Chuck Versus the Broken Heart
Encyclopedia
"Chuck Versus the Broken Heart" is the 18th episode of Chuck
's second season, and the 31st episode overall. It aired on March 30, 2009. Tricia Helfer
guest stars as agent Alex Forrest, assigned to evaluate Sarah's performance due to General Beckman's concerns about her relationship with Chuck. Meanwhile, Morgan, Jeff and Lester try to get themselves invited to Captain Awesome's bachelor party.
for his bachelor party, and Chuck reminds them they're not invited. Casey chases them off with a blast from a hose, while Chuck goes home. He's looking over the Intersect information Orion provided him before his death when General Beckman contacts him through his computer. She confronts Chuck on the nature of his and Sarah's relationship, but when Chuck tries to tell her they're strictly professional, she shows him surveillance footage of him confessing how he feels to Sarah, including the gift of his mother's charm bracelet. Beckman advises him she's instituting a "49B."
The next morning Chuck goes to the Orange Orange to advise Sarah of what happened, but is surprised to find another woman working the counter instead. In a briefing with Beckman in Castle Sarah tells Chuck that the new agent, Alexandra Forrest, has been assigned to evaluate her performance, and will be temporarily taking over her role as Chuck's CIA handler. The team is assigned to investigate a suspected Afghan terrorist, Rashad Ahmad, receiving heart surgery in the US, as he is a link to their leader Hassan Khalid's whereabouts in the cavernous region on the border of Afghanistan and Pakistan. However the hospital is also where Chuck's sister and Devon work. Against his objections, the team moves in.
Sarah remains in the van, while Chuck, Forrest and Casey infiltrate as staff. Chuck narrowly avoids his sister by ducking into a patient room with Forrest, where he flashes on two men: the patient Rashad Ahmad, who his going by the pseudonym Harry Lime, and his personal physician Dr. Muhammed Zamir, confirming their intelligence report. While Chuck delays them, Casey attempts but fails to break in to the hospital's donor bank, where he intends to plant a GLG-4000 bug in the pacemaker that will be implanted into Ahmad, which they can use to track him even in the mountainous regions of Afghanistan. Forrest suggests stealing the ID badge of one of the doctors, and decides on Devon despite Chuck's objections. Unable to dissuade them, he does manage to convince them on a plan to lift his ID at Devon's bachelor party (see below). Forrest disguises herself as a stripper with a police officer routine at the party, and takes Devon into the Buy More Home Theater room. However, he refuses to participate so she decides to tranquilize him and steal his ID. With it, they successfully plant the bug.
After a debriefing by Beckman, Forrest tells her that Sarah's performance is compromised by her personal feelings for Chuck. Sarah is recalled to Langley, and Forrest is permanently reassigned to take her place. Sarah is upset, but accepts the General's decision. She nonetheless takes advantage of her government clearance to help Chuck's failed search for his father by secretly and illegally searching the CIA database for his location as a parting gift for him. She then packs up her belongings for the trip back to the east coast. Meanwhile, Zamir discovers a bug planted during Ahmad's surgery and targets Devon as the surgeon who implanted the device. Chuck sees his men arrive and takes Devon's place when they come to apprehend him.
While Sarah is on the road, her search of Stephen Bartowski finishes, and she decides to return immediately to Burbank to tell Chuck what she found. She arrives after Chuck has been abducted, and is about to leave him a note when she sees his phone lying on his bed. Sarah immediately returns to Castle but her access has been revoked. She signals Casey and warns him that Chuck is missing. Forrest attempts to overrule her because his watch's GPS transponder places him in his apartment's courtyard. Sarah activates their surveillance cameras: his watch is at the bottom of the fountain. The three track them to a bank vault, which Zamir is using to shield the bug while forcing Chuck (whom he believes is Devon) to operate and remove it. Chuck tries to stall, but his identity is revealed and Zamir tries to kill him, knocking over a tank of nitrous
which Casey sees as they arrive at the vault shortly before Zamir seals the door. Forrest wants to blow the vault open, but the blast could ignite the nitrous, killing Chuck. Sarah works on cracking the lock while the others try to convince Chuck to open the door. Chuck and Zamir get high on the gas, and in their inebriated state Chuck gets Zamir to confess where the terrorists are located. Sarah succeeds in opening the vault and rescues Chuck.
Later in a debriefing, Beckman reluctantly admits that Chuck and Sarah's feelings for each other make them more effective together, rather than acting as a liability. Forrest is recalled, and Sarah is reinstated as Chuck's CIA handler.
Later, at the bachelor party, Devon is tranq'ed by Forrest. Under the influence of the tranquilizer, he briefly hears Chuck yelling at her about it before passing out. The next morning he wakes up at home to find his badge missing and unable to remember what happened. Ellie becomes suspicious and goes to the Buy More to ask Morgan what happened. He tries to protect Devon by not answering. When she turns to leave, she sees Jeff and Lester looking over their pictures of the party, which include Forrest with Devon. They try to stop Ellie as she leaves, but she is convinced Devon cheated. She confronts Chuck when he tries to return his ID badge and is angry because it looks like Chuck is covering for him, too.
After the mission, Chuck comes to see Sarah at her apartment to vent about the situation. He's upset because Beckman's orders continue to interfere with and hurt his family. To help make it up to him, Sarah reveals she's learned where Chuck's father is hiding and takes him out to a trailer 100 miles outside Barstow, California. Chuck knocks on the door but at first there's no answer. He remarks that his father didn't want to be found, and the two are about to kiss, when the trailer door opens. The episode ends with Chuck saying "Dad?"
was announced to be appearing as a CIA agent assigned by General Beckman to take over as Chuck's CIA handler due to Beckman's concerns over the developing relationship between Sarah and Chuck. The episode follows directly on the end of "Chuck Versus the Predator," in which Beckman questions Casey on the relationship between Sarah and Chuck.
Helfer greatly enjoyed her time on the show, complimenting the series' and cast's sense of humor. Strahovski also noted that part of the fun of the episode was the differences between Helfer's Agent Forrest and Sarah Walker, particularly that part of Sarah's effectiveness in working with Chuck is by using her emotions. Comparisons were also made between Forrest and John Casey.
This episode reveals that the name of the hospital where Devon and Ellie work is Westside Hospital. Jeff's sister is also revealed to be a stripper.
"Chuck Versus the Broken Heart" also effectively ends Chuck's search for his father, begun in "Chuck Versus the Sensei." Scott Bakula
appeared as Stephen Bartowski beginning with the next episode, "Chuck Versus the Dream Job" as part of a three-part story arc alongside Chevy Chase
.
Ryan McPartlin has said in interviews that Devon will be becoming more involved with the series as it moves towards the finale, and will be growing suspicious of Chuck's double life. This episode is an advancement of this, as he sees references to General Beckman on Chuck's computer, and later overhears Chuck scolding Agent Forrest after she tranquilizes him before he passes out.
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...
's second season, and the 31st episode overall. It aired on March 30, 2009. Tricia Helfer
Tricia Helfer
Tricia Janine Helfer is a Canadian actress and former model, best known for her roles as Number Six in the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica miniseries and television series, "Carla" on Burn Notice, and FBI Special Agent Alex Rice on Dark Blue, as well as for hosting the first season of Canada's...
guest stars as agent Alex Forrest, assigned to evaluate Sarah's performance due to General Beckman's concerns about her relationship with Chuck. Meanwhile, Morgan, Jeff and Lester try to get themselves invited to Captain Awesome's bachelor party.
Main Plot
The episode begins with Chuck returning to his apartment. He's ambushed before he can get in the door by three masked figures, but Casey interrupts them before they can take him anywhere and forces them to unmask. It's Morgan, Jeff and Lester, who are rehearsing kidnapping DevonCaptain Awesome
Devon Christian Woodcomb, M.D., often referred to as Captain Awesome or simply Awesome, is a character on the TV series Chuck, and is portrayed by the actor Ryan McPartlin. The character's nickname comes from Chuck's assertion that "everything he does is awesome," and his frequent use of the word...
for his bachelor party, and Chuck reminds them they're not invited. Casey chases them off with a blast from a hose, while Chuck goes home. He's looking over the Intersect information Orion provided him before his death when General Beckman contacts him through his computer. She confronts Chuck on the nature of his and Sarah's relationship, but when Chuck tries to tell her they're strictly professional, she shows him surveillance footage of him confessing how he feels to Sarah, including the gift of his mother's charm bracelet. Beckman advises him she's instituting a "49B."
The next morning Chuck goes to the Orange Orange to advise Sarah of what happened, but is surprised to find another woman working the counter instead. In a briefing with Beckman in Castle Sarah tells Chuck that the new agent, Alexandra Forrest, has been assigned to evaluate her performance, and will be temporarily taking over her role as Chuck's CIA handler. The team is assigned to investigate a suspected Afghan terrorist, Rashad Ahmad, receiving heart surgery in the US, as he is a link to their leader Hassan Khalid's whereabouts in the cavernous region on the border of Afghanistan and Pakistan. However the hospital is also where Chuck's sister and Devon work. Against his objections, the team moves in.
Sarah remains in the van, while Chuck, Forrest and Casey infiltrate as staff. Chuck narrowly avoids his sister by ducking into a patient room with Forrest, where he flashes on two men: the patient Rashad Ahmad, who his going by the pseudonym Harry Lime, and his personal physician Dr. Muhammed Zamir, confirming their intelligence report. While Chuck delays them, Casey attempts but fails to break in to the hospital's donor bank, where he intends to plant a GLG-4000 bug in the pacemaker that will be implanted into Ahmad, which they can use to track him even in the mountainous regions of Afghanistan. Forrest suggests stealing the ID badge of one of the doctors, and decides on Devon despite Chuck's objections. Unable to dissuade them, he does manage to convince them on a plan to lift his ID at Devon's bachelor party (see below). Forrest disguises herself as a stripper with a police officer routine at the party, and takes Devon into the Buy More Home Theater room. However, he refuses to participate so she decides to tranquilize him and steal his ID. With it, they successfully plant the bug.
After a debriefing by Beckman, Forrest tells her that Sarah's performance is compromised by her personal feelings for Chuck. Sarah is recalled to Langley, and Forrest is permanently reassigned to take her place. Sarah is upset, but accepts the General's decision. She nonetheless takes advantage of her government clearance to help Chuck's failed search for his father by secretly and illegally searching the CIA database for his location as a parting gift for him. She then packs up her belongings for the trip back to the east coast. Meanwhile, Zamir discovers a bug planted during Ahmad's surgery and targets Devon as the surgeon who implanted the device. Chuck sees his men arrive and takes Devon's place when they come to apprehend him.
While Sarah is on the road, her search of Stephen Bartowski finishes, and she decides to return immediately to Burbank to tell Chuck what she found. She arrives after Chuck has been abducted, and is about to leave him a note when she sees his phone lying on his bed. Sarah immediately returns to Castle but her access has been revoked. She signals Casey and warns him that Chuck is missing. Forrest attempts to overrule her because his watch's GPS transponder places him in his apartment's courtyard. Sarah activates their surveillance cameras: his watch is at the bottom of the fountain. The three track them to a bank vault, which Zamir is using to shield the bug while forcing Chuck (whom he believes is Devon) to operate and remove it. Chuck tries to stall, but his identity is revealed and Zamir tries to kill him, knocking over a tank of nitrous
Nitrous oxide
Nitrous oxide, commonly known as laughing gas or sweet air, is a chemical compound with the formula . It is an oxide of nitrogen. At room temperature, it is a colorless non-flammable gas, with a slightly sweet odor and taste. It is used in surgery and dentistry for its anesthetic and analgesic...
which Casey sees as they arrive at the vault shortly before Zamir seals the door. Forrest wants to blow the vault open, but the blast could ignite the nitrous, killing Chuck. Sarah works on cracking the lock while the others try to convince Chuck to open the door. Chuck and Zamir get high on the gas, and in their inebriated state Chuck gets Zamir to confess where the terrorists are located. Sarah succeeds in opening the vault and rescues Chuck.
Later in a debriefing, Beckman reluctantly admits that Chuck and Sarah's feelings for each other make them more effective together, rather than acting as a liability. Forrest is recalled, and Sarah is reinstated as Chuck's CIA handler.
Buy More
Throughout the episode, Morgan, Jeff and Lester try to get themselves invited to Awesome's bachelor party. Chuck continues to refuse until the team needs to lift his hospital ID. His idea is to use the bachelor party to get Devon drunk until he passes out so they can steal his hospital keycard. Four of them kidnap him as he leaves the hospital, and bring him to the Buy More where they surprise him with the party. Throughout the evening Jeff and Lester are taking pictures, as it's their first time at a bachelor party. Jeff has also arranged for strippers, one of whom is his sister. Agent Forrest arrives later disguised as a dancer herself, and performs a strip tease for Awesome, handcuffing him and taking him to the Home Theater Room where she attempts to seduce him. Devon refuses her advances, and she tranquilizes him instead.Family
After Chuck's conversation with Beckman at the beginning of the episode, Devon wakes up Chuck with a health shake, which he refuses. He sees a note on Chuck's computer screen remarking that his conference with Beckman has ended, and Chuck attempts to cover it with being part of a video game with Morgan. When pressed by Devon who Chuck is, if Morgan is "Beckman," Chuck answers "Carmichael." This triggers a conference with Beckman when Awesome turns his back, which Chuck promptly turns off before he can see it. Devon later inadvertently triggers the briefing himself when he jokingly uses the name "Carmichael," but doesn't see Beckman before shutting it down.Later, at the bachelor party, Devon is tranq'ed by Forrest. Under the influence of the tranquilizer, he briefly hears Chuck yelling at her about it before passing out. The next morning he wakes up at home to find his badge missing and unable to remember what happened. Ellie becomes suspicious and goes to the Buy More to ask Morgan what happened. He tries to protect Devon by not answering. When she turns to leave, she sees Jeff and Lester looking over their pictures of the party, which include Forrest with Devon. They try to stop Ellie as she leaves, but she is convinced Devon cheated. She confronts Chuck when he tries to return his ID badge and is angry because it looks like Chuck is covering for him, too.
After the mission, Chuck comes to see Sarah at her apartment to vent about the situation. He's upset because Beckman's orders continue to interfere with and hurt his family. To help make it up to him, Sarah reveals she's learned where Chuck's father is hiding and takes him out to a trailer 100 miles outside Barstow, California. Chuck knocks on the door but at first there's no answer. He remarks that his father didn't want to be found, and the two are about to kiss, when the trailer door opens. The episode ends with Chuck saying "Dad?"
Production
On November 21, 2008 Tricia HelferTricia Helfer
Tricia Janine Helfer is a Canadian actress and former model, best known for her roles as Number Six in the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica miniseries and television series, "Carla" on Burn Notice, and FBI Special Agent Alex Rice on Dark Blue, as well as for hosting the first season of Canada's...
was announced to be appearing as a CIA agent assigned by General Beckman to take over as Chuck's CIA handler due to Beckman's concerns over the developing relationship between Sarah and Chuck. The episode follows directly on the end of "Chuck Versus the Predator," in which Beckman questions Casey on the relationship between Sarah and Chuck.
Helfer greatly enjoyed her time on the show, complimenting the series' and cast's sense of humor. Strahovski also noted that part of the fun of the episode was the differences between Helfer's Agent Forrest and Sarah Walker, particularly that part of Sarah's effectiveness in working with Chuck is by using her emotions. Comparisons were also made between Forrest and John Casey.
This episode reveals that the name of the hospital where Devon and Ellie work is Westside Hospital. Jeff's sister is also revealed to be a stripper.
"Chuck Versus the Broken Heart" also effectively ends Chuck's search for his father, begun in "Chuck Versus the Sensei." Scott Bakula
Scott Bakula
Scott Stewart Bakula is an American actor, known for his role as Sam Beckett in the television series Quantum Leap, for which he won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Television Series Drama in 1991 and was nominated for four Emmy Awards. He also had a prominent role as Captain Jonathan...
appeared as Stephen Bartowski beginning with the next episode, "Chuck Versus the Dream Job" as part of a three-part story arc alongside Chevy Chase
Chevy Chase
Cornelius Crane "Chevy" Chase is an American comedian, writer, and television and film actor, born into a prominent entertainment industry family. Chase worked a plethora of odd jobs before moving into comedy acting with National Lampoon...
.
Ryan McPartlin has said in interviews that Devon will be becoming more involved with the series as it moves towards the finale, and will be growing suspicious of Chuck's double life. This episode is an advancement of this, as he sees references to General Beckman on Chuck's computer, and later overhears Chuck scolding Agent Forrest after she tranquilizes him before he passes out.
Flashes
- Chuck flashes on Agent Forrest when he sees her in the Orange Orange.
- Chuck confirms Zamir's and Ahmad's identities.
Music
- "Hearts and MindsHearts and MindsHearts and Minds may refer to:* A biblical quotation; see the Wikisource link-Film:* Hearts and Minds , a 1974 documentary film about the Vietnam War-Television:...
" by Matt Pond PAMatt Pond PAMatt Pond PA is a New York based band formed in Philadelphia by singer-songwriter Matt Pond. They have released eight LPs and eight EPs since 1998.... - "Jump AroundJump Around"Jump Around" is the title of a song by the band House of Pain, produced by DJ Muggs of Cypress Hill. This song became a hit in 1992, reaching Number 3 in the USA. A 1993 re-release of the song in the UK, where the original had been a minor hit, peaked at Number 8. On VH1's 100 Greatest Songs of...
" by House of PainHouse of PainHouse of Pain is an American hip hop group who released three albums in the 1990s before lead rapper Everlast left to pursue his solo career again. The group's name is a reference to the H.G. Wells novel The Island of Dr... - "2 Legit 2 Quit" by MC HammerMC HammerStanley Kirk Burrell , better known by his stage name MC Hammer , is an American rapper, entertainer, business entrepreneur, dancer and actor. He had his greatest commercial success and popularity from the late 1980s until the mid-1990s...
- "LoveGameLoveGame"LoveGame" is an electropop song by American recording artist Lady Gaga from her debut album, The Fame . Produced by RedOne, the track was released as the album's third single in North America and Europe and the fourth single in Australia, New Zealand and Sweden after "Eh, Eh "...
" by Lady GaGaLady GaGaStefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta , better known by her stage name Lady Gaga, is an American singer and songwriter. Born and raised in New York City, she primarily studied at the Convent of the Sacred Heart and briefly attended New York University's Tisch School of the Arts before withdrawing to... - "Bottle PopBottle Pop"Bottle Pop" is a song by American pop girl group the Pussycat Dolls from their second album, Doll Domination . Written by Fernando Garibay, Nicole Scherzinger and Sean Garrett who also produced it, was released as the fourth single in Oceania and Germany. Snoop Dogg is featured only in the album's...
" by The Pussycat Dolls feat. Snoop DoggSnoop DoggCalvin Cordozar Broadus, Jr. , better known by his stage name Snoop Dogg, is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. Snoop is best known as a rapper in the West Coast hip hop scene, and for being one of Dr. Dre's most notable protégés. Snoop Dogg was a Crip gang member while in high school... - "Turnin' Me OnTurnin' Me On"Turnin Me On" is a song by American singer-songwriter Keri Hilson, taken from her debut album, In a Perfect World.... The song features American rapper Lil Wayne who co-wrote the song alongside Hilson and Zachary Anson Wallace. Production credits are shared between Danja and Polow da Don, who also...
" by Keri HilsonKeri HilsonKeri Lynn Hilson is an American R&B singer-songwriter. Born and raised in Decatur, Georgia, Hilson began her music career as a songwriter, penning tracks for several artists in the mid-2000s as part of the five-person production and songwriting team, The Clutch... - "Bite Hard" by Franz Ferdinand
- "Blood BankBlood bankA blood bank is a cache or bank of blood or blood components, gathered as a result of blood donation, stored and preserved for later use in blood transfusion. The term "blood bank" typically refers to a division of a hospital laboratory where the storage of blood product occurs and where proper...
" by Bon IverBon IverBon Iver is a Grammy nominated folk band founded in 2007 by American indie folk singer-songwriter Justin Vernon. It includes Michael Noyce, Sean Carey, and Matthew McCaughan. Vernon released Bon Iver's debut album, For Emma, Forever Ago independently in July 2007. The majority of that album was...