Episode Report Card DeAnn Welker: A- | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT A Change in Management
By DeAnn Welker | Season 3 | Episode 4 | Aired on 01.18.2010
In a hurry? Read the recaplet for a nutshell description! Finished? Click here to close.Angie Harmon has Captain Awesome on a rooftop when the episode begins. She's a Ring operative named Sydney who knows everything about him, but the problem is, she thinks he's the spy in the family and forces him to work with her. When he reports this back to Chuck, he wants to put an end to it, but General Redhead, Sarah, and Casey convince him that he has to be Awesome's handler and help him work with her to infiltrate and take down her Ring cell, thus securing Devon's identity and taking out some of the problem in the process. The first mission they go on works out pretty well, because Chuck's there to assist and flash on stuff. The key, though, is that Brandon Routh, who introduces himself as Shaw (or, as we'll know him, Agent Superman), shoots himself and fakes his death, making it look to Sydney like Devon did it (as she requested).
General Redhead introduces them all to Shaw and says he's basically their new boss where the Ring is concerned. But when he wants to keep using Awesome to try to get Sydney, Chuck takes matters into his own hands and calls Sydney's phone to tell her he's the real spy. She and her gang meet him at the Buy More, and she basically doesn't believe Chuck that he's the guy who could have killed Shaw. Speaking of Shaw, he won't let Casey and Sarah go upstairs and help Chuck, and goes so far as hold them at gunpoint. Sarah doesn't care, though, and goes anyway. They save Chuck, and Shaw kills Angie Harmon, keeping the world safe for Chuck and his family. But Shaw tells Chuck family and friends make you vulnerable, and spies can't have them. Then, as Chuck and Morgan entertain Casey, Sarah, Ellie, and Awesome, Shaw -- alone at Castle -- mysteriously slips on a wedding ring.
In Buy More land, Morgan becomes assistant manager again, and the crew revolts. Again. This time, Jeffster! (inspired by the adrenaline rush when Chuck flashed and accidentally kicked Lester in the face) forms a fight club in the back room. It's silly and amusing (and their battery-charged cage ends up helping Chuck fight the bad guys), but ultimately gives Morgan the opportunity to play hardball with Lester and earn the guys' respect.
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Want more? The full recap starts right below!Previously: Awesome had a crazy night, then got kidnapped by the Ring. That's all we need to know, apparently. Now Awesome's on a rooftop with Angie Harmon, who says her name's Sydney. She hangs him over the edge, and then says they need him in tip-top shape. He asks what for, and she says nothing too difficult for one of the CIA's best. He says she has him mixed up with someone else; he's just a doctor. She says they know exactly who he is, Devon, then asks him what it's like being a world-class spy. Back at Castle, Chuck's freaking out and going on and on about how he's not freaking out because that would mean he's overreacting, which isn't possible when his brother-in-law has been kidnapped. He watches Ellie on a surveillance camera, and says she's calling Awesome for the fiftieth time, and she's called him twenty times. Sarah and Casey tell him to calm down, but he can't, so he goes to work, and tells them to let him know the second they hear anything.
Buy More. Big Mike has Morgan in his office, and Morgan's clearly worried, but he says he hasn't even had time to screw anything up. Big Mike says Morgan's become like family to him, and he can thank his mama. "That woman makes me feel good. Real good. Like a man should." Morgan and me: Ew. Big Mike says Morgan's ready to run with the big dogs, and asks him to be his assistant manager. He adds an "I believe in you, Son," and Morgan says yes, then he says he's ready to be a big dog. He barks a high-pitched bark, and Big Mike tells him not to do that, because it's a little dog, like a schnauzer. Big Mike lets out a big-ol' woof.
Outside the office, Jeffster! wants to talk to Chuck because Lester says Jeff is dead wrong about something. Chuck wonders if that isn't Jeff's default setting, then a Chinese customer walks up and asks Chuck a lot of questions about their big sale on HD TVs. Chuck tries to pass her on to Jeffster! but they take off before she can. Chuck sees Sarah and takes off, but the Chinese woman follows and starts yelling at him in Chinese. He flashes on Chinese and starts speaking it, basically telling her to leave him alone since his brother-in-law's been kidnapped. Jeffster! and Sarah watch in awe. The woman runs off, and Chuck hollers behind her that he's sorry and didn't mean to say that. He turns around and Lester says, "Impressive," then asks who would win in a fight between Jean-Claude Van Damme and Steven Segal. Chuck can't believe this is the big question, so Lester starts to demonstrate Seagal's fighting style of aikido. It causes Chuck to flash, and he totally kicks Lester in the face. It's hilarious, and then Jeff says, "Boom, boom, pow." Sarah pulls Chuck aside and says Lester will be fine, and that the last patient Awesome had was a Ring operative. Chuck freaks out again, and says it's all his fault, and just as he says, "I killed Captain Awesome," Awesome walks in and Chuck hugs him, all "Thank god. This is very good news. Tell me you're okay." Awesome says that they think he's a spy, so he's in trouble. Basically, they think he's Chuck. Opening credits then the next edition of "Journey to Vancouver." They're still driving, though Morgan has some broken bones from trying to hug a moose.
Castle. General Redhead explains who Sydney is: the head of a Los Angeles Ring cell who's tried to recruit several agents. Awesome tells Chuck she knows everything about him and Ellie. Sarah says she knows everything except who the real spy in the family is. Casey says it's understandable since one of them looks like a spy, and one looks like ... Chuck. Awesome shows them the phone Sydney's going to contact him on. It's some fancy, round thing that Chuck says is a Ring communications device. General Redhead says it does work on a closed channel, but they've recently learned how to crack it. Chuck wants to get Awesome home, but General Redhead says they need to use him, since Sydney won't go to her superiors with his identity until she knows if she's turned him or burned him. Casey agrees, and finally Sarah does, too. Awesome looks at Chuck and says that if he tells him he can get him through this, he'll trust him. Chuck says he will, and it's a pretty cool moment. I mean, we've always known Awesome adores Chuck, but he also trusts him and even looks up to him now, which is nice.
Buy More. Morgan's in the assistant manager vest and asks Chuck if he's leaving again. Chuck asks if he's serious, and Morgan says he's kidding, but Chuck means about wearing the vest. Morgan tells him the news, and Chuck congratulates him sincerely. Jeffster! comes up, and Lester thanks him for the giant shiner on his face. He says he felt the thrill of being alive for the first time in a long time. It was like an adrenaline shot to his soul, and made him feel like a man for the first time since his bar mitzvah. Jeff asks Chuck to hit him as hard as he can, but Chuck says they're disturbed and leaves. Morgan offers him a ride, but Chuck says he's meeting Awesome at the mall. Behind them, Lester punches Jeff in the face.
Chuck and Awesome enter their courtyard, and Awesome wonders what he's going to tell Ellie, since he's a terrible liar. She comes out, and asks if it's them. Chuck tells him to remember to keep it simple. Ellie runs up and hugs him, telling him how worried she's been. He says he's fine, and she asks why he didn't call. Chuck stands behind Ellie and tries to gesture to him about what to say. Awesome says after he got off the overnight, he needed to clear his head so he went for a run in Griffith Park. Chuck makes a phone motion and Awesome says there are no cell phones in Griffith Park. Then Awesome says he heard something, in a tree. Chuck makes wing-flapping motions, and Awesome says, "It was a ... cat." Chuck's gestures okay, a cat works. Awesome says it was a hurt cat, and he wanted to see if it needed medical attention, then he realized -- Ellie starts to look skeptical -- "It's a bear!" Chuck's eyes go wide, and Ellie's like, "What's a bear? The cat's a bear?" Awesome continues that it jumped out at him, it was angry at him, and jumped out for some reason. Ellie's like, "Oh my god, you were attacked by a bear?!" Awesome: "Yeah, yeah, and I ... cut off its head. I had to decapitate the bear." He's just glad she wasn't there to see it, because it was really grisly. Ellie asks if they really expect her to believe this, since they think she's an idiot. Chuck says they don't, and that it's time to tell her the truth. Awesome's relieved, and says he hates lying and is a terrible liar. But Chuck tells Ellie that Casey was arrested for being "blotto," the cop's words. He asks Devon if he agrees that Casey was very drunk, and Awesome does. He tells Ellie, "He wet himself." She gasps. "Also exposed himself." Chuck interrupts: "Anyhow!" And says that Devon spent most of the day trying to get the charges dropped. She asks really, and they both say really. Then Casey walks out and says hi. Ellie just looks at him and then asks Devon to go inside. Casey comes over and asks Chuck what that was. Chuck says nothing, and leaves.
Buy More. Dust Brothers-style music as everyone walks around with beat-up faces and Tyler Durden sunglasses. Morgan asks what's up, and Jeff says, "The first rule of fi..." but Lester interrupts and says that Morgan's the ass man now, so he's not their buddy and they can't tell him. They glare at him, and leave him looking sad.
Casey's. Chuck's worried about what's going to happen to Awesome, and Sarah tells him to remember that Devon's new and scared, so Chuck needs to remember what that feels like. Casey says he won't ever forget, and then tells Chuck to be Sarah to Awesome's Chuck. Then Awesome knocks. He says Sydney called, and left a package, and is about to call again. She calls and tells him to put on the earpiece in the package. He does, and she tells him it has GPS in it, and an explosive device, which will detonate if he tries to remove it or deviates from her instructions. She tells him where to meet her downtown.
Crystal Towers. L.A. Awesome's waiting out front,