Chuck Episode Recap: "Chuck Versus The Ex"
When Chuck bumps into his ex-college girlfriend at a local geek conference, he flashes on her biotech boss and must reacquaint himself with her after all these years. How will Chuck mend his broken heart? Will he seek revenge against her?
Having a flashback moment, Chuck reminisces about the good 'ol Stanford days. Except, as you remember, they weren't so good. First, he got kicked out of school for supposedly cheating. Chuck has since been exonerated thanks to Bryce's admission that he framed Chuck to prevent him from being recruited into the CIA. Second, his best friend Bryce turned into his best enemy because of this set up. Not that Chuck and Bryce have mended fences since then. It's a complicated story.
To make matters worse, Chuck had his heart broken by his then girlfriend, Jill, played by Jordana Brewster, who broke up with him and started dating — yep, you guessed it, Bryce Larkin. This guy sure does get around, right? Cut to present day as Chuck listens to the digital version of a mix tape in deep pensive thought as he's interrupted by Emmet Milbarge with a box of scrumptious donuts.
While Emmet isn't sharing with Chuck, he is brown-nosing Big Mike. Like Kaa the Snake to Shere Khan the Tiger from The Jungle Book, Emmet slithers up to Big Mike with the cakey treats. The kiss up backfires when Mike almost chokes to death on a powdered donut, coughing it right onto Lester. Without a beat crazy Jeff asks if there are any more. We all know Jeff has no shame.
Chuck is sent off to the Bio Science conference to fix some computers when he runs into his ex-girlfriend Jill. At first he tries to hide but it's unavoidable when she asks for tech help. Playing it cool, he air hugs her and talks about where they are now. She's a successful PhD giving a speech on infectious diseases and he, well, he claims to own 16 or 17 computer stores but likes to get his hands dirty once in a while.
Removing that pocket protector sure does bring on some testosterone. Jill's boss, Guy Lafleur, stops by. Chuck flashes on him and the new spy challenge is a foot!
Chuck is instructed by General Beckman to reconnect with Jill to see if she's involved and what she knows. Guy may have developed a bio weapon that he may plan to sell to the highest bidder and if the bad guys find him, it's the end of the world... again. Chuck is reluctant but Sarah assures him this could mean emotional closure. A little jealous, Sarah?
Back at Buy More, Emmet decides that even though he was the initial cause of Big Mike's brush with death, no one is prepared for emergency situations. He brings all the employees together for CPR training helmed by Captain Awesome. Somehow, once again, Chuck and Casey (does he really even work there anymore?) sneak out to prep for Chuck's big date with Jill.
Chuck's got on a fancy new suit and drives his testosterone-injected red Ferrari to the restaurant. In typical Chuck-style, he almost strips the gears out as he drives Jill. As they enter the swanky restaurant everyone greets Chuck as a regular. To top that Casey, in his best disguise to date, dons a 60's mod wig and soul patch. Sarah plays server in her short black wig. Even though Chuck starts out the date a little angry with Jill for what she did, Sarah tells him to nut up and be an agent first. He agrees and mends fences with Jill. The détente is short-lived when Lester and Jeff, driving by in the Nerd Herd car, out Chuck. Jill jumps in the first cab and takes off.
Left to their own devices, the guys at Buy More decide to use some of the CPR dummies like punching bags and giant sex dolls. Little do they know there is a written test. If they fail, they'll need to attend a 30-hour remedial class on their own time. Morgan gets the idea to steal the test from Captain Awesome at home. While Lester and Jeff distract Ellie at the front door, Morgan sneaks in but is unfortunately caught in the act. While holding a pair of Ellie's undies, he denies being a perv but cops to being a thief - points for being honest.
On the spy front, Chuck volunteers to replace a bug in Jill's room by apologizing to her once again. She believes him this time and he uses his natural charm to almost get the job done. He ends up kissing her under the watchful ear of Sarah and Casey in the spy van. Chuck gets back to the van only to flash on the room service guy who is headed to Guy's room. Sarah and Casey take off to get to Guy. Meanwhile, Chuck has been listening in on Jill's private phone conversation and blurts out a comment that is clearly overheard by Jill and her friend. Jill asks if Chuck has bugged the room. Sarah and Casey arrive too late as Guy is thrown out his hotel room window only to land SMACK on top of the spy van.
It turns out that Guy, despite being French, is a good guy. He was killed for trying to expose his company from secretly selling the deadly influenza virus that kills within an hour. Since Guy was the scheduled to make that fateful presentation it's left to Jill. Behind a one-way mirror, Chuck protests her further involvement. Sarah volunteers to make the speech instead.
Drama escalates at Buy More where Emmet distributes the dreaded CPR test. Chuck arrives at the last minute (although Casey appears to be absent) and everyone, thinking Chuck has all the answers, wants to cheat off him. Lester dons his own spy wear — a big hat and dark sunglasses - to be as discreet as possible.
Sarah, playing Guy's Australian counterpart Ava Anderson, starts off the conference — in full Aussie accent. This is a first for Yvonne Strahovski who has been doing a convincing American accent playing Sarah. Unfortunately, the speech is cut short as the bad guy, who's been in disguise, abruptly exits leaving behind a lethal canister of the deadly virus. Casey seals off the room and stays behind to suffer. He calls Chuck who is in the midst of taking his CPR test. He needs to get the antidote from Jill. Did anyone catch his photo ID on Chuck's iPhone? It was classic Casey! Chuck races to Jill. His credibility is at an all-time low but thank goodness he came with 2-dozen FBI agents and a SWAT team to convince her otherwise.
In full virus containment mode, Chuck and Jill arrive at the scene. Chuck pulls out his Charles Carmichael CIA ID and takes control. With only minutes left to save everyone, Jill volunteers to go in with the antivirus. Chuck tells her it's too dangerous and volunteers if she talks him through how to make the antidote. Little does he know he has to be injected with the virus and then get his blood drawn to make the concoction. Can anyone say they're a fan of big needles?
Desperate times call for desperate measures as the crew at Buy More only have minutes left to complete their CPR tests. Morgan and Lester convince Jeff to swallow a BIC pen cap — which is a French owned company — to almost choke to death. This leads Captain Awesome to use the Heimlich maneuver, recite blow by blow commentary, give away the answers and save Jeff all at the same time. Convincing? No. Silly? Yes.
Chuck gets access to the conference attendees only minutes from death. Unable to draw his own blood, Chuck and asks Casey to help. Woozie from the flu, Casey tries and fails breaking the only syringe. Fear not! In his infinite wisdom, Chuck thinks that the other way to transmit the antivirus is through saliva. So in the most un-bromantic and funniest moment, he kisses Casey full on the lips. This is no mere peck. It's pretty much a saliva swap event. Casey nearly dies from embarrassment. I think they both secretly liked it. How many times did they have to film that scene?
Sarah, still in pursuit of the bad guy, shoots him dead only to discover he's CIA. General Beckman later discloses he's a rogue agent and part of Fulcrum.
Jill rushes in to the sealed room wearing a very unsexy yellow hazmat suit and clearly dismisses Chuck's saliva theory. She quickly draws his blood, mixes the antidote and saves the day. As they exit victorious, Chuck and Jill have a real moment and sparks fly as they kiss. The problem? Sarah is a witness and she is clearly disappointed.
This love triangle has legs. Jill knows Chuck is CIA and can still be useful to them because of her knowledge of the virus. General Beckman decides to use her as bait and not tell Chuck because they know he will protest. It's up to Sarah to monitor the situation and keep tabs on Jill's whereabouts. Sarah's left to secretly spy on her conversation with Chuck who she calls her favorite secret agent. How will Sarah deal with Jill? How far will Chuck go with Jill? We know Sarah has been having an increasingly difficult time removing her emotions when it has to do with Chuck. The saga continues...
