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Chuck's mission this week is to meet a geeky tech loner named Manoosh and make him his asset. In other words: Try to focus on his weakness to get him to like him, just like Sarah did with Chuck. At first, Chuck comes on too strong, and both Casey and Sarah agree he's not ready for an asset, but then Chuck tries again. This time, he acts like himself (with a little help from a comic book, of course), and wins Manoosh over. Turns out what Manoosh has been doing is building a weapon for the Ring. And that weapon is... Intersect sunglasses. Soon, Manoosh realizes the Ring isn't paying him enough, so he takes his weapon to Dubai and to Casey's favorite relaxing event, Weap-Con. This is good news for Casey, who can write it off this year. Once there, they try to stop Manoosh from selling his Intersect glasses, but the Ring interrupts. Everyone has their guns on Manoosh, but Team Bartowski wins. The bad news? They have to take Manoosh back and put him underground to keep him safe. He knows too much, after all. Chuck almost can't do it, but then he can, so Casey and Sarah know he's becoming a real spy. Casey tells Sarah this is a good thing, but she's not so sure.
At the Buy More, Hannah's a huge hit, of course, so Morgan assigns Jeffster! to stalking detail. They figure everything out about her, which is enough to help Morgan win her over, but when she mentions Chuck's trip to Paris, Morgan realizes he has someone even more important to figure out: Chuck. So he puts his stalkers to work figuring out Chuck. Uh-oh. Ellie's also growing increasingly suspicious about Devon and Chuck. In the end, it looks like Ellie and Morgan are going to team up to figure out their dark secret. This will be fun while it lasts, but it can't end well.
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Want more? The full recap starts right below!Some things Chuck wants us to know: Awesome was a spy, but now he's out of the business. Much to his relief. Chuck met Kristin Kreuk on a plane. Her name's Hannah and he offered her a job at the Buy More. After the previouslies, we jump even farther into the past, weirdly. "Three Years Ago." Sarah walks in to the Buy More for the first time and meets Chuck, who's all "Vick, Vicki Vale, Vick, Vicki Vale." Morgan stands by. Back in the present, he's still standing by in the same spot by the Nerd Herd station, when he asks Chuck if it was love at first sight when he saw Sarah. He asks because he's currently watching Hannah walk in, all cute and slow motion. Chuck doesn't know, but he says it changed his life forever. Hannah walks up, and Morgan awkwardly says hi, then tells everyone to get back to work and walks off. That gives Hannah the opportunity to ask Chuck's advice about her first day. He says he's the Jack Hannah of this untamed wilderness: He's safe and everyone else is dangerous. Jeffster! creepily approach and get handsy with Hannah. Chuck introduces them as two Buy Morons, which is perfect. Lester kisses Hannah's hand with a "Namaste," which I'll take as a shoutout to that other show whose final season premiered the day after this episode. Chuck pulls Hannah aside, saving her from Jeff's creepy stares.
When they're alone, Hannah says she went through her Nerd Herd manual last night and has some questions. Chuck's like, "You read that in your offtime? Are you going to be a problem employee?" She just wants to be the best Nerd Herder ever, and he says the bar's not really all that high. She says Chuck must be pretty committed, though, since he went to Paris on an install. Chuck asks her to keep that between them, since he doesn't want the others getting jealous. Then Casey comes by and tells Chuck it's "yogurt time." Chuck tells Hannah that's the most important meal of the day, so he must go. But he'll give her the full Bartowski Tutorial soon enough. Jeffster! are still ogling Hannah from afar. Jeff says he's going to totally hit that, and Lester adds, "May the best stalker win." That's always been my motto.
Castle. Chuck asks where Agent Superman is, and Sarah exposits that he's on a covert mission. [One for which he will not be receiving any royalties. - Zach] General Redhead pops up on her screen to tell Chuck it's not his concern where Agent Superman is anyway. She calls him "Mr. Bartowski," and he tells her she might not have heard but he completed his first solo "mish" last night, so now it's "Agent Bartowski." She's not amused. Because she's, you know, General Redhead. Instead, she tells them about a large sum of money that came from an offshore Ring account into a civilian account. They want to know why. The civilian is Manoosh Depak (played by little-known comedian Fahim Anwar, who blogged about his experience on the episode, since it's practically as big a deal to him as it would be to any of us; I love that), who trained as a computer engineer, but dropped out of MIT after his freshman year. Casey: "Classic geek tragedy." Then, to Chuck, "Sound familiar?" General Redhead says they sent a virus to destroy his CPU and then bought every one within miles, so he'll come to the Buy More to have it fixed. She asks "Agent Bartowski" to develop Manoosh as an asset and find out what he's doing for the Ring. She turns herself off, and Chuck says it's a piece of cake.
Casey tells him not to get so cocky, since one "mish" does not an agent make. Sarah says it's difficult to earn an asset's trust while knowing you might one day have to burn them. Casey says the trick is to find out the asset's hole in his life and fill it. He says Manoosh is friendless. They watch him enter the store (without a CPU, I might add) on their surveillance camera, and Casey tells Chuck it's showtime. Chuck tells them not to worry: "Piece of cake." When he leaves, Casey looks at Sarah and says, disgusted, "Mish?" Chuck's at the Buy More, with Casey and Sarah back at Castle. Sarah tells Casey Chuck's not ready for an asset, and she's worried. He says her job's to train him, not to worry. Then he tells Chuck where to find Manoosh: with the newest Buy Moron (I'm liking this new nickname). Chuck interrupts Manoosh and Hannah, and sends her away despite both Hannah's and Manoosh's protests. He gets all condescending with Hannah, telling her she'll get her chance to shine as soon as she's ready with a poke on the nose. Then he asks Manoosh what he can do, but Manoosh doesn't want his help since he ruined his chance with the hottie. So Chuck says he detects a Burbankian accent on Manoosh. Sarah and Casey look at each other, all "WTF?" Chuck tells Manoosh his eyes are hypnotic, and Casey tells him to get a room. Manoosh decides he'll get the CPU repair piece he's buying somewhere else, so Chuck tells him just to take it for free; it's on him. He's puzzled, but takes it. Sarah tells Chuck to ease up; he's coming on a little strong. Chuck gives Manoosh his card, and says to call if he needs anything else, or just to talk. Manoosh leaves with no intention of ever using that card. Casey stands corrected: Chuck's not ready. Sarah sing-songs, "Thank you." Opening credits. Does NBC actually think people will watch The Marriage Ref?
Awesome's zoned out on the couch in front of the TV when Ellie drops her keys on the table behind him. He freaks out, and she's all, "Are you okay?" He pretends he was just caught up in a fascinating article on kidney failure. She says he's been jittery and not himself ever since the generalissimo's party. She says he doesn't rock climb or ride bikes, but just lays around. "It's like being married to Morgan." Except, you know, hotter. Awesome says he pulled a hammy and will be back on the bike in no time. She wonders if she can ask him something about Chuck, and Awesome's like, "Yeah, but he's your brother. I can't imagine I'd know anything." She asks if Devon knows if Chuck went to Paris, since she found a claim ticket in his luggage (what was she doing snooping in his luggage, anyway?). Awesome's like, "Yeah, he mentioned it." Ellie wonders why he wouldn't tell her, since he's always wanted to go to Paris. She asks if he got to see the Eiffel Tower, and Awesome's like, "Yeah. No. I don't know. I am late for rounds." She asks what he's hiding, and he says, "What? Like a conspiracy?" Then tries a different tactic: "That I love you? Which I am not hiding. Let's talk about this later. There are kidneys failing as we speak." Yep, still a bad liar.
Buy More. Jeff and Lester are asking Hannah out. Jeff wants her to hang in his van, but Lester says he's disease-free and doesn't think Jeff can say the same thing. Chuck rescues Hannah and reminds her that he's safe and everyone else is dangerous. He's ready to start the Bartowski Tutorial now, but then Casey tells him it's yogurt time again. He has to go, and she asks about the tutorial. He says lesson 1 is to never work hungry. On his way out, Chuck asks Morgan to keep an eye on Hannah, since the vultures are circling. Instead, Morgan asks Jeffster! to come to his office, which is actually the broom closet (he empties the brooms every morning; although, logically, if the brooms fit somewhere during the workday, you'd think they could also stay in that place at night when there's no one in the store working, so why move them back at night?). Morgan's wedged a desk into the closet, so he has to crawl over it to get behind it and sit. Jeffster! sit, and Morgan tells them there will be no dating in the workplace. Lester applies logic: "You dated Anna." But Jeff applies his constitutional rights, one of which he says is to fornicate. Morgan tells them the thing is that he likes Hannah and would like them to lay off. Jeff's okay with this if he can sleep over with Morgan and Chuck twice a week. Morgan agrees. Lester's condition is that, for the hire, Morgan needs to find Lester a wife: "a woman of color. Preferably Padma Lakshmi." Morgan: "Done." Then Morgan asks Jeffster! to use their stalking skill set to find out everything there is to know about Hannah. Lester: "Consider her stalked." I know some people were creeped out that they'd make stalking funny, but I would have to point out that they've also made people getting killed and beaten up funny, too. You can't really apply real-life logic to this show, in other words. And, anyway, stalking is funny.
Castle. Casey's showing Chuck credit cards bills, phone records, and says there's only one female caller in the last year, and it was his sister. Chuck feels sorry for this lonely guy. Then Casey says he's sorry; that was Chuck's old file. He opens Manoosh's actual file, and says, "Oddly similar. Battlestar Galactica. Dune." It's important to note he says this with a look of disgust, but Chuck's eyes light up in excitement at the mere mention of Dune. Casey continues, "Nacho sampler. Sounds like your dream date." Sarah tells Chuck the problem was he came on too strong, and doesn't want to seem like he's making advances; the other person needs to feel in control. Chuck asks what they'd told Sarah that day she came into the Buy More. Casey asks what he thinks since he hadn't had a date in over a year, and "they don't waste the blondes on just anyone." Sarah says sweetly that they thought she and Chuck could connect. Chuck remembers Sarah left her card, and felt like it was the luckiest day of his life. "God, I was pathetic." Sarah says, no, he was sweet and innocent, and she liked him, which made it that much harder. She looks lost in thought and ignores him when he asks why. Casey interrupts to tell them "Sap's on his way to the bar. Let's go."
Chuck's reading -- or, rather, hiding behind a copy of -- Y: The Last Man when Manoosh sits down to him at the bar and compliments his taste in literature. Chuck puts down his book and agrees. Manoosh recognizes Chuck, who apologizes about earlier and says they had a bet going about who could get someone to steal something from the store, and he won. Manoosh knew something had to be up for a hot girl like Hannah to talk to him. Back in the van, Casey's eating as he says you don't need a 160 IQ to figure that out. But Sarah coaches Chuck to boost Manoosh's ego. It's really interesting how good she is at this, and makes me call into question all of her sincerity in the past. Manoosh orders "the usual," and the bartender tells him they're out of the Nacho Sampler, since Chuck ordered the last one. (Casey says they stole all the guac.) [Fiends! - Z] Chuck offers him some of his, and Manoosh accepts.
Morgan's "office." He asks Jeffster! what they found out about Hannah. They say she's out of Morgan's league: She's sophisticated, eats sushi ("with chopsticks and without the rice!"), and listens to classical music. Swan Lake is her most played tune. Lester: "She also likes French cinema." Jeff: "And foreign films." Lester says that even with them spying, Morgan doesn't stand a chance. Back at the bar, Sarah says Chuck's doing a good job. There are about nine beer bottles in front of Manoosh and Chuck (what kind of bar doesn't take away the empties?), as they discuss their college experiences. So similar, except Chuck lies that he dropped out of Stanford, and Manoosh says he did the same, but at MIT. "I knew I could tell a fellow underappreciated, underachieving man of intellect." Casey: "Great. Two geeks in a pod." Chuck asks if Manoosh is suggesting Buy More's not impressive. Manoosh says everyone will be impressed soon enough, because he has something big planned. Chuck asks what he's working on, but then Manoosh's phone rings, and... it's a Ring phone. He gets off the phone and mocks the people on the other end for acting all tough and thinking they're intimidating with their secret phones. Casey traced the signal on the phone, which bounced back from a few miles away because the caller was also tracing Manoosh. He tells Sarah it's her turn.
Inside, Manoosh says he wants to tell Chuck what the big weapon he's working on is, but he can't. Sarah walks in and unzips her tight leather jacket to reveal a half shirt that says, "Frak off." Casey tells Chuck he had to send in a closer since Chuck wasn't working fast enough. Sarah smiles at Manoosh and he asks Chuck what he should do. Chuck tells him to just play it cool, and Manoosh asks if that's what cool people do. Sarah sits down to Manoosh and flirts, then the Ring shows up. Casey tells her to get him out now. Sarah leans in and kisses Manoosh, which Chuck has to turn away from. Then she uses some little gadget to knock him out. She tells Chuck to get him and she'll get the briefcase. They get him out just before the Ring (their head honcho says, "I want him alive") comes in. In the van, Manoosh comes to and says this is the best night of his life. Casey commends Sarah on making another geek bite the dust. Chuck looks horrified at the realization that he, too, was once Manoosh. Commercials.
Manoosh is snoring as birds chirp. Then a foot starts rubbing his face, and suddenly Sarah's there, asking him to "wake up, baby." He asks where he is, and she says it's her bedroom, but he must not remember. He asks if they... and she says yes, that it was amazing, and they both just passed out after. He asks what it was about him, and she says he was mysterious and sexy, and he talked about his top-secret work, and secrets turn her on. He blurts out that it's a weapon, a new technology that'll change everything. She asks him to tell her more, but he asks if they can first have sex again, since he doesn't remember it. A hand comes in and shoots him with a tranq. She gets up and leaves the room, which is really just a dummy room in Castle. Chuck and Casey are watching from the other side of a two-way mirror. Chuck's worried about how many times they've tranqued Manoosh (Sarah assures him it's nothing, and just makes him forget the five minutes). Chuck says he should have handled this, since Manoosh was his asset. When Manoosh wakes up and starts moving around, Casey suggests tranquing him again, and Chuck says, "Take it easy, Tranqenstein." Manoosh pulls out Chuck's card and calls him. Chuck greets him as "Manizzle," and asks how last night was. Manoosh can't remember but says he guesses Chuck must be the best wingman ever. Then he asks if Chuck saw a briefcase last night, since his life work's in it. Chuck assures him he got the briefcase, so they schedule a meeting at the Buy More in a half-hour (interesting that Manoosh would assume he could be at the Buy More in a half-hour when he has no idea where he is).
They tranq Manoosh once more and then Chuck opens Manoosh's briefcase, despite Case's protests. They dig past clothes and sunglasses to find a weird geometric red thing, but Chuck doesn't flash so they don't know what it is. Chuck almost drops it, but since they think it's a weapon, Casey freaks and takes it away. Sarah tells Chuck to give Manoosh his briefcase, but Chuck's worried what the Ring will do to Manoosh if he doesn't have the weapon. She tells him to try not to think about it, which makes being a spy much easier. He looks sadly at Manoosh, still passed out in the observation bedroom.
Buy More. When Chuck shows up, Awesome's waiting for him. He says he's freaking out, since Ellie found the ticket to Paris, and he's sick of lying to her. He can't do it anymore. Chuck tells him to calm down, that he knows the secret, and there are strings attached to that. He says if Ellie finds out, they'll both be stuck in witness protection and Awesome doesn't want that. Chuck says the lying is difficult now, but it does get easier. Ellie enters the Buy More just then, so Chuck hides Awesome. Ellie finds Chuck and they have a conversation about Paris. She wonders why they keep secrets now, and he says they don't. He tells her about the install, and how he didn't tell her because he did such a good job that they're letting him use the flat for another week, so she and Devon can have a proper honeymoon. She hugs him, and back at Castle, Casey tells Sarah that he told her Chuck's ready. "He's a good liar. You taught him well, Walker." On the camera, we hear Chuck tell Ellie there are no secrets between them. Like that's going to go over well when she inevitably finds out. When she leaves, Awesome tells Chuck how cold-blooded it was for him to lie to her like that. Chuck says there are some things she's better off not knowing.
Manoosh shows up, and Chuck leaves Devon to greet "Manizzle." Manoosh thanks Chuck, and asks if they're friends. Chuck says they are, so Manoosh tells him he'll be rich after the trip he's taking, and he's going to start his own company and he and Chuck can work together. He says he won't forget Chuck. Ring phone rings, and Manoosh tells them he's still working the kinks out. Chuck asks who it was, and Manoosh says it was some people who hired him, but he found out he can get way more money on the open market. Luckily, he's no fool. Chuck tells him to wait here while Chuck gets him some going-away yogurt. At Castle, Casey's scanning and probing the "weapon," and says there's no sign of ordnance. Chuck comes in and tells them that Manoosh doesn't know how dangerous the Ring is, and they have to give the weapon back to him so they don't hurt him. Casey says he's building a weapon, so he's no innocent. Plus, he's an asset, who's served his purpose as a conduit to information. As they talk, Ring operatives come into the Buy More, and Manoosh sneaks out the back. Casey gets one piece of the "weapon" open, and some foam comes out. Chuck: "Anthrax? Agent Orange?" Outside the Buy More, Manoosh tells the Ring operatives he'll go with them, but needs to put his shades on. As Casey discovers the foam is shaving cream (cool shaving cream bottle!), Manoosh puts on the sunglasses, which are ... the Intersect. He kung-fus all the Ring operatives, just like Chuck did last season finale. This must be where they used Tobey Maguire's stunt double. Chuck looks either concerned or jealous that there's another geeky, fuzzy-haired Intersect. Commercials.
Chuck wonders how Manoosh did that, since he thought only his dad could. Casey says the Ring lifted some components of Intersect 2.0 from a CIA warehouse, so Manoosh must have reverse-engineered it. Chuck says Manoosh mentioned getting rich by selling the weapon to the highest bidder, and Sarah gets a hit on Manoosh using his credit card to book a flight to Dubai. Chuck wonders what's there, and Casey holds up a brochure for Weap-Con, "the greatest weapons convention in the world." He goes every year, and finds it very relaxing. Delighted, he says, "I guess I'll get to write this year's off as a business expense."
Morgan's "office." Hannah knocks and says she heard he wanted to speak with her. He says it's nothing, just wondering how the Buy More's treating her. She hears Swan Lake playing, and says it's her favorite. He says it's his, too. She notices his Sans Respirer poster, and says she must have seen it ten times. He replies, "Twelve," which is supposed to mean he's seen it that many times, but more likely means he knows from his stalkers that's how many times she's actually seen it. Knowing Morgan. He says he can't get enough of French New Wave. She sits down and says she can't believe how much they have in common. He tells her it's sad that his colleagues (colleagues?) think Burbank is the center of the world. She's like, "I know, right? Chuck had never even been to Paris before last week on that install." Swan Lake picks up as Morgan's like, "Chuck went to Paris?" He can barely keep his cool as she says she forgot she's supposed to keep it quiet, but he obviously knows, as assistant manager. Morgan's like, "Right. I know everything." He gets up and climbs over the desk as Hannah tries to ask what goes on at the yogurt store since Chuck's always running over there. Morgan tells her Chuck's ex works there, and he's having trouble letting go. Morgan turns to leave, and Hannah asks what he wanted to talk to her about. He says "nothing," and leaves her alone in his "office." Outside, he mutters, "Paris? Where else has he gone?"
Dubai. Weap-Con. Women in sexy camo bikinis wielding automatic weapons for show. Casey's dream come true. Team Bartowski shows up, and Casey immediately stops at the deadly pen booth. Sarah tells him no shopping, but we hear him ask how much for a laser pen. Another guy is selling the mobile interrogation unit. Then Manoosh heads onto a stage for a presentation. He's met with skepticism and laughter when he tells them the greatest weapon in history is... him. He says he was pathetic a day ago, then he puts on the glasses and asks them to behold him now. He says he's now a deadly kung-fu expert, and everyone laughs again. He asks for volunteers, and he gets several. He flashes and Tobey Maguire's stunt man does his thing again, as he knocks them all out. Team Bartowski heads backstage as Manoosh tells the crowd to imagine an army of men like him. He's starting the bidding in five minutes, at $50 million. Everyone wants a pair or 10,000.
Backstage, Manoosh finds the nachos he requested. Casey wants to tranq Manoosh, but Chuck says he can handle this, since Manoosh is his asset. Casey says they're only safe if Manoosh is under lock and key. Chuck says he can control him, and runs out to greet Manoosh. He tells him he came to protect him by stopping him from making a horrible mistake. Chuck knows about the glasses and the new Intersect. He's an agent with the CIA. Manoosh: "This friendship was fake?" Then Sarah comes out, and Manoosh is all, "That wasn't real, either?" Dude, that is the part you should have known wasn't real. Chuck says these are bad people Manoosh is selling to, and Manoosh asks if they're worse than a guy who pretends to be his only friend? Um, yes, dude, by a lot. "Or a woman who pretends to have intercourse with me?" Chuck: "Intercourse?" Manoosh says he doesn't need friends while he has the glasses. He runs off, but the Ring operatives descend, surrounding him and Team Bartowski. Ring head honcho tells Manoosh he believes he has something of theirs.
Commercials. Ring guys handcuff Casey, Chuck and Sarah to chairs and then leave them alone in a room. Casey says it's a good thing he bought that laser pen that burns through anything. Chuck: "I thought Sarah specifically said no shopping." Then Casey tells Chuck to come over and grab the pen out of his inside pocket. Chuck bangs his chair against everything, then does it. It's pretty funny when Chuck's face is buried in Casey's chest. Then, as he gets it and Casey tells him to be careful of the button that activates the laser, Chuck activates it and Casey ducks out of the way. Casey tells him to aim carefully and not make him a eunuch or he'll teach him the meaning of "eye for an eye." They laser themselves out of the cuffs and out of the room. Manoosh is still backstage trying to deal with the Ring operatives. They don't think they need him anymore, so he drops and crushes his glasses and says they do. Then Casey, Chuck, and Sarah come in with guns. The Weap-Con guy brings them backstage and says it looks like there's a simulation going on back here, and that many of these weapons are ideally suited for these types of hostage situations. The crowd is impressed. Then they leave.
Casey tells the Ring guy he'd rather kill Manoosh than let them have him, so they're on the same page. Ring head honcho says he guesses he dies, then, and Chuck says he's not going to die, because Chuck has a laser pen accurate enough to "shoot the wings off a fly if one was so sadistically inclined. WHICH I AM!" The Ring operative tells his guys not to drop their guns, because he can see in Chuck's eyes that he won't kill him. Chuck says that's fair, but he will burn off his earlobe. Chuck presses the button, and a little knife comes out of the end of his pen. Chuck's like, "Casey! I specifically asked for the same pen you got." Casey thinks it's typical Bartowski to bring a knife to a gunfight. Then Chuck flashes on some sort of ninja knife nearby and throws his little knife pen into the Ring guy, so fighting breaks out. Sarah and Casey fight and shoot, but Chuck flashes on the Nacho Sampler and Frisbees it at a guy's head to knock him out. Sarah and Casey run off after the Ring guys, and Casey tells Chuck to watch Manoosh, who can't walk out of here knowing what he knows.
Manoosh tells Chuck how awesome that was, and how glad he is that Chuck was here to rescue him so he didn't end up in a deep, dark cell somewhere. Chuck says he can't let Manoosh go. Manoosh pleads, and promises not to tell anyone what he knows. He swears he'll disappear. Chuck sighs and gestures for him to go. Manoosh thanks him and says he owes him his life. Chuck watches him go. Sarah and Casey are out in the convention area when they see Manoosh leave. They watch as Manoosh turns and waves at Chuck, then walks away. Casey says he guesses Bartowski doesn't have the stones and picks up his tranq gun. But then Chuck trains his own tranq gun and shoots Manoosh. The crowd "oohs" and "ahhhs" at another impressive simulation. Casey guesses he was wrong, and Sarah doesn't look so happy about it. Chuck looks more than a little sad. Commercials. I love Tracy Morgan, but dear lord, Cop Out looks horrifyingly bad.
Castle. Sarah tells Chuck that Manoosh has to go underground, because if the Ring finds him he could build another Intersect. She says it's the only way, and asks if Chuck wants her to handle it. He says yeah, but he has to. He walks in to the room Manoosh is in, and Manoosh says he's been freaking out and when will they let him go. Chuck says they can't let him go. He's being sent to a secured isolation facility, where he'll be safe. Manoosh says he didn't do anything wrong, other than try to make a few bucks. He pleads Chuck to help him, saying he thought he was his friend. Chuck: "I'm not. I'm a spy." Some CIA guys come in and drag Manoosh away. Chuck looks sad, and Casey helpfully offers that the only way to deal with burning an asset is Johnny Walker Black.
Buy More. When Chuck arrives, Hannah asks where he's been: Paris again? He says, "Dubai, actually," and she's like, "Funny." Then she asks if he's been door at the yogurt place. He looks worried, but she says she knows his ex works there. She starts to leave, and he asks her what about the tutorial. She says rule number 1 is not to work on an empty stomach, so she's going to get sushi on break (hey, the stalking was right). Morgan finds Chuck, and asks if he can talk to him for a second. Chuck says he's kind of beat, and Morgan says he can imagine: "All that travel." Chuck, worried, asks what travel, and Morgan's like, "Just driving around town on all those installs." Chuck smiles nervously, and Morgan asks if there's anything Chuck wants to talk him about. "No. Is there anything you want to ask me?" "No." "Okay, then. Good talk." "One of our best." Man, what terrible communicators, and it's not even all Chuck's fault. Chuck leaves and Lester asks Morgan how it went with Hannah last night. Jeff asks if he took her to pound town. Ew. Morgan would like more research, and Jeff says he told him they still need to study her sleeping patterns. Morgan says not on Hannah. "Research on Chuck." Jeffster!: "Finally."
Ellie and Awesome's. Ellie tells Awesome they got the tickets from Chuck to Paris. They're first class. Awesome says they can't go. They're not free. Nothing is free, and there are strings attached. She asks what strings; this is Chuck? Awesome's like, "Uh, you have to obey me. Yeah, I think that was in our vows. I forbid it." He takes the tickets and heads to Chuck's, giving Morgan a tense hello on his way by. Ellie follows him out, yelling, "You forbid it? Are you kidding me, Devon?!" Morgan asks her if everything's okay, and she says it's not. She thinks Chuck and Devon are keeping a secret from her. Morgan asks if she's suggesting Chuck's caught in a giant web of conspiracy and deception. She knows it sounds ridiculous, but Morgan's like, "I couldn't agree more. Finally someone with some common sense." She says they have to figure it out, and he tells her not to worry: He's got his best men (stalkers) on it.
Chuck's downing Johnny Walker at his place, depressed. Sarah and Casey are watching at Castle. Casey says he's growing up, and asks Sarah if she ever thought he'd be able to burn an asset when they first met. She says no, and Casey says, "He's turning into a spy. It's a good thing." He leaves, and she asks herself, quietly, "Is it?" Then we flash back to Sarah's end of that scene from three years ago. She asks someone on the phone if they think this kid's got the Intersect. The man on the other end tells her he's connected to Bryce Larkin. She asks, "Weaknesses?" And the man says, "Bright, but an underachiever. Lonely. Had his heart broken recently." Then the guy sends the picture to Sarah's phone. She looks at it, finds Chuck, and says, "Piece of cake." She walks forward as we get more "Vicki Vale. Vick, Vicki Vale."
week: An accented guy thinks Chuck's a real Casanova, playing Sarah and Hannah. Then the guy holds Hannah hostage, and Chuck accidentally detonates a nerve gas bomb or something. And then no more Chuck until after the Olympics. Sad.
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DeAnn, a writer and editor in Portland, Oregon, thinks stalking is hilarious. You can contact her at twopmodmars@gmail.com.