Chuck

I don't understand TV networks sometime.  You have two new episodes of Chuck left in the tank, a show that you obviously have confidence in because you picked it up for a full season, but then you schedule them on a random Thursday night on either side of Celebrity Apprentice.  Maybe the ratings will be incredible, and NBC knows what it's doing.  Tonight's Chuck brought us some significant Casey back story for the first time, and who doesn't love Casey?  Good times.

Recap:

The episode opens in 2004 and Casey watching his lover, Ilsa, walk into a building.  That building blows up.  Casey believes she is dead.  In present day, Chuck is fixing a computer that belongs to a big fancy hotel: he flashes on a bunch of names – all Russian mobsters.  Chuck, Sarah and Casey are told to go to the hotel and see what's up – it's the wedding for Russian mob boss Viktor Federov.  And, it turns out that Ilsa is Federov's fiance.  Casey confronts her briefly, but he's really pissed about it – that she's alive.   

Casey does not want to talk about Ilsa.  Sarah is given the assignment staking out the hotel.  Chuck continues to ask about Ilsa, he wants to know about his former love.  Casey finally opens up a little bit, saying that they met in a flower market in Rome. 

Awesome opts to get the Washer and Dryer and Ellie comes home and is pissed about it.  Ellie storms out and wonders about their future together. Chuck tries to convince Casey to go back and get her, fight for Ilsa.  Chuck and Casey head to the hotel, on their way to get Ilsa, but they run into an undercover Sarah.  Chuck plays it off like they're volunteering for an all-night stake out.  Watching the surveillance cameras, Chuck and Casey see Ilsa alone in the bar, the night before her wedding.  Sarah gets recognized and has to fight her way out.  She radios Chuck and Casey to tell them they have to plant the video camera.  Casey is downstairs with Ilsa, so Chuck has to do it.  Chuck goes to the hotel room and plants the camera, but also looks inside a briefcase – he flashes on a picture of Ilsa.  She's the bad guy.  He hides when Casey and Ilsa enter the room.  Chuck is found out, he tries to warn Casey about Ilsa, but too late – she has her gun pointed at his head.

Ilsa is French Secret Service, so they're all on the same team, pretty much.  Viktor returns, and Casey and Chuck hide again.  Viktor quickly falls asleep.  Awesome plays poker with Morgan and all the Buy More nerds.  It turns out they're playing strip poker.  Weird.  The next morning at the Buy More, Ilsa shows up to see Casey.  She tries to explain what she's doing – trying to build a case against Viktor Federov.  He's pretty stubborn.  Ilsa says she wishes things could be different, gives a necklace back and then leaves.  Later, Chuck finds Casey in a drunken stupor in his underwear. 

Sarah comes over to the Bartowski's and finds Ellie in a drunken stupor (wine) alone.  Sarah is about to leave, but Ellie starts acting sad.  Casey drops the necklace and a small bug falls out.  Chuck recognizes it and Casey now thinks that Viktor knows that Ilsa is a spy.  Casey jumps up and heads out to the wedding, which is about to start.  Sarah gets a call from Chuck – Morgan is there to comfort Ellie.  Ellie falls asleep. 

Drunk Casey and Chuck walk into Ilsa's room.  They are surrounded by bunch of mobsters and are tied up.  Viktor is going to use Casey, Chuck and Ilsa to fake his own death.  Viktor goes down to his own wedding.  Later, Casey mocks the Russian goons until they get close enough to head butt.  A fight ensues until Chuck and Casey are kicked off their hotel room balcony into the pool.  They walk out of the pool, but the entire wedding party is pointing a gun at them.  Sarah shows up, puts her gun down and then kicks it to Ilsa, who points it at Viktor's head.  Ellie wakes up with Morgan next to her in bed.  Awesome comes home with an HDTV and apologizes.  Chuck watches Casey say goodbye to Ilsa – she's taking Viktor back to France in custody.  They make out.

A solid, by the numbers Chuck episode, which means I enjoyed.  Nothing in the way of mythology, save for some nice Casey back story.  Maybe Ilsa could become a recurring character.  I wouldn't mind.

Also Read Our Recap of Episode 13, "Chuck vs. the Marlin"


-Oscar Dahl, BuddyTV Senior Writer
(Image Courtesy of NBC)