Chuck vs the Push Mix

Original air date: January 31, 2011

Season 4, episode 13

Synopsis

Chuck, Morgan, and Alex are visiting Casey in the hospital; Ellie comes by with an update telling them Casey appears to be in a coma. They hear him try to speak; he whispers “pants”. They search his pants and find the partial fake eyeball that Sarah gave to Casey during their fight. Chuck flashes on it and gets the name of the engineer who designed it, Ronnie Eimacher.

Chuck asks Casey where it came from and he whispers, “Sarah”.

Sarah and Mary enter Volkoff’s office to find where he transferred the Hydra network when he downloaded it from the fake eye. While Sarah works on the computer information, Mary receives a call from Volkoff that she answers so he won’t be suspicious. They leave after finding that the network is with the “Contessa”.

In Castle, Chuck asks General Beckman about the progress Mary and Sarah are making. He is told they are meeting a woman called the “Contessa”. Beckman then forbids Chuck from being involved in the operation, as he is too emotionally involved. 

Chuck then decides he and Morgan have to step in with their own plan, using office supplies. At the same time, Mary and Sarah are also determined to end this mission. Especially Mary, who doesn’t want Chuck and Sarah to turn into her and Stephen Bartowski. At Volkoff Industries, Volkoff is met with a power failure and then his monitor in his office has a message-” Hello, Volkoff, I want my wife back”.

It is signed “ORION”.

He believes that Orion is still alive and calls Mary and Sarah to bring them aboard his ship. His ship is the “Contessa,” and Hydra is stored there. Lester and Jeff overhear the whole conversation about the music mix and grab it out of Devon’s bag as he leaves. They want to bring Jeffster into the plan. Chuck also gave Devon the CIA phone number to call in case he needs any help when Ellie goes into labor.

Chuck and Morgan, to begin their plan, apprehend Eimacher to interrogate him but have the wrong guy in their poorly disguised bathroom at Chuck’s apartment. He looks similar but is the wrong guy. They next nab the correct guy and discover that he was kidnapped and held against his will to work for Volkoff. He tells them he worked aboard the “Contessa” and tells them it is a ship, not a person.

Chuck and Morgan swim around and board the Contessa, but Morgan doesn’t wear any clothes under his snorkel gear, so he squeaks as he moves. They find Sarah and Mary, joining forces to carry out their plans. 

While Chuck searches for the code to get into the server room, Morgan opens the access door and gets trapped in the hall where there are lasers to guard the data.

He uses his recently acquired yoga skills to work around the lasers but loses his wetsuit in the process. When Morgan gets the outer door open, he is successfully at the other end but in his underwear. 

Sarah gives him her coat to put on while Chuck works at one panel in the room and Mary works at another one. She is trying to upload the Hydra data to a CIA server but discovers that a voice password is required from Volkoff. 

Devon is working out when Ellie walks in and tells him she is in labor. Devon panics as he tries to gather what they need to go to the hospital and can’t find the push mix CD Chuck made for them. He finds the number Chuck gave him and the CIA arrives in seconds to drive them.

Volkoff arrives as Mary and Chuck are trying to download the Hydra data; he recites his passcode to the computer: “Death is the solution to all problems”. He intends to kill them all but Mary helps Chuck, Morgan, and Sarah to escape while she stays behind. 

Mary is with Volkoff; he shows her the messages he has been getting from Orion.  She tells him she has no idea what he is talking about but says that Stephen was on her mind the whole time she was with him.

Even though she betrayed him, Volkoff then kills one of his men who struck Mary during her attempt to fight back. Volkoff tells her he is going to kill Stephen and return to her with his body.

At the hospital, Casey wakes up and talks with Alex. She tells him she wants her dad to stick around. They hold hands.

Ellie is admitted and is giving the staff some instructions while Devon freaks out.

At Orion’s Twin Pines cabin, Volkoff finds Chuck waiting for him.  Chuck knocks Volkoff out and ties him up. When he wakes up, Chuck threatens him with a gun, but Volkoff says he has access to everyone Chuck cares about.

Men have all his loved ones. Volkoff escapes his bonds and knocks Chuck down. The men sent to all Chuck’s loved ones begin the process of eliminating them.  Casey is ready for the hitman and successfully defeats the attempt. 

Chuck tells Volkoff he can’t believe Volkoff hasn’t figured the solution out yet; Volkoff asks what solution. Chuck then reveals he fell for a setup – using Volkoff’s words for the voice code. When Volkoff tries to shoot Chuck, he discovers the gun isn’t loaded. Meanwhile, Sarah attacks the guards with Mary and rescues her.

Volkoff thinks he has Chuck overmatched, but Chuck reveals that the cabin is surrounded by US military. Beckman is at the door; she enters to arrest Volkoff. 

Morgan rushes in to tell Chuck that Ellie is having the baby. Beckman loans him a helicopter to get him to the hospital in time. Volkoff asks Chuck to request that Mary come visit him as he is led out.

Ellie makes Devon get his act together; he takes a break and walks to the nursery. Casey sees him there and tells him not to make the same mistake he did, not being there for his child.

Jeffster enters the hospital but is not allowed past the desk. Lester grabs the PA mic and begins their performance for Ellie’s delivery. Casey and Ellie hear them and cringe; Jeffster is escorted out.

The Bartowski clan arrives for Ellie’s childbirth. Casey greets them in the hall and Sarah apologizes for almost killing him. He tells her he is glad she is back.

Casey thinks that Alex has left; she hasn’t and arrives with Morgan to keep Casey company. 

When everyone arrives at Ellie’s room, Chuck tells Mary to go in to be will Ellie. She is thrilled that her mom arrived and is there for the baby.

Chuck and Sarah are waiting in the corridor outside the room. The janitor is busy cleaning the hospital floor with a buffer. Chuck looks at Sarah, strokes her hair, and reaches into his pocket and pulls out the box with her engagement ring. As the floor buffer hums away, Chuck gets on one knee in front of Sarah and shows her the ring. She slides forward in her seat and embraces him as the camera pulls back. 

Points of Interest

• Chuck didn’t forget Casey’s story about his proposal in a bus station. “Forget the balcony, Bartowski. All you need is the girl”. Chuck proposes to Sarah in the corridor of the hospital while the floor is being cleaned by the janitor in front of him.
• This episode was originally meant to be the season finale, and possibly the series finale, as there were no signs that any more episodes would be ordered by the network when this was written.
• Morgan has shown that he is advancing in his spy training. Working at self-defense classes and yoga to better himself to help the team.
• Chris Fedak and Josh Schwartz believe the last 10 minutes of this episode are the best 10 minutes ever made of the show.
• The TVs in the Buy More have baby videos as Ellie’s push mix is planned.
• “I don’t want you to become me, and I will not allow my son to become his Father. So, tonight, it ends”. Mary Bartowski tells Sarah that their mission ends on the Contessa that night.
• Chuck beats Volkoff using his brain and not the Intersect. Another proof that he has become a real spy.
• Alex and Casey are bonded after this episode. Casey is never the same.
• Dr Adler is paged to Ellie’s room for the delivery. Ali Adler is a writer on the show.

References

• Back to the Future – Twin Pines is the name of the mall where Doc Brown conducts his time travel experiments. It is the name of Orion’s cabin.
• Coldplay – Jeff and Lester insult them directly, regarding the push mix.

Music

Rad Anthem – Rad Omen: Casey tells Chuck and Morgan he got the eye from Sarah; Morgan performs yoga on the Contessa.

Got a Nerve – Grand Vanity: Devon panics when Ellie goes into labor.

Push it- Salt-N-Pepa: Jeffster performs over the hospital PA; Chuck, Morgan and Sarah arrive at the hospital.

Young Blood – The Naked and the Famous: Chuck urges Mary to go see Ellie and the baby; Chuck proposes to Sarah in the hospital hallway.