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Chuck Versus the Aisle of Terror
Season 04, Episode 06
Aisle
Air Date October 25, 2010
Writer Craig DiGregorio
Director John Scott
Previous Chuck Versus the Couch Lock
Next Chuck Versus the First Fight
"You just hate saying goodbye like a normal person, don't you? "
―Chuck

Chuck Versus the Aisle of Terror is the sixth episode in the fourth season of Chuck, which aired on the October 25, 2010.

Synopsis[]

When Chuck, Sarah, Casey, and Morgan are tasked in stopping Dr. Stanley Wheelwright (Robert Englund) from selling his nightmare-inducing toxin, the team questions the allegiance of their source, Mary Bartowski (Linda Hamilton).

Meanwhile, Jeff and Lester have their own way of contributing to the Buy More's Halloween theme, while Ellie and Captain Awesome are visited by Devon's mother.

Full Story[]

Dr. Stanley Wheelwright walks through a secured area at Volkoff Industries when a guard (Roland Kickinger) stops him, Wheelwright claims he is just looking for the fitness center, but the guard grabs him and demands identification. Wheelwright uses an inhaler type device to spray a toxin into the guard's face. Wheelwright reveals to a security camera that his nerve gas, Atroxium, is fully functional and can send people into permanent nightmares. The observer, Mary Bartowski, emerges and claims that she knows a buyer in Los Angeles.

Two weeks later, immediately after the events of Chuck Versus the Couch Lock, Mary calls her son, and they arrange to meet for the first time in 19 years. As Chuck heads toward to Griffith Park, Mary stalks his backup, Sarah Walker, and they hold each other at gunpoint. Chuck interposes himself and asks they not shoot each other. Mary reveals that she is deep undercover in the Volkoff organization. She claims that there is no evidence of this, because her CIA records were expunged. She informs them that she broke cover so the CIA could obtain Wheelwright and the Atroxium, thinking it too dangerous to be available. She tells Chuck to explain the information to General Beckman by saying he flashed on Wheelwright. He is stunned, and she explains she knows all there is to know about Charles Carmichael. It is arranged for Chuck to pose as Volkoff's most trusted buyer, so Wheelwright can be taken into custody when he tries to sell the Atroxium. Beckman approves the mission, and Casey lets Morgan join the team after his help in Chuck Versus the Couch Lock. Chuck informs Casey and Morgan that he has found his mother.

Chuckfrost

Chuck freaks out as his mother crashes his mission

Chuck meets Wheelwright at a restaurant. As Wheelwright starts to talk about price, Mary arrives unexpectedly. Mary reveals Chuck as a CIA agent, and knowing that Chuck is wearing a ballistic vest, Mary shoots him. Sarah approaches them, but Mary shoots at her, as well as a security camera, disabling Morgan and Casey's security feed, and she and Wheelwright escape with the Atroxium.

Chuck feels betrayed after Mary apparently sabotages the mission and shoots him in the chest. Mary then shows up at the Buy More after closing and kidnaps Chuck at gunpoint. As he enters her car, he activates his tracking device. While she drives, she reveals that she shot him because she was trying to protect him and Ellie. With 'Carmichael' dead, Chuck's profile at Volkoff Industries is voided, and she will still give the CIA Wheelwright, as he is dangerous. She leads Chuck to Wheelwright's portable laboratory, where both he and the Atroxium are hidden. Chuck tells Mary he has activated his distress tracking device and she approves, "good boy," but before she flees, Chuck tells her she is going to be a grandmother. Sarah and Casey arrive to find Chuck, an unconscious Wheelwright, and the Atroxium.

With Wheelwright in custody at Castle, Chuck and Sarah starts dismantling the Atroxium's container. Suddenly, a timer starts counting down from five minutes. Wheelwright reveals that the only way to disarm it is with his thumbprint. Although he initially refuses to give it, he is convinced without much effort.

Aislearrest

"My mom dropped me off"

He reluctantly gives his thumbprint, but it instead of shutting it down, accelerates the countdown, and the toxin is released. Wheelwright reveals that, having been the human test subject for his own toxin, he has learned to give in to his insanity, and was no longer afraid of anything. Chuck locks down Castle, sealing Sarah safely out of the contamination zone despite being badly affected himself. He then takes Wheelwright to the Buy More for a promise of anti-toxin. Chuck puts the store on lock-down, when Wheelwright says he's going to kill Frost.

He hits Chuck with another dose from his inhaler device, and Chuck is all but paralyzed by terror. He hallucinates that Mary kills Sarah and then fires on him. Wheelwright and he stumble upon the "Aisle of Terror", which was designed to induce fear in fearless 'lunatics.' Chuck manages to gain control of the situation and displays various clinical 'terror-inducing' images for psychopaths, making Wheelwright susceptible to fear. Wheelwright runs out of the aisle and is taken down Sarah. Chuck manages to suppress the fear by closing his eyes until Wheelwright gives up the antitoxin. Wheelwright is again taken into custody.

Devon's mother, Dr. Honey Woodcomb (Morgan Fairchild), visits. Although they had booked Honey a hotel room, she cancels the room and stays at their apartment. She does many things that bother Ellie and Devon, such as over cleaning the apartment, and scoffing at teddy bears in favor of dictionaries. Devon offers to take Honey to the hotel, but Ellie decides that she could use some motherly advice.

Mary goes to watch Ellie while she is shopping with Devon and Honey. After Honey buys the unborn baby a dictionary in lieu of a teddy bear that Devon wanted to buy, Ellie admits that, although Honey is overwhelming, she is glad to have a mother figure. Mary hears this comment and is apparently affected by it. She buys the toy and contacts Chuck to arrange for her and Ellie to meet one last time before she goes back undercover. Ellie and Chuck wait for Mary at a restaurant.

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A terrified Chuck with Wheelwright

Meanwhile, Casey searches for information on Project Isis with Pierce, an expert on expunged missions. Casey informs Morgan that Mary was telling the truth, to keep Morgan from telling Chuck the real truth: Project Isis ended 20 years ago after Mary went rogue. As Mary goes to meet Chuck and Ellie, she is captured by several masked individuals. Chuck attempts to rescue her, and he unmasks one of the captors: Sarah. Sarah tells him that she is protecting his "blind spot", and Mary is taken away. Chuck then reveals to Ellie the truth about Mary being a spy.

Meanwhile[]

At the Buy More, Morgan is unable to plan the holiday decor due to a CIA mission. He delegates this task to Jeff Barnes and Lester Patel. They decorate the store with various generic Halloween decorations like pumpkins, witches, and scarecrows, which they resent. However, the main attraction is the "Aisle of Terror." Jeff is inspired by a psychology experiment he underwent at UCLA. Jeff was a "mentally disturbed" subject in this study of his subconscious, receiving a sandwich as compensation. The Aisle of Terror displays various images proven to inflict terror on the psychotic, including public showers, babies in snail costumes, old people, inter-species relations, black licorice, man feet, and otters.

Although Morgan and Chuck are underwhelmed by the Aisle and tell them to keep the customers out of it, it later becomes vital in defeating Dr. Wheelwright. Wheelwright ends up infecting Chuck with Atroxium, causing him to gibber in terror. Wheelwright leads Chuck into the Aisle of Terror, but this works against him, and causes Wheelwright to be lost in his worst fears as Chuck moves through the photos, ending up being rendered unconscious when Sarah takes him down.

Guest Stars[]

Trivia[]

  • There are numerous tips of the hat to guest star Robert Englund status as a horror icon, particularly for originating the role of Freddy Kreuger.
  • The effects of the Atroxium, as well as the camera shaking and sound effects used to represent it, are a reference to the Scarecrow's toxin in the film Batman Begins.
  • The scene where Chuck warns his mother about pointing a gun at him while driving is a reference to the scene in Pulp Fiction where Vincent accidentally shoots Marvin and blames it on Jules hitting a pothole.

Quotes[]

Chuck: Hey, hey, hey! Hey, there, how you guys doing?
Mary Bartowski: You brought someone. I told you to come alone.
Chuck: No, no, no. Technically not just someone, this is my girlfriend, Sarah. Sarah this is my mom, Mary. I don't know how to say this exactly, but please don't kill each other.

~

Sarah: Did you honestly think he would come alone?
Mary: I thought maybe he would trust me.
Chuck: Okay, you know what, considering you left me when I was, oh, I don't know, nine years old, and I still don't know if you're good or bad, I think I have every right to have a mother issue or two right now.

~

Chuck: My heart hurts.
Sarah: I know. I can't believe your mom betrayed you like that.
Chuck: No. No, my heart actually hurts. She shot me in the heart area.

Music[]

  • "Evacuate The Dance Floor" by Cascada
  • "The Boogie Monster" by Gnarls Barkley
  • "One Life Stand" by Hot Chip
  • "Dead Hearts" by Stars
  • "Dance Little Bird" by The Tweets
  • "Dance Of the Sugarplum Fairies" by Tchaikovksy

External Links[]

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