Buy More
Encyclopedia
Buy More is a fictional big box
electronics retail chain in NBC
's action-comedy series Chuck
. The Buy More is a parody of similar chains, particularly Best Buy
.
The notable employees of the Buy More fit into three categories: management, Nerd Herd (technical support), and sales associates (who are called "Green Shirts" on account of their uniform). Current and recent notable employees are listed by their last held position.
, and most of the principal characters are employed at the Burbank
branch of the Buy More for most of the entire series. The store is located at 9000 Burbank Boulevard. Every episode touches on the store at some point, whether for a substantial comedic side plot or as the scene of some of the series' spy action, particularly in the first two seasons. The Burbank Buy More is involved in a fierce rivalry with the nearby Beverly Hills
location, often involving vicious pranks between the stores, as highlighted in "Chuck Versus the Predator
." Neighboring "big box" stores in the shopping center are Large Mart and Underpants Etc.. The employees of Buy More and Large Mart have a fragile truce concerning pranks and sabotage of each other's store. Restaurants across the parking lot include Wienerlicious, a fast food retailer specialising in hot dogs and sausages, in season 1; Orange Orange, a frozen yogurt store, in seasons 2 and 3; and a Bennigan's
. Sarah Walker
maintains a cover as an employee of the Wienerlicious and, subsequently, the Orange Orange. The Orange Orange – like the Buy More – is a façade for, and secret entrance to, the underground Castle base.
Fulcrum
, the Ring
, and Volkoff Industries
have identified the store as a place of interest in connection to their search for The Intersect
and Operation Bartowski. Despite this, the federal government continued to operate the store as a nominal cover.
"Chuck Versus the Nemesis
" reveals that a total evacuation of the store can be triggered by the safe word, "Pineapple." Although the store's employees make light of the code word, it is twice used to safely remove the staff and patrons who would otherwise be endangered by the espionage activities going on around them.
The store was destroyed in "Chuck Versus the Ring: Part II
" after Daniel Shaw
set explosive charges to lure Chuck into a final confrontation and Morgan inadvertently triggered the detonator. By the end of the episode, Jeff and Lester are wanted for questioning in connection to the blast. Prior to Season 4 it was rebuilt by the US Government to be used as a CIA substation.
In the season finale of Season 3, the Buy More is destroyed in an explosion. However, sometime before the events of Season 4, the government funds its rebuilding as a front of a CIA & NSA joint-agency base of operations, much like (but on a larger scale) the Orange Orange in Seasons 2 and 3. General Beckman selects Morgan as manager, as someone who has knowledge of the location's spy activity that had the experience to help maintain the store's cover. Morgan, in turn, hires Big Mike back to be his Assistant Manager, essentially swapping their managerial posts from Season 3. Chuck and Casey continue to maintain their cover as Buy More employees, and various other agents frequent the store as both staff and customers, including various undercover agents code-named "Greta".
With Operation Bartowski cancelled in the season 4 finale, "Chuck Versus the Cliffhanger
", and the team dismissed, the government's front company strips Castle and sells the Buy More. Newlyweds Chuck and Sarah, having been given Vokoff Industries as a wedding present in appreciation for giving the Volkoffs new lives, are the buyers. With more than ample funds, they re-outfit Castle for their private spy operation and hire Morgan and Casey.
) is the manager of the Burbank Buy More in seasons 1–3 and assistant manager in season 4. For the first two seasons he prefers to work, and especially deal with his subordinates, as little as possible. However Big Mike is also frequently and closely involved with Morgan, Jeff and Lester in the store's B plots, such as when the employees raid the Beverly Hills
Buy More. When briefly deposed by Emmett as store manager the other employees show a strong sense of continued loyalty to him. He is an avid fisherman and frequently takes breaks during work to go fishing. He is demoted to a Green Shirt after Morgan and the other Buy More employees are tricked into making Emmett Milbarge look good in the eyes of corporate, but returns to being manager at the start of the third season with a new, innovative view on how to manage the company and life.
Big Mike played college football
as a linebacker
, forming the "Defense of Death" with friend and teammate Jimmy Butterman (Jerome Bettis
), and has inadvertently defeated two Fulcrum agents, Leader and Ned. He has an affair with Harry Tang's wife. Later, after Big Mike's wife divorces him, he begins dating Morgan's mother. Since then, he has taken Morgan under his wing as his de facto stepson and mentors his professional development.
For a brief period in 1988, Big Mike was a member of Earth, Wind and Fire, naming himself as "Rain." Although he failed at his own musical dream, his experiences led Lester to accept him as Jeffster!'s new manager. "Chuck Versus the Ring: Part II
" reveals that Big Mike is on a first-name basis with Buy More's founder, Moses. When Moses informs him that the Burbank branch is on the verge of closing, Mike holds a "going out of business" sale. By the end of the episode, the store has been evacuated by Jeff. When Jeff and Lester suggest burning down the Buy More to collect the insurance, Big Mike wishes them good riddance, citing Lester's singing as torture and their antics such as answering phones that aren't ringing.
While the store was being rebuilt and Big Mike was unemployed, he visited the Encino branch of Buy More and stood on line for the release of Halo: Reach
, as the Halo video games
have an aphrodisiac effect on Bolonia Grimes. When the antics of the fugitive Jeff and Lester caused all three to be ejected, he joined with them in a plot to steal copies of the game. Big Mike's weight caused the air duct to collapse, but the operation was ultimately successful, and he was able to take a copy home to Bolonia.
Big Mike returned in the Season 4 episode, "Chuck Versus the Cubic Z
." Rather than expressing anger over Morgan succeeding him as store manager, he greeted the promotion with pride and subsequently asked for permission to propose to Bolonia. Morgan also rehired him initially as a Green Shirt, but after his aid in quelling a near-riot in the store promoted him to Assistant Manager. First seen in: Chuck Versus the Intersect (Pilot)
) is the manager of the Buy More, beginning in season 4. Many side plots taking place at Buy More revolve around him, in large part due to his close friendship with Chuck, to whom many employees look for leadership. As a Green Shirt in the first two seasons, he chafes under any marginally restrictive rules even when they didn't affect him, extends his "mad work avoidance skills" to lead the other non-managerial staff in goofing off, and is a particularly poor salesman, leading to frequent conflicts with management. Morgan later accepts promotion to assistant manager by Emmett to hold the store together and keep Emmett from firing everyone. Morgan quits the Buy More with the encouragement of Anna Wu, and asks her to accompany him to Hawaii. He later returns without her, after which Big Mike promotes him back to assistant manager. Morgan learns of Chuck's spy life after discovering one of the secret entrances to Castle from the Buy More, and is later made a member of Team Bartowski by General Beckman, (at Casey's insistence) who directs him to keep the Buy More job as cover. Morgan loses his Buy More job when the store is incinerated by Daniel Shaw's bomb. With the store rebuilt as the cover for an NSA/CIA station, Morgan returns initially as a green shirt. Manager Diane Beckman promotes him to store manager shortly after the store's reopening, in recognition of his knowledge of Buy More operations. First seen in: Chuck Versus the Intersect
(Pilot).
), as part of his cover, works at the Buy More. (He also poses as a member of the Nerd Herd while on a mission). Despite poor customer service skills, Casey is nonetheless an effective, if aggressive, salesperson. Although most of his coworkers are afraid of him, they also know to come to him in dangerous situations. He is also ruthless in dealing with shoplifting. Casey quits his job at the Buy More at the same time that Chuck does, but returns with Chuck at the start of the third season. When Morgan Grimes is appointed assistant manager, Casey uses his special operations skills to quell Jeff and Lester's insurrection; Morgan gives him a raise and appoints him "deputy assistant manager" in appreciation. Casey retains his Buy More sales position when he is dismissed from the Marine Corps and NSA. He assists Morgan in forceably rehiring Jeff Barnes and Lester Patel (if not other former employees) in order to restore the base's façade as a typical retail store, using a tranquilizer gun to kidnap them back to the Buy More. First seen in: Chuck Versus the Intersect (Pilot).
", when Lester who became assistant manager at the time, has the bright idea to cut all the prices on stock to sell more while Big Mike is on a fishing trip. First seen in: Chuck Versus the Cougars
.
that operates out of Best Buy stores. At least some of the company vehicles used by the Nerd Herd, called "Herders," have been secretly modified for spy missions. Zachary Levi
's audition reveals that the division was originally to be named the Geek Force.
) is department head of the Nerd Herd for almost the entire series. He quits at the end of season 2 and is assigned to work at Buy More again at the beginning of season 3 as part of his cover. Chuck's frequent absences from the Buy More during work hours are explained as being on-site service calls. As of the epilogue in the season 4 finale, "Chuck Versus the Cliffhanger
", Chuck and Sarah are the store's owners, known only to Morgan and Casey.
Although his department supervisor position is not considered store management per se, both the sales associates and Nerd Herd staff look to him for guidance and leadership. Co-worker Anna Wu (Julia Ling
) explains to a corporate efficiency expert that the store's chain of command is "There's Chuck, then there's the rest of us. Oh, and then there's Jeff," and Lester Patel reports that when unsure in a situation, asks himself, "WWCD, what would Chuck do?" When asked "Who personifies the Buy More ideal? Who makes the trains run on time? Who provides your moral compass? Who holds the team together?" the staff unanimously answers "Chuck." Even Big Mike holds Chuck in high regard, and has frequently turned to Chuck when he has things that need to be done and done right, and prefers him as Assistant Manager over Harry Tang. When Ned asks who is in charge at the Buy More, after he took the people there hostage, everyone, including Emmett and Big Mike, answers "Chuck." When Big Mike's new girlfriend reveals her son works at the Buy More, he openly hopes that it is Chuck.
products. An alcoholic in his forties, he was champion of Missile Command
in 1981 and is significantly older than his coworkers, aside from Casey and manager Big Mike. Jeff has been named a Buy More employee of the month despite his actions and attitude towards working there. He has a ferret
named Roscoe as a pet. He only has eight toes and does not pay for toilet paper. His father is evidently part-Native American, allowing Jeff to satisfy a quota at the Buy More. His mother is in prison, and his sister works (at least part time) as an exotic dancer and performs at Devon's bachelor party.
products. He has a cousin familiar with legal work, and helped Morgan
compose his Morganuptuals. Lester is of India
n descent, and is Jewish. He frequently takes advantage of other aspects of his faith, such as scamming his coworkers with a dreidel
. He is proud of his heritage and keeps kosher, and corrects Big Mike several times when he refers to the store's holiday party as a "Christmas Party."
) first appears in "Chuck Versus the Intersect" and appears sporadically in the background as a member of the Nerd Herd throughout the series. He is awarded a 65" flat screen TV for being Buy More's "Employee of the Month" for the month of November 2008. He is distinguished by his large, red afro. He was first addressed as Skip, and his only speaking part came in "Chuck Versus the Sensei."
candidates.
At Comic-Con 2010, Chris Fedak
announced that from season four
the Buy More will be run by the Central Intelligence Agency
as a base of operations (much like the Orange Orange was in Season Two and Three) with an agent named Greta working undercover as a Buy More executive and "badass greenshirt."
According to Fedak, "Greta" is actually an acronym. As he and Josh Schwartz
"are terrible with acronyms", they are letting fans of the series pitch ideas for what G.R.E.T.A. stands for. Chuck later suspected the codename of being an acronym.
National Clandestine Service
Director Jane Bentley revealed that the G.R.E.T.A. program was a proving ground
for prospective Intersect
candidates. Though there were other Gretas, including those portrayed by Olivia Munn
and Summer Glau
, the two that were ultimately accepted were Captain Richard Noble (Isaiah Mustafa
) and Captain Victoria Dunwoody (Stacy Keibler
), being assigned to a team under the leadership of Colonel John Casey
. After a botched operation in which Noble and Dunwoody kill the target they were supposed to capture, the NCS Intersect experiments are shown to be dangerously flawed. When General Diane Beckman
learns of Bentley's actions, she has the Intersect extracted from Noble and Dunwoody, transferring them to points unknown. She gives control of the Intersect project to Chuck Bartowski
.
was the first to wear the Greta namebadge in "Chuck Versus the Anniversary
". She welcomes unemployed Chuck and Morgan to the still-closed Buy More, explains that the store is not yet open, and encourages them to see the store manager for job applications. Instead of Big Mike Tucker, the manager is revealed to be Brigadier General
Diane Beckman
who had conspired to keep Chuck unemployed and thus force him back to the Burbank Buy More and the United States intelligence community.
portrays the second Greta in "Chuck Versus the Suitcase
". Morgan Grimes points to this Greta's unusually friendly and helpful customer service when demonstrating to Diane Beckman
the transparency of Castle's retail façade.
He is later identified as Captain Rick Noble. Assigned to the CIA's National Clandestine Service
, Noble becomes an Intersect via the late Stephen J. Bartowski
's laptop and is placed under the command of Col. John Casey. With the NCS Intersect experiments shown to be dangerously flawed, his Intersect is extracted at the end of "Chuck Versus the A-Team
", and he is transferred to points unknown. Although he openly projects an arrogant sense of superiority to Chuck and Sarah during his period as an Intersect, he is grateful for the software's extraction and pities Chuck for having to continue to live like that.
" when former WWE star Stacy Keibler
guest starred as Greta. This Greta, posing as a Nerd Herder rather than a Green Shirt, retreats to Castle in disgust at the leering of the store's normal employees and the customers. While downstairs in Castle, she attempts to disable Panzer following his escape. Panzer quickly disables her with a single punch, and she is last seen being dragged away, her ultimate fate not revealed at the end of the episode. Morgan Grimes makes a meta-reference to the rotating guest stars in the role by referring to her directly as "the new Greta." Lester also notes upon the fact that all the new employees have been named "Greta".
Subsequently identified as Captain Victoria Dunwoody, she is assigned to the CIA's National Clandestine Service
. Like Noble, Dunwoody becomes an Intersect via the late Stephen J. Bartowski
's laptop and is placed under the command of Col. John Casey. Unlike Chuck, Dunwoody and Noble readily shoot and kill without remorse or, unfortunately, thinking. Despite Sarah Walker's statement not to fire (and despite the mission to capture Dragan Pichushkin alive), Dunwoody fatally shoots Pichushkin, thereby activating the detonator on his tactical nuclear weapon. With the NCS Intersect experiments shown to be dangerously flawed, her Intersect is extracted at the end of "Chuck Versus the A-Team
", and she is transferred to points unknown. Although she openly projects an arrogant sense of superiority to Chuck and Sarah during her period as an Intersect, she is grateful for the software's extraction and pities Chuck for having to continue to live like that.
" when she (portrayed by Firefly
and Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles star Summer Glau
) attracts the attention of Jeff Barnes and Lester Patel by seemingly disappearing from sight and reappearing unexpectedly. After they lure her to the storage cage, Greta begins threatening them with a tactical folding knife. However, Casey covers with a story that Greta has been stealing from the store and customers, ending the duo's investigation. As Greta packs up, she complains that the operation at the Buy More is too unprofessional and expresses disappointment with Casey, but Casey retorts that Team Bartowski is the finest spy team he has ever served on, before sending her on her way.
), appears regularly with other Buy More employees but never speaks, although his distinctive appearance is used to comic effect.
) is a former member of the Nerd Herd. She is of Chinese descent, and her mother and father are dignitaries working for the government of Taiwan. Her parents are very traditional, and whenever they visit Anna changes her behavior and manner of dress to fit their expectations of their "perfect" daughter, even though her lack of freedom to be herself with them embarrasses her greatly. Anna is a highly-skilled martial artist, even impressing Casey; she handily defeated the leader of the Mighty Jocks, despite his being several times her size. Anna also hints she has more sinister connections by mentioning she knows someone who could rid them of Harry Tang for a reasonable rate.
Anna's style of dress in the series is highly eccentric. She typically wears a lot of makeup and jewelry, and is fond of very short skirts, heels and fishnet pantyhose. Emmett Milbarge specifically commented on her dress by calling it a "whore skirt" in a dressing-down before his efficiency review. Several episodes have suggested that Anna is bisexual.
Anna is one of the more mature employees of the store, but still enjoys the antics of her coworkers. She joined the crowd of onlookers during Morgan's "Mystery Crisper" challenge, and ran the store's channel-surfing game. She is ready to move her relationship with Morgan forward and agreed to move with him to Hawaii while he trains to become a Benihana
chef. She also found Morgan's silly quirks listed in his Morganuptials amusing and accepted them without argument.
She and Morgan begin dating after Morgan attempts to kiss her during a game of Call of Duty. Anna's first prominent role in the main plot occurs when she and Morgan take a yachting trip with her parents. Lon Kirk attempts to murder another dignitary with whom he had illicit business dealings by destroying the boat, but the plot is foiled by Chuck, Sarah, and Casey. Her relationship with Morgan hits a rough patch after Morgan chooses to buy a used DeLorean with money loaned to him so they could get an apartment together. However, she also angrily rejected Lester's advances when he kisses her before she and Morgan reconciled.
Anna agrees to move with Morgan to Hawaii and attends Ellie and Devon's wedding with him in the season two finale. Nonetheless, she leaves him for another member of his Benihana class. Although no longer part of the staff, she returned to Burbank in "Chuck Versus the Tooth
." After seeing Morgan's new-found sense of responsibility and purpose, and the way he put her off several times to help Chuck with a mission, Anna admitted that she realizes she wants him back. However she was left stunned when Morgan rejected her.
Ling was cast by Patrick Rush and Todd Sherry after reading for several roles for the series, and was eventually offered Anna, whom she describes as very into punk rock
and the Goth subculture
. Ling also compares Anna to an anime
character, and cites a fascination with the genre as one reason she fell in love with and accepted the role. Ling herself shares many of the same interests as Anna, and injected much of her personal life into the role. Ling returned to the show at the end of Season 3.
) takes over management of the store prior to the events of "Chuck Versus the Anniversary
", rebuilding it as a CIA/NSA substation. Among her acts under this cover is to block all of Chuck's other job interviews and force his and Morgan Grimes' return to the store's Nerd Herd and sales staffs, and, more importantly, to the CIA.
While her Buy More name badge reads "Diane" and she poses as a private sector civilian manager, her staff of undercover agents and analysts continue addressing her as "General". Only Morgan Grimes is shown to call her by her forename, and even he reverts to her rank in response to her glare. Whether she uses Beckman or a cover surname is unknown.
Morgan brings to Beckman's attention that her secret agents are far too efficient and friendly, rendering the store's cover virtually transparent. She is dubious but grants him five minutes in which to plead his case. He needs only two to convince her of the need to rehire the store's former staff of surly, creepy and lazy employees, which she immediately directs him to handle with the help of his former "deputy assistant manager" John Casey.
Her on-site management ends shortly after the store's reopening. While Morgan readilly acknowledges that he knows nothing of running a CIA/NSA base, Beckman confirms Morgan's assertion that he does know about running a Buy More. In "Chuck Versus the Suitcase
", she appoints him as manager in her stead. Beckman returned to Washington by "Chuck Versus the Cubic Z". She did not appear to use a Buy More corporate cover to interact with the team in the field for the rest of the government's ownership of the store, as she wore her Air Force service uniform during her visits to Castle, indicating that she used an entrance outside of the Buy More.
) is a civilian woman Chuck meets on a flight to Paris for his first solo mission. She is returning to Paris to clean out her office after having been let go and subsequently takes up Chuck's offer to join the Nerd Herd. Chuck's efforts to train her are repeatedly frustrated by his current mission. Hannah herself is unknowingly caught up in another operation during her first Nerd Herd service call; after Chuck's team steals a mask of Alexander the Great, a Ring operative uses her as bait to force Chuck to return the mask, and the cyclosarin
gas being smuggled within. Afterwards, she and Chuck begin a relationship, but Chuck breaks up with her to protect her from the lies he would have to tell her as part of his double life. Hannah believes he lied so he could sleep with her and subsequently quits the store. First seen in "Chuck Versus First Class
."
) is for some time the manager of the Buy More. He enters the store as an efficiency expert sent by Buy More corporate headquarters to evaluate the staff and procedures of the store. "Big Mike," who prefers to minimize his own work load and who dreads interviewing his own employees for promotions, keeps the strict and vigilant Emmett on and made him assistant manager (also known as the "AssMan"). Emmett is promoted to store manager after tricking Morgan and the other employees into making him look good and simultaneously making Big Mike look bad. He claims to have a girlfriend named Henrietta who works at the Buy More Ontario
branch in accounts payable. Emmett is removed from the series in the third season premiere when he is murdered in the Buy More parking lot by an assassin who was searching for Chuck. When asked about his whereabouts, Casey tells Chuck that Emmett had moved to Anchorage, Alaska
to manage a branch of rival big-box chain Large Mart.
Emmett was an effeminate antagonist that would frequently abuse his power to the point of frustrating employees and often unintentionally interfering with Chuck's missions. His few redeeming traits are overshadowed by his obnoxious behavior, and it is revealed that as of his take-over of the Buy More, he has the store running with robotic efficiency and has become drunk with power. He often bullies employees that he believes that he can control, but will back off when shown the slightest amount of courage.
His name is a reference to the comedy Spies Like Us
, combining the names of Chevy Chase
's character Emmett Fitz-Hume and Dan Aykroyd
's character Austin Milbarge. First seen in: "Chuck Versus Tom Sawyer
." Last seen in: "Chuck Versus the Pink Slip
."
where he now manages a pineapple factory. First seen in: Chuck Versus the Intersect (Pilot)
. The employee with the highest sale service would have the name and photo moralized on the wall next to the photo of the Buy More founder, Moses Finkelstein. Finkelstein is referenced again in "Chuck Versus the Ring: Part II
". Big Mike is in his office when he hears a phone ringing and locates it in his drawer, where he has a phone labeled "Moses". Big Mike tells Jeff and Lester that the Burbank store has a great risk of being closed due to poor management. This leads them to decide to have a "Going Out of Business Sale".
Big-box store
A big-box store is a physically large retail establishment, usually part of a chain. The term sometimes also refers, by extension, to the company that operates the store...
electronics retail chain in NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
's action-comedy series Chuck
Chuck (TV series)
Chuck is an action-comedy/spy-drama television program from the United States created by Josh Schwartz and Chris Fedak. The series is about an "average computer-whiz-next-door" named Chuck, played by Zachary Levi, who receives an encoded e-mail from an old college friend now working for the Central...
. The Buy More is a parody of similar chains, particularly Best Buy
Best Buy
Best Buy Co., Inc. is an American specialty retailer of consumer electronics in the United States, accounting for 19% of the market. It also operates in Mexico, Canada & China. The company's subsidiaries include Geek Squad, CinemaNow, Magnolia Audio Video, Pacific Sales, and, in Canada operates...
.
The notable employees of the Buy More fit into three categories: management, Nerd Herd (technical support), and sales associates (who are called "Green Shirts" on account of their uniform). Current and recent notable employees are listed by their last held position.
Series
The series' eponymous character Chuck BartowskiChuck Bartowski
Charles Irving "Chuck" Bartowski is the main and titular character of the American fiction television show Chuck on NBC. He is portrayed by Zachary Levi.-Character profile:...
, and most of the principal characters are employed at the Burbank
Burbank, California
Burbank is a city in Los Angeles County in Southern California, United States, north of downtown Los Angeles. The estimated population in 2010 was 103,340....
branch of the Buy More for most of the entire series. The store is located at 9000 Burbank Boulevard. Every episode touches on the store at some point, whether for a substantial comedic side plot or as the scene of some of the series' spy action, particularly in the first two seasons. The Burbank Buy More is involved in a fierce rivalry with the nearby Beverly Hills
Beverly Hills, California
Beverly Hills is an affluent city located in Los Angeles County, California, United States. With a population of 34,109 at the 2010 census, up from 33,784 as of the 2000 census, it is home to numerous Hollywood celebrities. Beverly Hills and the neighboring city of West Hollywood are together...
location, often involving vicious pranks between the stores, as highlighted in "Chuck Versus the Predator
Chuck Versus the Predator
"Chuck Versus the Predator" is the seventeenth episode of the second season of Chuck. It originally aired on March 23, 2009. Chuck Bartowski reluctantly tells his handlers that he has been contacted by Orion, the mastermind behind the Intersect computer and the person who can erase the Intersect...
." Neighboring "big box" stores in the shopping center are Large Mart and Underpants Etc.. The employees of Buy More and Large Mart have a fragile truce concerning pranks and sabotage of each other's store. Restaurants across the parking lot include Wienerlicious, a fast food retailer specialising in hot dogs and sausages, in season 1; Orange Orange, a frozen yogurt store, in seasons 2 and 3; and a Bennigan's
Bennigan's
Bennigan's is an Irish pub-themed casual dining restaurant chain with locations throughout the United States, and in 14 countries and 15 territories outside the continental U.S...
. Sarah Walker
Sarah Walker (Chuck)
Sarah Lisa Bartowski is the alias of one of the main characters of the fictional television show Chuck on NBC. She is portrayed by Yvonne Strahovski and is one of two agents assigned by the NSA and CIA to protect Chuck Bartowski after he unwittingly downloads the secret government computer known...
maintains a cover as an employee of the Wienerlicious and, subsequently, the Orange Orange. The Orange Orange – like the Buy More – is a façade for, and secret entrance to, the underground Castle base.
Fulcrum
Fulcrum (Chuck)
Fulcrum is the codename of a fictional hostile espionage organization on the television series Chuck. Fulcrum serves as the series' main antagonists up until the end of season two, though their specific goals beyond acquiring the Intersect have not yet been fully revealed.-History:Very little...
, the Ring
The Ring (Chuck)
The Ring is a major spy organization on the television series Chuck. The main antagonist of the second season , Fulcrum, is revealed in the Season Two finale to be only one part of the Ring, which then serves as the main antagonist of Season Three...
, and Volkoff Industries
Volkoff Industries
Volkoff Industries is a major organization on the television series Chuck. It is a public business front owned by an international arms dealer named Alexei Volkoff, portrayed by Timothy Dalton. Volkoff Industries is introduced in the third season finale as a threat against which Stephen J...
have identified the store as a place of interest in connection to their search for The Intersect
The Intersect
The Intersect is a fictional secret technology appearing in the television series Chuck. Within the series, it is used to house and analyze large quantities of encoded data...
and Operation Bartowski. Despite this, the federal government continued to operate the store as a nominal cover.
"Chuck Versus the Nemesis
Chuck Versus the Nemesis
"Chuck Versus the Nemesis" is the tenth episode of Chucks first season. It aired on November 26, 2007. Chuck is forced to confront his former college roommate and the man who ruined his life when Bryce Larkin is discovered alive.-Main Plot:...
" reveals that a total evacuation of the store can be triggered by the safe word, "Pineapple." Although the store's employees make light of the code word, it is twice used to safely remove the staff and patrons who would otherwise be endangered by the espionage activities going on around them.
The store was destroyed in "Chuck Versus the Ring: Part II
Chuck Versus the Ring: Part II
"Chuck Versus the Ring: Part II" is the 19th episode and season finale of the third season of Chuck. It was originally aired May 24, 2010 in a special two-hour block with "Chuck Versus the Subway." Team Bartowski escapes execution by Shaw, thanks to Morgan and Devon...
" after Daniel Shaw
Daniel Shaw
Daniel Shaw is a fictional government agent on the television series Chuck. Shaw is introduced in the third season episode "Chuck Versus Operation Awesome" as a government agent specializing in the terrorist organization known as the Ring, and who becomes a mentor to Chuck Bartowski and ultimately...
set explosive charges to lure Chuck into a final confrontation and Morgan inadvertently triggered the detonator. By the end of the episode, Jeff and Lester are wanted for questioning in connection to the blast. Prior to Season 4 it was rebuilt by the US Government to be used as a CIA substation.
As base for spy operations
In the first season of the series the Buy More served as the team's primary base of operations before moving to Castle in the beginning of Season 2. However passages in the employee break room and home theater rooms continued to link the store to the facility. Morgan discovered Castle's existence and Chuck's spy life when Ring operatives infiltrating the store located these access tunnels.In the season finale of Season 3, the Buy More is destroyed in an explosion. However, sometime before the events of Season 4, the government funds its rebuilding as a front of a CIA & NSA joint-agency base of operations, much like (but on a larger scale) the Orange Orange in Seasons 2 and 3. General Beckman selects Morgan as manager, as someone who has knowledge of the location's spy activity that had the experience to help maintain the store's cover. Morgan, in turn, hires Big Mike back to be his Assistant Manager, essentially swapping their managerial posts from Season 3. Chuck and Casey continue to maintain their cover as Buy More employees, and various other agents frequent the store as both staff and customers, including various undercover agents code-named "Greta".
With Operation Bartowski cancelled in the season 4 finale, "Chuck Versus the Cliffhanger
Chuck Versus the Cliffhanger
"Chuck Versus the Cliffhanger" is the fourth season finale of the American NBC action-comedy television series Chuck. Aired on May 16, 2011, it is the season's 24th episode, and the 78th overall episode of the series. The episode was directed by Robert Duncan McNeill and written by series...
", and the team dismissed, the government's front company strips Castle and sells the Buy More. Newlyweds Chuck and Sarah, having been given Vokoff Industries as a wedding present in appreciation for giving the Volkoffs new lives, are the buyers. With more than ample funds, they re-outfit Castle for their private spy operation and hire Morgan and Casey.
Management
The Buy More management team have tended to become romantically involved with each other's female relatives. Harry Tang's wife cuckolded him with Big Mike Tucker. With the Tangs' departure, Big Mike became involved with and engaged to the mother of Morgan Grimes, and began to treat Morgan as his de facto stepson. Morgan, meanwhile, is in a serious relationship with Alex, the daughter of his "deputy assistant manager," John Casey.Big Mike
Michael "Big Mike" Tucker (Mark Christopher LawrenceMark Christopher Lawrence
Mark Christopher Lawrence is an American character actor, stand-up comedian and voice-over artist. He is perhaps best known for his role as esoteric D.J., Tone Deaf, in the 1994 satirical rap mockumentary, Fear of a Black Hat. He has co-starred in popular films such as Terminator 2: Judgment Day,...
) is the manager of the Burbank Buy More in seasons 1–3 and assistant manager in season 4. For the first two seasons he prefers to work, and especially deal with his subordinates, as little as possible. However Big Mike is also frequently and closely involved with Morgan, Jeff and Lester in the store's B plots, such as when the employees raid the Beverly Hills
Beverly Hills, California
Beverly Hills is an affluent city located in Los Angeles County, California, United States. With a population of 34,109 at the 2010 census, up from 33,784 as of the 2000 census, it is home to numerous Hollywood celebrities. Beverly Hills and the neighboring city of West Hollywood are together...
Buy More. When briefly deposed by Emmett as store manager the other employees show a strong sense of continued loyalty to him. He is an avid fisherman and frequently takes breaks during work to go fishing. He is demoted to a Green Shirt after Morgan and the other Buy More employees are tricked into making Emmett Milbarge look good in the eyes of corporate, but returns to being manager at the start of the third season with a new, innovative view on how to manage the company and life.
Big Mike played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
as a linebacker
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
, forming the "Defense of Death" with friend and teammate Jimmy Butterman (Jerome Bettis
Jerome Bettis
Jerome Abram "The Bus" Bettis is a retired American football halfback who played for the NFL's Los Angeles/St. Louis Rams and Pittsburgh Steelers. Bettis is considered one of the best big backs ever because his footwork and power, and is currently fifth on the National Football League's all-time...
), and has inadvertently defeated two Fulcrum agents, Leader and Ned. He has an affair with Harry Tang's wife. Later, after Big Mike's wife divorces him, he begins dating Morgan's mother. Since then, he has taken Morgan under his wing as his de facto stepson and mentors his professional development.
For a brief period in 1988, Big Mike was a member of Earth, Wind and Fire, naming himself as "Rain." Although he failed at his own musical dream, his experiences led Lester to accept him as Jeffster!'s new manager. "Chuck Versus the Ring: Part II
Chuck Versus the Ring: Part II
"Chuck Versus the Ring: Part II" is the 19th episode and season finale of the third season of Chuck. It was originally aired May 24, 2010 in a special two-hour block with "Chuck Versus the Subway." Team Bartowski escapes execution by Shaw, thanks to Morgan and Devon...
" reveals that Big Mike is on a first-name basis with Buy More's founder, Moses. When Moses informs him that the Burbank branch is on the verge of closing, Mike holds a "going out of business" sale. By the end of the episode, the store has been evacuated by Jeff. When Jeff and Lester suggest burning down the Buy More to collect the insurance, Big Mike wishes them good riddance, citing Lester's singing as torture and their antics such as answering phones that aren't ringing.
While the store was being rebuilt and Big Mike was unemployed, he visited the Encino branch of Buy More and stood on line for the release of Halo: Reach
Halo: Reach
Halo: Reach is a first-person shooter video game developed by Bungie and published by Microsoft Game Studios for the Xbox 360 console. Reach was released in North America, Australia, and Europe on September 14, 2010. The game takes place in the year 2552, where humanity is locked in a war with the...
, as the Halo video games
Halo (series)
Halo is a multi-million dollar science fiction video game franchise created by Bungie and now managed by 343 Industries and owned by Microsoft Studios. The series centers on an interstellar war between humanity and a theocratic alliance of aliens known as the Covenant...
have an aphrodisiac effect on Bolonia Grimes. When the antics of the fugitive Jeff and Lester caused all three to be ejected, he joined with them in a plot to steal copies of the game. Big Mike's weight caused the air duct to collapse, but the operation was ultimately successful, and he was able to take a copy home to Bolonia.
Big Mike returned in the Season 4 episode, "Chuck Versus the Cubic Z
Chuck Versus the Cubic Z
"Chuck Versus the Cubic Z" is the third episode of the fourth season of Chuck. It originally aired October 4, 2010. A prison transfer delivers old foes, Heather Chandler and Hugo Panzer , to the Buy More, canceling Chuck Bartowski and Sarah’s romantic mission...
." Rather than expressing anger over Morgan succeeding him as store manager, he greeted the promotion with pride and subsequently asked for permission to propose to Bolonia. Morgan also rehired him initially as a Green Shirt, but after his aid in quelling a near-riot in the store promoted him to Assistant Manager. First seen in: Chuck Versus the Intersect (Pilot)
Morgan Grimes
Morgan Grimes (Joshua GomezJoshua Gomez
Joshua Eli Gomez is an American actor best known for his role as Morgan Grimes on Chuck. He is the younger brother of actor Rick Gomez....
) is the manager of the Buy More, beginning in season 4. Many side plots taking place at Buy More revolve around him, in large part due to his close friendship with Chuck, to whom many employees look for leadership. As a Green Shirt in the first two seasons, he chafes under any marginally restrictive rules even when they didn't affect him, extends his "mad work avoidance skills" to lead the other non-managerial staff in goofing off, and is a particularly poor salesman, leading to frequent conflicts with management. Morgan later accepts promotion to assistant manager by Emmett to hold the store together and keep Emmett from firing everyone. Morgan quits the Buy More with the encouragement of Anna Wu, and asks her to accompany him to Hawaii. He later returns without her, after which Big Mike promotes him back to assistant manager. Morgan learns of Chuck's spy life after discovering one of the secret entrances to Castle from the Buy More, and is later made a member of Team Bartowski by General Beckman, (at Casey's insistence) who directs him to keep the Buy More job as cover. Morgan loses his Buy More job when the store is incinerated by Daniel Shaw's bomb. With the store rebuilt as the cover for an NSA/CIA station, Morgan returns initially as a green shirt. Manager Diane Beckman promotes him to store manager shortly after the store's reopening, in recognition of his knowledge of Buy More operations. First seen in: Chuck Versus the Intersect
Chuck Versus the Intersect
"Chuck Versus the Intersect" is the pilot episode of the American action-comedy television series Chuck. The episode was directed by McG and written by series co-creators Josh Schwartz and Chris Fedak...
(Pilot).
Timeline
| Buy More Manager | First Appearance as Manager | Episode | Reign (episodes) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Big Mike | Chuck Versus the Intersect Chuck Versus the Intersect "Chuck Versus the Intersect" is the pilot episode of the American action-comedy television series Chuck. The episode was directed by McG and written by series co-creators Josh Schwartz and Chris Fedak... |
01 | 33 |
| Emmett Milbarge | Chuck Versus the Colonel Chuck Versus the Colonel "Chuck Versus the Colonel" is the 21st episode of Chuck's second season, and the 34th episode overall. It aired on April 20, 2009. Chuck and Sarah go on the run in an effort to locate Chuck's father. At the Buy More, Morgan becomes a pariah among his coworkers after Big Mike's demotion.-Main... |
34 | 3 |
| Big Mike | Chuck Versus the Three Words Chuck Versus the Three Words "Chuck Versus the Three Words" is the second episode of the third season of the NBC action-comedy television series Chuck. It was aired January 10, 2010, on NBC.... |
37 | 18 |
| Diane Beckman | Chuck Versus the Anniversary Chuck Versus the Anniversary "Chuck Versus the Anniversary" is the fourth season premiere of Chuck. It originally aired September 20, 2010. When the CIA gains control over the Buy More, Chuck Bartowski begins searching for his mother . Sarah and Casey follow a trail to Russia as they investigate the mysterious Volkoff... |
55 | 2 |
| Morgan Grimes Morgan Grimes Morgan Guillermo Grimes is a major character on the television series Chuck. He is portrayed by actor Joshua Gomez, and is the best friend of Chuck Bartowski.... |
Chuck Versus the Cubic Z Chuck Versus the Cubic Z "Chuck Versus the Cubic Z" is the third episode of the fourth season of Chuck. It originally aired October 4, 2010. A prison transfer delivers old foes, Heather Chandler and Hugo Panzer , to the Buy More, canceling Chuck Bartowski and Sarah’s romantic mission... |
57 | Present |
Assistant Manager Timeline
| Manager | Assistant Manager |
|---|---|
| Big Mike | |
| Big Mike | Harry Tang |
| Big Mike | |
| Big Mike | Lester Patel |
| Big Mike | Emmett Milbarge |
| Emmett Milbarge | Morgan Grimes |
| Big Mike | Morgan Grimes |
| Big Mike | |
| Big Mike | Morgan Grimes |
| Diane Beckman | |
| Morgan Grimes | Big Mike |
John Casey
John Casey (Adam BaldwinAdam Baldwin
Adam Baldwin is an American actor, known for his roles as Animal Mother in Stanley Kubrick's Full Metal Jacket, Ricky Linderman in My Bodyguard, Knowle Rohrer in The X-Files, and Marcus Hamilton in Joss Whedon's Angel...
), as part of his cover, works at the Buy More. (He also poses as a member of the Nerd Herd while on a mission). Despite poor customer service skills, Casey is nonetheless an effective, if aggressive, salesperson. Although most of his coworkers are afraid of him, they also know to come to him in dangerous situations. He is also ruthless in dealing with shoplifting. Casey quits his job at the Buy More at the same time that Chuck does, but returns with Chuck at the start of the third season. When Morgan Grimes is appointed assistant manager, Casey uses his special operations skills to quell Jeff and Lester's insurrection; Morgan gives him a raise and appoints him "deputy assistant manager" in appreciation. Casey retains his Buy More sales position when he is dismissed from the Marine Corps and NSA. He assists Morgan in forceably rehiring Jeff Barnes and Lester Patel (if not other former employees) in order to restore the base's façade as a typical retail store, using a tranquilizer gun to kidnap them back to the Buy More. First seen in: Chuck Versus the Intersect (Pilot).
Bunny
Bunny (Hope Shapiro) is a Green Shirt at Buy More. Bunny made her speaking debut in "Chuck Versus the CougarsChuck Versus the Cougars
"Chuck Versus the Cougars" is the fourth episode of the second season of Chuck. It originally aired on October 20, 2008. Chuck Bartowski learns more about Sarah Walker's past when they run into her old high school nemesis Heather Chandler . Sarah's teenage insecurities come to surface and she tries...
", when Lester who became assistant manager at the time, has the bright idea to cut all the prices on stock to sell more while Big Mike is on a fishing trip. First seen in: Chuck Versus the Cougars
Chuck Versus the Cougars
"Chuck Versus the Cougars" is the fourth episode of the second season of Chuck. It originally aired on October 20, 2008. Chuck Bartowski learns more about Sarah Walker's past when they run into her old high school nemesis Heather Chandler . Sarah's teenage insecurities come to surface and she tries...
.
Nerd Herd
The Nerd Herd, the computer and electronics technical support division of Buy More, is a parody of the Geek SquadGeek Squad
The Geek Squad is a subsidiary of the Best Buy Company and is based in Richfield, Minnesota. It was originally founded on June 16, 1994 by Robert Stephens. The company offers various computer-related services and accessories for residential and commercial clients...
that operates out of Best Buy stores. At least some of the company vehicles used by the Nerd Herd, called "Herders," have been secretly modified for spy missions. Zachary Levi
Zachary Levi
Zachary Levi Pugh , better known by his stage name Zachary Levi , is an American television actor, director, and singer known for the roles of Kipp Steadman in Less than Perfect, Chuck Bartowski in Chuck, and Flynn Rider in Tangled.- Early life :Zachary Levi Pugh was born in Lake Charles,...
's audition reveals that the division was originally to be named the Geek Force.
Chuck Bartowski
Chuck Bartowski (Zachary LeviZachary Levi
Zachary Levi Pugh , better known by his stage name Zachary Levi , is an American television actor, director, and singer known for the roles of Kipp Steadman in Less than Perfect, Chuck Bartowski in Chuck, and Flynn Rider in Tangled.- Early life :Zachary Levi Pugh was born in Lake Charles,...
) is department head of the Nerd Herd for almost the entire series. He quits at the end of season 2 and is assigned to work at Buy More again at the beginning of season 3 as part of his cover. Chuck's frequent absences from the Buy More during work hours are explained as being on-site service calls. As of the epilogue in the season 4 finale, "Chuck Versus the Cliffhanger
Chuck Versus the Cliffhanger
"Chuck Versus the Cliffhanger" is the fourth season finale of the American NBC action-comedy television series Chuck. Aired on May 16, 2011, it is the season's 24th episode, and the 78th overall episode of the series. The episode was directed by Robert Duncan McNeill and written by series...
", Chuck and Sarah are the store's owners, known only to Morgan and Casey.
Although his department supervisor position is not considered store management per se, both the sales associates and Nerd Herd staff look to him for guidance and leadership. Co-worker Anna Wu (Julia Ling
Julia Ling
Julia Ling, born Xiao Wei Lin , is an American actress most widely known for her television work, including her recurring roles on NBC series such as ER, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, and most recently, as a series regular on Chuck.-Biography:Ling was born in Temple City, California.At age 6,...
) explains to a corporate efficiency expert that the store's chain of command is "There's Chuck, then there's the rest of us. Oh, and then there's Jeff," and Lester Patel reports that when unsure in a situation, asks himself, "WWCD, what would Chuck do?" When asked "Who personifies the Buy More ideal? Who makes the trains run on time? Who provides your moral compass? Who holds the team together?" the staff unanimously answers "Chuck." Even Big Mike holds Chuck in high regard, and has frequently turned to Chuck when he has things that need to be done and done right, and prefers him as Assistant Manager over Harry Tang. When Ned asks who is in charge at the Buy More, after he took the people there hostage, everyone, including Emmett and Big Mike, answers "Chuck." When Big Mike's new girlfriend reveals her son works at the Buy More, he openly hopes that it is Chuck.
Jeff Barnes
Jeffrey "Jeff" Barnes is a member of the Nerd Herd specializing in AppleApple Computer
Apple Inc. is an American multinational corporation that designs and markets consumer electronics, computer software, and personal computers. The company's best-known hardware products include the Macintosh line of computers, the iPod, the iPhone and the iPad...
products. An alcoholic in his forties, he was champion of Missile Command
Missile Command
Missile Command is a 1980 arcade game by Atari, Inc. that was also licensed to Sega for European release. It is considered one of the most notable games from the Golden Age of Video Arcade Games...
in 1981 and is significantly older than his coworkers, aside from Casey and manager Big Mike. Jeff has been named a Buy More employee of the month despite his actions and attitude towards working there. He has a ferret
Ferret
The ferret is a domesticated mammal of the type Mustela putorius furo. Ferrets are sexually dimorphic predators with males being substantially larger than females. They typically have brown, black, white, or mixed fur...
named Roscoe as a pet. He only has eight toes and does not pay for toilet paper. His father is evidently part-Native American, allowing Jeff to satisfy a quota at the Buy More. His mother is in prison, and his sister works (at least part time) as an exotic dancer and performs at Devon's bachelor party.
Lester Patel
Lester Patel is a member of the Nerd Herd who specializes in AppleApple Computer
Apple Inc. is an American multinational corporation that designs and markets consumer electronics, computer software, and personal computers. The company's best-known hardware products include the Macintosh line of computers, the iPod, the iPhone and the iPad...
products. He has a cousin familiar with legal work, and helped Morgan
Morgan Grimes
Morgan Guillermo Grimes is a major character on the television series Chuck. He is portrayed by actor Joshua Gomez, and is the best friend of Chuck Bartowski....
compose his Morganuptuals. Lester is of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n descent, and is Jewish. He frequently takes advantage of other aspects of his faith, such as scamming his coworkers with a dreidel
Dreidel
A dreidel is a four-sided spinning top, played with during the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah.Each side of the dreidel bears a letter of the Hebrew alphabet:נ ,ג ,ה ,ש ,...
. He is proud of his heritage and keeps kosher, and corrects Big Mike several times when he refers to the store's holiday party as a "Christmas Party."
Michael "Skip" Johnson
Michael "Skip" Johnson (Michael KawczynskiMichael Kawczynski
Michael Kawczynski is an American actor most widely known for his television work, including his role on the NBC series Chuck.-References:...
) first appears in "Chuck Versus the Intersect" and appears sporadically in the background as a member of the Nerd Herd throughout the series. He is awarded a 65" flat screen TV for being Buy More's "Employee of the Month" for the month of November 2008. He is distinguished by his large, red afro. He was first addressed as Skip, and his only speaking part came in "Chuck Versus the Sensei."
Government Agents
After the store was rebuilt by the CIA and NSA it is initially staffed by government operatives and analysts working under Brigadier General Beckman in her guise as the store's manager." Their excessive efficiency, pleasant demeanor and helpful service renders the store's cover virtually transparent, as noted by Morgan Grimes to Beckman; with the latter's approval, Grimes augments government personnel with the store's former lazy, creepy, and surly staff. A senior undercover employee is the rotating character codenamed "Greta."Greta
G.R.E.T.A. is the codename for government operatives undercover as senior Buy More employees. This position has been filled by various characters as prospective IntersectThe Intersect
The Intersect is a fictional secret technology appearing in the television series Chuck. Within the series, it is used to house and analyze large quantities of encoded data...
candidates.
At Comic-Con 2010, Chris Fedak
Chris Fedak
Chris Fedak is a co-executive producer of Chuck. He has also co-written several episodes with Josh Schwartz.Chuck is Fedak's first television credit.Schwartz says that the idea for Chuck originally came from Fedak:-External links:*...
announced that from season four
Chuck (season 4)
The fourth season of Chuck was announced on May 13, 2010. Having initially ordered 13 episodes, NBC ordered an additional 11 on October 19, 2010 for a total of 24 episodes....
the Buy More will be run by the Central Intelligence Agency
Central Intelligence Agency
The Central Intelligence Agency is a civilian intelligence agency of the United States government. It is an executive agency and reports directly to the Director of National Intelligence, responsible for providing national security intelligence assessment to senior United States policymakers...
as a base of operations (much like the Orange Orange was in Season Two and Three) with an agent named Greta working undercover as a Buy More executive and "badass greenshirt."
According to Fedak, "Greta" is actually an acronym. As he and Josh Schwartz
Josh Schwartz
-Film school at USC:In 1995, Schwartz realized his boyhood dream of attending film school to study screen and television writing at the University of Southern California...
"are terrible with acronyms", they are letting fans of the series pitch ideas for what G.R.E.T.A. stands for. Chuck later suspected the codename of being an acronym.
National Clandestine Service
National Clandestine Service
The National Clandestine Service is one of the four main components of the Central Intelligence Agency...
Director Jane Bentley revealed that the G.R.E.T.A. program was a proving ground
Proving ground
A proving ground is the US name for a military installation or reservation where weapons or other military technology are experimented or tested, or where military tactics are tested...
for prospective Intersect
The Intersect
The Intersect is a fictional secret technology appearing in the television series Chuck. Within the series, it is used to house and analyze large quantities of encoded data...
candidates. Though there were other Gretas, including those portrayed by Olivia Munn
Olivia Munn
Lisa Olivia Munn is an American comedic actress, model, television personality and author. She began her career being credited as Lisa Munn. Since 2006, she has been using the name Olivia Munn personally and professionally....
and Summer Glau
Summer Glau
Summer Lyn Glau is an American actress, known for playing River Tam in the science fiction series Firefly and follow-up film Serenity, and for playing Cameron in the series Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles.-Early life:...
, the two that were ultimately accepted were Captain Richard Noble (Isaiah Mustafa
Isaiah Mustafa
Isaiah Mustafa is an American actor and former NFL practice squad wide receiver. Mustafa is widely known as the main character for a series of Old Spice TV commercials, The Man Your Man Could Smell Like.-Early life:...
) and Captain Victoria Dunwoody (Stacy Keibler
Stacy Keibler
Stacy Keibler is an American actress, model, and former professional wrestler and valet, best known for her work with World Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Entertainment ....
), being assigned to a team under the leadership of Colonel John Casey
John Casey (Chuck)
Colonel John Casey is portrayed by actor Adam Baldwin on the television show Chuck on NBC. Prior to the episode "Chuck Versus the Tic Tac," he was partnered with CIA agent Sarah Walker to protect Chuck Bartowski....
. After a botched operation in which Noble and Dunwoody kill the target they were supposed to capture, the NCS Intersect experiments are shown to be dangerously flawed. When General Diane Beckman
Diane Beckman
Brigadier General M. Diane Beckman, USAF is a fictional character in the NBC television series Chuck. Beckman is a senior official of the National Security Agency, working within the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. She holds her rank of brigadier general in the United States Air...
learns of Bentley's actions, she has the Intersect extracted from Noble and Dunwoody, transferring them to points unknown. She gives control of the Intersect project to Chuck Bartowski
Chuck Bartowski
Charles Irving "Chuck" Bartowski is the main and titular character of the American fiction television show Chuck on NBC. He is portrayed by Zachary Levi.-Character profile:...
.
First Greta
Model Olivia MunnOlivia Munn
Lisa Olivia Munn is an American comedic actress, model, television personality and author. She began her career being credited as Lisa Munn. Since 2006, she has been using the name Olivia Munn personally and professionally....
was the first to wear the Greta namebadge in "Chuck Versus the Anniversary
Chuck Versus the Anniversary
"Chuck Versus the Anniversary" is the fourth season premiere of Chuck. It originally aired September 20, 2010. When the CIA gains control over the Buy More, Chuck Bartowski begins searching for his mother . Sarah and Casey follow a trail to Russia as they investigate the mysterious Volkoff...
". She welcomes unemployed Chuck and Morgan to the still-closed Buy More, explains that the store is not yet open, and encourages them to see the store manager for job applications. Instead of Big Mike Tucker, the manager is revealed to be Brigadier General
Brigadier general (United States)
A brigadier general in the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, is a one-star general officer, with the pay grade of O-7. Brigadier general ranks above a colonel and below major general. Brigadier general is equivalent to the rank of rear admiral in the other uniformed...
Diane Beckman
Diane Beckman
Brigadier General M. Diane Beckman, USAF is a fictional character in the NBC television series Chuck. Beckman is a senior official of the National Security Agency, working within the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. She holds her rank of brigadier general in the United States Air...
who had conspired to keep Chuck unemployed and thus force him back to the Burbank Buy More and the United States intelligence community.
Rick Noble
Isaiah MustafaIsaiah Mustafa
Isaiah Mustafa is an American actor and former NFL practice squad wide receiver. Mustafa is widely known as the main character for a series of Old Spice TV commercials, The Man Your Man Could Smell Like.-Early life:...
portrays the second Greta in "Chuck Versus the Suitcase
Chuck Versus the Suitcase
"Chuck Versus the Suitcase" is the second episode of the fourth season of Chuck. It originally aired September 27, 2010. There are crimes of fashion when Chuck Bartowski and Sarah Walker go undercover in Milan for Fashion Week to seize a high-tech weapon, yet Chuck soon recognizes a flaw in his...
". Morgan Grimes points to this Greta's unusually friendly and helpful customer service when demonstrating to Diane Beckman
Diane Beckman
Brigadier General M. Diane Beckman, USAF is a fictional character in the NBC television series Chuck. Beckman is a senior official of the National Security Agency, working within the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. She holds her rank of brigadier general in the United States Air...
the transparency of Castle's retail façade.
He is later identified as Captain Rick Noble. Assigned to the CIA's National Clandestine Service
National Clandestine Service
The National Clandestine Service is one of the four main components of the Central Intelligence Agency...
, Noble becomes an Intersect via the late Stephen J. Bartowski
Stephen J. Bartowski
Stephen J. Bartowski is a recurring character on the television series Chuck portrayed by actor Scott Bakula. Stephen is the estranged father of Chuck and Ellie Bartowski, and under the government codename "Orion" was the chief designer of the Intersect....
's laptop and is placed under the command of Col. John Casey. With the NCS Intersect experiments shown to be dangerously flawed, his Intersect is extracted at the end of "Chuck Versus the A-Team
Chuck Versus the A-Team
"Chuck Versus the A-Team" is the eighteenth episode of the fourth season of Chuck. It aired on March 14, 2011. Chuck Bartowski and Sarah Walker suspect John Casey is carrying out private missions. Chuck fears the CIA's new operatives , who have downloaded the Intersect, will render him obsolete....
", and he is transferred to points unknown. Although he openly projects an arrogant sense of superiority to Chuck and Sarah during his period as an Intersect, he is grateful for the software's extraction and pities Chuck for having to continue to live like that.
Victoria Dunwoody
A Greta's first direct involvement in the main plot occurred in "Chuck Versus the Cubic ZChuck Versus the Cubic Z
"Chuck Versus the Cubic Z" is the third episode of the fourth season of Chuck. It originally aired October 4, 2010. A prison transfer delivers old foes, Heather Chandler and Hugo Panzer , to the Buy More, canceling Chuck Bartowski and Sarah’s romantic mission...
" when former WWE star Stacy Keibler
Stacy Keibler
Stacy Keibler is an American actress, model, and former professional wrestler and valet, best known for her work with World Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Entertainment ....
guest starred as Greta. This Greta, posing as a Nerd Herder rather than a Green Shirt, retreats to Castle in disgust at the leering of the store's normal employees and the customers. While downstairs in Castle, she attempts to disable Panzer following his escape. Panzer quickly disables her with a single punch, and she is last seen being dragged away, her ultimate fate not revealed at the end of the episode. Morgan Grimes makes a meta-reference to the rotating guest stars in the role by referring to her directly as "the new Greta." Lester also notes upon the fact that all the new employees have been named "Greta".
Subsequently identified as Captain Victoria Dunwoody, she is assigned to the CIA's National Clandestine Service
National Clandestine Service
The National Clandestine Service is one of the four main components of the Central Intelligence Agency...
. Like Noble, Dunwoody becomes an Intersect via the late Stephen J. Bartowski
Stephen J. Bartowski
Stephen J. Bartowski is a recurring character on the television series Chuck portrayed by actor Scott Bakula. Stephen is the estranged father of Chuck and Ellie Bartowski, and under the government codename "Orion" was the chief designer of the Intersect....
's laptop and is placed under the command of Col. John Casey. Unlike Chuck, Dunwoody and Noble readily shoot and kill without remorse or, unfortunately, thinking. Despite Sarah Walker's statement not to fire (and despite the mission to capture Dragan Pichushkin alive), Dunwoody fatally shoots Pichushkin, thereby activating the detonator on his tactical nuclear weapon. With the NCS Intersect experiments shown to be dangerously flawed, her Intersect is extracted at the end of "Chuck Versus the A-Team
Chuck Versus the A-Team
"Chuck Versus the A-Team" is the eighteenth episode of the fourth season of Chuck. It aired on March 14, 2011. Chuck Bartowski and Sarah Walker suspect John Casey is carrying out private missions. Chuck fears the CIA's new operatives , who have downloaded the Intersect, will render him obsolete....
", and she is transferred to points unknown. Although she openly projects an arrogant sense of superiority to Chuck and Sarah during her period as an Intersect, she is grateful for the software's extraction and pities Chuck for having to continue to live like that.
Fourth Greta
Greta's cover is almost compromised in "Chuck Versus the Fear of DeathChuck Versus the Fear of Death
"Chuck Versus the Fear of Death" is the eighth episode of the fourth season of Chuck. It originally aired November 15, 2010. Worried his relationship with Sarah Walker is souring, Chuck Bartowski aims to impress by attempting a dangerous mission...
" when she (portrayed by Firefly
Firefly (TV series)
Firefly is an American space western television series created by writer and director Joss Whedon, under his Mutant Enemy Productions label. Whedon served as executive producer, along with Tim Minear....
and Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles star Summer Glau
Summer Glau
Summer Lyn Glau is an American actress, known for playing River Tam in the science fiction series Firefly and follow-up film Serenity, and for playing Cameron in the series Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles.-Early life:...
) attracts the attention of Jeff Barnes and Lester Patel by seemingly disappearing from sight and reappearing unexpectedly. After they lure her to the storage cage, Greta begins threatening them with a tactical folding knife. However, Casey covers with a story that Greta has been stealing from the store and customers, ending the duo's investigation. As Greta packs up, she complains that the operation at the Buy More is too unprofessional and expresses disappointment with Casey, but Casey retorts that Team Bartowski is the finest spy team he has ever served on, before sending her on her way.
Other/Non-recent Employees
Several other Buy More employees appear on the show. Most of these characters are unnamed or uncredited. One such recurring character, Fernando (Jesse HeimanJesse Heiman
Jesse Heiman is an American actor, best known as playing an extra in more than 50 films and television shows. On April 11, 2011 Jesse appeared as a guest on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno alongside with Jamie Foxx. Despite his age, he is still playing teenagers and young adults as an extra.-...
), appears regularly with other Buy More employees but never speaks, although his distinctive appearance is used to comic effect.
Anna Wu
Anna Melinda Wu (Julia LingJulia Ling
Julia Ling, born Xiao Wei Lin , is an American actress most widely known for her television work, including her recurring roles on NBC series such as ER, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, and most recently, as a series regular on Chuck.-Biography:Ling was born in Temple City, California.At age 6,...
) is a former member of the Nerd Herd. She is of Chinese descent, and her mother and father are dignitaries working for the government of Taiwan. Her parents are very traditional, and whenever they visit Anna changes her behavior and manner of dress to fit their expectations of their "perfect" daughter, even though her lack of freedom to be herself with them embarrasses her greatly. Anna is a highly-skilled martial artist, even impressing Casey; she handily defeated the leader of the Mighty Jocks, despite his being several times her size. Anna also hints she has more sinister connections by mentioning she knows someone who could rid them of Harry Tang for a reasonable rate.
Anna's style of dress in the series is highly eccentric. She typically wears a lot of makeup and jewelry, and is fond of very short skirts, heels and fishnet pantyhose. Emmett Milbarge specifically commented on her dress by calling it a "whore skirt" in a dressing-down before his efficiency review. Several episodes have suggested that Anna is bisexual.
Anna is one of the more mature employees of the store, but still enjoys the antics of her coworkers. She joined the crowd of onlookers during Morgan's "Mystery Crisper" challenge, and ran the store's channel-surfing game. She is ready to move her relationship with Morgan forward and agreed to move with him to Hawaii while he trains to become a Benihana
Benihana
Benihana can refer to:*Benihana, Benihana's Hibachi Restaurant*Benihana * Benihana, the Japanese word for safflower...
chef. She also found Morgan's silly quirks listed in his Morganuptials amusing and accepted them without argument.
Series
Anna has rarely figured prominently into the main arc of the series, and primarily appears in the Buy More or family subplots. In a plot dedicated to her, when Chuck flashes on her new boyfriend, he discovers her boyfriend is connected with the Chinese Triad.She and Morgan begin dating after Morgan attempts to kiss her during a game of Call of Duty. Anna's first prominent role in the main plot occurs when she and Morgan take a yachting trip with her parents. Lon Kirk attempts to murder another dignitary with whom he had illicit business dealings by destroying the boat, but the plot is foiled by Chuck, Sarah, and Casey. Her relationship with Morgan hits a rough patch after Morgan chooses to buy a used DeLorean with money loaned to him so they could get an apartment together. However, she also angrily rejected Lester's advances when he kisses her before she and Morgan reconciled.
Anna agrees to move with Morgan to Hawaii and attends Ellie and Devon's wedding with him in the season two finale. Nonetheless, she leaves him for another member of his Benihana class. Although no longer part of the staff, she returned to Burbank in "Chuck Versus the Tooth
Chuck Versus the Tooth
"Chuck Versus the Tooth" is the 16th episode of Chuck third season, and originally aired on May 10, 2010. When Chuck struggles with disturbing dreams, he believes his most recent one predicts danger for a visiting head of state. Beckman, however, is unconvinced and assigns Chuck to meet with a CIA...
." After seeing Morgan's new-found sense of responsibility and purpose, and the way he put her off several times to help Chuck with a mission, Anna admitted that she realizes she wants him back. However she was left stunned when Morgan rejected her.
Development
Beginning with the second season premiere, Ling was listed in the opening credits as a series regular. Ling filmed the fight scene between Anna and the leader of the Mighty Jocks herself, as she has an extensive martial arts background; in 2007, Ling was selected as a finalist in the international competition for Jackie Chan Disciples and she provided a demonstration of her abilities on the Chuck Season 1 DVD special features.Ling was cast by Patrick Rush and Todd Sherry after reading for several roles for the series, and was eventually offered Anna, whom she describes as very into punk rock
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
and the Goth subculture
Goth subculture
The goth subculture is a contemporary subculture found in many countries. It began in England during the early 1980s in the gothic rock scene, an offshoot of the post-punk genre. The goth subculture has survived much longer than others of the same era, and has continued to diversify...
. Ling also compares Anna to an anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
character, and cites a fascination with the genre as one reason she fell in love with and accepted the role. Ling herself shares many of the same interests as Anna, and injected much of her personal life into the role. Ling returned to the show at the end of Season 3.
Diane Beckman
M. Diane Beckman (Bonita FriedericyBonita Friedericy
Bonita Friedericy is an American actress. She currently can be seen in the television series Chuck as NSA Director Diane Beckman. She has also appeared on Malcolm in the Middle, Veronica Mars, Star Trek: Enterprise, Bones, The Nine, The West Wing, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and in the film...
) takes over management of the store prior to the events of "Chuck Versus the Anniversary
Chuck Versus the Anniversary
"Chuck Versus the Anniversary" is the fourth season premiere of Chuck. It originally aired September 20, 2010. When the CIA gains control over the Buy More, Chuck Bartowski begins searching for his mother . Sarah and Casey follow a trail to Russia as they investigate the mysterious Volkoff...
", rebuilding it as a CIA/NSA substation. Among her acts under this cover is to block all of Chuck's other job interviews and force his and Morgan Grimes' return to the store's Nerd Herd and sales staffs, and, more importantly, to the CIA.
While her Buy More name badge reads "Diane" and she poses as a private sector civilian manager, her staff of undercover agents and analysts continue addressing her as "General". Only Morgan Grimes is shown to call her by her forename, and even he reverts to her rank in response to her glare. Whether she uses Beckman or a cover surname is unknown.
Morgan brings to Beckman's attention that her secret agents are far too efficient and friendly, rendering the store's cover virtually transparent. She is dubious but grants him five minutes in which to plead his case. He needs only two to convince her of the need to rehire the store's former staff of surly, creepy and lazy employees, which she immediately directs him to handle with the help of his former "deputy assistant manager" John Casey.
Her on-site management ends shortly after the store's reopening. While Morgan readilly acknowledges that he knows nothing of running a CIA/NSA base, Beckman confirms Morgan's assertion that he does know about running a Buy More. In "Chuck Versus the Suitcase
Chuck Versus the Suitcase
"Chuck Versus the Suitcase" is the second episode of the fourth season of Chuck. It originally aired September 27, 2010. There are crimes of fashion when Chuck Bartowski and Sarah Walker go undercover in Milan for Fashion Week to seize a high-tech weapon, yet Chuck soon recognizes a flaw in his...
", she appoints him as manager in her stead. Beckman returned to Washington by "Chuck Versus the Cubic Z". She did not appear to use a Buy More corporate cover to interact with the team in the field for the rest of the government's ownership of the store, as she wore her Air Force service uniform during her visits to Castle, indicating that she used an entrance outside of the Buy More.
Hannah
Hannah (Kristin KreukKristin Kreuk
Kristin Laura Kreuk is a Canadian actress and producer, known for her portrayal of Lana Lang in the American television series Smallville. She was also a regular cast member on the Canadian teen drama Edgemont, and has starred in movies such as Eurotrip and Street Fighter: The Legend of...
) is a civilian woman Chuck meets on a flight to Paris for his first solo mission. She is returning to Paris to clean out her office after having been let go and subsequently takes up Chuck's offer to join the Nerd Herd. Chuck's efforts to train her are repeatedly frustrated by his current mission. Hannah herself is unknowingly caught up in another operation during her first Nerd Herd service call; after Chuck's team steals a mask of Alexander the Great, a Ring operative uses her as bait to force Chuck to return the mask, and the cyclosarin
Cyclosarin
Cyclosarin or GF is an extremely toxic substance used as a chemical weapon. It is a member of the G-series family of nerve agents, a group of chemical weapons discovered and synthesized by a German team led by Dr. Gerhard Schrader. The major nerve gases are the G agents, sarin , soman, tabun, and...
gas being smuggled within. Afterwards, she and Chuck begin a relationship, but Chuck breaks up with her to protect her from the lies he would have to tell her as part of his double life. Hannah believes he lied so he could sleep with her and subsequently quits the store. First seen in "Chuck Versus First Class
Chuck Versus First Class
"Chuck Versus First Class" was the fifth episode of Chucks third season. It aired on January 25, 2010 in the US . While Chuck embarks on his first solo mission, Morgan faces a continued revolt of his co-workers masterminded by Lester....
."
Emmett Milbarge
Emmett Milbarge (Tony HaleTony Hale
Tony Hale is an American actor, best known for his role in the Fox comedy series Arrested Development as the neurotic Byron "Buster" Bluth.-Early life:...
) is for some time the manager of the Buy More. He enters the store as an efficiency expert sent by Buy More corporate headquarters to evaluate the staff and procedures of the store. "Big Mike," who prefers to minimize his own work load and who dreads interviewing his own employees for promotions, keeps the strict and vigilant Emmett on and made him assistant manager (also known as the "AssMan"). Emmett is promoted to store manager after tricking Morgan and the other employees into making him look good and simultaneously making Big Mike look bad. He claims to have a girlfriend named Henrietta who works at the Buy More Ontario
Ontario, California
Ontario is a city located in San Bernardino County, California, United States, 35 miles east of downtown Los Angeles. Located in the western part of the Inland Empire region, it lies just east of the Los Angeles county line and is part of the Greater Los Angeles Area...
branch in accounts payable. Emmett is removed from the series in the third season premiere when he is murdered in the Buy More parking lot by an assassin who was searching for Chuck. When asked about his whereabouts, Casey tells Chuck that Emmett had moved to Anchorage, Alaska
Anchorage, Alaska
Anchorage is a unified home rule municipality in the southcentral part of the U.S. state of Alaska. It is the northernmost major city in the United States...
to manage a branch of rival big-box chain Large Mart.
Emmett was an effeminate antagonist that would frequently abuse his power to the point of frustrating employees and often unintentionally interfering with Chuck's missions. His few redeeming traits are overshadowed by his obnoxious behavior, and it is revealed that as of his take-over of the Buy More, he has the store running with robotic efficiency and has become drunk with power. He often bullies employees that he believes that he can control, but will back off when shown the slightest amount of courage.
His name is a reference to the comedy Spies Like Us
Spies Like Us
Spies Like Us is a 1985 American comedy film directed by John Landis and starring Chevy Chase, Dan Aykroyd, Steve Forrest, and Donna Dixon...
, combining the names of Chevy Chase
Chevy Chase
Cornelius Crane "Chevy" Chase is an American comedian, writer, and television and film actor, born into a prominent entertainment industry family. Chase worked a plethora of odd jobs before moving into comedy acting with National Lampoon...
's character Emmett Fitz-Hume and Dan Aykroyd
Dan Aykroyd
Daniel Edward "Dan" Aykroyd, CM is a Canadian comedian, actor, screenwriter, musician, winemaker and ufologist. He was an original cast member of Saturday Night Live, an originator of The Blues Brothers and Ghostbusters and has had a long career as a film actor and screenwriter.-Early...
's character Austin Milbarge. First seen in: "Chuck Versus Tom Sawyer
Chuck Versus Tom Sawyer
"Chuck Versus Tom Sawyer" is the fifth episode of the second season of Chuck. It originally aired on October 27, 2008. Life in espionage takes its toll on Chuck Bartowski and everyone is taking notice. Chuck tries to explain his unusual behavior to Ellie Bartowski and to the quirky Buy More...
." Last seen in: "Chuck Versus the Pink Slip
Chuck Versus the Pink Slip
"Chuck Versus the Pink Slip" is the third season premiere episode of the television series Chuck. It aired on January 10, 2010 in a special two-episode block...
."
Harry Tang
Harold "Harry" Tiberius Tang (C.S. Lee) is a Buy More sales supervisor appearing at the beginning of the first season who applied for and received the Assistant Manager position. Harry is a tyrant, controlling everything from the timing of employee lunches, socializing in the break room, and the channel to which the TVs were tuned. While he appears to have an axe to grind with Morgan, the only rival he viewed as such was Chuck: Harry received the assistant manager position primarily because Chuck was unable to attend the interview (though, later in the season, Mike discloses that he made Harry A.M. because he and Harry's wife were having an affair), and, where Harry's tyranny was the focus of the Buy More's sub-plot, Chuck gives Morgan the code to reprogram Harry's master remote. While attempting to get Morgan into trouble, he stumbles upon Chuck, Sarah, and Casey video-conferencing with their superiors. In order to keep him quiet, the U.S. government relocates him and his wife to HawaiiHawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
where he now manages a pineapple factory. First seen in: Chuck Versus the Intersect (Pilot)
Founder
Buy More was founded by Moses Finkelstein. He has only two significant mentions throughout the entire series. He is first mentioned by Emmett Milbarge early in the second season, when Milbarge brings back "an old Buy More tradition" of Employee of the MonthEmployee of the Month
Employee of the Month may refer to:* A business award given to employees of a particular business on a monthly basis; a popular tradition in the United States* Employee of the Month...
. The employee with the highest sale service would have the name and photo moralized on the wall next to the photo of the Buy More founder, Moses Finkelstein. Finkelstein is referenced again in "Chuck Versus the Ring: Part II
Chuck Versus the Ring: Part II
"Chuck Versus the Ring: Part II" is the 19th episode and season finale of the third season of Chuck. It was originally aired May 24, 2010 in a special two-hour block with "Chuck Versus the Subway." Team Bartowski escapes execution by Shaw, thanks to Morgan and Devon...
". Big Mike is in his office when he hears a phone ringing and locates it in his drawer, where he has a phone labeled "Moses". Big Mike tells Jeff and Lester that the Burbank store has a great risk of being closed due to poor management. This leads them to decide to have a "Going Out of Business Sale".