Original air date October 15, 2007
Season 1 episode 5
Synopsis
It is the Evening of Morgan. Chuck’s best friend is feeling left out, so a date is planned for Chuck, Morgan, and Sarah, consisting of a Kung Fu movie, Chinese food, and fireworks. Chuck vetoes the fireworks. Arriving at the closed Chinese restaurant (Bamboo Dragon), Morgan goes in the back and they see a woman that Chuck flashes on as a Chinese spy/terrorist. Believing her to be an assassin, they try to intercept her and end up assisting the man who has kidnapped her brother. They also miss having the Sizzling Shrimp as the “Mother’s Day” dinner with Ellie, who now believes they missed dinner due to Sarah’s ‘spastic colon’.
Chuck is captured by the Chinese spy and Team Bartowski convinces her to defect in exchange for helping free her brother. A stakeout with music, and including Chuck’s order of Sizzling Shrimp, goes awry and Chuck follows the captured Casey and Sarah against orders. “Stay in the car, Chuck.” Taken to the Bamboo Dragon, Casey and Sarah are rescued by Chuck.
Meanwhile, Chuck has missed the rescheduled ‘Mother’s Day’ with Ellie and uses his relationship with Sarah as his excuse. They reschedule again for the next night.
Ellie learns during Chuck’s absence that Morgan will be fired for not selling enough inventory at the Buy More and she spends hundreds of dollars to rescue Morgan. They all gather at the Bartowski apartment to have Mother’s Day after Ellie invites Sarah and Morgan to join them.
Points of Interest
- First time we hear about Sarah and the ‘spastic colon’ excuse that Chuck uses to explain their absences.
- First time Sarah tells Chuck to ‘Stay in the car’
- The October Mother’s Day celebration is explained as the date Ellie and Chuck’s mother disappeared from their lives in October of 1991- it was actually 1990, as stated at other times in the show.
- The Action Theme for the show, written by Tim Jones, is played for the first time during the fight scene in Bamboo Dragon.
- Deleted scene from the DVD shows Sarah telling Chuck never to make promises after he misses the Mother’s Day meal with Ellie.
- This is the first episode that has an obvious parallel story line between the spy life and Chuck’s private life or the Buy More. We see Chuck helping a brother and sister reunite as his relationship with Ellie is highlighted.
References
- Chinatown: “You can yell at me later”- Chuck to Sarah and Casey
- Chuck discusses Chinatown with Lo Pan, who Casey calls Ironside. James Hong, the actor playing Lo Pan, was in Chinatown,
- Here There Be Dragons and Big Trouble In Little China.
- Enter the Dragon: Morgan references the film,
- Spartacus: “I Am Spartacus”- Jeff Barnes
- Star Wars: “Help me, Chuck Bartowski, you’re my only hope”- Morgan to Chuck.
- Baretta: Morgan mentions changing his last name to Baretta
- First Blood: Morgan might change his name to Rambo
- White Nights and Hunt For Red October- mentioned in dialogue
- Max Headroom: Morgan might change his last name
- Seinfeld: “Soup is not a meal”
- Miracle on 34th Street: Morgan tells a customer to go to the Large Mart to purchase an item and save $50.
Music
Women’s Wear: Daniel May– Sarah is invited to an evening of Morgan
Private Eyes: Hall and Oates– Chuck on the stake out
Sister In Love: Envelopes- Ellie gives Morgan a big sale
Lake Michigan: Rogue Wave– Mother’s Day celebration
