Chuck Episode 4.07 Chuck vs. the First Fight

Her Project Isis cover story proved false, Chuck's mom, aka agent Frost, is being held in Castle. Beckman commends Casey and Sarah for her capture. The high-value prisoner will be transferred to a black site the next day, General Beckman tells them; it's imperative that Chuck not know. Sarah's anxious: she already damaged her relationship with Chuck by not telling him of his mom's imminent apprehension. Now she must keep news of her transfer a secret as well. But she's all spy, and promises to manage Chuck appropriately.

Chuck remains hurt and angered by the abduction of his mom, but hasn't yet talked to Sarah about it. He practices his outraged speech to Sarah on a sympathetic Morgan, who tells him to tone it down a bit. They head downstairs to Chuck's dad's secret warehouse, determined to find some sort of clue that might prove Chuck's mom's innocence. They search in vain amongst the boxes, old computers like the Phalanx XR-12, and supplies, but find nothing. Thinking perhaps his dad left a clue for Ellie instead, Chuck questions his sister at her home. She remembers that he did used to leave coded messages via the classifieds in newspapers, but she's seen nothing since he died.

Morgan's determined to mediate the tension between Chuck and Sarah. He waits for her in their apartment (and is nearly strangled by Sarah when he surprises her). He tells her that she and Chuck are in a relationship crisis. Sarah's taken aback that Chuck has discussed this with Morgan before talking to her.

Though it's forbidden, Chuck lets himself into his mom's holding cell. He confronts her with charges of working for Volkoff. She admits they're true, much to Chuck's horror. She abandoned the CIA after Volkoff discovered she had a family and was threatening to destroy it. She tells Chuck that after she severed ties with the CIA, she secretly took up with Britain's MI6, and remained undercover at Volkoff. The only way Chuck can prove her innocence is to find her MI6 handler so he can corroborate the story. Her handler's name is Gregory Tuttle and there's a meet set for the afternoon. She gives Chuck a password phrase and then makes him promise not to tell Sarah. He agrees. He's going rogue to clear his mom's name.

Ellie racks her brain for glimpses of any clue her dad might have left her. She sees a classified car ad that's been running in the paper ever since her dad died. A classic Mustang is for sale. Could this be a message from her dead father?

Chuck takes Morgan to the meet-up with the MI6 handler. Their plan is for Morgan to wait in the bar, monitoring Chuck's safety via earpiece, while Chuck meets the operative. Morgan begins a conversation with Chuck about his meeting with Sarah, but suddenly drops his earpiece in his water glass. He retreats to the bathroom to dry it out. Meanwhile, Gregory Tuttle, the handler, suddenly shows up, holding a plastic fork against Chuck's throat. Chuck gives him the code word and the tension is broken. Chuck explains that he's Frost's ally at the CIA while she's in custody. Tuttle's alarmed: if Volkoff knows Frost is being held, he'll come looking for her. Suddenly, an agent in a waitress disguise shoots Tuttle with a tranq gun from behind. She shoots Chuck too. Morgan finally returns from the men's room to find everyone gone.

Chuck and Tuttle awake on a plane being flown by Volkoff's operatives. The nasty-looking flight attendant wants to know where Frost is being held. She threatens them both with surgical implements, then leaves momentarily. Tuttle squirms out of his restraints, and then frees Chuck. When the flight attendant returns Chuck goes into attack mode. He skill flashes and is able to incapacitate the flight attendant as well as her goon assistants. Tuttle stands by helpless, than tosses Chuck a knife - which lands in the goon's back. He keels over. They grab parachutes and bail out of the exit door.

Back at Castle, Morgan briefs Casey and Sarah on what happened. They're not pleased with the way Chuck is being manipulated by his mother. Casey menacingly enters the holding cell, telling Frost she needs to tell him and Sarah where Chuck is being held right now. She refuses to talk, then demands to see Ellie. The tension mounts until Morgan appears. It's been decades since Chuck's mom has seen him. His manner is disarming and consequently he's able to get through to her in a way that the hostile Sarah and Casey cannot. He promises her she'll be allowed to see Ellie if she'll reveal Chuck's whereabouts. She accepts the deal: let me see my daughter, she tells them, and I'll tell you Chuck's location.

After bailing out, Tuttle and Chuck land safely and hop aboard a sheep transport truck, heading for L.A. They're headed for a location that, according to Tuttle, is a storage facility for the info that will clear Chuck's mom. While they ride in the truck, Tuttle probes Chuck's relationship with Frost, unaware that Chuck is her son. He wants to know if they're romantically involved. Chuck recoils in denial.

After bailing out, Tuttle and Chuck land safely and hop aboard a sheep transport truck, heading for L.A. They're headed for a location that, according to Tuttle, is a storage facility for the info that will clear Chuck's mom. While they ride in the truck, Tuttle probes Chuck's relationship with Frost, unaware that Chuck is her son. He wants to know if they're romantically involved. Chuck recoils in denial.

Tuttle takes Chuck to a bank, explaining that the exonerating information is contained on a series of computer disks held in a safe-deposit box. They open the box and grab the envelope inside. It contains archaic computer discs that can prove his mom's innocence. But they'll need a rare older computer to read the discs; Chuck knows that the machine in his father's warehouse can read them. Sarah and Chuck's mom arrive; Casey and Morgan surveil in the van outside.

In a heartbeat, the bank is under siege: gunmen appear everywhere. Volkoff's henchmen have arrived in force, including the unsavory woman who tried to torture Chuck and Tuttle on the plane. Chuck, his mom, Sarah and Tuttle sneak around the bank trying to escape. Chuck and Sarah carp back and forth about how much Chuck has told other people about his displeasure with her. Chuck explains he was waiting to simmer down, that the first fight sets the tone for all future fights. Meanwhile Morgan and Casey, waiting outside in the surveillance van, arm themselves for a rescue.

Chuck skill flashes. He and Sarah attack two nearby henchmen who are blocking their escape. They're bickering, but are still working together like professionals. As they punch and kick their way past the goons, they tell each other how much they hate fighting with one another. Sarah tells Chuck that he should be able to trust her. They defeat the two gunmen, but another appears and shoots Tuttle. As Tuttle lays slumped and dying, he hands Chuck the computer discs and tells him to clear Frost's name. Sarah, Chuck, and his mom grab the discs and head out.

Sarah, Chuck, and his mom go to Orion's warehouse to access the ancient computer. The machine boots up, but the disc is empty. Sarah sensed something's wrong and goes off to find Chuck's mom, who has wandered off to examine other files on her own. She returns and approaches her son, holding a small screen, which she holds up to his face, forcing Chuck to look at it. A series of images flash by, just like in his original exposure to the intersect, only this time in reverse. Clearly the exposure is affecting his brain again.

Chuck recovers from this new re-programming filled with questions. But before his mom can answer, Sarah reappears, her gun trained squarely on Chuck's mom. Clearly she's done some sort of damage. But Sarah returns to Chuck with her gun drawn; clearly Frost has done something damaging to him. Before she can take Frost into custody, Sarah's dropped from behind; Tuttle has reappeared, knocking her out. Chuck is confused. Wasn't Tuttle killed? "Tuttle" reveals that his death was a fake. He is, in fact, Alexei Volkoff himself! He drops Chuck to the ground with a powerful right cross. He ties up Sarah and Chuck, then proceeds to place explosives and detonators around the warehouse. Chuck's mom is clearly in cahoots with Volkoff. The two villains prepare to leave the warehouse, where Chuck and Sarah face certain death. But before she leaves, Chuck's mom surreptitiously hands him a razor blade so he can make his escape.

The detonators count down and Chuck quickly works the razor blade to free himself and Sarah. They escape just seconds before the old Bartowski home is blown sky high.

Ellie and Awesome pursue the newspaper-clipping clue. The red sports car that was offered for sale is in fact the same one from her childhood. They're amazed to find it in such great condition. Taped to the center console is a note to Ellie from her dad, apologizing for being so secretive. He goes on to tell her that he's got more to reveal to her now. As she and Awesome drive off into the night, we pan down to see a mysterious glow coming from under the seat.