Monday, March 8, 2010

...Set: Chuck 3x09 "Chuck versus the Beard"

For those who don't know, Zachary Levi, our erstwhile Chuck, made his directing debut with this episode. And what an episode to debut with! The show was running on all cylinders - lots of spy stuff, lots of Buy More stuff, and we even had some Ellie and Awesome. Plus, spoiler alert - Morgan FINDS OUT! Yep. The big secret, he's in on it now.

The episode starts out with Shaw putting Chuck on the sidelines for their next mission because he hasn't flashed since the last one. So, while Shaw and Sarah go off to play newlyweds with Casey doing his favorite thing, sitting in the van doing surveillance, Chuck must wait it out at in the Buy More. As it turns out, the fight comes to him. Because, the spy crew finds out that the hotel mission they're on was purely a set up to get them away from Castle. Dun dun dun!

At the Buy More, some "potential buyers" show up to look over the place and interview all of the employees to decide who will stay and who will go. It's fairly obvious that they're more than they appear to be, which is confirmed in short shrift once they determine that Chuck is part of Shaw's spy team. And their mission now is to find the entrance to Castle so they can get all of the information the team has put together on them (the Ring).

Recap/review of Chuck 3x09 'Chuck versus the Beard' by freshfromthe.comBut here's where things get interesting. One of the goons finds an entrance in the locker bank - and Morgan sees the whole thing and slips inside after them! He makes it out and tells Chuck of his discovery, much to Chuck's dismay. They try to get all of the Buy Morians out of the store because the Ring plans to blow up Castle once they've got the info they need, but the herders and green shirts have staged a revolution - a lockdown. They will not go if they are going to lose their jobs!

Morgan and Chuck end up getting nabbed by the bad guys and tied up in the training room. After the lead bad guy threatens Morgan, Chuck must fess up to the truth - he's a spy. Though Chuck thinks that Morgan is going to be all mad, it turns out that Morgan is actually very excited by learning all of this - it explains everything, and is super cool at that. While they bond, the spy crew tries to get access to Castle, but is repeatedly denied. Shaw says they're going to have to terminate it, with Chuck inside, but Sarah manages to get him to delay it for five more minutes.

Which is, of course, all that Chuck needs to get his head on straight. Which is really thanks to Morgan, who gets him to admit that he's in love with Sarah, despite trying to tell himself that he's not. That unlocks whatever block he had, and he busts into butt-kicking action, saving the day with a little help from the bearded one. You see, the beard of the title had more than one meaning. First meaning: Morgan, the small bearded man. Second meaning: Sarah was his "beard" - meaning they were in a fake relationship.

Anyway, Chuck and Morgan exit Castle just before Shaw was going to make the call. The Buy Morians get to keep their jobs (which they were never going to lose). And Devon decides that he and Ellie have got to get away from all of this, far far away - because I didn't mention it earlier, but the set up at the hotel was a fake Ring mission to kill Devon. So now Devon is freaked about their safety and wants to get Ellie to join Doctors Without Borders with him.

Then, we end things with a TWIST. The Ring phone they confiscated earlier, that gave them the clue that it was all a set up, rings down in Castle. Casey picks it up and we hear this mysterious voice say: "Hello, Colonel Casey. It's been awhile." I think maybe this has something to do with that little bit last week. I guess we'll find out next Monday!

Quotes:

"I'm not a machine! Okay I am a machine, but I'm also a person." - Chuck

"I'm saying, do not bet against the brown beauty and the snake. He can unhinge his jaw and he sheds skin." - Lester re: Jeff fitting a whole apple in his mouth

"When we get back I expect this place to be exactly as I left it." - Casey

"What are you two doing here? You're not supposed to be here. I just reclaimed my Awesomeness!" - Devon

"Mike, gentlemen, assorted ladies..." - Chuck

"Because the only thing I hate more than hippy neo fascist liberal anarchists? Are the hypocrite fat cat suits they eventually grow up to become." - Casey

"Wow. Wow. I don't.... My best friend is a SPY? This is unbelievable! This is the best news I've ever heard!" - Morgan

"Bag 'em and tag 'em, Sarah. Excuse me. Agent Walker." - Morgan

"Yeah, because Awesome's Awesome and Grimes is a moron." - Casey

"Colonel Casey. Always walking around so angry. Should've known you had a big secret." - Morgan
"God help us." - Casey

"Okay so am I like, officially part of the team or..?" - Morgan
"Let's um, let's walk before we run, huh, buddy? Maybe crawl before that." - Chuck

"VICTORY!" - Big Mike

"You did your flash thingy on it. You flashed on Duck Hunt." - Morgan

Previous Episode -- Next Episode

1 comment:

  1. Thoughts and squeeing:-

    Chuck, talk to CASEY, you numpty!
    What was Jeff putting in his mouth?!!?
    He got it in!!!
    'We went through puberty together'
    'Like a slice of cheese on a tuna melt...'
    'When I get back I expect to find this place exactly as I left it!'
    [Casey, Sugar Bear; have a chill pill, seriously!!!]
    '...while I'm cooped up in the van again...'
    (Some line about Margaritas)
    MUSKETEERS FTW!
    '....hypocrite fat cat suits' [GGGG]
    'Peace out' !!!!!
    'Does that make you her beard?' [GGGGGGGGGGGGG]
    'Mine's bigger than yours' [I just bet it is...]
    'They've been checking lockers!' + Jeff's face!!!
    'I'm going in! I'm always careful'
    'VICTORY!!!'
    'That's the sound of liberty...'
    'Bruce Lee, Van Damme and Seagal...'
    Iwa Jima Buy More flag moment = Massive WIN!

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