- Chuck flashes on a person at the Buy More, he's a nuclear terrorist looking for Jeff. Chuck hangs out with Jeff to discover why he's being targeted. The team will need Jeff's help prevent a nuclear attack.
- Awesome and Ellie worry that Chuck is slipping away from a career again and urge him to complete his Priceton exams. Chuck is as startled as by his flash concerning nuclear terrorist Farrokh Bulsara when he asks for a gaming champion looking exactly like deadbeat Jeff. The team works out Jeff actually holds the world record for a game devised by Morimoto, who hid in it the secret to control a satellite capable of starting World war III. The only way to stop that is reaching the end screen.—KGF Vissers
- The year is 1983. Buy More Jeff (Scott Krinsky) relives his glory days as the All-Valley Video Game "Missile Command" Champion. Fast forward to the present. Jeff, with less hair and self confidence, stands at a vending machine -- the very picture of pathetic.
Big Mike (Mark Christopher Lawrence) enters and introduces Emmett Milbarge (Tony Hale), an efficiency expert sent by corporate. The prissy Milbarge interviews the Buy More employees, who all name Chuck (Zachary Levi) as the so-called captain of this particular branch. "I'm looking forward to meeting this Chuck," Milbarge snaps. "If he ever shows up ..."
Indeed, Chuck is late for work. And wouldn't you know it? When our secret spy finally does show up, his work day is interrupted by an Intersect Moment! A scary bald man shopping in the store sets off visions of flames and destruction. Chuck, claiming his "gall stones are acting up," excuses himself from Milbarge and attempts to sneak out. Too late. Scary bald guy intercepts our hero, presenting Chuck with a picture of Jeff circa 1983. Chuck, although he recognizes his coworker, pretends not to know the man.
Why is a scary bad dude looking for a loser like Jeff?
Back at headquarters, Casey (Adam Baldwin) briefs his partners on the scary bald dude, who turns out to be an international terrorist, Farrokh Balsara(Farah Tuhin). "We want you to approach Jeff socially," Sarah (Yvonne Strahovski) says. "See what you can find out about his past." Chuck is less than enthused. Nevertheless, he approaches Jeff at work and suggests having a few beers.
Later that night, the two relax in the home-entertainment section of the store. Chuck and Jeff shotgun beers while an indignant Milbarge spies on them. Chuck, oblivious to the presence of the annoying efficiancy expert, broaches the subject of why a strange man would be looking for Jeff.
"I'd imagine he's one of my fans," says Jeff, putting in a video tape. "Please don't be a porn," Chuck says. Fortunately, it's not porn. Instead, a news broadcast from 1983 introduces Jeff as the "Missile Command" champ. Suddenly, Chuck has an Intercept Moment! The Japanese man handing Jeff the trophy is a real bomb builder! At that same moment, Casey sees a van full of terrorists -- including scary bald dude -- in the parking lot with guns. He runs to the home-entertainment room, where Jeff has passed out drunk. They make a break for it.
Cut to Ellie (Sarah Lancaster)'s apartment, where sis talks to Sarah about Chuck's apparent lack of direction in life. "Deep down I think Chuck is a mature and incredibly responsible guy," Sarah says. Just then, Chuck enters with a drunk Jeff slung over his back. Sarah winces and Ellie rolls her eyes. Bad timing.
The next morning, Chucks walks into the Buy More to discover Sarah waiting. Turns out the video-game designer who handed Jeff the trophy has a history with the Japanese military. "The guy who created 'Missile Command' commands actual missiles?" Chuck asks. Indeed. Casey believes this designer is working with the terrorists. The plan: infiltrate Atari headquarters.
Moments later, Sarah makes a grand, slo-mo and scantily-clad entrance to the game giant's corporate headquarters. The diversion works wonders as security officers -- jaws practically on the floor -- don't notice as Chuck and Casey rush into the elevator.
Upstairs, Chuck enters finds the designer, Morimoto (Clyde Kusatsu), playing a game of 'Missile Command' to the strains of Rush's 'Tom Sawyer.' He explains to Chuck that he hid the codes for controlling the real missiles inside the final board of each 'Missile Command' arcade game. Just then, Chuck notices the back of the machine is blinking red. The arcade game will explode if the designer loses!
Chuck and Casey make a run for it just as "Game Over" appears on the screen. The game EXPLODES, sending a fireball hurtling down the hallway! Chuck and Casey barely escape. The designer, on the other hand, goes to meet that big gaming geek in the sky. Oh, the irony!
A few words from our sponsors later, the team meets beneath the yogurt shop. The general, appearing via video screen, explains the designer's satellite passes over California in just four hours. The terrorists are going to use the satellite to "start World War III," Sarah explains. Chuck has a brainstorm: The only way to get the code is to beat the game. And who is the only one who can beat it? A certain creepy employee named Jeff, that's who.
The former 'Missile Command' superstar agrees to come out of retirement but he also has a few demands. Jeff wants Chuck to round up his old fans to form a cheering section while Anna (Julia Ling) fans him with a palm frond. Casey is disgusted (and rightly so), but Chuck agrees.
A montage! Chuck readies the game room, bringing in Jeff's lucky arcade cabinet. Aging geeks arrive en masse to cheer on Jeff. Anna, wearing a hula skirt, waves a palm frond. A rocking 80s soundtrack plays over the entire scene. Put simply: It's totally tubular/ rad/ gnarly/ awesome/ whatever.
Or maybe not. With the quest for the final level about to start, Jeff succumbs to the pressure and passes out cold. "They came to see video-game greatness," Morgan (Joshua Gomez) says of the suddenly restless crowd. "Someone better deliver." And that somebody's name is Chuck. Luckily, Chuck has some experience with "Missile Command" (he is a geek). But will Bartowski be able to reach and defeat the final level?
Sarah, meanwhile, has discovered the terrorists hideout at a nearby TV station. She begins working on the lock to the side door. We feel a fight montage coming on ...
Back at the Buy More, Chuck has begun playing -- and not well, unfortunately. As the crowd boos, Milbarge enters. "Who authorized this?" he asks. "This is an abomination!" Indeed, Chuck is about to lose for good when he suddenly has another Intersect Moment! The video-game designer had been listening to Rush. Could the mathematical patterns in the game perfectly match the notes in "Tom Sawyer?" You bet your Atari 2600 they could. Morgan quickly puts on the Rush and Chuck begins zapping away at a furious rate.
Cut to the TV station ... and a fight montage! Sarah kicks terrorist butt while Chuck kicks pixilated butt. Cutting back and forth. As Chuck approaches the final level, scary bald guy attacks Sarah with a knife. She takes him out and demands the code, but the man refuses to talk. Once again, it's up to Chuck to save the day.
As the space satellite settles above California, Chuck reaches the "Missile Command" kill screen. He's done it! The crowd goes crazy! Just then, the code appears: OZPGSB. He relays the info to Sarah, who shuts down the satellite from the TV control board. The state and the world are saved. Thank goodness for video games.
"How does it feel to be a hero, Mr. Bartowski?" Sarah asks.
Pretty darn good, actually. The crowd at the Buy More applauds wildly and Chuck revels in the geek love.
Later, Big Mike congratulates Chuck and announces some big news: Milbarge has been named the new assistant manager. "Mr. Milbarge has volunteered to stay on for, well, for as long as it takes," Big Mike says with a smile. Alas, no one else on staff is laughing.
Chuck returns home to find Ellie and Captain Awesome (Ryan McPartlin) waiting to congratulate him -- but not for being a "Missile Command" winner. Turns out Sarah has arranged for Chuck to finally receive his diploma from Stanford, despite being 12 credit hours short. Ellie says she had no idea Chuck was taking online courses. Then again, neither did Chuck.
Later, Chuck thanks Sarah over a beer on the back porch. She explains the diploma is for real -- his excellent field work more than makes up for 12 hours of class time. He looks at his faux girlfriend with true love. A geek can dream.
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