Chuck Versus the Angel de la Muerte
Encyclopedia
"Chuck Versus the Angel de la Muerte" is the third episode of the third season of Chuck
. It aired on January 11, 2010 as part of the season's three-part premier, following "Chuck Versus the Pink Slip
" and "Chuck Versus the Three Words
" on January 10. Devon Woodcomb gets a little more than he bargained for when he gets drawn into Chuck's
latest assignment - protecting the leader of the Latin American nation of Costa Gravas.
are absent from their first day of class, and making out in a closet having just met for the first time. In the present, they are busy unpacking from their move into their new apartment. As they pause to remember their wedding album, Devon promises Ellie a romantic evening but are soon distracted by the sound of a helicopter flying past, which Ellie remarks that there's been quite a few recently although Devon claims not to have noticed. He slips out and meets Chuck as he arrives home from a mission and reminds him to come over and help Devon and Ellie set up the TV at their new apartment. Chuck gets things going without trouble, but while Ellie is getting her wedding DVD, he flashes on the news report that Premier Alejandro Goya, the dictator of Costa Gravas, has collapsed from a heart attack. Chuck is called away to Castle and Devon is paged to the ER, leaving Ellie alone.
At Castle, Beckman briefs Chuck, Sarah
and Casey
on their assignment. They are to safeguard Goya, who is undergoing treatment at Westside Medical Center. Casey objects to the order, as Beckman had personally ordered him to assassinate Goya three times, which Casey had failed to complete, however Goya has come to the US to announce he is opening his country up to free democratic elections and Beckman is adamant he survive. At the hospital, Devon arrives in the ER to find that his patient is the Premier. Both Chuck (by Beckman) and Devon (by Goya's chief bodyguard) are told that if anything happens to Goya they will be held responsible. Devon is successful and in a press conference announces the Premier's chances of returning to work are "muy awesome."
Chuck intercepts Devon on his way home and debriefs him. Devon confirms that Goya didn't actually have a heart attack because his potassium
levels were too high. As Chuck turns to leave, Devon, seeking the adrenaline rush he had playing football, offers his help for more spy work, but Chuck turns him down because Ellie would kill him. The team briefs Beckman at Casey's apartment, and she orders the team to infiltrate a gala event at the Costa Gravan embassy to safeguard the Premier. Because the embassy is considered Costa Gravan soil, the CIA disavows any knowledge of the mission and Casey tells the team he has to remove himself from the operation because of how many men he killed fighting Goya's revolution, the Costa Gravans call him "the Angel of Death" and he is a wanted man. Meanwhile, Goya himself arrives at the complex to visit Devon and thank him for saving his life by inviting he and Ellie (while heavily flirting with the latter) to the gala. Chuck takes advantage of the opportunity and steps in to meet the Premier and get himself and Sarah invited as well.
Chuck, Sarah, Ellie and Devon arrive at the gala, while Casey remains in the van. While Chuck and Sarah case the embassy for signs of the assassin, Devon asks Chuck what he gets to do. Chuck tells him to watch out for Ellie and to keep out of trouble. Goya begins flirting with Ellie and Sarah runs interference to get her away from Goya. Ellie and Devon each confront Sarah and Chuck, respectively, about their relationship. Although both try to stress that they are just friends now, neither Ellie or Devon are convinced. The conversation is interrupted by a speech by Goya, who asks Ellie for the evening's first dance. Casey runs the guest list against a list of known terrorists and comes up with a match on a man who served with a resistance cell against Goya and spent 20 years in prison. Chuck and Sarah spot him moving towards the Premier from the opposite side of the hall. To intercept him, Chuck flashes on how to dance, and works his way across the floor towards him with Sarah in a passionate dance, knocking out their suspect with a carefully timed elbow to his face. However, he ends up just being part of a political protest, and Chuck and Sarah are ejected from the embassy. As they're being removed, Chuck flashes on the real assassin and Casey enters disguised as a Costa Gravan soldier to take over. He spots the assassin moving towards the Premier, but as he moves to cut him off and reaches for his gun, Devon accidentally misidentifies Casey as the assailant and tackles him. Casey is arrested, although Devon's move forces the assassin to back off.
At Castle, Beckman refuses to authorize a rescue operation and instead orders the team to stand down for the diplomats. In the embassy, Goya confronts Casey. Casey tries to explain he was there to protect him but Goya doesn't believe him and has him gagged. The assassin arrives during the interrogation and poisons a cigar. Casey is unable to stop the Premier from smoking it, and watches helplessly as Goya collapses. Devon arrives home with Ellie, but before they can continue their evening. Devon is paged by the embassy to tend to Goya. Eager to set things right, he finds Chuck and tells him he can get them inside to rescue Casey. Chuck takes him to Castle to coordinate the rescue, but is interrupted by Sarah, who has also arrived to prepare to storm the place. Chuck tells her Devon can get them in quietly. The three arrive at the embassy and are taken to the Premier. Sarah disables the guards, and while she and Chuck search for Casey, Devon tends to Goya. Meanwhile, the assassin introduces himself to Casey. He reveals himself as part of the Ring, who wants to maintain the status quo in Costa Gravas, and attempts to kill him. Casey breaks free and after a short fight defeats the assassin, but is shot in the leg by a guard who is himself quickly overpowered by Sarah. The three return to collect Devon, but they are captured by Goya's head bodyguard. He forces Chuck to operate on Casey's wounded leg himself. After encouragement by Sarah and Devon, Chuck flashes on the necessary techniques and successfully completes the operation. However, Goya is fading fast and needs a blood transfusion
. The Premier has very rare AB negative blood, and only Casey is a match. Casey is anesthetized against his will so they can draw enough blood to save the Premier.
Back at Castle, Casey awakens to Beckman's thanks and congratulations. Goya survived and successfully announced his intentions to open Costa Gravas to open democratic elections. Goya wished to thank Casey personally, but instead sent him a case of pre-revolution Costa Gravas cigars. In a letter he named him the "Angel of Life," and praised his patriotism. Devon meets Chuck upstairs in the Orange Orange and announces his intention to "retire" from spy work before heading off to finish up a few things at the hospital as Sarah arrives. Chuck and Sarah briefly discuss how to proceed with their cover, and agree to remain friends. As Devon finishes his rounds, he calls Ellie, who mentions a surprise — she has finished unpacking — and he promises to head right home after his last patient. However, as he steps into the room, the Ring assassin greets him.
Sarah arrives at Chuck's apartment. As he opens the door, she embraces him with a hug and whispers into his ear. Chuck is stunned, but they are interrupted by Ellie asking if they have seen Devon.
in the fictional Latin American nation of Costa Gravas. On December 16, 2009, it was announced that House
s return after its winter break was rescheduled to compete with Chucks regular timeslot premier.
Although Devon's fate at the end of the episode is unresolved, the promotion for "Chuck Versus Operation Awesome
" airing at the end of the episode reveals that he was captured and mistaken for a spy by the Ring.
" in January, 2009. Additionally, the episode grew 8% in the Adults 18-49 Demo, from a 2.5 to a 2.7, during its second half hour.
Eric Goldman of IGN
enjoyed seeing Devon integrated into Chuck's spy life after his learning the truth in "Chuck Versus the Colonel
", finding praise for Devon's perspective on the stretched "Will They/Won't They" relationship between Chuck and Sarah and the material for Casey with his own antagonistic relationship with Goya, particularly Adam Baldwin
's portrayal of Casey's silent fury over being forced to protect the Premier, and the amusing handling of Casey being shot in the same leg he just pulled a poison-filled needle from a moment before. Goldman found the ending scene of Devon entering the hospital room to run face-to-face into the assassin well handled, but criticized NBC's spoiling of the cliffhanger by showing Devon alive and well in the promotion for the next episode. IGN rated the episode an 8.8/10.
Alan Sepinwall of the New Jersey Star-Ledger similarly praised the decision to introduce Devon into the spy world, and greatly enjoyed the manner in which he was woven into the storyline. Sepinwall also greatly enjoyed the small showcase on Casey, Assante's "canned ham" performance as Premier Goya, and the tongue-in-cheek manner in which Chuck describes his last mission to Devon at the beginning of the episode and how it relates to many episodes of the series.
Chuck (TV series)
Chuck is an action-comedy/spy-drama television program from the United States created by Josh Schwartz and Chris Fedak. The series is about an "average computer-whiz-next-door" named Chuck, played by Zachary Levi, who receives an encoded e-mail from an old college friend now working for the Central...
. It aired on January 11, 2010 as part of the season's three-part premier, following "Chuck Versus the Pink Slip
Chuck Versus the Pink Slip
"Chuck Versus the Pink Slip" is the third season premiere episode of the television series Chuck. It aired on January 10, 2010 in a special two-episode block...
" and "Chuck Versus the Three Words
Chuck Versus the Three Words
"Chuck Versus the Three Words" is the second episode of the third season of the NBC action-comedy television series Chuck. It was aired January 10, 2010, on NBC....
" on January 10. Devon Woodcomb gets a little more than he bargained for when he gets drawn into Chuck's
Chuck Bartowski
Charles Irving "Chuck" Bartowski is the main and titular character of the American fiction television show Chuck on NBC. He is portrayed by Zachary Levi.-Character profile:...
latest assignment - protecting the leader of the Latin American nation of Costa Gravas.
Plot summary
The episode begins with a flashback to UCLA medical school in 2000. As the professor calls roll, Devon and EllieEllie Bartowski
Eleanor Faye "Ellie" Bartowski Woodcomb, M.D., Ph.D., is the older sister of title character Chuck Bartowski on the television series Chuck. She is portrayed by actress Sarah Lancaster.-Biography:...
are absent from their first day of class, and making out in a closet having just met for the first time. In the present, they are busy unpacking from their move into their new apartment. As they pause to remember their wedding album, Devon promises Ellie a romantic evening but are soon distracted by the sound of a helicopter flying past, which Ellie remarks that there's been quite a few recently although Devon claims not to have noticed. He slips out and meets Chuck as he arrives home from a mission and reminds him to come over and help Devon and Ellie set up the TV at their new apartment. Chuck gets things going without trouble, but while Ellie is getting her wedding DVD, he flashes on the news report that Premier Alejandro Goya, the dictator of Costa Gravas, has collapsed from a heart attack. Chuck is called away to Castle and Devon is paged to the ER, leaving Ellie alone.
At Castle, Beckman briefs Chuck, Sarah
Sarah Walker (Chuck)
Sarah Lisa Bartowski is the alias of one of the main characters of the fictional television show Chuck on NBC. She is portrayed by Yvonne Strahovski and is one of two agents assigned by the NSA and CIA to protect Chuck Bartowski after he unwittingly downloads the secret government computer known...
and Casey
John Casey (Chuck)
Colonel John Casey is portrayed by actor Adam Baldwin on the television show Chuck on NBC. Prior to the episode "Chuck Versus the Tic Tac," he was partnered with CIA agent Sarah Walker to protect Chuck Bartowski....
on their assignment. They are to safeguard Goya, who is undergoing treatment at Westside Medical Center. Casey objects to the order, as Beckman had personally ordered him to assassinate Goya three times, which Casey had failed to complete, however Goya has come to the US to announce he is opening his country up to free democratic elections and Beckman is adamant he survive. At the hospital, Devon arrives in the ER to find that his patient is the Premier. Both Chuck (by Beckman) and Devon (by Goya's chief bodyguard) are told that if anything happens to Goya they will be held responsible. Devon is successful and in a press conference announces the Premier's chances of returning to work are "muy awesome."
Chuck intercepts Devon on his way home and debriefs him. Devon confirms that Goya didn't actually have a heart attack because his potassium
Potassium
Potassium is the chemical element with the symbol K and atomic number 19. Elemental potassium is a soft silvery-white alkali metal that oxidizes rapidly in air and is very reactive with water, generating sufficient heat to ignite the hydrogen emitted in the reaction.Potassium and sodium are...
levels were too high. As Chuck turns to leave, Devon, seeking the adrenaline rush he had playing football, offers his help for more spy work, but Chuck turns him down because Ellie would kill him. The team briefs Beckman at Casey's apartment, and she orders the team to infiltrate a gala event at the Costa Gravan embassy to safeguard the Premier. Because the embassy is considered Costa Gravan soil, the CIA disavows any knowledge of the mission and Casey tells the team he has to remove himself from the operation because of how many men he killed fighting Goya's revolution, the Costa Gravans call him "the Angel of Death" and he is a wanted man. Meanwhile, Goya himself arrives at the complex to visit Devon and thank him for saving his life by inviting he and Ellie (while heavily flirting with the latter) to the gala. Chuck takes advantage of the opportunity and steps in to meet the Premier and get himself and Sarah invited as well.
Chuck, Sarah, Ellie and Devon arrive at the gala, while Casey remains in the van. While Chuck and Sarah case the embassy for signs of the assassin, Devon asks Chuck what he gets to do. Chuck tells him to watch out for Ellie and to keep out of trouble. Goya begins flirting with Ellie and Sarah runs interference to get her away from Goya. Ellie and Devon each confront Sarah and Chuck, respectively, about their relationship. Although both try to stress that they are just friends now, neither Ellie or Devon are convinced. The conversation is interrupted by a speech by Goya, who asks Ellie for the evening's first dance. Casey runs the guest list against a list of known terrorists and comes up with a match on a man who served with a resistance cell against Goya and spent 20 years in prison. Chuck and Sarah spot him moving towards the Premier from the opposite side of the hall. To intercept him, Chuck flashes on how to dance, and works his way across the floor towards him with Sarah in a passionate dance, knocking out their suspect with a carefully timed elbow to his face. However, he ends up just being part of a political protest, and Chuck and Sarah are ejected from the embassy. As they're being removed, Chuck flashes on the real assassin and Casey enters disguised as a Costa Gravan soldier to take over. He spots the assassin moving towards the Premier, but as he moves to cut him off and reaches for his gun, Devon accidentally misidentifies Casey as the assailant and tackles him. Casey is arrested, although Devon's move forces the assassin to back off.
At Castle, Beckman refuses to authorize a rescue operation and instead orders the team to stand down for the diplomats. In the embassy, Goya confronts Casey. Casey tries to explain he was there to protect him but Goya doesn't believe him and has him gagged. The assassin arrives during the interrogation and poisons a cigar. Casey is unable to stop the Premier from smoking it, and watches helplessly as Goya collapses. Devon arrives home with Ellie, but before they can continue their evening. Devon is paged by the embassy to tend to Goya. Eager to set things right, he finds Chuck and tells him he can get them inside to rescue Casey. Chuck takes him to Castle to coordinate the rescue, but is interrupted by Sarah, who has also arrived to prepare to storm the place. Chuck tells her Devon can get them in quietly. The three arrive at the embassy and are taken to the Premier. Sarah disables the guards, and while she and Chuck search for Casey, Devon tends to Goya. Meanwhile, the assassin introduces himself to Casey. He reveals himself as part of the Ring, who wants to maintain the status quo in Costa Gravas, and attempts to kill him. Casey breaks free and after a short fight defeats the assassin, but is shot in the leg by a guard who is himself quickly overpowered by Sarah. The three return to collect Devon, but they are captured by Goya's head bodyguard. He forces Chuck to operate on Casey's wounded leg himself. After encouragement by Sarah and Devon, Chuck flashes on the necessary techniques and successfully completes the operation. However, Goya is fading fast and needs a blood transfusion
Blood transfusion
Blood transfusion is the process of receiving blood products into one's circulation intravenously. Transfusions are used in a variety of medical conditions to replace lost components of the blood...
. The Premier has very rare AB negative blood, and only Casey is a match. Casey is anesthetized against his will so they can draw enough blood to save the Premier.
Back at Castle, Casey awakens to Beckman's thanks and congratulations. Goya survived and successfully announced his intentions to open Costa Gravas to open democratic elections. Goya wished to thank Casey personally, but instead sent him a case of pre-revolution Costa Gravas cigars. In a letter he named him the "Angel of Life," and praised his patriotism. Devon meets Chuck upstairs in the Orange Orange and announces his intention to "retire" from spy work before heading off to finish up a few things at the hospital as Sarah arrives. Chuck and Sarah briefly discuss how to proceed with their cover, and agree to remain friends. As Devon finishes his rounds, he calls Ellie, who mentions a surprise — she has finished unpacking — and he promises to head right home after his last patient. However, as he steps into the room, the Ring assassin greets him.
Sarah arrives at Chuck's apartment. As he opens the door, she embraces him with a hug and whispers into his ear. Chuck is stunned, but they are interrupted by Ellie asking if they have seen Devon.
Production
On September 23, 2009 Armand Assante was announced in the role of Premier Alejandro Goya, the leader of a Communist RevolutionCommunist revolution
A communist revolution is a proletarian revolution inspired by the ideas of Marxism that aims to replace capitalism with communism, typically with socialism as an intermediate stage...
in the fictional Latin American nation of Costa Gravas. On December 16, 2009, it was announced that House
House (TV series)
House is an American television medical drama that debuted on the Fox network on November 16, 2004. The show's central character is Dr. Gregory House , an unconventional and misanthropic medical genius who heads a team of diagnosticians at the fictional Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital in...
s return after its winter break was rescheduled to compete with Chucks regular timeslot premier.
Although Devon's fate at the end of the episode is unresolved, the promotion for "Chuck Versus Operation Awesome
Chuck Versus Operation Awesome
"Chuck Versus Operation Awesome" is the fourth episode of the third season of Chuck, originally airing January 18, 2010. When Devon becomes an unwilling agent of the Ring, Chuck must take on the role of his handler and help him survive the Ring's dangerous test...
" airing at the end of the episode reveals that he was captured and mistaken for a spy by the Ring.
Production details
- This is the first episode of the series in which the character of Morgan does not make an appearance.
- During the flashback, the instructor of Devon and Ellie's medical school class intended to walk them through dissection of the femoral arteryFemoral arteryThe femoral artery is a general term comprising a few large arteries in the thigh. They begin at the inguinal ligament and end just above the knee at adductor canal or Hunter's canal traversing the extent of the femur bone....
. When Chuck is forced to operate on Casey, the bullet that struck him is lodged dangerously close to this artery. - The episode confirms that Casey served in the United States Marine CorpsUnited States Marine CorpsThe United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
. - Devon is revealed to speak fluent SpanishSpanish languageSpanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
. - Sarah spent a year with the Secret ServiceUnited States Secret ServiceThe United States Secret Service is a United States federal law enforcement agency that is part of the United States Department of Homeland Security. The sworn members are divided among the Special Agents and the Uniformed Division. Until March 1, 2003, the Service was part of the United States...
. - Casey's dog tags indicate he is a Protestant.
Flashes
- Chuck flashes on the news report in which Goya's apparent heart attack was announced.
- At the embassy gala, Chuck flashes on how to dance as a means of intercepting a suspected assassin without alarming Goya's guards.
- As they are being ejected, Chuck flashes on the real assassin.
- Chuck flashes on surgical techniques in order to operate on Casey's leg and save his life.
Reception
"Chuck Versus the Angel de la Muerte" aired on January 11, 2010. Nielsen data indicated a total of 7.3 million viewers, with a Demo of 2.6/7. This made it the highest-rated Monday episode of Chuck since "Chuck Versus the Third DimensionChuck Versus the Third Dimension
"Chuck Versus the Third Dimension" is the 12th episode of the second season of Chuck. It aired on February 2, 2009. This episode was originally aired in 3-D, as the name suggests, using the same ColorCode 3-D technology as some of the commercials in Super Bowl XLIII...
" in January, 2009. Additionally, the episode grew 8% in the Adults 18-49 Demo, from a 2.5 to a 2.7, during its second half hour.
Eric Goldman of IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
enjoyed seeing Devon integrated into Chuck's spy life after his learning the truth in "Chuck Versus the Colonel
Chuck Versus the Colonel
"Chuck Versus the Colonel" is the 21st episode of Chuck's second season, and the 34th episode overall. It aired on April 20, 2009. Chuck and Sarah go on the run in an effort to locate Chuck's father. At the Buy More, Morgan becomes a pariah among his coworkers after Big Mike's demotion.-Main...
", finding praise for Devon's perspective on the stretched "Will They/Won't They" relationship between Chuck and Sarah and the material for Casey with his own antagonistic relationship with Goya, particularly Adam Baldwin
Adam Baldwin
Adam Baldwin is an American actor, known for his roles as Animal Mother in Stanley Kubrick's Full Metal Jacket, Ricky Linderman in My Bodyguard, Knowle Rohrer in The X-Files, and Marcus Hamilton in Joss Whedon's Angel...
's portrayal of Casey's silent fury over being forced to protect the Premier, and the amusing handling of Casey being shot in the same leg he just pulled a poison-filled needle from a moment before. Goldman found the ending scene of Devon entering the hospital room to run face-to-face into the assassin well handled, but criticized NBC's spoiling of the cliffhanger by showing Devon alive and well in the promotion for the next episode. IGN rated the episode an 8.8/10.
Alan Sepinwall of the New Jersey Star-Ledger similarly praised the decision to introduce Devon into the spy world, and greatly enjoyed the manner in which he was woven into the storyline. Sepinwall also greatly enjoyed the small showcase on Casey, Assante's "canned ham" performance as Premier Goya, and the tongue-in-cheek manner in which Chuck describes his last mission to Devon at the beginning of the episode and how it relates to many episodes of the series.
Music
- "Bohemian Like You" - The Dandy WarholsThe Dandy WarholsThe Dandy Warhols are an American alternative rock band formed in Portland, Oregon in 1994. The band was founded by singer-guitarist Courtney Taylor-Taylor and guitarist Peter Holmström, with keyboardist Zia McCabe and drummer Eric Hedford later joining. Hedford left in 1998 and was replaced by...
- played during Devon and Ellie's love scene in the janitor's closet - "El Yerbero – Yerba Caliente" - Jesus Alejandro El Nino
- "Cafecito ins." - Jesus Alejandro El Nino
- "Songozon – Gozando El Son" - Latin Mambo Orchestra
- "Living a Lie!" - Daniel Zott - played in Orange Orange while Devon was talking to Chuck about espionage life and real life