| Chuck Versus the Other Guy | |
| Season 3, Episode 13 | |
 | |
| Air Date | April 5, 2010 |
| Writer | Chris Fedak |
| Director | Peter Lauer |
| Previous | "Chuck Versus the American Hero" |
| Next | "Chuck Versus the Honeymooners" |
- "It means you haven't changed, you're still Chuck. You're still my Chuck."
- ―Sarah
Chuck Versus the Other Guy is the thirteenth episode of the third season of Chuck, which aired on the 5th of April, 2010.
Synopsis 
Edit
Chuck, Sarah, and Shaw reunite to find the Ring operative behind the death of Shaw's wife. Sarah has faith that Shaw is ready for the mission, but Chuck is worried about his emotional stability. Shaw then tries to kill Sarah but Chuck is there to save her. Chuck eventually kills Shaw by shooting him with a gun, making it Chuck's first official kill with a weapon. Chuck saves Sarah before Shaw can pull her off the bridge with him as he falls.
The next day, Sarah wakes up and Chuck starts explaining why he killed Shaw, but Sarah simply says "You saved me" and they kiss.
Full Story Edit
As the episode opens, Shaw has taken Sarah to a warehouse where he claims the Director has been tracked. The two break into the facility and Shaw leads her down into its lower levels, where he deliberately separates from Sarah and leaves her alone to find video equipment playing a looped recording of the film shown to him by the Director. Sarah recognizes it as her red test, and Shaw reveals to her that the woman she killed was his wife, Evelyn. He tells the stunned Sarah that he knows she wasn't to blame and that she was set up by her superiors to make the kill. Meanwhile, Chuck is panicking over Sarah's situation and turns to Casey for help, but Casey is still discouraged by civilian life. Chuck manages to convince him to help when Sarah's emergency locator activates. With contact information provided by Casey, Chuck launches an assault on the warehouse complex, complete with squads and a tank, only to arrive and find Shaw hugging Sarah in apparent forgiveness. It is then that his squad bursts in.
Back at Castle, Chuck is reprimanded by Beckman for his unauthorized use of the strike team, although Shaw defends his actions to protect his partner, stating that he's acting like a true spy. He also inquires who set up Sarah's red test. Beckman says that Director Graham took the secret to his grave. Furthermore, she says that the team must be disbanded, as they can't work with such history. Shaw defends that the Ring has turned people against them before and it's better that they go after the Director and take out the Ring together.
At the Buy More, Morgan believes that he is going to be made a full member of Team Bartowski, subsequently tenders his resignation to Big Mike. Seeing this from afar, Jeff and Lester see this as an opportunity. When Casey confronts him, it turns out that Casey is actually beginning settle in with the Buy More. Morgan then leaves, telling Casey to enjoy "my old life," a sentiment Casey mirrors.
Meanwhile, Chuck calls Beckman, trying to point out that it is obvious that Shaw would be an emotional train wreck. She brushes off his concerns, saying that Shaw is a complete professional, unlike him. Beckman orders Sarah and Shaw to Washington to head up the search for the Director, and benches Chuck until she decides what to do with him.
Morgan intervenes
Sarah then tells him they have a mission and takes him to meet Shaw at a facility where the Director is operating. The mission needs a third man and Sarah chooses Chuck. Chuck is unsure of Shaw, but goes along with the attempt to apprehend the Director by breaking into his private elevator while Shaw provides security. Chuck tells Sarah his skepticism, but it quickly evaporates when Shaw defeats two Ring operatives attempting to stop him. Chuck and Sarah confront the Director, who reveals that the Ring has developed its own prototype of the Intersect Cipher, and carefully manipulates the situation to create a Mexican standoff between Sarah, Chuck, and two of his operatives. He then reveals that they have walked into a trap when several additional Ring agents arrive and force Chuck and Sarah to stand down. Shaw arrives and kills the Director's men, and offers to cover their withdrawal while he retrieves the Cipher. The elevator doors close, leaving Chuck and Sarah outside as they hear a gunshot. However, after they leave the facility it is revealed that the entire incident was staged by the Director, and Shaw has in fact joined the Ring.
The team debriefs at Castle, and Beckman this time reprimands Shaw for apparently killing the Director, but Chuck comes to his defense, saying he saved their lives. Beckman reveals that the Ring's Cipher is flawed, and based on the components, was manufactured in Paris. Beckman orders Shaw and Sarah to follow-up, Chuck is to stay where he is.
Chuck returns home, and while Morgan is unconvinced of Shaw's motives, Chuck is confident of Sarah's loyalty. However, when, he shows Morgan security footage of Shaw defeating several Ring operatives in hand-to-hand combat, Morgan stops the video when he notices that none of Shaw's attacks actually connected. Furthermore, when asked if Chuck has actually seen any blood or grey matter from wounds during the mission, Chuck realizes that Shaw really has turned.
Chuck attempts to contact Beckman with this discovery, but she angrily suspends Chuck when she sees Morgan in Castle, leaving the two to help Sarah alone. Morgan reminds Chuck they have one more asset they can count on: Casey. Morgan makes a motivational speech to Casey, seeing that he's following his old footsteps. This is enough to convince Casey to get back on his feet. On the flight to Paris, Chuck tries flashing on any information pertinent to stopping Shaw but all what he gets is info from ten years ago. Casey assures him that he doesn't need an Intersect to figure it out, he's a smart guy. Chuck then studies the files again.
Meanwhile, Shaw takes Sarah to the street where Evelyn was killed and Sarah realizes he has been turned by the Ring, he then poisons her with a paralytic agent. The Director reveals the CIA suspected Eve may have been turned, so CIA Director Graham ordered Sarah's red test to eliminate her. Shaw turns over all his technical data on the Intersect to the Director, who leaves so Shaw can finish Sarah off.
Chuck and Casey arrive, and while Casey deals with the Director, Chuck confronts Shaw, having determined from all his files that every year, Shaw comes to Paris to the site of his wife's death. Therefore, logically, he would've wanted Sarah to see it too. The two fight, but even with the Intersect, with his emotions compromised, Chuck is unable to defeat Shaw, and is soon defeated. Shaw apologizes and assures Chuck that he is not at fault, and promises not to reveal his identity as the Intersect if he does not interfere.
Chuck will not allow Sarah to be hurt, and picks up a gun and pursues anyway, confronting Shaw on a bridge where Shaw intends to throw Sarah into the river. Chuck tries to reason with Shaw, but Shaw is convinced Chuck is incapable of shooting him and cannot abandon his own desire for revenge for Eve's death. With no other options, and to save Sarah's life, Chuck shoots Shaw three times in the chest. Shawhe topples over the bridge, trying to pull Sarah over the edge with him into the river below, but is stopped by Chuck who watches as Shaw falls into the water.
Casey, meanwhile, video-calls Beckman, who firmly states that he no longer works for her and unless the Buy More has a sale, they have nothing to talk about. She reverses her comment when she learns that Casey has captured the Ring Director and asks what he wants in exchange for him. Casey requests that he be fully reinstated with his old rank back, a new Crown Victoria, and a "request that [she is] probably not going to like".
Morgan, meanwhile, is sitting in Big Mike's office asking for his job back. Big Mike reveals to Morgan that he couldn't bear to open the assistant manager position up and that the job was waiting for him all along. Big Mike and Morgan share a bonding moment and they settle on Morgan calling him Dad. As Morgan is walking out of the door, he receives a phone call from General Beckman who offers him a spot on Team Bartowski. He thinks it is a joke, but Beckman states that the NSA does not joke. Morgan goes to quit again but Beckman reminds him that he has to stay to maintain his cover.
Finally
Back in Paris, Chuck explains everything to Sarah who is not disappointed that he killed Shaw to save her. As they kiss, they are interrupted by Beckman on the computer, who wants them back in Burbank ASAP. They turn the computer around and close the screen but when, Chuck tries to object, Sarah tells him to "shut up and kiss me" as he climbs into bed, the camera pans to the Eiffel Tower.
Guest Stars Edit
- Brandon Routh as Daniel Shaw
- Mark Sheppard as the Ring Director
- Bonita Friedericy as General Diane Beckman
Trivia Edit
- When Chuck asks Sarah if she loves her, she says "yes" four different times. In the previous episode, Chuck says "I love you" to Sarah four different times when asking her to run away with him.
QuotesEdit
Morgan: You are on the precipice of emotional ruin here!
Chuck: I'm already over the edge!
Morgan: No you're not! Soon you're going to start quoting liberally from the works of John Hughs and then things are going to go dark! Things are going to go really dark, and I'm not gonna let that happen!
~
Chuck: But earlier on in my... drunken haze... I realized I hadn't asked you a question, a really important question. I'd like to ask you now if that's okay. Just once for the record... Sarah, do you love me? [Long pause] Wow. I'm, uh, in my underwear. I'm sitting in my underwear holding a plastic guitar. There's a very good chance I'm making a complete fool of myself, isn't there?
Sarah: Yes.
Chuck: I should probably put some pants on.
Sarah: No, Chuck... Yes.
Chuck: What?... uh, What?
Sarah: Chuck, I fell for you a long, long time ago. After you fixed my phone, and before you started defusing bombs with viruses. So, yes. Yes.
~
Chuck [to Morgan]: Right now I need a team and you're all I've got, buddy, okay. CIA or no CIA we need to save Sarah, just the two of us.
Morgan: No. There is another.
~
Casey [to Chuck]: Focus! Forget the intersect, forget about being a spy. Before all of that you were smart. You're gonna take this intel, you're gonna figure out where Sarah is. It's what you have to do.
Music Edit
- "Kettering" by The Antlers
- "If You Leave" by OMD
- "Bye Bye Bye" by Plants and Animals
