CHUCK vs. Operation Awesome

Previously on CHUCK.

It’s all fun and games until someone’s brother-in-law is mistaken as a CIA agent and kidnapped by the Ring.

When we last saw Devon he had been held hostage by a Ring operative that he met when he got a little too close for comfort in Chuck’s spy world.  Tonight we find out that the ring wasn’t looking for a new Cardiologist or a new Mr. July, no they were looking for a spy to betray his country and join their operation. That spy? Devon Woodcomb.

Oops.

Better you not get too caught up in the plot details, or lack thereof, in tonight’s ‘Devon as a mistaken spy ‘ story. The how, why and what of it is a little thin, but that doesn’t mean that it wasn’t worth the outcome.

In what was a thrilling episode that fulfilled on all we hoped for since Devon discovered Chuck’s secret life, writer Zev Borow delivered a script that was full of humor, action, heart and decapitated bears. There was some heavy duty stuff that had to be introduced in this episode – new characters, a new dimension for our hero (and his) and lots of information about this season’s enemy – The Ring.  But bravo to Borow for producing a script which heavily featured Captain Awesome but never required him to be shirtless. That was…hey wait, I’m not ok with that, Zev. Wasted opportunity my friend. Try not to make that mistake twice.

So (a fully clothed) Captain Awesome was being dangled off a rooftop by Angie Harmon. As it turns out, Angie Harmon left New York’s criminal justice system to become Sydney Prince, the head of a Ring cell in Los Angeles. After witnessing his involvement in the Costa Gravas debacle, she is convinced that Devon is one of the CIA’s best spies. She wants to lure him from the CIA into the Ring. Despite not knowing his true allegiances, or whether or not he’ll turn on her, she sets in motion the plan to recruit him. She gives him a Ring communication device, which looks fancy but clearly doesn’t have any fun apps so how cool can it really be, and tells him to hang tight and wait for his call.

A freaked out Chuck is anxious to get his brother-in-law back home and away from the Ring. He can’t seem to pull it together, no matter how much Sarah pleads with him.  Looking for a distraction, he heads to the Buy More where things don’t get any better. After being hassled by Jeff, Lester and a small Taiwanese woman, the Intersect reared its ugly head. This time in the form of yelling at the woman from Thailand…in Thai, (Chuck talk Thai. Chuck talk Thai real good) and round kicking Lester in the face (“Boom. Boom. Pow!”). Damn that Intersect, it never works when he wants it to. His stress level is temporarily reduced when a scared but unscathed Devon shows up.

A relieved Chuck is glad to see his brother in law is alive.  Not so relieved that he’s more caught up in the dangerous spy world than ever. Devon, Chuck, Casey and Sarah pow wow their next move.  Chuck wants Devon out, but Sarah and Casey think it’s safest for him to see this through. According to Devon, Sydney knows everything about him…and Ellie too.  Yeah, this is where they lost me a bit. How much intel can they have on this guy if they didn’t know before last week he even existed? But let’s overlook, forgive and move on…

Chuck is not happy about this new mission, but Devon says that if Chuck can get him through this then he is in. Casey says that Chuck needs to handle Devon like Sarah handles him: “In this mission, Devon is you and you’re her. So be her, Chuck.” Chuck needs to be Sarah – minus the blonde hair and lingerie…then again, whatever works for ya, Bartowski.

Having been missing for more than a day, a freaked out Ellie is relieved to see Devon back home. But where was he?  In one of the funniest scenes of the series, Devon – who surprise, surprise, can not tell a lie – concocts this ridiculous story involving a medical emergency, physical fitness, a cat and a decapitated bear (“RAWR!”). Hilarious. Yeah, Ellie wasn’t buying it.  So Chuck just tells her that Casey is a drunk who needed to be bailed out.  She bought it.

Devon better hone up on his lying skills, because his work as a spy isn’t quite over yet.  After being contacted by Sydney, he is fitted with a Bluetooth-‘esque device with which to communicate with her. The device is connected to a bomb, so don’t go trying to remove it. That’s one call you don’t want to hang up on my friend.

Being ordered to complete a series of tasks to prove that he’s ready to join the Ring, Devon isn’t quite up for the challenge.  Understandably so.  It’s Chuck that has to step in and help him out.  This in and of itself was one of the best moments from the episode.  I think before last week’s episode, when we thought of Devon being caught up in Chuck’s spy world, we just assumed he’d be awesome at it. He certainly looks the part.  But he’s not awesome. He needs Chuck to be awesome enough for the two of them.  And he is.

Chuck decides that if Devon is going to have to do this, then he’ll be right by his side (But not as his gay lover, Mr. Security Guard). With some help from the Intersect (and Nintendo Duck Hunt), Chuck takes out the bad guys (with tranqs of course) and gets Devon to the final step in Sydney’s test. She orders Devon to kill a man.  Ruh Roh.

Meanwhile, back at the Buy More, it seems that Chuck’s kick to Lester’s face really got the guy’s adrenaline pumping. Wanting to feel the “thrill of being alive” Lester and Jeff organize a fight club, complete with an electronic fence, in the cages at the Buy More. Of course they do. This doesn’t go over too well with Buy More’s newest Ass Man, Morgan Grimes. He tries to shut it down, but the guys vow to rise up and fight again.

Back to the real action. Upon finding out that Sydney’s mission was somehow connected to the CIA, General Beckman orders Sarah and Casey to stand down. This mission is a set up. One the CIA has been in on the whole time.

Not wanting Devon to have to kill a man, Chuck decides that he will take on the last part of the mission himself. They open the door to find the man. It’s a bird, it’s a plane…it’s Superman. Ok, not Superman, but Agent Daniel Shaw – the target. But it seems Shaw is a little more in the know than Chuck expected.  He orders Chuck to shoot him.

• Chuck: I don’t kill people, ok? I have rules against such things.
• Shaw: Shoot me. Here. Try to be precise.
• Chuck: Are you listening to anything I’m saying right now? I don’t kill people. Therefore I don’t shoot them. Maybe with a tranq gun. I’ll tranq anybody you want. But a gun, gun? I hate gun, guns.

It seems Shaw does too. But not too much to shoot himself.  Before he pulls the trigger he takes a pill, gives Chuck an envelope with the instructions to put the gun in Devon’s hand, hide and then open the envelope. The gun goes off. Devon declares Shaw dead. Chuck hides, and in walks Sydney who congratulates Devon on a job well done.

As soon as she leaves, Chuck rips open the envelope which contains instructions for the antidote that will bring the Shaw back to life. Seems that pill he took was the same brand Juliet Capulet took. It just stopped his heart for a bit.  Ballsy.

Back in Castle, General Beckman introduces Agent Shaw as the head of all missions having to do with The Ring. No one seems too pleased. Especially Chuck who doesn’t like Shaw’s idea to keep Devon in the game until Sydney is out of it. Chuck let’s him know, “There’s something you should know about me, Shaw. There’s nothing in my life that I care about more than my friends and my family.” But it seems Shaw went to the Sarah Walker School of Heartless Spydom and he thinks personal relationships are a liability (clearly he graduated…Sarah, not so much). Chuck still refuses to involve Devon, but Shaw suggests that there is no other way…or is there.

Chuck puts those years as a Nerd Herder to good use when he disassembles the Ring’s smart phone and creates a direct connection with Sydney.  Wanting to know who could break into the network, Chuck tells her: “I’m the spy you are looking for, and I am in charge of this mission now.” Go on with ya bad self, Chuck!

In a series of foibles, Chuck finds himself face to face with Sydney and her goons. Of course that pesky Intersect never works when he needs it to, so Chuck resorts to running away and hiding in a box. And yes, that’s one of the reasons I love this show!  Of course Sarah comes in to rescue him, but when Sydney is finally cornered it’s by Chuck…and his gun.  Calling his bluff on shooting her, Sydney is about to take out Chuck when she is shot from behind by Agent Shaw. She’s dead. Devon’s safe. Chuck still hasn’t had to kill anyone.

Managing to (barely) live through another day, Chuck invites his family over for dinner. Meanwhile, Shaw, who is anti-family watches the gathering from inside Castle as he slips on a wedding band.  Perhaps there’s a reason Agent Shaw thinks family is a liability.

Sorry to go all recappy on you, but there were so many great moments from tonight’s episode that I didn’t want to miss out on anything.  Despite the aforementioned plot holes, I thought Chuck vs. Operation Awesome was indeed awesome. The end of Season 2 and into this season we see Chuck gain more and more confidence in his abilities as a spy – with and without the Intersect. He stepped up in a big way for his family, and that’s what sets Chuck apart but what also makes him a great spy.

Despite how quickly Agent Shaw was introduced and how fast Angie Harmon was auf’d, the episode didn’t feel forced. There was a great pace and timing to how the events unfolded.

I would have been fine losing the Buy More fight club stuff, but it was nice to check in with the guys after last week’s absence. Wondering why they are choosing to repeat the Morgan being hazed for being the Ass Man again. They did the same story last time he was in that position.  Seems strange Lester would be leading the charge since he too was once an Ass Man. Oh forget it, I’m all for any storyline that gives me a reason to hear Ass Men ten times in an hour.

Glad to see that the Chuck and Sarah angst was put on the back burner.  There was enough going on with Devon that Chuck didn’t need to be weighed down by his feelings for Sarah. I’m sure we have enough relationshippy stuff coming up this season, that I don’t miss it when it’s not there.

A few more Operation Awesome moments and quotes before we wrap things up and go decapitate a bear.

• Chuck: “Here’s a little tip. If you really want someone to calm down, never tell them to calm down, because it doesn’t work. They don’t calm down. I’m sorry. You’re right. I’m sorry. I’m calming down. Here comes the calm. I will soon be calm. Now working! I’m not calming down.”

• Devon: “Chuck, they think I’m a spy. I’m in trouble, man. They think I’m you.”

• This episode was Brandon Routh’s first day on set. Ducky and I were there that day too.

• Devon: She knows everything about me, Chuck. And Ellie too.
  Sarah: Everything expect who the real spy in the family is.
  Casey: That’s an understandable mistake. One of them looks like a spy and the other one looks like Chuck

• Loved the Good Guys/Bad Guys label on Devon’s watches. Also glad he remembered to take the off before handing it off to Sydney.

• “I have back issues of Guns & Ammo older than this guy.” – Not only was this line fantastic, but having been on set while they were filming this episode, it was great to hear which line they went with.  Adam would switch up “Guns & Ammo” with each take.

• I hope the ‘Casey is a drunk’ cover continues. Loved the way Sarah was judging Casey.

• Morgan is sporting a lot of flair on his Ass Man vest. Does he need 37 pieces of flair to express himself?

• How about the Buy More employees marching out, one by one, looking like they were on the receiving end of a Mike Tyson right hook. Or perhaps it was the right hook on Tyler Durden.

Now that my mission report is filed, I’ll turn it over to you for evaluation. How did ‘Chuck vs. Operation Awesome’ stand up for you?  Did you like seeing Awesome as a spy? Early feelings on Daniel Shaw? Surprised to see Angie Harmon gone so soon. Were you as intimidated as much as I was by Lester in his Tyler Durden pink sunglasses? Yeah, I thought so.