ChuckTV.net The CHUCK archive
Written by Matt Miller/Phil Klemmer
Directed by Jeremiah Chechik
Greatest American Hero Theme Song – Believe It Or Not
Look at what’s happened to me,
I can’t believe it myself.
Suddenly I’m up on top of the world,
It should’ve been somebody else.
Believe it or not,
I’m walking on air.
I never thought I could feel so free.
Flying away on a wing and a prayer.
Who could it be?
Believe it or not it’s just me.
Just like a light of a new day,
It hit me from out of the blue.
Breaking me out of the spell I was in,
Making all of my wishes come true.
Believe it or not,
I’m walking on air.
I never thought I could feel so free.
Flying away on a wing and a prayer.
Who could it be?
Believe it or not it’s just me.
‘No thanks. She’s still there.’
With the attainment of his goal of becoming a spy, Chuck believes he can finally be together with Sarah. Everything seems to be falling in place when Beckman tells him he can pick the members of his team. Naturally his first choice is Sarah. So Sarah’s angry reaction upon Chuck’s return and offer is a shock for him. Telling Chuck that because he has killed, Sarah; based on how her Red Test affected her, does not believe that Chuck can emerge from that test as the same guy she originally fell for.
Sarah is grieving for what she believes is the death of the Chuck Bartowski she fell in love with. If we apply the Stages of Grief to Sarah:
1)Denial
2)Anger
3)Bargaining
4)Depression
5)Acceptance,
in 3.11, she was in the denial phase, hence her proclamation of no longer loving Chuck. Now she has moved onto the anger phase which her behaviour and responses upon Chuck’s return validate. Chuck is trapped because he cannot reveal that Casey killed the mole and not him.
Fearful that Sarah is slipping away from him into a life in DC with Shaw; Morgan, Casey, and Devon rally to Chuck’s aide; albeit they do so with ulterior motives. As expected, the results of this mission are less than helpful but provide a lot of enjoyment as Civilian Team Bartowski(CTB) unknowingly vy with a Ring Team intent on capturing Shaw. This leads to excellent Ellie moments as she first scolds CTB and then Chuck.
This time Chuck returns to woo Sarah with a clear head. Rescuing Shaw, with the knowledge that Sarah may very well end up leaving with Shaw, Chuck does the right thing again. Even if it is at a personal cost. Through his actions, Chuck proves to Sarah that he is indeed that guy she first fell for. Chuck is the ‘True’ American Hero of this episode as what he did was for selfless reasons in stark contrast to the revenge reasons that motivate Shaw.
Chuck’s closing speech is much like the one he gave Sarah at the end of Lethal Weapon. Except this time he is blunt and direct in relaying to Sarah his feelings. And again, he leaves the choice up to her. He shows Sarah how deeply he feels by being willing to give up the spy life he has worked so hard to attain to be with her.
Episode Flashes:
- Beckman’s waiting area with multiple receptionists and spies waiting to see her
- Chuck trying to find out how to sit comfortably with a gun
- Chuck and Beckman scene – ‘I understand that the hand wringing and the second guessing are all part of your process.’
- Ellie excited to go to Africa because she thinks that is what Devon wants
- Chuck’s Civilian Team Bartowski(CTB) – Casey, Morgan and Devon!
- Morgan telling Casey to take a number
- Morgan telling Casey love is a battlefield
- Jeff and Lester being totally cognizant and up to date on the Sarah/Chuck/Shaw triangle -‘Guy knows how to fill out a pair of slacks!’
- CTB with their own agenda – ‘We help you get the girl back, you help us get out of Burbank.’.
- CTB and Ring Team targetting Shaw at the restaurant
- Morgan telling Devon, ‘You live in a bubble. A freakish bubble of awesomeness.’
- Morgan calling Shaw out of the restaurant and getting carried away with instructions
- Morgan getting tasered! ‘Man down! I’ve been tazzed! Bring a stretcher. Wheelbarrow….change of pants!’ LOL
- Ellie scolding CTB
- Ellie’s anger at Chuck for going to CTB instead of her
- Ellie’s pep talk to Chuck telling him to act like a Bartowski and that one can never go too far in the pursuit of love
- Jeff & Lester berating CTBs stalking skills and proving theirs by tailing Shaw in Loretta
- ‘Stalker’s Log: Possibly for sexual encounter. Both men are physically fit. Should be lively.’
- Casey selling ‘Hot Zone’ vacuum cleaner
- Chuck’s Batman jump into Shaw’s sports car
- Dr. Jibb Pop Machine elevator entrance into Ring base
- Ring Leader – very cool
- Chuck and bad guy’s reactions to impending flash bomb explosion
- Stealth Bomber Sequence
- Chuck’s rescue of Shaw – The ‘True’ American Hero
- Chuck’s final speech to Sarah – ‘One time because it feels really nice to say. I love you Sarah Walker.’
- Casey’s confession of killing mole in Sarah’s apartment. Adam really nailed it.
- Reveal that Sarah killed Shaw’s wife – Eve.
Phil Klemmer was tasked with kicking off the Sarah and Shaw relationship in 3.07 – Chuck Versus The Mask and along with Matt Miller in Chuck Versus The Greatest American Hero, he has drawn the short straw once again in ending it. If he volunteered for these two episodes then Phil is to be commended as the Real American Hero of the Chuck writing staff. If it was the luck of the draw then Phil should not take it personally if no one takes him up on an offer to pick lottery ticket numbers.
With this episode the final pertinent pieces of the Sarah and Shaw relationship have been placed in the open. I have been withholding final judgment until this moment, hoping that the writers would pull a rabbit out of their hat to salvage this arc. Alas, it is not to be. For all the props I have given the show in my reviews, I am behoven to call foul when appropriate. To be blunt, the Sarah and Shaw relationship was a sham. It did not work and the episodes that included it, suffered because of it. A further examination of why will take place in an article(s) looking back over the first 13 episodes during the upcoming two week break after 3.13 airs.
Proof that the Sarah and Shaw relationship is irrelevant is that if you can isolate and ignore those moments the episode still works. Works very well. The inclusion of Morgan into Chuck’s spy life continues to reap great dividends. The interplay between Casey, Morgan, and Devon is a hoot to watch. The action beats were great. The Chuck and Sarah moments were as good as they have ever been. Casey’s continuing struggle in the civilian world continues to intrigue.
‘I love you Sarah Walker. Always have.’
As mentioned in the 3.11 review, I was banking on a Casey and Sarah counterpart scene to bookend the one that Chuck and Casey had, which came to be true. While the scene did not prove to be the deciding factor in Sarah’s decision it did put to rest any lingering doubts she had during her packing. Adam and Yvonne played the scene beautifully. Casey’s furtive glances at Sarah’s packing on the bed and his round about way of wishing Sarah well was done to perfection. My favorite scene of the episode.
With the reveal that she killed Shaw’s wife the stage for the next episode has been set.  So glad that the episode ended with Sarah being shown as having clearly made up her mind.
Spy or not, Sarah believes it. It’s just Chuck.
Hey OD-
Still miss you in the forums, hope to see you back someday!
As always, excellent review. I was reading another review where someone stated that had watched episodes 3.01- 3.11 and that in doing so, the Sarah/Shaw relationship made a little more sense. It looks as though you are critical of it, so I was wondering if you thought there was any merit to that thought?
Thankyou for all your inspiration and for the goodness you spread.
There is merit. My issue is rests on writing clarity. If a storyline is going to be used, then use it.
Very good review, although I don’t agree with the idea that the Shaw/Sarah relationship arc was irrelevant (frustrating though it may have been for a lot of people).
First, for Chuck, I think it was necessary to provide some kind of tangible final obstacle to he and Sarah getting together–one final rival for Sarah’s affection, to give him motivation to not simply say how he feels, but to really fight for her.
Second, for Sarah, it was necessary so that she would have the opportunity to see firsthand in Shaw what it truly means for someone to be lost to the kinds of personal, emotional, and moral changes that being a spy can cause in a person, and to be able to see that the person Chuck is was not lost (far from it). The comparison of Chuck’s motivation for saving Shaw (selfless love for Sarah) as opposed to Shaw’s motivation for going after the Ring (single-minded vengeance for his wife’s death) is the final piece of this.
Finally, for Shaw, it gives the opportunity to present his character for what he is: a tragic hero in the classic sense, in that he comes to ruin as the result of a flaw that was originally a great source of strength for him (love for his wife).
Great review as always.
Excellent analysis Matt, I think you hit the nail on the head with your point about the two opposite motivations of the men she loves. It creates a great juxtaposition between Chuck’s selfless heart, and Shaw’s obsession to find the man, or in this case woman, who is responsible for his wife’s death; also giving Sarah a chance to see that the man she fell in love with has not gone but remains and will do whatever it takes to win her back.
I also agree the Sarah/Shaw relationship is used as the last great obsticle standing in the way of what is destined to be, our man Chuck with the woman of his dreams, Sarah.
Considering the drastically reduced budget this season, the episode was the best of the season, and sets us up for an epic next episode, and perhaps the death of Shaw.
Better and Cool
We’ll have to disagree. The intent of the relationship could have been relevant if the show would have made it so. Instead they left it ambiguous and diminished its impact.
What was wrong with simply permitting Chuck’s refusal to run in Prague, Sarah’s hurt and ultimately her belief he was changing into another spy be the barrier to their union. At the beginning of 3.12, Chuck didn’t see Shaw as the barrier to his relationship with Sarah throughout the season, he still believed it was due his being more asset than agent. Even after the initial conversation, he correctly ascribed it to Sarah’s perception of him having changed.
Even if we want a physical barrier, it could have taken place off screen. We could have just had occasional quips from Casey, Morgan and the Buy Morons regarding Sarah’s dating of some Stallion who worked at the Large Mart.
On your second point. I don’t think that Sarah has actually seen that as of yet. Even after Shaw attempts to sacrifice everything to achieve vengeance on the Ring, Sarah is still heading to Washington with him and views him as a continued commitment. There’s no indication that Sarah truly comprehends what Shaw is during this episode and she’s already chosen Chuck so that recognition won’t pack quite the punch it would have. What Sarah does see is the damage that’s happened to her and what she believes is happening to Chuck.
I buy the tragic hero, or perhaps the hero turned villain by a tragic flaw, but I believe it could have been more effectively handled in fewer episodes and without his use as a PLI. The Shaw character wore too many hats and therefore the strength of the character in any one role was diluted. More focus, as he had in his original episode or most of this episode would have better suited the character.
I have to disagree Matt. I think the writers have a lot of work to do now. Sarah’s interactions with Shaw were clearly designed to help Sarah find out who Sarah is, and my opinion is that Sarah wants out, no more spy. They introduced Eve who was a spy that was killed, and what the killing turned Shaw into, Sarah still is devastated by having to kill someone. From the beginning, Yvonne gritted her like I hate doing this every time she pulled the trigger clearly showing that she hated killing. Casey was phenomenal in the red test confession but he drove home a point that Sarah was a killer which the look on her face was priceless which I believe reinforced that she wanted out, and with Chuck wanting to run away with her was her way out. Before that she was even taking a job in DC heading up ring operations but not being a field operative, She wanted out.
With all this being said Shaw helped Sarah realize that she wants out, no more spy, Without Sarah the no more show?
So now how are the writers going to portray that miraculously Sarah wants to be a spy with Chuck and be happy about it. I hope they don’t leave it as she loves Chuck and she will follow him wherever he goes.
I am glad they trashed the Bryce not dead scenario and tried to make ( as Morgan so eloquently put it “Mr. Stiffy) Shaw work, I repeat tried. The fact of the matter is that Chuck and Sarah should have been together at the end of the Mask. Lou thank you for adding the Greatest American Hero theme song. Once I watched the You Tube and now can remember watching the show while attending college. In addition I have to agree the PLI’ s did not work. Hannah was too clingy and I will be intently watching to see how the sell it or by pass it as on site had Sarah becoming pregnant and has to leave the spy world to take care of little chuckles.
Great post, Matt. Clearly, the Shaw/Sarah relationship was real and relevant enough for Chuck, Casey, and especially for Sarah, who seemed to really care about Shaw. That goodbye kiss they shared was a passionate one. She seemed really affected by the thought of Shaw dying. They shared an nice emotional, intelectual, and I’m pretty sure a physical relationship. Yes, I didn’t need to be spoodfed; they were clearly very attracted to one another.
Thanks Lou, for this great review! Love your awesomeness point of view! Keep up the good work! My favorites scenes are the one with Chuck in DC, Ellie wake-up call to Chuck and call me cheesy, the blunt & honest declaration of Chuck to Sarah with the little permission to kiss her…
Lou,
Nice work, as always. If there is a criticism of this episode, it is that the S/S relationship never seemed real — until it was needed to provide suspense in Sarah’s decision. Then all of a sudden, Sarah seemed to have genuine feelings. Where before, nobody was buying it.
Still struggling with how Sarah could judge (misjudge) Chuck, someone who she loved, so harshly. Even the things that he did that were out of character, he clearly regretted. He told her that he didn’t know if he could pass his red test. Also told her that the only reason he was even considering it was to be with her. And yet she judges him harshly — and amazingly chooses the guy who manipulated her into forcing Chuck to do it.
Chuck went all in Monday. It’s time for Sarah to call — or fold. I expect that call in Other Guy.
Actually Bill, Chuck went all in and called Sarah’s hand. She chose Chuck in the end. It’s just Shaw intercepted her before she could meet him to tell him…
I feel I need to stand up for Sarah a little bit, here. I think that she told Chuck she didn’t want to be with him because he changed or whatever, but I think she was just hiding the fact that she felt guilty for being the reason he “changed.”
I also think that the Sarah/Shaw was valid (maybe just poorly written?) in that it showed us the conflict and frustration in Sarah’s heart. REAL love is the one thing that Sarah never counted on in her life, and I think it surprised her, messed with her head, and seriously caused her to rethink EVERYTHING. In that way, she seems more like a real person to me, now, because I have totally been there in the sense that I’ve had my world totally rocked by unexpected love, and it definitely caused me to have to change everything I thought I knew.
So I know a lot people are disappointed in her, but I just can’t be. Just my humble opinion, though. No disrespect to any other posters here.
I understand that Sarah has chosen Chuck. That’s not the same as being all in. Chuck told her that he loved her. But that was just the start. He told her that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. That she was #1 in his life. That her needs came before his spy ambitions.
That’s all in.
Will Sarah make that same committment?
I think so.
I think her symbolically throwing the gun on the bed (and thus conveniently disarming herself when Shaw barges in) was her also going all in with Chuck.
This is so wise and clever
I’m only half through digesting American Hero, but already I’m following your trail here, Lou. I’m only hoping to say something original now! 😉
I can tell already that 3.13 is going to great. But I honestly felt that American Hero had no surprises in it for me.
Except that Shaw is crazier than I thought. Sarah’s sanity was in doubt there for a moment, too. It’s good that she’s emotionally back on track, though.
Maybe its just me – but, I want to say that I’m looking forward to the next episode… but not in the way I expected. I’m relieved that C/S are finally on the same page. I want to see where this goes – but, well, I’m not on the edge of my seat going into 3.13 – more a sigh of relief that Shaw is going over the edge… [ hopefully in a barrel]
Wouldn’t it be dreadful if Sarah gets shot?
Not killed – just shot in a wrestling match between Shaw and Chuck.
Where would that leave us?
That’s just about what I got from this episode. I agree that Shaw as a love interest was unnecessary; I think it would have worked better if, over the weeks he had become a good friend to Sarah. It could still have been an obstacle between our two leads because, as Sarah wasn’t really talking to Chuck he would have assumed something more was going on. What the showrunners have been telling us about the relationship has been at odds with what appears on screen. It should have been plain to the viewer what was going on even if Chuck was clueless. I think fans would then have been more secure in the knowledge that the character development was not going to change the dynamic of the show.
I really hope the showrunners give the fans something by admitting that the Shaw arc don’t work as well as they had hoped. Shaw has been such an irritant that hardly anybody cares what happens to him as long as he leaves. Yet, on paper, he is a tragic figure. To find out that the wife you loved was killed by the person that has helped you recover, I mean that’s tragic. The fact that most people don’t care shows that something is off somewhere and we all know it’s not Yvonne’s acting.
Great episode, great review. I however too, take exception with the Shaw/Sarah relationship as irrelevant. Chuck and Sarah have always been attracted to each other, even if not always in love. The “love” part is the difficult part. Whereas opposite attract, real love is based on common ground, mutual beliefs, and a shared vision of the future. This season has been about our two favorite people closing that gap. Chuck clearly has come to a better understanding of the spy life. But Sarah too has been coming to grips of who she is; and entertaining thoughts of a “normal life” for herself and acknowledging regrets in her spy life. Shaw has been an important part in her maturation process. I think it really boils down to the fact that Routh just isn’t that great of an actor; especially on a set of superb ones as we have in Chuck. That’s it, but his character, though often poorly played, was very necessary for Sarah’s growth. He ain’t the first guest star that missed; did anybody buy Andy Richter as a Fulcrum agent?
Yes I did. Kinda like an evil Mr Rogers…. ;D
Im just looking forward to the trio getting back together again… atleast for a coupleof episodes
Practical and to the point!
anyone else thinks that he refers sarah as sarah walker (fully) and not sam on purpose? like he’s still telling her that he loves her for who she is now; he knows her and that he doesn’t care about her past.
also, chuck has such a manner when he asked ‘if that’s alright you’ after he told her he’s going to kiss her. made me comparing him and shaw when shaw told sarah he’s going to kiss her and just go for it like he’s taking advantage of her emotional wreckage to speed things up with them. hehe, just my opinion and i like that chuck is well, chuck.
Exactly. What name Sarah goes by doesn’t really matter too much to Chuck (other than knowing what she’ll answer to 😉 ). As he said in Cougars, he already knows WHO she is.
The biggest difference between Chuck and Shaw in comparison (and I’m not sure if this was on purpose or just a happy accident), is that while both are aggressively pursuing her, Chuck leaves her a choice, wheareas Shaw just inserted himself into her life, taking advantage of her vulnerability.
But it was Sarah who finally seduced him at the end of fake Name, and she seemed happy about it. He didn’t forced her at all. She liked the guy. get over it.
And if the writers didn’t show much of their romance, it was probably because the showrunners didn’t want to upset the CS shippers too much.
Yes, Sarah did “choose” Shaw in 3.08, but I think he was taking advantage of her messed up emotional state.
Nah. Sarah is an adult woman not a little girl, and she went to Shaw’s hotel to be with him because she wanted to get close to him. That’s how I saw it. It was until Shaw asked her how she felt about the whole Chuck/Hannah thing that the conversation changed, but the real reason she went to his place was to try to connect with him. And I’m fine with that because she deserved some love and company too, and Shaw was willing to give it.
I too, had been holding out hope that the writers were doing something more creative with the Sarah/Shaw arc…it turns out what we saw was what we got, in the end. A lackluster relationship between two emotionally messed up spies. It really bothers me that Sarah would settle for that, although it has crossed my mind that Sarah wasn’t running to Shaw nearly as much as she was running away from Chuck. The key misstep so far has been the fact that Sarah hasn’t acted as if, or spoken as if, she has any sense of what she’s doing, or why she’s reacting the way she is to Chuck. Is she simply turned off by the man she fears Chuck is becoming, is she heartbroken at who he is becoming, is she feeling guilty because she’s a large part of the reason for Chuck changing? We don’t know. My key issue at this point is that while this season’s overall story arc has made us like Chuck and Casey more (because we understand them more than we did before) at this point, we like Sarah less because we understand her less. And unfortunately, I’m not sure the writers will have her explain her motivations (or reveal them) enough for us to see her as a truly sympathetic character.
Final note – I found it really cool that in this episode, we see Chuck carrying an unconscious Shaw over his shoulder, (due to an airstrike)paralleling Casey having to carry an unconscious Chuck away from the Fulcrum base air strike explosion in Chuck vs. the Colonel. Chuck has definitely come a long way, in a good way.
You’ve made some good observations jwr96a. “Sarah wasn’t running to Shaw nearly as much as she was running away from Chuck” is very true. I don’t see Shaw as being essential to her maturation since he has been deliberately manipulating her to turn Chuck into the special Intersect agent that he needed to hunt down and eliminate his wife’s killer. Sarah was changed far more by Chuck’s own struggles and maturation than she ever was by Shaw.
I also agree that we understand Sarah less than we ever have before. Honesty, trust and true friendship is what attracted her to Chuck. Yet she seemed all too willing to leave him after he had repeatedly declared his love and loyalty to her.
As for Sarah telling Chuck her true feelings about him and his choice to be a spy I am hopeful that we will not only hear more next week but also in Chuck vs. The Honeymooners (episode 14) when they are in a train “compartment, and the steward wryly reminds them that the train does have a dining car.” Some honest dialog between the two would be as welcome as more PDA.
I actually enjoyed the episode. I didn’t foresee Shaw’s wife being the ring agent Sarah killed during her red test. Whether she was a Ring agent or the Ring just made it look like she was corroborating with them? That was an excellent twist that could lead to even more stories for the Ring.
Regarding Sarah/Shaw:
Sarah has questioned her choice of becoming a spy a lot this season; especially the more Chuck embraced this new spy life. I think Sarah’s relationship with Shaw was her efforts to get over Chuck (to move on) and try to reassert herself into the spy world with a seasoned spy that understood their world and how the job always came first. She learned why spies don’t fall in love. Her chance at normal was denied by Chuck. Granted Chuck thought he was doing them a favor – by becoming a spy they could be together. I think the way Sarah settled for Shaw mirrors the way Sarah settled back into the spy world mending a bruised heart.
I don’t see the Sarah/Shaw relationship as a sham anymore than the Chuck/ Hannah relationship. I think they both served their purpose. They both realize they will be happier with one another if they can ever get their careers worked out. 🙂
Lou, I have a question. What should we make of the unknown phone call that Shaw received just after he sat up in the hospital bed, yanked out the IV, and put his wedding ring back on? Who would have called him at that point? It wasn’t General Beckman as she didn’t mention to Chuck that she had talked to him. Could it have anything to do with the unknown location that he was taking Sarah at the end of the episode?
Most likely the Ring Director.
I think it has everything to do with where he is taking Sarah at the end of the episode.
I don’t know if anyone noticed but… when Sarah thanked Chuck for rescuing Shaw and Chuck said “he would’ve done the same for me” Did anyone else yell at the screen “He would’ve let you DIE just like in the Beard when he called in an airstrike on the castle with you in it!” I wonder why Sarah didn’t bring that little piece of information up.
hahahah i was thinking the same thing and i read on tvbythenumbers that next monday there is NCAA championship game or something like that i am not from America so i don´t really know what that is. How do you all think it will affect the ratings. I hope we stay at 2.1 or maybe a 2.3 because it is kind of a season finale
Very good observation. She did its very difficult to see. Sarah doesn’t answer him and looks away like she doesn’t really believe shaw would. I think an outburst like that would have probably ruined the scene between chuck and sarah. I like shaw’s characater as a crazy person out for revenge, i think the problem was he didn’t make his motives clear enough from the start. I can see what the writers were trying to do and they knew it in their heads but didn’t really give us enough clues. Its alwawys refreshing to hear someones point of view so thanks for sharing. And to all who write fan fiction thanks a million it keeps me sane 6 days a week =).
Yeah I told my TV when he said that ” You sure about that Chuck? I don’t think so”
Excellent review, and epic episode. I think you said everything that involved scenes with Adam
and Yvonne perfectly they were my favorites as well 😀
Team CAM was a hoot to watch and Ellie scolding the boys made me crack up Kudos to Casey for being honest about them helping Chuck when Devon and Morgan were at a lose for words.
Chuck was the true American Hero sacrificing his own happiness with Sarah in saving the life of his rival and potental enemy. Is it me or is Adam Baldwin and Zachary Levi getting hotter with every episode? Must be their heroism and nobilty really kicking in high gear I love it.
Shaw is defenitly showing signs of being a villain. We’ll find out more next week. And what a treat to see Curtis Manning from 24 again he was looking pretty sharp as a bad guy that was awesome. Can’t wait for The Other Guy.
I look forward to these reviews every week and they are always so interesting and insightful:)
It was a good episode the major plot holes, and annyoances by some characters stopped it from being a great episode. I absolutley loved team CAM working together they mix perfectly together. Chuck as usual was very likeable and i love Ellie as the mother figure. Shaw finally got a little interesting at the end of the episode. But damn ever since the Shaw/Sarh relationship, sarah’s character has seriously taken a very bad hit. All the things that made her likeable have been thrown out the window and now were left with this unlikeable person. The shaw/sarah relationship has not only wounded sarah’s image, but when i think about it, it also ruined shaw’s character. In episoded 4 and 5 he was interesting, because you it really felt like he was playing a big part in chuck’s development as a spy. However sinse ‘the mask’ the focus has been on shaw the love interest not shaw the mentor, and that just doesnt work. I thought to myself at the start of the season that there is no way the writers would be so stupid as to letting shaw/sarah be a couple for so wrong, boy was i wrong. Well seems like that love triangle is finally over!
sorry about the spelling its meant to be ‘long’ not wrong at teh end of the comment
Nice post Lou, and of course The Greatest American Hero is one of my all time favorite shows as well as the song from it. However, I suspect that the writers have thrown/Or will throw out a major curve ball and while it looks like Shaw relationship with Sarah is irrelevant. His character being described as wood or a tree and many plot holes, abnormalities, etc. I think they are going to pull one big rabbit out of the hat in next weeks episode (the original finale) which is also going to throw out your Sarah’s stages of grief if I am correct.
I have no proof and must point out that I have been dead wrong before with my theories but here it goes. First a refresher of what we know. The intersect 2.0 was intended for a real spy. Someone who has complete control of their emotions not someone like Chuck Bartowski. The intersect files are downloaded and stored in the subconscious. Well one key and very important part of the subconscious is dreams.
I submit that the 2.0 is training Chuck to be a better spy through dreams. That Season 3 is a bunch of dreams designed to train Chuck and try to break Chuck of his feelings. The 2.0 program realized that Chuck has emotional flaws that needed to be addressed. His love for Sarah, his feelings and dependency of family and friends, his dependency on Sarah and Casey to back him up on missions. Sarah behavior that we have seen all depends on whether the intersect 2.0 is controlling the dream or whether Chuck is. We saw Sarah suddenly not being able to fight like she used to. In both cases it put pressure on Chuck to resolve it by himself with the help of the intersect, but he couldn’t. The Sarah we know would never fight that poorly or take a dive so that Chuck has to fight them instead. But if it is a test within a dream it makes perfect sense.
Shaw being an unemotional piece of wood or a tree makes more sense if he was created by the 2.0 or perhaps in some ways Shaw is the 2.0 . Nothing more then a computer program. Chuck jumping into a relationship with Hannah so quickly and the same with Sarah and Shaw very hard to swallow. At least it is for me but in a dream world it makes perfect sense.
Last Season we saw the Ring Headquarters and heard them speak in Chuck Versus The Predator. This Season their headquarters looked somewhat bizarre and them speaking together like the Borg from Star Trek: TNG . It doesn’t make much sense but in a dream it does.
All the plot holes, inconsistencies, bizarre behavior which we have blamed on budget cuts, edited scenes, etc can all be explained away very simply if this is all dream sequences.
Again I could be 100% wrong but it does explain and cover more ground then any other theory that I have seen. If I am correct then the 2.0 is setting up the stage to try to get Chuck to kill Shaw in order to protect Sarah. We will all find out soon enough. Thanks!
Haley,
Love the out of the box thinking. But I can’t agree.
If it was all a dream, it would all be from Chuck’s pov. And there are too many scenes where Chuck is not part of.
For example, Sarah and Shaw watching Devon and Ellie in Beard. And all of the drama of Shaw, Casey, and Sarah trying to get into Castle. None of that makes sense in the context of a Chuck dream.
A great review. In terms of quality, on par with Mo Ryan and the others.
You should start your own TV review blog.
One more add on to my last post. There is only 43 minutes left for the original 13 episode arc. If Sarah is going through the emotional stages because what has occured to her, how will she react and recover in the 1 episode to finding out that she did not kill a bad agent (a mole), but a good agent instead? If Sarah is emotionally challenged as is suggested how will she cope with that? Her lack of self worth would then push Chuck away possibly permanately. Is that how the original Season 3 would end? Not even all the goodness of Chuck could repair the damage in 1 episode. If Sarah is so mentally challenged then the killing of the good agent Eve would mark the end of Chuck and Sarah. How could anything but that logically occur? Not even Chuck’s love for her could counter that.
We don’t actually know that Eve Shaw was a good agent, only that Shaw believed she was a good gal. I think it’s possible Shaw’s wife used him to keep the Ring one step ahead of the CIA. The CIA sent Sarah to kill a double agent, just like Chuck’s red test.
One thing that bothers me, Shaw has been focused solely on bringing down the Ring since his introduction. Now it appears it’s not so much the Ring, as it is the person that killed his wife. Granted he thought the Ring and his wife’s killer was one and the same. If he has hated this organization for so long – shouldn’t Shaw stops to think maybe it’s a Ring trick? Maybe there is more to the story than what the Ring – of all people – are showing him? Especially given Sarah told Shaw about the worst night of her life – her red test. I just think there might be another twist coming up (Perhaps the Ring did something to Shaw prior to Chuck saving him. He was unconscious when Chuck found him).
Or perhaps Shaw comes to realize – as Sarah has said many times nothing is real in the spy world. His relationship with his wife was something the Ring orchestrated to keep tabs on him.
Yeah they tazed him.
I agree with you Ann, and it might be because the room the Ring showed to Shaw (with all the repeated tv screens) looked to me alot like the intersect room. What if there was more to the scenes they showed Shaw? What if they put a limited intersect into his subconcious to turn him? We’ve seen since the Suburbs episode that those images can turn people a little crazy.
Maybe it was a red test for both Eve Shaw and Sarah. Two wallk in and only one walks out! But seriously folks, if Eve was selected as a target for the red test, it wasn’t Sarah that did so. It was likely Graham, and he didn’t do so in a vaccuum. He had to rely on the intel furnished him. Eve could have been one of the “good guys”, but labelled a mole by someone with an agenda, and set up as a candidate for elimination. Now that Sarah is in the clutches of a vengeful Shaw, she would do well to emphasise this point to him. As for Sarah overcoming the mental torment of knowing what she did, here is another oportunity for Chuck to step forward and remind her of one of the reasons she loves and trusts him: when she is vulnerable, he stands by her and becomes a source of strength. We saw these moments at the HS reunion (“the Cougars”) and when her dad came to town (“the DeLorean”). And he asked nothing in return, not even the offer of one secret from her past. He did it for the same reason he rescued Shaw. Because it’s the right thing to do. That’s what will begin the healing for Sarah, and clear the way for the mending of their relationship.
Exelent review as always Lou, it was nice to see that sarah had made up her mind before she knew that chuck had not killed the mole. it proved that she had confidence in him and trusted him that he was telling the truth.
chuck told her in 3:11 if iam not mistaken that he didnt do it and that there would be no more lies and secrets after this one thing, she oviously belives him wich was nice to see.
my favorite part was the same as yours when casey tells sarah that he killed the mole not chuck, the scene was done masturfly with both adam and yvonne doing what they do best.overall great episode and great review too.
Chuck is the true American Hero!
I love reading all these well thought out comments. It is like reading a book to enhance the show. Well done everyone.
I too, thought the scene between Sarah and Casey with him revealing himself as killing the mole, very well acted. Great job Yvonne and Adam.
Another scene I thought was very well acted was between Chuck and Sarah. It was in the Castle when Chuck was trying to get Sarah to join his team in Rome. The look of devastation on Chuck’s face when she told him she wouldn’t go with him because he killed the mole was so authentic. I think Zachary is such a good actor to go from playfulness to such seriousness in one scene. He is so convincing. I love watching him act.
However, at least for myself, I find it quite useful to read these comments that you have offered
I keep wondering if Eve Shaw is dead. Sarah had to run after shooting her. If Bryce could survive a fatal shot then maybe Eve did to…?
It’s difficult for us to understand Sarah’s motivations and choices because she doesn’t have anyone to talk to. That’s what makes her so tragic this season. My heart breaks for her because she’s so obviously lost after losing Chuck’s friendship. Chuck made her laugh and made her feel alive. Watching him lose all that and turn into another government drone scared Sarah. Especially because she blamed herself for inspiring Chuck to become a spy to be with her!
We get to hear Chuck’s motivations and feelings because he has Ellie and Morgan to talk to. Even Casey is talking to Chuck in a reluctant manner. Sarah has no one- no family, no friends(except Carina but good luck finding her). Sarah has no real experiences to draw from either. Her dad had her running cons as a child- hardly a normal life. As soon as he was arrested she was recruited into the spy life. When Sarah asked Chuck to run away with her he couldn’t because he couldn’t abandon Ellie like their parents did. She probably felt foolish for acting that way- for trying to be a real girl (Chuck teased her about this once) and when she realized she wasn’t good at being a real girl- she retreated back into the safe spy life complete with a drone spy boyfriend.
I can’t wait for Sarah to open up and talk to Chuck. I’d love to see Sarah open up to Morgan and for them to have a friendship as well. They both love Chuck so they already have a huge common interest!
Nice post Jeff I totally agree.
I just watched the episode again and if you watch closely as sarah is packing her bags just before casey came you can see the picture of chuck and sarah on bedside table and the time showing 6:10, to me that confirms sarah chose chuck before casey told her the truth about perry. Or maybe thats me just being hopeful
That is a good point. I think she was going to meet chuck anyway because when Casey walked in he said I came to tell you something about bartowski and sarah says “If you’re here to plead his case then that’s really not necessary” so it seems like she meant she already chose him?
Is anyone else wondering why Chuck didn’t flash on that Ring agent getting off the elevator in the beginning of the show? It was when Chuck was asking him if he knew what floor Beckman was on? Or am I missing something here?
Maybe he was new. The intersect hasn’t been updated since Chuck downloaded it. Or maybe it isn’t flashing properly because Chuck is emotionally wound up over the whole Final Exam bit with not being able to speak to Sarah.
LIKE IN THIS STORY REALLY HAPPENED TO ME IN MY REAL LIFE
Very good ep. Brandon was excellent in it. They finally gave him some good/meaty material to work with. I’ve enjoyed his arc, even though the character was somewhat poorly writen in some eps. That disappointed me, because I know how good an actor he can be. Oh well, it was still nice to see him in the show. Just another experience in his career.
I’ve read several reviews and a LOT of comments about this show, and nobody has said one word about part of Ellie’s dialogue after Awesome is arrested.
She said something like “I’d expect this of you Morgan, and even you Casey, now that we know about your problem with public indecency.”
Casey gave Morgan a “HUH?” look, & I felt the same way. Was that supposed to be the cover story for why Casey was arrested? (Actually, why WERE Casey & Morgan arrested? They weren’t anywhere near the restaurant when Awesome came crashing through the window.)
I DID like when Ellie demanded the truth & Awesome looked like he was gonna tell her, then Morgan shook his head and Casey stepped up with the excuse that they were helping Chuck.
Rewatch eps 3.04 and listen to the “I killed a bear” dialogue.
I re-watched the episode last night, and actually, Ellie only had to bail Devon out of jail; she was just yelling at Casey and Morgan for getting him thrown INTO jail (especially since she’d expect to find THEM in there instead of Devon)…..did I explain that in a coherent way? Hope this helps.
It was a good episode and a proper setup for 3.13 where the arc will hopefully be finally resolved. One of the things that struck me while watching the episode was during chucks speech to sarah, how he says that he agrees that he is no longer the same person he was when he first met her – and that statement felt as much a message to the fans of the show as it did to Sarah, Chuck is not the same person anymore, no longer the bumbling accident prone nerd we met and learnt to love as did Sarah when we were first introduced to him in the pilot episode.
Beneath all his exterior changes, the skills he has learnt, the things he has seen and done, beneath all that, is still the same old Chuck we all love, the nerd with a heart of gold, the real American Hero and finally Sarah has come to see that as well, and in that sense this episode was a reconciliation with the nature of Chuck not only for Sarah, but for all the fans that have been watching the show and did not like the turns and decicions he took during this season. In a sense, we were all like Sarah, and now we finally get some acceptance, and it feels good. 🙂
My only hope for the upcoming story arcs is that they finally get Chuck and Sarah back together for good again and focus on other aspects of the show Mythos, such as The Ring and the overal conspiracy arc, and evolve Chuck and Sarah’s relationship as a spy couple, rather than creating another obstacle for them to overcome so they can finally “be together”. There is only so much “will they wont they” that I can take before I throw my hands up in disgust.
I think the reason why they used so much angst in the Wt/WT this season was to set up C/S being together for good.
I do hope that is true, so many shows use the cheap carrot and stick angle of “will they get together” too keep interst in the show alive, few shows actually delve into what happens after the main characters do get together for good.
Chuck is a great show, but its not just the promise of chuck and sarah getting together that makes it good, theres so much potenial to explore many other aspects of their relationship even after they DO get together, that would make the show compelling to still watch.
Thanks ! Definately is very impressive.
I really hope you’re right, I think the show could work well with that basic format and build the storylines around it. Of Course, we need the rest of the gang too.
Totally agree with you Dran (above post), Chuck is not an incompetent nerd, he never was, (I don’t think just anybody gets into Stanford) He just didn’t know what he wanted to do. It stands to reason that he would be perfectly capable of becoming more accomplished with training. I liked that he recognised this about himself and told Sarah so that she could see that change isn’t always bad.
The “will they get together” angle has been played in a clumsy and heavy-handed way this season. The PLIs were never essential to continuing the tension, and detracted more than they added. Just because they “get together” (emotionally?/sexually?), the “complications” that are the constant in this show do not come to an end. They can’t just give their two-weeks notice to the CIA, get day jobs, buy a house and raise kids. They are in the spy life, complete with aliases, missions, seduction of “marks”, and constant danger. Them agreeing to be a spy couple is not the happy ending. It is the first of a whole new series of hurdles they must clear on the way to the normal life they both ultimately want. This gives a greater opportunity for cool story lines than the PLI fiasco they resorted to this year.
Excellant post. I agree. Getting them together isn’t going to end all conflict. I’ve always felt that C/S being together was the beginning of the story. Not the end of it.
Think of Nacho Sampler. How is Chuck going to react to Sarah in bed with a mark in her underwear when she is his significant other? And even worse, how is Sarah going to react when Chuck has to get close to the next Silvia?
That’s the story I’ve always wanted to see. The partnership of C/S (with Casey and now Morgan supporting them). I feel like a large part of this season has just been marking time.
Obviously there will be the same challenges and humor between Chuck and Sarah that any couple experiences even though they are in a committed relationship. That is just part of life. But the kind of jealous exchange that Chuck and Sarah had in Chuck vs. the Mask as they were getting ready to repel down to get the mask will hopefully be a thing of the past. Jealousy doesn’t have much of a chance in a relationship that is built on trust and open communication, and that appears to be what Chuck and Sarah both want.
Another big problem with the show is that they cant possibly realistically keep sustaining the “Burbank is the centre of the spyworld” theme – perhaps if Ellie and Awesome do move away (and off the show), this could move the focus of the show away from Burbank and Buy More, though would the show work with only Team B (including Morgan OFC) but without any of the Buy More loonies weve come to love and rely on for comic relief?
It all comes down to budget restraints I guess, and which is why the show always seems to return to the Status Quo. I hope the writers find some other way to work around it, they will have to considering Chuck now gets to set up his own team, but I think we all know the show isnt going to move to Rome. :p
Plus, let’s be honest. One of them probably forgets to put the toilet seat down on a regular basis and who knows whether either one of them can cook much more than pepperoni chicken and burned corn dogs. Maybe Morgan or Shaw will have to be brought alone as their personal chef.
Morgan, yes. He’s demostrated the ability to cook. Shaw, not so much. If Shaw got to close to a hot stove, he’s catch on fire.
Sarah can cook. Omelets for breakfast in “the Suburbs”, fileting a fish for Heather Chandler in “the Cougars”, and teaming up with Shaw this season to help Chuck when he didn’t have time to cook for the Awesomes.
And she can fry corn dogs. At least, after she practiced a while, she could. Of course, all those young teenaged boys would have bought burnt hot dogs fm Sarah in Season 1.
I’m STILL hoping that Sarah has been playing Shaw. THAT would make an amazing twist and [imo] give me back the kick-ass spy Sarah I know and love.
It sounds good to me.
I hate to be a pessimist, but I think the writers have to be writing this season as if it’s the last. Even though they were given a third season, the show is on shaky ground. They need to resolve the season in a way that would be a satisfying ending to the series, but with a little leeway for it to be continued next season.
IMO the best conclusion to this season would be Chuck proposing to Sarah, being honorable discharged from service for destroying the Ring, and Casey returning to his family. I would be completely happy with this as the ending of the series.
Then if the series is picked up for a fourth season they could be called out of their short retirement to fight whatever new evil group surfaces as a married spy couple. Casey could be reinstated while still being allowed to stay with his family.
Fedak and schawtz said they had a story that would take at least 5 seasons to complete, but every season would reach a satisfacory conclusion so the story would be left obviously unfinished.
Don’t post from your iPhone!! Sorry about spelling and I also meant that the season would not feel unfinished.
I would love for the show to continue to 5 seasons, but it’s really not up to them if that will happen. I’m just hoping that this season ends in a completely satisfying way just in case it is the last.
Is anyone else wondering, How did casey get into castle? when a few episodes ago it took hours for the ring to get into castle… and it has a password and fingerprint and face reognition to get in..
Is anyone else wondering how casey got into castle to help sarah? when a few episodes ago in chuck vs the beard the ring took hours to infiltrate castle?..now that casey is a civilian im sure they have different passwords and he would also need the fingerprints and face recognition to get in..
It’s Casey! 🙂
Exactly isn’t he the best? 😀
Indeed. He’s an ex-spy! He’ll have ways to get into Castle and anywhere else he wishes.
Maybe Casey took a serious look at the security systems after Sarah got locked out (and relieved of duties) by Agent Forrest (Chuck Versus The Broken Heart), thinking someday he might have to get in there by other-than-standard means. It’s not like Casey has much of a night life, so he has plenty of time to figure things like that out. 🙂
Whoop whoop. I have a feeling this is becoming the best.Keep it up!:)
Terrific analysis all. Just wanted to add that I believe the biggest problem between the Shaw/Sarah relationship was in the casting. There’s no chemistry between these to actors, and it shows. Everything feels forced because of it.
On the other hand, there WAS chemistry between Chuck/Hannah even though I didn’t like that relationship arc. I don’t remember the name, but if you can remember the “James Bond” type they introduced in season 2 with the english accent, there was chemistry between him and Sarah.
My point is that if you cast someone else in Shaw’s part who had Chemistry with Yvonne onscreen the whole thing would have worked much better.
I read an interview with Fedak, and he seemed to imply that they never really intended for Sarah and Shaw to have chemistry….that THAT was the point. We’re SUPPOSED to think they are wrong for each other (because they are), and we are supposed to see it as Sarah “settling” for what she knows vs taking a risk.
Thanks, beautiful words
Assuming that C&S end up together in 3.13 as most people expect, I wonder when we’ll see the bracelet again…
They made a point of showing it in “the Three Words” this season, so that was probably a memory jog in anticipation of its re-appearance on Sarah’s wrist in Ep.13. I’m basing my guess on the fact that when they wrote “the Three Words”, they were working within the perameters of NBC’s original 13-episode order and story arc.
First of all let me say great review but i must disagree with you on the whole sarah/shaw relationship being a useless distraction I mean look at it like this the show runners and writers were working off of a short window in the sense that nbc had ordered only 13 episodes so they wrote the storyline to fit into the short season but as we all know nbc went back to a full season order so now the rush storyline job seems forced and pointless as you said with your take on the sarah/shaw relationship now if the writers and the showrunners had known that they would have had 22 episodes instead of 13 then the story would have played out differently instead of moving it along so fast it would have had more time to develop the fans were frustrated because of how it felt rushed the change in chuck and sarah and in sarah and shaw i feel the whole storyline this season has been great from the start why everybody does not see that i just don’t get it has played out just as chris told us last year with chuck getting the upgrade it would change his relationship with sarah and it has ep 1 we saw that with chuck wanting to be a spy now sarah has to deal with reality no more fantasy life where chuck can set her free she has to deal with her past and how spy work changed her and how it will change chuck at first she did not want to deal with it but over the course of the season with shaw’s help she has started to come to terms with it and now she knows that she needs chuck just as much if not more than he needs her
sorry that went so long but i just had to get that off my chest anyone care to offer a rebuttal?
I’ll agree memphizmike the story line was set up for 13 episodes but when NBC added six more episodes on to the 13 original eps. the storyline would have been different and it wouldn’t been rushed so fast.
The Shaw/Sarah professional relationship wasn’t a useless distraction it forces Sarah to face up to her past and how spy life has changed her. to help Chuck deal with that change as well over this season with Shaw’s help to come to terms with that reality.
When Chuck was changing Sarah did not want do deal with it.She wasn’t a good friend and very supportive of Chuck in that process.
IMO, what the show runners accomplished in 13 episodes, they could have accomplished in maybe 7 episodes.
While some episodes may have seemed rushed at times, the entire 13 episode arc has moved along at the pace of grass growing. Instead of a mix of comedy, action, romance (if you will) and drama, it was nearly 13 episodes of melodrama, and teenaged angst.
I firmly believe the team of writers are talented enough to have gotten both Chuck and Sarah to the point they are now, in half the time if allowed by the show runners. And, I might add, without the love geometrics.
Hope we see Mr & Mrs Smith team after ep13. Can dream
Sarah walker had totally changed, she’s not the woman i saw in season 1 and 2 through out this season she has completely behaved like an insane woman.i can’t still believe that she overlooked chuck and fell for Shaw…………..from my perspective on c/s relationship was totally a fake, i doubt that she even loved chuck……………………..am not Sarah fan since epic 3*07, i personally feel that chuck give Sarah to much space, she is not worthy of that, anyway for the mess that Sarah has done throughout the season i don’t think i can just forgive her just by watching one good episode………..
Lou, I have another question for you. In Casey’s admission to Sarah he said that Chuck “isn’t a killer…he’s not like you and me.” I found it interesting that Sarah didn’t say anything to deny their common connection considering the fact that Sarah hasn’t killed many, if any, bad guys this season compared to seasons 1 and 2.
Is the fact that Sarah hasn’t been using deadly force a reflection of the diminished role of her character this season or evidence of her becoming more like Chuck in his personal avoidance of killing others?
Love that question! The Casey approach was shoot first, ask questions later. The Chuck approach was there’s got to be another way. Sarah came into the story more like Casey and now seems more like Chuck. Hell, at times even Casey seems more like Chuck. I think Casey respects Chuck for being true to who he is, and Sarah loves him for it. If Sarah is less prone to killing, it is likely that this is part of the wrestling she’s been doing with herself all season, trying to sort out who she really is, what her priorities are. Casey seems to be at the beginning of a metamorphosis as well, getting a bit touchy-feely with his sympathies for Chuck and Sarah as they wend their ways through the romantic turmoil. Losing his job at the same time as seeing his child for the first time was a double shot of sobering up for him. Chuck spent all season trying to be like Sarah and Casey the spies, and now they are becoming more like Chuck the human being.
…which is EXACTLY why I love this show!
I have a question about this past episode. After Chucks speech to Sarah was she packing up to go to Washington or packing up to go with Chuck? Was Caseys explanation to Sarah what persuaded her or was she going to go with Chuck despite the fact that, in her mind, he “killed” someone?
She was packing to go with Chuck. There are a few clues. If you notice, when she’s about to leave, she pulls the gun out of her purse and throws it on her bed. Also, the picture of Chuck and Sarah from previous seasons is on her nightstand. When Shaw was pulling her out of her room, she told him that she NEEDED to call Chuck. So, we can infer that she was going with Chuck. 😀
So many people are trying to bring Sarah ad Chuck to the level of Mr. and Mrs. Smith. Quite Frankly, Mr. and Mrs. Smith would be hard pressed to ever approach Chuck and Sarah!
Viva Le Chuck!!!
he he he. hilarious.