Chuck vs the Subway & Ring Part 2

Original air date May 24, 2010

Season 3 episodes 18 & 19- shown together as the season 3 finale

Synopsis for Subway

Stephen is in Castle, working on Chuck’s Governor and Chuck is freaking out. Sarah takes Chuck out for a break. 

Devon comes to the Buy More and tells Morgan that Ellie didn’t come home. Morgan tells him that she is cheating on him and plays the tape Casey made. 

Ellie is with Justin and her phone is blocked so she can’t call Devon or take calls. Justin keeps her at his office to “protect” her.

Casey is at the cafe where Alex works. They chat about her school studies and it is clear that he goes often.

While strolling through the Farmer’s Market, Chuck flashes on a voice and pursues the man he sees that he is convinced is Shaw. He follows him into a subway station but he escapes after turning to show Chuck that he is Shaw.

After returning to Castle, Stephen hacks into the subway security cameras and they are able to spot Shaw exiting the subway. Despite Stephen’s warnings that his could be a trap, they decide togo to the station.

Devon is drinking while talking to Morgan, Jeff, Lester and Big Mike about Ellie cheating on him. Morgan pulls him away and takes him home.

Chuck, Sarah and Casey arrive at the subway station where Shaw was spotted. They open the door he left through and then they split up to cover separate floors and when Chuck finds Ellie in Justin’s office, he flashes (intersect glitching) and fights Justin. Chuck can’t explain but he has to chase Justin. Casey and Sarah discover that they are in a CIA facility that has been taken over by the Ring.

Beckman has been called to a meeting of the National Security leadership to defend Team Bartowski. While she is trying to convince them that the team is a success, Chuck stumbles into the room while chasing Justin. He is placed in a cell and Beckman tells him that Ellie is safe but their project is threatened and Chuck tries to convince her Shaw is alive. She tells him to keep his mouth shut.

Things look bad for the team when Shaw walks into the investigation claiming to be a double agent within the Ring to gather intelligence. He defends Chuck as a hero but explains that he is damaged and dangerous. Sarah finds out that Chuck lied to her when he told her he was declared fit after his psychological evaluation. Shaw details the decline Chuck will suffer with the intersect in his brain. Shaw states the intersect project should be disbanded as well as the team. 

Beckman presents a slideshow of their successful missions and Shaw flashes on Alexis White. Chuck sees the flash and tries to prove Shaw has the intersect by throwing a knife at him but Shaw allows the knife to penetrate his shoulder and Chuck is taken into custody. 

Casey decides to run but Sarah will stay to try to help Chuck.

Devon and Ellie talk when she gets home. She tells him Chuck has been arrested and he admits he thought she was having an affair. Devon blurts out that it’s okay, Chuck has been an agent for years. He then realizes his mistake. Ellie demands he tell her everything.

Casey goes to see Alex at her waitress job to try and get to her before the Ring does. He is a bit late, as Justin finds him and holds him at gunpoint while threatening him. 

Stephen hacks into the building security system and releases Chuck then uses lights to guide him outside to rescue him. As he pulls up to Chuck outside, Sarah comes out and asks Chuck not to leave. Stephen talks him into running and they drive away. 

Casey upends the table they’re at, knocks Justin out and grabs Alex to keep her safe. She is scared in the car with him and he tries to reassure her by letting her out of the car but she tricks him and gets away. He tells her he is her father to stop her and gives her the key to his locker at the Buy More and what is in it is for her. Casey is captured.

Devon takes Ellie to Morgan after telling her about Chuck. He tries to calm he but she wants answers. Morgan tells her about the Ring and that Casey and Chuck are true blue. Morgan tells her he will find out why Chuck is being held.

Sarah confronts Shaw, trying to get him to admit his alignment with the Ring. He sets her up and gets her arrested but she succeeds in landing a punch first. Beckman is also being arrested and tells Morgan what is going on when he and Devon go to Castle.

When Morgan calls Chuck to tell him the rest of the team has been arrested, he convinces Stephen to help him rescue them and to reveal Shaw for who he is. He convinces Stephen that they have to stop running. Stephen finished the Governor and gives it to Chuck.

 Chuck and Stephen go talk to Ellie and find out where Justin has been meeting her. They enter into the door close by and she waits outside. Inside, they find the Ring room where Shaw recovered and where they developed the intersect.

Shaw is confronting Sarah and Casey when he is told that Chuck and Stephen have breached his security. Casey tells Sarah she picked a good one with Chuck. 

Ellie sees Shaw enter the door that Chuck and her Dad went into and follows. When Shaw confronts Chuck and Stephen, Chuck suggests hand to hand combat but Shaw shoots and kills Stephen to disrupt Chuck’s ability to flash. He takes the Governor. Ellie witnesses the murder and Chuck being captured.

Alex goes to the Buy More and asks for help. Morgan takes her to Casey’s locker after she tells him she is Casey’s daughter. He opens the secret compartment inside the locker to find money and then Devon interrupts to ask for help.

Chuck gets into a transfer vehicle with Sarah and Casey, He is devastated and tells them Shaw has won. Shaw locks them in to take them away. Tells them it will be there last time together. He intends to kill them.

 Devon, Morgan and Ellie watched the base and see Chuck, Sarah and Casey being taken away in an armored truck. 

Points of Interest

• “Oh my God, Daniel”- the only time in the whole show that Sarah calls Shaw by his first name on camera. Even when they were dating she always called him Shaw. This is a puzzlement.

• During three straight episodes we hear how Chuck is special. Chuck downloaded an early version of the intersect and handled it without detrimental effect. His current version of the intersect is glitchy but he still has the ability to be an effective agent and help his team.
• Chuck runs with his dad even though we know how much he resented his father running away. When he finds out everyone is captured and  are in danger, he quickly goes back into hero mode.
• The smile on Sarah’s face when Casey compliments her choice of Chuck reflects her confidence and love while we see Casey has bought in completely.

References

• Star Wars- “You’re my only hope.” -This time it is Beckman who acknowledges she needs a hero and uses Princess Leia’s line.

• The Quail Springs Farmer’s Market took place across from the Hollywood Metro station. It is used to show the farmer’s market scene.

Music 

One More Try- Timmy T: Buy More staff gives Devon advice.

England Swings- Roger Miller: Justin confronts Casey at Alex’s work.

The High Road- Broken Bells: Chuck and Sarah shop at the farmer’s marker and discuss the future.

One October Song- Nico Stai: Shaw shoots and kills Stephen Bartowski.

Neighbor- Band of Horses: Stephen gives Chuck the Governor; Chuck talks Stephen into helping his team; Morgan calls Chuck to update him.

Congratulations- MGMT: Alex goes to the Buy More to open Casey’s locker.

Don’t Give Up On Us Now- Menew: Chuck tells Sarah and Casey that Shaw won; Shaw tells them he’s taking them to the detention center; Ellie, Morgan and Devon follow the armored car.

Synopsis for The Ring, Part II

In a flashback to Encino, CA, 1991, Ellie and Chuck are arguing about Chuck breaking their mother’s favorite necklace. Stephen responds they need to stick together and there’s nothing they can’t do.

Shaw intends to take Chuck, Sarah and Casey out of the car and kill them. Devon and Morgan find the armored car and accidentally shoot off a missile from Casey’s car while following them, knocking the armored car off the road and rescuing Chuck, Sarah and Casey. Shaw is knocked out by the blast but comes to as they drive off. Chuck flashes  but the glitchy intersect only hurts him.

They catch up with Ellie to make a plan and Ellie refuses to run and hide. She and Chuck drive off together while Devon stays with Sarah.

Big Mike is having breakfast when he gets a call. The Buy More is going to be closed if they don’t improve their sales. They develop a plan to sell everything and juice the books.

Chuck and Ellie finally confront the secrets Chuck has been keeping and he tells her the whole story about the CIA and the intersect. He apologizes for all the lies. Ellie makes him promise that once they take down the Ring and defeat Shaw he is done with being a spy. Chuck agrees but is reluctant.

After sending his family away to protect them, Chuck and the rest of the team use Casey’s apartment to talk and then they hack into the cell Beckman is being held in. She tells them Shaw has taken over and the Ring is taking over the CIA and NSA. She tells them there will be a meeting and the Five Elders will be there. Chuck flashes and realizes they are the Ring leaders, though the flash seems painful and confusing to him. They agree they have to act and will need to be the world’s greatest spies to pull this off.

Chuck and Sarah are disguised as Russians at the meeting while Casey and Morgan are a tech team to crack into the conference data base. Chuck pretends to bump into Shaw and plants a phone on him.

While working together, Casey finds Alex’s number in Morgan’s possession then threatens him. After removing their disguises, Chuck and Sarah see Justin and he tells them they didn’t fool Shaw. Chuck then realizes Justin was the agent who Ellie knows. Chuck tries to attack Justin but the flash fails and he just has pain. Sarah steps in and does the job and Chuck is forced to admit the intersect is glitchy and causing him problems. She wants to stop then but Chuck convinces her that if he can get the Governor back he will be ok. He sends her to help Casey and Morgan.

At the Buy More, customers are lined up to get in for the big sale. Jeff and Lester convince Big Mike to run their Jeffster video in the store but he will do it later in the day so they don’t scare the customers away.

Shaw gives his speech to the leaders but a phone goes off in his pocket and we hear the Mexican Hat Dance ring tone. Chuck tells Shaw where he is and that he knows what is going on. Shaw warns the Elders to leave then goes to meet Chuck.

Chuck confronts Shaw and thanks him for alerting the Elders so they could arrest them. While they discuss Chuck’s plan and Shaw gloats about Stephen’s death and being a Ring agent, Chuck reveals it has all been broadcast to the full group of CIA and NSA. Chuck tells Shaw to give him the Governor but is unable to get it when they fight.  Sarah comes in to save Chuck but Shaw escapes.

At the Buy More, Morgan returns to find the store going out of business. The executives arrive to close the store.

Sarah takes Chuck to Castle and he is semi-conscious. He tells her about his promise to Ellie and she tells him they will get the Governor.

Morgan spots Shaw in the Buy More, placing bombs. He tries to warn Sarah but Shaw takes over the phone and demands Chuck be brought to him. 

While Morgan is handcuffed, he calls Casey who tells him to get out of the cuffs and set off the fire alarm to evacuate the store. Before he can do that, Jeff and Lester and Mike pull the alarm to avoid the bosses. 

Sarah goes to the store without Chuck and he cuffs her to a rail. Chuck shows up and challenges Shaw to a fight. Chuck is able to flash and he fights Shaw. After being knocked down, Chuck has a memory flash to his childhood when he accidentally downloaded a program from his father’s computer. Stephen finds him afterward and realizes he seems unharmed.

Chuck remembers his Dad telling him he is ’special’ and he then tells Shaw he had to reboot. When Chuck subdues him, Shaw tries to get him to kill him but Chuck won’t do it. Shaw accuses him of being weak but Sarah has gotten loose and hits Shaw with a metal rail while replying that is what makes him great. She takes the Governor from Shaw and puts it back on Chuck’s wrist. He is visibly relieved.

NSA cleaners are clearing the store while Big Mike, Jeff and Lester are outside and Jeff suggests burning the store to cover the evidence of their unauthorized activity. Chuck and Sarah are at the Nerd Herd desk while the store is being swept for Shaw’s detonator. He asks if she can love a regular guy since he is quitting the CIA. 

“Well, I feel in love with a regular guy”.

Morgan finds the detonator and accidentally drops it, arming the bombs. Everyone runs from the store while it blows up. Jeff and Lester think they were responsible somehow. The media points to them as suspects and there is a man hunt.

The next day, Chuck and family with Team Bartowski have a wake for Stephen. Alex has been invited and Morgan tries to flirt but he is threatened again by Casey. Chuck tells Ellie he has been released from the CIA.

When Chuck gets a message on his phone to go to his computer, he finds  a message from his Dad, set to play on the event of his death. He directs Chuck to their family home and there he discovers an entire secret base in the basement. Orion has all his files here as well as their mother’s old necklace seen in the earlier flashback. Next to it is a file for Mary Elizabeth Bartowski.

We see a woman’s hands typing at a computer. When her phone rings she is told they are going to have to move her. The woman is wearing the other half of the necklace Chuck found in the basement.

Points of Interest

• We see the ‘breaking thumbs’ technique for a second time. It first appeared in Chuck vs the Suburbs.
• Chuck again mentions playing Perchik (Fiddler on the Roof) when he needs to impersonate a Russian. The first time was impersonating Rafe Gruber in Chuck vs the Fake Name.
• Eight year old Chuck is wearing a Superman t-shirt when he downloads the intersect. Again emphasizing he is special. He downloaded the framework of the intersect as a child. That is why his brain is uniquely able to handle the later version.
• Finally, finally, Ellie gets clued into what has been going on for three years. Keeping her out of the loop for so long is a reflection of Chuck’s protective instinct. We see in this episode that Ellie doesn’t need to be protected. She’s got all the same qualities of a hero as Chuck.
• Chuck uses the glitchy intersect to take Shaw down when he really has to. But before it kicks in he show’s how far he has come from the guy who screamed like a girl in season one.
• Chuck continues to have some insecurity about whether Sarah can love a normal guy. She reassures him she fell in love with a normal guy. Although we all know Chuck isn’t really a normal guy.

References

• Cobra– “You’re the disease, I’m the cure.”

• Fiddler on the Roof- Chuck becomes Perchik to try to fool Shaw.

• Superman- Chuck wears a Superman t-shirt when he accidentally downloads the early version of the intersect at eight years old.

• Star Wars- Alex, I am your Father.” A take off on Darth Vader’s “Luke, I am your Father.”

Music

Wolfmother- Sundial: Chuck and Sarah enter the security meeting; Casey and Morgan infiltrate the server room.

On My Way Back Home- Band of Horses: Chuck and Ellie talk; flashback of Chuck and Ellie as kids; Buy More news story on tv.

Blaze of Glory- Jon Bon Jovi: Jeffster music video plays while Chuck and Shaw fight. For an in-depth look at this video see the Tim Jones feature on this site.

Blue Beard- Band Of Horses: Sarah takes the Governor off Shaw and puts it on Chuck.

Don’t Hide Away- Bishop Allen: Jeff suggests blowing up the Buy More to protect them; Casey compliments Morgan; Chuck tells Sarah he is done being a spy.