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“It’s just so thrilling. It reminds me of that great episode of Alias. I love that show.â€
So many crosses and double-crosses that I can hardly keep track, but Mama B continues to delight, and I’m so happy that Ellie got some closure, not to mention a great car. And, hey: Sheep! (What episode of Alias featured sheep?)
We’ve all noticed and been mildly annoyed by Chuck’s tendency to bring his relationship baggage on a mission like it’s spy luggage. Likely, the writers are just uncomfortable letting Chuck and Sarah just be, and don’t want to bog the rhythm of the show down with lots of moody conversations on couches. But the Chuck and Sarah relationship drama took a back seat to the heavier question of Mama B’s loyalties, and that emphasis made the reveal of Timothy Dalton as Volkoff a mild surprise (emphasis on the mild).
It’s the getting there that’s half the fun, though. I know that Timothy Dalton is a former Bond, but I kept thinking of his spell as Ringleader of the Time Lords on Doctor Who, which made his John Le Carré sad-sack spy even more amusing. All former Bond heroes should be forced to wear comfy sweaters and cuddle baby lambs. And all Time Lords should be forced to listen to Chuck talk about his girlfriend for 123 miles. I’ve expressed my discontent with the indiscriminate use of guest stars before, but Timothy Dalton was great for this role, both as good guy and bad, father figure and evil Russian.
I’m sticking to my theory that parent-child relationships are the secret theme of this season: just as Chuck connected with a father figure, Ellie got a chance to see her mom. I certainly hoped that Ellie told her about the baby: I assume that happened off-screen. I wonder how much Mama B revealed to Ellie, about Chuck. I hope that Ellie got closure, as I’m starting to suspect that the only way for Mama B’s story to end is for her to slip under the radar, only to be seen in the occasional season finale.
Speaking of being off someone’s radar: Mama B never told Volkoff about Chuck’s parentage, which would seem to indicate that she’s playing some game of her own devising. Maybe she really is trying to work from within the belly of the beast, but it’s hard to countenance a 20-year mission that has, thus far, yielded zero results. Surely, we’ll find out more soon.
Hopefully we’ll also find out more about what happened to Chuck. Was he un-Intersected? Is the glowy thing under the car yet another Intersect? Or was last week’s episode, in which Chuck didn’t flash, a foreshadowing of the show’s new direction?
Either way, I hope that one prediction doesn’t come true: I really don’t want this first fight to prefigure all other fights, in that I want Chuck and Sarah to enjoy some serious couch time to talk about their feelings over a bottle of wine. They shouldn’t have to constantly re-assess their relationship while engaged in strenuous, non-sexual physical activity.
Bytes
• Sarah: “Morgan, please don’t touch my chest.â€
• Morgan: “Do I get to parachute out of a plane on a wild horse?â€
Chuck: “No, you do not, because nobody ever does. But you do get to wear an earpiece.â€
• Timothy Dalton: “I’d like to apologize for questioning you in such a harsh tone, and of course for threatening to rip out your throat.â€
• Timothy Dalton: “…and I had my first sexual experience watching Lawrence of Arabia. I come from a broken home.â€
• Timothy Dalton: “Oh, cool! A tiny weapons stand-off!†This is so funny.
• Indestructible Woman: “Keep your pants on. You are not my type.â€
And Pieces
• Great rant from Chuck at the beginning. I plan out my rants, too. I’m very eloquent when alone.
• Per fas et ne fas is “for good or bad†or “through good and bad,†right? I should have paid more attention in Latin class. (I wonder if it’s from the Latin wedding service, translated as “in sickness and in health.†Too much?)
• Did Mama B intentionally describe the car to lead Ellie towards a clue of some kind?
A lot happened this week: Mama B and Volkoff are now officially quest objects. Scott Bakula’s work has been destroyed, but Ellie holds the key to…something. Chuck may not be the Intersect, which would be fascinating. Morgan continues to improve his spy-capabilities. Everything feels turned up to eleven, which makes next week’s break even more difficult to bear. Chuck will return on Monday the 15th.
Four out of four Phalanx XR-12 computers. (Are those real? With the triangle discs?)
that computer under the seat was an orion computer right? It looked like the one that was given to chuck in chuck versus the predator
This was the first episode of the season that I could describe as excellent. Timothy Dalton was better than I usually find him to be, and is still quite handsome. The best use of a (former) big name guest star this season.
And even though Morgan is still being written as TOO annoyingly clownish in spy mode, he had some good moments tonight, such as when he softened up Mama B during the interrogation and when he chastised Casey for using him as a “magnet” and not helping Morgan become a better spy.
And though I find his bumbling in spy situations annoying, they got a laugh out of me after he dropped the ear piece into his water… after he downed half a glass I fully expected him to swallow it, but when the bartender’s hand appeared with a pitcher to instantly refill it, I laughed.
Also enjoyed Sarah’s silent looks at Ellie & Mama B as they talked, and Chuck & Sarah’s fight while fending off the baddies in the bank.
As for the device under Ellie’s new/old car, even if it IS an intersect, when Orion & Bryce talked after Ellie’s wedding in the season 2 finale, Orion said they’d changed some of his original specs and asked what the new intersect does; Bryce said “you don’t want to know”. Orion then never knew Chuck had uploaded the intersect 2.0 until he returned days before he was shot; if the device IS an intersect, it shouldn’t be able to do everything version 2.0 did, since 2.0 differed from his original specs.
Oh, and presumably Ellie & Awesome didn’t walk to wherever they had to go to get her new/old car– so why did they drive off together? Shouldn’t she have driven the Mustang while he drove their car?
My thought about the device Frost flashed in Chuck’s face is this: She said that Chuck’s father never wanted Chuck to see this, but that she knew now Chuck’s father was wrong. Since Orion made it clear he had never wanted Chuck to be a part of the spy world, I wonder if maybe it wasn’t something to remove the Intersect or make it less powerful. What if it was a final patch to more fully integrate the Intersect into Chuck’s mind so the information and skills came more as second nature to him without flashes?
I think the device Frost flashed on Chuck actually downloaded all of his father’s, Orion’s, work into Chuck’s brain. I’m guessing that this too much detail for the him to process which is why he can’t flash and Chuck will probably have to spend an episode or two processing the data. Then again this is just speculation. Boy is this fun! 🙂
De Chuckster–per my post below–I agree with you about the new files in the brain. It will also indicate to Chuck that his mother has not turned but still plans to bring down the evildoers–just now is not the right time—wonder if it will be done in the first 13 episodes??
Yeah i would prefer that for sure. If Chuck has lost the intersect it would be hard for him to go on missions now and he and Sarah make a great team. Besides when in danger their love is just overflowing. In a few words and a facial expression you could see all their feelings. What i also want to say though is that i miss the Chuck and Sarah sweetness. Indeed now the plot is more intense but i miss the couch and bedroom conversations where the intimacy is at its peak.
Totally agree with you assesment, well except for the T. Dalton comments lol.
Why I think it was such a great episode:
– They Didn’t try to do to much. They put more focus on the characters, and while they didn’t get to everyone, I am sure they will as this story progresses.
– Bringing the spy stuff back! Nice plot, a little action, with comedy fitting in perfect. Not over the top comedy like episode 403, but I really enjoyed the verbal back and forth as Chuck and Sarah were arguing during their fight w/ volkolv’s (sp) men
– I think they used Morgan perfectly in this episode, he was funny but not so much it interfered with the story
– Great scene with Elle / Momma B. / Sarah. Yvvone can express so much with just a look, it really is a talent with her and the interaction between mother and daughter was great.
– It was easy to predict the twist in the story with T. Dalton’s Character, but he did such a great job during the whole episode, really looking forward to it in two weeks
This was Chuck at its best IMO, granted would like to see more Casey in the story, but I am sure it is going to happen during this story arc.
Great episode and as I said in another post, one of my top 3 favorites
My initial thought was that Mama B. is trying to turn him to her side. But that has flaws because we really don’t know what side Mama B. is really on. She seems to be in control of everything and her saving Chuck by slipping Sarah the razor means she’s still in control but what she is trying to accomplish is the question. In the device Mama B. was encoded messages, but were they?
Chuck can’t loose the intersect because that’s the basis for the whole show. From the preview for next week, I gather that the intersect is still in there but needs to be pieced together. When you delete a file on the computer, it’s still there, just somewhere else in the memory. That’s what I think happened to Chuck’s intersect. The storytelling of the Mustang was staged by Mama B. too. That’s why I wonder if what is in the car is really Orion’s.
Mystery: What is Mama B. really up too?
I could be wrong, but my belief is that the mini intersect that Mama B had Chuck download contained all of Orion’s spy information. That’s why it’s OK that the house got blown up, because all the information is in Chuck’s head. (And this explains her comments about it as well.) However accessing the information could be difficult for Chuck because of his emotional attachment to the subject matter. I think his mind is “processing” the new information in his subconscious which has temporarily put the intersect already in his head out of commission.
That may explain the box lable being “eureka” because it can integrate the mind and the machine and maybe end the need for a govenor.
I have to admit, I haven’t had a real “gut-busting” laugh from a Chuck episode in a long time – laughs, yes, but no “gut-busters” – until (as you noted) Morgan dropped that ear piece in the glass, chugged the water, and then that hand with the pitcher appears and IMMEDIATELY refills the glass! Absolutely hillarious.
Also loved the ALIAS reference – and to have Timothy Dalton actually be a suave “Bond-like” character was great!
By far and away one of my favorite CHUCK episodes. Let’s keep ’em coming – hopefully into a fifth season! (and hopefully we’ll make that cover of TV GUIDE! – my fingers are stiff from all the voting!).
Just wanted to point out that Chuck told Mama B about the baby, so she already knew.
My Latin is rusty too, but I do know…Per=through fas=allowed, law, right ne=not, nor et=and
Haha. You’re on the Internet, sillies, so just Google these things, heh heh:
“Per fas et ne fas” is apparently “through/by right and wrong”, which is pretty dead on for at least what Mama B’s doing, and we’ll probably see how important that theme is this season overall. Thanks for transcribing the words, Josie!
Phalanx XR-12? Nothing Googles up for any Phalanx computer, so I await the screencaps.
Figuratively, it corresponds to “by hook or by crook”, which would seem to square with what Frost is doing.
Or roughly, The end justifies the means.
True, but online Latin translators never worked right for me, so I just dismissed the idea when it came. Thanks for Google-ing. 😉
As a very old-school computer tech, the “Phalanx XR-12” is actually the really old NorthStar Advantage computer from the early 80’s. All they did was remove the…ahem, “5 Mb hard drive” from the bottom slot. I used one a long time ago, and I found a pic of one for all you Chuck kids:
http://www.old-computers.com/museum/photos/NorthStar_Advantage_System_2.jpg
As for the triangle floppy disks, never existed because the magnetic media contained in it wouldn’t even spin! Pretty slick though for a plot device if I say so myself!
Tim D. was a joy to watch as Tuttle I admit I was surprised at the reveal (Though I had suspected ) I was enjoying him as an eccentric old man. 🙂 very funny and charming. He’s gonna be a great bad guy.
Mama B is rather puzzling at this point I can’t tell what side she’s on or what she’ll choose in the end.
I wanted to cry when I heard Scott Bacula’s voice over other letter. I miss Papa B so much. :\'( Please writers I know he’s dead but can’t you bring him back?
Poor Chuck, the Intersect gone and the OC as well. 🙁 I loved the fight at the bank. it was well done.
Not much Casey which was disappointing. Morgan is, well I won’t get into it at this point.
Well done episode I really enjoyed it not pleased we have a two week break but I’ll survive somehow. 🙂
i love chuck and cant wait, but the break comes at the perfect time for me
I think the setup was somewhat also a test for Sarah by mama B. Before the base got blown up she gave Sarah the razor blade and pledge Sarah to protect chuck as a symbol of approval for their relationship. I mean can you trust your son’s gf if she is a spy??. Now mama B has witnessed herself that Sarah will do whatever that is needed to protect Chuck now Sarah has her trust.
I think you’re on to something there 🙂
Yeah i noticed that too and Rakes is indeed onto something. I guess that the next Chuck/MamaB encounter will be quite intense and Sarah will be the more trustful as weird as it may be. However, this will be also a great character development for Sarah because she wont be always in the super-spy mode and her relationship with Chuck will flourish to new heights.
thanks bro for the great info
I am blown away. That’s all.
My favourite line? (paraphrased because I can’t remember it exactly)
*Morgan waves gun around wildly*
Casey: Grimes, muzzle!
Morgan: Okay, shutting up now!
And I am enjoying your reviews/recaps, Josie. Thanks. 😉
Kudos to both Rafe and Lauren for a truly fantastic episode. Easily one of the best of the series with the perfect blend of action, humour and emotional moments that all served to moved the plot.
I have to point out the scenes between Ellie and Mary in particular. Sarah Lancaster and Linda Hamilton were simply amazing. They acted the heck out of the whole ‘mother meeting the daughter after so long’ thing. Love the way it was shot, the music and of course the acting. Add to the fact that they included Sarah, made the scene that much more poignant. Yvonne was as usual stellar with her non-verbal acting. It’s not very often the show has scenes between its female characters and having arguably the 3 most important women all together was sublime.
I have to agree with the general consensus so far; great episode. Timothy Dalton showed some great comedic timing and that was a delight. Morgan was finally able to do some physical comedy and that seems to be his strength, but please, someone shut him up. The scene with the three most important women in Chuck’s life was superb and it is those scenes which set Chuck apart from every other Spy Show in TV history. I really have to wonder what Sarah takes from that scene.
The fight scene within a fight scene was also a gem. I know that there are many Chuck fans, who just want the Spy Stuff but you have to bear with the fact that Chuck is and always will be more than just the Spy Stuff. The Relationship (yes, capitol R) will always be an entity in the show just like the Intersect is.
As far as the Intersect being removed from Chuck’s brain, I believe that is the intent of that scene; Mary knew about Chuck’s accident when he was a boy. She sees how the Intersect is part of his life and made him a spy. She wants to protect him and his sister, so of course, she wants to remove the Intersect. You are right that she didn’t know about Intersect 2.0, so it probably means it wasn’t fully removed. Anyway, those are my thoughts.
Hmmm… just before Chuck’s dad’s secret lair blew up (with the same song playing as when he’d been shot) we saw the same kind of device that was in Ellie’s car.
A couple of reviews I’ve read agreed that this was a top-notch episode. Speculation abounds that the device Mama B used on Chuck will eventually ENHANCE his abilities, since her slipping the razor blade to Sarah may have signaled that she’s secretly on their side, and because she said “Your father never wanted you to see this” and we know Papa B never wanted Chuck to be a spy. This certainly seems to be where the writers are heading.
***SPOILER*** (not that anyone else cares)
When Chuck first talked to her at the start of the episode she made sure to tell Chuck not to tell Tuttle of their relationship.
At the end when Volkoff was talking about Frost being a traitor and Orion being a fool, she cut Chuck off when he said “You told him about…” “She interjected, “my husband”. Volvkoff asked Chuck how Orion got Chuck to help him.
“Was he your mentor?”
Chuck’s mom has succeeded in keeping Volkoff from knowing Chuck’s her son.
Sorry about that [***SPOILER*** (not that anyone else cares)] thing in the above post. I also part of this this comment somewhere else where I know there’s little response.
By the way, did anyone realize my choice of names is Chuck & Sarah’s middle names? We found out Sarah’s first name last year, but back in the first season one episode ended with Chuck pleading with Sarah, “Can’t you tell me anything about yourself? What’s your middle name?”
She stonewalls him, he walks aways frustrated. She hangs her head, looks sad, and whispers to herself, “It’s Lisa. My middle name is Lisa.”
Boy, I can’t type anything correctly today. I tried to say that I’d posted part of that previous comment somewhere else where I know hardly anyone responds, so I threw in a flippant spoilers notation. Sorry to prattle on…
I imagine Mama B just downloaded her husband’s lifes work into Chuck’s head–adding more, not less to the Intersect. The mustang will play a part in the grand scheme of things however I have no idea unless it activates the new expanded Intersect. Sarah will of course get in trouble for backing Chuck’s position–which may end up being correct (ah trust issues). Could a new Intersect be under the Mustang’s hood?? or a Willie Wonka chocolate making machine?? Dual quads anyone?
I hate to wait two weeks to find out anything–will there be a mini conclusion in episode 13–maybe a wedding in 24? I am not a big fan of…..to be continued…
On another site, we were all speculating that Ellie would be involved going forward, with this spy-arc.Since Ellie is a Neurologist, she could end up helping Chuck with whatever MamaB put into Chuck.Was that an upgrade to the Intersect, did it take out the intersect or was it Orion’s files being uploaded? Is there another Intersect in the computer that PapaB left in the Mustang? Was it MamaB that lead Ellie to the Mustang by bringing it up or was it one HUGE coincidence?Does that mean MamaB & PapaB were in contact at one time???? Did miss me some Casey this episode though.
I was waiting to finally see a Morgan & Sarah scene and they dropped the ball, I thought. They could of had a really great comedy scene and we get that? Morgan, preaching to Sarah about relationships??Really? Since when is he an expert? Anna…hello!
Anywho…I want the finale to be the woman to save the day.I would LOVE if MamaB, Sarah and Ellie teamed up to hatch a brilliant con-man style plan to save Chuck, Casey and Morgan from Volkoff. Let the women be the heroes for a change .I hate it when series let the guy save the day all the time.
OMG! this episode was SO amazing! one od the best yet! and I might just be going completely crazy here, but did anyone else kind of get a de ja vu feeling from the season 3 finale in this episode right near the end? You know, starting with the song by Nico Stai and ending with the cheesy yet awesome dive away from the explosion?
They really did do an exceptional job with this episode. Both Linda Hamilton and Timothy Dalton were amazing as guest stars. Lets hope it takes a long time to take down Volkoff because he makes such a great villain.
Also Volkoff is going to be so mad when he finds out Agents Carmichael and Walker survived. Now the CIA know what Volkoff looks like. Not to mention that it wont do his reputation any good.
Will he send someone else to go after Carmicael?
I always thought that Timothy Dalton would end up being Volkoff, but after watching him as Tuttle i started to like the character, he was funny, similar to chuck yet also unique. When he disappeared i knew then there would be a twist, same when he walked into Orions base.
This was a great episode, lots of twists, action and comedy combined into an awesome story, but i do hope that Orions life work was uploaded into Chuck, and not destroyed for good.
Love the PSP used for the intersect device too lol
I know its highly unlikely but if Stephen J Bartowski ever comes back, like during a final showdown with Volkoff, it’d be awesome for him to go up against Timothy Dalton.
I googled it and to comes out saying, “Through right and wrong”.
One big thing that I got from this was that there was almost no Buymore in it. And I didn’t miss it. I guess I really am over the BM. As far as I’m concerned, the explosion was a great way to end its run. I find it just takes away from the main story. Not that I hate it, it just doesn’t interest me much, anymore.
Outstanding episode!
Did anyone else find it suspicious that Mama B knew exactly where to look for the device she used on Chuck?
I think although Orion didn’t know where she was, he has been in contact with her, and this is all part of her elaborate plan to bring down Volkoff.
Also with the laptop in the car – it probably contains all of Orion’s intel and schematics.
She made sure the data would not be lost before destroying the base.
The computer in the seat is the new intersect. Yes. This is my theory
I’m not so sure its a new intersect but maybe all of his work think about how long the gap was between him realising chuck had the new intersect and his death and then about getting the intel needed to make one. My guess is its all his work on intersect type technology so he can make and erase the intesect as he sees fit so one day if he wanted to he could quit or repair it himself. But then again he tried a one on himself and needed a govenor too for that reason. So it could be intersect 3.0 or 2.1 maybe.
Any guesses to why the PSP device was in a box labeled “Eurybia”? From Wikipedia:
In Greek mythology, Eurybia (Ancient Greek: Εá½Ïυβία, Εá½Ïυβίη), “who has a heart of flint within her”,[1] was the consort to the Titan Crius and gave birth to Astraeus, Perses, and Pallas.[2] She was a minor sea goddess under the dominion of Poseidon. Her parents were Pontos[3] and Gaia.[4]
I think mama B does have an angle. She got out of the CIA base therefore protecting agent carmichael, made Volkoff think he was dead (bomb and giving knife to Sarah) and destroyed any evidence that could’ve been left in the Orion base while keeping her cover intact. As for the device, I really don’t have any solid theories but she either somehow put more info in has head, took out the intersect to push him to be a real spy or wants to get him off the field to protect him, but then again it could be something completely different that we never saw coming. The reason why I’m second guessing the whole taking out of the intersect is that if “chuck’s father never wanted him to see it” then how could it take the intersect out if he spent so much time thinking of a way in season 2?
He could have created it after season 2??
when she said chuck’s father never wanted him to see it, is she referring to the device or the intel??
Nope, Phalanx XR-12 is totally made up. Also, triangle shaped floppy discs wouldn’t be possible. Well, maybe possible, but pointless. The word “floppy disc” acutally comes from the fact that inside the rectangle casing there is an actual disc (ie. a round flat surface) that contains the data, and there couldn’t be a very big disc inside a triangle 🙂
*pushing eyeglasses up*
a triangular disk of the size we seen on chuck is certainly not an 8 inch floppy nor an 5 inch floppy but maybe an 3.5 inch just before they made them in plastic case so triangle shape are more rigid than square shape but far less rigid than the square plastic case so triangular shape floppy may be a try that never been popular because of the more usefull 3.5 inch disk
Great review here! Glad to see Chuck and Sarah aren’t fighting too bad. What I think is gonna happen is they’ll tease a big ‘fight’, but it’ll end up being something else within the episode, thank goodness.
triangular shape floppy disk may exist but only on special made computer and only for security purpose because the magnetic disk inside is reduced because it is a the size of the biggest circle that can be draw inside this triangle shape. the disk may be a fake but they place the reading slot for the magnetic head . but too i didn’t see the sync hole (old floppy disk have a sync hole under so a light ray detector can check the speed of the disk. the tip of a triangular shape disk may activate a security switch in the computer. the only triangular shape disk that i ever see before are opticals disks (in an equilateral triangle protective case) in a scyfy tv show (maybe the pretender)
chuck’s mom is like Shaw we will only know the truth at the end , it’s normal spy ‘s world is complex and it’s what is so fun in this show. a good mystery give a good plot. an the relation sarah-chuck is fun too (good plot like we said here : c’est du bonbon (it’s candy)).
ps i love the choice of guest star in that show
You know what I would like to see, I think that chuck and ellie are headed for a real heated discussion when she finds out he is still a spy and I hope that he snaps. I hope that he tells her that the cia messed up his chances of being a billionaire back in college, he had to keep a physical and emotional distance from the love of his life for 3 years because of the cia, he cannot get a job because of the cia and the president, that his life has been put through the drama mill and that ellie should just back off and let him try and make the best out of a situation that he cannot control. I think that kind of drama would feel genuine and it would not be contrived because he must feel that his life has been put on hold since college and he needs ellies support not her nagging and disapproval. I really feel that this show needs that moment where chuck vents and shows that he is human and that this situation does get to him, that he is making the best life he can with what he is given but it does get to him!