Chuck Versus the Aisle of Terror - Recap

Volkoff Industries, two weeks ago

Dr. Wheelwright tries out his toxin on a security guard, for the benefit of Frost, aka Chuck's mom. She tells him the results were quite impressive, and she believe she has a buyer in Los Angeles.

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Chuck takes the call from his mom. She wants to see him in an hour at Griffin Park. He thinks it must be a joke. He's been looking for her for months, and she shows up out of the blue when she's been gone since he was nine!? She tells him this is not the time for that talk. He needs to meet her, and he needs to come alone. Sarah comes out of the house talking to Chuck, but he doesn't hear a word she says.

Chuck is in the park on a picnic table when his phone rings, and he answers by saying he knew she wouldn't show up. She tells him to look toward his 3:00, and there she is. She was just making sure he followed orders. He asks why all the secrecy? He knows she's been working for Volkoff; is she afraid the bad guys are going to see her talking to her own son? It's much more complicated than that. She tells him to meet her at the playground. She hangs up without another word, and Chuck says to the thin air "You just hate saying good-bye like a normal person, doncha."

Sarah is in position, and Mary (Frost) has a gun to her head. Sarah drops something and has her gun drawn before Mary can fire. Chuck finds them at a stand-off, and introduces his girlfriend to his mom. Frost tries to call him on not coming alone, but since he hasn't seen her since he was nine, he feels entitled to not walk into what may very well be a trap, solo. He hopes Mary and Sarah can be BFF on Facebook. After a few tense moments of talking, he gets them to lower their weapons. He decides to share something about himself from the time after she left. She stops him by saying she doesn't want to know anything about him. Mary is deep undercover in the Volkoff organization. Pretty hurtful until she adds that she would be tortured until she gave up any information - if she doesn't know, she can't spill.

Sarah asks if she's undercover, then why is there no record whatsoever on her with the CIA. Mary says when she went undercover, her records were expunged. How convenient! So how do they know she's not making all this up? She gives them current information: Dr. Wheelwright's toxin of terror. He'll be meeting with Volkoff's most trusted weapons buyer. She asks Chuck to pose as that buyer. Mary wants to make sure the CIA knows about this. The toxin is far too powerful to fall into the wrong hands. He can just say he flashed on it. She may not know anything about her son, but she knows everything about Charles Carmichael. They hear sirens, and she announces they are done here. Set up the meeting, she'll make sure the CIA gets their hands on the nerve gas. She says good-bye as she walks away.

Casey tells Morgan that they may be able to use him as a spy, so they need to get with Chuck. He's telling Sarah he has a huge blind spot where his mom is concerned. He asks if they're crazy for doing this. She says he's been looking for answers for a very long time, and they're going to find some. They just need to be careful. Casey and Grimes arrive. General Beckman starts telling them that Chuck's flash on Wheelwright was 100% on the money, but interrupts herself to ask what Morgan is doing there. Casey tells her he's with him. Morgan tries to pass himself off as a hot commodity who's not just for the ladies anymore, but Casey orders him to shut up. The toxin is Atroxium, and it's extremely dangerous. Chuck interjects to offer himself as the buyer. He feels that not only would he be able to get his hands on the toxins, but he would be able to flash on any Volkoff operatives involved with it. She's impressed, and agrees to go with that plan. Sarah thinks he did great, but Casey smells a rat.

Chuck turns to Morgan and tells him he found his mom. She actually came to him with the Wheelwright information. Casey wants to check her out, but Sarah already did. Chuck says the only people who should know this information are the four of them. He doesn't want Beckman digging, it's for Mary's protection.

Ellie gets home and is warmly greeted by Devon. She wanted to get a few things straightened up before his mother arrives and makes her life a living - heaven! as she sees his mother is already here. She's cleaning, as a little surprise. And there's another surprise! She canceled the room they rented for her, and she's spending the whole week with them! Ellie decides it might not be so bad to have her around, it's not like she has a mom of her own to depend on during the pregnancy.

Morgan is asking Big Mike how to balance all the duties a manager has, and Mike tells him he needs to learn how to delegate. Morgan tries to start with Big Mike, but he's got a Danielle Steel novel to read. He suggests that Morgan get some real crazies on that job: Lester and Jeff.

Chuck and Sarah are both wearing glasses. She's the hostess at the restaurant, and he's Charles Carmichael. He makes a pass at Sarah, which Casey intercedes by telling him to knock it off, as grownups are trying to work here. Morgan arrives for his new job, and when Casey takes a shot at him, he says he loves their interaction - classic Ross and Rachel. Casey notes that the target is approaching, and Chuck should give the signal, so he removed his glasses. Dr. Wheelwright approaches his table and takes a seat. They toast to smooth transactions, and as they do, Mary places her hand on Wheelwrights shoulder. She tells him that not everything is necessarily as it appears, and she's done some digging. Chuck is a CIA operative. She shoots Chuck twice in the chest, and starts firing at Sarah, who is already attempting to fire at her. She then shoots out the camera Casey and Morgan are working from. They escape, and Chuck opens his shirt to show that he is wearing a bullet proof vest. Sarah asks if he's okay, and he says his mom shot him.

When they get back to base, he says his heart hurts. Sarah assumes he means metaphorically, but no. Even with a bullet proof vest, he took a hard hit in the area of his heart. He puts ice on his heart and announces that he's a complete idiot. After everything he knew and learned about his mom, he still trusted her. Great spy work, that. Sarah tells him that's what she loves about him. In a world of deceit, he still manages to trust people. Chuck asks if it's really that; not his dashing good looks, or the giant computer in his brain? She tacks on that she also loves him because he's funny, and kisses him on the cheek while rubbing his shoulders.

Morgan's phone ring, and Casey mutterss "Spy work, or Buy More?" Morgan groans and holds up his cell, which is a one-word text from Lester. HELP. Casey groans too, and motions with his head to the door. A very sad Morgan goes back to work. They have some lame questions. He puts the project back on their plate, and leaves. Probably not a good idea, since they are a bit unhinged, and their idea of big, scary and fun probably isn't anywhere in the realm of "sane" or "normal".

Chuck is leaving work through the shipping dock, when an unfriendly stranger in a black sedan pulls up. It's Mary, smiling and telling him to get in the car. Since she appears to have a very short memory, Chuck reminds her that she shot him last time she saw him. Still smiling she pulls a gun and tells him she'll do it again if he doesn't get in the car. Chuck complies, but is entering something on his cell as he rounds the vehicle.

Sarah and Casey are looking for Sarah and Wheelwright on the local footage from immediately after the shooting. They find nothing. A screen pops up which indicates that Chuck has activated his emergency tracking device. In the car, she still has the gun pointed at Chuck, but is now traveling down the freeway at about 100 mph. Chuck says if she hits one pot hole, things are going to get very messy very quickly. Mary apologizes, as she puts the gun away. She's just used to keeping up appearances.

Mary gives him another couple of pieces of the puzzle. The organization she joined to take down Volkoff - she got in way too deep. She had to close the door behind her, and leave her old life behind. At the restaurant, she knew he was wearing a vest. She also knew Volkoff had tapped into the security cams at the restaurant. So now Volkoff thinks that Charles Carmichael is dead, and therefore Chuck and Ellie are safe. Chuck believes that she did this to protect Ellie and himself.

Mary claims that they have always and only been her priority, and not being part of their lives pains her more than they could ever imagine. Chuck says she had a mission, and she slams the car to a stop. She has relived that day over and over. If she had it to do again, she would never have left. She tells him she never got him a present for his 10th birthday, and pinches his cheek. They get out of the car and start walking. One of the storage lockers has Wheelwright inside and tranqued. The Atroxium is ready for extraction. And she's sorry she shot him. Chuck says hey, no harm; no foul. They hear sirens, and Mary is happy that Chuck activated his emergency tracking device. She's going back under cover as she's done what she came here to do, and he and Ellie are safe. He begs her to please just go tell Ellie the same thing she told him. Sarah and the agents are closing in fast. She says she's sorry, and she starts to leave. He announces that Ellie is pregnant. She stands still, and he repeats it. When he turns to see the agents moving in, he looks back and she's gone.

When Sarah and Casey arrive, Dr.Wheelwright is resting on Chuck's shoulder. Casey asks how Chuck got there, and he answers that his mom dropped him off.

Chuck doesn't know how he's going to tell Ellie that her mom was in town and left again, without seeing her. Sarah tells him he'll figure it out. When he leaves, Casey enters. He has a friend who specializes in expunged records. They can find out the truth behind Mary Bartowski. Sarah asks if he needs backup, and he passes - he already has someone in mind.

Lester and Jeff did a great job decorating for Halloween, but the store is just kiddy stuff. They show Chuck and Morgan to the Aisle of Terror. A psychologist in all things insane (Dr. Schofield) discovered what scares even the most deranged of minds. Lester and Jeff commence flashing images on a screen, while Jeff does the voice-over. Old people. Public showers. Inter-species relationships. Morgan said it's the lamest thing he's ever seen, and he doesn't want the customers in there.

Devon's mom, Honey, is being a Class A personality over the baby. Devon wants to get a teddy bear for the baby, but she says that won't teach the baby to read or write. Babies love dictionaries. One aisle over, Mary is listening. Ellie tells Devon his mom might be a bit much, but at least she's there, and wants to know the baby. That's more than she can say for her mom. Mary picks up the teddy bear that Honey rejected, and holds it to her, smiling wistfully.

Chuck tells Sarah that the woman he knows as his mom is nothing like the one who left 20 years ago. Sarah wonders if he's trying to justify not telling Ellie, and he asks if he's that transparent. The item she is working on begins a five minute countdown, and they ask the doctor why. It's a safety measure, to prevent tampering. He isn't going to help them until Chuck points out that they have gas masks, and he'll be the only one exposed to the toxins. There's barely a minute to go when he uses his thumb print to stop it. Sarah has the gas masks with her when she goes to get handcuffs for the doctor. The remaining seconds burn past and the toxins are released with the doctor and Chuck standing right next to it. When Chuck asks what he's done, the doctor smiles and says 'oops'.

Chuck yells for Sarah to get back. She takes one step back, and he hits the lock down button. She's outside, and he's in. The doctor notes that Chuck's hands are shaking. Chuck asks why they were both exposed to it and Wheelwright tells him that while he was developing the nerve gas, he tested it on himself. He asks Chuck what scares him. Sarah tries to tell him it's all in his mind. But Chuck responds to the doctor, telling him everything scares him, that's why he never goes to scary movies. Wheelwright tells him that if Chuck helps him get out of there, he will consider giving him the anti-toxin. However, first on his agenda is killing Frost. Chuck can't let that happen, even while he's living in a nightmare. He locks them in, and when the doctor confronts him, Chuck return volleys the 'oops'. The doctor gives him another spritz of Atroxium. He thinks he sees Sarah get shot by his mother who then shoots him. The doctor tells him it's getting worse. What he sees now are his worst fears.

Sarah tears the operating panel off from next to the door and hot wires it so she can get in.

Wheelwright and Chuck land in the Aisle of Terror. The doctor recognizes Schofield's work, calling him a hack. Wheelwright is the one who is terror stricken. When he runs out, Sarah clotheslines him. She finds Chuck who doesn't want to be like this, so he's just going to keep his eyes closed until they get the antidote, okay? Okay, bye.

Morgan is in a parking garage waiting for Casey. The bad guy puts a gun to Morgan's head (that's why he's the magnet), and Casey does the same to the bad guy. He takes the folder on Frost. Morgan is outraged at being used like that, and tells Casey he's not very thoughtful. Morgan asks the bad guy if he agrees, and he nods. Casey tells Morgan that Chuck's mom's story checks out.

Sarah was able to get the antitoxin for Chuck before Wheelwrights choochoo left the tracks. He has a voice mail from Frost; she wants to see Ellie before she goes back undercover. Sarah wants to go with him, and he thanks her but no; this is going to be family time. He greets Ellie, who is reading the dictionary Honey got for the baby. She is trying to get away from her for a few minutes. He asks her if she has plans.

Sarah and Casey meet. He tells her that everything about Mary Bartowski is a lie. The project that she claimed she went too deep on? That ended 20 years ago, when Frost went rogue. Sarah asks if she's a double-agent, working directly for Volkoff? Casey doesn't answer except to say that they should have grabbed her before she dropped off the map again. Sarah knows she's not yet dropped off the map. Casey reads her face and asks what's going on.

Ellie and Chuck are sitting in a restaurant, waiting for their mom. When she's late, Chuck goes outside. He sees her approaching the restaurant, but he also sees somebody on the rooftop across the street. A van pulls up behind her and kidnaps her. Chuck tussles with one of the people in black, and it's Sarah. She tells him his mom lied to him, and she's protecting his blind spot. They pull away. He goes inside and tells Ellie their mom won't be joining them. She asks why she keeps doing this to them, and Chuck tells her "Because she's a spy."

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