Chuck Versus the Cubic Z

Chuck Versus the Cubic Z
Season 04, Episode 03

Air Date	October 4, 2010
Writer	Nicholas Wootton
Director	Norman Buckley
Previous	Chuck Versus the Suitcase
Next	Chuck Versus the Coup d'Etat

"I don't know that I'd exactly call that lining silver as much as copper, or zinc, or manganese...."

―Chuck

Chuck Versus the Cubic Z is the third episode of of the fourth season of Chuck, which aired on October 4, 2010.

Synopsis[]

A prison transfer delivers old foes, Heather Chandler and Hugo Panzer (Nicole Richie and "Stone Cold" Steve Austin), to Castle, and derails Chuck and Sarah’s scheduled romantic mission. Chuck is interested when the manipulative Heather claims to know a secret about his mom.

Meanwhile, as Morgan prepares the Buy More for a huge video game release, he gets a surprise from Big Mike.

Guest starring Stacy Keibler as the new Greta.

Full Story[]

Hugo Panzer and Heather Chandler are being transported by an armored truck when the truck breaks down. The driver calls his superior and reports that the farthest they can make it before the truck is repaired will be 10 miles. They are directed to the Burbank Buy More.

Sarah and Casey are sparring in Castle when General Beckman informs them that they must harbor the prisoners until a helicopter transport arrives. This cancels a trip to Monaco for Sarah and Chuck. Chuck is deeply disappointed, and it only gets worse when the prisoner turns out to be Panzer, who knows him from Chuck Versus First Class, and who immediately tries to attack him.

After Chuck flashes on Chandler, and learns she is connected to Alexei Volkoff, and she's had contact with his mother, he and Sarah begin to interrogate her.

While they discuss Chandler's demand of witness protection, Panzer escapes his guards with a sharpened rolled-up newspaper and attempts to kill Chandler with a sub-machine gun. After they lock him out of Chandler's holding cell, she reveals that it was Volkoff's $500 million deal she ruined in Chuck Versus the Cougars because the plans for the bomber were for him. Volkoff had arranged for Chandler and Panzer to be on the same transfer, so Panzer could kill her. Casey, stuck in the Buy More, is apprised of the situation in Castle. The new Greta arrives in Castle and is ordered by Casey to incapacitate Panzer, but he quickly knocks her unconscious.

Panzer puts Castle in lock down and opens the cell doors. Casey uses a fire override from the outside, so that Heather, Chuck, and Sarah can escape in the ventilation system. When Panzer follows them, Casey gives them directions to escape him. When Panzer finally catches up with them, Chandler attempts to escape. Sarah beats Heather to the ground while Chuck holds off Hugo. Chuck flashes on self-defense techniques when Hugo grabs his tie and pushes Panzer down an air duct. Casey manages to sneak up and capture him. Heather and Hugo, bound and ready for transport, are taken to the roof where the helicopter finally arrives. When Panzer is seen smiling, they realize it is actually an ambush by Volkoff's men. Chuck follows Panzer, who has escaped his restraints and enters another air duct. After Casey is shot in the leg, Volkoff's men demand Chandler. Chandler offers to sacrifice herself, but Sarah releases and arms her, and she joins in the gunfight. After the threats seems neutralized, Heather and Sarah hold each other at gunpoint - then Heather uses her last round to kill a Volkoff operative sneaking up on Sarah.

Chuck catches up with Hugo, but he hesitates to shoot due to being so close to the store's gas line. The duct collapses into the cage in Buy More's repair department. After they brutally beat each other with various items, Panzer uses his body weight and defeats Chuck by simply falling back on him. Panzer attempts to exit the store while Big Mike lectures the customers on manners, and Mike threatens to make an example out of him. Panzer dares him to do so and uses Morgan as a human shield, but Mike manages to tase Hugo and release Morgan.

As Chandler and Panzer are finally transported away, Heather relents, and reveals what little she knows about Frost: that when she met her in "Operation Beacon", she was very close to Volkoff himself.

Chuck and Sarah finally get to talk after Panzer and Chandler are transported away. As they discuss the rules in their relationship, Big Mike's engagement ring for Bolonia Grimes slides through the vent onto the floor. Chuck kneels down and picks up the ring, giving the appearance that he is proposing to Sarah, leaving them both in an awkward state of shock.

Meanwhile, Morgan Grimes and Greta prepare for the midnight release of the popular video game "Spy Attack", for which fanboys have camped outside the store for a week. Former manager Big Mike arrives and is rehired to help with the launch. Morgan then learns that the store is only receiving six copies of the game. He has Jeff and Lester distract the customers with poetry while he tries to negotiate more copies. When Morgan fails to get more copies, and Lester's poetry fails to distract the customers, they reluctantly reveal the predicament. The customers riot.

Big Mike admonishes the crowd and stops the riot. When Hugo Panzer attempts to escape, Mike decides to make an example out of him and tasers him. He is subsequently promoted to assistant manager. As the employees clean the trashed store, Big Mike's engagement ring for Ms. Grimes is swept into the vent.

Morgan has been avoiding his mother's house so he wouldn't have to face Big Mike and is worried when Mike arrives looking like he's mad. However, Big Mike reveals his is proud of Morgan. He has realized that Morgan's mother is the source of his happiness and reveals his intention to propose to her with a half-carat, pear cut cubic zirconium. Morgan hires him as a "green shirt" and Big Mike entrusts Morgan with the ring.

Later, when the customer's start a riot, the ring becomes lost on the floor and repeatedly kicked. After Morgan fails to find the ring, he gives Mike permission to marry his mother and promotes him assistant manager. The ring is then swept into a vent and slides down to Castle.

Guest Stars[]

Trivia[]

The title is a reference to the cubic zirconium engagement ring Big Mike intends to propose to Morgan's mother with.
Lester starts talking about a poetry slam - "Brace yourselves for a free-form, no-holds-barred... poetry slam!" - then, comes out with a slam poem: "The flea-ridden masses infest my house / Do I cry, perchance to die? / No, McFly! / This game-launch will not be televised!", the last part of which is a reference to the Gil Scott-Heron poem and song, "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised", from 1970, which Scott-Heron recited to a 'poetry slam' beat. Scott-Heron's title, in its turn, was originally a popular slogan among the 1960s Black Power movements in the US.
Nicole Richie’s character name, Heather Chandler, is a reference to the movie Heathers.

Quotes[]

Morgan: If something was to go down, there is a CIA presence lurking about in the form of John Casey, oh, and the new Greta.

Chuck: The new Greta? [Greta arrives, Chuck gives her a surprised once over] Hello, Greta!

Greta: We're all set for the game launch Mr. Grimes, any further tasks for me?

Chuck [to Morgan]: Filter. Filter.

Morgan: Nope. Nope. Carry on. Well done.

~

Sarah: Another Purple Heart, Casey.

Casey: I'm fine. Gonna be laid up for a while.

Sarah Paid vacation.

Casey: Mmmm. Can't stand the silence.

Sarah: Well, maybe you could use the time to meet up with Alex, figure out what your role is in her life.

Casey: Mmmm. Why don't you do the same for Bartowski so we can get back to normal around here?

Deleted scenes[]

The Season 4 DVD contains the following deleted scene from this episode:

Hugo calling Alexei Volkoff to inform that Heather got away with two agents and that he'll follow them.

Music[]

“Don’t Shoot (I’m a Man)” by Devo
“Beat The Devil’s Tattoo” by Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
“Land of The Freak” by King Khan and the Shrines
“In The Valley” by Chief