Chuck Versus the Fear of Death
Encyclopedia
"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. Meanwhile, John Casey
and Morgan Grimes
try to protect Jeff Barnes and Lester Patel from the truth when they snoop around to find out the true identity of Greta (Summer Glau
).
in Chuck Bartowski
's mind, Mary Elizabeth Bartowski
and Alexei Volkoff
are spotted by Interpol
in Istanbul
. General Beckman sends CIA agent Sarah Walker
after them, but she leaves Colonel Casey
with Chuck as Chuck undergoes a month of unsuccessful tests in an attempt to bring back the Intersect. Meanwhile, Sarah returns without finding Mary and Volkoff.
Agent Jim Rye (Rob Riggle
) is brought in to repair the Intersect using various unorthodox methods. His theory is that fear of death will allow Chuck to access the Intersect. Therefore, (after several failed attempts of scaring Chuck) Chuck and Rye are sent on a dangerous mission to Gstaad
, Switzerland
to acquire an unusual diamond at an auction, being sold by a Belgian named Adelbert de Smet (Richard Chamberlain
), which various spies and killers are also planning to purchase. Chuck attempts to purchase the diamond, but he is held at gunpoint to stop bidding. As the buyer waits for his money to be wired in to complete the transaction, Chuck and Rye steal the "diamonds", which are actually fakes made of glass. Each diamond contains microdots encrypted with stolen CIA data.
While Chuck and Rye enter a cable car
with the Belgian and his henchman, Sarah learns that the microdots contain information identifying Chuck as the Intersect. As she races to save Chuck, Chuck and Rye are ambushed on the cable car while hanging 200 feet from the ground. Chuck falls out of the car and, hanging by his fingers, begs Rye to help him up. Having apparently defeated the Belgian and his men, Rye refuses and pleads with Chuck to flash and pull himself up. While ordering Chuck to be a "real spy" like him, Rye is shot by the Belgian, and he falls to his death. The Belgian pulls Chuck up and captures him.
Sarah sets out to find and rescue Chuck, defying General Beckman's orders. While she packs several guns in her bag, Casey and Morgan
join her. Meanwhile, the Belgian prepares to torture Chuck for information about the Intersect. Although Chuck reveals that the Intersect is gone, the Belgian reveals that when he talks the torture can end.
), a CIA assassin, seemingly disappears from sight and reappears unexpectedly, drawing suspicion from the two. When they begin stalking her, Greta becomes annoyed with them and complains to Morgan, requesting that he stop them from prying, and threatening to take care of them herself if he doesn't. Morgan goes to Casey for help, who initially refuses. But after a talk with Alex, Casey returns to the Buy More, just as Jeff and Lester lure Greta to the storage cage and she begins threatening them. Casey covers with a story that Greta has been stealing, ending the duo's investigation. Greta then packs up, complaining that the operation at the Buy More is too unprofessional and expresses disappointment with Casey. Casey retorts that Team Bartowski is the finest spy team he has ever served on, before sending her on her way.
In this episode, the rotating character Greta is portrayed by Summer Glau.
gave this episode a score of 8.5 out of 10.
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....
of 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...
. It originally aired November 15, 2010. Worried his relationship with 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...
is souring, 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:...
aims to impress by attempting a dangerous mission. Meanwhile, 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....
and 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....
try to protect Jeff Barnes and Lester Patel from the truth when they snoop around to find out the true identity of Greta (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:...
).
Main plot
After suppressing the 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...
in 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:...
's mind, Mary Elizabeth Bartowski
Mary Elizabeth Bartowski
Mary Elizabeth Bartowski is a character on the television series Chuck. Mary is the estranged mother of Chuck and Ellie Bartowski. She is portrayed by Linda Hamilton.-Biography:...
and Alexei Volkoff
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...
are spotted by Interpol
Interpol
Interpol, whose full name is the International Criminal Police Organization – INTERPOL, is an organization facilitating international police cooperation...
in Istanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
. General Beckman sends CIA agent 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...
after them, but she leaves Colonel 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....
with Chuck as Chuck undergoes a month of unsuccessful tests in an attempt to bring back the Intersect. Meanwhile, Sarah returns without finding Mary and Volkoff.
Agent Jim Rye (Rob Riggle
Rob Riggle
Robert Allen "Rob" Riggle, Jr. is an American actor, comedian and United States Marine Corps officer. He is best known for his work as a correspondent on Comedy Central's The Daily Show from 2006–2008, as a cast member on Saturday Night Live from 2004–2005, and for his comedic roles in films such...
) is brought in to repair the Intersect using various unorthodox methods. His theory is that fear of death will allow Chuck to access the Intersect. Therefore, (after several failed attempts of scaring Chuck) Chuck and Rye are sent on a dangerous mission to Gstaad
Gstaad
Gstaad is a village in the German-speaking section of the Canton of Berne in southwestern Switzerland. Part of the municipality of Saanen, Gstaad is known as one of the most exclusive ski resorts in the world....
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
to acquire an unusual diamond at an auction, being sold by a Belgian named Adelbert de Smet (Richard Chamberlain
Richard Chamberlain
George Richard Chamberlain is an American actor of stage and screen who became a teen idol in the title role of the television show Dr. Kildare .-Early life:...
), which various spies and killers are also planning to purchase. Chuck attempts to purchase the diamond, but he is held at gunpoint to stop bidding. As the buyer waits for his money to be wired in to complete the transaction, Chuck and Rye steal the "diamonds", which are actually fakes made of glass. Each diamond contains microdots encrypted with stolen CIA data.
While Chuck and Rye enter a cable car
Cable car
A cable car is any of a variety of transportation systems relying on cables to pull vehicles along or lower them at a steady rate, or a vehicle on these systems.-Aerial lift:Aerial lifts where the vehicle is suspended in the air from a cable:...
with the Belgian and his henchman, Sarah learns that the microdots contain information identifying Chuck as the Intersect. As she races to save Chuck, Chuck and Rye are ambushed on the cable car while hanging 200 feet from the ground. Chuck falls out of the car and, hanging by his fingers, begs Rye to help him up. Having apparently defeated the Belgian and his men, Rye refuses and pleads with Chuck to flash and pull himself up. While ordering Chuck to be a "real spy" like him, Rye is shot by the Belgian, and he falls to his death. The Belgian pulls Chuck up and captures him.
Sarah sets out to find and rescue Chuck, defying General Beckman's orders. While she packs several guns in her bag, Casey and 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....
join her. Meanwhile, the Belgian prepares to torture Chuck for information about the Intersect. Although Chuck reveals that the Intersect is gone, the Belgian reveals that when he talks the torture can end.
Buy More
Jeff and Lester have noticed the string of new employees, all with the name "Greta". The current one (Summer GlauSummer 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:...
), a CIA assassin, seemingly disappears from sight and reappears unexpectedly, drawing suspicion from the two. When they begin stalking her, Greta becomes annoyed with them and complains to Morgan, requesting that he stop them from prying, and threatening to take care of them herself if he doesn't. Morgan goes to Casey for help, who initially refuses. But after a talk with Alex, Casey returns to the Buy More, just as Jeff and Lester lure Greta to the storage cage and she begins threatening them. Casey covers with a story that Greta has been stealing, ending the duo's investigation. Greta then packs up, complaining that the operation at the Buy More is too unprofessional and expresses disappointment with Casey. Casey retorts that Team Bartowski is the finest spy team he has ever served on, before sending her on her way.
Production
Continuity
- When Rye describes the diamond as being used to fund terrorism and arms and drug trafficking, the rest of the team interrupts him with a bored "We know". This is in reference to the first seasonChuck (season 1)- Episodes :- Reception :The first season averaged on, only including the first 11 episodes, 8.68 million viewers per episode.- UK BARB ratings :...
episode "Chuck Versus the WookieeChuck Versus the Wookiee"Chuck Versus the Wookiee" is a first-season episode of the television series Chuck. It originally aired on October 15, 2007. Chuck and the team are ordered by Graham and Beckman to recover a stolen diamond to assist Sarah's old DEA friend, whose tendencies towards improvisiation tend to get her...
," which also centered around a diamond being used to fund terrorist activities.
Cultural references
- When Rye first enters Castle and talks with Chuck about repairing the Intersect, Chuck accepts by saying "Let's get physical", which is a line from the song "PhysicalPhysical (Olivia Newton-John song)"Physical" is a song by Australian pop singer Olivia Newton-John, released in September 1981. The song was an immediate success, shipping 2 million copies in the United States, being certified Platinum, and spending 10 weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100, ultimately becoming Newton-John's...
". - After performing a technique similar to the Vulcan nerve pinchVulcan nerve pinchIn the fictional Star Trek universe, the Vulcan nerve pinch is a technique used mainly by Vulcans to render unconsciousness by pinching a pressure point at the base of the victim’s neck...
, Rye jokes that he learned it from Star TrekStar TrekStar Trek is an American science fiction entertainment franchise created by Gene Roddenberry. The core of Star Trek is its six television series: The Original Series, The Animated Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Enterprise...
. - Casey tells Greta that he does not care what crew she served on, which is a reference to Firefly, where Adam Baldwin and Summer Glau costarred.
- Jeff begins to use the crane technique from The Karate Kid when threatened by Greta.
- On the cable car where Chuck fights is written "Bösewicht Berghütte" which is German for villain alpine hut.
Music
- "Hiding Place" by Aushua
- "Perfect Day" by The ConstellationsThe Constellations (band)The Constellations are an American hip hop/rock band formed in Atlanta, GA. They have a psychedelic soul-rock sound.Their song “We’re Here To Save The Day” was featured in the NBC season premiere of Chuck on Sept...
- "Towards The Sun" by Alexi MurdochAlexi MurdochAlexi Murdoch is a singer-songwriter born in London and raised in Scotland, Greece and France, now living in Berlin.- Background :Murdoch was born in London to a Greek father and Scottish-French mother and raised in Greece, just outside of Athens until he was ten, when his family moved to...
- "Zero Zero" by Operator PleaseOperator PleaseOperator Please are an Australian pop band, originating on the Gold Coast of Queensland, in 2005. Their current lineup consists of vocalist and guitarist Amandah Wilkinson, drummer Tim Commandeur, keyboardist Chris Holland, Ashley McConnell on bass guitar, and violinist Taylor Henderson.The...
Critical response
Eric Goldman of IGNIGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
gave this episode a score of 8.5 out of 10.