Chuck – Recap & Review – Chuck Vs. The Role Models

photo: nbc

Chuck
Chuck Vs. The Role Models

Original Air Date: May 3, 2010

Jeff L – Staff Writer
JeffL@thetwocentscorp.com

Hey, our show isn’t doing too well in the ratings right now and we’re on the verge of possible cancellation. What do we do?

“I’ve got it,” someone on the Chuck staff shouts; “We’ll get some really hot guest stars and do some stunt casting for our final few episodes. I’m talking smoking hot,” he or she shouts. “In the 1970s,” the last part being quietly muttered under the Chuck-executive’s breath.

Don’t get me wrong. I love Fred Willard and Soosie Kurtz as much as the next guy, but you couldn’t really call casting them in guest staring roles a “get” unless you’re a Love Boat producer. They aren’t the kind of guest stars that get that 18-34 demo all riled up and ready to punch their Neilson boxes. I’m just sayin’.

Chuck Vs. The Role Models features a new open with Morgan doing the voice-over to a Chuck and Sarah version of Hart to Hart. Also a 1970’s tv show. It’s pretty cleaver if you’re my age, but I don’t think it’s going to get the kids all talking around the Red Bull cooler. The opening sequence turns out to be just a dream however. I guess Morgan must have watched a lot of late night television when he was four. The dream sends him into the kitchen where he stumbles upon the scantily clad (thank you!) Sarah having a late night snack. She’s been spending a lot of time at the Bartowski/Grimes abode of late and it looks like she’ll be there even more time there, because Chuck is going to ask her to move in.

Over in “Africa” (it didn’t even look like it was outside to me, more like some studio back lot) Ellie and Awesome are trying to settle in to their new Doctors Without Borders encampment. There’s all sorts of chaos and people with guns. Ellie is wondering if this was the right idea. Wasn’t the point of their going overseas to avoid gun trouble brought about by Chuck being a spy?

Back at Castle, General Grandma is still none-too-happy about the Bartowski-Walker power coupling. She’s decided that if they insist on being in a relationship they should learn from the best couple agent team the CIA has ever had. They will be shadowing Craig and Laura Turner (Willard and Kurtz) on their mission to retrieve some software that could crack CIA security protocols.

Casey tries to take his lack of assignment as an offer for some free time, but Grandma insists that he continue training Morgan. If he doesn’t get Grimes up to speed, she’s going to send both men back to basic training.

Chuck and Sarah await the Turners arrival. Chuck cleans, that’s what Bartowskis do when they are nervous apparently. When they finally arrive, the Turners greet the spies with “Oh God, it’s us 30 years ago.” The spies share stories and Chuck makes Craig (Laura doesn’t drink) a Manhattan – not as good as the Ambassador Hotel version – but serviceable. Eventually talk turns to the mission at hand. They will be attending a party hosted by Otto Von Vogel (our baddie du jour) that’s actually a smokescreen to meet potential buyers for the encryption software Von Vogel has created. The Turners will steal the software and Chuck and Sarah will watch and learn.

Over in the b-story, Morgan is put through the paces by Casey. He’s using the Spy More as Morgan’s training ground. Having him attempt to obtain an asset (girl’s phone number) on the fly, trying to steal Big Mike’s security card, etc.

That evening at the party, things don’t go according to plan. It turns out, Craig Turner is something of a hustler and his wife Laura, who claimed to be a teetotaler, is more of a lush. The two don’t exactly get the job done, but between Laura’s drinking and carrying on and Craig’s just carrying on – with some young ladies – Chuck and Sarah decide to use the diversion to steal the software themselves. It’s not as easy as one might assume, however, since the software is hidden in Von Vogel’s pet tiger’s collar.

Chuck and Sarah hide in the closet until the tiger falls asleep and Chuck makes his move, just as Morgan makes his move towards the sleeping Big Mike back at the Spy More. The shots are cleverly intercut to show the similarity between Chuck removing the tiger’s collar and Morgan removing Big Mikes security card from around his sleeping neck. Chuck is successful, Morgan however awakens his target and incurs the sleepy wrath of Big Mike.

There’s some more stuff with Ellie and Awesome in the Congo. They meet the leader of their team and he looks somewhat suspicious. I imagine we’ll be seeing more about this as the final few episodes of the season play out. Ellie eventually calls Chuck crying because she’s not handling it very well, meanwhile Awesome seems to be doing great in Africa.

Chuck and Sarah make their escape, but are met by the Turners who quickly pull guns on our spy couple and promptly steal back the stolen encryption software, admonishing Chuck to never trust anyone but his partner.

Sometime later at Castle, Sarah and Chuck explain to General Grandma that the Turners have gone rogue. Grandma refuses to believe that such a highly honored and distinguished team of agents would commit treason and she tasks Chuck and Sarah (these two need a Brangelina-type nickname. Any suggestions? Balker? Barker? Walkowki?) with tracking down the Turners. Back home Chuck and Sarah talk some more about moving in, but Sarah seems non-committal to the idea. Chuck is cleaning up the Manhattan glasses when the two are struck with an idea as to where the Turners might be hiding out: The Ambassador Hotel.

At the hotel, Chuck and Sarah distract the Turners with a room service cart while they enter their room from the balcony.

Back at Castle, Morgan and Casey are doing some target practice. Morgan knows all the technical specs of the weapons, which impresses Casey, though years of first person shooter video game knowledge, but when it comes time to actually firing a real gun, Morgan can’t handle it.

The younger spy-couple bring their would-be-mentors back to their apartment for questioning. The older-couple bickers a bit and claim to not have actually committed treason but they were thinking about it for the payday. Just then, there’s a knock at the door. It’s Otto Von Vogel, his tiger and a few henchmen. Von Vogel had a secret tracking device (tiger-LowJack?) on the collar. Chuck and Sarah cuff the Turners in the bathroom and lock them inside, as Von Vogel let’s his tiger sniff around for the lost collar and the older spies.

The tiger alerts on the bathroom door — which is kicked down only to find the handcuffs empty, the window open and the Turners nowhere to be found. Casey and Morgan enter the apartment complex discussing what Morgan will do now that he can’t handle a gun well enough to be a spy: perhaps competitive eating. Chuck and Sarah try to talk their way out, pointing out that the Turners have screwed them all over and that they should join forces to find the rouge CIA agents. Just then, the Turners enter through the back of the apartment with their own guns drawn.

Outside, Casey and Morgan spot the tiger roaming around the complex and Morgan springs into action to lure the tiger away. Casey tries to stop him, but Morgan runs and the tiger gives chase, directly into Ellie and Awesome’s apartment.

Back inside the apartment, the commotion with the tiger has distracted Von Vogel just long enough for Chuck to flash and take out the bad guy. Sarah, meanwhile, takes out his henchmen. The young spies grab the guns and it’s a standoff with the Turners now. Chuck offers to let the Tuners “escape” without the software but Sarah refuses to relent. The Turners can’t run and they stand down as Sarah takes them into custody to face the consequences.

Back at Castle during the mission debrief, Sarah explains that the Turners weren’t actually rogue, but they were doing a triple cross to route out Von Vogel. General Grandma knew it must have been something like that from such highly dedicated agents at the Turners. She hopes Chuck and Sarah have learned a thing or two from them because they are retiring after 30 years on the job.

Casey tells Morgan that he’s not going to have to quit being a spy. He was impressed by his actions with the tiger. He’s got balls. He’ll be ok. Later, Chuck and Morgan go to clean up after the tiger destroyed Ellie and Awesome’s place. Sarah shows up and offers to help clean, but she wants to start in “our” apartment. I guess she’s moving in after all.

Back in Africa, Awesome has a terrible fever and they’re getting a plane ready so the two can be rushed back to the states to a proper hospital. Once their jeep pulls away, the leader of the group makes a call and tells someone that he’s gotten rid of Awesome, he’s made it look like malaria and the wife “doesn’t suspect a thing.” Uh oh.

What did you think about “Chuck vs. the Role Models”? What do you think the Ring is planning with Ellie and Awesome? Were you even alive in the 1970s when these guest stars and Hart To Hart references played out? Please leave your comments, questions and thoughts in the comments section and be sure to check out TheTwoCents.com for all your TV recap needs.

Next week it’s “Chuck vs. the Tooth” so stay tuned and #SaveChuck.

Add to: Facebook | Digg | Del.icio.us | Stumbleupon | Reddit | Blinklist | Twitter | Technorati | Yahoo Buzz | Newsvine