Chuck Episode 4.03 Chuck vs. the Cubic Z

Along a deserted back road under cover of night, a CIA team transports a precious cargo: high-value prisoners, shackled and wearing hoods. Suddenly, their armored transport sputters to a halt. Stranded, the driver calls for orders and is directed to take the prisoners to the nearest secure facility: Castle, the CIA sub-station located beneath the Burbank Buy More.

At the store, Morgan prepares for the biggest night of his professional life. The much-anticipated new videogame Spy Attack goes on sale at midnight. He nervously barks orders as he walks the aisles, teeming with lines of anxious fanboys dressed in costumes. Chucks offer a little moral support and Greta, who looks different somehow, also offers to help. Morgan savors the moment: he's at the zenith of his young career, and his best friend Chuck is madly in love. Making matters even better, Chuck says, Sarah finally seems to be settling into the relationship. The two of them are headed off on a weeklong mission to Monaco, posing as billionaires. He's looking forward to chatting with Sarah about their future together. Life is good.

Sarah spars with Casey in the bowels of Castle. It's rough and tumble, as is the conversation. They grill each other about their relationships: Sarah asks Casey why he's not closer to his daughter Alex, and Casey goads Sarah about Chuck's wanting to settle down, maybe even start a family. As the two veteran spies trade blows, they blow off steam, venting the frustration that comes with being emotionally stunted.

General Beckman interrupts the workout via closed circuit monitor. The mission to Monaco's been canceled; the team must stay and ensure the safe transfer of some high-value prisoners who are inbound. The prisoners arrive. As their hoods are removed, we discover two old enemies: the brutal Hugo Panzer and Sarah's high-school nemesis, Heather Chandler. Panzer head butts Chuck and Heather sneers at Sarah. So much for Chuck and Sarah's romantic plans for the evening.

Morgan implores Jeff and Lester to clean themselves up a bit for the big night at Buy More. They balk and warn Morgan he's about to be taken down a notch: Big Mike has returned. Fearful of encountering the man whose job he took, Morgan nervously greets Big Mike. But Big Mike couldn't be prouder of Morgan and has come to ask for a blessing: he wants to marry Morgan's mother, Bologna. He produces a gleaming half-carat cubic zirconium ring and asks Morgan to hold onto it while he considers the request. And he's got another favor to ask: he needs a job. Sensing the chaos of the night ahead, Morgan agrees to put Big Mike on the payroll. Mike leaves and Morgan gets a distressing phone call. Only six copies of Spy Attack will be delivered to the store tonight.

Downstairs at Castle, Sarah awkwardly tries to get a conversation started with Chuck: she needs him to slow things down in the relationship. As they talk, Chuck flashes on Heather Chandler: she's somehow connected to Volkoff and his agent Frost, aka Chuck's mom. They decide to interrogate Heather. But she won't talk without a promise of witness protection. Realizing Chuck and Sarah are a couple, Heather mocks them both, questioning Sarah's ability to settle down. Her comments get under Sarah's skin: Heather's hit a nerve.

n a nearby cell, Hugo Panzer overpowers his guard, using a rolled up newspaper as a shiv. He grabs a machine gun and shoots his way through Castle. Sarah frantically calls Casey for help, while she and Chuck take refuge in Heather's cell. Panzer demands they release Chandler; Mr. Volkoff wants her for blowing a huge deal. It was Volkoff who arranged the entire prisoner transfer. Chuck and Sarah refuse, and Panzer retreats to the Castle computer where he puts the entire facility in lockdown. Locked out, Casey activates a fire emergency override, enabling Chuck, Sarah, and Heather to escape through the vent in the top of her holding cell.

Morgan's tries to keep himself calm; he writes a script for Jeff and Lester to read to the crowd at midnight, the highly anticipated moment when copies of Spy Attack are scheduled to be released. Lester finds the script completely inadequate and begins rewriting. The crowd's anticipation grows - as does Morgan's sense of dread.

Meanwhile Chuck, Sarah, and Heather are squirming their way through Buy More's ventilation ducts. But Panzer's hot on their trail, cornering them in a mechanical room. Sensing a chance to escape, Heather squares off against Sarah, while Panzer begins pummeling Chuck. Just as he's about to be pulled into a ventilation shaft, Chuck skill flashes on Krav Maga, the Israeli martial art, and soon gains the upper hand, sending Panzer down the shaft. Sarah and Heather continue their combat, with Sarah eventually subduing Heather.

Midnight arrives and the crowd is in a fever pitch. Jeff and Lester, all bravado, step up to announce that they've been asked to read a script about the game. But Jeff and Lester don't follow the script. They let the crowd know that they're going to give them what they deserve: a kung-fu demonstration and a poetry slam!

Panzer pursues Heather, Chuck and Sarah through the ventilation ducts. But Casey gets the drop on him and marches him to the roof at gunpoint, along with Heather, Chuck and Sarah. He orders a transport helicopter to escort the prisoners. But Volkoff's goons have intercepted the transmission, landing their own team on the roof. As Casey, Sarah, and even Heather engage in a nasty firefight with Volkoff's men, Chuck pursues Panzer, who's slipped down an airshaft. Casey takes a bullet in the leg. Panzer's men close in for the kill. Knowing that Volkoff's men might kill her anyway, Heather agrees to help Sarah fight their way out. Chandler's deadly with an automatic weapon and saves her last bullet for a gunman who had Sarah in his sights. Lifelong enemies, Sarah now owes her old nemesis a life-saving debt of gratitude.

The poetry slam is not going well. The crowd begins chanting; Jeff confesses the game will not be available. The crowd comes unglued, knocking over display aisles and brawling with the staff. Big Mike pressures Morgan to do something. But Morgan's frozen with fear. What's worse, he's dropped the cubic zirconium engagement ring that Mike gave him and it's lost in the melee.

Chuck comes face top face with Panzer in a duct. They've both got guns on each other. But the duct gives way, collapsing and dumping them into the Nerd Herd service cage, where they engage in a bruising hand-to-hand battle, with Panzer dominating. He leaves Chuck beaten and winded in a heap, then exits the cage.

Big Mike takes matters into his own hands. He steps to the podium and commands everyone to calm down and think about their behavior. They should be ashamed. The crowd quiets. Through the sea of fanboys comes Hugo Panzer, handling Morgan roughly. Seeing an injustice served on a future member of his own family, Big Mike goes after Hugo, subduing him with the Disco Stick he had Lester retrieve from his car. It's a cattle prod he carries for just such emergencies.

Back at Castle, order has also been restored. It's the next day and a wounded Casey pulls up alongside Sarah. He's in a wheelchair, nursing his gunshot wound. Sarah suggests he use the recuperation time to get closer to Alex, his daughter. Casey counters that Sarah should have that take-it-slow conversation with Chuck. They both nod. Sarah walks over to Chuck and Heather, who's awaiting re-incarceration. She reveals that Frost was part of Operation Beacon, an underground arms pipeline. Apparently Chuck's mom worked very closely with Volkoff himself. Chandler's led away with Panzer.

Upstairs on the store floor, the staff cleans up. Morgan's distraught because he still can't find the engagement ring. But he does have something for Big Mike: an official Buy More assistant manager's vest. Big Mike calls it a "sacred vestment" and couldn't be prouder. Meanwhile we see close-up shots of the green shirts cleaning the floor. The engagement ring is accidentally knocked into a floor vent, sending it on a circuitous journey through the ventilation ducts.

Downstairs at Castle, Sarah and Chuck begin to have the much-delayed relationship chat they've been avoiding. Sarah confesses that Chuck's earlier bedside mention that they could be the next in the family to have a baby scared her. Chuck understands and says he's not ready for parenthood either. They'll take it slow. They kiss and embrace just as the wayward ring finds its way into the vent right above their room in Castle. The ring falls with a decided ping, causing Chuck to bend down on one knee to pick it up. Astonished, he looks up at Sarah. If Chuck were to propose this is certainly what it might look like - could fate have thrust the moment upon them?