Chuck Versus the First Kill
Encyclopedia
"Chuck Versus the First Kill" aired on April 13, 2009, the 20th episode of the second season, and 33rd overall. Chuck
strikes a deal with his ex-girlfriend Jill
(Jordana Brewster
) to have her released from prison if she cooperates with his search for his father
. Meanwhile, Morgan
attempts to sabotage Emmett's efficiency review.
agent, however none of those they captured have been willing to talk. Chuck gambles that he might be able to convince Jill, who is currently incarcerated, to help. She initially refuses, but Chuck makes an unauthorized deal to have her brought into witness protection if she cooperates. She recommends the team question her father's best friend, Uncle Bernie, (Ken Davitian
) who recruited her into Fulcrum. She tells the team that most of the time he is well-protected and the only way to gain access to him without his bodyguards is at family gatherings. Chuck decides to manufacture one by going undercover with Jill and throwing a party to celebrate their engagement.
While Chuck and Jill meet with Jill's family, Casey
and Sarah
monitor from the van outside. Bernie arrives and is immediately suspicious upon seeing Jill, whom he believes had been arrested and confronts them in private. Chuck offers him the same deal as Jill - help him locate Stephen and in return they'll offer him witness protection. Bernie instead attempts to kill them and they flee through the house. Sarah and Casey, masquerading as Chuck's cousin and her boyfriend respectively, arrive to back them up. Before they can reach Chuck, Bernie suffers a fatal heart attack and collapses.
At Castle, Sarah tells Chuck that Jill will be returned to prison because of the failure of their mission. Chuck argues that they still need her help, but Sarah apologizes and tells him they don't have a choice. Jill returns the engagement ring the government provided her as part of the cover and says goodbye to Chuck, but as she's being led out, Bernie's phone begins to ring. Chuck retrieves the phone from the body bag and answers, stalling the Fulcrum operative on the other line long while Sarah tracks him to a business used as a recruiting front by Fulcrum. Sarah guards Jill in the van while Jill walks Chuck and Casey through infiltrating the facility, where they take a test to determine their eligibility for recruitment. While taking the test, Chuck and Casey are identified and separated and Chuck is taken in for interrogation, while Casey escapes.
Jill and Sarah enter the building to rescue them, but Sarah is identified and pinned down in a heavy firefight. Casey ambushes and shoots the Fulcrum operatives holding Chuck, then rushes from the office to help Sarah after ordering Chuck to use the office computer to determine where Stephen is being taken. Jill tries to escape during the gunfight, where she overhears that Stephen is being taken to a facility called "Black Rock." Meanwhile, the Fulcrum operative in charge returns to where Chuck is working, rushes him and slips on broken glass and topples out the window after tripping on Chuck's foot when Chuck shields himself with "The Morgan." Chuck dives for him and catches his arm, but is now slipping out himself. Jill is making her escape when she hears Chuck call for help, and after a moment of hesitation, returns and catches Chuck before he can be pulled out the window as well. The Fulcrum operative agrees to talk if Chuck helps him, but his sleeve rips free and the agent falls to his death. Jill tells Chuck that Stephen is being taken somewhere called "Black Rock," but she doesn't know where that is. The name triggers a flash and Chuck identifies it as a location outside Barstow, CA. He then gives Jill back the ring they used earlier and tells her that the deal was a lie, and he won't let the government change him. He then lets her escape, seeing that she has redeemed herself.
Afterwards, back at Castle, Beckman is furious that not only did they fail to rescue Stephen, but Jill is now on the loose. Casey wryly suggests putting Chuck in a bunker, and though he wasn't serious, Beckman agrees and orders Sarah to tell Chuck they intercepted his father and brought him to Castle. Casey will then tranquilize him so he can be shipped back to Washington. Sarah objects to the setup but Beckman is tired of the potential liability of Chuck running around on his own and orders her to proceed. Sarah tells off Casey about how he didn't say anything, but goes to the Buy More to carry out her orders anyway. At first she tells Chuck the story given to her by Beckman, but after Chuck thanks her for always being there for him she warns him of the deception. He ditches his watch and the two flee.
The efficiency review is going well, but Emmett just needs a vote of support for Big Mike and asks Morgan to get it. Morgan plays on Mike's relationship with his mother to get him to confide in how he feels about Emmett, which he records and Emmett plays back for the efficiency expert. Unfortunately, Emmett reveals to Morgan he had been manipulating him from the start and that the review was not of his own performance, but instead was of Big Mike's. Big Mike is demoted to a Green Shirt and Emmett is promoted to store manager.
Additionally, Chris Fedak and Josh Schwartz had said that by the end of the season, Chuck would be recording his first "kill." Ironically, both turned out to be entirely accidental. This episode also marked the introduction of Chuck's spy move "The Morgan," previously referenced in interviews.
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:...
strikes a deal with his ex-girlfriend Jill
Jill Roberts
Dr. Jill Roberts is a recurring character on the action/comedy series Chuck on NBC. She is a prominent figure in the series mythology, though did not appear until the middle of the second season. Jill is Chuck's ex-girlfriend from Stanford, and is portrayed by Jordana Brewster...
(Jordana Brewster
Jordana Brewster
Jordana Brewster is an American actress. She began her acting career in her late teens, with a 1995 one-episode role in the soap opera All My Children. She followed that appearance with the recurring role as Nikki Munson in As the World Turns, for which Brewster was nominated for Outstanding Teen...
) to have her released from prison if she cooperates with his search for his father
Stephen J. Bartowski
Stephen J. Bartowski is a recurring character on the television series Chuck portrayed by actor Scott Bakula. Stephen is the estranged father of Chuck and Ellie Bartowski, and under the government codename "Orion" was the chief designer of the Intersect....
. Meanwhile, Morgan
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....
attempts to sabotage Emmett's efficiency review.
Main Plot
As the episode begins, the NSA and CIA have had no success in locating Chuck's father, Stephen. He angrily confronts Beckman during a status update about their failure to locate him. Chuck decides that he must take matters into his own hands and interrogate a FulcrumFulcrum (Chuck)
Fulcrum is the codename of a fictional hostile espionage organization on the television series Chuck. Fulcrum serves as the series' main antagonists up until the end of season two, though their specific goals beyond acquiring the Intersect have not yet been fully revealed.-History:Very little...
agent, however none of those they captured have been willing to talk. Chuck gambles that he might be able to convince Jill, who is currently incarcerated, to help. She initially refuses, but Chuck makes an unauthorized deal to have her brought into witness protection if she cooperates. She recommends the team question her father's best friend, Uncle Bernie, (Ken Davitian
Ken Davitian
Kenneth "Ken" Davitian is an American actor who is best known for his role as Borat's producer in the 2006 comedy film Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan, in which he speaks the Eastern dialect of Armenian throughout the film.-Life and...
) who recruited her into Fulcrum. She tells the team that most of the time he is well-protected and the only way to gain access to him without his bodyguards is at family gatherings. Chuck decides to manufacture one by going undercover with Jill and throwing a party to celebrate their engagement.
While Chuck and Jill meet with Jill's family, 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....
and 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...
monitor from the van outside. Bernie arrives and is immediately suspicious upon seeing Jill, whom he believes had been arrested and confronts them in private. Chuck offers him the same deal as Jill - help him locate Stephen and in return they'll offer him witness protection. Bernie instead attempts to kill them and they flee through the house. Sarah and Casey, masquerading as Chuck's cousin and her boyfriend respectively, arrive to back them up. Before they can reach Chuck, Bernie suffers a fatal heart attack and collapses.
At Castle, Sarah tells Chuck that Jill will be returned to prison because of the failure of their mission. Chuck argues that they still need her help, but Sarah apologizes and tells him they don't have a choice. Jill returns the engagement ring the government provided her as part of the cover and says goodbye to Chuck, but as she's being led out, Bernie's phone begins to ring. Chuck retrieves the phone from the body bag and answers, stalling the Fulcrum operative on the other line long while Sarah tracks him to a business used as a recruiting front by Fulcrum. Sarah guards Jill in the van while Jill walks Chuck and Casey through infiltrating the facility, where they take a test to determine their eligibility for recruitment. While taking the test, Chuck and Casey are identified and separated and Chuck is taken in for interrogation, while Casey escapes.
Jill and Sarah enter the building to rescue them, but Sarah is identified and pinned down in a heavy firefight. Casey ambushes and shoots the Fulcrum operatives holding Chuck, then rushes from the office to help Sarah after ordering Chuck to use the office computer to determine where Stephen is being taken. Jill tries to escape during the gunfight, where she overhears that Stephen is being taken to a facility called "Black Rock." Meanwhile, the Fulcrum operative in charge returns to where Chuck is working, rushes him and slips on broken glass and topples out the window after tripping on Chuck's foot when Chuck shields himself with "The Morgan." Chuck dives for him and catches his arm, but is now slipping out himself. Jill is making her escape when she hears Chuck call for help, and after a moment of hesitation, returns and catches Chuck before he can be pulled out the window as well. The Fulcrum operative agrees to talk if Chuck helps him, but his sleeve rips free and the agent falls to his death. Jill tells Chuck that Stephen is being taken somewhere called "Black Rock," but she doesn't know where that is. The name triggers a flash and Chuck identifies it as a location outside Barstow, CA. He then gives Jill back the ring they used earlier and tells her that the deal was a lie, and he won't let the government change him. He then lets her escape, seeing that she has redeemed herself.
Afterwards, back at Castle, Beckman is furious that not only did they fail to rescue Stephen, but Jill is now on the loose. Casey wryly suggests putting Chuck in a bunker, and though he wasn't serious, Beckman agrees and orders Sarah to tell Chuck they intercepted his father and brought him to Castle. Casey will then tranquilize him so he can be shipped back to Washington. Sarah objects to the setup but Beckman is tired of the potential liability of Chuck running around on his own and orders her to proceed. Sarah tells off Casey about how he didn't say anything, but goes to the Buy More to carry out her orders anyway. At first she tells Chuck the story given to her by Beckman, but after Chuck thanks her for always being there for him she warns him of the deception. He ditches his watch and the two flee.
Buy More
Emmett tells the team that he's up for an efficiency review and warns them not to give him any trouble. In response, Morgan does just that and organizes the rest of the employees in an effort to make Emmett look bad. However, Emmett approaches him in the storage cage and strikes a deal - the employees want him gone and he wants out of the Burbank store. The efficiency review has the chance to satisfy both of their goals so if Morgan makes him look good, Emmett will be able to leave. Morgan agrees, and has the team turned around talking up Emmett's contributions to the store.The efficiency review is going well, but Emmett just needs a vote of support for Big Mike and asks Morgan to get it. Morgan plays on Mike's relationship with his mother to get him to confide in how he feels about Emmett, which he records and Emmett plays back for the efficiency expert. Unfortunately, Emmett reveals to Morgan he had been manipulating him from the start and that the review was not of his own performance, but instead was of Big Mike's. Big Mike is demoted to a Green Shirt and Emmett is promoted to store manager.
Production
On March 14, 2009 Jordana Brewster reported she would be returning to reprise her role of Jill Roberts. Later updates would establish the plot of the episode, with Chuck making a deal with Jill for her assistance in rescuing his father. Ken Davitian was also announced as guest-starring as "Uncle Bernie," the Fulcrum operative that recruited Jill.Additionally, Chris Fedak and Josh Schwartz had said that by the end of the season, Chuck would be recording his first "kill." Ironically, both turned out to be entirely accidental. This episode also marked the introduction of Chuck's spy move "The Morgan," previously referenced in interviews.
Flashes
- Chuck flashes when he sees Uncle Bernie.
- When Chuck and Casey infiltrate the Fulcrum recruiting center, he flashes on multiple agents. As Chuck begins to flash he quickly looks at several of them, and retrieves their files in one single flash.
- When Jill tells him Stephen was taken to "Black Rock," Chuck flashes on the name.
Music
- "HereHere-Music:*Here *Here *Here *Here *"Here" *"Here" *"Here" -Other:...
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- "(Today I Met) The Boy I'm Gonna Marry" by Darlene LoveDarlene LoveDarlene Love is an American popular music singer and actress. She gained prominence in the 1960s for the song "He's a Rebel," a #1 American single in 1962, and was part of the Phil Spector stable that produced a celebrated Christmas album in 1963....
- "Hungry Like the WolfHungry Like the Wolf"Hungry Like the Wolf" is a song by the British New Wave band Duran Duran. Written by the band members, the song was produced by Colin Thurston for the group's second studio album Rio . The song was released in May 1982 as the band's fifth single in the United Kingdom...
" by Duran DuranDuran DuranDuran Duran are an English band, formed in Birmingham in 1978. They were one of the most successful bands of the 1980s and a leading band in the MTV-driven "Second British Invasion" of the United States... - "The Earth Has Lost Its Hold" by CalhounCalhoun-People with the surname Calhoun:Calhoun is a surname of Scottish origin. It is a variant of the surname Colquhoun.*Ann Marie Calhoun, American violinist*Craig Calhoun, American sociologist*Chad Calhoun, a pseudonym of Ron Goulart, writer...
- "Shopping for Blood" by Franz Ferdinand