Episode Report Card Chuck: C+ | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Men Behaving Badly
By Chuck | Season 5 | Episode 2 | Aired on 01.12.2002
Flashback to Dave Brass getting his Achilles tendon slashed; McManus walks in to find him back at work, manning the reception desk. McManus acts all awkward because he didn't go see Brass in the hospital, because it's all about him and his insecurities. In response to McManus' inquiry, Brass says he's not sure what the future holds, and wonders if McManus ever found out who cut him. Negative, Dave. Well, I think that's why I'm here, he says. I want to know. McManus, uncomfortable that the conversation has veered away from him, starts babbling about how he feels that the cut was designed to remove Brass from the final basketball game. After they decided not to play, McManus told Morales that they were playing, and he feels bad and responsible and sorry. Yawn. Brass tells McManus he'll buzz him in, and then throws a fit when the door won't work before limping over to open it manually. So we know that Brass is one rage-filled dude.
Immediately inside the gates, Leo's perky assistant tells McManus that there's a staff meeting with Devlin at 11:00. Sharp. This means that McManus will be late. Sure enough, McManus slithers in at 11:13 as Devlin -- snippy as ever -- introduces the new liaison between his office and Oz. She'll help with problems that arise and clear up changes in the administration's policy. She's a perky, mellifluous blonde named Eleanor O'Connor, "fresh off the boat from New York City" (confirming that Oz is not there), who uses the word "bullshit" in her bland "thanks for having me" speech. Clappity clap clap goes the staff -- except for Claire, who looks like she washed down a few bong hits with a shot of Jagermeister. Ms. O'Connor -- oops, "Ellie" -- sticks around for a meet-and-greet; Mukada bounds up and tells her he loved what she said (probably because she used a naughty word for doo-doo), while Pete says it's the first smart thing Mini-Gov has done in years. Demonstrating laudable professionalism, O'Connor immediately confides to Pete that she hears Devlin is not well liked, as Claire swings in and slurs that some people love him. Perhaps, Claire, but that's not the kind of love they're chatting about right now. Go lie down, honey. McManus quickly wishes her luck and bolts the room, with Murphy in hot pursuit.
Murphy wants McManus to stay away from "nice, genuine" Ellie -- he thinks that McManus jumps on every skirt that enters Oz. McManus tells Murphy that "I'm not gonna be fucking Eleanor O'Connor, because I already did." Seems Blondie is McManus's ex-wife.