A Fistful of Catch 22’s – Episode 3.11: Chuck Vs The Final Exam

Written by Zev Borow

Directed by Robert Duncan McNeil

‘Catch 22,’ a novel by Joseph Heller:

“There was only one catch and that was Catch-22, which specified that a concern for one’s safety in the face of dangers that were real and immediate was the process of a rational mind.  Orr was crazy and could be grounded. All he had to do was ask; and as soon as he did, he would no longer be crazy and would have to fly more missions.”

‘I love irony.’

In 3.10, life changes were introduced for several of the cast members. This week those changes were explored in their various stages of progression for the three leads. Tied into those changes were barriers for each of the characters. In some cases the barriers are external. In others internal. In all cases there is a Catch 22 element to them. Damned if you do. Damned if you do not.

Catch 22 Scenario 1:

Chuck is convinced that in order for him to be together with Sarah, he has to become a spy. The catch? In order to become a spy, Sarah believes Chuck cannot accomplish that goal without losing the qualities that has endeared him to her in the first place. Those qualities are more than endearments. For Sarah they are lifelines to redemption as we later see.

Catch 22 Scenario 2:

This one is built on a false premise.

In order to be a spy, Chuck must pass the red test, which means he must kill. If he does not, Chuck goes back to his old life. This one has always struck a false note right from when it first arose back in 3.01. As long as Chuck has the Intersect, how can he go back to a normal life? It would be more plausible for him to go back to an asset status. Or bunkered. Maybe that is what the show means, but since they leave the details of what his old life are nebulous, the inference is that he will be a civilian. Which makes no sense if he still has the Intersect.

Trapped Within Their Own Perspectives

Catch 22 Scenario 3:

Chuck has become a spy dishonestly. With Casey taking the shot the cheat has worked in Chuck’s favour this time. In Stanford, the cheat cost Chuck his diploma. Ah yes, the smell of irony. The catch here is that Chuck cannot come clean for Casey is a civilian and what he did was murder. So Chuck’s hands are tied in being able to tell Sarah the very thing she needs to hear.

Catch 22 Scenario 4:

If Chuck passes his spy test, he gets everything he wants, except Sarah in his new assignment. If he fails he loses everything including, it is inferred, Sarah. What would anyone put the chances of Sarah resigning to stay with Chuck if he did fail though?

Some of these barriers do not bear up under examination but we must accept them for what they are. They are the factors being used to drive the actions of the characters. The main thing to take away is that for the story to continue the log jam has to be relieved. Which it looks like it will be in the next episode. With the relieving of these pressures, changes for the characters is inevitable.

Episode Flashes:

  • Beware blue bubble wrap envelopes! They bring ill tidings.
  • Casey finding his spy skills cannot be employed at the BuyMore
  • For the men – nice legs shot of Sarah
  • Chuck and his reaction to the spy test – #2 pencil and scantron!
  • Chuck’s new cover as a billionare in Rome – pretty sweet for a first gig
  • Chuck Bond! The Nerd is getting smoother all the time.
  • Chuck Stake Out Essentials with his own specialized case of champagne, Sizzling Shrimp and Stake Out play list amongst other items
  • Sarah’s twisty mouth ‘I shouldn’t be falling for this but I am,’ reaction
  • Private Eyes!
  • Chuck and Sarah showing the chemistry is still there in gobs during the stake out/date.
  • Sarah hiding behind binoculars as Chuck’s words get past her emotional defenses
  • ‘I can expense this, right?’
  • For the ladies – Chuck in a towel
  • One of the Russian baddies named Ivan Drago! Ala Rocky IV ‘I must break you.’
  • Chuck fighting in the Steam Room in TV version of Eastern Promises
  • Ka-kaw! Ka-kaw! Chuck bird call to help ID the CIA mole
  • ‘I am a spy!’ – cue shot of dropping towel – ‘I am a naked spy!’ – eat your heart out James Bond!
  • Chuck strutting in the OrangeOrange up to Sarah, ‘Hi there colleague!’
  • Chuck’s gift to Casey
  • Sarah having to deliver Chuck his final mission test – the red test
  • Washroom fight – Casino Royale style!
  • Chuck trying his best to bring the CIA mole in alive
  • Chuck unable to take the shot
  • Casey taking the shot
  • Sarah’s remorse and the intertwining of her feelings of her red test with those of being responsible for leading Chuck down the path to taking the red test

Zev Borrow has crafted an episode that seems very much like the launching pad for some major story threads in the next episode or two. All done with the trademark mix of humor, drama, action and comedy. Characters are being positioned to make irreversible choices. Once again, this has become a mantra, the three leads turn in strong performances. With Chuck we get the first glimpses of the spy he will be. Zac Levi’s merging of the Bondian aspects of the spy world with Chuck’s innate goodly goofy qualities is a treat to watch. Adam Baldwin’s turn as John Casey as a hair triggered weapon with no place in the so called real world of the BuyMore was fun. Finally there is Sarah’s back story reveal of her red test which explains much, if not all, of her behaviour this season and the series. Yvonne nails the turmoil and anguish of that moment and encapsulates Sarah’s behaviour since Prague.

‘It was the worst day of my life.’

With Sarah’s backstory reveal of her red test, the final piece of the puzzle for her seemingly inconsistent behaviour this season has been added. Not only is she struggling with dealing with real feelings for the first time in her life, Sarah is seeing a chance to reclaim a part of herself through Chuck slipping away. Sarah has been struggling with her identity, as has Chuck and Casey, all season. Meeting Chuck gave her an anchor upon which to re-establish whom she was. When Chuck decided to become a spy, Sarah lost that anchor and has been adrift ever since. Staying with Chuck and watching him evolve by incoporating the very things Sarah hates about the spy life has been torture for her. Worse because she feels responsible for tainting those rare qualities of truth and honesty that Chuck has. This explains her request for transfer and distancing herself from Chuck all season as that process fermented. Now, believing Chuck has killed and knowing the fallout from her red test, Sarah is at her lowest point.

Her statement of not loving Chuck is a sympton of pain but Chuck is not the source. Sarah is. It is herself that she loathes. Chuck represents her past. And her shame. When Chuck passed the red test it equated to a lost opportunity for Sarah. A chance that may never come again to, in some measure, redeem herself. This is a line in the sand moment. Not a reinforced bunker. Such lines can be crossed. Sometimes the person making them is begging for someone to cross them.

‘You’re not a killer Chuck.’

CleanUp Is Still Possible

Exciting times ahead. Sarah is about to discover that all is not lost through the actions and words of, not just Chuck, but Casey too. This is what we have been waiting for.

Payoff time!

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149 comments

  1. This is America, we all have choices – John Casey/the consistent thread throughout the episode.

  2. Another great review, can’t wait for chuck to face the american hero (are we supposed to believe that is Shaw?!)

    • I think we are supposed to believe it is Shaw; but the real hero will be Chuck as he saves Shaw’s wooden behind.
      Sorry for the strong language.

  3. Thanks Lou, that was a great review…can’t wait for the next episode!

  4. Lou,

    Your explanation about Sarah is great, but she has to realize that this involves more than just her. If she felt that bad about her first kill, how does he feel? I think in this sense, Sarah has been a little bit selfish this season. She is basically saying “woe is me” while Chuck is changing, instead of thinking about other people involved and the effect of the change (Ellie, Awesome, Morgan…) and trying to help him.

    • yeah, Sarah has to come to terms with the fact that spys kill, it’s part of the job. And it doesn’t mean that Chuck is a cold-blooded killer or a bad person. Man, this situation is really frustrating me lately. Hopefully it will be over soon..

      I really enjoyed the ep, but Sarah’s behavior is getting annoying.

    • Even if she is being a bit selfish don’t you think she’s earned it after all she has done for Chuck since the pilot?

      Also, look at it this way – say you have been afflicted with a life long affliction. For which the cure is rare and hard to find. One day you stumble across that cure only to see it start to go bad on you. Wouldn’t anyone act selfishly?

      • Lou

        1. I have always been under the impression that, even though Chuck willingly put the Intersect back into his head this season, from the beginning of the show, Chuck is the victim in these events Sarah says this at times “You deserve so much more”. That’s just my opinion.

        2. I can understand that, but instead of moping around and telling your story to a stranger (Shaw), why not be active in helping CHuck get back to that place where you want him. He broke down her walls, why cant she break down his?

      • Shaw is a peer. He has lived through what Sarah is going through. He is also emotionally safe.

        Chuck pushes Sarah to places she finds emotionally painful. Plus she does not want Chuck to know about the skeletons in her closet.

      • Lou,

        The SHaw statement I agree with.

        But as for her pain, I would say “Get over it. You’ve been trained to deal with such pain. He hasn’t. Sometimes, you need to do things that are uncomfortable to you. This is one of them. Not for your sake, but for his and everyone around him.”

        Kind of Dr. Phil-ish, I know. But that’s what I think.

      • Easy to say difficult to do. Otherwise the pyschiatric industry would not exist. Funnily enough there’s an episode coming up that involves a CIA shrink……

      • I woould have to agree with lou on this one greg!Shaw is a professional he has live through what Sarah is going through and he is emotionally safe.

        On December 25,2009 my dad passed away the only people that I can talk too who can relate to this experience is people who has lost a father and they come to my moment of weakness they talked to me and I were able to open up to them also. It would have been foolish for me to talk to someone who has not lost a father nor a mother.

        So in “THE FAKE NAME” I was like many of you upset at Sarah when she told Shaw her real name is Sam and not Chuck.Now I know why, both Sarah and Shaw are spies they can relate to each other at a professional level. Chuck is so new at this he does not have the experience to relate to Sarah about these things that Shaw has unfortunately.

      • Greg – in my opinion, they both deserve more.

      • Well, that’s a place where you and I disagree.

        The CIA training and esperience of Sarah puts Chuck ahead in my pity train.

        Again, it might not be right, but it’s what I think

      • Lou! On chuckthisblog.wordpress.com there is an article written by joe call “SAVING AGENT WALKER”

        It is about the mental and emotional state of Sarah Walker is in right now.If you get a change to read it do so and give me a reply.

      • I’m a bit relieved that Sarah is getting a bit more proactive and less reactive in matters of her heart, even though I disagree with Shaw as her choice. For three Seasons we heard about Chuck’s dreams, what he wanted in life, what he wanted of her. Not once did he ever ask her what she wanted out of life, what her dreams were. He just went with the assumption that once he did X (get the intersect out of his head, season 2 or become a real spy, season 3)that they would be together. This is one of his flaws. He vents, but doesn’t solicit feedback. He makes a big decision that affects “them” (become a real spy) without discussing it with her. This is a bad pattern to establish in a relationship. Let’s hope he learns a few lessons from losing her.

      • Yeah I am too. As much as I love Chuck, I think he forgets Sarah is not a CIA machine. She isn’t the female version of Casey – tough military bravado. She was a civilian (a high school kid who lost her only parent to prison) when she was recruited. Her emotions, her identity and her dreams had to all be buried at 18 years old.

        Speed ahead ten years later and Sarah is now responsible for introducing a civilian (her age) into her world. She knows how much it will cost Chuck and how much it will change him. I love the fact that she is trying to protect him and keep him out of her world. Chuck has never asked her why she doesn’t want him to be a spy, why she is willing to give up her world at the start of the season. Chuck keeps forging ahead thinking this is what he needs to do for them to be together, and yet he doesn’t ask her.

        I don’t like Shaw, but I think for now it’s good for Sarah. He’s comfortable. She’s settling for her world and that includes Shaw. I don’t think she can bring herself to be with Chuck knowing what he will turn into because of her. She’s feels responsible for taking away Chuck’s normal life, and maybe he doesn’t regret that now. I think Sarah knows Chuck is enough like her, he will regret it and maybe even resent her later on for making him a spy.

  5. But Chuck has to kill eventually in order to become a real spy. He can’t have his cake and eat it.

    • Technically he does not because he is already a spy.

      But realistically, in the ChuckVerse, your point is very valid.

      Let us hope the show addresses it at some point.

      • Yeah, otherwise Chuck’s journey into becoming a spy will turn out to be a cheesy one. They have been doing a good job so far in that regard, but the fact is that spys have to kill sometimes. There is no way around it. And no, traq guns don’t work all the time, the Intersect in itself is already too out there, so they need to ground him somehow. And it has to be in a realistic way. I’m thinking that he will be faced with that situation in 3.13. I hope.

    • Here’s a way to look at it though. Right now, with Sarah in turmoil and not able to “be there” for Chuck, it’s best that he didn’t kill the guy (and for other reasons, but focusing on just this aspect for now). Later on, if/when Sarah and Chuck do get together as a couple, Chuck may have to kill someone down the line eventually. He’ll either have to save someone’s life, or self defense.

      This way, when/if Chuck does ever have to kill someone for obvious reasons (and not just a test), Sarah WILL be there for him. She will be able to comfort him and help him through his own turmoil AFTER they have established themselves to each other in a relationship.

      So, right now, and I agree, it seems she is being selfish and unsupporting, it will put her, and C/S, in a place where that can happen like we want it to when it really does happen.

    • I can only hope that his first kill will result from a situation where he will feel minimal conflict, where the choice is so obvious that he cannot help but kill. The most obvious would be a situation where he must save a loved one like Sarah or Ellie. Shaw’s words will come back into play, “I don’t like guns, but it pays to know how to use one”.

  6. Great review. I completely agree with what you said about Sarah and what she is feeling. Very nicely said!

  7. Does anyone think that Sarah’s flashback red test in this episode has much more significance? Her target dropped a silver bracelet, which looks suspiciously like the one we saw in 2×11, “Chuck Versus Santa Claus”.

    • Mace,

      A lot of people think it is either Shaw’s wife or Chuck’s mom.

      If it is Chuck’s mom, holy crap what a coup that would be.

      • I that was Chuck’s mom, she’s a total MILF… :oP

        But seriously, the woman in the flashback was too young to be Chuck and Ellie’s mom. She looks to be about the same age as Sarah. The dropping of the bracelet was supposed to put a doubt in Sarah’s mind an dmake her hesitate. Sarah didn’t know if it was on purpose or an accident, if she was going for a weapon or merely putting it back in her purse. Sarah didn’t know if the target was legitimate or just a random person they picked out. Of course it was the worst day of her life.

      • army

        If Chuck’s target was legitimate, I think its safe to say that Sarah’s target was legitimate. I hope anyway.

      • I have no doubt that the mark was legitimate. But the actions of dropping the bracelet had put doubt and hesitation in Sarah’s mind. It wasn’t until she reached into her purse that Sarah THOUGHT she might be going for a weapon and killed her. And she never went back to check. I think that kernel of doubt plays a little part into her angst about it.

      • I don’t think it was Chuck’s mom, but I think it was the same bracelet. Chuck’s father turned out to be Orion. The questions it brought to my mind are who is Chuck’s mom, and if it’s the same one how did he get the bracelet?

        All we know is that she left when Chuck and Ellie were young. I’m thinking that if his father was Orion, his mom may be on the other side – the Ring.

      • No, screencaptures show they are different bracelets. If it WAS teh same, how did Chucke get it back to give to Sarah???

      • I thought it could be Chuck mom also, but Chucks mom “left” when he was in the fifth grade which would put him at about eleven years old. Sarah graduated highschool in 1998 which would put her approximately the same age as Chuck. Sarah didn’t look eleven years old in the flashback, so I guessing Shaws wife.

      • I’ve been giving this a lot of thought since I heard the theory yesterday. I don’t think it is Chuck’s Mom. Why? Well first off there is the age thing for one thing I agree Sarah’s target seems to young. Remember this couldn’t have been to long ago. How long has Sarah been a spy before she met Chuck? A year? A few at most? Secondly, pause when the bracelet is on the ground you get a good view it doesn’t look like the same charm bracelet. It looks like more of a normal silver bracelet.

        Lastly if it were Chuck’s mom and he were ever to find out to me that signals there is never a Chuck and Sarah relationship. I mean I don’t know Chuck and Sarah have worked through a lot of and will probably work through more but Killing his Mom?! Ellie’s Mom!?

        How do you come back from that?

      • Simple answer to the time question Chuck’s mom leaves and years later is shot by Sarah.

      • That’s what I thought. And about the age,I can believe that the woman Sarah killed had like 40, and Sarah around 20,cause the bracelet sure is the same.

      • The womann Sarah shot was about the same age she was supposed to be (Sarh would have been around 22 or 23 when she did her Red Test as she is 27 or 28 when she meets Chuck. That target looked to be maybe 25 or 26). Unless Mama B found the fountain of youth, THAT WAS NOT CHUCK’S MOM. She is WAAAAY too young. The bracelet was a device to make Sarah hesitate for a second.

      • Good point about the purpose of the bracelet. I was thinking it was just a red herring but maybe it is there to show that Sarah in a truer light. She will kill if necessary but she is not a cold blooded killer.

      • Another reason it can’t be Chuck’s mom. Remember in Chuck vs the Dream Job when Orion told Ellie that she looks just like her mother? That woman looked in no way like Ellie.

      • Sarah was recruited by Graham as her father was being led away in cuffs during her senior year at James Buchanan HS in san Diego. She is now about 30 years old, and Chuck is about 28, using referrences to age that they exposed in separate episodes in season 2 (And from the pilot we know his b’day is in September). So she has been in the clutches of the CIA for close to 12 years. Presumably the first years were to complete both her conventional education and her CIA training, but she has likely been an agent for some eight years, the last three of which she has worked with Chuck and Casey. She is referred to in a voiceover at the intro to “the Helicopter” (S.1/Ep.2) as one of their top agents which, given the importance of the intel that Chuck downloaded, is quite reasonable. So it is also reasonable to assume that she’d been an agent for 5 years up to that point, not a rookie.

  8. bethany actually

    Lou, your final paragraphs about Sarah’s feelings of loathing being about herself made things so much clearer for me! It casts Sarah’s behavior all season in a new, more understandable light. Thanks as always for such insightful analysis!

  9. My family is split on this one, so I’ll toss it out there if anyone else has ideas on this. Is it possible that Sarah, by accident, killed Shaw’s wife during her red test? Is this the psycho motivation for never letting team Bartowski be a team? It seems that Shaw has been consistently putting a very inexperienced Chuck in nearly immpossible situations, almost hoping he’ll get killed. Now too, could he be orchestrating Casey’s situation? Is he trying to have Sarah feel that hopeless feeling of losing a loved one by getting Chuck in a situation she is observing? Is Shaw completely playing Sarah to settle an old vendetta? Too far fetched? Maybe.

    • I agree about the “hoping he will be killed part”. In Chuck versus the Beard he seemed almost disappointed when Chuck and Morgan walked out of the freezer.

      • “In Chuck versus the Beard he seemed almost disappointed when Chuck and Morgan walked out of the freezer.”

        Nah, Shaw was disappointed that Morgan knew their secret. Shaw may be a little bit crazy but I don’t think he’s evil. haha 😉

    • Y’know? I’ve been gradually warming up to that idea too. Fixing it so Casey is out of the game, and seducing Sarah with manipulative inner agenda in mind to have the Intersect (Chuck) all to himself for his game of revenge with the Ring. At least that’s want I’ve been picking up from the comments I’ve read from some of the fans.

      • Hope!I’ve been warming up to that ideal as well.He’s suducing Sarah to have the intersect all to himself to plot his revenge against the Ring.

        Shaw Did say in ep.4″OPERATION AWSOME” that he knows everything about Team Bartawski and I mean everything.Maybe that including Casey’s real name Alex Corbin and Sarah’s real name Sam as well.

    • Russ If Sarah did kill Shaws wife during a red test when they have found out that Shaws wife is a member of the Ring that would explain a lot of things.

      Shaw said that his wife was killed five years ago.As far as we all know Shaw could be lying about when she was killed.Sarah’s life will be in exstreme danger.Chuck is going to save her by killing Shaw.

      This situation about the unarmed woman has to be adressed in future episodes.

  10. Two thoughts:

    1. In the beginning of the season Shaw made the statement that a Ring agent was responsible for the death of his wife. It also re enforces this in next weeks synopsis that a ring agent was responsible. I wonder if this was just an oversight in the script.

    2. I think that it will pretty quickly come out that chuck did not pull the trigger.

    In several instances Sarah has become more vulnerable and been knocked off her game this season I.E. the Nacho Sampler, the Fake Name etc.

    I think though the only way that he would be able to actually cross the line and be able to pull the trigger is in a setting that saves Sarahs life. This showing his feelings, resolve, and emotional maturity to do what needs to be done when the lives of those he loves are in danger.

    • If this spec plays out that Sarah killed Eve, then the set-up would be that The Ring manipulated Sarah to kill her. We already know that the Ring has infiltrated the CIA, so it is safe to assume that the person giving Sarah her Red Test might have been Ring. If Eve’s cover had been compromised, it would be very easy to make her assasination look like a Red Test target.

      • armynurseboy! I’m thinking along them same lines as you.If this speculaion plays out that it was Sarah that killed Shaw’s wife 5 years ago or more by oders from a Ring agent who works for CIA by which Sarah didn’t know that he was a Ring agent at the time as a part red test target as Chuck’s was but we know it wasn’t the case.Eve’s cover has been compromise as the member or the Ring so Sarah was manipulated by the Ring to kill her to become a spy.

        If this is true, all H is going to break loose in ep.13 especially if Shaw knows that it was Sarah who kill his wife as part of Shaw’s revenge againts the Ring and Sarah.CHUCK VS THE OTHER GUY could be Shaw.

        There is a video clip out the I saw on website that looks like Sarah lying there on the floor in cell prison.could it be in ep.13

        Remeber in the episode of the RING when Sarah and Casey were Captured by some agents and she ask him who are you?The agent replied we are super agents the best agent Walker. how did he know Sarah Walker’s name? Just pointing that out.

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  12. Shaw’s only motivation is to get revenge on the ring. He is using sarah to get what he wants ie if he has control of sarah he has control of the intersect, he made it clear by saying “but you can make him do it sarah”. I cannot wait for tuesdays ep it looks awesome. Also i think the writers dropped us a hint that chuck and sarah are right for each other because of the similarities in their red test. Sarahs was a reaction because she was suprised but she probably wouldn’t have shot the same as chuck. Also we have the really annoying problem of sarah thinking chuck shot the mark. He didn’t but we know chuck and he won’t burn casey so sarah is probably never going to find out. Whether chuck trusts sarah enough not to say anything is another matter thats what im hoping for. I really have hated this season but the last few eps have put in to perspective what they have been trying to achieve and i think i can go back and rewatch them in a different light. I think the chuck and sarah journey is almost over and hopefully it has the ending we all want =)

    • My theory on the Sarah finding out thing is that Casey might ultimately tell Sarah. I feel like Casey is in a weird place right now where he has bonded a bit with Chuck, is kinda rooting for him as a spy but he also knows who Chuck really is. He also tells Chuck “Walker’s a good woman.” Let’s face it Casey isn’t an idiot he’s gotta pretty much know of Chuck/Sarah’s true feelings. Maybe he runs into his old family and then doesn’t want to let the same thing happen to Chuck/Sarah??

      • thats what im hoping for. It does say that casey morgan and awesome try and help win her back.

      • Yeah, Shaw might have a hidden agenda but what he doesn’t know is that Chuck has his own little band of friends and allies who would help and loyal to Chuck to the death if nesessary. He doesn’t have a chance. heheh:D

      • I’ll agree hope! Shaw does not have a chance against Chuck.

    • But Mike, Chuck DID sell Casey out before in the Tic Tac, how can you be sure? I guess he did make up for selling him out by helping all he could him….So maybe Chuck’s learned his lesson on keeping his sometimes big mouth shut.

      • Not intentionally tho, he thought it was part of his test. Trust me if anyone breaks the news it will be casey NOT chuck.

    • Please do that Mike!from the beginning of season 3 The Chuck and Sarah journey is coming into shape now almost to as end together as spy partners. professionaly and life partners as well.

  13. Lou, I love your reviews, I always feel that I have watched the same show as you; that’s not always the case when I read comments and posts on some boards.

    I have some thoughts.

    Catch 22 – Scenario 2

    CIA/NSA keep saying that Chuck will go back to his old life because they can’t say what they really mean, which is that he will be illiminated. I believe that in 3.01 they were still pondering what to do and I like to believe Casey was rooting for Chuck. Afterall, it would have fallen to him to do the deed.

    Of course now Casey is out of the loop and I think that was why he killed Perry. Casey was concerned that the test wasn’t complete and also knew that if Chuck survived the assignment without killing Perry he would be killed by the CIA/NSA in the interest of National Security.

    It’s a TV show not real life!

    Flashes

    Loved Sarahs reation to the Champagne picnic. You can see her trying to be professional and thinking ‘how am I going to put this in my report?’ pleased to see her relax and accept that this is Chuck.

    Loved the scene with the binoculars. I didn’t think Sarah was ever going to remove them from her face. Due to YS acting skills you didn’t have to imagine what she was thinking – it was in every muscle tightening in her neck and every twitch of her mouth.

    Anyone who has stayed with the show this season must now see why the Chucks decision to become a spy had such a devestating affect on Sarah. Why she saw the only hope was to run and, as you said, why she has been trying to pull away from him all season. She has been trying to distance herself from the hurt she is expecting when the man she fell in love with disappears.
    Of course we all know that Chuck will eventually be Chuck again, I am sure that Yvonne also knows, but no one has told Sarah!

    • i really think your reviews should be put immediately after the episode so everybody reads them and understands the episode better. I am from Bosnia and i don`t understand everything perfectly but with your reviews its just great. And also we are about to see the best parts of the season like that Chuck/Sarah fighting scene and chuck asking Sarah if she loves him.

    • You are absolutely right Meandmine!You’re good of picking up little word quotes that just like me. If Chuck were to fail the Spy test to become a spy the go back to his life the CIA/NSA would send some one to kill him on the grounds of national sercurity becaus he is still the intersect,and they can’t afford have him running a lose in Burbank in fear that he might get captured by the Ring.Sarah knows this and Casey knew it as well and that’s why he kill perry to save Chuck’s life.

      Remember season 2 ep.1 “THE FIRST DATE” when Gen.Beckman gave Casey an order to kill Chuck for that same reason.Casey was going to kill him if Sarah had not knocked on Chuck’s apartment door.

      • I’m not 100% sure that Sarah realises that yet, her head is all over the place at the moment. Casey is far more astute and knows exactly how the system works.

        While Casey was on the team I think she thought Chuck was safe. There is a deleted scene on the Season 2 DVD set (UK version) where she asks Casey if Chuck is safe and Casey said yes. He was lying at the time because he had just been given the order to kill him once the new intersect was up and running, but I think Casey has changed a lot since then; he has grown to respect Chuck. All through this season we have seen Casey support Chuck and help him as much as he can. I also think the relationship between Sarah and Casey is very strong. We don’t see much of that side of it on screen but the fact that she has called him John on at least two occasions leads me to believe these two have a lot of respect for each other. At the end of the day, while Casey was part of the team Sarah knew Chuck was safe. He’s not safe now whether he becomes a spy or not and, if Sarah does realise that, it only adds to her turmoil because she sees the Catch 22 situation but has no idea how to get out of it. Which I suppose is the point of Catch 22. (Confession time: I’ve never read the book)

  14. Another angst riddled episode, although I guess it was necessary to put in the key pieces to what will be the show getting rid of shaw, I am sure. I did Enjoy last week’s ep better, it was more of the lighthearted comedy weve been sued to seeing, but this Chuck is a darker more dramatic tone that sint exactly bad, but it does leave a bit of a sour taste in your mouth.

    Im pretty certain that Sarah’s Red Test target was Eve, its a perfect gimmick for Shaw to go mental and be removed, even possibly become the show’s nemesis when he discovers Sarah killed his one true love.. or perhaps he already knows, and this is why everything he has done has lead to Team Bartowski breaking up! Perhaps he wants revenge on the ring AND the woman who killed his wife – Sarah herself.

    What I took away from this ep above all else was the solidifying of the Chuck/Casey Bromance – Casey really has Chucks back, no matter what, and for Casey to actively care for something other than his own interests.. well, it was touching. 🙂

    As for Sarah declaring she no longer loves Chuck… as someone on the forums said, the lady doth protest too much. :p

    • the only problem I see is if Sarah did kill shaw’s wife, its just going to add another damaging layer to sarah’s character which I think the writers have tarnished. if this was real life, that kind of character might just off herself. I mean being manipulated and then sleeping with the guy, which I think we’re supposed to think only to find out she’s been played. Sarah was already messed up when Chuck decided not to run away with her, I can’t imagine how this scenario might work, but we shall see.

      • I don’t think Shaw is playing Sarah. I think he really likes her. There is no deception.

      • Stargazer!Shaw is playing Sarah he is using her to control Chuck/Intersect for his revenge mission against the Ring.

      • Manny C.Sarah is not sleeping with Shaw.She did not sleep with Bryce Larkin when he came in and out of her life nor Cole Barker in Seasons 1&2. The relationship that she has with Shaw has been professional.

        Ask Chuck! you don’t sleep with PLS.

      • Sarah didn’t know who her target was. She couldn’t have known.

  15. Lou, I have one question. Why did Sarah suggest to Chuck that they “probably couldn’t” be together if he walks away from everything for her? Isn’t that precisely what she’s been wanting him to want to do this entire season? Do you think she was simply trying to allow him to make the most objective decision possible, or is this simply one of those Catch 22’s that doesn’t hold up to scrutiny?

    • JWR – to be honest I think her answer was bogus but one of those things that her character had to say. If she said yes then they both could have left and the show would be over.

      • Thanks for aharing that answer with us lou.

      • I guess I just wish Sarah would have said, “I don’t know, Chuck, I don’t know…” to his question about them being together if he walks away from being a spy. That would have left things adequately up in the air without the Sarah character logic breaking down for me. If Chuck couldn’t be absolutely sure of getting Sarah, he still might chosen to go through with the red test anyway. (I know I’m arguing what is a small detail in the episode, it’s just the detail that bothered me more than anything else in the episode.)

    • She was doing the professional spy thing and giving hints and suggestions to manipulate Chuck into completing the mission (even though you could see on her face that she hated doing it). I think what was more important was teh HUGE hint she dropped right after in saying “then you’ll just be CHuck and that’s okay too” (paraphrased). She was doing her best to subliminally dissuade him from taking the mission.

  16. Lou, what about the unnamed woman that Sarah apparently killed on her red test, isn’t she worthy of mention? The woman appeared to drop a silver bracelet that looked similar to the one that had once belonged to Chuck’s mom and that he had given to Sarah. At least that’s what I read some fans speculating on YouTube.

    So even if Chuck and Sarah do get together by episode 13 there could still be another major game-changer ahead if Papa Bartowski comes back to answer the questions that Chuck has about his mother and the pieces begin fitting together for Sarah. In other words, the worst day of her life could get even worse for her. The question is will this bring her and Chuck closer together or once again threaten to push them further apart?

    Of course that reveal could pale in comparison if Papa B. is the one who gets killed by the Ring in the season finale. Chuck and presumably everyone else in his world would be set on destroying the Ring. I’m sticking around just to see how this potential scenario plays out.

    • The un-named woman will get more coverage in the next episode(s). For this one, the impact she had on Sarah as part of her red test was the salient point.

    • Donavan you could be right! I don’t see the Ring going anywhere they only going to get more organizes and stronger by the end of season 3.That’s when Chuck and Sarah think that the Ring will be destroyed by the end of ep.13

      Shaw’s mission is to get revenge on the Ring agent for killing his wife he’s leaving that job to take down the Ring to Chuck and Sarah and maybe Casey.

    • If you are alluding to the the mark being Chuck’s mom, it’s highly unlikely. She’s way too young. But she’s old enough to have been someone elses wife….

  17. Caseys gonan tell her he killed the guy. chuck wont betray Casery and it also wont help with him and Sarah. And also their in paris in episode 13 so casey wont be there.

  18. Sorry for repeating what others said about the bracelet. I didn’t see the other comments until I submitted my comment. Still Sarah has been a spy for some time. She didn’t get trained to fly commercial jets and everything else that she can do in just a couple of years.

    Thanks for helping us to see a bigger picture in each episode, Lou. Like the others I do appreciate your perspective!

  19. I don’t think Sarah killed Chuck’s mom. The woman was too young. And Shaw’s wife was killed 5 years ago, I think Sarah’s red test was before that.
    Anyway, her red test was in France (we saw a road sign “Cédez le passage”), could this have any link with their presence in Paris later?

  20. I can’t waot for Casey to tell Sarah to truth. Chuck won’t betray Casey because he is like family in an odd sense. also We know its gonna happen next epispde because Casey isnt in paris with them in episode 13.

    WIth Sarah I also think she saw Chuck as the person who would never hurt her but she will see he is doing everythign for her,

  21. I think those of you trying to find significance in Sarah’s flashback are grasping at straws. The woman was neither Chuck’s mom or Shaw’s wife. Chuck is not a subtle show. If the woman was important, they would have focused on her more. If the bracelet was significant, they would have focused on that.

    TV is a visual medium (duh) and showing Sarah’s red test is more dramatic than simply listening to her talk about it. That’s the only purpose of the flashback.

    Chuck is not Lost. You’re not supposed to watch it frame-by-frame looking for clues.

    • I wouldn’t be so quick to write it off, Joe.

      • hehe… agreed. This is getting gooooood! 😉

      • Neither would I. That’s the great thing about Chuck; it is light entertainment for the shallow but if you dig deeper there is so much more. I feel sorry for all the people that gave up and are now missing the final pay off. Oh please let it be as good as the writers have promised.

    • That is true, tv is a visual medium and generally can be watched without any thought or imagination at all. However; when writing these shows and definately when editing them any scene that doesn’t propel the story is generally cut. Just watch the outtakes that are availible. Many great scenes have been lost because they really didn’t have a place in the story. That plus budget issues this season, and I am led to believe that anything that is shown is shown for a reason. Sure we could have gotten a flashback of the red test just for dramatic reasons, but they intentionally focused in on the women’s face and the bracelet; therefore the woman and the bracelet have significant meaning. I’m sure that at the begining of a future episode we will see that flashback again in the recap, and the identity of the woman will be revealed.

      • Exactly. If the flashback wasn’t supposed to have visual importance FOR THE AUDIENCE, then they simply could have had Sarah talking about it in her bedroom without having to have it seen acted out.

    • I would watch the promo for 3.12 again.

    • Well, if the woman turns out to be Chuck’s mom, then I’d like to know what the writers are smoking. The woman is much too young. Furthermore, this is still supposed to be telling the love story between Chuck and Sarah (I think). How is Chuck supposed to love the woman who murdered his mother? This show has gotten a little darker this season, but it hasn’t gone THAT dark. This is why I see no significance in the bracelet, but I love how so many fans get excited whenever a bracelet appears on the show.

      The woman being Shaw’s wife is more plausible. However, I don’t really see this happening. I still think the flashback was just meant to show the depth of Sarah’s guilt over what she believes she has done to Chuck.

      I could be wrong. I don’t write the show!

  22. First of all great article! Very comforting to know some people realize that character development is necessary at some point in a show. We couldn’t have just continued the “mission of the week” thing without the show getting repetitive. Heck we had 2 seasons of that stuff. So yes, I have really enjoyed this season so far. To me it is still the same show but concentrates more on the main plot of the show than the “mission of the week” thing I mentioned earlier. I do however dislike Shaw and am very interested in how CF/JS are going to get rid of him so soon. Am I correct in saying that Shaw has 2 episodes left? or would it only be 1? I forget how many he has been in but I think it is 6 and the summary for “vs. The American Hero” has him guest starring again. Well again, I’ll be interested to see how they handle Shaw. (Also somewhat interested in how they are going to handle Casey).I would guess Shaw has at least somewhat of a hidden agenda just by the way his character is portrayed. I really hope that the season finale of Chuck will be as good as season 2 (which I thought would have been a good point to stop the show). I really hope Chuck gets its ratings back up or NBC continues to fail so bad they renew Chuck for at least half a season. Go Chuck!!!! A fan campaign won’t save the show this year 🙁 so start tuning in live/forcing Nielson families to watch live!!!! If only we could put John Casey in every Nielson families’ television rooms at 8est/7cst, then Chuck would destroy all other shows!!!!!!

    • If the ratings pulled up enough, at least comparable to what they did at the end of Season 2, then I think that a strong enough fan campaign could have an effect in helping the show make it to Season 4. At the very least, it couldn’t hurt.

  23. Sarah’s Red test was not Shaw’s wife. She had just recently died, remember he was sent her personal effects in one of the early episodes.

    • Point of clarification – Eve was killed 5 years ago.

    • Something that just hit me. We never did see the team look at the data on the disks. Since the data is 5 years old, could it be more about the intel about who had Eve killed vs intel to take down the Ring. If Shaw’s obssession is what is driving this plot train, I could easily see him lying about what was on the disk.

      • That’s something that has bugged me too. For all the trouble they went through to retrieve the discs Shaw hasn’t shared the intel. Unlike some people who chose to view this as a fault with the show I took it as a very important plot device. One that will be relevant in the next couple of episodes.

      • Exactly. Shaw could be going off the reservation for a personal mission of revenge and his whole point thus far was to mold Team B into a weapon he could use.

      • Oh, I hope your right because when Team B find out he is going to be ‘in a world of pain’. Unfortunately, I think they will try to make him a sympathetic character and hope we all go ‘Oh we feel so sorry for him – isn’t he lovely’ Can’t wait to find out.

      • Too late to make him sympathetic. The posted comments show a deep dislike of Shaw among the audience. I haven’t seen any that say that they love the character, or Routh’s acting or chemistry for that matter.

      • I agree. I can’t imagine what would make me see him in a good light. Of course, it could be that Brandon Routh is playing the character exactly as the writers want it played. Someone on the forum suggested that he is there to show us what Sarah’s life would be like without Chuck. Well, we’ve seen it and it’s boring and unemotional and annoying…..I could go on but they’re all negatives.

  24. Crumby you could be on to something here. In another spoiler it said Sarah would have flashes too…obviously these aren’t intersect flashes…it is possible that the ‘flash’ is another flashback from her red test. Maybe we will get to see what really went down.

    Also, reading the other posts, I could see Shaw using Team Bartowski. I didn’t take much note in the scene where Gen. Beckman was in her office talking to someone (whom we couldn’t see) and she said “It’s too dangerous” and says that ‘they’ need to know. Who’s they? Probably Team Bartowski. Know what? Shaw wants to use them to fight against The Ring. (We haven’t heard anything of that scene since, so this could very well be the case) Shaw knows that Chuck can be unbeatable with the intersect 2.0…with a little push. This would be the cause of Shaw pushing Chuck to be a spy so much. As mentioned earlier, we all can see Shaw has a temper. He wants revenge on The Ring, or more specifically the Ring operative that killed his wife, that he will do anything.

    What I don’t understand is: Why is he trying to pull Sarah away from Chuck? Sure she is his weakness, but also his strongpoint. When things are good with Sarah, he flahes fine. When Sarah begins to pull away from him, he does not flash as well. In all honesty, SHE makes HIM better. An accident? Not likely. If his main goals are to get revenge for his wife (him being THE agent to go to for Ring information…he seems to take a special interest to them…so this theory sounds pretty acurate) then I would think he would not be willing to flirt so fast.

  25. One thing that’s really bugging me: how can Chuck be a spy? Casey said it himself, Chuck isn’t a killer. Like my sister said, it’s like being a teacher and hating kids. It just can’t work. And did anyone notice when Sarah said that if you don’t kill him you’ll still be Chuck and there is nothing wrong with that. For Chuck, he was damned if he did it, damned if he didn’t. Kudos to the writers for finding a way for him to get out of it somewhat realistically, but I honestly think it should be addressed.

    Another thing, I’m a little mad at Casey for cheating for Chuck. I understand his reasoning, but still. What if Chuck wanted him to live? What if he wanted to back out? Not likely, I know. But Casey in a way pushed Sarah out of love with Chuck. As Chuck said, he doesn’t know who he is anymore; Casey never gave Chuck the chance to find out what he’s capable of. Hopefully Chuck will address this problem later on. He will have to. Hopefully, Casey can fix things. Lou great article, thanks you always keep me thinking.

    • How indeed? An issue the show must address at some point. My advice – stay tuned!

    • Casey waited to shoot until Perry threats Chuck’s life by taking his gun.
      He gave Chuck the chance to choose until it was to late.

    • I’ve mentioned this before but my take on this is that Casey believes that if Chuck doesn’t become a spy then he will be illiminated by the CIA/NSA, just like he would have been at the beginning of Season 2. The intersect is not being updated so the intel will start to lose it’s relevance.

    • Sam C H Chuck is a spy and he has killed some people tecnically/unoficially.

      Remember the FIRST KILL when Chuck technically kill jill’s uncle,then later on he kill a Fulcum agent when they both were hanging out of a window, and THE SUBURBS when Chuck talked the Fulcum agents into putting Sarah in the chair so he can protect her by closing her eyes not knowing to Fulcum that Casey was in the other room reprogramming the computer.

      Chuck did mean to do it but it did not change the fact that he did.The only way Chuck will have no kill someone when Sarah life is in danger,his friends,family,or hiumself. He will do it officially when him and Sarah will be partners on a mission together whether it’s by a gun or a kung fu death blow.

      It will takes a toll in Chuck mentally and emotionally,that’s when Sarah will be there for him.She can relate to him on that which will bring them closer together.

  26. Great review. As for the “Chuck going back to his old life,” there are a few possibilities that I’ve come up with. The first is that outside of the small group of Casey, Sarah, Beckman and Shaw, no one knows that he’s the intersect. As far as the ring knows (or at least, as far as the viewer knows in terms of what the ring knows), the new intersect was destroyed and no one had the chance to download it, so they might not see Chuck going back to his old life as a major security risk. Granted, they’d still probably have him under surveillance, but it might be without his awareness. Another possibility is that they’re not sure what they would do with Chuck if he failed to become a spy. It seemed like they were kind of awaiting a decision about what to do with Chuck in the first episode, since Casey and Sarah were still in Burbank even if Chuck wasn’t entirely aware of that, so it’s possible that he still might be killed, return to being an asset, or be thrown underground. Or . . . it’s just a major plot hole that hasn’t been adequately addressed because they’ve been focused on other things this season like Chuck becoming a spy (and therefore that question not mattering all that much from a writer’s perspective) and the back stories and the Ring and the Chuck/Sarah relationship stuff.

    • Fits in with my Catch 22 scenario #2. The fact that they have not fleshed it out is an indicator that it is an avenue the show has no intention of using.

  27. Lou

    Since the bad buzz about Chuck vs. The Mask, I’ve been discovering your reviews, your thoughts, your opinions, your way to see the big picture and the little details for each episodes. And each time, I feel amazed, each time, I’m getting anxious to watch the next episode. I love your reviews, It’s giving me a stronger view of the struggles of our Team Bartowski and his allies. Such discoveries are a way to appreciated a little gem called CHUCK. Lou, you are extremely good.

    Also, I love your point of view about the distant Sarah during Season 3. I’ve felt her distance with Chuck, knowing that the Prague story was not the only reason, sensing that the presence of both Hannah and Shaw was not the only thing. On the previous seasons, when Chuck met Lou, she didn’t pulled herself out, when Chuck was with Jill, again, Sarah wasn’t far behind. But this time, I felt her different, not finding the point of her little coldness around Chuck. After your review, I’ve bang my head with my hand and said, “Of Course, that make sense!” Now, I’m seeing the current season to a different, but good way, I even tolerating Shaw a bit, just a little bit. For that, I thank you!

    And for all the ones jumped the ship, You are really don’t know what you are missing.

  28. I really like your review. You allways seem write a lot of thought-provoking yet clear comments in a relatively small space. Kudos for that. Now I’m even more excited for the next episode.

    • You made me blush. Thanks! It is hard to cover everything in around 1000 words. As it is the reviews are still slowly creeping up into the 1500 word territory. Guess its OK so far cause Mel has not taken out the beating stick yet! 😉

      • I also enjoy your reviews very much, Lou, because you’re fair and more objective than most. Thanks! 😉 You’ve got class.

  29. Lou,

    The only thing better than an episode of Chuck is your review the following day. I love your level headed, insightful remarks. I am seeing Sarah in a more sympathetic light after reading your review and breakdown of where we are in the storyline. Does Sarah no longer want to be a spy? When she speaks to Chuck of his future as a spy the undertone is always “it’s not all it’s cracked up to be” and it’s clear she has major regrets. In Chuck vs. The Ring, Sarah and Chuck are dancing at the wedding and she tells him that she doesn’t want to save the world. She is on the verge of telling him that she desires, and is willing to live a “normal” life when their conversation is interrupted never to be resumed. She is so conflicted. Not 100% comfortable remaining a spy yet not sure she can leave. All the while seeing someone she loves headed down the same path. Great story, great character. Thanks for helping me see it that way. I just love this show!

  30. Well .. ladies and gentlemen … all of you could say/comments whatever you like .. even create your own storyline….. it may be true or false …. The writers and the producers when reading at our comments may be laughing at us now …..This is a just a movie .. some have logics , some cannot be explained logically. .. Therefore, the writers and producers of chuck can…manipulate a lot of things ….. it. may be beyond our imagination and illogical manners….To me Chuck season 3 is not entertaining anymore.. not worth watching and waste my time….

  31. Another Great Episode Flash!

    Casey’s “HAND Writen” note to Jeff and Lester, and their reaction (FEAR)!

    LOLOLOLOL etc.

  32. So this has probably been mentioned at least in part, but I want to add my commentary to the last Shaw/Sarah scene in the episode. It’s absolutely brilliantly written and played by Yvonne. Here’s the part I want to focus on:

    Shaw: Are you still in love with him?
    Sarah: No. Not anymore. It’s just he’s not going to be the same person again.

    At first blush this would seem to be the most anti-shipper section ever. Therein lies the danger of emotional reaction. If we take another look at it, it turns out to be the most shipper moment to this point. Here’s why:

    To this point, Sarah has never said she loves Chuck. She’s said she has feelings to Casey, she says she cares about Chuck to Cole, and she doesn’t deny she loves him to Carina. We’ve heard Chuck say he loves Sarah, but not vice versa, until now. In those three sentences, Sarah says she loves the real Chuck, and doesn’t love the person she thinks he will/has become. She can’t/doesn’t love a cold-hearted spy that’s numbed to killing. So not only does she love Chuck, she’s never been able to love Bryce, Cole, or Shaw. That’s why it’s “different” than Shaw. That’s why it’s “simple” with Chuck as opposed to “complicated” with Bryce. So well done. I can’t thank the writers enough for this show.

    • Yes, a lot of so called shippers missed that. I think that has always been the way for Sarah. When Bryce was held hostage, she took the shot but couldn’t when Chuck was in a similar situation. I believe that is because she was never emotionally committed to Bryce. With Chuck it ws to great a risk if she missed. I’ve always thought that that was the point we knew Sarah loved Chuck.

      • Definitely, we have always known that Sarah loves Chuck. I think the profound bit of the scene is that she vocalizes that love for the first time in no uncertain terms.

      • Yeah and it was missed by so many people because they focused on the ‘not anymore’ bit.

      • Sorry – that should have been ….they focused on the ‘no’ bit instead of the ‘not anymore’ bit. I should really read my post more carefully.

      • Sarah still does love Chuck emotioanlly. it will be proven in the next two episodes.

        Shaw does not have anything to offer to her emotionslly Shaw told Sarah in THE FIRST CLASS that we both made mistakes we fell in love with spies. Sarah never loved Bryce too coldhearted to her liking,and she don’t kill unless it’s her last resort and Chuck will do the same as well.

    • You’re right andrew!When Shaw ask Sarah do you still love Chuck she in a quick response no.

      First of all Sarah is lying.She still loves Chuck.

      Second: she doesn’t love Chuck as a asset/handler relationship anymore because it was unprofessional.But she did not say that she does not love him in a spy/spy realationship.

      Chuck will prove that to Sarah that he’s not a cold blooded killer by still having those same goodness qualities that made her fall in love with him in the first place.

      • Actually, I’m going to disagree with you on a couple points, Bernard. I don’t think Sarah was lying at all. She does not love the Chuck she thinks he has become. Once she realizes he hasn’t lost his soul like she feels she has, then she’ll remember she loves him.

        Also, I think the point is that she doesn’t love him in her current perception of him as a spy. She feels like she lost part or all of her soul when she took her Red Test. She also think Chuck did too. Couple that with the guilt that he was becoming a spy because of/for her, and without a change in understanding it’s impossible for her to love him in a spy/spy relationship.

        Your last point is completely right and this is the key, I think. Once Chuck proves he is still Chuck, and a spy, then they will come together. At that point they will have reconciled the normal vs spy aspects of their lives and will be able to love each other fully.

      • Actually you are right Andrew on a couple of points.Sarah does not love the Chuck she think he has become.

        She feels/thinks that she lost her soul when she took the red test to become a spy.Sarah has lost part or all her soul because of it, and she sees Chuck going down that same path by becoming a spy himself because of/for her the guilt is too much for her to take and the spy/spy relationship would not work either for C/S. Sarah been down this road before as far as the spy/spy relationship goes. 1 Bryce Larkin,2.Cole Barker,and now Daniel Shaw.The first two of these spy/spy relationships Shaw included she’s been a part of has been miserable for her.professionally it was good but emotionally miserable.

        In ep.12 Chuck will do something really heroic being Chuck by saving Shaw to prvove to Sarah that he’s the same man she fell in love with.

        There’s is a good posibility that Casey will tell Sarah that is was him that pulled the trigger that night killing Perry not Chuck because Casey knows how much Chuck and Sarah mean to each other, but Sarah cannot tell Shaw or Beckman about it simply for that fact that she do tell Shaw or Beckman that Chuck did not pull the trigger by failing his spy test does not mean he’ll go back to his old life as Casey tells Sarah,he will tell her that the government will kill Chuck on the grounds of National Sercurity.

        Casey will also tell Sarah that Chuck is a differnt kind of spy,he is not like us,he has ideas and principles that allow him to be his own spy based on what he will and want do as a spy. A one of a kind.

        Sarah using Lou’s comments has drawn a line in the sand waiting for Chuck to cross the line.She wants to know if Chuck the man she fell in love with is still there emotionally vs the spy aspects of their lives?

        Right now Sarah is miserable and most of all damaged.She feels unworthy and not to be loved. I have met people like that. Shaw is miserable himself and in the process taking down Sarah with him. He can’t help her emotionally because Shaw is damage goods too. He’s obsessed with revenge against the Ring that could lead him to his destruction.

        Chuck will cross that line.He has a new mission to Save Sarah Walker and he will lead by example emotionally for her to follow by letting her know that she is worthy to be loved and cared for,but most of all he loves her.

  33. After reading the very well written and insightful reviews by Lou, how can some of you people be willing to just ‘give up’ on this wonderfully entertaining show? I just don’t get it.
    I have loved every season of this show so far. I sincerely hope that it will be on again next season. It is the only show that I watch “live”.
    Each and every one of the characters on this show are so endearing and interact with each other effortlessly…even Lester and Jeff.
    One of my very favorite scenes from this past episode was when Chuck came ‘semi-dancing’ into the Orange Orange to talk with Sarah…reminiscent of last season and the playful banter between Chuck and Sarah.
    Oh and I also loved Casey torturing Lester and Jeff…hilarious.

    • LOL me too, I loved how he made them jump up in a panic and squeal like the cowards they are, ”you show em’ Casey” haha.

    • I’m not giving up on Chuck, but I don’t think the show will get good again until 3.14. I actually enjoyed the season up until Mask, I was OK with Fake Name, and loved Beard. Liked all but the last scene in Tic Tac, and the first half of Final Exam was great. Just not liking the continuing saga of (in honour of Carol Burnett’s spoof on Soap Opera’s and the way flip-flop Sarah makes me feel) “As The Stomach Turns”.

      It seems to me that with the exception of a few episodes, they have taken what should have been feel-good episodes and totally ruined them. Mostly with the Sarah/Shaw interactions. They should have stuck to their original plan of ending the Shaw character in 3.09. This has gone on way to long. Every logical place where they should have ended Sarah’s flip-flops, they just throw another one at us.

      The good news is that this crap will be over and done with at the end of 3.13 and we can get back to something decent.

      • Gord heres what I don’t get! If Chuck got kicked out spy school in Prague because he would not use a gun to kill someone that means he learned everything else while he was there at Prague and plus he learned the spy game from Sarah and Casey as an asset with the government.

        So why bring in Shaw’s character to be Chuck’s mentor? Sarah and Casey could easily have done that,unless Shaw strong arm Gen.Beckman by taking over Castle,Team B,used and manipulated Sarah in her emotional state in which he’s in controls the intersect for his own agenda like plotting revenge against the Ring for turning her and killing his wife.

        There could be another twist in that plot about the killing of Shaw’s wife we’ll see in ep.12 or 13.

        If the producers and writers did make a mistake is they kept shaw’s character too long beyond 3-09 should not extended beyond that

  34. Thank you for the reminder that this show is about more than just Chuck and Sarah. It’s the mixture of all the elements that makes this show so great. If people watched the whole and didn’t focus on the bits they didn’t like it is excellent entertainment.
    I’m always surprised about how many people will write off a whole episode because there is something in it they didn’t like. Personally, I’m not that keen on Lester but I see his relevance in the dynamic of the show and don’t say an episode is rubbish just because I didn’t like his scene. Taken as a whole I think all seasons have been excellent so far but I have my favourite episodes in each season.
    Sorry, it seems like I’m ranting all over your post but it was so nice to read something about the other characters in the show.
    I missed Morgan:)

    • Sorry – new to posting! This is supposed to be a reply to Liz.

    • I didn’t think you were ranting all over my post at all. =0)
      I totally agree with you in that if people would watch each episode as a whole they might come away with a different take on the episode or the show, for that matter. I get tired of people ripping the show apart. I mean it is ok to criticize it, but in a constructive manner only!
      I wish that it was required to read Lou’s synopsis each week before people could watch the next episode. I know, I am dreaming….but in a perfect world……

  35. Congratulations Lou. Your excellent review has generated over 120 comments in a day! That’s more than Versus The Mask.

  36. Good Afternoon fans! I just read a article by Joe called “SAVING AGENT WALKER”.This article is on the chuckthis web site. you will find this artcle interesting. please send me your response to the article.

    • Great article. This was somewhat my understanding of Sarah’s emotional state. But there is no way I could have voiced my opinion so eloquently. I wish more people would read articles like that and like Lou’s. I believe if everyone was forced to read them after the show, a lot fewer people would have quit watching.

    • Great article by Joe.

    • Joe has done a great job in shedding some light on who Sarah Walker has become. To be honest I always thought of her as someone for Chuck to look up to. I thought she was strong. I guess the whole time she really saw Chuck as someone she wants to be. She feels she is not worthy. If it weren’t for Lou and Joe I would never make sense of the show like I am now.

  37. @ Lou hey i am new to this whole forum thing but i had to say that your review has really saved me from not wanting to watch the show. I mean a couple of the comments you and the other posters made were extremly good and they really opened my eyes to what the writers were trying to do. Let me be clear i am not a shipper but the whole WTWT bit was tiresome and i didnt understand where they were going with the story line So i thank you for giving some thought on the episodes for the people like me who love the show but arnt going to look for the little things that matter. You are extremly talented and i hope chuck comes back so that i will have reason to read your post.

    • Comments like yours make doing reviews even more extra special! 8)

      Thanks! And your decision to stick around is a wise one as you will find out on the next two Mondays.

      • NO thank you and to all the other people that are doing their best to explain to us slower people (lol) the reality of what is really going on behind the scenes! I will keep watching and reading!

  38. I loved the first half of this episode, but once again they resorted to crappy soap opera stuff in the last few minutes of the show. I have found the action, the humour and Chuck’s development as a spy great this season, but they have dragged what one reviewer called flip flop Sarah out about 3 or 4 episodes too long.
    I am really looking forward to the back 6, and I will watch 3.12 and 3.13 just hoping that they do something satifying to redeem this story arc, but based on what they have done with the relationship aspect since Mask on, I’m not expecting anything great on that front. I still think the action and the humour could be good though. Especially with Morgan, Casey and Awesome teaming up in 3.12.

  39. All of the above .. we all make assumptions that is the intentions of the writers and producers. It can be true or false. Only the writers know the truth. Hope we are not disappointed in season 3. Or else the producers want us to support for season 4 with a promise of better chuck and sarah scenarios.

  40. Thanks Lou and Joe. Too bad most of us did not know this before as it could
    have avoided a lot of viewer frusration with the show, including my own.

    That’s not your fault of course. Thanks again for your insights.

    Rstacy if you read this please read the above article by Lou and another
    article on the chuckthis website entitled ” Saving Agent Walker ” and
    ask your Nielsen viewers to do the same since you indicated on your last
    post you were going to continue to watch the show. We need all of the
    help we can get for a 4th season renewal, thanks.

  41. Please do not moderate my above comment. I stayed on topic and am only trying to help save the show, thanks.

  42. I’m still wondering if Sarah is playing Shaw. After all, neither she nor Casey knows exactly who he is or where he comes from. He has no records that they could access.

    As for Casey’s deliciously comic attempts to be ‘normal’…I’m also wondering if his demotion wasn’t all part of a bigger game plan on behalf of Beckman [or someone else]. Maybe there’s a grand ‘chess master’ who is deliberately nudging events around the team so that Chuck [and maybe Sarah and Shaw] look exposed and vulnerable. This in order to flush out one or more bad guys into the open.

  43. Interesting how all scenarios above have been “answered” in 3.12:
    1) Sarah chose Chuck, accepting that he has changed.
    2) Since Chuck wants to run away, this point is defeated. Plus no one has told Beckman the truth yet.
    3) Irrelevant due to showrunners’ use of point 1), but Casey confessed to it anyway. As if Sarah would bust him for it.
    4) Irrelevant because Chuck and Sarah were planning on running away.