Chuck Versus the Beard
Encyclopedia
"Chuck Versus the Beard" is a third season episode of the television series Chuck
. It originally aired March 8, 2010, and was the television directorial debut of series star Zachary Levi. Chuck
is benched when he fails to flash, and when the rest of the team is diverted by a decoy, must rely on Morgan's
help to foil a Ring
plot to destroy Castle.
" in the show's first season, virtually all the main characters are in some way directly connected with the main storyline of "Chuck Versus the Beard". As the episode begins, Chuck is benched by Shaw
when he fails to flash in the aftermath of the team's previous mission
. He declines an offer by Sarah
to talk through the emotional issues interfering with the Intersect, and is rebuffed by Devon, who has taken a vacation with Ellie
to escape Chuck's spy life. Back at the Buy More, Morgan calls him into his office for "disciplinary measures". Morgan reveals that Hannah quit after Chuck broke up with her, and asks Chuck to talk to him about what's happening. Chuck tries to talk to Morgan, but to protect his secret, is unable to. Morgan unceremoniously "fires" Chuck as his best friend.
Meanwhile, Sarah, Shaw and Casey
head to a hotel where the Ring is attempting to turn a CIA agent. With Chuck unable to flash on the target's identity, it is left to the rest of the team to stakeout the hotel and attempt to identify him before it's too late. While they're away, Big Mike announces to the Buy More staff that their store is being sold and that representatives from Cost-Less — Del (Diedrich Bader
) and Neil (Cedric Yarbrough
) — will be interviewing the employees while the building is inspected prior to the sale.
Lester attempts to spy on the Ring agents during the interviews, and overhears their leader giving them the order to "terminate everyone" but Morgan and Chuck, which leads him to believe that they are to be fired.
In the hotel room, they debrief with Casey, and begin to put the pieces together that the Ring set them up to draw Shaw into the open and leave Castle undefended. The team realizes that Chuck is on his own.
Jeff is being called into the interview when he begs Morgan to clear contraband from his locker before it can be discovered. As he does so, two of the Ring agents arrive and Morgan hides by the vending machines. Their scanners pick up the hidden entrance to Castle behind the lockers and call in Del and Neil. Morgan is astonished to learn that a CIA base is hidden under the Buy More and follows the group after they break in. Taking cover, he eavesdrops on them as they announce their intentions to steal back all the data the team has on the Ring, and destroy Castle and the store with it.
Morgan tracks down Chuck and reveals everything he has learned. Chuck is stunned, but keeps his cover by playing along. Their attempts to call the police fail, as Castle and all communications in the store are now locked down — Sarah and Shaw are unable to even reach Chuck by phone as they race back from the hotel. Chuck tries to convince Morgan to stand down, but to keep Morgan from revealing Castle's existence to everyone else, he agrees to help provided Morgan keep the secret between them and they get their coworkers out of the store first.
performs, while the Ring agents search Castle for Shaw's files. Chuck finally makes contact with the rest of the team via his watch, and is ordered to stand down. He attempts to warn Morgan, but his friend is determined to stop the Ring agents. Unfortunately his actions soon gets them both captured.
Chuck and Morgan are interrogated in Castle's sparring room. Under threat of torture to Morgan, Chuck finally acknowledges that he is, indeed, Agent Carmichael. The Ring operatives leave them alone to deal with Shaw, Sarah and Casey, who have finally returned, during which Chuck explains everything to Morgan, including the Intersect. Chuck is relieved that he finally had the chance to explain everything that was happening in his life, while Morgan points out that regardless of whether his relationship with Sarah was a cover, that his love for her was genuine. The Ring agents successfully locate Shaw's files, and Del orders Neil to have Casey killed when he tries to access Castle from the Buy More, while Sarah and Shaw attempt to get in from the Orange Orange. After gaining entry into the store by revealing his "support" for the revolt, Casey attempts to use the Buy More entrance into Castle, but is locked out. He is ambushed by two Ring agents sent by Neil, but is unwittingly saved by Jeff who, while high on chloroform
, knocks out one while Casey disables the other.
Back in Castle, Del, Neil and the remainder of their team return to finish off Chuck and Morgan. However, after Chuck and Morgan's talk and with his feelings back under control, Chuck is able to flash on advanced martial arts skills and quickly defeats the intruders (with Morgan knocking out Del from behind). Unaware of these events, Casey returns to the Orange Orange after failing to gain access to the facility, where Shaw is preparing to invoke its self-destruct over Sarah's objections that Chuck is still inside, and he would be killed in the process. However just as he's about to activate the self-destruct, the entrance in the freezer opens and to the astonishment of the team, Morgan struts out, greeting Sarah as "Agent Walker" as Chuck emerges behind him.
, against Chuck's objections. Casey is also unconvinced when Chuck points out Devon knows his secret as well (as Devon is "Awesome" and Morgan is a moron). Chuck counters that Morgan's loyalty matters, and that without his help he would have been unable to flash. Sarah throws her support behind Chuck, and Shaw relents, releasing Morgan. Back at home, Chuck and Morgan relax over a game of Duck Hunt
where Chuck's firearms training has Morgan accusing him of cheating with the Intersect. To further distance himself from Chuck's spy life, Devon suggests to Ellie that they join Doctors Without Borders and make a trip to Africa, although Ellie is unsure how to respond. The Buy More revolt ends when Shaw, masquerading as a senior Buy More executive, tells Big Mike that they have decided not to sell the store due to the staff's dedication. Sarah and Shaw are concerned that Castle is compromised, though the Ring agents were blocked from reporting the exact details of the infiltration by their own communications blackout. Shaw estimates that they have enough time to launch a final offensive against the Ring before having to shut down Castle. He muses on why the Ring didn't take the opportunity to assassinate him, as their ruse successfully drew him out into the open.
As the episode ends, a Ring phone captured by the team rings while Casey is stowing their gear. When he answers it, a voice greets him personally, mentioning it's been a long time.
On March 4, four sneak peeks of the episode were released. After the controversy of the previous two episodes, initial critical response to "Chuck Versus the Beard" was strongly positive. In her review of "Chuck Versus the Fake Name" Maureen Ryan in particular compared that episode negatively to "Chuck Versus the Beard".
described the episode as "...everything I want in a Chuck episode and then some," particularly citing the depth of the main plot and its integration with the Buy More, and its use of the majority of the main and supporting cast. Alan Sepinwall of the New Jersey Star-Ledger also highly praised the episode, particularly the show finally letting Morgan in on Chuck's secret, and his enthusiastic reaction to his friend's important life as a spy. Sepinwall did note that some of Levi's directing choices were over the top, but otherwise approved of his first stint behind the camera for a television series, and also pointed out that two episodes in a row ended with a "Chuck really loves Sarah" moment. IGN rated the episode a 9.5 out of 10, a series high alongside the Season 2
episodes "Chuck Versus Santa Claus
" and "Chuck Versus the Colonel
" and the Season 4
finale "Chuck Versus the Cliffhanger
".
Viewer response was also overwhelmingly positive, with a 9.9/10 user rating at IMDB.
Daniel Fienberg offered stronger criticism of the episode, finding fault in Levi's direction, with both the main and subplots overly outlandish. Although he did enjoy Morgan's handling of the spy plot and Chuck's secret, and noted it was a reveal that was long overdue, he felt the tone of the episode was off with "wackiness in excess." Like Sepinwall, he criticized the similarity of the endings of both "Chuck Versus the Fake Name" and "Chuck Versus the Beard".
The episode was watched by 6.3 million total viewers, with a 2.3/6 Demo.
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 originally aired March 8, 2010, and was the television directorial debut of series star Zachary Levi. Chuck
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:...
is benched when he fails to flash, and when the rest of the team is diverted by a decoy, must rely on Morgan's
Morgan Grimes
Morgan Guillermo Grimes is a major character on the television series Chuck. He is portrayed by actor Joshua Gomez, and is the best friend of Chuck Bartowski....
help to foil a Ring
The Ring (Chuck)
The Ring is a major spy organization on the television series Chuck. The main antagonist of the second season , Fulcrum, is revealed in the Season Two finale to be only one part of the Ring, which then serves as the main antagonist of Season Three...
plot to destroy Castle.
Plot summary
Much like "Chuck Versus the MarlinChuck Versus the Marlin
"Chuck Versus the Marlin" is the 13th episode and season finale of the first season of Chuck. It aired in a special two-episode block on January 24, 2008 with "Chuck Versus the Undercover Lover." Chuck's time as a civilian may be coming to a close when a Fulcrum bug is discovered at the Buy More,...
" in the show's first season, virtually all the main characters are in some way directly connected with the main storyline of "Chuck Versus the Beard". As the episode begins, Chuck is benched by Shaw
Daniel Shaw
Daniel Shaw is a fictional government agent on the television series Chuck. Shaw is introduced in the third season episode "Chuck Versus Operation Awesome" as a government agent specializing in the terrorist organization known as the Ring, and who becomes a mentor to Chuck Bartowski and ultimately...
when he fails to flash in the aftermath of the team's previous mission
Chuck Versus the Fake Name
"Chuck Versus the Fake Name" is a third-season episode of the television series Chuck. It was the eighth episode of the season, and the first to air after a two-week hiatus for the 2010 Winter Olympics...
. He declines an offer by 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...
to talk through the emotional issues interfering with the Intersect, and is rebuffed by Devon, who has taken a vacation with Ellie
Ellie 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:...
to escape Chuck's spy life. Back at the Buy More, Morgan calls him into his office for "disciplinary measures". Morgan reveals that Hannah quit after Chuck broke up with her, and asks Chuck to talk to him about what's happening. Chuck tries to talk to Morgan, but to protect his secret, is unable to. Morgan unceremoniously "fires" Chuck as his best friend.
Meanwhile, Sarah, Shaw 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....
head to a hotel where the Ring is attempting to turn a CIA agent. With Chuck unable to flash on the target's identity, it is left to the rest of the team to stakeout the hotel and attempt to identify him before it's too late. While they're away, Big Mike announces to the Buy More staff that their store is being sold and that representatives from Cost-Less — Del (Diedrich Bader
Diedrich Bader
Karl Diedrich Bader , better known as Diedrich Bader, is an American actor, voice artist and comedian. Many know him for his roles as Oswald Lee Harvey on The Drew Carey Show, Lawrence from the film Office Space, the Tae Kwon Do instructor Rex from Napoleon Dynamite, Tank "Shredder" Evans in Surf's...
) and Neil (Cedric Yarbrough
Cedric Yarbrough
Cedric Yarbrough is an American comedian and actor.Yarbrough was born in Burnsville, Minnesota. Yarbrough attended Burnsville Senior High School and later Minnesota State University, Mankato. He is also an alumnus of Dudley Riggs' Brave New Workshop in Minneapolis.Yarbrough starred on the Comedy...
) — will be interviewing the employees while the building is inspected prior to the sale.
The Buy More Interviews
The Buy More staff agrees to a "blood oath" to support each other in the interviews, as Big Mike believes the corporate representatives will begin by firing the unnecessary employees. However, when Lester is called in first, he immediately attempts to make a deal to give up the "dirt" on his coworkers for immunity while Big Mike attempts to protect Chuck as the store's best asset. Chuck, in turn, attempts to stand up for Morgan. As Chuck leaves the interview, Del confides in Neil that he believes Chuck is actually Agent Carmichael although Neil is doubtful, revealing that they are Ring operatives and are attempting to locate Castle. Unaware of the danger, Chuck returns to the base and attempts to retrain himself to flash without success.Lester attempts to spy on the Ring agents during the interviews, and overhears their leader giving them the order to "terminate everyone" but Morgan and Chuck, which leads him to believe that they are to be fired.
Decoy
Meanwhile, Sarah and Shaw trace a Ring phone call to a room at the hotel. The mark is identified by the caller as a man wearing blue and white swim trunks at the pool. As they scan the guests they spot him, and Sarah is stunned to realize that the Ring is after Devon. They intercept him at the pool to warn him, and Devon is incredulous, believing that he was supposed to be in the clear. As Sarah and Shaw attempt to calm him, Casey breaks into the room where the call was placed from and finds it deserted except for a Ring phone set up to playback a message. Casey relays to Sarah and Shaw to stand down, and they release Devon, who is still shaken that Chuck's spy life has once again intruded on his own.In the hotel room, they debrief with Casey, and begin to put the pieces together that the Ring set them up to draw Shaw into the open and leave Castle undefended. The team realizes that Chuck is on his own.
Jeff is being called into the interview when he begs Morgan to clear contraband from his locker before it can be discovered. As he does so, two of the Ring agents arrive and Morgan hides by the vending machines. Their scanners pick up the hidden entrance to Castle behind the lockers and call in Del and Neil. Morgan is astonished to learn that a CIA base is hidden under the Buy More and follows the group after they break in. Taking cover, he eavesdrops on them as they announce their intentions to steal back all the data the team has on the Ring, and destroy Castle and the store with it.
Morgan tracks down Chuck and reveals everything he has learned. Chuck is stunned, but keeps his cover by playing along. Their attempts to call the police fail, as Castle and all communications in the store are now locked down — Sarah and Shaw are unable to even reach Chuck by phone as they race back from the hotel. Chuck tries to convince Morgan to stand down, but to keep Morgan from revealing Castle's existence to everyone else, he agrees to help provided Morgan keep the secret between them and they get their coworkers out of the store first.
Buy More Revolt and Castle Under Siege
However Big Mike, still believing they are to all be fired, has decided not to give up the store without a fight. The employees barricade themselves inside and refuse to leave when Chuck advises them to do so. They hold a rally and party in the store where Jeffster!Jeffster!
Jeffster! is a fictional cover band on the television series Chuck. Its principal members are Jeff Barnes and Lester Patel , both of whom work in the Nerd Herd division of the Buy More...
performs, while the Ring agents search Castle for Shaw's files. Chuck finally makes contact with the rest of the team via his watch, and is ordered to stand down. He attempts to warn Morgan, but his friend is determined to stop the Ring agents. Unfortunately his actions soon gets them both captured.
Chuck and Morgan are interrogated in Castle's sparring room. Under threat of torture to Morgan, Chuck finally acknowledges that he is, indeed, Agent Carmichael. The Ring operatives leave them alone to deal with Shaw, Sarah and Casey, who have finally returned, during which Chuck explains everything to Morgan, including the Intersect. Chuck is relieved that he finally had the chance to explain everything that was happening in his life, while Morgan points out that regardless of whether his relationship with Sarah was a cover, that his love for her was genuine. The Ring agents successfully locate Shaw's files, and Del orders Neil to have Casey killed when he tries to access Castle from the Buy More, while Sarah and Shaw attempt to get in from the Orange Orange. After gaining entry into the store by revealing his "support" for the revolt, Casey attempts to use the Buy More entrance into Castle, but is locked out. He is ambushed by two Ring agents sent by Neil, but is unwittingly saved by Jeff who, while high on chloroform
Chloroform
Chloroform is an organic compound with formula CHCl3. It is one of the four chloromethanes. The colorless, sweet-smelling, dense liquid is a trihalomethane, and is considered somewhat hazardous...
, knocks out one while Casey disables the other.
Back in Castle, Del, Neil and the remainder of their team return to finish off Chuck and Morgan. However, after Chuck and Morgan's talk and with his feelings back under control, Chuck is able to flash on advanced martial arts skills and quickly defeats the intruders (with Morgan knocking out Del from behind). Unaware of these events, Casey returns to the Orange Orange after failing to gain access to the facility, where Shaw is preparing to invoke its self-destruct over Sarah's objections that Chuck is still inside, and he would be killed in the process. However just as he's about to activate the self-destruct, the entrance in the freezer opens and to the astonishment of the team, Morgan struts out, greeting Sarah as "Agent Walker" as Chuck emerges behind him.
Aftermath
Shaw insists that Morgan be placed into witness protectionWitness protection
Witness protection is protection of a threatened witness or any person involved in the justice system, including defendants and other clients, before, during and after a trial, usually by police...
, against Chuck's objections. Casey is also unconvinced when Chuck points out Devon knows his secret as well (as Devon is "Awesome" and Morgan is a moron). Chuck counters that Morgan's loyalty matters, and that without his help he would have been unable to flash. Sarah throws her support behind Chuck, and Shaw relents, releasing Morgan. Back at home, Chuck and Morgan relax over a game of Duck Hunt
Duck Hunt
is a video game for the Nintendo Famicom/Nintendo Entertainment System game console system in which players use the NES Zapper to shoot ducks on screen for points. The game was developed and published by Nintendo, and was released in 1984 in Japan...
where Chuck's firearms training has Morgan accusing him of cheating with the Intersect. To further distance himself from Chuck's spy life, Devon suggests to Ellie that they join Doctors Without Borders and make a trip to Africa, although Ellie is unsure how to respond. The Buy More revolt ends when Shaw, masquerading as a senior Buy More executive, tells Big Mike that they have decided not to sell the store due to the staff's dedication. Sarah and Shaw are concerned that Castle is compromised, though the Ring agents were blocked from reporting the exact details of the infiltration by their own communications blackout. Shaw estimates that they have enough time to launch a final offensive against the Ring before having to shut down Castle. He muses on why the Ring didn't take the opportunity to assassinate him, as their ruse successfully drew him out into the open.
As the episode ends, a Ring phone captured by the team rings while Casey is stowing their gear. When he answers it, a voice greets him personally, mentioning it's been a long time.
Production
"Chuck Versus the Beard" was the television directorial debut of series star Zachary Levi. This announcement first came in an interview on October 11, 2009.On March 4, four sneak peeks of the episode were released. After the controversy of the previous two episodes, initial critical response to "Chuck Versus the Beard" was strongly positive. In her review of "Chuck Versus the Fake Name" Maureen Ryan in particular compared that episode negatively to "Chuck Versus the Beard".
Production Details
- Although Sarah's real name was revealed in the previous episode, she is not referred to by this name, nor is there any discussion made of it.
- Jeffster! performed Creedence Clearwater RevivalCreedence Clearwater RevivalCreedence Clearwater Revival was an American rock band that gained popularity in the late 1960s and early 1970s with a number of successful singles drawn from various albums....
's "Fortunate SonFortunate Son (song)"Fortunate Son" is a song by Creedence Clearwater Revival on their album Willy and the Poor Boys in 1968. It was released as a single, together with "Down on the Corner", in September 1968. This song reached #14 on the United States charts. It won the RIAA Gold Disc award in December 1970...
" during the Buy More revolt. - Chuck and Morgan are playing Duck HuntDuck Huntis a video game for the Nintendo Famicom/Nintendo Entertainment System game console system in which players use the NES Zapper to shoot ducks on screen for points. The game was developed and published by Nintendo, and was released in 1984 in Japan...
on their LCD widescreen. However early light gunLight gunA light gun is a pointing device for computers and a control device for arcade and video games.Modern screen-based light guns work by building a sensor into the gun itself, and the on-screen target emit light rather than the gun...
technology such as NintendoNintendois a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
's Zapper as used in the episode do not work on such televisions. The scene is self-referential to "Chuck Versus Operation AwesomeChuck 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...
", where Chuck tells Devon his impressive firearms skills are a result of practice in the game. The episode is ambiguous over whether it is Chuck's own firearms training or an Intersect flash that allowed him to so decisively beat Morgan. - In emulation of Big Mike, Morgan is revealed to have a "fish" mounted on his office wall. In this case, it is a Billy Bass.
- This is the only episode of the season to involve every member of the main cast.
- When Jeffster plays, Jeff seems to be clean while in the scene after, he's high on chloroform.
Reception
The episode received overwhelmingly positive reviews. Mo Ryan of the Chicago TribuneChicago Tribune
The Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
described the episode as "...everything I want in a Chuck episode and then some," particularly citing the depth of the main plot and its integration with the Buy More, and its use of the majority of the main and supporting cast. Alan Sepinwall of the New Jersey Star-Ledger also highly praised the episode, particularly the show finally letting Morgan in on Chuck's secret, and his enthusiastic reaction to his friend's important life as a spy. Sepinwall did note that some of Levi's directing choices were over the top, but otherwise approved of his first stint behind the camera for a television series, and also pointed out that two episodes in a row ended with a "Chuck really loves Sarah" moment. IGN rated the episode a 9.5 out of 10, a series high alongside the Season 2
Chuck (season 2)
The second season of Chuck contains 22 episodes and was originally aired from September 29, 2008 to April 27, 2009. The season continues to focus on Chuck's constant struggle to keep his spy life and real life apart as he becomes more accustomed to being a spy. More background on the Intersect...
episodes "Chuck Versus Santa Claus
Chuck Versus Santa Claus
"Chuck Versus Santa Claus" is the eleventh episode of the second season of Chuck, and the 24th overall episode of the series. The episode was directed by Robert Duncan McNeill and written by Scott Rosenbaum. It originally aired December 15, 2008....
" and "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...
" and the Season 4
Chuck (season 4)
The fourth season of Chuck was announced on May 13, 2010. Having initially ordered 13 episodes, NBC ordered an additional 11 on October 19, 2010 for a total of 24 episodes....
finale "Chuck Versus the Cliffhanger
Chuck Versus the Cliffhanger
"Chuck Versus the Cliffhanger" is the fourth season finale of the American NBC action-comedy television series Chuck. Aired on May 16, 2011, it is the season's 24th episode, and the 78th overall episode of the series. The episode was directed by Robert Duncan McNeill and written by series...
".
Viewer response was also overwhelmingly positive, with a 9.9/10 user rating at IMDB.
Daniel Fienberg offered stronger criticism of the episode, finding fault in Levi's direction, with both the main and subplots overly outlandish. Although he did enjoy Morgan's handling of the spy plot and Chuck's secret, and noted it was a reveal that was long overdue, he felt the tone of the episode was off with "wackiness in excess." Like Sepinwall, he criticized the similarity of the endings of both "Chuck Versus the Fake Name" and "Chuck Versus the Beard".
The episode was watched by 6.3 million total viewers, with a 2.3/6 Demo.
Music
- “Bululu” by Jesus Alejandro El Nino (Chuck calls Devon at the resort)
- “On Sale Now” by Daniel May
- “Dancing with Myself” by Billy Idol & Generation X (Chuck uses “flash” cards)
- “Fortunate Son” by JEFFSTER! covering Creedence Clearwater Revival (rally at the Buy More)
- “Arroz Con Pollo” by Martin Padilla (Shaw & Sarah are locked out of Castle)
- “Bedside Manner” by Dawes (the final montage)