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It's Chuck's first day at the office, and he is not making friends. At least not with the Ring operative sent to retrieve something that looks like a Flavor Egg from a chicken soup mix from the body of the guy Chuck…er, Casey, offed last week. Aside from not making any friends, Chuck is a wee bit overwhelmed by the pace of it all. But the General slaps him around (only verbally, sadly) and tells him to man up and assemble a team. At the mention of a team, Chuck perks up and heads back to Cali to try and recruit Sarah. (To his bed! Ba-dum-bum!)
Meanwhile, Ellie gets a sabbatical from the hospital to follow Awesome to Doctors Without Borders. But Ellie won't leave unless Chuck is settled and Chuck won't go unless he has Sarah by his side. So the ragtag band of Awesome, Morgan and Casey team up to help Chuck break up Sarah and Shaw. Unfortunately, Sarah won't fall back in love with Chuck because she thinks he killed the mole, and for some reason being a killer is a deal-killer. She's leaving with Shaw in the morning, unless Awesome, Casey and Morgan can throw themselves in front of the airplane. And, of course, they do. Well, they stake out the restaurant where Shaw and Sarah are dining. Unfortunately, real Ring agents are also staking out the restaurant. They want Shaw, but they get Morgan, which is hilarious. And then Awesome takes out Shaw, not noticing the Ring operative holding a gun to Shaw's head, which was undoubtedly a good thing considering what a pussy Awesome really is.
Shaw convinces the General to let him become a double agent and join the Ring. Sarah is not too pleased by this turn of events, but Shaw will do anything to catch the people who killed his wife. And, yeah, mentioning your dead wife always wins you points with your girlfriend because then she feels too guilty to whine. Shaw sacrifices himself for the greater good and then Chuck decides to sacrifice himself to save Shaw in order to win back Sarah's affections. Because nothing says love like saving a girl's boyfriend. Shaw loses his tracking device, but luckily Jeff and Lester had decided that day to stalk Shaw. Yes, you read that correctly. They give Chuck the location and he moves in to rescue Shaw before the planned airstrike can take out the Ring headquarters.
Shaw is taken to meet the director of the Ring (who is part of the Mark Sheppard full employment act) who has an interactive presentation about Shaw's wife. Turns out the agent who murdered her was none other than… Sarah! Shaw is not exactly thrilled by that news. Meanwhile, Chuck's rescue is well under way, and so is the stealth bomber sent to destroy the Ring's headquarters. Sarah arrives just in time to see the building go up in flames as Chuck carries Shaw out like a little baby kitten. Later, Chuck tells Sarah that he loves her and that she should meet him at Union Station and they will ditch the spy life and live in Mexico. Shaw wakes up from his neck tasering and when he wakes up, it is definitely on the wrong side of the bed. While Sarah is making up her mind between Chuck and Shaw, Casey shows up and tells Sarah that he killed the mole, not Chuck. Sarah is packing when Shaw shows up at her door. He quickly ushers her to the car and makes a run for the border. The General calls Chuck and reports that they found the incriminating footage in the wreckage of the Ring's HQ and they think Shaw has taken Sarah. Obviously Chuck panics.
Watch the episode here, discuss it in our forums, then check out our list of the show's Best Celebrity Spies.
Has the show stretched the Chuck/Sarah storyline to the breaking point?
Lulu Bates (a.k.a. Melissa Locker) is pretty sure she would choose Casey over either Chuck or Shaw. You can follow her on Twitter @woolyknickers.
Want more? The full recap starts right below!It's Chuck's first day at the office, but it might as well be the first day at middle school for all the fun he is having. Not only did his mom make him wear a suit, when all the other kids get awesome uniforms, but he forgot where he is supposed to be going and there isn't a hall monitor in sight. He tries to ask a bigger kid, but the big kid is busy and has no time to play NSA tour guide. Chuck pouts as the big kid knocks him out of the way. But Chuck, you didn't want that guy as a friend anyway! Not only is he a bully, but he's a Ring operative. The guy walks into the NSA morgue, and when the NSA officer stationed there (Mary Pat Gleason!) demands identification, he shoots her in the head. Which she, like, totally deserved, because RED TAPE. He then proceeds to find the body of The Mole that "Chuck" shot last week. Using some sort of magnet thingy with an ominously beeping red light, he removes a device from The Mole's nether regions. Death has no glory for a downed bulimic spy. First he binges on all those data drives and then he's forced to purge them post mortem before he can reach the pearly gates. Being a spy kind of sucks, guys!
Other ways it sucks? Their offices are booby-trapped labyrinths filled with ninjas, with no "You Are Here" maps or anything. Chuck finally stumbles into the correct office and then whips out his gun in the waiting room and tries to make some friends by talking firearms, because isn't that what spies and military types talk about? Pistols and whether Top Gun was an accurate portrayal of life in the military? Unfortunately for Chuck, this group has its grumpy face on and would rather he keep his piece holstered. The General finally comes out, and she gives his Chuck his first assignment: He is to move to Italy and be a flashy, rich ex-pat. For some reason, Chuck is only just now realizing he is a real spy with, like, actual job responsibilities. He is overwhelmed by it all. It's just moving so fast! The General does not really abide this nonsense. She reminds Chuck that he has been training for this for years now and pretty much begged to be a spy in the first place and, in short: NO. Chuck can't backtrack now. He is a spy and that's that. Chuck pouts some more, but The General won't hear it. She will give Chuck one week and one week only to whinge and hand-wring and wear sackcloth and weep and sprinkle ashes, but then he has to come back to Washington and be a goddamn spy already. Chuck perks up when The General mentions that he has to assemble a team to accompany him. He knows just whom he wants on his team... and she's in Burbank. Good lord, Chuck, SHE HAS A BOYFRIEND.
Speaking of Burbank, Ellie has been granted a sabbatical from the hospital and she and Awesome are planning their step. Doctors without Borders, perhaps? Awesome just can't believe she is really willing to leave Chuck, or Chuck for that matter, but since Chuck (the show and the man) is moving on, she has already contacted her agent and is ready to move to Africa. She hears the Kinshasa Theater Co is doing an awesome reinterpretation of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels and she has been promised an audition. As Ellie is rambling about Chuck being long gone, Awesome sees him walk past the window. Chuck has stopped at the airport and bought flowers and chocolates for Sarah in an effort to win her back. Even Morgan thinks this is stupid, and that is really saying something. When Chuck explains that he only has a week to win her back before he has to go to Rome, Awesome and Casey silently appear to Morgan. Since Chuck has decided that he is not going to Rome without Sarah, the three musketeers all want to help get Chuck and Sarah back together so that Casey can go work for Chuck, Morgan can see Italy and Awesome can get Ellie out of the greater LA area. Four brilliant minds working together and not one of them cares that SARAH HAS A BOYFRIEND.
Chuck dashes over to the poorly-named Castle and finds Sarah doing some NSA busywork. She doesn't bother making eye contact with Chuck, or being particularly nice to him, but does he let that stop him? NAY. Disinterest is just foreplay! Chuck tells Sarah that he is an actual and official spy now complete with badge and handgun. She shrugs, but that's just because she's playing hard to get. Chuck perseveres and points out that he wants her to be on his team! In Rome! She should be flattered! She reminds him that she is going to DC. With Shaw. This does not Chuck stop either. He loves her! He's a spy! So they can be together! Forever! And never to part! Together forever we two! You know that I would move heaven and earth to be together forever with you! Hahahahaa! I just Rick-rolled the whole recap! But Sarah thinks Chuck killed The Mole and now that Chuck is no longer a virgin, she is not really interested in him any more. The magic is gone. Chuck swears that he didn't actually go all the way, even though it looked like that, but Sarah doesn't believe him. Shaw finally comes in to put a stop to Chuck's sad begging. He congratulates Chuck on passing his test and brings out the celebratory Fudgie the Whale cake.
Chuck has finally escaped the siren call of Carvel calories and goes to find Casey at the Buy More. Is he still pretending to work at the Buy More? Well, at least he's pretending to not work very hard at the Buy More. He tells Casey that Sarah doesn't love him anymore, because despite the fact that she has killed many, many people, the fact that Chuck has killed one is a dealbreaker. Add it to your list, Liz Lemon! Casey reminds him that if the NSA finds out he didn't pass his Red Test, he doesn't get to be a spy and Casey will end up in jail for murder. Is it just me, or does Red Test sound like a tween girl's euphemism for menarche? Anyway, Chuck is a big fat quitter and won't be a spy unless Sarah loves him. Morgan joins the scrum and he and Casey bemoan the fact that if Chuck doesn't move to Rome then they don't get to leave the Buy More. Um, guys? That would never happen, anyway. But Morgan is no quitter. He's going to get Sarah and Chuck back together. For some sad reason Casey decides to go along with the plan. Really Casey? Has it come to this? I'm crying a little. As Chuck goes off to pout some more, Morgan asks Jeff and Lester for help. They know that Chuck lost his fro-yo ho to a trouser-filling stallion, so yes, Morgan can borrow the van.
Morgan, Casey and Awesome grab Chuck and fill him in on the plan: They help him get Sarah back and he gets them out of Burbank. Chuck is skeptical but, really, what the heck. The B-Team stakes out the restaurant where Sarah and Shaw are dining. Also staking out the restaurant? The big bully bulimia-inducing agent from the Ring. While no one seems particularly clear on the plan, Chuck is under strict orders to put on a suit and get inside the restaurant to magically convince Sarah that he is still a virgin and, thus, loveable. Morgan distracts Shaw with a phone call and Chuck makes his move. So do the Ring agents. Every time I write "the Ring" I think of Wagner and then I want everyone to start singing. Kind of like the Buffy musical, but in German. Don't tell me that wouldn't be all sorts of awesome! Obviously except for the German part. German = Not Awesome. Don't argue with me, young man! Anyway, Morgan convinces Shaw to leave the restaurant OR ELSE. While the Ring is watching Morgan and Shaw, Chuck makes his move on Sarah. He begs her to consider coming to Rome with him, because, c'mon baby, sexy work trip! Meanwhile Shaw has traced Morgan's call and has tackled him and pinned him against the wall. Sadly, he does not rough him up more than necessary.
The Ring prepares to make their move, while Chuck is promising that if Sarah doesn't push him about offing The Mole, then he will never ever lie to her ever again ever. While that is all very appealing, the better action is outside, where Ring agents with tasers have surrounded Morgan and Shaw and SHAW USES MORGAN AS A HUMAN SHIELD and Morgan goes down. It was really all sorts of awesome. Speaking of Awesome, when he sees Shaw running back to the restaurant and Sarah, he springs to action. Before he arrives, though, Shaw is caught by the Ring operative. He wants to take Shaw to the director. Awesome chooses that moment to tackle Shaw, shoving them both through the glass window and totally ruining Chuck and Sarah's moment. I am a bit unclear why Awesome would feel the need to push Shaw through a window, but since getting out of Burbank is the only way to go save dehydrated babies in Darfur, I will forgive him. Strangely Shaw is only slightly grateful for the save, so I guess Awesome won't be getting an Edible Arrangement any time soon.
For their troubles (or for their cover story) Casey, Awesome, and Morgan ended up in jail. Or at least that's what they tell Ellie, who shrieks for awhile, but then it turns out she is just upset because Chuck didn't come to her with his relationship issues. Good God, can Ellie please go do a double shift at the hospital or move to a war-torn nation already? Luckily for my sanity, we cut to Shaw talking to The General about the Ring. He proposes meeting with the Director, and while he is there they will track his whereabouts and LAUNCH AN AIRSTRIKE. The General and Sarah are a wee bit shocked by this drastic measure, I mean, couldn't he just be a double agent for a while before blowing himself up to end the Ring? He stares at the General (without even looking at Sarah) and calmly states that he would gladly give up his life to catch the people who killed his wife. He doesn't blink for about five minutes, so you know he is totally serious with this shit. The General is all "Whatevs, do it!" But Sarah is a bit perturbed that her new boyfriend would blow up his junk to avenge his dead ex-wife instead of moving to, like, a nice two-bedroom condo in Bethesda with her. Shaw mentions his dead wife a few more times until Sarah gets uncomfortable and then gives up, because who can argue with the dead wife card? No one. Shaw calls the Ring and makes a coffee date. Ooh, Shaw's going to toaster-cake himself FOR AMERICA. What have you done today? Probably jack shit.
Chuck finds Ellie sitting in his apartment. It's a trap! Chuck starts frantically apologizing for getting everyone involved in his stupidity, but SURPRISE! Ellie doesn't think he was stupid enough. He loves Sarah and should do whatever it takes to get her back. HE'S A BARTOWSKI, DAMMIT! Chuck looks surprised, but appreciative. Back at the Castle, Sarah tries to talk Shaw out of his suicide mission, but he's a spy, dammit! Then they kiss farewell and Chuck walks in and remembers that SARAH HAS A BOYFIREND. Then Shaw swallows a tracking device the size of a beer can and Chuck realizes that he can't compete with THAT. Shaw leaves and Sarah tearfully brings Chuck up to speed on the whole "Shaw's a martyr for his nation" thing. Chuck, I like you -- I do! -- but you can't compete with that.
Meanwhile, Jeff and Lester got their feelings hurt when Morgan and Casey borrowed Jeff's van and didn't invite them along to stalk. Don't they know how much stalking experience Jeff has? That could have come in handy. When they spot Shaw getting into his car in the parking lot, they decide to prove their mettle to their friends. They will get their stalking merit badge yet! Chuck has finally figured out that the only way to outmaneuver a hero is to go rescue him. So he locks Sarah in the Castle and goes to save Shaw from himself. Sarah asks him why, and Chuck admits it's because he knows how much Sarah cares about Shaw. This appears to have the effect of making Sarah love Chuck more than she loves Shaw, which must be confusing for her and her therapist. Elsewhere, Jeff and Lester sit in their van watching Shaw get manhandled by the Ring operatives. The big bully guy uses his magic magnet to remove the tracker from Shaw's tummy. It looks ouchy. Now they can take him to the Director. Sarah is anxiously trying to figure out how to get out of the locked room. Luckily, they're still monitoring the Buy More, and she sees Casey. She hacks into the lighting and uses Morse code to signal to him.
Chuck has found the destroyed tracking device and isn't sure what to do when Jeff and Lester call. For some reason he takes the call, which is an odd choice for a man with a mission, but he's glad he did when they report they've been stalking Shaw and have him in their sights. Chuck is sort of stunned and perhaps a little creeped out. He gets the coordinates from Lester and heads off. Casey finds Sarah locked in the Castle. She fills him in on the goings-on... and then kicks him out, because he's a civilian. When will that ridiculousness ever end?? Over at the abandoned warehouse, Chuck is lauding Jeff and Lester as the master stalkers, but then relieves them of their sentinel duties. The only thing in the warehouse is a Dr. Jibb soda machine. Luckily it's in the Intersect and Chuck flashes and presses the code that grants him entry to the secret underground lair. The General launches the air strike, calling Shaw a "true American hero." Note, not the Greatest American Hero, because that title has CLEARLY been taken. Inside the lair, the Director (played brilliantly, natch, by Mark Sheppard) introduces himself to Shaw. He doesn't want to kill him. He just wants to show him some footage. About his dead wife's murder. The footage shows the moment of her murder and the face of her murderer. It's Sarah. Remember last week when Sarah went on and on and had the full flashback of her Red Test? Well, Sarah's Red Test was to shoot Shaw's wife. Obviously, Shaw does not like this much at all. He lunges at the Director who turns out to be nothing more than a Wolf Blitzer-style hologram. Then he gets tasered in the neck and passes out. Luckily, Chuck is on his way. He tranquilizes one guard and then accidentally flash-grenades himself, but still manages to knock out the other guards and save Shaw. Sarah and the B2 bomber arrive at the warehouse at the same time. Bombs are dropped, the building explodes and Sarah falls to the ground in horror. But then, through the miasma of smoke and flames, Chuck comes walking tall, carrying the unconscious Shaw around his neck like that picture of Jesus the Shepherd carrying the lamb that is so popular with velvet artistes.
Later, Sarah gives Chuck all the credit in her report to The General, which is very team-playerish of her. The General looks forward to seeing her in Washington. But not if Chuck has anything to do with it. He tells Sarah that he loves her, and they're perfect for each other, and he wants her to go away with him. They don't need to be spies, they'll flee to Mexico and run away together. He tells her not to answer, but just meet him at Union Station at 7 o'clock. Oh, good grief. If she is going to leave with him, why don't they go now instead of waiting around until 7? And if she's not going to go with him, why make the poor guy stand around the train station awkwardly, anxiously staring at the entrance for hours on end? He kisses her, says he's always loved her, and then... goes home to pack.
Shaw wakes up in his hospital bed with a look on his face, which is totally going to stick. He snarls, pulls out his IV, ominously puts on his wedding ring, and picks up his phone. Meanwhile, Sarah is packing for somewhere when Casey stops by. He wants to tell her that Chuck didn't kill The Mole, he did. He just wanted her to know that in case it changed anything for her. Sarah almost smiles, but the music gets very jubilant, so we must assume the news was well-received. Later, Chuck is waiting, and Sarah has her bags packed. She poignantly tosses her gun on the bed to freak the crap out of housekeeping. Then the door is knocked open. It's Shaw. He claims that he has a trace on the Director, and they have to leave right then. Washington will have to wait. Sarah wants to call Chuck, but Shaw tells her there's no time. The General, however, has time to call Chuck. She explains that they found the very incriminating video of Sarah shooting Shaw's wife, and they think there is trouble afoot. Chuck wants to know where Sarah is, but all The General can say is that she is with Shaw. Cut to Sarah and Shaw making a run for the border. Shaw is not blinking again, so you know he is serious when he says he is going to settle an old score.
Has the show stretched the Chuck/Sarah storyline to the breaking point? Watch the episode here, discuss it in our forums, then check out our list of the show's Best Celebrity Spies.