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

Recapped by DeAnn Welker · Aired 2011-02-21

Chuck doesn't tell us anything we need to know this week. We just open on a car in Samara, Russia. A guy slides in the back and asks the driver where the key is. He doesn't know, and says Volkoff chose Antonia. Backseat Driver appreciates his honesty and then shoots him. Cut to Backseat Driver making out with a lady (Antonia, I presume). She pulls a gun, onto him, but he's already taken her bullets out, onto her. She doesn't have the key, so he kills her, too. As if the making out meant nothing to him. Third guy's putting some food in the microwave when Backseat Driver shows up in his kitchen. The guy says he doesn't have the key, but knows who does. Backseat Driver: "Good." But the guy doesn't reveal too much, so who knows? Maybe Backseat Driver won't kill him, right?

Chuck and Morgan are decorating for Valentine's Day at the apartment. The living room looks like Valentine's Day actually vomited all over the place, and then Morgan adds in a bearskin rug (which Morgan had to buy in bulk, so if Chuck knows anyone who wants one, he has seven more just like it). They work out the plan: Morgan gets the living room for 90 minutes with Alex, while Chuck and Sarah stay in Chuck's room. Then Chuck and Sarah can have the living room to watch Love, Actually (apparently a hit with the ladies around the world), and Morgan and Alex will head to his room. The doorbell rings, and Morgan and Chuck fist-bump over the rare occurrence of both of them being in a relationship on Valentine's Day. Less romantic are the Awesomes, all scruffy in sweatpants when Clara finally gets to sleep. They decide to sleep, but first some sex. But Clara cries. They try to just let her cry, but they can't do it. No sex or sleep for them, I guess.

Back at Chuck and Morgan's, Chuck's dancing for Sarah, who's on his bed, and quoting Pretty Woman. Chuck pulls off his jacket to reveal a T-shirt with his face under the words "LOVE MACHINE." Sarah promises there's a secret under her coat, too, but first she wants to give him the chocolate strawberries she made. Unfortunately, that means going into the Morgan zone, but Chuck says he'll just go out there since it's only been five minutes. When he gets out there, Morgan and Alex have eyemasks on as they do weird yoga breathing things with their hands up and facing each other but usually not touching. Chuck's cell phone vibrates and he nearly drops the strawberries (but Sarah catches them). Morgan and Alex think the vibrating is their souls being so close. They keep up the strange breathing and hand movements and then call for chocolate sauce. Sarah and Chuck are pretty horrified, and she gets stuck on a hook in the kitchen. When she slips out of her coat to break free, we see she's in a sexy red teddy and angel wings. Adorable.

By DeAnn Welker

Speaking of opportunities, Robin Givens, now without a mask, approaches Casey in the Castle hallway and tells him she sees his true potential. He's so much more than this team needs from him, and she'd like him to lead the new team she's putting together. He asks what the directive is; she's glad he's curious, and says she'll be in touch as she heads into a giant "Restricted Area" door.

Back to Chuck, who's telling Vivian he never thought this would be his life, but now he's happy and he's sure this will happen for her. Then he immediately tells her she has to go to a CIA safehouse. She can't believe he'd tell her she can do what she wants with her life, then say that, so she asks him to use her as bait instead and try to capture Backseat Driver. She just wants control of her life, she says. "Will you help me?" She's lovely, so Chuck obviously says he'll help.

Awesome and Ellie are in bed, wide awake, listening to the annoying Jeffster! Sleep Sheep that Clara's sleeping soundly to. They're even singing along, but they're not remotely happy about it. They decide to try turning it off to see if Clara stays asleep (she doesn't). So they'll just have to never sleep again so that their daughter will. Morgan's packing up his stuff when Chuck comes home to pack for his mission. He tells Morgan it's totally ridiculous that he'd move, and he's sorry he busted in on them on Valentine's Day. Morgan says that's not why he's moving; it's just been a long time coming. He reminds Chuck that he and Sarah will be married soon and should have their own place. Plus, Morgan has a serious girlfriend now. It's time they both grow up. Chuck says they are grown up, and he's happy; isn't Morgan? Morgan says he is, but he was also happy when Chuck's dad let them sleep in the attic fort all summer. Chuck agrees. But things change, says Morgan. Chuck asks where he's going to go, and Morgan gives a speech about opening himself up to the universe. Chuck: "So, heading to your mom's?" Morgan says yeah, he's going straight there. Morgan says he's split stuff up accordingly, which they discuss a bit. Which brings them to their Han Solo and Chewie dolls, which they scraped all their money to buy back in the day. Morgan wonders if they should each take one, but Chuck thinks separating them is crazy talk. Plus, they're worth more as a set. Morgan wonders if they should sell them, but Chuck says they should decide tomorrow, after sleep. Chuck takes Han Solo and says he'll just sleep with him in his room, and Morgan says Chewie will stay with him. They get all sad and then have their dolls high-five. Even they realize it's weird, I think, so Chuck goes into his room. They slide down walls opposite each other. Chuck is still staring at Han Solo when Sarah asks if he's okay. He pretends it's nothing, but she knows him and says she's sorry about Morgan. He says he's fine; they're fine; fine; is she packed for the mission? Yes.

By DeAnn Welker

Castle. Chuck, Sarah, Casey and Vivian are coming up with a game plan. Vivian fills them in on her daily routine, which they'll have to stick to exactly. But we jump forward, and Sarah's the one playing Vivian, with a short red bob wig and riding gear. Vivian tells her that, since the details should be right, she should take her necklace. She puts it on. Vivian worries about Sarah, but Chuck assures her she's been doing this for years, plus Casey's going to be watching. Sarah rides off into the woods (I guess part of Vivian's routine?), where she's eventually spotted by Backseat Driver, who tells his own guys (and there are a bunch of 'em) that it's time. They start to surround her, but she's not aware yet. She eventually hears a twig snap and radios to Casey that something's wrong and she's not to where he is yet. He says he'll come back to her, but Backseat Driver turns on some sort of high-pitched-sounding device that spooks the horse, which bucks her off. Casey is still on his way, but the horse takes off and ends up back at the stable with Chuck and Vivian.

Chuck radios to Casey and Sarah, and Casey answers and tells him to stay with Vivian. But she's all geared-up and ready to go. She jumps on the horse and tells Chuck she's not letting someone die for her; she's spent her whole life hiding, and that ends today. She reaches for him to get on the horse with her, and he's inspired: "Let's do this." In the woods, the bad guy checking out Sarah sees a blond lock of hair and radios to Backseat Driver that it's not Vivian. Backseat Driver tells him to kill her and find Vivian, but Casey kills the guy first. Sarah, groggy, tells Casey there's too many of them and Casey should get Chuck. Casey tells her to shut up; she knows he's not leaving her here. Meanwhile, Chuck and Vivian are being chased on horseback by what look like equestrian riders. Weird way for Backseat Driver's bad guys to dress, I think. She tries to outride them with her years of equestrian training, but Chuck says they're carrying too much weight. He tells her not to stop for anything, then flashes on a tree above them. So he jumps up and grabs the branch, then does some crazy gymnastics, including kicking the two bad guys off their horses and dismounting perfectly. He even nails the landing. Then he radios Casey and Sarah.

By DeAnn Welker

No one answers because Casey's busy shooting all the bad guys, one by one. He even aims at Chuck as he runs into the clearing, but recognizes him. Chuck runs to Sarah, who groggily asks where Vivian is. She's arriving back at the stables and radios Chuck, who tells her to stay right there; they're on their way. She's approached right away by Backseat Driver, who tells her to give him the key and he'll make her death painless. She says her father didn't give her a key, but he says Volkoff did, when she was young; a token of his affection. Like A NECKLACE, perhaps? (However, if Backseat Driver knows this much, why did he have to go on his killing spree to get here?) But she still looks confused and says she doesn't know. She says her father didn't want her involved in any of this, but Backseat Driver points out her skeet shooting, karate and economics lessons, all readying her for this day of succession. But Backseat Driver says Volkoff was wrong about her; he couldn't recognize that she's an indecisive, weak, little girl. She taps her horse in just the right spot and he jumps up. She pulls a hidden gun out of the saddle and shoots him. It's a shotgun, too, so it's not pretty. And not at all clear if this is a new thing for her, though she looks sufficiently shocked and there's no one there to even witness that. I'm going to believe she's been a good person, telling the truth, up to this point. Even if she is played by Supernatural's Bella.

By DeAnn Welker

At her manor later, Sarah, Chuck and Casey reassure Vivian about what she did, and then tell her that all of the folks formerly involved in Volkoff Industries are now dead. And, without a leader, her father's empire's just an empty office building in Moscow. Sarah gives back the necklace, which we note says "Love, Dad" on it. Some realization registers right as Chuck asks her if Backseat Driver told her anything about the key. She lies that he didn't. The gang has to leave, though, so she thanks Chuck profusely for helping her, and tells him she has to figure out what to do with the rest of her life. He's sure she'll figure it out.

Back at their apartment in Burbank, Morgan's pouting on the couch when Chuck gets home. He tells him that he gets that he's committed to moving out, but he can't tell him enough how much he and Sarah love him and love having him here. Morgan agrees it's great, which is why it's hard to leave. They agree it's the end of an era, but they're still going to have game night every Monday. Chuck asks where Han and Chewie are now; were they sold? Morgan says he couldn't separate them from each other, or from the family. Cut to Han and Chewie on a shelf in Clara's nursery, where she's asleep in her bed. Awesome wonders if Ellie's sure about putting her in there. She says she's three months old, and ready. They're so excited for what's about to happen -- they've been waiting since Clara was born -- and go to change for it. Then they kiss and go to sleep.

Casey's with Robin Givens at Castle. She acknowledges his value to the team, since he saved Sarah. She says he's been here four years, longer than he's stayed with any job, and that he won't stay with it forever. She asks him to leave while he can go out on top (kinda like he said to Morgan). He tells her he's not leaving Burbank (either because of the gang or because of Alex; I'm not sure which), and she says he won't have to. She tells him this is the mission and leads him to the "Restricted Area" door. It slides open, revealing a hall, and another even more secure-looking door. He looks down the hall knowingly, but with some curiosity, which I guess is going to mean he branches out on his own now. Good for Casey; his character does need more to work with. Robin Givens isn't wrong.

By DeAnn Welker

Volkoff Industries. Vivian shows up and looks around. Everything's dusty and faded and death's heavy in the air. Then she sits at the desk and notices a small gold horse statue with a hole perfectly sized for her necklace. She puts the necklace in and turns the key, which opens a door in the side of the room, revealing blue shiny light on her face (new Intersect?) as the camera pans out on the doors she came in, which close automatically. And that's how it ends. With a cliffhanger.

Luckily, it's back week. But the preview's not giving much away. Except that Chuck and Sarah go Bonnie and Clyde, robbing banks and loving it. They take Vivian hostage, though, because it's not money they're after.

Watch the episode below, then discuss it in our forums, then see our list of actors who should quit their shows and join this one.

What are people saying about your favorite shows and stars right now? Find out with Join the conversation now!

DeAnn, a writer and editor in Portland, Oregon, likes the idea of a young, sexy woman like Vivian as the Chuck baddie. You can contact her at twopmodmars@gmail.com.