There is a sub-plot on tonight’s episode of Chuck that I will not discuss in detail or feature in the recap. There are a variety of reasons for this. One – I hate stunt casting. Two – I hate stunt casting. Three – I don’t like Michael Strahan. There is a difference between having a quality guest star (like John Laroquette last week), and casting someone who has no business acting into a role that does the show no good. It was basically a stupid commercial for a video game. There, I’ve said more than I wanted to. Besides that abomination of a storyline, tonight’s Chuck was mighty solid. I was not happy when Bryce Larkin appeared in Sarah’s apartment at the end of last week’s episode, but the writers on Chuck made it work. It turned into a somewhat poignant story, and it should please the fans.
We begin the episode with Bryce and Sarah making out against a wall in Bogota, Colombia. Sarah wears very short shorts. They carry a briefcase, Sarah grabs it, and they are chased by Columbian henchman. Bryce is grabbed at gunpoint. Sarah agrees to give the man the suitcase, but then shoots him in the head. Back to present day, and The National is playing (the song “Fake Empire,” which is an awesome song). Chuck walks into the hotel room, and there’s Bryce. Chuck walks home, throws his rose away, and is given a pep talk by Ellie and Awesome. Chuck is trying to deal as best he can.
Casey and Chuck head to the Yogurt shop basement to meet Casey for a new mission. A Fulcrum agent stole a chip with classified information. Bryce has learned that debutante Von Hayes (name of a formerly awesome baseball player) has been hired to take the info out of that chip. He’s having a party that night. Much to Chuck’s chagrin, Bryce and Sarah will be playing a husband and wife. Chuck will be a waiter and try to flash on something. Chuck is dying inside.
The microchip is hidden in the mansion, and Bryce and Sarah will snoop around and find it. Chuck learns that they will accomplish this by being “very affectionate.” At the yogurt shop, Sarah tells Bryce that they should keep things strictly professional this time. Bryce cradles Sarah’s hand. Outside, Ellie happens to walk by and see this. It makes her sad.
Bryce, Sarah and Chuck head to Von Haye’s party. Sarah is in a ferociously attractive dress. Hayes is an arrogant dude, and toasts himself. Chuck delivers a bottle of wine to Hayes’ table, to see if he’ll flash. He accidentally spills wine on Hayes’ lap while watching Sarah and Bryce dance in an uproariously sexy manner. He then drops a bottle of wine as they make out in front of everyone. Hayes fires Chuck, but before he is escorted out Chuck flashes on the voice of a woman who asks Hayes if he has her microchip. She has killed a number of people, but we don’t see her face.
Casey orders Chuck to head back inside to get a look at the Fulcrum agent lady. He hides under a table and watches as the Fulcrum lady shoots Hayes’ bodyguard dead. Hayes, panicked, drops his keys. The microchip isn’t in his vault, like he’s told the agent, but on his keychain. The agent hears Chuck talking to Casey, and points a gun at him. Hayes attempts to make his escape (how’d he get away?), but Bryce and Sarah see him. Sarah decides to try and save Chuck instead, leaving Bryce to go after Hayes, who gets into a silly expensive yellow convertible. Bryce watches as he drives away.
Sarah gets into a shootout with the agent. She gets picked up by a henchman, and before they drive away she drops a high tech grenade on the road. Sarah sees it, pushes Chuck away. He’s fine, but she’s hurt. The next day, Chuck visits Sarah in the hospital. Bryce loiters outside, incognito. Ellie watches on, appalled that Sarah’s ex is acting like a stalker. Awesome decides to take care of it. He cares for Bryce’s cut, and then asks about Sarah. He admits to being her ex, playing the cover, but inquires to how serious Chuck and Sarah is. Awesome informs him that they are indeed serious. Sarah is in love with Chuck, he says.
Bryce confronts Chuck outside his house. Bryce is worried about Sarah – she went off mission. Bryce thinks that Sarah’s feelings for Chuck will get her killed. Chuck assures Bryce that Sarah knows what she’s doing. A henchman shows up at the hospital, is directed towards Sarah’s room. Awesome shows up at the house and gives flowers to Chuck – he intercepted them because they were from Bryce. Except, they weren’t. Von Hayes sent them to Sarah – he is scared and needs help. Chuck talks to him, plays it off well, and makes sure he still has the chip. He does.
Later, Chuck tells Casey what he’s done. He negotiated the return of the chip. Hayes will meet Chuck and Chuck only, he will receive full immunity and…he needs $4.5 million in unmarked bills. That last demand might prove a little difficult.
The henchman dresses as a doctor and checks up on Sarah. He is about to inject Sarah with something that’s probably pretty bad, but she sees that his name tag does not match his face, so she beats the crap out of him and asks where his boss is.
Casey, Chuck and Casey are doing the meet up and the train station. Chuck has a large duffel bag with the money, Hayes has the chip. They muck up the exchange, and Hayes runs away when he realizes there are some henchman in the station. Casey runs after Hayes and the henchmen. Hayes runs up the train track, but is surrounded by the thugs for hire. They point their guns at him. Casey and Bryce show up, guns a-blazing. In the middle of the stand-off, Chuck arrives with the duffel of money. He negotiates a deal – the thugs take the money and leave Hayes with them. The thugs happily take the deal and leave.
On the way out, Casey decides to try and go retrieve the money. Chuck and Bryce take Hayes out of the station, but Chuck is taken at gun point by the female Fulcrum agent. Hayes runs away. The lady demands the chip – she’ll let Chuck go afterwards. Bryce puts down his weapon, but only after he glances Sarah in the background. Sarah points her gun at the agent, but she can’t take the shot. She panics, but Casey is there to save the day. And he got Hayes. And the money. Sarah might be losing it. The National again plays, and it is again awesome.
-Oscar Dahl, BuddyTV Senior Writer
(Image Courtesy of NBC)
Senior Writer, BuddyTV
