Chuck Versus Operation Awesome
Encyclopedia
"Chuck Versus Operation Awesome" is the fourth episode of the third season of Chuck
, originally airing January 18, 2010. When Devon becomes an unwilling agent of the Ring
, Chuck
must take on the role of his handler and help him survive the Ring's dangerous test. Meanwhile at the Buy More
, Morgan
gets promoted, and must take on the antics of Jeff and Lester.
and Casey
finally convince him to go to work, but in his distracted state Chuck loses control of The Intersect and threatens a Thai customer in her native tongue, and kicks Lester in the face before Sarah arrives with news about Devon. Far from being upset, Lester finds the beating an exhilarating experience, so much so that even Jeff begs for a shot. (While Chuck refuses, we see Lester punch Jeff in the background.) Chuck begins to panic, but Devon enters the store alive. He is debriefed by Beckman and the team - Devon is to contact Sydney that night. Beckman wishes to use Devon to flush out Sydney and hack The Ring's communications network, to which Chuck objects and is overruled.
That night Devon is given a communicator and earpiece by the Ring. Under the team's supervision, Devon contacts Sydney for his orders - he is to infiltrate a downtown office building and await further instructions. The earpiece has an explosive that will be triggered if he tries to remove it or if he disobeys. While Chuck, Sarah and Casey wait in the van, Devon enters the building and is stopped by security. Chuck takes it on himself to go in and help guide Devon through the building, using the Intersect to help disable the building's security guards. They arrive at their destination on the 12th floor, where Sydney orders Devon to kill a man in an office. Reaching their target, the two realize that it's actually a CIA installation. He warns Sarah and Casey, who have also spotted Sydney, but are locked in the van by Beckman, who reveals that the operation is a setup. Chuck has Devon take cover and confronts the occupant. Chuck begins to explain, but the man is already aware of why he is there and tells him to kill him as he was instructed after giving him a folded up note to open after Sydney is finished. Chuck hesitates, and the agent takes the gun and shoots himself after swallowing a capsule of amiodarone
. Devon is stunned, thinking Chuck killed him, but there's no time to explain before Sydney arrives. Chuck takes cover, making it look like Devon killed the agent. Sydney is pleased, takes off Devon's explosive earpiece while giving him a Ring communications device, and leaves. Chuck opens the note given to him by the agent, which has instructions on how to revive him from the effects of the drug. As Devon injects adrenalin into his heart according to the instructions, the man awakens and introduces himself as Daniel Shaw
.
Back at Castle, Beckman turns over command of the team to Shaw who wishes to continue to use Devon as a mole against Sydney's Ring cell, but Chuck once again objects to using his brother-in-law. Instead, he takes it upon himself to hack into Sydney's communications and reveal himself as the spy she really wants, luring her to the Buy More. However, when he tells Casey and Sarah, Shaw forces them to stand down at gunpoint and tells Chuck that he got himself into the situation and must get himself out. He also expresses an interest in seeing what Chuck had planned. Sydney arrives at the store and Chuck begins to panic (his plan was to use himself as bait and for Casey and Sarah to take care of the Ring agents). The Intersect fails to work, but he manages to escape into the storage cage. Sarah and Casey get the drop on Shaw and escape Castle to go after Chuck, disabling several of Sydney's goons. Chuck deals with the other two by electrocuting one on the storage cage, (see below) who accidentally shoots the other as he convulses. Sarah attacks Sydney but is disabled after a short fight, but Sydney herself is forced to flee when Chuck recovers a gun from one of her men.
Outside at the loading dock, Chuck holds Sydney at gunpoint and asks her to surrender. Sydney is unimpressed and threatens to call her superiors to force Chuck to shoot. She pulls a hidden knife as Sarah arrives, and when Chuck hesitates, a shot rings out. Sydney collapses as Shaw steps out from behind one of the Herders, having fatally shot her. At Castle, Shaw chides Chuck for letting his feelings for his family and friends prevent him from taking the shot, but Sarah comes to his defense and tells Shaw sometimes it helps to have something to lose. Chuck later returns home to dinner with Morgan, Ellie
and Devon to let Devon know Sydney has been taken care of and he's now safe. As Sarah and Casey join them, Shaw watches on Castle's monitor and pulls a ring from his pocket and after gazing at it for a moment, slips it on his finger.
's casting as Daniel Shaw was announced on the same day, and actress Angie Harmon
was announced for the role of Sydney on September 4.
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...
, originally airing January 18, 2010. When Devon becomes an unwilling agent of 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...
, Chuck
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:...
must take on the role of his handler and help him survive the Ring's dangerous test. Meanwhile at the Buy More
Buy More
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....
, 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....
gets promoted, and must take on the antics of Jeff and Lester.
Main plot
The episode begins immediately where "Chuck Versus the Angel de la Muerte" left off. An agent of the Ring named Sydney holds Devon prisoner on the roof of a skyscraper, having mistaken him for the spy responsible for Chuck's previous mission to protect Alejandro Goya. She doesn't believe his claim that he is just a doctor, and coerces him into working for her. Back at Castle, Chuck is beginning to panic as the team tries to locate Devon. SarahSarah 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...
and 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....
finally convince him to go to work, but in his distracted state Chuck loses control of The Intersect and threatens a Thai customer in her native tongue, and kicks Lester in the face before Sarah arrives with news about Devon. Far from being upset, Lester finds the beating an exhilarating experience, so much so that even Jeff begs for a shot. (While Chuck refuses, we see Lester punch Jeff in the background.) Chuck begins to panic, but Devon enters the store alive. He is debriefed by Beckman and the team - Devon is to contact Sydney that night. Beckman wishes to use Devon to flush out Sydney and hack The Ring's communications network, to which Chuck objects and is overruled.
That night Devon is given a communicator and earpiece by the Ring. Under the team's supervision, Devon contacts Sydney for his orders - he is to infiltrate a downtown office building and await further instructions. The earpiece has an explosive that will be triggered if he tries to remove it or if he disobeys. While Chuck, Sarah and Casey wait in the van, Devon enters the building and is stopped by security. Chuck takes it on himself to go in and help guide Devon through the building, using the Intersect to help disable the building's security guards. They arrive at their destination on the 12th floor, where Sydney orders Devon to kill a man in an office. Reaching their target, the two realize that it's actually a CIA installation. He warns Sarah and Casey, who have also spotted Sydney, but are locked in the van by Beckman, who reveals that the operation is a setup. Chuck has Devon take cover and confronts the occupant. Chuck begins to explain, but the man is already aware of why he is there and tells him to kill him as he was instructed after giving him a folded up note to open after Sydney is finished. Chuck hesitates, and the agent takes the gun and shoots himself after swallowing a capsule of amiodarone
Amiodarone
Amiodarone is an antiarrhythmic agent used for various types of tachyarrhythmias , both ventricular and supraventricular arrhythmias. Discovered in 1961, it was not approved for use in the United States until 1985...
. Devon is stunned, thinking Chuck killed him, but there's no time to explain before Sydney arrives. Chuck takes cover, making it look like Devon killed the agent. Sydney is pleased, takes off Devon's explosive earpiece while giving him a Ring communications device, and leaves. Chuck opens the note given to him by the agent, which has instructions on how to revive him from the effects of the drug. As Devon injects adrenalin into his heart according to the instructions, the man awakens and introduces himself as 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...
.
Back at Castle, Beckman turns over command of the team to Shaw who wishes to continue to use Devon as a mole against Sydney's Ring cell, but Chuck once again objects to using his brother-in-law. Instead, he takes it upon himself to hack into Sydney's communications and reveal himself as the spy she really wants, luring her to the Buy More. However, when he tells Casey and Sarah, Shaw forces them to stand down at gunpoint and tells Chuck that he got himself into the situation and must get himself out. He also expresses an interest in seeing what Chuck had planned. Sydney arrives at the store and Chuck begins to panic (his plan was to use himself as bait and for Casey and Sarah to take care of the Ring agents). The Intersect fails to work, but he manages to escape into the storage cage. Sarah and Casey get the drop on Shaw and escape Castle to go after Chuck, disabling several of Sydney's goons. Chuck deals with the other two by electrocuting one on the storage cage, (see below) who accidentally shoots the other as he convulses. Sarah attacks Sydney but is disabled after a short fight, but Sydney herself is forced to flee when Chuck recovers a gun from one of her men.
Outside at the loading dock, Chuck holds Sydney at gunpoint and asks her to surrender. Sydney is unimpressed and threatens to call her superiors to force Chuck to shoot. She pulls a hidden knife as Sarah arrives, and when Chuck hesitates, a shot rings out. Sydney collapses as Shaw steps out from behind one of the Herders, having fatally shot her. At Castle, Shaw chides Chuck for letting his feelings for his family and friends prevent him from taking the shot, but Sarah comes to his defense and tells Shaw sometimes it helps to have something to lose. Chuck later returns home to dinner with Morgan, Ellie
Ellie Bartowski
Eleanor Faye "Ellie" Bartowski Woodcomb, M.D., Ph.D., is the older sister of title character Chuck Bartowski on the television series Chuck. She is portrayed by actress Sarah Lancaster.-Biography:...
and Devon to let Devon know Sydney has been taken care of and he's now safe. As Sarah and Casey join them, Shaw watches on Castle's monitor and pulls a ring from his pocket and after gazing at it for a moment, slips it on his finger.
Buy More
At the Buy More, Big Mike calls Morgan into his office. Because of the respect his coworkers have begun showing him, Big Mike offers Morgan the assistant manager's position, and Morgan accepts. His first challenge comes in the form of Jeff and Lester's antics. After being kicked by Chuck, Lester begins to stage fights in the Buy More storage cage for the same adrenaline rush. All the Buy More staff is soon involved in fights during store hours, including hooking a car battery up to the cage to prevent unwilling participants from escaping the cage (see above). Morgan shuts down the fights, but gains the resentment of his coworkers. When Jeff and Lester begin giving him trouble later, on Big Mike's advice, he singles out Lester and fires him in front of the other employees for his behavior. Lester begs him to reconsider, and with his authority now firmly established, relents and places him on "double-secret" probation.Production
Casting for "Chuck Versus Operation Awesome" began on August 27, 2009. Actor Brandon RouthBrandon Routh
Brandon James Routh is an American actor and former fashion model. He grew up in Iowa before moving to Los Angeles to pursue an acting career, and subsequently appeared on multiple television series throughout the early 2000s. In 2006, he gained greater recognition for his role as the titular hero...
's casting as Daniel Shaw was announced on the same day, and actress Angie Harmon
Angie Harmon
Angela Michelle "Angie" Harmon is an American fashion model and television/film actress. She became a well-known model before gaining international fame for her roles in Baywatch Nights and Law & Order....
was announced for the role of Sydney on September 4.
Production details
- Despite starting immediately after the end of "Chuck Versus the Angel de la Muerte", Casey shows no effects of his gunshot wound in the previous episode.
- Brandon Routh's first appearance as Daniel Shaw made him the most recent actor (until the appearance of Kristin KreukKristin KreukKristin 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...
in the next episode) connected to the SupermanSupermanSuperman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
television and movie franchise, including Tony ToddTony ToddAnthony T. "Tony" Todd is an American actor and movie producer, known for his height of 6'5", and deep voice. He is well known for playing the Candyman in the horror movie franchise of the same name, William Bludworth in Final Destination and for guest starring roles on numerous television...
(season one of SmallvilleSmallvilleSmallville is the hometown of Superman in comic books published by DC Comics. While growing up in Smallville, the young Clark Kent attended Smallville High with best friends Lana Lang, Chloe Sullivan and Pete Ross...
), Ryan McPartlinRyan McPartlinRyan McPartlin is an American actor, best known for his role as Devon "Captain Awesome" Woodcomb on NBC's Chuck.-Early life:...
and Matthew Bomer (both auditioned for the role of Superman in Superman ReturnsSuperman ReturnsSuperman Returns is a 2006 superhero film directed by Bryan Singer. It is the fifth and final installment in the original Superman film series and serves as a alternate sequel to Superman and Superman II by ignoring the events of Superman III and Superman IV: The Quest for Peace .The film stars...
but were beaten out by Routh), and Adam BaldwinAdam BaldwinAdam 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...
(voiced Superman in the animated movie Superman: DoomsdaySuperman: DoomsdaySuperman: Doomsday & Beyond is a licensed novel, published in 1993, set in the DC Comics universe, written by Louise Simonson, and with illustrations from Dan Jurgens and José Luis García-López. It is a young-adult version of The Death of Superman comics storyline from 1992...
). - The Wilhelm screamWilhelm screamThe Wilhelm scream is a film and television stock sound effect first used in 1951 for the film Distant Drums. The effect gained new popularity after it was used in Star Wars and many other blockbuster films as well as television programs and video games...
can be heard when Lester electrocutes the fight cage.
Flashes
- While in the Buy More Chuck flashes first on how to speak Thai when an angry customer begins to berate him in that language, and on martial arts when Lester begins pestering him on the fighting styles of Jean Claude Van Damme and Steven SeagalSteven SeagalSteven Frederic Seagal is an American action film star, producer, writer, martial artist, guitarist and reserve deputy sheriff. A 7th-dan black belt in Aikido, Seagal began his adult life as an Aikido instructor in Japan...
. - When encountering several security guards in the office building, Chuck flashes on advanced shooting techniques to take them out with a tranquilizer gun.
Music
- "Got Nuffin" - SpoonSpoon (band)Spoon is an American rock band formed in Austin, Texas. The band is composed of Britt Daniel ; Jim Eno ; Rob Pope and Eric Harvey .-History:...
(When Chuck & Devon are at the office building during Devon's ring mission and also during the Buy More shoot out) - "Space Monkeys" - The Dust Brothers (the Fight Club song)
- "Bears" - Sam Isaac (the scene leading up to Morgan's dinner party)