Original air date February 9, 2010

Season 3 episode 7

Synopsis

A black-clad man drops on a line to grab a golden mask in a room. A screw drops onto the floor below him, and the room’s security system seals the man into the room while removing the oxygen from the room. The man removes his mask and asks Casey if the Intersect is busy. It’s Daniel Shaw.

Chuck and Hannah are in the Buy More discussing install jobs. Hannah wants to go on the next one. Sarah walks in and tells Chuck that Shaw is trapped and needs his help. Hannah sees them and asks Morgan who Chuck is talking to. Morgan tells her that she is Chuck’s ex.  As Chuck rushes off, Hannah follows him.

Chuck gets to the museum and starts to override the computers to reset the system while Sarah and Casey try to rescue Shaw from above. Casey wants to blow the top hatch with explosives, which could kill Shaw. Hannah arrives in the computer room, and Chuck accepts her help, desperate to rescue Shaw. They are able to reboot the computer and hug in celebration. The museum curator asks Chuck and Hannah to attend the mask unveiling to make sure the security works properly. Chuck agrees with his new partner, Hannah.

Back in Castle, Shaw brings Sarah coffee, commenting on how he notices she likes to chew on the stir stick. Sarah removes the stick and tosses it. Shaw then tells the team the mask and other pieces of art are used by the Ring to smuggle contraband and weapons. They will replace the mask with a replica, Sarah and Shaw will attend the  opening. Casey will take surveillance, and Chuck will work with Hannah. Sarah objects to involving a civilian in the operation, but Chuck assures them he will take care of Hannah.

Morgan arrives at Ellie’s apartment to discuss Chuck’s secretive behavior. Morgan concludes that Chuck’s breakup with Sarah has driven him back into his depression, and his secretive behavior is to hide it from his loved ones. They agree Morgan will keep watch.

The team, with Hannah working with Chuck, gears up for the mission. While at the opening, Shaw makes moves on Sarah while explaining that he is just scanning for security cameras. Chuck and Hannah are in the computer room. Chuck is reading a pamphlet on the mask, and Hannah draws his attention to tell him she came to the Buy More because of him. Telling him she hopes she isn’t too forward, she leans in to kiss him. She then sees Sarah on the security monitor and asks Chuck why his ex is there. Chuck sees a man and flashes. Vassilis is a Ring operative who traffics in stolen goods.

Chuck rushes out to tell Sarah and Shaw, leaving Hannah in the control room. Shaw tells them he has a history with Vassilis and needs to leave so their cover is intact. Crashing the computer system to advance their mission, Chuck then works with Sarah at the hatch to lower her in to steal the mask.

Vassilis and his men prepare to do the same. At the hatch, a Ring operative finds Chuck holding Sarah, and they fight. Chuck falls into the room and dangles. Hannah is working to fix the computer, and the vault starts to open. Shaw works against Hannah and closes the vault. They both frantically type away for control of the room. Sarah defeats the agent, she and Chuck swipe the mask and replace it with the replica. Chuck successfully retreats back into the ceiling as the vault opens.

Chuck runs back to the control room where Hannah is angry. She saw him go off with Sarah. He reassures her that he and Sarah just have a unique relationship. Hannah expresses regret for kissing him. Chuck tries to apologize, but Hannah rejects him, saying their relationship will be kept professional.

Ellie and Morgan meet, and Morgan tells her about Chuck abandoning his partner at the museum. Morgan wants to sit down with Chuck and have an intervention but doesn’t say anything when Chuck walks into the room.

At the museum, Vassilis is looking at the tapes of the mask theft. He sees Chuck with Hannah and Sarah, thinking he used Sarah to access the vault and Hannah to break into the computer system. He sees Hannah works at the Buy More.

Morgan is talking to Hannah at the store. He tells her about the complaint from the museum and sees she is upset. He offers his friendship. 

Vassilis calls the store and tells Morgan the museum needs Hannah to return for more computer work. Morgan sends her, knowing he will score some points for sending her on her own job.

When Shaw brings Sarah more coffee in Castle, she chews him out. They are just colleagues and that is it. Vassilis meets Hannah at the museum, pretending to be the curator, and takes her to the vault, locking her in. He sets off the security system that removes the oxygen from the room. He then calls Chuck to tell him his girlfriend is in danger and he wants the mask. Chuck tells Morgan he is leaving for an emergency install and escapes down the trap door in the theater room. Morgan tries to follow but misses where he went.

While checking out the mask, Shaw accidentally opens a door in the base and a canister rolls out. Gas sprays from the canister and Castle shuts down to contain the gas. Chuck is outside, Sarah and Shaw inside. The Castle computer informs them the gas is a deadly poison. Chuck flashes on the name and knows what the counteragent is but they need it within the hour or Shaw and Sarah will die. Thinking the counteragent is also in some art piece at the museum, Chuck calls Casey to get ready to head back. As he leaves, Chuck shares a look with Sarah and nods, confident he will save them.

Casey and Chuck plot to trick Vassilis into thinking he has been gassed so he will reveal the counteragent. Shaw and Sarah begin to suffer the effects of the gas, Shaw admitting to Sarah that he was hitting on her. Sarah tells him she overreacted. Sarah passes out but the computer system has contained the gas so Shaw picks her up and carries her out of Castle.

Hannah has little time left; there is very little oxygen in the vault room. Chuck confronts Vassilis and tries to talk him into releasing Hannah. Unsuccessful, he drops the mask to release the fake gas, only to discover Vassilis doesn’t know where the counteragent is. They break vases, but Chuck then flashes on the correct one and smashes it over the agent’s head.

Chuck releases Hannah and tells Casey he needs to take the antidote to Sarah. Casey starts to rush out but finds Shaw carrying Sarah into the museum, Shaw gives her the antidote, then takes it himself. Hannah begins to regain consciousness as Chuck rushes in to check on her. He apologizes, and she tells him to forget what she had said the other night; he just saved her life.

 Vassilis wakes up, recognizes Shaw, and escapes.

At Castle, Shaw and Casey tell Chuck he did a great job. When Chuck tries to credit the team, Shaw tells him that the Intersect is supposed to make a spy autonomous, able to function alone; the team is just for his training. 

Sarah sees he is a bit upset and asks him if he’s okay. She tells him eventually the team will just hold him back, be in his way, and not just professionally. He asks her if she is okay with him being with Hannah, and she replies that she is. He tells her that she and Shaw are ‘disgusting together’ but in a heartwarming way.

“If I have to see you with someone else, it may as well be a hero, right?” Chuck asks her.

 “What can I say, I have a type,” she says. As Chuck walks away, she looks to be fighting back tears.

Ellie and Morgan go to the Buy More after hours to have an intervention with Chuck. They see a light on in the theater room and find Chuck and Hannah making out. Relieved that his secret is a new girlfriend, Ellie is happy. Morgan is crushed; he wanted Hannah for himself.

In Castle, Sarah and Shaw are doing paperwork, glancing at each other. Casey leaves for the night, but they are staying to finish. Casey seems to know that isn’t really what is happening.

Vassilis enters a spotlight in a darkened room. The Ring Council Chamber holds the Ring leaders, all in shadow. He asks what they want to do about Shaw, and they tell him the same as what we will do with you. He is shot on the spot.

Points of Interest

• This episode became very controversial, for several reasons. At the time of airing, the Olympics pre-empted Chuck for almost a month after this episode. The shock of Chuck and Sarah both choosing other romantic partners did not sit well with a portion of the fan base. Additionally, the resolution, which would have happened fairly quickly under normal circumstances, took many weeks to play out. The logic of the plot was also a topic for many.
• Chuck vs the Podcast had an interview with tv critic Maureen Ryan, a big Chuck supporter. She detailed many issues she had with the episode, as a critic and as a fan. (The Mask centered discussion begins at 17:10 of the timeline). 
• In retrospect, the reaction to this episode might have been explained by the fact that the fan base felt an understandable ‘ownership’ towards Chuck. Because of the campaign to keep it on air for another season, many fans felt betrayed by what occurred in the first several episodes of the season. Linda Holmes, pop culture writer for NPR, wrote about the entitlement of the Chuck fan base. She made great points about what a show would look like if the fans got to steer the boat.
• The retrospective interview done with Chris Fedak and Josh Schwartz covered the issue with Sarah and Shaw/Chuck and Hannah. Reading between the lines you see them both acknowledge that the writing of the Shaw character didn’t really work until he becomes a true villain- stating that “sometimes it takes a minute to figure out how to write for somebody.”
• The effect of the poison gas prompts both Sarah and Shaw to come clean regarding their true reaction to one another. This one scene completely changes the arc of their relationship.
• It should be noted that not everyone hated Mask. Many critics enjoyed the departure from the ‘will they, won’t they’ story with Chuck and Sarah. But the fan message boards told another story and the call to boycott the show had a lasting effect on many. The comments section of the Sepinwall review (noted above) is a whiplash of differing opinions.

References

• Superman- Brandon Routh played Superman in ‘Superman Returns’ and Chuck refers to his Superman type when Hannah notices him.
• Sesame Street- “Come on, Chuck, one of these things is not like the others.”  While looking for the vase containing the antidote.
• Kung Fu- Chuck calls Hannah, ‘grasshopper.’

Music

Let’s All Die- Jack Penate: Shaw calls for help; Hannah asks Chuck to teach her; Sarah tells Chuck that Shaw needs help.

Can’t Stop Feeling- Franz Ferdinand: Team packs for the mission at the museum.

Astair- Matt Costa: Ellie and Morgan see Chuck and Hannah kissing; Shaw massages Sarah’s shoulders.