"Dude, Did She Mean You or Me?"

S03E18

So, it's almost impossible to write a recaplet for what happened in these two episodes, a.k.a. The Best Season or Series Finale of the Season (take that, Lost and your non-answers), but here's my attempt. When we pick up, Chuck's still sticking to his story that Shaw's alive, and soon enough he proves it to everyone. His dad wants him to run, but he won't. Ellie's locked in a room with Justin, and when Sarah, Chuck and Casey break into the building she's in, thinking they're taking down a Ring facility, it turns out they're in a CIA building and bust in on a very important meeting about the Intersect Project. And Shaw's there to testify, because he infiltrated the Ring for the CIA. Sarah, Chuck and Casey aren't buying it, THANK GOD, so they all quickly end up in custody (General Redhead, too!). Ellie goes home and tells Devon that Chuck's in CIA custody, which leads him to accidentally tell her everything. There is some escaping and getting caught again, which leaves Bakula heartbreakingly dead and Chuck caught again. Fortunately, Ellie's a Bartowski through and through, and she enlists the help of Morgan and Awesome to save Chuck, Sarah and Casey.

Read about the second half of the finale here, discuss these episodes in our forums, then see some of our favorite Chuck guest spies!

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Stuff Chuck wants us to know: Casey had a fiancée and has a daughter named Alex. Morgan questioned Awesome about how happy Ellie is, because she was seeing a bad guy on the side. He told her Casey's an evil double agent. Chuck's doctor, Doc, told him that he's deteriorating mentally, but he told Sarah that Doc said he was fine. Chuck dreamed that Agent Superman was alive. Chuck's dad's going to make him a Governor to protect his brain from the Intersect. Which is what Bakula's doing when the episode begins, as Chuck paces nervously to him, wondering how it's all going and offering him food and drinks. Bakula wants Chuck to relax, but that's not possible for Chuck since he doesn't have his own Governor yet. Bakula re-explains it all, even though the previouslies just did that, so I'll spare you. Bakula tells Chuck how proud he is of his courage, but then he tells Chuck he should run away from this battle. Chuck's not willing to turn his back on everyone he cares about, but Bakula foreshadows that there might come a time that he'll have to go in order to protect the ones he loves. Sarah comes in, and Chuck pretends his dad's just working on a family heirloom for him. She and Bakula talk Chuck into leaving Castle and letting Bakula work.

Buy More. Awesome comes in looking haggard. Or, you know, as haggard as it's possible for him to look, which is... pretty hot, actually. Morgan comments on the unkempt thing he has going, and Awesome says Ellie didn't come home last night. Morgan plays dumb -- "You don't say?" -- and wonders why Awesome would come to him. Awesome asks him why he was asking about their marriage, and Morgan confesses that she's having an affair. Awesome literally scoffs, which somehow doesn't seem arrogant or ugly on him. (Seriously; how does he pull it off?) Morgan calls Awesome "Devon," causing Awesome to realize the gravity of the situation, then he plays the phone message Ellie left. Awesome is stunned; Morgan rubs his shoulder and says, "I know. How could she do this to us?" Awesome excuses himself to call her. Jeffster!, eavesdropping nearby, wants to get in on "some of this Ellie action."

In the office where Ellie doesn't realize she's being held captive, she wonders why her phone won't work and tells Justin, who's checking in, that she needs to call her husband. He says they jam the phones so John Casey can't find them, and that he's onto them or something else that fools her into thinking she's in danger. She wants to call Chuck, but Justin lies they're bringing him in now. He tells her she's safe here because Casey won't show his face. Cut to Casey in a diner, being served breakfast by his daughter, Alex, even though he hasn't ordered yet. She says she knows what he wants by now since he's here all the time ordering the same thing. He asks about her criminal psych final and she says it was great, and she's moving on, but she'll make sure the waitress takes good care of him. He thanks her and calls her "Alex," in case we were too obtuse to figure out who she is.

Chuck and Sarah are at a farmers market, discussing Agent Superman. Basically, Chuck thinks he's alive, but Sarah thinks he's dead and that Chuck needs to put him in the past. She reminds him the doctor said he's fine. Then she feeds him a blueberry and takes off to get some cream. After she's gone, his Intersect flashes on Agent Superman's voice, and then he sees what looks like the back of him go down into the subway. Chuck follows and looks around frantically. The platform clears out with no sign of Agent Superman, so Chuck thinks he's losing his mind. Then, from inside the closed subway, Agent Superman knocks on the glass and waves. Looking quite the villain. I love how seamlessly Brandon Routh went from someone I loved and rooted for to this villain that I... well sort of love, too, but don't root for. Cake credits, for the last time this season. But thankfully not the last time.

Castle. Casey wonders if seeing Agent Superman was "just another one of (Chuck's) Intersect dreams." Chuck's sure that Agent Superman's alive, and it was like he was taunting him. They can't get to General Redhead, who was "indisposed," so Chuck freaks out, because this is a guy who is a Ring operative and who knows everything about them: their families, where they live, where Castle is. Bakula does some quick computer work to find Agent Superman using the subway surveillance cameras: They see him exit the train and go into a secret subway station door. Sarah and Casey want to go after him, but Bakula thinks Chuck shouldn't walk into a trap. Chuck tells Bakula he can't run away; he's not him; he's not going to leave the ones he loves behind. Ooh, burn! Team Bartowski (minus Morgan) takes off, leaving Bakula standing there, looking sad.

In the Buy More's media room, Jeffster! are enabling Awesome's heavy drinking when Morgan comes in and tries to break it up. Lester tries to pep Awesome up by telling him that Ellie's given him freedom to go mount whomever he wishes. Big Mike comes in and says that if Awesome had been doing more mounting, he wouldn't be in this situation. Lester can't believe Ellie would take on "new customers." Jeff says it's his dream come true, because "Ellie is just like Chuck -- but with lady parts." Have fun with that visual. Even Lester's eyes go wide. Awesome's had enough, and gets up to leave. Morgan lets him lean on him and tells the others, "Nice work, guys. Awesome." Awesome, burping, "What?" Morgan: "No, not you, Awesome. Awesome."

By DeAnn Welker

General Redhead is in a giant CIA conference, being grilled on the Intersect project. Everyone seems to know who Chuck is and that he's the Intersect. The big important guy asking questions seems to think there are problems with Chuck and the Intersect, but General Redhead says the team has proven to be good, if unorthodox. Cut to the team, entering the subway door they saw Agent Superman go into. They go inside and split up, each taking a floor. The camera pans up to a business-looking building, where the three are now patrolling the halls. It looks suspiciously like the building Ellie's being held in with Justin. In the CIA meeting, General Redhead says that Chuck's poised to become the weapon they've always dreamed of. Chuck opens a door and sets off an alarm, which is when we learn this is the building Ellie's in, because Justin comes in to tell her they've been breached, but he won't let anything happen to her. Sarah and Casey run into each other in a hall, because his floor was empty. They see a government-grade biometric scanner, which Casey thinks they'll never be able to hack, but it approves Sarah right away, as CIA Agent Walker. She tells him this isn't a Ring base, but a CIA one. She says they have to go find Chuck. For some reason, they don't put their guns down.

Chuck's still patrolling, and walks by the window of the room Ellie's in with Justin. All she sees through the blinds is a guy with a gun, and she panics a little, then Justin runs out into the hall, and she watches them fight through the blinds. She finally goes into the hall, just in time to watch Chuck kung-fu Justin to the ground. Obviously, she's in shock. After commercials, Chuck wonders why Ellie's there, and she wonders why he's here. She says she thought he quit kung-fu in third grade. Chuck tries to get her out of there, but she says that Justin brought her here for protection, since he's Ellie's CIA handler. Chuck tells her he's not CIA, but part of a bad organization. Justin gets up then and runs off, yelling for security. Just as General Redhead says she'd stake her reputation on Chuck's success, Justin runs into the room their big, important meeting is, and Chuck follows him in and takes him down in front of everyone. General Redhead asks what the hell he's doing, and Ellie echoes that. Chuck: "Apparently, I have no idea."

Casey and Sarah storm out of the room, and Casey says they have to run and there's no saving Chuck now. She wants to call Washington, but Casey smartly tells her most of Washington's in that room, and Agent Superman and the Ring have infiltrated the CIA. He says the important thing now is to make sure the people they care about are safe. He asks if she's coming, but she says everything she cares about is inside this building (meaning Chuck, of course). Casey wishes her luck as "Agent Walker," then as "Sarah" and leaves her standing here. Ellie comes home and finds Devon waiting up, still hotly disheveled. She tells him she's been keeping a secret and she feels horrible about it. He stops her because he can't hear it right now. He says it's his fault, and he'll double his workouts to get stronger. She yells that Chuck's in trouble with the CIA, and he's like, "What?!" She says that Chuck punched a CIA agent in the face, and they need a lawyer. Awesome's like, "No, Chuck's been with the CIA for years. I'm so glad you finally know. How great to be able to finally talk..." He notices her dumbfounded look and says, "Oh. You don't know. Uh-oh. I just told you." She says he's going to tell her everything he knows. Right now. Then Casey arrives at Alex's diner, but Justin shows up after him and puts a gun in his back. Alex gives them a table for two.

Chuck's cell door pops open, and his guard is called away to the conference room, ASAP. Chuck leaves the room, and a wall scanner says, "Follow me, Chuck ... Dad." Lights start flashing down the hall to show him where to go. Sarah arrives in time to see him go through a door and starts running after him. Back at the diner, Alex delivers food, and then Justin tells Casey what a shame it would be if she were to die. Casey growls (and the best part is that the captions actually said, "growls"). Justin tells Casey to keep his hands on the table, which he does as Justin starts to eat. Casey drums his fingers a little, gaining confidence as Justin tells him he's coming with him. He says he never figured Casey for a dad. Casey says he's not a very good one and picks up the napkin container and knocks him out with it. He throws Alex over his back, and she asks what he's doing. He says he's saving her.

Chuck finds his way out of the building, and Sarah catches him. She asks what he's doing, and he says he's going with his dad, who's on his way. She says he can't do that, or they'll put a burn notice on him and he'll be running forever. Bakula shows up and tells Chuck they have to go. Sarah tells him to stay, or they'll never stop looking for him. Bakula says that if Chuck stays, they'll hurt the people he loves, so who does he want to protect: himself or Sarah? The building alarm starts blaring, and Bakula tells him he has to run now. Chuck tells Sarah he's sorry, but he will always choose to protect her. They kiss, and he leaves her standing there when the CIA suits come out.

Casey has Alex in his car in a dark parking lot. He tells her it was for her safety and he'd never hurt her. She's like, "No, just forcibly kidnap me." He gives her his locker key and says it's to the Burbank Buy More and everything inside his hers now. She tells him if he wants to be heard, he should step outside the car, so she doesn't feel like her life is in jeopardy. He agrees and gets out of the car, but she runs. He chases her and she kicks his ass a little bit (she got an "A" in self-defense!), then runs some more. He stops her by telling her he's her father. She thinks her dad died a war hero, but he says he didn't and she was named after him; his real name is Alex Coburn. He tells her to trust him, get to her mom and disappear. She runs right as cars pull up, so Casey doesn't have time to get away. The CIA arrests him.

Back at their apartment, Awesome tells Ellie how he was on a mission during that whole Generalissimo thing. He says that's all he knows. But adds that she can blame the CIA for his bachelor party, since the stripper was an agent. "Told you I didn't cheat." Then, high-pitched and sing-songy: "Faithful." She can't believe this, and asks how her dad's involved. He says he has pockets of missing information that he didn't want to know because he didn't want to lie to her. Instead of appreciating this, Ellie's like, "Devon, an actual, legitimate answer exists as to why my father has been missing my entire life, and you didn't think to ask that question?" He's like, "Correct." She asks him to find someone who knows a lot more than him, and then Morgan's at their house. Ellie's not thrilled that Morgan knows more about her family being spies than she does. Morgan tries to give her a "brain bath" of tea, but then jumps into it, saying Chuck's been with "the Company" for three years now, but "all is in hand." She tells him that all is not in hand, because the bad guys have her brother. Morgan asks what bad guys? The Ring? She says that all she knows is that Justin told her Casey's a double agent, so maybe Casey lied to Chuck and turned him somehow? Morgan's like, "Our Eagle Scout, Chuck, turned to the dark side?" Plus, he says, he would stake his reputation -- however weak -- on Casey being the biggest patriot ever. Morgan and Awesome sip their tea, and Ellie's like, "Fine. Then one of you geniuses figure out why the CIA is holding my brother against his will." Morgan says he will find out.

By DeAnn Welker

Chuck shows up at Ellie's. She drops and breaks her tea cup and tells him she thought the CIA still had him. He says he wishes he had time to explain. Ellie, fed up, tells him that it takes as long to say that as to tell him what's going on. He tells her they need her help. She asks who "we" is: the government? He says no, but Bakula walks in and says they actually mean the two of them. He says that they have the answers they need right now. She leads them to the bench where she used to meet Justin, and ask her to walk them through it. She points them to the door that Justin would go into when he left her. It's another subway door. Chuck and Bakula tell her to stay right here, on the bench, and run if they're not back in 20 minutes. She keeps Bakula behind and tells him she needs to hear him say that there's a reason he left them. He tells her it's a long story and she deserves to hear it, but they have to take care of this first. He tells her this is the last time he'll walk away from her, and hugs her. He says he loves her, and then he and Chuck head inside the door.

Somewhere else, Agent Superman and some agents are leading Casey and Sarah. Casey tells him he's not going to get away with this, but Agent Superman says he will, because love-struck Bartowski will try to save them, and this time Agent Superman'll be ready for him. And his father. "Mu-ha-ha." But he actually says it all calm and sedate. He knows he's supposed to be the mustache-twirling villain, but he's a little too snarky for that. Chuck and Bakula find a control panel that Chuck flashes on. They discover it's a fake wall. Bakula gives him an "Aces, Charles," and they open the sucker up. It's like a giant elevator they shut themselves in. Justin tells Agent Superman that Bartowski's infiltrated the base, and Agent Superman's like, "Of course." He insults Chuck for always thinking with his heart, but Justin corrects him, because Chuck and his father didn't infiltrate this base, but the Ring base. They triggered the silent alarm. Agent Superman looks at Justin's Ring phone, which says, "Perimeter breach." They leave Casey and Sarah locked up, and Casey says, "I don't know when it happened, but our boy became a man. Bartowski's a spy. You picked a good one, Walker. Finally." Sarah smiles silently, proudly, and, of course, a little sadly.

Chuck and Bakula end up in a secret lab. Chuck says it's what his dreams have been about, with Dr. Kowambe's research and Agent Superman. They find the Intersect completion screen that says it was uploaded into Daniel Shaw. Chuck says he was right. Ellie is still sitting on the bench when Justin and Agent Superman pull up and run inside the same door that her family just went into. She watches them and starts walking slowly toward the door. Downstairs, Chuck and Bakula are coming back out of the elevator, Chuck saying his team will be vindicated and Agent Superman will be exposed. But, of course, Agent Superman and Justin are standing right there. Agent Superman's like, "Exposed as what? The Intersect?" Then he asks Chuck if he can try on his fancy new watch. Chuck asks him to come and take it from him, but Agent Superman says he'll go ahead and have his friend grab it. Justin, gun trained on Chuck, takes it. Chuck says he doesn't need a watch to beat him, and doesn't Agent Superman want to know how his Intersect stacks up against his own? Agent Superman agrees they're totally equal now, except for that small matter of Chuck letting his emotions get in the way of the Intersect. Chuck says he's never been more calm. Agent Superman: "Really? How do you feel now?" He pulls out a gun and shoots Bakula through the chest. He falls and it goes slow-mo as Chuck yells "No!" and runs to his dad. He begs him to stay with him and be okay. Bakula tells him he's special, and to always remember that. Agent Superman calmly, robotically holsters his gun as Bakula dies.

It's so heartbreaking, but not in a manipulative way at all, like certain other shows that have killed off certain other major characters. You know, not to name names or anything, LOST! Anyway, this one doesn't hit us over the head with the gravity of what happened, but here's what we have: He told Ellie he'd never walk away from her again, and he won't, but she'd probably take that a million times more over what she's left with. He gave Chuck a final "Aces, Charles." He told Chuck to run, but worked with him because he knew he'd do the same thing for those he loves. He built his son a Governor. Really, for an absentee father, he gave Chuck everything, didn't he? Anyway, the camera pans back to where Ellie's watched the entire thing take place. She turns away and hides behind a wall, in shock and tears. But smart enough to stay quiet and out-of-sight. She is a Bartowski, after all.

Buy More. Alex shows up, hesitantly, and Jeffster! pounces. Lester asks if he can service her in some way. Ew. She asks where she can find Casey's locker, and Lester asks what their relationship is. She says Casey's their friend, and he asked her to get something out of his locker with his key. They say it doesn't look like a Buy More key, and maybe she means a different John Casey because the one they know doesn't have any friends. Heh. True enough. Morgan interrupts and says he'll take it from here. He leads her away, and asks her who she works for. She says the Pie Shack, but he's like, "I have a very high level of clearance," and tells her to tell him what's going on. She gets flustered and says she doesn't know what's going on other than some men took Casey away after he said he's her father. He tells her that if Casey told her he's her father, then he is, and that Morgan would trust that man with his life. He says she's safe, especially if Casey's her dad, and that the store's safe as long as she stays away from Jeffster! He leads her to the locker, using his own key since the one she has isn't a Buy More key. But, inside his locker is another locked wall. Behind it is a bunch of money, which Morgan says Casey must have been saving forever. "We don't make that much here." Oh, poor Morgan hasn't gotten his CIA pay bump, I guess. Awesome interrupts to tell Morgan that Ellie called. Morgan says he can say it in front of Alex, but Awesome gets serious: "Not this." Morgan tells Alex not to spend all her money in one place and follows Awesome out of the backroom.

By DeAnn Welker

As Menew's Don't Give Up On Us Now starts playing, Agent Superman and his bad guys shove Chuck, handcuffed, into the back of the armored truck with Sarah and Casey. Sarah asks him what happened, where's his dad. He just sits there, numb, and says, "I'm sorry." They realize what's happened and she tells him she's sorry. Casey tells him not to worry; they'll get Agent Superman. Chuck says, "No we won't." Agent Superman steps regally to the back of the truck and tells him he loves this new defeatist attitude, which suits him. He tells his agents these guys won't be seeing the light of day again, and then sends the agents off. He tells Sarah, Casey, and Chuck to bond and share war stories, because when the truck stops, so do their lives. And even now, I can't hate him. There's a quiet desperation in his face that is pretty sad, especially if you try to remember what led him here: the realization that he was sleeping with and falling for the woman who killed his wife, and that the CIA knew it all and had put him in this position in the first place. Not exactly the type of stuff that lets one keep his sanity, now, is it?

By DeAnn Welker

He climbs in the front of the truck, which drives away. Sarah, in the back, says they'll figure something out. Chuck says it's over, and there's no one left to save them. We go back outside the truck, which has a silver SUV tailing it. Inside the SUV is Miss Eleanor Bartowski, on the phone. She says, "I'm following them now. Are you ready?" On the other end, her Awesome husband, replies, "Ready." Then, he warns Ellie that there's no turning back from this; it will change their lives forever. Is she sure this is what she wants. Choked up, she replies, without hesitation, "Yes." He hangs up his phone and the camera pans to the side to show us he's in the passenger seat with Morgan as his driver. Morgan starts the car and then secures his driving gloves. Ha. Awesome: "Let's do this." They drive away in Casey's car. Good thing we didn't have to wait a week to see the second hour, isn't it?

Check out the second half of the finale here, discuss these episodes in our forums, then see some of our favorite Chuck guest spies.

DeAnn, a writer and editor in Portland, Oregon, loves when the supporting cast takes charge. You can contact her at twopmodmars@gmail.com.