Chuck TV Show - Chuck Versus the Fat Lady - Chuck Recaps, Chuck Reviews, Chuck Episodes | TWoP

Recapped by DeAnn Welker · Aired 2008-11-17

Previously: Chuck wants to remind us that he ran into Jill, and Ellie thought dating her again was a bad idea. Jill asked Chuck if his cover girlfriend would be jealous and he made out with her. We also met her boss, Gui LaFleur, who was supposedly producing a bioweapon (or an antidote), but was killed by an assassin, whom Sarah then killed. Agent Redhead wants to keep Jill around because if she knows anything, Fulcrum might come for her.

Now, Chuck's running up some stairs, acting like a spy, spraying stuff into surveillance cameras to make them blind for 20 seconds. Someone is following him. He gets to the top of the stairs and opens the door. He and Jill are on the roof of the Buy More for a picnic. He just wants to have some alone time with her without being watched by Casey and Sarah. Jill can't wrap her head around Chuck being a spy; he'd just like to soak up this beautiful view of the top of the Buy More. It's mainly a beautiful view because the government isn't watching, Chuck confesses. Who said romance isn't dead? Chuck and Jill kiss, and then he realizes there's a camera on the roof that's turning itself toward him right now. He gets up and runs over to it, yelling "Give me a break!" and "Are you kidding me?" Back at the Orange Orange Super Secret Lair, Casey's watching it on camera. Sarah thinks it's unnecessary, because he can't get into trouble on a date. Casey thinks Sarah's not making a big deal about her "supercomputer boyfriend trying to browse someone else's network," so Sarah says Chuck is entitled to a real girlfriend. The best part of this is that the whole time Casey and Sarah talk, Chuck's yelling at the camera, but we can't really make out what he's saying. It's very cute, though. Tiny yelly people who you can't understand usually are.

Agent Redhead pops up on the screen and tells Casey and Sarah she has their new mission: break into Gui's hotel room and look for a list he had of the Fulcrum CIA operatives. They are supposed to take Chuck in to the crime scene without the FBI knowing (so no one from Fulcrum is alerted) and see if he flashes on anything that might lead them to the list. Casey doesn't think it will be that hard to break into a controlled crime scene, given it's only the FBI. I love his government agency hierarchy humor, even though it really means nothing to me. Somehow Adam Baldwin totally sells it. Sarah sees Chuck on another camera as he walks into the Orange Orange, and she says she'll handle it.

By DeAnn Welker

Sarah walks into the Orange Orange, and Chuck greets her with a hostile, accusatory query about why there's a camera on the Buy More roof, what with its lack of terrorist activity and all. Um, Chuck, you are the intersect. The government needs to protect you. Keep up. Sarah changes the subject to tell him what the new mission is. He asks if they can talk about this tomorrow because Jill's waiting for him in the car. Sarah follows Chuck toward the door and asks if everything's all right with Jill. He says it is and asks if this is some spy thing, a psych evaluation or something. She says no, it's a friend thing. She wants to make sure he's okay. It's very sweet. He says he's great, because being with Jill is like having his old life back. He doesn't want to bash their cover or anything, but he's happy to be with someone who knows the real him. Sarah says from everything she's seen of Jill, she seems great. Chuck wonders if she might be willing to see a little less and stop spying on him all the time so he can have some privacy with his new (and old) girlfriend. She says she'll talk to Casey. Chuck thanks her and leaves. Sarah tries to shake off how emotional this whole thing is making her. Literally. I mean, she literally tries to shake it off by shaking her head.

At the Buy More, Buster Bluth is looking through invoices and finding that none of Chuck's off-site installation invoices are signed. He finds this very curious. Also at the Buy More, on the sales floor, Chuck and Casey discuss whether he can have any more privacy. Chuck appeals to Casey by asking him how many chances we get with the one who got away, but Casey tells him he's not even interested in his own feelings so he certainly doesn't want to hear about Chuck's. He wants him to keep his mind on the mission. Casey walks away and Morgan comes up to show his BFF the best thing to come from Canada since Shania Twain. It's a piece of hardware that honestly looks like the inner parts of a computer, but Morgan explains it's a game copier that will copy anything, ignoring all forms of copy protection. You know, so they never have to buy a game again. He tells Chuck it's highly illegal. Buster Bluth walks up right then and asks what's highly illegal. They both play dumb, so Buster assumes they're going to smoke weed on their lunch break. He calls it "reefer" and "ganja," and says that the loading dock is like a Five For Fighting concert at lunch. Really, Buster? Five For Fighting? Not the first band I think of when I think of concerts where pot's smoked.

By DeAnn Welker

The FBI agents standing guard at Gui's room are as bad as Casey let on. They're talking so loud they don't hear Casey, Chuck, and Sarah, even when Chuck falls into the room from the ventilation chute. Meanwhile, a mysterious-looking guy gets out of a van with a tool belt on and enters the hotel. He sneaks into the security and surveillance room, and apparently cuts a feed to Casey's set-up in their staging room, because that screen goes fuzzy. Back in Gui's room, Chuck flashes on a wood box. Just then the mysterious van guy, now in a suit, shows up at the hotel room. The FBI guards tell him they didn't expect to se him today, and then he shoots them. Chuck, Casey and Sarah work on fleeing, considering they heard the gunshots. They barely get into the ventilation and get it closed before the guy enters the room. Chuck is not very good at the covert ops, apparently.

Back in their staging room, Casey asks if the word "silent" has a different meaning in geek that he's not aware of. Chuck apologizes for being such a loud doofus (especially since his phone rang while he was in there -- it was Morgan -- and he'd forgotten to put it on vibrate), but points out that at least he got the list. Speaking of the list, Sarah wants to just break the box open, but Chuck says it's a puzzle box and these are all him. He solves the puzzle on top of the box and it pops open, immediately shooting Casey and Sarah with something. Casey runs to get a containment unit, and Sarah and Chuck strip down to their undergarments and hop in the shower. They wash themselves and each other off. And while Chuck's washing Sarah's back, he has an almost slow-motion moment where you know he's thinking he's with the wrong girl because he loves this one more. But he doesn't have time to do or say anything because someone knocks and Sarah tells him to go answer it, because it's Casey. But, alas, it's Jill, wondering why she just caught Sarah and Chuck in their underwear, all wet and sexy. She says she knew something was up, gets teary and storms off. Chuck tries to stop her by saying he could be dying. Which would mean almost nothing to someone in this context, I'd think.

By DeAnn Welker

Casey's testing the powder to see if it's poisonous as Chuck asks nonstop questions without waiting for an answer: about the substance that sprayed on them and about Jill picking that moment to come in, and whether he's going to die. He stops after that last one, as Casey's computer thing tells him the substance is "edible." So he sticks his finger in it, tastes it, and tells Chuck he won't die, but he could add ice and sell it to kids on street corners. Chuck's like, "I knew it! Drugs?" But it's actually fruit punch. I would say something about how ridiculous this is, but Chuck beats me to the punch (pun intended) by asking if this means that not only did they get the Fulcrum list, but Jill's never going to speak to him again because she caught him rinsing off fruit punch with another woman. Casey dryly tells him it's a common spy problem. I love Casey. Have I mentioned that?

Buster's now questioning Lester at the Buy More. He's trying not to crack, saying he's not friends with Chuck, but he has nothing to tell him. He tells Buster to ask Jeff. Jeff says he doesn't rat because his mom taught him that from prison. Then they're being questioned together, and Buster tells them they can't have poker night in the backroom if they don't give him something. They tell him that Chuck's cheating on Sarah with a hot brunette. They don't know anything else about her, so Buster threatens the poker game again. Lester tells Buster that Chuck tells Morgan everything, so that's the nut he needs to crack.

Chuck's at work, leaving pathetic voicemails for Jill. Because we know he never actually works. Jeff and Lester come out and tell Morgan to give Buster something so they can keep their weekly poker game. Buster walks up as Lester and Jeff leave and asks Morgan if he's ready to help. Morgan says he will. He says Chuck's providing service on service calls, and that he has 23 years of best friendship telling him Chuck's the straightest shooter he knows. Buster sees Chuck with Jill, and points it out to Morgan. He instantly recognizes Jill, of course, and loudly says she's Chuck's old college girlfriend. He doesn't like that Chuck didn't tell him about this. Buster says they can keep their poker game and he won't tell Chuck that Morgan was the weak link.

By DeAnn Welker

Chuck and Sarah are at some backwoods-looking gas station/convenience store. I'd like to know exactly how far outside of L.A. they've gone to find a place like this. Apparently far, because back at OOSSL, Casey and Sarah look for him using his GPS watch, but he's gone "off grid." Too bad, too, because Jill's been kidnapped by the Fulcrum guy. He wants the list in exchange for Jill's life. He wants to meet at the opera house at midnight. He throws Jill in the van and drives away.

Chuck's trying to convince Casey, in the OOSSL, to let him have the list so that he can save Jill's life. Casey says that the guy's going to kill Jill whether Chuck delivers the list. Chuck pleads for help, but Casey says no; he has to call Washington and report it. Chuck grabs the zip drive that the list is on out of the decoding computer. Alarms sound and the placestarts to lock up, but Chuck narrowly slips out a gate, and then out a glass door. Casey says it's treason and tells Sarah to shoot him. She threatens to if he doesn't stop, but of course, she doesn't shoot him. He tells her he's sorry, but he has to, because "It's Jill."

Chuck's running into the Buy More, and into the backroom to get something out of his locker that we can't even see. But that's just a plot device to get him to notice the game stickers all over Morgan's locker. Hmmm, I wonder what he might be thinking. Back at the OOSSL, the alarm stops and Casey tells Sarah she could have shot him. She says she couldn't because he's the intersect. Astute Casey: "Is that all he is? You could have at least knee-capped him." She has a trace on him, though, and he's heading downtown.

thing we see is Chuck in the Nerd Herd car (maybe he was getting the keys from his locker?) pulling up to the opera. He grabs the drive before he gets out. He goes inside and sees a crying Jill being held by the Fulcrum baddie. The guy asks to dispense with the pillow talk. Chuck says he can't give up the list until he knows Jill will be safe. The guy says that's not how this works; he wants the list or they both get shot. In walks Casey, who tells the guy that's not how this works either. What follows is probably the episode's best scene, because it's all Casey being bad-ass. He tells Chuck to wait in the car, but the Fulcrum guy tells him not to move because he has a sharpshooter trained on him. Up in the box, Sarah kicks the crap out of the sharpshooter and takes the gun. Casey says he now has the sniper. The Fulcrum guy wants the list or he'll shoot Chuck. Casey agrees that's a good idea and that he was thinking of shooting him himself. They both point their guns at Chuck, and Sarah looks legitimately worried with her own gun in the box seats. Chuck wants no one to shoot him, but Casey says he's not Sarah, and if Chuck gives up the list, he'll end Chuck's miserable life. The Fulcrum guy moves his gun back to Jill, but Chuck asks him to please point the gun at him again instead. It's really sweet how willing to sacrifice himself Chuck is for someone he hasn't seen in years. Casey tells the Fulcrum guy to go ahead and shoot Jill, because sometimes collateral damage is unavoidable. Is anyone else thinking Casey just needs to see someone die to help him get out of his foul mood? Chuck gives up the list, winking obviously at Casey as he does so. The Fulcrum guy says Fulcrum would rather not know who they have inside government, and he smashes the drive and takes off, leaving Jill alive. Jill and Chuck embrace. She cries and he tells her it's okay. Sarah looks sad watching Chuck get to take care of someone else. Casey inspects the drive.

By DeAnn Welker

At the Buy More, it's poker night. Morgan's feeling guilty that he had to rat out his best friend to keep this, but hey, not too guilty to play. Buster walks in to play with them. Jeff drinks out of a full six pack, because he's Jeff and everything he does is insane, disgusting, or bizarre (or a combination of the three). Morgan offers beer to Buster, but Buster brought himself a wine cooler. He takes a big drink and says it "Tastes like high school!" Of course it does. Adults don't drink wine coolers, you big tool. And then Lester says, "Donkey's wild. Let's go. Who's gonna put the poker in strip poker? Let's play it out, boys. Let's play it out." I can't tell if he's just messing with Buster or not, but none of that makes sense. Because: donkeys? Strip poker?

By DeAnn Welker

In front of the opera house, Sarah and Jill are walking out together; Jill asks if it's a normal day of work for Sarah, who says it pretty much is other than the highlight of Casey singing. Then we pan over to Casey telling Chuck he's going to have him arrested for crimes against his country, and then he'll take him down to Guantanamo. I think he had more to say, but Chuck interrupts him to explain that he made a copy of the list. He credits Morgan, even calling the copier Canada's greatest gift since Shania Twain. Back over with Sarah and Jill, Jill thanks Sarah for saving her and apologizes for not trusting Sarah with Chuck. Sarah gives an awesome speech about how if she wants to repay her she won't hurt Chuck again. Jill says she won't because she cares about Chuck, but shut up, Jill; Sarah's not done yet. Sarah looks at her piercingly, and says she's cares about him too. She adds, "It's my job to protect him. From anything." More piercing looks. And is that worry on Jill's face? Could it be?

Buy More the day, from Buster's perspective. It's foggy and hazy. Morgan walks up and says hi in a totally normal voice, and Buster asks him to stop screaming. Morgan thinks Buster had a little too much fun last night, and Buster agrees he should never have gone for the second Fuzzy Navel. They're four percent alcohol, after all. Morgan and I both think about how stupid and annoying Buster is. But Morgan takes Buster to the screening room to show him a video he made last night of Buster, wasted on his two Fuzzy Navels, in Big Mike's office impersonating Big Mike and then flailing around and throwing up. Morgan points out that Big Mike's office is off-limits after hours. Morgan tells him he'll run this up the flagpole if Buster doesn't call off the witch hunt for Chuck Bartowski. Awww, Morgan is so the best friend ever. I want one. Morgan leaves Buster, but not before saying, "Viva BuyMoria!"

Casey and Sarah are in the OOSSL putting the list back on the computer to decode the list. Jill and Chuck are making out in his room. Music starts playing and Jill coves up the camera. Casey wants to do something about it, but Sarah asks for him to give Chuck a little break after his big day today. The decryption key is found and Sarah and Casey start watching as Fulcrum agents start popping on the screen. Chuck and Jill keep on making out. And we all know what's coming at this point. It's impossible not to. But they do take awhile getting there, so long that the tension builds to a point that it makes you crazy. And when it finally does happen, we get a long shot on a shocked Sarah and a long shot on a shocked Casey before they start running out of the OOSSL with guns in hands. Then we see what they just saw on the screen: Jill's photo. It says "Jill Roberts" and "FULCRUM: Classified - 7RCCK." Casey and Sarah head into Chuck's and it's still intercut with Chuck and Jill's sex scene. But when they show up in his room with guns, there's no one there. Just a messy bed and his GPS watch. Then we see a gleefully, heartbreakingly happy Chuck in a convertible with a suddenly suspicious-looking Jill. He tells her they're "safe at last." Yeah, except for the part where you're not safe at all, Chuck. And they drive off into the ironic sunset. So, yeah, it took only one week for them to do exactly what I said would make the show dead to me. And, to be honest, it's not dead to me. It does piss me off, but the rest of the episode was so good. I hope they can continue at this level, and I still think there's a possibility it's not what it seems. For example, couldn't Jill be undercover inside Fulcrum, like Bryce? That said, I'm still knocking this episode down a full grade from what I would have given it if that hadn't happened at the end. Because ... cop-outs hurt your grades.

By DeAnn Welker

Previews would seem to say otherwise, but they also told us last week that Sarah would be pointing that sniper box seat gun at Chuck. Anyway, week: Chuck finds out Jill's a spy. She points a gun at his head. And the voiceover guy tells us Chuck will be lucky to get out alive. Sarah threatens Jill. Could it be another girl fight already?

DeAnn is a writer and editor in Portland, Oregon. You can contact her at twopmodmars@gmail.com.

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