Chuck Episode 1.03 Chuck Versus the Tango

A precious painting of water lilies changes hands several times. In each transaction someone is murdered. Its ultimate destination: the Miller Gallery in Los Angeles. Meanwhile, Chuck has a gun in his face - a kid playing video games at Buy More needs his toy weapon recalibrated. Big Mike tells Chuck he has to step it up if he wants the Assistant Manager job, challenging him to fix all the broken computers in two days or the job goes to Harry.

Sarah visits Chuck at Buy More. They've already been on three dates, and they have to sell their "relationship", so she tells him to kiss her. Chuck's no good with public displays of affection and can only manage a kiss on the cheek. Next, they review photos with Casey of the dead art dealers to see if Chuck knows anything. Chuck flashes - someone named El Ciudad will be after the painting at an art auction tomorrow night.

Ellie's overjoyed to hear Chuck's going after the Assistant Manager job, but he says it's no big deal. She hopes he's thinking about ditching Buy More for a real profession, but Morgan claims Chuck is a fragile gelding who'd be crushed by the real world. The General orders Sarah and Casey to go after arms dealer El Ciudad at the auction. Only problem - no one knows what he looks like. Chuck hits the sack, only to find Casey in his window, welcoming him to his first mission.

Casey rents Chuck a tux, telling him he'll be fine as long as he knows how to tango. Even though old computers make Morgan nervous, he offers to stay late and help the Nerd Herd fix them while Chuck attends the auction. Sarah helps Chuck craft his cover identity: Charles Carmichael is a semi-retired software millionaire. This was how Chuck saw his future during his sophomore year in college, right before Bryce found stolen tests under his bed and alerted the administration.

Captain Awesome gives Chuck awesome tango lessons. Noting Chuck's absence, Harry arrives with another cartload of broken computers for the Nerd Herd to fix. Morgan convinces them to stay late, but when he accidentally locks himself in the equipment cage, they bail, telling him to call Chuck for the key.Sarah gives Chuck a watch that's really a tracker. At the auction, Chuck spills on himself instantly. In the bathroom, he flashes on a guy - it's El Ciudad. Chuck runs to tell Sarah, who tells him to wait at the bar.

Casey tends bar undercover. As Chuck gets drunk, a friend from college recognizes him. Allan Watterman is a semi-retired software millionaire. He makes Chuck feel like crap about his life, until Chuck flashes on Allan's offshore accounts filled with insider trading spoils. Spying El Ciudad pushing Sarah out with a gun to her back, Casey vaults the bar and tells Chuck to stay put.

Chuck inspects the water lily painting, flashing on the frame. He's accosted by exotic Malena, who offers him champagne and challenges him to tango. Chuck goes for it, though he asks Malena to dance lead, because he's only learned the female part. Sarah and Casey fight El Ciudad only to find out that he's not El Ciudad but an MI6 agent after El Ciudad. Seeing a scar on Malena's neck, Chuck knows she's the real El Ciudad.

Locked up with old computers, Morgan panics and calls the auction, telling a concierge to find Chuck. Yelling through the phone, Morgan outs Chuck, so Malena and her big goons take him to her suite for torture. Chuck tells all - the painting's frame is different, so it must be a forgery and he has no interest in buying it. Malena believes Chuck, but has to kill him since he's seen her. Tracking Chuck's watch, Sarah and Casey blast through the door saving Chuck. Malena escapes, determined to find Chuck and kill him.

Ellie waits for Chuck to come home, disappointed when all he says about his big date is that he wants to go to bed. Chuck admits that Sarah's too exhausting for him. Ellie begs him to talk to someone, even if it's Morgan, who's called 75 times. Chuck rushes to Buy More to unlock Morgan and send him home, then stays up all night to fix all the computers.

Big Mike is impressed with Chuck's work, but he credits the Nerd Herd. Big Mike tells Chuck that his first rule as Assistant Manager is to take all the credit. Casey congratulates Chuck on the mission, but Chuck thinks he's being sarcastic. Casey points out that they now have a photo of Malena, and intel that she's heading to South America. Malena's goons enter Buy More and stalk Chuck, while Sarah spies Malena and chases her to a rooftop for a big fight with knives and brass knuckles.

Sarah defeats Malena, using handcuffs like brass knuckles. Casey fights one of the goons in the appliance section, stuffing him into a giant freezer. Chuck tries to lock the other goon in the storage cage, but the broken lock has miraculously been fixed. He's staring down the nozzle of the goon's gun when Casey arrives in the nick of time to knock out the goon.

Chuck apologizes to Ellie. He doesn't mean to be evasive, he just doesn't want to create false hope, because his relationship with Sarah seems doomed - she's just not into him. Ellie only wants to know one thing - does he like her? That's all Ellie needs to know, because she thinks it's obvious that Sarah likes him. She doesn't mean to nag Chuck about his future, because she thinks he's incredible, even if he doesn't know it. Ding dong - Sarah's outside with a bottle of wine, and Morgan, who tagged along.

When the evening's through, Chuck walks Sarah to the car. She congratulates him on his first mission well done. Chuck wonders - what's the point of being a hero if no one knows about it? Sarah points out that he knows, and she knows, too. If they were really dating, this would be the part where Chuck feels he'd be forced to kiss Sarah. She doesn't think it would be so bad - they could both suffer through it - and leaves. Casey stares as Morgan joins Chuck outside. The friends agree, Casey is one creepy dude.