In a hurry? Read the recaplet for a nutshell description! Finished? Click here to close.
It's been so long since this show was on, I barely remember where we left off. But it was something about Chuck and Sarah learning that Chuck's mom wanted out of Volkoff, but couldn't leave. Which is where we pick up, because Chuck is still sort of obsessing and wanting her back. And, little does he know, Sarah's obsessing even more. Still, though, he's had time to think about a proposal with the help of Morgan, who's really obsessing about that. When the planned proposal is screwed up by Sarah telling a story of her parents' nightmare proposal, Chuck aborts, and then Team Bartowski gets their mission: They're going to France to a fancy, romantic chateau to find a secret chip that a murdered agent must have left there somewhere. The catch is that a bad guy will be there looking for the same chip. Chuck and Sarah will play a couple, and Casey will portray Chuck's manservant. Hee. While they're there, Morgan keeps trying, from back at Castle, to make the proposal be the sub-mission. And Chuck keeps getting thisclose to making that happen. But he never quite does, and the mission's accomplished.
Back at Castle, General Redhead fills them in on their mission: Going back to the Chateau, sans Casey, to pretend they're rogue agents wanting to give the chip back to the bad guy. General Redhead makes it clear to Sarah that she has to be the one to make the switch, and she promises to. As she makes the switch, someone's snapping photos of her, but we don't quite know why. And we don't really care, because the mission's over and Chuck's waiting on the balcony to propose. Back at Castle, Casey's even joined Morgan in coaching Chuck and Sarah (who discovered what was up and became the boss of the whole situation, without Chuck ever knowing it). She saves him after he loses his ring, by slipping it back into his pocket discreetly as they kiss. She says all the right things as he fumbles through it. Then, just as he's about to go down on a knee and pop the question, CIA agents surround them and arrest Sarah for being a traitor. Chuck doesn't get it, because they were following the mission. He tells Casey he was about to propose, and Casey gives him a great speech about not needing the perfect place or perfect moment -- just the girl. Chuck heads to Sarah's cell to propose, and she fills him in on what's happened: The arrest was General Redhead's opportunity to make Sarah look rogue so she can go undercover within Volkoff. Chuck says that's how he lost his mom, but Sarah says she's doing this for him, to get his mom back. They cry, kiss, tell each other they love each other, and she promises she won't come back without his mom. Then she's led away in her shackles as he looks sadly at the ring he'll be hanging onto for awhile longer. Man, is this show ever back!
Watch the episode below, then discuss it in our forums, then see why we once thought that Chuck should have quit when it was ahead.
What are people saying about your favorite shows and stars right now? Find out with Talk Without Pity, the social media site for real TV fans. See Tweets and Facebook comments in real time and add your own -- all without leaving TWoP. Join the conversation now!
Want more? The full recap starts right below!It's been so long since we've had new Chuck, and even longer since I've recapped an episode. And then I make you all wait even longer for me to finish this weecap. I am so sorry about that; let's hope it's worth the wait. The episode opens with a man running through a vineyard in Loire Valley, France. He's got a briefcase, and is being chased by scary men and dogs (they look like golden retrievers, though, so how scary could they really be?). He shuts himself in a wine cellar, opens the case, and pulls out a syringe gun. He considers implanting the chip into his arm, but then thinks again and puts it into a bottle of wine instead. The bad guys get in and kill him dead, but not before he's put the wine back, unnoticed. What the bad guys do notice is that the chip's gone. And they have to run when they hear police sirens (which sound totally different in France, by the way).
Cut from the wine bottle to Chuck pouring Sarah wine at a restaurant. He's all nervous and stuff, which she assumes is about his mom. But he tells her he realizes that he hasn't been thinking about "us" with how wrapped up he's been with his mom and Volkoff. He realizes he should be focused on things he can control, like tonight. She asks what about tonight, and when he starts to talk about the future, she tells him not to worry about it, because so much has happened to him in the past couple months. "Besides," she says, "I've got such a bad history with proposals." Chuck chokes on his wine, and she quickly corrects herself: Her parents had a nightmare proposal. Her mother's family had a restaurant similar to this one, and her dad wanted to propose there. He had flowers, balloons, a band. It was total chaos and over-the-top, and someone accidentally lit a carpet on fire with a candle. Luckily, her mother and her family got out with only minor burns. So she tells Chuck to take his time, which is the perfect time for the camera to pan down to the ring he's holding. He tells her that's awful, but they probably laughed about it on their wedding day. She says they actually postponed after that, and her dad said it was the beginning of the end. He snaps the ring box closed, pretends it was his jaw, then goes outside, where Morgan's holding balloons and has a carriage ready. He tells Morgan it's off, because it can't be at a restaurant. Morgan says it's too late to shut down because of the champagne, the string quartet, and the "caballeros." Chuck corrects him: "Caballos?" Morgan says they're already in motion.
Chuck goes back inside and catches the waiter with the champagne. He gives it to a couple at the table, then sends away the quartet. Sarah's busy not noticing because she's gotten a call from General Redhead. So Chuck leads her out a side exit to avoid bumping into Morgan (in a tux and top hat, by the way) and his balloons. Sweet Cake credits, how I've missed thee.
Castle. General Redhead is filling them in on the guy who was killed in France. He was "one of our finest" agents, and he had a nanochip with lots of important information on it. Sarah explains they can inject these into themselves, but General Redhead says there was no trace of it in his body. She shows them the chateau where they believe the chip is, and Casey gruffs about not wanting to go on a mission to France. General Redhead warns them that a terrorist named Pierre's also searching for the nanochip, and Chuck asks if he's Volkoff. She scoffs at him: Not every bad guy works for Volkoff. Yeah, Chuck, what do you think this is? A TV show? Sarah and Chuck will attend the wine gala tomorrow, and Casey will pose as Chuck's personal manservant. Casey walks away muttering about going from a colonel in the Marine Corps to manservant for a nerd. Chuck and Sarah smile, and then she apologizes about dinner. He laughs nervously, and says it was just dinner, but excuses himself to check in with Morgan. After Chuck's gone, Sarah turns General Redhead back on and tells her that she will do anything in her power to help bring back Chuck's mother and eliminate Volkoff. General Redhead understand her commitment, but says they must wait for the right moment.
At the Buy More, Chuck sweats and worries about how he can't propose to Sarah now that he knows about the nightmare. And it was already difficult enough. But Morgan points out he's going to a chateau in the French countryside, and gives him a sub-mission: He will propose at the chateau. Chuck says he has to focus on the team and the mission, and he's a horrible multitasker, so he has to decline. Morgan won't take no for an answer, because they've exhausted all of their Burbank options. Lester overhears Morgan saying they need a "marital miracle" and yells, indignant, "Why's everyone so obsessed with marriage?!" But he doesn't want to talk about it. Morgan enlists his fixer, Big Mike, to talk to Lester. Turns out Lester's parents have arranged a marriage. He says it's like they're stuck in the ways of the old country, with their dated traditions and obsolete dietary restrictions. He keeps telling them he lives in the U.S. now; he's not in Canada anymore. Big Mike assumes he means India, but Lester says no, no, man. He's part of the Hinjews of Saskatchewan. He says he's embraced American traditions like online dating -- side notes, he's had three dates already today; they're solid fours, which is a twelve and no Saskatchewan bride could top that. Big Mike tells him to try the truth. Lester thanks him, but asks him to let her down easy. Big Mike just realizes he's ended up in charge of letting down Lester's arranged bride.
Chuck, Sarah and Casey discuss the mission at Castle, and Morgan catches Chuck before they head out. He gives him his sub-mission details: locations (he's chosen a balcony overlooking the garden and a couple other places, but tells him to watch Sarah, who will show him to the spot). Chuck says there won't be a sub-mission, but Morgan's not really hearing it.
French chateau. Chuck and Sarah look lovely arm in arm at the wine event. Chuck's focused on all the beauty and romance, but Sarah tells him to keep his eyes open for Pierre. She admits it's romantic, though, and kisses him. She slips away, so he calls Morgan and tells him he's right. Luckily, Morgan's loaded Chuck's pockets with the ring and mints. Casey yells at Chuck about how he needs to work, since the nanochip isn't going to find himself, but Morgan advises Chuck to let Casey manserve him. Chuck fakes British and tells Casey to go search underground like a good manservant. He loudly asks him to put his slippers out for tonight, and Casey has to pretend he's happy to do Chuck's bidding. Sarah returns, and gives Chuck another kiss. Then they pull out a little nanochip search machine that tells them there's no signal here. They walk around the chateau until they end up on the balcony Morgan showed Chuck. Sarah gasps at the beauty and Chuck realizes he's just been led to the place to do the sub-mission. He calls Morgan on his watch, which really never stops looking ridiculous, and tells him the sub-mission is a go. Chuck starts to approach Sarah with the ring, when Casey calls from his own watch downstairs and tells him he's got a signal, so good call sending him down there.
When Pierre and his gang enter the wine cellar, Casey tells Chuck he's down there and hides in a side room. The bad guys find the syringe gun (but the CIA didn't? How strange), and Pierre licks the end of it, realizing it's wine. He can even tell which kind it is; he's a super-wine-loving bad guy, of course! Casey calls up to tell Chuck and Sarah what bottle of wine the nanochip is in, and he says the signal's getting weaker, so the bottle's on the move. Chuck and Sarah head back to the party to find the wine bottle, as Pierre hears Casey and tells his men that no one gets out of here alive. Which is a perfect time for a commercial break.
When we're back, Chuck and Sarah head downstairs and quickly get a nanochip signal. Chuck thinks the bottle's outside, so Sarah tells him to get the wine; she'll get Casey. Morgan calls in to check on the sub-mission, but Chuck says he's sort of busy chasing a bottle of wine. Which he promptly loses outside, because there are so many bottles, which somehow weakens the signal (?). I don't know. Don't apply logic to it. He tells Morgan, who looks up the wine, an '86 Chateau Le Franc, which is a peppery pinot with a stable on the label and stork on the cork. Chuck continues to talk into his watch in full view of everyone at the event as he looks around frantically. He doesn't stick out at all at this mellow, classy gathering.
Sarah calls to tell Casey she's outside the cellar door, and he tells her it's crawling with French bad guys. So she breaks her heel, and stumbles into the cellar pretending to be drunk. Lucky for her, the guys totally buy it and think she's hot, so they walk closer and closer to help with her broken heel problem. Then she kicks them both in the face. Awesome. When some other guys shoot at her, Casey jumps out and shoots them. Then he makes another remark about how much he hates this country. Chuck finds the bottle of wine he's looking for, but it's completely empty. He looks around at the people holding glasses of it and starts to talk with them about the wine: peppery, a fine vintage, well-structured, lots of tannins. Sarah calls him and asks if he has the bottle and he starts talking into his watch RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE PEOPLE HE'S BEEN TALKING TO. The signal starts up and he finds the specific glass with the nanochip in it. He tries to get it back from the guy by telling him it's a different wine. The guy's not buying it and has been waiting twenty years to drink this wine. He's not giving it up lightly. So Chuck tells him there's something in his wine; the guy's still not buying it and tells Chuck he wouldn't know the difference between it and a glass of Two-Buck Chuck. Chuck tells him he happens to like the value of Two-Buck Chuck, and then he tells the guy he's "danger" [sic] close to becoming a walking cliché.
He steals the wine glass and takes off, but Pierre and his men find him and ask for the glass of wine. Chuck flashes (remember when this show was all about him flashing?) and kicks both of their asses, protecting the chip by throwing the wine glass up when he needs to kick someone and then catching it perfectly. He calls Morgan and says he's ready for the sub-mission. Morgan says the timing's perfect, because it's sunset in moments, and everyone looks perfect then. Chuck heads to the balcony with the wine glass. Sarah's already there, and says Casey's in the car. He hand her the wine glass, and she pours the whole thing into a container that she slips into her purse. He shows Sarah the sunset, and they talk about how perfect and amazing this place is. He starts in, but Casey throws up a rope for them to come down. She jumps down as Pierre comes out, so Chuck follows right after, all "C'est la vie."
Back at Castle, Chuck sadly eyes his ring for Sarah when the door opens and General Redhead walks in. She's decided to debrief the team in person. Casey and Sarah head in, too, as General Redhead explains that the CIA analyzed the nanochip, and the secret locations and blueprints of European sites are safe. But Chuck and Sarah's mission isn't over. They're going back to France to pretend they're traitors who want to sell the chip back to Pierre. Sarah asks how that helps, and Casey realizes they're going to sell him a different chip. General Redhead gives them a chip that's actually a long-range tracking beacon. They are to go back and give that to him, and then the CIA can track him and root out his entire terrorist holding cell. Chuck's happy to go back, and General Redhead says they leave tonight. Then she holds Sarah back and tells her she must be the one to make the drop of the chip. She says the operation is highly sensitive and must go smoothly. Sarah agrees, and the General dismisses her.
Buy More. Lester's arranged bride is about to show up and Big Mike's prepared to give her the hard truth. Slow-motion entrance complete with wind machine as a sexy Indian lady comes in. Big Mike: "Mr. Patel, you lucky Canadian." Jeffster! ducks down behind the Nerd Herd desk, and Lester tells Jeff that she's a twelve, the stuff of legend, a flawless Hinjew specimen. He wants her as his own. He says marriage is on, and asks Jeff to stop Big Mike and stall her; he has three fat girls to break up with. Big Mike's about to break the news to Jinsana, when Jeff runs up and says that Lester needs to reschedule for a half-hour from now. She says she'll come back.
Before Chuck leaves, Morgan reassures him about the proposal not working last time because so many things were out of his control. He tells Chuck to go back to the chateau and do it again, this time in moonlight, which is the only thing better than a sunset. Sarah hears this all through what must be shoddy air vent work in Castle.
Back at the Buy More, Lester's turned the screening room into some crazy room with a moose head, Canadian flag and Indian music. He's wearing a fur cap. Big Mike shows Jinsana back there, and Lester welcomes her creepily. She starts to introduce herself, but he shushes her and tells her he accepts her because it's written. He pretends to be religious, which backfires, because she thinks he's much more traditional than she is and it's freaking her out a little. He stops her and says he's not traditional at all, actually. He invites her to come back to find out who the real Lester Patel is; he says he makes a fantastic third impression. They pencil in a date.
Morgan arrives in his office and Sarah's waiting there, towering over him, seeming crazy and evil. She tells him she knows everything about the proposal: the balcony, the moonlight. He tries to pretend he knows nothing, so she applies a little pressure. She also says that she's a spy and hates surprises. He tells her about calling off the restaurant proposal after Chuck heard about her parents'. Sarah's upset, and tells Morgan she's now in charge of this. She's going to make sure Chuck goes through with this proposal -- "for Chuck's sake. ...And for mine."
French chateau. Sarah's waiting to make the drop as Chuck watches her with binoculars from above and tells her what's up. He also tells her that if they get done early, they can check out more of the chateau. She talks into her watch (why? why?!) and tells him that sounds lovely, but she says she has a weird feeling that something's off this mission. Someone snaps pictures of her as she says it. Morgan is on a secure line with Sarah and tells her they're go for proposal. She copies it and tells him that if anything goes wrong, he is to tell her immediately. Chuck calls Morgan on the other line, and asks Morgan if he thinks Sarah's onto them. Morgan tells him to get real, and then tells him to keep his head in the game. He hears Chuck futzing with the ring box, and tells him to stop or he'll tarnish the sheen. Chuck tells him he's got it, but he has to go be backup for Sarah now.
Pierre walks up, and they say their secret lines and make the briefcase exchange. As they do so, some more photos are taken. Sarah tells Chuck how well it went, and he asks her to meet at their balcony to celebrate with a glass of wine. She's glowing as she agrees. More photos are snapped.
Buy More. Lester tells Jeff that Jinsana's about to meet the real Lester. Jeff: "And Jeff." Lester would rather keep the focus on himself here. Jinsana comes in, looking just as smokin' as before. Lester tells her he's sorry he pretended to be someone he's not, but this is the real Lester. She asks if they should go get a drink or something, and he says, "Something..." Then he asks Jeffrey to hit it. Jeff plays his keytar and Lester starts to sing Whitesnake's "Is This Love?" It cuts back and forth for awhile between Chuck sweetly preparing for his proposal and Lester singing to Jinsana. Which is a little weird, because Chuck's is so real and sweet and perfect, and Lester's is so... well, it's Lester, so it's pretty creepy and weird. Still, I get why they'd use this song for both the awesome and the cheese. Lester takes off his Nerd Herd shirt to reveal a black tank top.
Chuck and Morgan check in, and Chuck says this mission went so smoothly, it must be a sign. Just then a guy comes out and chokes Chuck. Then Pierre comes out, too, and asks Chuck if he thought he'd let them walk away with his money. Chuck flashes and then takes them both down pretty awesomely, with some running up on walls and jumping and kicking. Morgan, watching on a monitor, asks who that guy is. Chuck says he's fine, but his jacket's a little dirty. Morgan put Tide To Go sticks in the left pocket, though. Lester's song picks back up as Chuck hides the bad guys. The song ends and Lester creeps toward Jinsana. She starts to tell him what she thought, but he stops her and breathes: "I know, baby. I know." She tells him it was the most uncomfortable five minutes of her life and storms off. He calls after her that he wants to get married, so she shouts back over her shoulder to try the internet.
At Castle, Casey wonders why Morgan's still looking at the chateau feed now that the mission's over. He quickly deduces Morgan's conducting a sub-mission, and what the sub-mission is. He tells Morgan Chuck's going to need all the help he can get. Sarah's on her way upstairs when she stops. Morgan asks why, and she says she thinks she's nervous for the first time in her life. He tells her everyone gets butterflies, but she says she doesn't. She starts walking toward the balcony again as Morgan tells her that's Chuck out there, his best friend. He says he knows she wasn't asking or anything, but she has Morgan's permission. She thanks him and arrives at the balcony. Casey says "Uh-oh," because he notices the ring came out when Chuck fought and is now on the ground on the balcony. They let Sarah know what he did. She tells Chuck to look at the moon, and leans down to pick it up. Then she heads toward him and kisses him, slipping the ring into his pocket like a pro.
Slow Club's "When I Go" picks up as they kiss some more, this time for real. There's no secret rings being hidden in pockets or anything else. It's just Chuck and Sarah. No mission. They're free. Casey and Morgan are thrilled. Sarah tells Chuck that she's been to so many places, but no place as beautiful as this. He tells her he has, every day, with her, wherever they are. "Every time I look at you, it's the most beautiful place I've ever been." It's pretty cheesy, but I forgive it because Chuck would be cheesy. He thinks he should be James Bond now, but she says she fell in love with Chuck, not James Bond. He tells her not to freak out if he asks a question right now, and she says she won't. He continues: He wants to spend the rest of his life with her, every day: going on missions, saving the day, but mostly just being with her, at her side, always. Morgan's giddy and even Casey's smiling. He pulls out a ring and starts to get down on his knee when lights go on all around them and the CIA arrests Sarah for treason. She can't believe it, and yells for Chuck. He tells them they're all wrong, but they take her away. Commercials, including Morgan and Chuck's PSA telling us to get active, and The Cape, which leaves Monday "cloaked in awesome," apparently.
Sarah's locked up in a cell at Castle when we return, and Chuck's pacing, asking Casey how anyone could think Sarah's a traitor. Casey looks at the photos of Sarah making the drop, but Chuck says she was doing it because that was their mission. Casey tells Chuck to sit down, so Chuck tells him he was going to propose. Casey sits back, pulls out a cigar, and tells Chuck he proposed once, to Kathleen. They were supposed to go to Niagara Falls, but things got screwed up and he proposed in a Buffalo bus station. He says he'll always have that day, and that look on her face. "There's no such thing as a perfect moment, or perfect spot, so forget about the balcony, Bartowski. All you need's the girl." Wow. What a pearl of wisdom from Casey. Chuck heads to Sarah's cell, where General Redhead's coming out. She tells Chuck to go ahead inside, because he and Sarah have some things to discuss.
Chuck goes into the cell and gets down on his knee to start proposing, but Sarah interrupts that she's leaving. He asks where they're taking her, and she says they're not taking her anywhere; she's going. General Redhead never thought Sarah was a traitor; it was a setup, the perfect opportunity to establish Sarah's cover as a double agent. She tells him that they have so much together: a real life and a future. But she needs to go back to being the old her for a little while longer if she plans on surviving this. He asks where she's going. She says she's going undercover into Volkoff industries, to take them down from the inside. He starts tearing up and says she's not, because that's how he lost his mom. She cries and says that's how they're going to get his mom back. She says she's doing this for him, for "us." He asks why it has to be her, and she says he has to trust her: For General Redhead's plan to work, it has to be her. Speaking of, General Redhead comes back in and tells Sarah it's time. She cries and looks at Chuck. He tells her he loves her, and she says she loves him, too, and she's not coming back without his mom. They kiss, and she follows General Redhead out. She's still cuffed and shackled as Chuck watches her being led away. Then he pulls out the ring and looks at it. Who knows when he'll get to use that thing?
So, pretty great way to split up the couple without splitting up the couple. Inventive. I like it. And I think having them separate, and having Sarah working inside Volkoff will be a fun change. I just wonder how they're going to manufacture a story for Volkoff's vetting that gets the arrested CIA agent free from her shackles, cuffs, and cell to give her the opportunity to go undercover in the first place. And what use will he have for her if he thinks she's blacklisted by the CIA? I guess we'll figure these things out soon enough. Speaking of, week: Mrs. Bartowski has to see the traitor with her own eyes. And Sarah's in a black leather suit and black wig. Chuck's in prison or something. And Volkoff makes Sarah kill John Casey, which it looks like she does (pushing him out a window). Yeah, right.
Watch the episode below, then discuss it in our forums, then see when we once thought that Chuck should have quit when it was ahead.
What are people saying about your favorite shows and stars right now? Find out with Talk Without Pity, the social media site for real TV fans. See Tweets and Facebook comments in real time and add your own -- all without leaving TWoP. Join the conversation now!
DeAnn, a writer and editor in Portland, Oregon, would never forgive this show if it killed off Casey. It better not. You can contact her at twopmodmars@gmail.com.