- Sarah and Shaw must grade Chuck on his last test before officially becoming a CIA operative.
- A man runs through a railroad yard, chased by another man. He falls to the ground, and the other man aims his gun at him. He begs for forgiveness, but the man says he had his chance. He aims and fires, or so we think. Because we don't know if Chuck (Zachary Levi) actually killed him.
THREE DAYS EARLIER
Jeff (Scott Krinsky) and Lester's (Vik Sahay) game of Nerf Assassin is interrupted by a ticked-off Casey (Adam Baldwin), who slams the two into each other and tells them they represent a clear and present danger to the store. Lester, not a little bit impressed Casey was made temporary assistant manager while Morgan was at a seminar in El Segundo, decides to tell Casey what he can do with himself and reminds him of the store's no touching policy (really instituted for Jeff, but still). Casey ignores it and puts the two on the ground again. Chuck tries to calm Casey down and even offers to resign in order to get Casey his old job back. But Casey is steadfast .He made his decision, and Buy More employee is what he is now. ("It's America. Everyone has a choice.") Unfortunately, Jeff and Lester are threatening to sue everybody, including Casey, Big Mike (Mark Christopher Lawrence), the store, even Chuck. Being the accused in a number of civil (and criminal) complaints has made the Mac Morons quite the litigious ones. But apparently, writing "I am going to kill you" on your hand is just as effective as a head slam. Big Mike is, to say the least, upset with Casey.
BIG MIKE: I like you. I know youre physically strong, but what I need to know is are you mentally strong? Strong enough to bend like the reed, and not snap like the Kit-Kat. I need you to be John Casey, not John Crazy.
Chuck finds Sarah (Yvonne Strahovski) returned from Washington, D.C. She apologizes for not calling but she and Shaw (Brandon Routh) were in plenty of meetings talking about Chuck. The reason: it is time for Chuck to go on his final mission before becoming a spy. If he succeeds, he would be stationed in Rome under the guise of a billionaire industrialist. It's all molto bene! for Chuck until he finds out Sarah would be sent to D.C. to do counter-Ring spy operations with Shaw. Sarah congratulates him on being able to get everything he ever wanted. (though her heart was definitely not in it)
The next morning, Chuck gets his assignment in his apartment. From Sarah, who walks in unexpectedly. She hands him a dossier and immediately starts taking notes, which throws Chuck off a bit. She has to record everything he says and does as part of being a proctor for the test. Inside the envelope is a DVD player with a recording of Beckman (after Chuck discovers he can't talk back to her). Chucks assignment is to follow Russian FSB spy Anatoli Zevlovski, who has been a courier of secrets between a mole in the CIA and The Ring. Chuck is to use Zevlovski to find the mole. Chuck must stake out the Cobalt Hotel and Spa. Chuck wants to hit the rewind & listen again, but the machine self-destructs a la Mission: Impossible, and Sarah just keeps writing. Chuck inquires about her writing, thinking some of his greatest hits are in that notebook, which Sarah does admit. Sarah will be with him on the mission, while Shaw runs the show in Castle. Chuck is sentimental about having a final mission with Sarah.
Big Mike calls Casey into his office while he is in his underwear and being measured by his tailor. Big Mike wants to smooth out some of Casey's jagged edges.
CASEY: Jagged's good. I like jagged.
However, Big Mike thinks he can convince Jeff and Lester to drop their lawsuit if Casey can change. Clothes do make the man.
BIG MIKE: If you want to get your head right, you've got to get your threads right.
Chuck arrives at the stakeout VERY well-prepared. He even brings a second suitcase with champagne, sizzling shrimp, and even his best stakeout mix. (Private Eyes by Hall & Oates, natch) They talk about being apart and what Sarah and Shaw would be doing. Sarah is hesitant to say anything. It's...different, according to Sarah. Chuck finally puts in his earpiece (after Shaw calls and reminds him), but then Chuck asks her about their lives before Prague, and if he should have made a different decision back then. Chuck is convinced if he can pass this test, he could be together with Sarah, if she wants it. The fact she moves in for a kiss might indicate she would...until Shaw calls and does the spy equivalent of a ****-block. Anatoli gets past Chuck in the hotel, and Shaw is not happy. He orders Sarah back to Castle, and she gives Chuck a pair of glasses (that coincidentally look like Clark Kent's) to record everything. They have to say goodbye.
CHUCK: This...isn't over.
Chuck goes into the spa, pays the $100 entry fee ("I can expense this, right?"), and finds Anatoli in the steam room, which of course is really steamy, making the glasses useless. However, there is a message for Ivan Drago (CHUCK: "Ivan Drago? Seriously?"). The mole is paranoid and wants to meet up in the room. Anatoli and his muscle take off, but the muscle catch Chuck trying to read the message he threw away. Chuck flashes on some kung-fu, and the three re-enact the steamroom scene from Red Heat. (thankfully Jim Belushi doesn't make a cameo). He gets to Anatoli on the 7th floor and slips into the neighboring hotel room. Still in a towel (and giving the ladies an 'Awesome' moment). A slip on the rail has Chuck hanging on for dear life, but the glasses record the mole dropping dime on Anatoli and stabbing him. He imitates a crow to get the mole to the window, and Shaw & Sarah identify them. Mission accomplished! Chuck's happy he is a spy...a naked spy.
At the SUBWAY!!!! (just doing my part for the promos; anything to get a season 4), Big Mike comes in a sharp-dressed man and talks to Casey, who is also a sharp-dressed man. All Casey has to do is sit down with Jeffster and apologize to get the lawsuit dropped. ("You look cool, but can you be cool?") He starts to apologize, but Lester wants him to pay for his SUBWAY!!!! subs. (Half-tuna, half-pepperoni, my favorite) Lester still isn't convinced after Casey's promise and Jeff's tuna-and-pepperoni belch. However, Lester feels he and Casey should break freshly-made bread together by enjoying a sandwich together. Specifically, Jeff's half-eaten tuna-and-pepperoni SUBWAY!!!! sandwich. Casey does it. Impressive.
Chuck limps into the Orange Orange and wants to talk to Sarah. She asks him out to dinner. And he's cool with it. In fact, he's cold as ice, since he's a real spy now. He tells Casey and gives him a gift: his gun from Castle.
CASEY: You know giving away a government-issue firearm is a felony, don't you? But it's a thoughtful felony.
Chuck is happy he passed his test and thanks Casey for everything he did. But Casey is curious that the test is already over. Chuck thinks it is, but Sarah and Shaw discuss why it isn't: Sarah is taking him to the restaurant tonight to clean the case up...and kill the CIA mole. Sarah is not happy Shaw is giving Chuck his "red test," and she refuses to do it. But Shaw insists she do it, because if she gives Chuck the order, he'll listen.
Chuck gets to the restaurant, Sarah looks fabulous. Chuck tries to apologize to her for coming across too strong the previous night and then thanks her for doing everything she did. But Sarah is frightened and wants Chuck to remain calm.
CHUCK: Why? Are you planning on surprising me with something? Is that what this is?
SARAH: Something like that. Your mission isn't over, Chuck.
Sarah hands him another blue envelope with a picture of the mole, Perry. She warns Chuck that Perry knows he's CIA and will try to maintain his cover. She slips Chuck a gun under a napkin and tells him he must kill Perry to become a spy. Chuck doesn't think he can do it.
CHUCK: But then, we couldn't...
SARAH: (sad) No. Probably not.
CHUCK: Sarah, when all this started, I didn't think I had a chance of ever becoming a real spy. But if I can't do this, then...then what will I be?
SARAH: Then you'll be Chuck. And there's nothing wrong with that.
Sarah has to walk away because the decision is strictly Chuck's. She takes one last look at him as Perry enters. Chuck is panicking, to say the least, as Perry introduces himself. Chuck tells him about some pictures in the blue envelope, and Perry excuses himself to go to the bathroom. Chuck hesitates, and Sarah sees Perry leave. Chuck figures it out, and goes into the bathroom to locate Perry. Perry gets the drop on Chuck and slashes him with a knife. Chuck flashes on his combat skills with a knife. After several moments of fighting that would have made Daniel Craig's James Bond proud, Chuck gets the upper hand. Perry begs for his life and realizes Chuck is not there to arrest him, but to kill him. Perry thinks Chuck may as well be The Ring.
CHUCK: I am NOT one of them. I will NEVER BE one of them. And for that very reason, I am going to arrest you.
He keeps the gun on Perry and marches him out of the restroom. In the crowd, Perry throws a woman at Chuck and escapes. We now come full circle to the beginning of the episode, where Chuck has the gun on him. Only now, Sarah is following as well, having seen Perry give Chuck the slip. A shot rings out as Perry pulls out a gun. Chuck looks at his gun in shock. Casey was behind him and was the one to fire the shot. He leaves...and Sarah comes around the corner to see Perry dead, and Chuck's gun aimed at him.
SHAW: (from Castle) Well?
SARAH: (badly shaken) Chuck is a spy.
Chuck laments to Casey he's not officially a spy since Casey shot Perry. However, if anybody found out about Casey, he'd be tried for murder and Sarah would be an accomplice. Chuck returns to his apartment to call Sarah, but another blue envelope awaits. This one is a congratulatory message from Beckman (which self-destructs, of course) with Chuck's CIA badge and a plane ticket to D.C. for his final processing. Sarah and Shaw will close out the Burbank operation. Chuck tries to call Sarah, but she won't take his call. She is at her hotel with Shaw. She is beside herself because she didn't think Chuck could do it and she blames herself for Chuck shooting Perry (as far as they know). Chuck begs her to call back. Shaw asks her if she's still in love with him, and she says she isn't, at least not anymore. We see a flashback to her red test, where she only had a street name and a photo to go by. She failed because her mark was down on the ground picking up a piece of jewelry and Sarah didn't want to shoot someone who was in a vulnerable position. She then thought she saw her mark reach for a weapon in a mirror, so Sarah turned around and shot her.
SARAH: It was the worst day of my life.
There is a knock on Chuck's door. He hopes it's Sarah, but it's a CIA courier, ready to take him to Washington D.C.
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