governing it were what set the series in motion in the first place, and even with all the progress the characters have made beyond the device it’d feel disrespectful to simply cast aside something so crucial to the show’s mythology.  Not only that, but the Intersect as a literal and figurative device provides a means of tying all of Chuck’s lead and supporting characters together in one narrative, especially now that the show has evolved beyond any hang-ups about having Devon, Ellie, Morgan and Alex coordinate with Chuck, Sarah and Casey for missions.  It’s a real accomplishment how full-circle things have come for Chuck to see everyone working together on what drove the show’s conflict in the first place

I’d be interested to know if providing Sarah with the Intersect ever arose as a possibility during  the more formative years of Chuck, given how quckly the development unfolds across “Chuck Vs. The Bullet Train.”  Morgan had at least three episodes before his behavioral shifts became apparent, whereas Sarah’s excessive (and righteously enthusiastic) use of the device pushes her from flippy spin-kicking super-spy to amnesiac mental case within the course of a single episode.  It does offer up a compelling bit of tragedy to have Sarah’s entire memory of the last five years undone, a development mostly unanticipated by the hour spent trying to extract the device from her head.

I’m ordinarily not a fan of memory loss stories (especially this late in the game) given they provide little more than quick excuse to pit characters against one another before hitting a reset button, but in Chuck’s case it does give us a chance to mine conflicts we haven’t seen before.  Not only that, but Sarah having no memory of her time in Burbank opens a welcome window for Chuck and the others to remind both her (and us) of what we enjoyed so much about the last five seasons.

In a way, the drama of Chuck’s series finale needs to come from Chuck vs. Sarah and the role others have to play, given how Chuck never truly built up any lasting villain to anchor its end around.  Angus Macfadyen still does his best with the limited material given to him as Nicholas Quinn, but I have a hard time investing in the character given how little time we’ve spent with him, or how unimposing he seems as a villain.  His brawl with Chuck across the Japanese bullet train made for a thrilling action set piece to be sure, but whatever training he rattled off beforehand wasn’t convincing enough to believe that the elder, more portly Macfadyen should be any real threat to someone as athletic or trained as Zachary Levi’s Chuck.  It’d be one thing if Fedak and Schwartz wanted us to invest in Quinn’s villainy from an intellectual standpoint, but we simply don’t know enough about the character to understand why he so desperately craves the Intersect, or what he would even accomplish with it.  When all is said and done it leaves a rather weak premise to build in to Chuck’s final episodes, but hopefully Chuck can succeed in spinning its meager materials into something greater as in season finale’s past.

Along the same lines of last-minute plotting it seems odd that Chuck would essentially scrap what could have served as Jeff and Lester’s swan song last week, by overturning its stance of keeping Jeffster out of the spy world.  Don’t get me wrong, I love the honesty wrought from Jeff and Lester finally learning the truth and especially that “Chuck Vs. The Bullet Train” could bring them to a place of taking out armed goons with flamethrowers and a mini-gun, it just seems bizarrely repetitive to have them fall into an alternate outcome of the same plot within two episodes.  “Bullet Train” also gave some great material for Adam Baldwin in the lengths we see Casey go to protect his daughter, including betraying his team and trusting Jeffster, though now poor Big Mike seems to be the only one left out in the cold.

For me, Chuck has always struck an odd balance of teetering on the precipice of greatness and forgivable in its failures, but I’ll be very sad to see things draw to a close next week.  Its second season filled me with a tremendous amount of glee (particularly this), and while the ensuing three seasons never quite hit that sentimental high, Chuck deserved more love than it got.

So…would a comic-book continuation be out of the question?  Just sayin’.

And Another Thing…

• I don’t suppose staging the action on a Japanese bullet-train really added anything to the precedings, but somehow I imagine Chris Fedak and Josh Schwartz envisioned this as their last chance to set a Chuck episode in the technological haven of Japan.

• Just like last week’s missed opportunity for “and my swingin’ cod!,” I find myself disappointed at a lack of Firefly references for Adam Baldwin on a moving train.

• I really have to hand it to the show’s inventiveness for staging Sarah in a hybrid lap-dance brawl.  And of course, one last chance to put Yvonne Strahovski in a skimpy outfit.

• Did anyone else think that at least in the episode, Erin Cahill (Quinn’s female agent) was a dead ringer for Eliza Dushku in voice and appearance, or at least a sibling?

• For those following Chuck press as we go into the final episodes, Yvonne Strahovski implied some kind of Sarah “tragedy” in the final episodes, but memory-loss aside I’m still hoping for a death or two.

• Also, try re-watching Chuck, Sarah and Ellie discussing Sarah’s repeated “flashing,” without cracking up at the Girls Gone Wild implications.

• The Crown Vic!  Now can we please have one more Jeffster performance for nostalgia’s sake?

• I nearly screamed “PLEASE BE BRYCE LARKIN!” at my TV when we saw Sarah waking up in her old hotel room, with a knock at the door…

What did YOU think?

Chuck 5.11 "Chuck Vs. The Bullet Train" Review

Chuck season 5 emerges with its tightly-coiled tenth entry in this week’s "Chuck Vs. Bo" Morgan's past with the Intersect drags Chuck and Team Bartowski on one last mission in Vail to meet with superstar Bo Derek as herself, and uncover a new villain.  Things are really starting to move along in Chuck's final episodes, and thankfully "Bo" manages to keep a good balance of its many plot lines toward one of the more fun episodes of the season.

Well, there’s three episodes left.  That should be enough time to give Casey the Intersect too, right?  Maybe Big Mike, or one of the Buy More extras?

All kidding aside, “Chuck Vs. Bo” left us with a lot to digest, particularly in those last few minutes as Casey and Sarah seemed pinned down by a barrage of gunfire, their only hope for Sarah to Intersect-ize herself and superhumanly take down the goons enforcing our final Chuck villain.  It’s hard to believe something as monumental as that development arrives in the same episode where Jeff and Lester (repeatedly) discover Team Bartowski’s secrets, Morgan deals with his and Alex’s breakup indiscretions, the gang bounces back and forth between California and Colorado to retrieve another Intersect device, Bo Derek seduces Morgan as a spy herself, AND introduce a new Chuck villain tied to our hero’s very origins.

Suffice to say, it was a busy hour.

Before I go on, I’d like to take a minute to think about the ultimate Chuck villain Nicholas Quinn (Braveheart’s Angus MacFadyen), and what his arrival says for the next three episodes and the series at large.  Now Chuck has never had an overarching threat that lasted longer than a single season, aside from Shaw, but the series put that thread to bed a few weeks ago.  And even then, Shaw didn’t represent anything crucial to Chuck as a person or a series, acting more as a dark mirror hellbent on avenging his wife’s murder through various twirls of an invisible mustache.

As Chuck’s final act, it’s natural for creators Joshua Schwartz and Chris Fedak to want to return to the roots of the series in crafting a natural ending to their story, and to that end I appreciate the effort to tie Quinn to past Chuck foes like Fulcrum, The Ring and Volkoff, while simultaneously asserting that Bryce Larkin stole the original Intersect as Quinn was about to receive it.  It begs the question of what the Intersect itself represents to Chuck as a person and to the series at large, namely what happens to ordinary people gifted with extraordinary powers, and how they evolve with or without them.  Quinn could be an excellent Chuck villain, but the sad reality lies in the fact that we have to be told about his connection to Chuck rather than shown, meaning the character’s history has to be awkwardly shoe-horned into the already-convoluted mythology. 

Chuck’s fifth season has faced this problem a few times now, cramming additional backstory into the past, like the way "Chuck Vs. The Baby" ignored Sarah’s past with Bryce, or even here as Morgan somehow went on a world-saving mission to recover another Intersect in between the events of “Chuck Vs. The Frosted Tips.”  I’d like to think that given how far in advance the creators knew of Chuck’s 13-episode order for season five, there could have been a better way to introduce Nicholas Quinn than in the last four episodes.

But like it or not, Nicholas Quinn is who we’ve got, and I for one look very much forward to where this road leads.  Sarah receiving the Intersect makes for an interesting twist in this final fight, and provided we take a little time to flesh out Quinn beyond his tantrums and glossed-over backstory, we should be in for a great final run of episodes.

That aside, “Chuck Vs. Bo” definitely made for a strong episode of Chuck even with its dizzying flurry of plots.  I’m impressed with how well “Bo” (and Joshua Gomez in particular) managed to juggle so many plots coherently, with Morgan having to deal with the guilt of “Chuck Vs. The Frosted Tips,” remember details of his last mission, fret over Alex (Mekenna Melvin)’s breakup fling with another man, AND deal with Jeff and Lester’s repeated efforts to uncover the truth.  And even then, I can’t recall the last time I giggled so consistently over the course of a single episode, between Chuck and Morgan’s fawning over Bo Derek, or more subtle gags like Lester wearing the same “dreadlocked” ski had as Morgan during his frosted tip days, the Vail Buy More doppelgangers occupying a re-dressed set, or the irony of Adam Baldwin muttering “I hate Twitter.”  Plus, if the last few Chuck episodes carry anything like the tension of that final scene with Casey and Sarah, all bets are off for what might happen.

It’s in that way“Chuck Vs. Bo” keeps a delicate balance of good and bad Chuck, with a push-and-pull between stories willing to change the status quo and those that tacitly remain the same.  For instance, at this late point in the series it doesn’t seem practical to keep toying with the idea of Lester and Jeff uncovering the truth, particularly in one episode, but there’s enough thought given to the idea of how Chuck, Sarah, Morgan and Casey will move on from their current paths that Chuck does seem finally willing to let the chips and character development fall as they may.

As far as Jeff and Lester, the Buy More really has always been the “creepy cousin” of Chuck, the way its C-stories felt increasingly tangential over the years as Chuck got deeper into the spy game, but their resolution feels true to life.  We shouldn’t want Jeff, Lester or Big Mike getting in on the gunfights any more than their characters would naturally want to.  We loved their charm, depravity and light heart, and the ultimate reset of sending the three blissfully ignorant employees off into the sunset, Subway sandwiches and all, feels like more appropriate closure than we ever could have asked for.

All in all, I’m glad that Chuck managed to re-introduce the Intersect into the series without necessarily forcing Chuck to rely on its power to save the day.  Given the origin of the series itself, Schwartz and Fedak have done the right thing by once more posing the question of how this power affects the lives of those it comes in contact with, and giving us a different angle with which to see its endgame.

Bring it on, Inter-Sarah.

And Another Thing…

• Boy, that X-13 memory-erasing gas seems like it would have come in hand…about 647 other times before it was so casually introduced in this episode.  And kudos for the subtle Memento references in the way both Jeff and Morgan write details on themselves to remember the past.

• I’m not going to delve into how incurably dirty I found all the “rainbow” sex metaphors to be.

• Once again, I’m doing my best to ignore logic gaps like why after placing them in the Vegas clothes and car once more, Casey wouldn’t wipe any notes off Jeff’s arm.  And what was Alex doing in the Buy More before her ex showed up to talk to Morgan?

• I guess I should give up on the Manoosh return, but Quinn’s motivation for hating Chuck does seem surprisingly similar to the burned asset of season 3, which no one ever spoke of again.

• I like how Chuck knew that saying “last mission” was a jinx, but couldn’t resist the “I guess it wasn’t a jinx after all.”  Boom!

•  I honestly expected Casey to finish his line “one mag left” with “and my swingin’ cod!”  #Firefly

What did YOU think?

Chuck 5.10 "Chuck Vs. Bo" Review

Chuck season 5 trots out its prize-winning ninth entry with this week’s "Chuck Vs. The Kept Man" as Casey faces challenges to his own masculinity as Gertrude Verbanski (Carrie-Anne Moss) and her aggressive affections return with a new mission for Carmichael Industries. Last week's "Chuck Vs. The Baby" did a good job of wrapping up most things Chuck, but "Kept Man" still manages to add some tender resolutions to our favorite characters.

I’m proud to say that I enjoyed tonight’s “Chuck Vs. The Kept Man,” more than I enjoyed any other episode of Chuck this season, and not simply because “Kept Man” represents the first new Chuck in weeks that NBC didn’t unabashedly burn off during the holiday season.  Perhaps the imminent ending of the series makes everything feel that much more gripping, or the writers themselves have finally dropped the pretense of stretching conflicts further than they’ll go.

“Kept Man” embodies everything I fell in love with about the series in the first place; its quirky charm, offbeat action mix, and willingness to avoid stagnation.  Sure we’ll always have certain heightened realities that temper the effectiveness of the scenes they occupy, like Chuck and Sarah’s pre-rescue baby arguments or Jeff and Lester’s pursuit of Devon, but by now most Chuck viewers know what they’ve signed up for.  Just because Jeff presents a massive conspiracy bulletin board a la the back of Chuck’s TRON poster or (as others point out) Homeland’s Carrie Matheson, it doesn’t mean anyone will end up in any real danger by the hour’s end.  I’ll still roll my eyes now and again, but that indelible sweetness will wash over you no matter what.

Part of what allows “Kept Man” to succeed where others like “Chuck Vs. The Curse” failed is that “Kept Man” allows its characters the courtesy of appreciating the dangers around them.  In comparison I look at the torture scenes between Devon, Chuck and Robyn Cunnings (Rebecca Romijn), and tonight’s arbitrary first-scene villain.  A few weeks ago Chuck asked us to buy into the tension of potential torture it never delivered, with our characters seemingly sharing the dread, but in this case Chuck throws Spider-Man-esque quips at his would-be torturer, fully in on the audience’s knowledge that he regularly survives such cliché predicaments.  When Chuck has fun with its premise, so do we, and that’s what made the series so unique in the first place.  Chuck walks a fine line between escalating its seriousness, and keeping the wry perspective its audience relates to, something “Kept Man” treads better than usual.

As the danger level ramps up with three episodes to go, so too does Chuck’s seeming resolution of its leads, last week with Sarah’s confrontation of her missing childhood, and here with Casey’s always hyper-active masculinity.  As one of the better supporting characters in Chuck’s history, the returning Gertrude Verbanski (Carrie-Anne Moss) brings out a side to Casey we don’t often get to see; where the brutish ex-NSA man suddenly doesn’t have the biggest stick in the room.  Casey’s character has long mined its humor in playing Chuck’s more mellow nerdery against Adam Baldwin’s natural intimidation, but Gertrude brings out different colors to the hardened agent.

Much like Sarah has now learned to put the spy life behind her in favor of a husband and family, so too does Casey more or less find his peace with strong female presences in his life, both daughter Alex and now Gertrude, when he’s not being shot at somewhere in an icy landscape.  One wonders at this point how much is left for Chuck to put a cap on, with major villains like Shaw seemingly already taken care of, but one never knows how it’s all going to end.

To that end, there feels like less to discuss with this week’s episode, all neatly tied up and no major complaints, but special attention should be drawn to our bi-weekly Buy More plot, if only for having the stones to finally clue Jeff and Lester in on the truth of their CIA friends.  I remember talking with Vic Sahay once where he expressed his hope that the character never learns the truth behind the Buy More, if only to keep his comedic ignorance, but we can’t blame Chuck from pulling out all the stops with only three episodes remaining.  In truth , the better Buy More B-stories usually tie into Chuck’s adventure in some capacity, but Jeff’s incredibly systematic uncovering of the truth paired with Morgan’s clever use of Devon as a distraction in Jeff and Lester’s disturbingly costume-filled pursuit prove too entertaining to bemoan the interchangeability of plot threads.  Presumably neither would brush off what they remember before being tranquilized, but it’ll be interesting to see how the next episode picks up this relatively drastic thread.

And I can kick and scream all I like, the Chuck creators are going to throw in a Sarah pregnancy storyline somewhere within the last three episodes, so at the very least we’ll have the stock pregnancy-scare of “Chuck Vs. The Kept Man” to set up the idea more organically.  That is of course, unless Chris Fedak and Josh Schwartz have any real curveballs they want to throw our way before the end.  I have my own theories.

At this point, Chuck doesn’t have many burdens, and the final episodes are free to play with the free-spirited action adventure we’ve loved since 2007.  And if they want to throw in Yvonne Strahovski’s endless bikini wardrobe at least once more…groovy.

And Another Thing…

• Sure, I keep it on my mind more than I’d like to admit, but I have to think those radiation containers seen in Chuck’s opening scene rescue referenced similar looking plutonium cannisters from the first Back to the Future.

• Carrie-Anne Moss really does create amazing chemistry with Adam Baldwin, or any man in her other work.  Something about that incredibly soft bedroom voice…

• I’d love to know if any eagle-eyed freeze framers caught any fun details on Jeff’s conspiracy board.

• A great episode for Yvonne Strahovski with her meta-rant about the constant skimpy costumes, and the reaction to walking in on Casey and Verbanski.

• I appreciate the attention to quieter moments like the exchange between Casey and Sarah before parting ways for the Verbanski rescue mission, which carried a very real tension in spite of the cop-out plot device of the Aegis gun protecting them from gunfire.  Additionally, we still haven’t had much mention of the Intersect, strange considering how important it was to the show’s premise.

• Now, call me crazy, but I’m wondering if the show might have the guts to actually kill off Sarah as a climax, given some of the tragedy mile-markers they’ve already thrown in.  If you’ve read Y: The Last Man and followed Chuck’s connection to the comic, you’ll understand why that’s relevant.

• I’m still glad they got caught, but it would seem like in the time Morgan must have taken to elaborately paint, age and detail a concrete wall pattern onto their fake set, they could have…actually.built…a wall whose wet paint wouldn’t clue in Jeff and Lester.

What did YOU think?

Chuck 5.09 "Chuck Vs. The Kept Man" Review

Chuck season 5 swaddles up its eighth entry with this week’s "Chuck Vs. The Baby" as Chuck and Sarah delve into the past by confronting her rogue former CIA handler (Tim DeKay) over a missing child involved with one of her last missions. After some strong weeks "Baby" may offer up a bit of tonal whiplash in its contrasting plot lines, but ultimately comes together for a solid look into Sarah's mysterious past.

Sigh. With another holiday week gone by, NBC dumps yet another Chuck episode to the no-man’s-land of Friday, New Years’ Eve Eve. With most still on vacation or at the very least enjoying a Friday night social life, how little must NBC’s regard for Chuck have dissolved to burn off yet a second important episode during a time least likely to be watched?

Unlike last week’s "Chuck Vs. The Santa Suit," I had actually been aware of this episode airing ahead of time, but still managed to forget until returning home from a late night viewing of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, which may or may not have colored how I react to more light-heated espionage.

But, I digress.

As a critic, one of the toughest aspects of responding to something as unevenly balanced as "Chuck Vs the Baby" lies in splitting the difference between what works, and what doesn’t to see things not only in the context of an hour, but in the series’ continuity at large. I wanted to like “Baby,” I really did, and both Sarah and Yvonne Strahovski were long overdue for some attention in season five.

Toward that end, I spent much of the first half hour of “Chuck Vs. The Baby” in increasing annoyance of yet another pre-Chuck story shoe-horned into an already delicate continuity, a problem only exacerbated by an inherently superfluous and sugary B-story, until I was struck with a concession of acknowledged detail that nearly made up for it. Longtime and over-analytical Chuck fans know that its supporting spy characters maintain dubious histories at best, with Chuck flashing back over the years to multiple self-contained backstories that don’t always seem to gel with one another.

For instance, we’ve now seen Sarah’s past to include a con-artist and high school history with her father, a partnership with Bryce Larkin, time spent on the “CAT Squad,” and now as an agent handled by Kieran Ryker (White Collar’s Tim DeKay*) and keeping close ties to her mother, all immediately before moving to Burbank as Chuck’s handler. “Chuck Vs. The Baby” ultimately offers up passable explanation for why Sarah’s kept information about her mother so close to the chest all these years, but that doesn’t quite eliminate the feeling of stagnation that develops from writers clearly squeezing in afterthought backstories.

(*) As most TV viewers and critics would be quick to note, Tim DeKay currently stars on USA’s White Collar opposite none other than Matthew Bomer, best known as Chuck’s Bryce Larkin. DeKay’s availability would suggest that Bomer himself might be free for a pre-finale Chuck appearance (despite his character’s death), but even if that winds up the case, Chuck has managed to keep some of its better cameos under wraps, a few weeks ago with Yvette Nicole Brown and here with Tony Todd.

For the record, I’d like to point out that Bryce had something of a comic-book death in that we last saw his actual body being nefariously dragged away, despite the “ashes” Sarah later carried. Not only has Bryce been “dead” before, but Shaw was revived from near of the exact same wounds fatally inflicted on Bryce. Just sayin’.

On the other hand, my feelings on “Chuck Vs. The Baby” did, however briefly, flip at the thoughtful inclusion of Tony Todd reprising his role as CIA Director Graham from the first season, and the rather tangential B-story being woven into the saccharine happy family sequences at episode’s end that Chuck does so well. It reminded me that Chuck as a series will always provide that relationship we fondly remember in later years; too unique to truly last and packing plenty of flaws, but sweet enough that most of them will fall by the wayside when viewed in the light of aging wisdom. To that end, I’ll put aside my irk for the more questionable aspects of Chuck’s chronology and logic, and put the darkness of Stieg Larsson and David Fincher out of mind before judging any further.

As I mentioned earlier, Chuck season 5 had been somewhat in need of more Sarah-centric stories, to the point where my readers even pointed out that the character received few-to-little mentions in episode write-ups. To that end, “Chuck Vs. The Baby” proves a relatively strong outing for both Sarah and Yvonne Strahovski, who deftly handles switching between a maternally inexperienced yet remorseless killer, and the Sarah we know today inching ever closer toward domestic bliss with her husband. I don’t know that any further Sarah backstory adds much to the overall mythology of the show , especially with most threads seemingly resolved and only five episodes of Chuck to go, but bless the writers for finding ways to remind us that Strahovski and Sarah offer up more than a pretty face aiming down the barrel of a big gun.

It is interesting to consider where Chuck will go for its final five episodes, considering the “CIA conspiracy” and Shaw** behind it have most definitely fallen by the wayside, but we can remain confident that series co-creators Josh Schwartz and Chris Fedak made the most of their thirteen episode order, with very little to stand in the way of crafting complete andsuccessful arcs.

Whether or not it winds up affecting the story’s climax, Sarah’s arc has remained clear throughout the series as a woman denied childhood and a life of her own, who slowly comes to accept a world outside of espionage, and “Baby” puts a nice focal point on that with Sarah’s young “sister” Molly.

(**) Less of a complaint and more of a question, but did anyone pick up on what exactly tied Shaw to Ryker or the baby plot? We know that Shaw only first met Sarah and turned rogue in season 3, so how did he manage to uncover Sarah’s history with the baby, when Ryker apparently couldn’t?

Last week’s “Chuck Vs. The Santa Suit” also carried the added bonus of integrating its B-plots into the narrative better, as this week cutting between a tense, history-filled mission and the supporting characters playing board games in a militarized installation felt rather jarring. Awesome and Ellie have certainly received their due this season in co-habitating in Chuck’s world, but I can’t help feeling like the uneven tone did damage by making “Baby,” aim high and low simultaneously. Yes, there’s cuteness to seeing Awesome and Ellie continue utilizing Chuck's spy lifestyle for some romantic roleplay, and we knew something would have to shove Morgan and Alex (Mekenna Melvin) back together eventually, but we’ve seen these parallel threads woven together much more carefully in the past.

By the same token, cynics and diabetics might not be able to stomach the overly saccharine last act of “Chuck Vs. The Baby,” with its gratuitous O.C.-style montages, Alex and Morgan’s reconciliation, Awesome and Ellie’s flowers, and the sweet Chuck and Sarah moments dreaming of their future, but Chuck was bound to stock up on sugar in its final run. There’s still plenty of room to surprise us before the end.

And Another Thing…

• I loved the darker, more ominous tone of the brutal Sarah flashbacks, complete with sweeping, color-desaturated, rain-soaked imagery. That kind of atmosphere we never saw near of enough on Chuck.

• Thankfully Chuck never carried on long enough to the point of asking us to accept a pregnant, and or child-carrying Sarah taking on the bad-guys, but I had to laugh at how the writers still managed to work that visual in before the series’ end. Then again, judging by the “next time” preview…ugh.

• Tim DeKay manages to exude such convincing moral authority on White Collar, I find myself disappointed that we didn’t have time to learn what brought Ryker from a trusted CIA handler to a rogue baby-killer.

• Stupid Spy Behavior of the Week: Once again, Sarah. Sure, baby’s cries and the flood of emotions might have clouded her judgement, but I’d like to think that Sarah would remember that after five years, the girl would no longer be making a baby’s cries, and that she pulled that exact trick on Ryker.

• So…Sarah couldn’t hide the baby at the CIA given that Ryker could theoretically use his resources to uncover its whereabouts, yet in five years he never so much as checked in on Sarah to learn she in fact had a high-profile working team, and even a husband?

• “Hey, Alex. So you know, I had a billion-dollar computer in my mind that literally gave me brain damage and forced me to treat you badly. I think it’s time you cut me a break on that one.” CONVERSATION OVER.

• Boy, if I had a dollar for every time I flat out told my girlfriend she was wrong, and she agreed.

• How nice of Sarah’s mother to design her kitchen around fight scenes, with such open space, prevalent glass and break-away walls.

• It is somewhat bizarre that no one so much as mentions Bryce Larkin’s name, especially since Director Graham first showing her Chuck’s file would mean that her former partner / lover was very recently presumed dead. Then again, we can assume that beat wouldn’t have added anything to “Baby,” and might have been a part of their conversation taking place shortly after that flashback.

What did YOU think?

Chuck 5.08 "Chuck Vs. The Baby" Review

Chuck season 5 dresses up its seventh entry with this week’s "Chuck Vs. The Santa Suit" as Chuck races to recover a piece of stolen CIA technology with General Beckman, while a returned Daniel Shaw (Brandon Routh) holds Sarah hostage in time for Christmas and computer virus "The Omen" looms over the Buy More.

Shaw's return and the surprising reveal of Sarah's secret at episode's end will likely  what most take away from "Chuck Vs. The Santa Suit," but as one of the better episodes of the season, it's a shame more people might not see what keeps this little show kickin'.

First of all, I should start this review by telling you that I nearly missed Chuck tonight, so swept up in the holiday preparations that it barely even occurred to me there might be fresh TV episodes to watch.  Not that any huge boom or bust in Chuck’s ratings (or Subway sandwich purchases) would do any damage at this point, but I imagine that a great many regular Chuck viewers could shirk their watching duties with such an awkwardly-timed episode.

It really speaks to NBC’s regard for their fan-beloved series to casually dump one of the final season’s better episodes on the Friday before Christmas, but then again this is the same network that attracts protest groups outside their New York offices before a series has officially ended.  I can scarcely think of the dismal ratings Chuck will be likely to attract tonight.

That said, I also wanted to tell you how Christmas episodes have always been a strongsuit for Chuck, but then I realized that to date the series has only truly had two, here with “Chuck Vs. the Santa Suit,” and all the way back to season two’s “Chuck Vs. Santa Claus.”  The two seasons in between had their episodes and orders shuffled to the point that Chuck almost* never aired in December in time for Christmas, despite Josh Schwartz and Chris Fedak’s very OC-perfected experience at capturing the sweetness and drama of the holidays.

(*) Technically, season one’s “Chuck Vs. The Crown Vic,” itself another strong episode aired in early December, but didn’t make the holidays any kind of real focus beyond a Buy More subplot.

That said, season 2’s “Chuck Vs. Santa Claus” proved a surprisingly dark and ante-upping kind of episode, where for one of the first times Chuck really learned the dangers of the spy world, and the cold-blooded lengths his handlers traversed to keep that status quo, as Sarah brutally gunned down a problematic Fulcrum conspirator (hey, it’s The Walking Dead’s Michael Rooker!).  “Chuck Vs. The Santa Suit” didn’t quite go to the same lengths, but still reminded me that the series succeeds by taking itself seriously.  Watching Chuck and Shaw once again take to fisticuffs amidst the aisle of the Buy More felt like what the fight from season 3 ender “Chuck Vs. The Ring, Part II” always should have been; rather than two Intersect-powered equals trading superfluous blows, here both were brought down to the level of ordinary men, and forced to rely on their own innate strengths to win the day.  Here the fight gives Chuck a chance to showcase the true evolution of his character, relying on his own acquired fight experience combined with genius intellect to defeat Shaw, exactly what the series should highlight in these final episodes.

On the subject of Shaw, I’m somewhat on the fence on his effectiveness as a villain for Chuck.  Growing up, to me Venom always seemed the perfect villain for Spider-Man; a dark and menacing mirror image always locked in a twisted ballet with the other, near of the exact relationship Chuck and Shaw share.  Both Shaw and Eddie Brock started out somewhat sympathetic, if morally unsound characters, but find themselves empowered and enslaved to an unending vendetta.

Along the same line, it wasn’t until I was older that I became aware of the fan’s disdain for “90’s” anti-heroes like Venom, contrasted with the more classic supervillains, and so too can I understand Chuck fan’s difficulty in accepting Shaw.  Shaw initially represented yet another meaningless obstacle for Chuck and Sarah’s relationship, but grew into a more complex character after revealing his tragic shared history with Sarah, and gaining Intersect powers of his own.

Admittedly, I never quite understood why the Intersect would make an ultra-competent spy any more efficient, but the mirror imagery still gave Chuck a more credible threat to have looming over the series.  I have a harder time accepting Shaw’s heel-face turn into unrepentant villainy and betrayal of his country, and “Chuck Vs. The Santa Suit” doesn’t do the character many favors in that respect.  One the one hand Shaw’s re-appearance manages to tidily explain the recent conspiracy plots and Decker’s CIA vendetta, but Shaw never entirely comes to life as a villain, his ominous hatred of both Sarah and Chuck feeling more caricatured than compelling.  Sarah killed Shaw’s wife on orders, granted, but why such elaborate conspirator lengths for simple vengeance?

As long as we’re speaking in such nerdy comic-book terms, I should mention that we can’t expect too much out of Chuck’s writing, or Brandon Routh’s performance, given what Superman Returns became.  Whether you buy Shaw’s villainy or not, perhaps The Joker said it best:  “All it takes is one bad day to reduce the sanest man alive to lunacy.”

As I mentioned last week, Chuck will always walk a fine line between plausibility and comic sustainability, but “Santa Suit” succeeds moreso than “Chuck Vs. the Curse” in having fun with its inherently silly premise.  “Curse” wanted us to invest in the deadly predicament its main characters found themselves in without delivering on the consequences, but “Santa Suit” treats danger with a grain of salt.

The real threat lies in Shaw’s invasion of Castle, freeing Chuck and General Beckman to recover a top-secret piece of tech from a boozy CIA Christmas party that consists of sloshed and saucy military officials hiding their greatest secrets behind two locked doors, and apparently, the real Stan Lee.  The best, most relatable Chuck lies in comical situations broken up by real threats, not threats broken by comedy.

Another area “Chuck Vs. The Santa Suit” succeeds in is utilizing its supporting characters without shortchanging their value to the series.  For the first time since…ever…as far as I can remember, both Jeff and Lester actually prove useful to the main plot by directly taking on “The Omen” virus (in one of the rare instances they’re actually aware of what they’re involved in).

Casey and Morgan got their own little moments  as well for both Casey’s tender badassery and Morgan’s Samwise Gamgee-like support, but particularly effective was Ellie’s integration into the story, finding some measure of peace in being the one to ultimately take out Shaw and vent some grief for her father’s murder.  Even General Beckman gets some of the bigger laughs of the hour with her brief, and horrendously awkward smooch with Chuck.

It’s also worth noting that “Chuck Vs. The Santa Suit” above all else, actually delivers laughs, more so than I’m used to from the usual Chuck, perhaps owing to writer Amanda Kate Shuman’s sparklingly awkward dialogue.  I especially liked the brief exchanges over Casey’s choice of present for Alex, along with Chuck and Beckman’s post-makeout car ride home, the perfect examples of how Chuck can find its humor in the smaller moments rather than the overtly silly set pieces.  Now if only the same attention could have been afforded to some of Shaw’s more ear-splitting villanisms, I’d be much more enamored of the hour.

I feel like I always say it, but by the end Chuck is Chuck, most threads tidily resolved without any major casualties, and we’re even treated to an especially sweet misuse of government resources in the Bartowski / Woodcomb Christmas party (The OC always managed to make its parties full of such warm atmostphere).  But as the pattern has been, Chuck offers up a small tag (complete with its requisite Terminator knock-off music) to drive the next episode, that of the supposed baby Sarah wishes to keep hidden.  I swear I’ll throw a hammer at my window if Josh Schwartz and Chris Fedak manage to side-step a pregnancy and cram a baby into Chuck and Sarah’s life before the end of the series, but at the very least right now things remain full of possibility.

And in the end, isn’t that what we all love about this time of year?  Also, lavish presents.

And Another Thing…

• After the rush of crowds I’ve seen in the last few days, it doesn’t unnerve me in the slightest to think that in Chuck’s world, when the entire globe faces down an internet-destroying computer virus, people still focus on how it affects their holiday shopping.

• So, no one made any attempt to de-Intersect Shaw during his captivity, despite the speed and convenience with which we’ve seen that done before?

• What’s with the over-the-top Subway harping?  At this point in the show’s tenure, why bother?

• Aside from Stan Lee, the episode also features former Mad TV star Mo Collins, these days apparently best known for playing sloppy drunks on various NBC comedies.

• Stupid Spy Behavior of the Week:  Sarah.  When you’re being stealthily stalked by a trained spy with a machine gun, here’s a hint: REMOVE YOUR CLACKING HEELS!

• So, with Shaw almost succeeding in creating the Intersect 3.0, do we expect (or even want) Chuck to receive it before the end of the season?

• In spite of some of the dialogue, I especially dug Yvonne Strahovski’s performance in frigid captivity, and Shaw’s cold brutality.  It was especially shocking for Casey to actually get shot, though the tension (and his sad last recording to the bear) were quickly undercut by Chuck’s unwillingness to kill off any characters…yet.

What did YOU think?

Chuck 5.07 "Chuck Vs. The Santa Suit" Review

Chuck season 5 hacks out its fifth entry with this week’s "Chuck Vs. The Hack-Off" as Chuck and Sarah go  undercover (by literally uncovering) to retrieve the key to a deadly computer virus from a private commune as Casey and Lester fend for themselves from inside prison walls.

Continuing its roll and likely one of the stronger, funnier outings of Chuck season 5, "Chuck Vs. The Hack-Off" scrapes by with only a few minor quibbles.

After a certain period of loyalty to a TV show, particularly one that’s been through as much heartbreak and confusion as the five seasons of Chuck, we all come to terms with certain facts.  Chuck actually left us in quite a narrative pickle by the end of “Chuck Vs. The Business Trip,” with both Casey and Lester behind bars, though we know that the truncated last season wouldn’t waste more than an episode dwelling on the plot thread, with both out and largely back to status quo by the end of “Chuck Vs. The Hack-Off.”

We also have to accept that particularly given the rush to resolve Casey and Lester’s dilemma, and the episode’s plot at large, not everything will make perfect sense.  For instance, wouldn’t a known government agent like John Casey go to some militarized prison devoid of visitors, instead of winding up in the same cell block as Lester?  By the same token, would Lester really end up in a federal prison so quickly, and how could he be bailed out by Jeff dropping the charges after the trial and sentencing already occurred?  Could a bizarre religious sect really hide a terrorist military presence in California?

We forgive Chuck for these gaps in logic, partly out of pity, partly for not taking TV comedy too seriously, and partly the futility of raising these questions so late in the game.  Chuck is Chuck, and will entertain as best it can, which “Chuck Vs. The Hack-Off” mostly does

I like the return to form Chuck undergoes here (even if we never really saw this past Swordfish-inspiring "Piranha" identity) by relying on his tech-savvy hacking skills and cleverness to save the day, rather than some random flash of the Intersect.  Incredibly, “Hack-Off” made nary a mention of the plot device that set the entire series in motion, instead focusing on the lessons and skills the team has acquired through natural training.  We can’t know if Josh Schwartz and Chris Fedak have any plan to re-introduce the Intersect in any way, but for now* there’s something to be said for the strength Team Bartowski acquires from ingenuity and teamwork over science, which speaks to the value of the series’ evolution as a whole.

(*) I say for now, in that previews for the next round of Chuck episodes (which I won’t spoil here) seemed to reveal an enemy that might prove difficult to defeat without at least SOMEONE Intersect-ing up.

The meat of “Chuck Vs. The Hack-Off” lies in the shadowy Decker (RIchard Burgi) tasking Chuck and Sarah to track down the key to unlocking a deadly computer virus in exchange for Casey’s freedom, for which they must find the virus’ creator in a private commune.  Chuck star Zachary Levi directed the episode, which carries with it plenty of the upbeat action and musically vibrant comedic flair that makes Chuck so watchable in the first place, even if not everything about the episode works.

I’m a bit puzzled by the narrative choice to make the commune a partial nudist resort, if only for the gag of seeing Zachary Levi and Yvonne Strahovski frantically strip down to their pixelated birthday suits upon realizing the commune’s true nature.  Considering the joke only lasts a minute or so until everyone re-dons their robes and carries on as normal, the flurry of pixels seems a rather unnatural distraction.

It likely would have taken some rather complex camera work to hide everyone’s good stuff without the aid of non-diegetic censorship, but that only begs the question of why to even bother in the first place.  Perhaps a quick tease to sell in promos and fleetingly bump up viewership.

That nitpick aside, a few awkward story beats hamper the flow as well, most notably when Chuck and Sarah first infiltrate the camp (unbeknownst to them immediately discovered), share several conversations with the camp’s leader and even a drum circle before all of a sudden, the alarm rings, and then the woman decides to oust Chuck and Sarah to the camp.  What was she waiting for?  Similarly, it feels as if not every thread fit into the script elegantly, the way Gertrude and Sarah skulk around the hackers’ base, only for Gertrude to awkwardly blurt out that she indeed has real feelings for Casey.  Minor points I suppose, but a writer notices.

To that end, “Hack-Off” does manage to evoke some classic Chuck with Casey being behind bars, and Gertrude (Carrie-Anne Moss) as his replacement on the team.  Without the shared chemistry earned over the last few seasons, Gertrude feels very much like Casey of the earlier seasons, a cold professional grumbling at Chuck’s charming ineptitude and Sarah’s tolerance for it.  It’s been a while since we’ve had an active member of the team that questioned everyone’s methods, but so far Carrie-Anne Moss has felt right at home fitting in with the Chuck universe.

The B-story of “Chuck Vs. The Hack-Off” feels somewhat heavy-handed, particularly in the way Morgan so begrudgingly retreated upstairs to deal with Jeff and Lester, an almost meta-comment on how frivolous the Buy More stories have become. Still, even with Lester’s incarceration tying in to Casey’s struggle in prison, it’s hard to invest much in the tale knowing how invincible Casey is to the plot, and the PG-level threat NBC enforces on the prison culture.

It’s not Oz, after all. Still, it was entertaining to see Lester actually the one to thrive in prison, and at least we got a Community cameo (or two!) out of it.

We still don’t have much to go on with the ongoing CIA shadow conspiracy to eliminate (or frame) Team Bartowski, and with Gertrude’s brutal dispatch of Decker and his men , it will yet be an episode or two before anything new comes to light.

The moral of the story lies in Radzinsky, er…Colin Davis (Eric Lange)’s words during his incarceration, about getting sucked back into a life one never should have had in the first place.  Chuck’s desire to find a life outside the spy game has always provided the crux of his struggle, and “Hack-Off” presents a brief moment of doubt between Chuck and Sarah as he extrapolates how his re-kindled love of the tech game could re-shape Carmichael Industries’ purpose, leaving Sarah to wonder what, if any place she might have in that world.  The recurring question once again finds itself swept under the rug as Chuck and Sarah vow to step up their spy game in the wake of Decker’s foiled plot, but will surely resurface for the final episodes, if not sooner.

Chuck me, that was long.

And Another Thing…

• Owing to Zachary Levi's direction, I love the dart gag with Chuck and Sarah after leaving the prison, suddenly appearing on one another’s necks before the other can successfully point them out.
•  It’s likely that based on his appearance, Casey’s prison tormentor (played by Derek Mears, technically another Community cameo, Kickpuncher!) was implied to be of a white supremacist group, but for deniability’s sake at least one of his flock in the cafeteria scene didn’t fit that bill, let’s say.
• Was anyone else having LOST flashbacks with guards, and Eric Lange (LOST’s Ted Radzinski) running through the woods?
• I paused, and spent a solid minute laughing at Community’s Yvette Nicole Brown cameoing after Danny Pudi, a well-kept secret gag.
• Chuck realizes that his renewed hacking skills might be well channeled into his own tech company, but for Sarah’s sake, shouldn’t he consider that CIA analyst offer General Beckman’s been making for ages?
• An extraordinarily dark moment for Chuck, with Gertrude blowing up Decker without any afterthought, and I had to laugh at the transition from Decker’s brutal murder to Chuck’s usual indie-acoustic soundtrack.

What did YOU think?

Chuck 5.05 "Chuck Vs. The Hack-Off" Review

Last week's Chuck episode "Chuck Vs. The Frosted Tips" re-introduced Mekenna Melvin into the mix as Alex McHugh, daughter to John Casey (Adam Baldwin) and love interest to Morgan Grimes (Joshua Gomez), who found herself coldly dumped via text message from an Intersect-affected and unfeeling Morgan.  But surely we've not see the last of Alex, no?

We recently had a chance to speak to the Chuck star on what's to come for Alex in Chuck's *supposedly* final season, and just how she'll ever get over that brutal "DMPD'd" text message"  Will Alex sign up with Carmichael Industries looking to exact vengeance on her man, or re-learn to love the bearded bandit?  And what of her father's new love interest, Gertrude Verbanski (Carrie-Anne Moss)?

Read on for answers to these and more, and don't forget to watch Chuck's fifth season Friday nights at 8pm on NBC!

TVOvermind:  Thanks for talking to us, I’m sure you have a busy schedule.  Have the 13 episodes wrapped already, or are you still filming?

Mekenna Melvin:  We’re still filming, we’re on 10 and 11.

TVOvermind:  Okay, getting pretty close to the end!  Must be exciting.

Mekenna Melvin:  Getting close to the end!  Kind of bittersweet.

TVOvermind:  So we’ve seen the first three episodes, and you don’t really pop until the third, “Chuck Vs. The Frosted Tips.”  So how often will we expect to see you in these thirteen episodes?

Mekenna Melvin:  My character has a pretty good arc this year, I’m really excited about it.

TVOvermind:  What’s in store for Alex this year?

Mekenna Melvin:  Well obviously there’s a lot more stuff in terms of Alex and Morgan’s relationship that’s explored, a lot of hilarious, funny stuff now that Morgan has the Intersect, and how that plays into their relationship, as well as her relationship continuing to develop with her father, and it allows her to get mixed up into some fun situations where maybe people have to help her!

TVOvermind:  That’s something I was always curious about, because Alex was made aware of the spy world eventually, but it wasn’t really clear how much she knew about the Intersect.  Now that it’s Morgan, is she up to speed on everything?

Mekenna Melvin:  As the season goes on, everything in smaller ways becomes more and more clear to her.  But you’re exactly right, she kind of understands what goes on, but she’s not in the inner circle, she doesn’t know all the exact facts.  But obviously, as the season goes on and Morgan having the Intersect, a million different things happen the more information she finds out as she goes.

TVOvermind:  In “Chuck Vs. The Frosted Tips,” Morgan definitely does some damage to the relationship, is that something that gets fixed quickly, or takes a bit of time to undo?

Mekenna Melvin:  It takes some time, you’ve seen the episode!

TVOvermind:  Right, those tips really did a number on all of us.  So, you have such a physical background, you’re a first degree blackbelt and everything, I’m sure you’d love to get your hands dirty with some of the missions and action sequences.  Will Alex ever join the team in any capacity?  Now that they’re freelance, Alex wouldn’t need any government clearance.

Mekenna Melvin:  You’re exactly right, I would love to, that’s something that’s so much fun.  I had a blast the first season I was on, where I got to do a teeny little thing with Adam [Baldwin] where I got to kick his butt, and that was my highlight, I feel like that season.  But I don’t know!  We’ll see.  We still have a few more episodes, she definitely gets into the mix a little bit, but not particularly in the spy world, if that makes sense without giving anything away, which is really difficult to do!

TVOvermind:  Obviously another thing going on with her father is the Gertrude Verbanski (Carrie-Anne Moss) thing, Casey’s new love interest.  What’s Alex’s take on that?

Mekenna Melvin:  You know, I think Alex just really wants her father to be happy

TVOvermind:  Does that ever come into conflict with Alex’s own mother, Kathleen?

Mekenna Melvin:  Hmm…couldn’t tell you!

TVOvermind:  So now that Casey doesn’t technically belong to the government anymore, he’s freelance, how does that change the relationship with Alex?  Is there less secrecy between the two?

Mekenna Melvin:  Well, it wouldn’t be Chuck if there wasn’t secrecy.  That’s what allows all the comedic elements in a lot of ways, so there’s definitely still secrecy.

Keep reading For Mekenna's favorite Chuck moments, and more on what's to come in season 5!

Chuck Interview: Mekenna Melvin Promises 'Crazy Twists' For Final Season

Tonight is the night when out long, national nightmare finally comes to an end.  Chuck is back for it's fifth and final(?) season tonight at 8:00pm ET/PT on NBC.  The show, with a small, but intensely devoted fanbase, has managed to propel it to a 13-episode fifth season, a fact that would have been roundly derided and laughed at had someone propsed such a thing during the first couple seasons.  Nonetheless, we Chucksters have thirteen more hours to enjoy the exploits of our favorite accidental spy and his coterie of spies, villains, and wonderfully cheesy musician sidekicks.

When we last left Chuck, our hero married Sarah, Volkoff was defeated, Vivian Volkoff gave Chuck all of Volkoff Industries' holdings, Chuck & Sarah bought the Buy More and Castle to start their own private espionage business, Ellie and Captain Awesome knew Chuck was a spy, and....there was something else.......oh yeah, Morgan is the Intersect!  It is against this backdrop and major changes to the series that the show returns in "Chuck vs the Zoom."  Do these changes pay off?  Unfortunately, not in this episode.

"Chuck vs the Zoom" concerns Chuck's adjustment to his new life as a private spy, a husband, but perhaps most importantly, not the Intersect.  As one could imagine, this isn't the easiest adjustment to make for Chuck who has defined his previous four years, but also, to a certain extent, his worth, by the fact that he was an ass-kicking, world-saving super spy.  It is when dealing with Chuck's feelings that the season premiere is its strongest.  Where it falls short, however, is in the world Chuck now finds himself in.

After last season's finale, I was concerned with Morgan receiving the Intersect and the show shifting from being Chuck-centric to Morgan-centric.  My concerns did not lie in the execution of the storyline as Josh Gomez has been great in the series and the writers have always had a great handle on whatever craziness they have created.  If this first episode of the final season is typical of what is to come this season, my concerns have now been reversed.  As I described above, the episode was still, thankfully, focused on Chuck.  It was in the execution of Morgan-as-Intersect that it failed.  This isn't a criticism of Josh Gomez' performance.  Not at all.  He's still as good as he always was.  There is just something about the tone that seems off.

As Alan Sepinwall points out, perhaps it is a matter of the difficulty in stunt doubling for Josh Gomez as opposed to Zachary Levi, or an attempt to make sure Morgan stays "goofy" despite having Intersect skills, but most of the Morgan scenes seem like the creative team felt they had painted themselves into a corner, and are now working to quickly extricate themselves from their predicament.  This feeling bleeds over into other areas as well as storylines left over from last season are quickly dealt with, and not always well.

This all sounds like I hated the episode.  I did not.  It is an episode of Chuck after all, and I always enjoy Chuck's flailing (lotion hands!), Sarah in lingerie (!) and Casey's grunting (even if it is over a denigration of Rush Limbaugh).  Perhaps the creators really only have a 10-episode end-story that needs to be stretched into thirteen episodes.  Perhaps, and this is the most likely, I just have too high expectations for one of my favorite shows that every one of its final episodes will be in the series' pantheon of great episodes.  I haven't seen the next two episodes yet, but Sepinwall assures his readers that all is right with the Chuck universe come episode three.  I sincerely hope so, because I want this show to go out on a high note.  Chuck Bartowski deserves nothing less.

Grade for this episode: B-

Chuck 5.01 "Chuck vs the Zoom" Advance Review

The premiere for the fifth and final season of Chuck may have been bumped back a week but that hasn't stopped the guest star news from flowing. One big piece of casting news that has been expected was who would get the role of Sarah's (Yvonne Strahovski) mother; particularly as Chuck's (Zachary Levi) is played by cult and sci-fi heroine Linda Hamilton. In true Chuck tradition they have scored a similarly impressive actress with former Charlie's Angels star Cheryl Ladd.

As first reported by TVLine Ladd will first appear as Sarah's estranged mother Emma in episode 8, which should air in January 2012. As with all the paternal relationships in this show, this looks like it will be a complicated and strained one thanks to her abandonment of Sarah when she was young. The pair haven't seen each other in five years and it is unclear as to what kind of background Sarah's mother will have, though I think we can expect a shady element. Sarah has been reluctant to open up about her past and I'm sure that this will be further explored and explained when Ladd appears. Also with Sarah's mother making an appearance does that mean that we will be getting some more Gary Cole screen time as Sarah's father? Hopefully this will be a yes.

Cheryl Ladd is not the only big guest star from a cult background that has been cast and the role call for season 5 includes; Carrie-Anne Moss, Mark Hamill, Rebecca Romijn, Jeff Fahey, Eric Lange, Danny Pudi and Justin Lange. I'm sure that there will be more names added to this list as the season progresses. Who would you like see added to the list? Are there any previous guest stars that you would like to see return? What are your thoughts on this piece of big casting news? Let us know in the comments.

For a sneak peek at the new season check out the promo below.

Chuck returns for the fifth and final series Friday, October 28 on NBC.

Chuck Season 5 Casting News: An Angel to Play Sarah's Mother

Chuck star Zachary Levi is stepping behind the camera once again as he will be directing an episode of the fifth and final season of the spy show. We also have details of Yvonne Strahovski's (Sarah) Maxim cover shoot for the October issue that is sure to get some attention for Chuck's final push.

This is not Levi's first time pulling double duty on the NBC show as he has directed two episodes in the past; "Chuck vs the Beard" (season 3, episode 9) and "Chuck vs the Leftovers" (season 4, episode 10). An NBC spokesperson confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter that Levi will be directing the fifth episode of season 5 and whilst the episode details are light, we do know a couple of very exciting things.

Firstly it will be one of the episodes where spy rival and possible John Casey (Adam Baldwin) love interest Carrie-Anne Moss (The Matrix) will appear as Gertrude Verbanski. Verbanski runs a company that is very similar to Chuck's own private spy organisation, so the two will be vying for similar assignments that will be made complicated by Verbanski's past with Casey. The other guest star of this episode will be Community's Danny Pudi who will have something to do with Lester (Vik Sahay). The details of Pudi's cameo are pretty vague and it appears as if they have been filed as 'Top Secret.' The episode begins shooting next week and should air mid-November.

In other Chuck related news Yvonne Strahovski covers the latest issue of Maxim magazine and discusses the final season of the show. Strahovski explains that because Chuck and Sarah are now married "there’s a whole new dynamic between them." Hopefully this means that there will be a lot less insecurity between the pair in regards to their relationship this season. Could the possibility of expanding their family also be on the horizon? Strahovski is clearly very grateful to the Chuck fans that have watched and fought for the show to stay on air saying:

"I can’t believe we made it this far. We’ve been on the bubble ever since we started, but our fans have really pushed for us to stay on-air. It’s nice to know that we’re working toward a real ending that isn’t like, “Uh, maybe we’re coming back?""

You can head to the Maxim site to read the full interview where Strahovski also discusses her new film Killer Elite (that also stars Robert De Niro and Jason Statham). The site also features a slideshow of images (see above for an example) and there is a behind the scenes video of the photo shoot which reveals a risqué fact about the shooting location.

Chuck returns Friday, October 21 for its fifth and final season on NBC.

Chuck Star Zachary Levi Steps Behind the Camera Again for Season 5

This year, Chuck star Zachary Levi created a Nerd HQ at Comic-Con.  The Nerd Machine took over a restaurant in San Diego's Gaslamp District and gave fans a place to play games and watch panels featuring gaming, television and movie celebrities.  I had the lucky privilege to attend a small panel featuring Zach's friend Jared Padalecki, who took questions from the audience members for over an hour.  Proceeds from the Padalecki panel - as well as the other panels and events at Nerd HQ - went to benefit Operation Smile.  The Nerd Machine managed to raise over $40,000 for the charity during Comic-Con.

Having never been to a Supernatural convention before, I wasn't too familiar with seeing Jared in a small panel setting, but he was charming and funny, regaling the audience with on-set antics, his fishing trip over the summer, the story of how he and Zach became friends, and why Sam Winchester's hair has gone through so many transformations over the past 6 seasons.

Jared opened the floor to questions right from the start (after jokingly mumbling that co-star Jensen Ackles should have won the part of Captain America after the movie was mentioned by an audience member).  The first question dived right into season 7 of Supernatural, and Jared revealed that while Sam will "remember what's happened currently", he will not be sure of what reality - or even what year - he is actually in now that the Hell wall in his head.  Jared is very excited about Sam's storyline in season 7 and called it "very scary".  He thinks that the Winchesters generally bear their burdens well (despite how many they have), but Sam will be very scared, not only by what's happening to him, but also because of how Dean is affected by it.

When asked about his favorite season of Supernatural, Jared picked season 4 (which is mine as well).  Not only did he marry an actress he met during that season (Genevieve Cortese), but he "felt that was the culmination of the original plan".  He also felt like he worked really hard and hoped that came across in season 4.  Sam's journey in that season almost bled over into his real life (despite not succumbing to the temptation to drink demon blood in real life).

One fan mentioned the always amusing gag reels on the Supernatural DVDs and asked about on-set pranks.  Some of the pranks the boys play on each other are well-known online (such as that time Jared beat Misha in Words With Friends and Misha elected to pay his $1900 bet in coins), but Jared also shared about how easy it is to crack Misha up.  So much so that he once had both Jared and Jensen ordered off the set so that he could continue with a dramatic scene.

Next came the big question: what was Jared's favorite Sam Winchester hairstyle?  The fan said that he preferred the season 1 hairstyle.  Apparently on set they have a joke that Jared has grown a "fivehead" instead of a forehead.  Jared liked season 1 as well (since it was so short), but his hairstyles are on purpose.  "As my forehead grew into a fivehead, they decided to share it with the world".

When a fan said that her friend sold Jared a fishing license in Texas over the summer, Jared moaned about how he hadn't managed to catch any fish.  The boy loves going on his tangents and kept rambling until the fan mentioned Jared being spotted at the TARDIS on the Comic-Con floor and he lamented about the fact that he couldn't fit in it. What followed were a few "I was too big to fit" innuendos and a story about Jared and Mark Sheppard venturing into the TARDIS together.

Then it was back to a Supernatural discussion when one fan mentioned that the brothers seemed to have switched personalities over the years and he wondered whether Jared agreed that the episode "Mystery Spot" was a turning point in that shift.  Jared went on to explain that "Mystery Spot" was actually a pivotal episode.  It was actually the last episode they filmed before the writers' strike - even though it aired before the mid-season finale "Jus in Bello".  "Mystery Spot" was written as a possible series finale if the strike had lasted a long time and the show was not picked up for a fourth season.  It was meant to be a possible segue into a potential movie or to act as an ultimate cliffhanger.  Jared thinks Sam did change in that episode.  But he ultimately feels like Sam's transformation really hit its stride in season 4 when he followed Ruby, became addicted to demon blood and really started making his own divergent choices.

It wasn't until one fan asked Jared about his favorite moment about working on Gilmore Girls that Zach revealed a hidden past: Jared had apparently beaten out Zach for the role on that show (and Jared likes the Jess/Dean fight scene, which Jared had to film despite having hurt his hip while appearing on MacGyver).

One of the audience members also brought up the recent poll Jared won about which TV stars fans wanted to see make it in movies.  He reiterated the interview he gave when he won that poll and said "I'm in a great position right now where I'm part of a show doing a lot of great things.  I feel so comfortable as Sam Winchester....As a Texan I'm also fiercely loyal, sometimes to the point of cutting off my nose to spite my fact.  And I wouldn't in a million years leave Supernatural if Supernatural wanted me because it's done a lot for me."

While Jared's entire was hilarious, perhaps the best part came when a fan asked how Jared and Zach first met.  Zach joined Jared on stage to explain that they had originally met during a pick-up basketball game played by some actors.  Later, during the writers' strike, the two of them headed to England to do international press for their Warner Bros. shows.  There they watched a real English football game (complete with unintelligible chants) where they sat in the Arsenal section that was surrounded by security guards because football games in England are very serious business.  They ended up being threatened by the fans in the other section and Zach said "so the short answer is we met playing basketball but we solidified our friendship just trying to stay alive at a football game."

It's clear that Jared really appreciates his fans and loves interacting and joking with them.  The panel was great fun and was followed by a signing by Jared which unfortunately I couldn't stay for.  Overall, it was a great afternoon that went to benefit a terrific charity.  Here's hoping Zach continues with Nerd HQ at the 2012 Comic-Con.

For some Supernatural season 7 spoilers from the Comic-Con press room, click here.

clarissa @ tvovermind.com
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Supernatural's Jared Padalecki at Nerd HQ: The Show, Stories & Sam Winchester's Hair

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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Chuck 4.24 "Chuck vs the Cliffhanger" Recap

We're in the home stretch of this (final??) season of Chuck.  If you missed Chuck and Sarah's bachelor and bachelorette parties, read about the goings on here.

This week's episode begins with Mary Bartowski rappelling into a vault to snag Norseman killing device, but she shoots back up when Vivian Volkoff and Riley enter.  A scientist tells them that he has finished construction of the device.  Riley wants to test it, so he loads in the scientist's DNA and kills him with a high pitch sound that melts the scientist's brain.  Vivian wants to use the device immediately to eliminate Agent X, but Riley says Volkoff Industries needs a public face to inspire fear; she shouldn't get her hands dirty, yet.  She thanks him for his guidance.  After they leave, Mary rappels back in, but is stopped by Riley and Vivian. Riley introduces Vivian to Mary, aka Frost.

Over in Echo Park, Sarah wakes up and asks Chuck if he knows what they have to do today.  Nothing.  They have a day off from the CIA to focus on their wedding.  She's sorry they have so much left to do, but staging a coup is keeping her bridesmaids (the CAT Squad) from helping out.  That's OK, Chuck says, because Morgan, Ellie and Devon are picking up the slack. Sarah says everything is perfect and nothing could go wrong.  "Why did you say that?!?" Chuck asks.  Immediately, they hear a scream bellow from Morgan, who it turns out, is hanging upside down from a balcony.  Devon tells him to go limp and fall into his arms.  Instead, Chuck flashes, scales the building, saves Morgan and flips back down.

Morgan enters his apartment and finds Casey promising Alex he "will take care of it."  Morgan tells Alex he is very excited to have her as his very beautiful date to the wedding.  Casey is thankfully saved from the shmoopiness by a text from General Beckman.  "Oh no," says Casey before knocking on Chuck's door. Chuck recognizes Casey's look when he opens the door. Chuck and Sarah have a wedding to prepare.  "Your mom might not be able to make it," Casey informs him, "because she's been taken by Vivian Volkoff.

In Castle, Sarah and Chuck review files and try to figure out why Mary was going after Vivian.  Chuck flashes on a mine in Colombia that could be where Vivian is hiding out.  Sarah says she's ready to go, but Chuck says he needs his Best Man, too.  Chuck finds Morgan upstairs in the Buy More. Morgan wants to help save Chuck's mom, but needs him to do something more important: create a wedding video of Chuck and Sarah.  The problem is, Sarah has no childhood photos, so can Morgan Photoshop her in to some of the places she's been?  That should be no problem.  After Chuck departs, Big Mike, Jeff and Lester approach Morgan.  They have hours of Sarah footage. Morgan agrees to give the guys first cut in exchange for the footage.

Morgan enters Castle and tells Casey that he has taken care of his Best Man duties so he can go on the mission.  Casey tells him he's not coming.  With that, the team heads for Colombia.  Where do they start looking?  They follow heavily-armed security toward the mine, and sit down at a cafe.  With Casey providing watch, Chuck and Sarah follow some guards, take their clothes, then march Casey off in cuffs toward the mine.  Chuck refers to him as Chewy, but Sarah misses the Star Wars reference.  Chuck begins to explain, but cuts himself off by saying, "Oh, I love you, honey."  As they march into the mine, Casey says, "I've got a bad feeling about this," completing the Star Wars references.

They try to put Casey in a cell, but the head guard says they don't have the proper paperwork.  In a nice Terminator: 2 reference, they see Mary doing pull ups on a security camera.  Chuck tries to get in by saying he's trying to impress Sarah, so the head guard tells him to beat up his prisoner, a trick that has worked for him with the ladies before.  Chuck gives Casey a wide-eyed "Sorry buddy" look, and then punches Casey in the face...twice.  The guard is impressed, but then insults Sarah, leading Chuck to knock him out to defend her honor.

The trio get into Mary's cell, but she says she can't leave yet because she needs the Norseman.  Chuck and Sarah should head home and prepare for the wedding -- she'll just endure a couple rounds of torture and figure out a way to get free.  Chuck tells Sarah to stay with his mom while he goes with Casey to find the Norseman.  Casey finds it interesting that Chuck chose his mom over his fiancee.  He tells Chuck to remember: Sarah is the one he'll be waking up next to each day.

Chuck and Casey discover that the Norseman isn't there: Vivian is planning a meet-up to sell the device.  Vivian and Riley enter Mary's cell.  Riley wants Mary dead, but he wants Vivian to do it.  When Vivian trains her gun on Mary, Sarah pulls her gun on them, allowing Mary to disarm Vivian.  Chuck and Casey enter with word on the Norseman.  Vivian realizes that the man who betrayed her, Chuck, is the son of the woman that betrayed her father.  Chuck tries to tell her that he has much to explain about that, but she doesn't believe him.  Casey warns that the guards will be on to them soon, so he orders the team to leave, locking Vivian and Riley in the cell.

Sarah and Chuck drive in silence.  Chuck knows he messed up, but he was trying to keep everyone safe.  Sarah says she knows, but she feels he always keeps her safe except from his mom.  They get a text to come to Castle.  General Beckman wants them to disrupt the Norseman sale.  They will pose someone as a buyer who will purchase the device and just walk out with it.  Chuck notes that Vivian knows all three of them, so they can't do it.  Fortunately, Interpol had detained potential buyer Ettore la Barba, a bearded, 5'6" Italian arms dealer.  Does la Barba remind them of anyone?

Mary and Sarah bicker over who will assist Morgan on the mission.  Chuck asks if Mary knows about Agent X being Alexei Volkoff.  Sarah insists she and Chuck will handle Morgan while Mary provides back-up.  Mary begins to protest, but Chuck agrees with Sarah.  As a fight begins to erupt, Morgan steps in to tell Chuck that there may be an issue with the wedding video he was supposed to create.  Upstairs, Lester shows his Chuck and Sarah video to Ellie and Devon, who are horrified by Lester as a video auteur.  Perhaps they were disturbed by the random shots of Lester in a nude body-stocking with large, red lips over his crotch floating over images of Chuck and Sarah.

Downstairs in Castle, Morgan perfects his Italian accent, and is insulted by Casey for trying.  Morgan wonders why Casey has been so hard on him lately.  The Colonel admits that it is because of Alex.  He doesn't want to see Morgan hurt as it will destroy her.  If he can't protect Morgan, that would break a promise to his daughter.  Morgan says nothing will go wrong, and then immediately realizes he jinxed the mission.

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Chuck 4.23 "Chuck vs the Last Details" Recap

Before Chuck and Sarah could have their bachelor and bachelorette parties, their wedding had to be planned.  And so it was, in the last episode of Chuck, for which you can read my recap here.

This week's episode begins at a CIA substation in Provo, UT.  An attractive girl walks through a warehouse.  When stopped by a guard, she flashes her badge, perfectly placed for proper cleavage viewing.  When the guard approaches, she drops the files she is carrying.  As the guard helps her pick them up, she knocks him out with an uppercut.  Securing the guard's passkey, she let's in Volkoff's lawyer, Riley.  They search for Orion's computer, but find a CIA tracker the agency uses to keep tabs on the computer.  Riley figures the CIA is being safer with the computer than they are with the tracker.

Cut to Ellie spilling food on the computer.  Devon enters, and asks Ellie to apply some sun tan pre-lube before he departs for Chuck's bachelor party.  He asks her if she has found anything else interesting on the computer, but she informs him that all of the files keep ending up on a picture of a house.  Well, hopefully Ellie can forget about it for a while when she throws Sarah's bachelorette party.  As for the boys, they're heading to Vegas!

At the Buy More, Jeff and Lester take a slo-motion strut into the store dressed for the Vegas trip.  What casino are they going to hit first?  Casey says he's excited for the gun ranges, and then a bit all the more poignant after last weekend's real-life events, he pulls out a target of Osama bin Laden.  Big Mike isn't ready to leave because he's afraid Morgan's mom won't let him go.  Morgan tries to pump Big Mike up to make a stand against his mother.  They're men who take what's there's!  Morgan commands Big Mike to march into their house and tell her....tht they have to work all weekend.  Then they'll both have an excuse to be gone!

Sarah bathes in the tub (yowza!) when Chuck enters in what he believes is a perfect Las Vegas ensemble.  Noting how he completely missed the mark, Sarah says she can't believe he's never been to Vegas.  Noticing his fiance's current state of undress, Sarah says she is just reminding him of what he'll be missing while he is away.  Chuck mentions that he hasn't spoken to Devon about Ellie still working on their father's computer, but he figures Las Vegas is the perfect place to have a sincere conversation.  "Wow, you've really never been to Vegas," Sarah remarks.  Chuck heads over to Devon and Ellie's apartment.  What he doesn't know is that Riley has a lock on the computer in Echo Park.

While Ellie stays behind to do "stuff" with Sarah, Devon gets the group on the road to Vegas in a stretch Hummer.  Devon says that they need to think of this weekend like war, and take Vegas by storm.  "Now you're talking my language," replies a piqued Casey.  Back in her apartment, Ellie toasts Sarah and her bachelorette weekend.  They are going to his a spa in Santa Barbara, apparently, much to Sarah's chagrin.  "Get ready for some hardcore aromatherapy!" Ellie excitedly yells.  Sarah is not excited.  Devon stops  the car and welcomes everyone to Vegas.  The boys get out of the car, but find themselves in a forest.  They are at a campsite called...Las Vecas.  The guys can't believe it, but at least Jeff is stoked -- he's going to find some "magic fungus" he knows grows in the mountains.  Back in Echo Park, Ellie says that before they can rest at the spa, Sarah needs to get tired.  They enter another room and Surprise!  Ellie has gathered some of the Weinerlicious girls (God, remember when Sarah used to work there?) and some of her friends for the party.  The CAT Squad girls were out on a mission and couldn't attend.  Sarah is thankful for the party, and not a small bit relieved, but she gets a text from General Beckman that Orion's computer is compromised.

Chuck informs the other guys that Awesome worked a long time on the bachelor party, so they should try to make the best of it. It can be just as fun as Vegas because it's really about bonding.  Sarah calls Chuck and leaves message about Beckman's text.  Sarah is then pulled away so the girls can create a toilet paper dress for her.  As she spins around, Sarah tells Ellie that she needs her father's computer.  Ellie pulls her aside, and Sarah explains that the CIA had a breach of security; they need the computer immediately.  Ellie goes to her bedroom to retrieve it, but realizes Devon took the wrong bag.  They head out to the courtyard, and find a number of agents searching for Sarah Walker.  When she answers, secretly reaching for her gun, one agent yells "Lock and load!"  The men rip open their shirts.  They're strippers!  The rest of the girls join the party, as the guys place Sarah on a chair and start dancing around her.  She tries to call General Beckman to get agents to Las Vegas to retrieve the computer from Devon.  With stripper crotch thrusting by her face, Sarah embarrassingly asks, "Is that a gun?  Oh, uh...no it's not."

Over in Las Vecas, Riley appears with his female agent a number of goons.  Chuck asks Devon if they can talk man to man.  Chuck knows Devon didn't take the hard drive out, and completely understands why.  He just feels like the computer is pulling his family apart.  Casey shuts them up so they and Morgan can watch the bad guys (Lester and Big Mike went back to the car to plan what to do next).  Riley uses the tracker to find the computer, but at that moment, a rather stoned Jeff pops out of the woods.  Seeing Riley's lithe female agent, Jeff asks, "Are you here for the bachelor party?"  She grabs him and ties him up, much to Jeff's pleasure. 

Morgan explains to Devon who Vivian is and that the computer contains files on Agent X.  Chuck thinks he might be Agent X.  Jeff yells, "Let's get this party started!" as the female agent shoots Jeff up with sodium pentathol to get him to talk.  As Riley begins to upload the Agent X files to Vivian, Casey, now clad in black and with camouflage face paint, breaks the neck of a mercenary who had been sneaking up on Chuck, Morgan and Devon.  Casey instructs Devon and Morgan to sharpen spears out of sticks while he tries to get the jump on Riley's men, and Chuck tries to save Jeff.  As they fashion their weapons, Morgan gets a splinter, while Casey kills two more bad guys.  Devon asks Morgan if it is hard to kill someone.  Morgan replies that he doesn't even get a gun.  They hear something in the trees and jump up in attack position, but it is just Casey.  All of the mercenaries are dead -- he just wanted them to make spears to keep them out of his way.

Chuck approaches the female agent, and when she rushes at him with a knife, he flashes knife fighting skills.  They tussle, and she gains the upper hand.  She lunges, but Chuck grabs the computer to take the blow.  She stabs through the computer.  As she forces the knife closer to Chuck's throat, Casey  arrives and punches her out.  Riley radios for his team to meet at the extraction point; they have what they came for.  The guys quickly grab Jeff and load up  the stretch Hummer to get out of there and head back to Echo Park.

Back at home, Sarah asks where they've been, and where's the laptop?  Chuck says Ellie deserves to know the truth.  Sarah volunteers to tell her, but Chuck says he will do it, and in the process, tell her the truth about him still being a spy.  The next morning, Chuck tells his sister that something has been on his mind.  They have always been able to tell each other anything, but recently, he has felt like something has been in the way because their family has so many secrets.  Ellie tries to tell him about what she found in the computer, but Chuck cuts her off, saying he knows about the laptop.  Ellie says he's still a spy.  Chuck laughs because he had a whole speech laid out to tell her that.  She's not mad, but says there should be no more secrets between them.  Chuck has one more.

Chuck brings Ellie to Castle, where she sees Sarah, Casey and Morgan.  "What are you guarding down here that is so important?" she asks.  "Me," Chuck replies.  He has the Intersect in his head.  She can't believe it, so as a demonstration he asks Morgan to attack him with a katana at full speed.  Chuck flashes and disarms Morgan.  "Pretty cool, right?" he asks his sister.  Dad was pretty amazing that he made Chuck into Agent X.  Here, Ellie protests; Agent X was from before Chuck was born.  From her research, she found that a new identity was put into Agent X, but something went wrong and X actually became the new identity.  Dad must have felt bad because he spent most of his life trying to correct the mistake.  Unfortunately, the computer is destroyed so they'll never find out more.  Chuck says he didn't spend ten years in the Nerd Herd for nothing.  "Morgan, get my tools!" he yells, but has to clarify when Morgan doesn't know what he's talking about.  "For fixing computers!"

Upstairs in the Buy More, Big Mike, aka "Rain" from Earth, Wind Fire and Rain, doesn't waste a free party pass.  He is going to take Jeff and Lester to the Big Dirty...Reno.  Time to load up the Toyota Corolla!  Downstairs, Chuck fixes the computer.  Ellie calls up some redacted files that reveal only that Agent X's first name is Hartley.  There is something else, though: the picture of the house Ellie kept stumbling upon.  Chuck looks at it and flashes the house's location: Somerset, England.  The date on the picture is a week before Agent X went missing.  Could Agent X have been hiding out there for the last thirty years?  Ellie wants to come with them, but Chuck says no.  "Don't worry, this is what I do," he assures his sister.

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Chuck 4.22 "Chuck vs Agent X" Recap

If you missed the fall of Vivian Volkoff during last week's Chuck, make sure you catch up with last week's recap.

"Chuck vs the Wedding Planner" opens with a girl scout knocking on a door to sell cookies.  She convinces the woman inside to purchase one of every box, making her believe there are only two varieties.  When the girl quickly counts that the woman has $84, she notes there are five other varieties for a grand total of, who would have guessed it?, $84.  As the girl returns to her father's car, a subtitle notes that it is 1988 in McCall, Ohio.  The girl, a young Sarah Walker, gives the money to her father, Jack Burton.  He hands Sarah $100 as her cut of the takings.  He asks her if she could have anything she wants, what would it be?  Sarah replies that all she wants are adventures just with her Dad.  Dad smiles, but drops her off with her grandparents.

The scene changes to present day as Chuck and Sarah's wedding planner, Daphne Perralta, goes over their invite list.  Daphne asks about Sarah's father, but Sarah says her Dad doesn't know she's getting married.  With everything looking like it is set, Daphne asks if the two of them are ready to pull trigger on the wedding.  She knows that it is overwhelming and exhausting, so they don't have to move forward yet, but the couple replies that they are ready.  Sarah writes a check out for $26,230 and hands it to Daphne.

Chuck shows Morgan a wedding program.  Morgan worries that the use of the Helvetica font and red and black coloring reminds him of socialism, so Casey is very likely not to attend.  When Morgan leaves, Chuck asks Sarah if their wedding colors remind her of socialism, not in a good way?  "Is there a good way?" she retorts.  They try to call Daphne to ask her opinion, but there is no response.  In fact, they can't find her anywhere.  She took their money!  Incensed, as she was taught by her father to never be conned, Sarah exclaims, "She chose the wrong couple to con!"  "That's us, right honey?" Chuck asks in reply. 

In Castle, Chuck and Sarah try tracing Daphne, but she has disappeared.  They can't ask General Beckman for help.  Sarah, however, can think of someone to ask.  Cut to Miami.  Jack Burton shows an empty lot to potential real estate investors until he has to cut off his presentation at the sight of Sarah.  "You're still in Burbank with the schnook?" he inquires.  Moving past the comment, Sarah asks if he has ever worked with Daphne Perralta?  He hasn't.  He continues, saying he is proud of Sarah for becoming an upright citizen, but why not use that power to find the wedding planner?  She explains that she has no authority to use more resources.  Clearly, Sarah has forgotten one of her father's most important rules of the con game: pretend she has the authority.  She thanks her father and leaves, without explaining what actually happened with Daphne. 

Alex shows up at the Buy More, and with Morgan, ambush Casey.  Today is the day he should speak to Kathleen and tell her he is still alive.  Casey is unsure because Kathleen deserves better than thinking Casey has a crappy job at the Buy More.  As he tries to shoo them away, Kathleen enters the store.  Morgan and Alex escort her out, but she catches a glimpse of Casey as she leaves.

Jack, having lifted Sarah's wallet and license during their meeting in Miami, arrives at Chuck and Sarah's apartment.  "Oh, she lives with the schnook," he comments on seeing their picture through a window.  Devon appears, saying he is part of the neighborhood watch.  Jack could try to run, but although he has Clara strapped to him, he is the more efficient runner and will catch the possible intruder.  Jack explains that he is Sarah's father, and is there to surprise her.  Jack, noticing that Devon looks like a rock climber, mentions he climbed El Capitan in '79.  This allays Devon's fears, so he accepts Jack's offer of helping with Clara and invites him inside.

Sarah convinces Chuck to fake a flash as they discuss Daphne with General Beckman so they can gain access to deeper government resources.  Sarah tells the General that Daphne is more dangerous than they expect.  Chuck fakes his flash, and says that he saw a connection between Daphne and other dangerous people, including a weapons dealer named Mongoro.  Beckman finds this hard to believe as they just took down the entire Mongoro cell.  Chuck thinks quickly, and spying a name on a newspaper, says Daphne also worked with a Nobokov.  Beckman recognizes the name as one of the most dangerous people in the world.  She immediately calls three other agencies to order Daphne's capture, dead or alive.

Chuck and Sarah now have access to all agencies' databases, but they need to catch her before anyone else from the government does.  Meanwhile, back in Echo Park, Jack plays the shell game with Clara and her bottles.  He notes that Devon is good with the baby.  Sarah, he says, is a tough one to read: the second you leave your guard down, you get hurt.  While Jack finds the wedding program, Devon texts Chuck that Jack is there.  "Would it surprise you to know your father is in our apartment?" Chuck asks Sarah.  Of course not, but there is no time to worry about that.  Sarah found Daphne in a satellite image getting into a Super Shuttle (Blatant Product Placement!), which Chuck dutifully explains is a ride-sharing mode of transportation to major airports. 

They arrange for Chuck to be picked up by the Shuttle during a short blackout in the government's satellites.  Clad in a trenchcoat and an awful beard, Chuck gets on the Shuttle with Daphne.  Sarah warns him that he has five minutes to get her off the van before Casey's team takes her out.  Chuck handcuffs himself to her, telling her he works for the government and she is coming with him.  "Oh yeah?  Watch this!" Daphne whispers to him.  She begins yelling that Chuck is her ex, that he handcuffed her to him, and that he exposed himself to her.  General Beckman radios Casey that they have picked up a trace on the van.  "Keep your eyes peeled and your guns ready," he tells his crew.  Chuck tells the van driver that he will expose himself to the driver if doesn't stop the van.  Sarah meets up with them when the van stops, but Daphne doesn't believe they work for the government.  "I'm calling your bluff," she says, but before she can say another word, she is shot with a cargo net by Casey.

"She's your wedding planner?!?" General Beckman bellows in disbelief.  Do they have any idea what they've done?  Beckman suspends both of them until further notice.  Chuck pleads that Daphne has taken hundreds of thousands of dollars from hundreds of couples, showing the General Daphne's book of marks she has swindled.  As he flips through the book, Chuck sees an invite list with members of the Klug family on it and flashes.  The Klugs are three brothers working for the Iranian government on a portable intelligence device called the Zephyr.  The General takes the information, but Chuck and Sarah are not to pursue anything until they gain back the trust of the American government.

Back again in 1988, Young Sarah plays the shell game with her stuffed animals.  She hears her grandmother and father arguing outside, with her grandmother saying Sarah deserves more than her father.  Jack gets in his car to leave, but Sarah jumps in with her piggy bank.  Labeled with a sign that says "Adventures for me and Dad," she gives it to Jack.  He doesn't want to take her money, but Sarah says all they need is the two of them for adventure.  He smiles as the scene dissolves back to the present.  Jack makes Sarah a drink.  He asks what is wrong, as he knows something about criminals.  Sarah explains that the Klug brothers are never together at same time, but they will be together for their sister's wedding, which they believe is still happening.  One of the three of them has the Zephyr device at all times, but they switch off possession of it.  Jack figures that they somehow have to throw the reception at which they expect to attend.  How are they going to be able to throw a $100,000 reception?  "Let me take care of it," Jack replies with a twinkle in his eye.

But Wait...There's More on Page 2!!

Chuck 4.21 "Chuck vs the Wedding Planner" Recap

It's been a while since we last saw Chuck, so catch up with my most recent recap here.

Ellie talks with her mother, Mary, and after assuring her that taking care of Clara is fine, shows her mom her father's computer.  Ellie found files on the Intersect program and an "Agent X."  Does Mary know about Agent X? She doesn't but perhaps she should run it by Chuck.  Ellie replies that she doesn't want to get him involved.  She is utterly awed by Project Intersect. "Do you think they got the Intersect up and running?" Ellie asks.  Moreover, who is Agent X?

Sarah wants Chuck to sign some documents that she hands him in an envelope.  Chuck opens the envelope to find a prenup!  A bit freaked out by the potential meaning of the papers, Chuck makes the excuse that he didn't shower his hair so he will catch up with Sarah at Castle.  Chuck immediately runs over to Morgan and Casey's apartment, where the two men have really become a husband and wife, even aping each other's eating habits and bickering with each other.  Casey tells Chuck he over analyzes everything; he needs to understand that spies have secrets.  "Sign the papers and be cool," Casey advises.  When Chuck leaves, Casey asks Morgan about an envelope of his own, an envelope that looks an awful lot like an invitation.  Morgan tries to play it off as nothing, but eventually admits it is an invite to Alex's graduation party.  Alex wants to invite Casey too, but her mother still thinks Casey is dead.

At Castle, General Beckman informs the team that because the bomb used to destroy Castle (which has been put back together in record-breaking time) was constructed of Volkoff Industries parts, a kill order has been issued for Vivian Volkoff.  Chuck thinks a kill order is a bit hasty: Vivian did help them capture her father.  Chuck wants a chance to bring her in.  The General reluctantly agrees, but will take precautions.  Chuck and Sarah will meet with Vivian, but Casey will be stationed with a sniper team should a double cross go down. 

After being dismissed by Beckman, Chuck hands Sarah the signed prenup papers.  The casualness with which Chuck turns over the paperwork worries Sarah.  She assures him that she's not keeping secrets from him -- the prenup is just because of some "family stuff."  Chuck replies that it is not a problem and turns to prepare for the meet.  "Yeah...cool," responds a confused Sarah.

Vivian arrives at the designated meeting place with a number of henchmen at her side.  Chuck tells her about the bombs used to destroy Castle and Vivian's placement on the CIA's most wanted list.  Vivian assures him that she's trying to make Volkoff Industries a legitimate business.  She has turned over numerous pieces of evidence to the American government, and given them the names of all of Volkoff's agents.  As a further sign of her sincerity, she gives Chuck and Sarah a deadly weapon that her father had been working on.  When she does, shots ring out, but Casey says they aren't from his team.  Vivian believes she has been double-crossed and escapes. 

Back at Castle, Beckman tells Team Bartowski that the kill order stands.  She has run the weapon by her top people, but no one knows what it is.  There is only one man who can tell them what the weapon is, but, as Chuck points out, he is the most dangerous man in the world: Alexei Volkoff. 

Cut to Volkoff confessing that yes, it is true, he cut in the cafeteria line, but he is very, very sorry.  Volkoff is in prison group therapy.  The psychologist tries to get him to express himself with "I feel" statements, but when the warden informs him that he has visitors, and he sees that those visitors are Chuck and Sarah, Volkoff replies, "I feel like I'm about to have some fun."  Chuck wants to know what is up with the good guy act.  Volkoff states that he is leaving his evil ways behind.  Now he is only interested in how he can serve his fellow man.  Chuck, still wary of his adversary, shows Volkoff the weapon.  Volkoff explains that it is a DNA tracker, and is part of a larger weapon called the Norseman.  There are two other components, that when combined, can trace any person in a crowd and eliminate them.  The location of the other two components is important information that he won't give up unless he can have five minutes with his daughter.  Chuck says no, and no deal is made.

At the Buy More, Alex apologizes to Casey about the invitations.  She has constructed an entire scheme to make him a part of the graduation.  He is appreciative, but would love to be there.  They share an awkward hug (awkward because it is Casey and an any show of affection is awkward), and then Casey gives a classic Casey sneer and grunt when he sees Alex kiss Morgan goodbye.  Downstairs in Castle, General Beckman firmly states that she wants the other components of the Norseman.  She is even willing to grant Volkoff a 48 hour furlough and meet his demands.  Volkoff is wheeled into Castle a la Hannibal Lecter (sans mask).  He tells Team Bartowski that the Norseman's targeting component is being held by pirate Ellyas Abshir.  Upon hearing the name, Chuck flashes, and reels off Abshir's criminal history.  Volkoff explains that he lost the targeting component in a poker game with Abshir, who is a degenerate gambler.  Chuck protests to the General about Volkoff's involvement, but she replies that Volkoff is Chuck's responsibility for the next 48 hours.

Mogadishu, Somalia.  Using Windows Live (Blatant Product Placement!), the team is able to survey Abshir's compound (really?!?).  Volkoff instructs Chuck to tell them that he, Volkoff, has sent him, as Abshir still fears Volkoff.  As he prepares for the mission, Sarah asks Chuck if he wants to know why Sarah asked for a prenup.  Chuck replies that she must have her reasons, but it doesn't bother him.  Chuck's reaction, however, bothers Sarah. 

Back in Echo Park, while Devon is telling Clara about The Missing Link, Ellie worries that the Agent X file is missing, right after she told her mother about it.  Why would Mom delete it?  Back in Mogadishu, Chuck enters Abshir's compound and says he works for Alexei Volkoff.  Immediately, all guns are pointed at him.  Abshir steps forward and says Volkoff is a powerless worm.  Volkoff, watchign with Sarah and Casey from a surveillance room, says he needs to be in the compound to save Chuck, as Abshir belivges Volkoff has been neutralized.  Chuck tells Abshir he is there for the component.  Abshir instructs Chuck to pick a casino game: if Chuck wins, he gets the tracker; if he loses, Chuck dies.  "Do you have Uno?" Chuck wonders.

Mary tells Ellie that she accidentally lost Agent X file while trying to cross-reference some unrelated files with the CIA.  Ellie says it's OK because the computer has a back-up file, but positions the video baby monitor to watch the computer as Ellie and Devon go out on a date.   As soon as they exit the apartment, Ellie flips on the monitor and watches as her mother logs back onto the computer.  Ellie is in disbelief.  Devon says they are not spies and shouldn't be watching her mother.  Ellie counters that tonight they going to act like it.

Back at Abshir's compound, Chuck and Abshir actually play Uno!  Chuck sees Abshir pull cards from his sleeve and accuses the strongman of cheating.  Abshir rises and aims his gun at Chuck's head.  Volkoff enters, throwing a knife that sticks Abshir's sleeve to the table.  He secures the tracking component, but won't leave at the team's behest.  Volkoff holds Abshir at knife point and in the most threatening apology ever, explains that he is sorry for what he may have done to Abshir in the past; Volkoff, like all men, is still a work in progress.  Abshir, believing Volkoff is insane, accepts Volkoff's apology.  Volkoff kisses Abshir on the cheeks, and the team leaves.

At Castle, Volkoff installs the tracking component, but the killing agent is still missing.  Volkoff wants proof that General Beckman will keep her word before he gives them the location of the final component.  She says there is a redacted letter from Vivian on the table, which states she will meet him.  Volkoff sees the Volkoff Industries watermark and is satisfied.  He explains that the final component is in a Swiss bunker with a DNA lock only he can open.  Meanwhile, Hot Mama (Ellie) and Six-Pack (Devon) spy on Mary by following her after she leaves leaves their apartment.

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Chuck 4.20 "Chuck vs. the Family Volkoff" Recap

Did you miss last week's Greta-riffic episode?  Catch up with my recap here.

This week's episode begins in Ellie and Devon's apartment.   Ellie is in "the zone" working on her father's computer, not even noticing Clara sleeping next to her.  She is amazed at her father's work in neuroscience, and his attempts at getting the brain to reorganize itself.  Unbeknownst to Ellie, Director Bentley is watching her through the computer in Sector 6.  Bentley's surveillance is interrupted by a text message from Chuck, who calls her into Castle proper.

General Beckman informs Team Bartowski, including Morgan and Bentley, that their new agenda is to find Intersect candidates that are close to Chuck in personality and temperament.  In essence, Chuck needs to find more Chucks. Everyone else is there to support Chuck, who is in charge of the project.  Though he might feel it's warranted, Chuck shouldn't get a big head because, as Morgan reminds him, the last time Chuck was in charge he led his Dungeons & Dragons troupe to their fiery death.  Chuck tells the team that he gave parameters to the CIA of acceptable agents and the Agency sent four new Chucks.  The first is Lewis, a bomb expert that spent so much time in Britain that he's adopted a British accent.  He selected a female agent, which Casey posits is because Chuck wanted someone as "feely" as he is.  Next is Damian, an agent embedded with terrorists throughout the Middle East.  Chuck selected him because Chuck felt trapped at the Buy More.  Finally entering the store is Brody, an eerie doppelgänger of Chuck.

The team takes the recruits down into Castle.  Casey is to handle the agents' physical testing.  Sarah takes them through psychological tests.  Morgan tests their cultural knowledge.  At the end of the evaluations, Chuck has to pick.  Chuck asks Bentley for her opinion, but she has none because she's waiting for Chuck to screw up.  Brody, walking through the bowels of Castle, gets a text that he is Chuck's choice, but his celebration is short-lived.  Brody happens upon someone planting a bomb, and before he can stop the unknown figure, the assailant plunges a knife into Brody's chest.  A streak of blood on the floor is the only evidence left behind.

Big Mike approaches Morgan wearing a large "BM" costume (and here begins the "'BM' really means 'bowel movement'" puns).  Big Mike explains that Large Mart, the Buy More's chief competition, has the exact same TV sale that day, so they need to bring out the big guns.  When Morgan points out the ridiculousness of of the costume, Mike replies that he is proud to wear a large BM on his chest.  Big Mike exits the store.  A van screeches to a halt outside, and Large Mart goons jump out and kidnap Big Mike.  Meanwhile, Devon calls to tell Chuck that Ellie is making progress on the computer.  He can't stop her because the work is making her feel close to her dad again.  Chuck tells his brother-in-law that he needs to install a blank hard drive on the computer so she thinks it broke again, and take it to the Nerd Herd.  Chuck finds Bentley and questions her as to how Ellie received the computer.  Bentley at first denies her involvement, but quickly admits to her deed.  Chuck, following Bentley as she walks away, berates her until he slips on Brody's blood.  Chuck and Bentley follow the trail to a storage closet and discover Brody's body.  Lewis rushes up and exclaims, in a perfect British accent, "Dear Lord! There's been a muuurder!"

While Morgan figures out that the prank war truce between Buy More and Large Mart was broken by Jeff and Lester kidnapping Large Mart's toy pig, Kevin Bacon, Sarah figures that the murderer must be one of the recruits or Bentley. Chuck announces that Castle is now on lockdown.  He states that Casey, as someone who has saved his life so many times, and Sarah, as his fiance, are above suspicion.  Everyone next looks to Damian.  "Sure!  Let's blame the swarthy bearded guy!!" Damian shouts, before running from the room.  Chuck chases him down, but as Damian tries to leave by opening the door, a well-paced bomb explodes.  Fortunately, Damian survives.  The bomb disrupted most of Castle's systems, so they can no longer access the surveillance videos that might disclose the killer.  Casey informs Chuck that, in addition, the main power grid is down.  "We're trapped!" Chuck frets.  Sarah tells Chuck he needs to lead by staying calm.

Morgan sits down with Large Mart's manager to discuss the feud.  Before he can return Kevin Bacon, Morgan wants a proof of life.  The Large Mart manager gives Morgan a cell phone with Big Mike on the other end.  Big Mike is alive, and being treated well: he's eating Subway's flatbread sandwiches.  They're so good that they remind Big Mike of Morgan's mom: muy caliente.  With proof that Big Mike is alive, Morgan takes the Large Mart manager to the closet housing Kevin Bacon, but the little piggie is gone.  Meanwhile, back in Echo Park, Ellie tells Devon that she has figure out what her Dad was working on.  He was trying to input knowledge into the brain without the subject actually learning it.  What to do with it though?  Ellie wishes her dad was there to explain it.

Chuck and Sarah interrogate all of the suspects to little effect.  Chuck rues that the killer was sitting in the chair but they couldn't figure out who it is.  Finding himself no closer to uncovering the killer, he slumps to the floor.  He's fortunate that he does as he finds a bomb under the suspects' chair!  Chuck and Sarah make a narrow escape before the bomb explodes.  They make their way into Castle proper to find Damian with shrapnel in his back, and Lewis, the bomb maker, having escaped.

Conducting his own interrogation, Morgan quizzes Jeff and Lester on the location of Kevin Bacon.  The guys play coy (well, as coy as Jeff and Lester could possibly be), frustrating Morgan.  Downstairs in Castle, Damian is unconscious, but alive.  Team Bartowski arms the remaining female agents and search for Lewis.  Bentley says Chuck isn't a good leader because he wants to be liked too much.  "Leaders can't afford to be liked," she warns him.  They hear someone scurrying through the air duct.  Casey climbs up into the duct and trains his weapon on the approaching sound.  It is not Lewis, however.  It's Kevin Bacon!  Bentley decides to go to the Intersect room in Sector 6 because it's the one place in Castle that is bomb-proof.  Chuck follows her and sees Bentley's surveillance of Ellie.  When questioned, Bentley says she is trying to save the Intersect project from Chuck's ineptitude.  During their argument, the two spies notice something up above.  They train their guns on the platform and lower it.  It is indeed Lewis, but he is not the killer -- he's been garroted.  "We can safely say Lewis is not the killer," notes Chuck.  "Brilliant deduction, Sherlock," retorts Bentley.

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Chuck 4.19 "Chuck vs the Muuurder" Recap

It's been a couple weeks since Chuck was last in our lives, so catch up with my recap here.  Starting with this week's recap, I'm going to try something a little different.  Instead of a complete blow-by-blow account of the episode, I'm going to highlight the main plot points, and add a little more commentary.  If you're reading this, you've likely just watched the episode anyway, so you don't need a full rundown.  So, let's see how this works, and depending on your comments, we'll forge ahead in this new fashion, or go back to the old way of doing things.  On to "Chuck vs the A-Team."

The episode begins with Morgan being interrogated by an individual disguising his voice.  It's no surprise that Colonel Casey is the one doing the interrogating.  Fortunately, Morgan has (finally, after a few times peeing himself) passed his test and is deemed safe to trust with Casey's secrets regarding his work in Sector 6 for the NCS.  Whatever he does, for their own safety, Morgan can't tell Chuck and Sarah what Casey is doing.

Speaking of Chuck and Sarah, these two desperately need a mission because playing Operation is not cutting it (pun intended) for at least Sarah's spy tendencies.  They see Casey bring a very large sniper rifle into Castle.  After Casey rebuffs their inquiries as to Casey's need for the sniper rifle, Sarah decides to follow him in order to discover what he has been hiding from them for the past couple weeks.  Sarah and Chuck follow him to Sector 6, but can't enter because the security system denies them access -- even the "one and only Intersect."  Sarah thinks it's time for a spy intervention, but Chuck has a better idea.  He shows up at Morgan's apartment, and through the door, questions Morgan about Casey's activities.  When Chuck asks why there haven't been any missions (believing that Casey is taking them all without him and Sarah), Morgan repeats Casey's line that perhaps the Intersect is just making the world a more peaceful place.

Chuck relays this lie to Sarah, who upon seeing Casey leaving for another mission, decides that she and Chuck are going  to follow him.  It's not like they're spying on their own partner, it's that without the Intersect, Casey is in danger.  They're not spying on him, they're just watching his back.

While extolling the virtues of the Toyota Siena (Blatant Product Placement!), Chuck and Sarah observe Casey on a meet with an international arms dealer.  When two of the dealer's guards pull their guns on Casey, Chuck and Sarah enter the fray with their guns drawn.  This only results in the dealer's many henchmen surrounding them.  The two guards then spring into action, taking out the henchmen.  They take off their masks to arrest the dealer.  Chuck recognizes them: they're two of the Gretas that had worked at the Buy More!  "Chuck, Sarah...meet my new team," Casey ruefully says.

Back in Burbank, Casey's new agents, Captains Rick and Vicki, make themselves at home in Castle.  "First they take over the Buy More, then our team, and then our spy lair, "Chuck exclaims to Sarah.  Sarah tells Chuck not to worry because he still has the Intersect, so they can't be replaced.  Casey pulls Sarah aside to try to apologize, but she wants none of it.  They were a team, and she can't believe General Beckman would split them up.  Casey informs Sarah that it wasn't Beckman who created the new team.  Enter Director Jane Bentley (played by Robin Givens, and previously seen in "Chuck vs the Masquerade"), someone Casey describes as "not as warm and cuddly as Beckman."  Chuck and Sarah call up The General to complain, but she explains that even she has to take orders.  She has some good news though: she has a mission for them.  They need to go to Tbilisi to extract Jana, the love of the arms dealer's life, so he will give them the whereabouts of the man Casey supposedly worked for during the sting operation, Dragan Pshuskin.

Before Chuck leaves for Tbilisi, he runs into Devon, who is trying to calm himself before entering his apartment.  Devon explains that he needs a baseline for coming home, because once he enters, Ellie is bouncing off the walls.  She has been figuring out Clara's sleep schedule, and running around like a crazy person.  She needs a distraction, and thought that her father's laptop would provide it.  She asks Devon what he did with the computer.  He calls Chuck and asks for the computer back, but Chuck says that it is locked away with the CIA somewhere.  Devon comes up with the idea to say he brought it to the Buy More, where Ellie will assume Jeff and Lester lost it.  The next morning, Ellie goes to the Buy More and finds Jeff and Lester reenacting the opening ESP testing scene from Ghostbusters.  They have no record of the computer, but when Ellie tells them she and Devon made "a special movie" during med school that is saved on the computer. the guys get right on it.

Tbilisi.  A car pulls up, and four toughs get out, but there is no sight of Jana.  One of the guys opens the trunk and pulls out a duffle bag.  Chuck fears Jana is chopped up into pieces, but they quickly learn that Jana is a dog.  Their fears have been realized -- he and Sarah are the B-Team.

Back at Castle, Chuck bemoans that he and Sarah are not just glorified pet couriers.  Sarah decides that the other team is their competition.  She and Chuck are going to capture Dragan to prove their worth, but first they need to find the arms dealer, The Turk.  They begin to hear Jana barking from Sector 6, but how will they get in.  Chuck goes back to Morgan's apartment and tried to get information from Morgan through the door.  This distraction allows Sarah to break into the apartment and tranq Morgan.  They scan the apartment for Casey's handprint that they can lift and use to open Sector 6.  After taking a nice dig at CBS for their plethora of crime procedurals they find a useful print on Casey's adored picture of President Reagan.

Upon entering Sector 6, Chuck complains that "their Castle is so much better than ours!"  Sarah opens a door and finds Chuck's father's laptop.  The appearance of the laptop brings Chuck's worries to the fore: Did Casey create more Intersects?  "You're not as special as you think," Capt. Rick says as he grabs Chuck's arm.  Chuck flashes some Chuck Fu and the two fight to a draw.  Capt. Vicki jumps in and when she grabs Chuck, he flashes some Chuck Judo, but again fights her to a draw.  Sarah wants to know what is happening.  "We're following the same program," Chuck replies, "Sarah, they're Intersects!"  Casey enters, and Chuck grabs the computer, causing Vicki to pull her gun.  Casey tries to order Vicki to stand down, but she doesn't.  Director Bentley enters, noting that unlike Chuck, "My Intersects are unafraid to pull the trigger."  Chuck hands over the laptop.

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Chuck 4.18 "Chuck vs the A-Team" Recap

Let's say you are a fan of NBC's Chuck, and at the beginning of this season, you were introduced to a new character played by Olivia Munn, named Greta.  Then, to much confusion (for the characters, if not for you as a loyal TVOvermind reader), the Greta we knew, was replaced by the Old Spice Guy, Isaiah Mustafa.  Though still named Greta, Mustafa was then replaced by Stacy Keibler, and then Summer Glau.  Then, Greta just disappeared completely.  It may make you (and by you, I mean me) wonder, "What the Hell was up with Greta?!?"  Well, tonight, we are about to find out.

TV Guide is reporting that tonight's episode of Chuck, "Chuck vs. the A-Team," brings back Keibler and Mustafa as the two former Gretas who are now part of Casey's super-secret NCS team, supervised by Jane Bentley (played by Robin Givens).  The TV Guide article reveals what is so special about the two Gretas, now named Capt. Victoria and Capt. Rick, respectively, but I don't want to spoil you.  Let's say this new partnership might give Chuck and Sarah a run for their money as America's top spy team, and they are not happy about it.

Further, Chuck and Sarah will learn that Casey has been moonlighting for the NCS.  Will he be taking Morgan along with him?  What will this mean for Team Bartowski?  Just as Chuck is solidifying his relationship with Sarah, their relationship with Casey is dissolving.  I can't imagine Chuck is going to take this all too well.

So, what do you think about this?  Are you happy to finally get some explanation for the existence of the Gretas?  Would you have rather had Olivia Munn or Summer Glau (they of two failing NBC shows) back?  How long do you think Casey's work for NCS last?  Will Morgan choose his best friend, or his mentor and possible future father-in-law?  Please leave your comments and theories below.  Watch Chuck tonight at 8:00pm EDT/PDT on NBC, and check back here tomorrow for my latest recap.

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Email: michael@tvovermind.com

It's Time to Find Out What GRETA is All About on Chuck

If you missed last week's romantic, and at times disturbing (Morgan being painted with chocolate!), episode, check out my recap here.

This week's episode picks up right where the last one left off, with Vivian in Volkoff's office, staring at the light emanating from the wall.  Vivian approaches a panel in the wall which contains a clear plastic card, engraved with some very familiar numbers engraved on it (familiar to Lost fans, anyway).  She removes the card and an unseen red light begins to blink.  Vivian studies the card, and not divining its meaning, falls into Volkoff's chair and says, "I give up."  A man's voice says that is a strange reaction to the gift she has just been given.  The man enters the office and introduces himself as Riley, Volkoff's lawyer.  Riley explains that Volkoff left Vivian a letter.  He begins to recite it it an approximate Volkoff accent.  When Vivian questions the affectation, Riley explains that Volkoff instructed that he read the letter that way to make her comfortable.  Dropping the accent, Riley completes his recitation of the letter, concluding with Volkoff's desire that Vivian follow in his footsteps as the head of Volkoff Industries.  Vivian does not seem receptive.  Sensing this, Riley asks her how could she possibly say no?  "No," she calmly states.  In response, Riley pulls a gun saying that he can't let her say no.  Vivian deftly knocks the gun away and stabs Riley in the hand with an envelope opener.  She grabs the car and escapes.

In Echo Park, Ellie and Sarah look at flowers.  Sarah just doesn't have a strong opinion about the flowers, or really, anything.  Can't Ellie just make the choices?  Ellie explains that every bride feels overwhelmed, but there is a moment where everything changes.  Ellie was picking up her wedding bands when she realized that she was marrying the man of her dreams and just broke down.  She knows it sounds cheesy, but everything became magical for her at that moment.  Ellie promises that Sarah will have such a moment (and I noted that said moment would likely occur between 8:40 0and 8:50pm).

Over at the Buy More, Chuck and Morgan stand in front of the TV wall.  Morgan says he's not going to get a TV for his new place.  When Chuck practically falls over at this news, Morgan assures his best bud that he's just kidding.  A 72 inch-er is more like it.  Chuck asks how the apartment search is going.  Morgan still hasn't found anything, and is living with his mom, but he has some prospects.  Chuck gets a text to come down to Castle, so as he leaves he tells Morgan that he is happy everything is going so well for the bearded one.  When Chuck leaves, Big Mike approaches Morgan and asks if he slept OK the night before.  Morgan responds in the negative, citing some very loud cats.  Big Mike informs Morgan that those "cats" are going to have a special dinner tonight, and could get a bit...frisky.  Not wanting to hear about any more of Big Mike's nocturnal activities with Morgan's mother, Morgan says he needs to go place an ad for a roommate and quickly disengages from the conversation.

Vivian is in Castle, and tells Chuck and Sarah about Riley.  She plunks card down the card from Volkoff's office on table.  Upon seeing it, Chuck flashes.  It turns out the card identifies a vault at the First Bank of Macau, a depository for all of Volkoff's wealth.  General Beckman informs Chuck and Sarah that the bank is actually operated by the mob.  The CIA (whatever happened to the NSA?  Operation Bartowski used to be a joint CIA-NSA operation.) has tried to infiltrate it for years, but were always unsuccessful, losing a few agents in the process.  They now have a perfect asset in Vivian because she's an account holder.  Chuck protests that Vivian is not built for the spy world.  "Well, you're a spy and she's an asset," the General retorts.  Chuck needs to turn Vivian into a Volkoff.

Morgan sits in his office writing an apartment ad.  Jeff and Lester stop by to ask Morgan to settle a debate for them.  What is the best place to meet girls: a renaissance fair or a meth clinic?  Morgan, just wanting to rid himself of the guys, answers renaissance fair.  Lester immediately asks if they can have two weeks off to go to a renaissance fair?  No, and he doesn't have time to answer any more questions as he needs to find a roommate.  Lester says that he and Jeff have an extra bedroom in their apartment/van; Morgan can stay with them.  Morgan wants no part of their van, and is saved by a call to come to the sales floor.  When he leaves, Lester reads Morgan's apartment posting and notices that potential roommates will meet Morgan at the Buy More.  Lester decides he is going to screw with Morgan to get Jeff and him their vacation.

Downstairs in Castle, Vivian tells Chuck that she doesn't want any part of the mission; she just found out her father is a criminal mastermind.  Chuck replies that he can relate because his father left him when he was thirteen.  What Chuck did learn, however, was that even though his father wasn't around, it didn't mean he wasn't thinking abut Chuck.  Chuck can promise that he and Sarah will help her find some answers about Volkoff.  With that, Vivian agrees to take part in the mission.  She needs more evil clothes though.  Chuck engages a computer which scans VIvian with a green laser.  A hologram appears (whoa, so this is where Chuck was putting all of its special effects budget all season?) of Vivian in a new outfit.  With the disguise approved, a mechanized closet brings the combination forward.  Castle picks clothes!  Chuck mentions that Castle has a great makeover feature too, not that he has tried it or anything.

When Vivian goes off to try on the clothes, Chuck calls up a hologram of him in a tux.  Sarah comments that it is a bit formal for a bank job.  Chuck agrees, but he's showing it to Sarah because that is what he is choosing to wear for the wedding.  Sarah agrees it's nice, but her comment seems forced.  When called on her reaction, she apologizes to Chuck; she feels like she's letting everyone down because she's not into wedding planning. Chuck tells her not to worry about it; he'll call of Ellie if Sarah wants.  No, she will try harder for everyone involved.  At that moment, Casey walks by, but he doesn't stop to talk to them.  Chuck asks where he is off to, and Casey responds that he's going for a Hot Pocket.  Chuck notes that they haven't seen Casey in a while.  Casey replies that General Beckman has a separate mission for him, but he can't say what it is.  They'll talk later.  With that, Casey rushes off, leaving Chuck and Sarah quite confused.

Upstairs in his office, Morgan has his first potential roommate come by.  The guy is a renaissance fair king.  After asking Morgan to kiss his ring as ruler of the realm, the king is followed by a wench and a half-man/half-goat faun.  Morgan is exasperated, and when he next looks up, he is staring into the gruff face of the Colonel.  Casey is not there for the roommate ad.  Morgan want to know why weirdos keep showing up.  He looks out the window an sees the renaissance fair characters reveling outside with Jeff and Lester.  It dawns on Morgan that the guys screwed with his ad.  Morgan then realizes that Casey has an extra room in his apartment.  When Morgan inquires, Casey curtly replies, "Don't even think about it."

Macau.  Chuck, Sarah and Vivian prepare for the mission in a van outside the bank.  Chuck tells Vivian that she needs to think like her father.  Chuck will, like Kevin Costner, be her bodyguard.  There will be rigid security that will test her identity.  Vivian replies that she is not good at tests; what if she fails?  Chuck's only further advice is, "Just pass."  He promises he will stay close.  Chuck and Vivian enter the bank (with Sarah monitoring from the van), and are greeted by none other than Dr. Pierre Chang (yeah, second Lost reference)!!  He tells Vivian that he wasn't aware Volkoff's account had changed hands, but when he scans the account card, he notes that it is legitimate.  This bank manager leads Vivian to the vault, but Chuck is not allowed in.  Chuck protests, but Vivian says its OK; she is not backing out of the mission.  With Chuck's assent, Vivian goes up the stairs to the vault alone.

Chuck radios Sarah and tells her security stopped him.  Sarah tries to direct him to another avenue to the vault, but he needs a key card to get up to the vault level.  "It's time to be a spy," Chuck says before approaching the security mercenary.  He asks the guard how will he know Vivian will be properly protected?  What if a Kung Fu master broke in and started wheeling his arms around for a fight.  The guard delivers a punch to Chuck's midsection, which staggers Chuck to his knees.  As the guard helps him up, Chuck grabs the guard's card, and makes his way to the locked stairwell.  Up in the vault, Vivian walks up to a console.  The bank manager tells her this is standard security procedure, and asks her to place her hand down on the console.  A needle pricks her finger and draws blood for a DNA test.  Meanwhile, Chuck arrives on the vault level but sees no sign of Vivian.  "Oh, no!" exclaims Sarah.  Is everything OK, Chuck wonders.  Sarah just received a text from Ellie about going cake testing.  "Yeah, cake testing.  That's so terrible," Chuck replies.  Sarah, hearing his sarcasm, admits she knows wedding stuff should be fun, but she's finding it a little overwhelming.  Chuck suggests she pick at least one thing to get excited about.  "Ease your way in," he recommends.  Chuck then sees into a vault and spies an entire room full of computer equipment.  He flashes that the equipment is stolen Chinese army computer servers.  Chuck notes that the bank wouldn't have military grade tech if it wasn't up to something sinister. 

Back in the vault, Vivian is asked her name, her purpose for being in the vault, and if she is with a law enforcement agency.  Vivian gives her responses, and the bank manager reappears.  She has passed the test, and as a result, subsequent visits will be sufficiently less evasive.  Vivian is handed solely a safe deposit box.  When she asks if the box is it, the manager tells her that Volkoff said all of his prized possessions were contained inside.  Vivian inspects the box's contents and finds pictures and news clippings of her.  Meanwhile, Chuck makes his way toward the vault, but is stopped by a guard.  Sarah asks if he needs help, but Chuck says he can handle it.  A second guard approaches Chuck from behind and grasps him around the neck.  "Now I need help!" he radios to Sarah.  Vivian leaves the vault and is met by the two guards and Chuck in zip tie handcuffs.  She is told that her bodyguard was found in an off-limits area.  Chuck apologizes to "Ms. Volkoff."  Picking up on his hint, Vivian slaps Chuck and pulls a gun on him.  She bellows that she trusted him, and has never been lied to like she has.  She swears she is about to shoot Chuck, but the manager stops her, explaining that there is "no need to do this on bank property."  The guards escort Vivian and Chuck toward the door as Sarah enters.  Vivian explains that they can hand Chuck over to her new head of security, Sarah.  As she departs, the bank manager says that despite his feelings earlier, he can now see Volkoff in Vivian.

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Chuck 4.17 "Chuck vs the First Bank of Evil" Recap

Did you miss last week's CAT-tactic episode? Catch up with my recap here.

"Chuck vs the Masquerade" opens in Samara, Russia.  A man gets into the back of a car and asks the driver, Jurek, if he has heard of the whereabouts of a key.  Volkoff didn't give it to him, Jurek answers.  Volkoff must have "chosen Anotnia."  That was evidently the incorrect answer as the man kills Jurek.  Cut to Perugia, Italy.  The same man kisses a beautiful woman passionately.  She pulls gun on him and says she knows what happened to Jurek.  She tries to fire the gun, but there are no bullets.  The man shows her the bullets he removed from her gun an kills her.  Next stop: Bremen, Germany.  The man tells Chrisoph he is the last of Volkoff's lieutenants.  Christoph swears he doesn't have key, but he knows who does.

Echo Park.  Morgan puts the finishing touches to the tons of Valentine's Day decor he has laid out for his and Chuck's shared night of love for their respective ladies.  He and Chuck review the evening's schedule:  Morgan is to start in the living room with Alex while Chuck and Sarah in bedroom.  Then at 9:30, they are to switch so Morgan and Alex can spend some time in the bedroom while Chuck and Sarah settle in for a viewing of Love Actually.  The two share a fist bump for their excellent planning.

Also sharing a fist bump are Ellie and Devon who look like parenting has gotten the best of them.  It's been three days since they've had any sleep, and three months since they've had anything else.  They have finally gotten Clara to go to sleep, so maybe it's time for "Mommy and Daddy" to break that three-month streak, Devon suggests.  Ellie agrees, as long as he drops the "Mommy and Daddy' talk.  They kiss, but Clara starts to cry.  They try to ignore her, but they can't, and quickly rush to her bassinet.  Chuck, meanwhile, puts on a funk record and moves toward Sarah, who is poised coyly on the bed.  Sarah tells Chuck that she has a surprise for him -- she made him chocolate covered strawberries, and they are in the fridge.  Chuck worries that he can't get them because Morgan has the living room.  Then again, it's only been five minutes so they can't be too involved yet.  Chuck sneaks into the kitchen silently, and finds Morgan and Alex in blindfolds, doing some sort of yoga breathing.  Chuck grabs the bowl of strawberries, but his phone begins to vibrate with a call from General Beckman.  Chuck drops the bowl, but Sarah grabs it in midair.  Morgan and Alex detect something is wrong, but agree that the sound was because they are so close, they're souls are vibrating.  Chuck and Sarah move to leave the kitchen, but Sarah is caught on a hook!  She tries to free herself, but her rope rips off, revealing a sexy red nightie.  Chuck is slack-jawed, and becomes even more so when Sarah's wings unfold behind her!

Casey received a call from General Beckman too, and as he makes his way across the apartment courtyard, tells her that there better be a damn good reason Chuck, Sarah and Morgan aren't picking up their phones.  As Casey enters their apartment, Alex is painting Morgan with chocolate in their pajamas, Chuck is wearing a "Love Machine" t-shirt, and Sarah is standing in lingerie with wings!  Morgan and Alex take their blindfolds off, and see Chuck and Sarah.  Morgan complains that he had the living room.  "What do you kean 'had'?"  Casey pointedly inquires of Morgan.  Before the bearded one can fumble for a response, Casey commands that they all leave, "Mission.  Now."  All Chuck can say of the situation is, "Happy Valentine's Day everybody!"

As they enter Castle, Morgan, still clad in his silk pajamas, explains that he and Alex were just trying to transfer their energy to each other.  The team notices some construction going on in Castle, which General Beckman explains is as the NCS making some changes to Castle.  She informs the crew that there was supposed to be a bust three Volkoff's top three lieutenants the night before, but all were killed by Boris Kaminsky.  The CIA believes Boris is trying to take hold of Volkoff Industries by eliminating all of his competition.  In searching Volkoff's Hydra files, there is one name for which Volkoff has no contact information: Vivian MacArthur.  It is believed she has been kept hidden because Volkoff chose her to be his successor.  No one knows what she looks like, but she is supposed to host a party in Somerset, England. The team is to go to Somerset, find Vivian and bring her back to the States.  Morgan has one question: what type of party is it?

The colorful and weird masks mean only one thing: a masquerade ball (which, of course, makes me think of this.  You can't blame me, my wife is in that show on Broadway.)  Chuck tells Sarah that masquerades creep him out.  It could turn out to be a sex-crazed orgy party like in Eyes Wide Shut.  Well, Sarah has been to those, and this party isn't like that.  "Really?" a surprised Chuck stammers.  No, not really, Sarah assures him.  A woman goes up to the and asks the bartender for a drink.  Casey mixes something for her, and she thinks the drink is incredible.  Morgan notes that Casey's drink is pretty good; with Chuck and Sarah taking the lead on mission lately, maybe Casey should think about retiring and becoming a bartender full time.  Casey bristles, and says that he is an integral part of the team.  Further, if anyone should think about moving on, it's Morgan.  "Wake up, Grimes.  You're living with an engaged couple.  You're like their kid," Casey fires at Morgan.  Meanwhile, Chuck chats up a guest looking for Vivian as Sarah talks with Boris.  When Chuck chokes on the heat of an hors d'oeuvres, he grabs a random glass of wine.  The woman who belongs to the wine is sitting nearby.  Chuck apologizes for taking the wine, but she doesn't mind.  Like Chuck, she is creeped out by the masks, as well.  When Sarah sees Boris' gun she excuses herself and heads for Chuck.  He asks the woman how she knows Vivian, but she replies that no one really knows her.  When Chuck turns to locate Casey, the woman disappears.  Sarah finds Chuck and tells him (and Casey and Moran by radio) that she met Boris.  Chuck replies that he thinks he met Vivian.

Chuck and Sarah run out of the party and find her by the stables.  As they approach her, with Sarah's gun drawn, they inform her that they are there to protect her.  What they don't see is Boris and his men rounding the corner of the stable.  Boris fires, trapping them in the stables.  Chuck radios to Casey for help, noting to Morgan that nothing had changed -- Chuck and Sarah still need him.  Boris demands the key, but Vivian doesn't know what he's talking about.  Chuck and Sarah explain to her that Volkoff had her name in his system and that Boris has been killing Volkoff's associates that might have this key.  Vivian says she hasn't seen Volkoff in years.  Further, she is Volkoff's daughter.  The spies try to tell her that Volkoff is an arms dealer, but she doesn't believe them.  Regardless, they need to escape.  Sarah lies down some cover fire, and the three of them jump into a car.  Chuck drives up to the front of the house with Sarah shooting at their pursuers out of the sunroof.  Casey and Morgan run up.  "What are you doing?" Chuck asks.  "Saving you," replies Casey.  "What are you doing?!?" Casey asks in return.  "Saving you!" Chuck responds.  "You're the best spies in the world!" exclaims Morgan (much to Casey's chagrin), as Sarah continues to shoot at the bad guys while Chuck speeds away to safety.

Back at the Buy More, Ellie and Devon enter the store, looking haggard.  In fact, according to Big Mike, they smell like vomit and Cheerios.  The couple needs help getting Clara to sleep and stop crying.  Big Mike shows them to the sleep and baby care section, and points out a Sleep Sheep.  It's the same Jeff uses to make him sleep, as he is shown clutching the sheep and hanging upside down like a bat in the home theater room.  Ellie and Devon notice that the music being played frmo Jeff's sheep has clamed Clara and put her to sleep.  Big Mike tells them that it is Jeffster!'s cover of Rusted Root's "Sedm Me On My Way."  Ellie says that they need that sheep.  What if the guys say no, Devon asks.  "They can't!" a desperate Ellie yells.  She has plan.  Ellie enters the home theater room with Clara in her arms, and pretends to be surprised by Jeff and Lester's presence.  She says that she came in to breastfeed, but since they are there, maybe she should go to the break room instead.  When she leaves, Lester wonders if they shoudl follow her.  the answer is obvious, so they rush off after her, with Jeff leaving his sheep behind.  In sneaks Devon who absconds with the sheep, and hopefully, sleep salvation.

Downstairs in Castle, the team confirms that they believe Vivian didn't know about Volkoff's activities.  Morgan, however, is not part of the conversation as he is talking to Alex on the phone and promising he will make up Valentine's Day to her.  Casey tells Chuck and Sarah that he will handle the paperwork on Vivian if they take care of Morgan, who has been feeling irrelevant lately due to Chuck and Sarah's relationship (projecting much, Colonel Casey?).  Sarah suggests to Chuck that since Morgan always sees her in context of her and Chuck's relationship, maybe she and Morgan need to hang out alone more often. 

Cut to their apartment.  Morgan and Sarah sit in awkward silence.  He finally asks her if there is a reason behind their get together.  No, Sarah tells him, she's just looking to "hang."  She spies some figurines on the mantle, and says she knows Morgan and Chuck like having those toys around.  She picks up large Chewbacca and Han Solo figures, and starts making Chewie growl at Han as if they were dolls!!  (I felt this was some of Yvonne Strahovski's best comedic work.  I can't d it justice by writing it down, but it was hysterical to see her playing with the figures.  Check it out on Hulu.)  Morgan, almost voiceless with shock, says that they are not "toys," but "collectibles."  "They're really fun...to look at," Sarah replies, putting the figures back on the mantle.  Morgan explains that he has been collecting them since he was thirteen.  As Morgan says this, he has a revelation.  They are just toys, aren't they?  "You're here because I'm a third wheel!" he says to Sarah.  "I'm like a child!"  With Sarah protesting, Morgan continues.  He can't do this anymore.  He needs to grow up and move out.

Over in Burbank, Vivian asks Chuck if her father really kills people.  When he confirms that fact, she explains that Volkoff was never part of her life.  She just went from school to school, not knowing what he did.  Chuck suggests that maybe he Volkoff was trying to protect her from the dark and dangerous world of which he was a part.  Vivian laments that she doesn't know what to do with her life now.  "Can I not be a spy for a second?" Chuck asks.  He explains his old, dead-end life.  But then, an opportunity then fell into his lap.  Chuck never expected this to be his life, but he's happy now, and that could happen for her, too.  Well, now what? Vivian asks.  Chuck says they will take her to a CIA safe house.  Vivian protests, but Chuck explains that Boris has taken out everyone else, and now going after her.  Vivian has her own idea: use her as bait.  "Noooooooooo!" Chuck replies, but Vivian presses.  This is the first chance she has had to take control of her own life.  Will Chuck help her?  He thinks, but agrees.  Yes, he'll help her.   

But Wait...There's More on Page 2!!