Ellie Bartowski
Encyclopedia
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
.
), little was initially known about the Bartowski family beyond that their mother left them when they were younger (Chuck was in the fifth grade) and that their father was "never really there." Her father, Stephen J. Bartowski
, first appeared in the episode "Chuck Versus the Dream Job
." Ellie attended and graduated from UCLA Medical School, where she met and went to school with her future husband, Devon Woodcomb. Devon was in love with her for three years ("give or take") before the events of "Chuck Versus the Seduction
." They began dating when Devon gave her his sweater and said it was meant for her because the color matched her eyes. She also earned a Ph.D.
, although neither the discipline in which, nor the university where, she studied has been revealed as of the end of season four.
When her brother was expelled by Stanford University in 2003 he came back to Echo Park in Los Angeles
to stay with her. For much of their lives growing up, Chuck and Ellie relied on each other, and after Chuck returned home Ellie became one of his main sources of support as he recovered from Bryce Larkin
's betrayal. At the beginning of the series, Ellie is throwing a birthday party for Chuck and has invited a number of her girlfriends for him to meet in hopes of helping him get past Jill
. In the first episode of season 4 it is revealed Ellie is pregnant. In the fifth episode of the fourth season, it is revealed Ellie and Devon are having a daughter. In the twelfth episode, they decide to name the baby Clara. In the thirteenth episode, Clara is born.
. She first appears in the series at the beginning of "Chuck Versus the Intersect
," when Chuck tries to escape his birthday party which she arranged to try introducing him to real women. She remains one of the most important anchors between Chuck and his real life throughout the series, and her safety is one of his foremost concerns. When Chuck discovered Casey
had bugged the home he shared with Ellie, he was even prepared to threaten Casey if he found out he was spying on her as well. When Chuck's extraction by the government was imminent, he made a point of telling her goodbye, and later asked Sarah to tell her something to make his disappearance "okay."
Most of Ellie's appearances in the series have been as part of the side-plots involving Chuck's real life and coworkers at the Buy More
, so she has rarely figured prominently into the main arc. Her most significant role in the main plot of an episode came in "Chuck Versus the Truth
," in which Ellie attempted to treat nuclear expert Mason Whitney when he was poisoned by Reardon Payne. When Whitney later died, Payne, disguised as a police officer taking a statement, exposed Ellie to the same toxic truth serum he used on Whitney to find where he hid his nuclear codes. Ellie nearly died as a result of the poisoning until Chuck administered the antidote. Although she was in a coma during this time, Ellie became the first person Chuck told about his secret life. She was also among the hostages in the Buy More when Ned Rhyerson crashed his car into the store while evading the police. For her sake, Chuck convinced Devon not to go through with a plan to overwhelm Ned, and later identified himself as the Intersect
to Mauser to prevent him from killing her. The bracelet Chuck gave to Sarah in the same episode was a charm bracelet Chuck and Ellie's father gave to their mother when Ellie was born.
A major recurring thread in the series is the love/hate relationship she has with Chuck's best friend Morgan Grimes. Morgan has been in love with Ellie for a long time (or at the very least has a very strong crush
on her), but Ellie is at first shown to barely tolerate him. However, as the series progresses, she and Morgan come to form something resembling a friendship, partly owing to them both missing Chuck as his spy life begins to interfere more frequently with his real life. Morgan also offers her support and comfort during a fight with Devon, where he admits he sees her as a sister (that he wants to have sex with so bad). Morgan's girlfriend Anna immediately takes a dislike to Ellie because of Morgan's long-standing crush.
Throughout the series, Ellie encourages Chuck and pushes him towards leaving the Buy More and doing something more suitable to his education level. After Chuck expressed misgivings about his relationship with Sarah in "Chuck Versus the Suburbs
," she encouraged Chuck to break up with her, before Morgan
reminded her that Sarah was the best thing that had happened to him in a long time. She was ecstatic when Chuck announced he was moving out and that he and Sarah would be getting a place together, but did not have a chance to react when Chuck later abruptly changed his mind.
Devon proposed to Ellie at the end of "Chuck Versus the Marlin
," and she accepted. This began a secondary arc throughout the second season covering the preparations for the wedding. Ellie's regret that her father would not be there led Chuck to decide to track him down and promise that their father would be there. Their father indeed appeared at the end of the second season (see below). Ellie married Devon in the second season finale
.
In the third season, Ellie grows concerned that Chuck and Devon seem to be keeping secrets from her. The secrets really have to do with Devon being in on Chuck's spy life since late in season 2, and Devon always has trouble lying to her, but Ellie remains unaware of what they are keeping from her. She begins to snoop on Chuck -- even enlisting Morgan, who shares suspicions about Chuck. Their suspicions are allayed when they catch Chuck sneaking around to make out with Hannah, but Ellie still takes note of Devon and Chuck being "thick as thieves."
Ellie gets her dream opportunity, a neurology
fellowship at (UCLA rival) USC
. Devon is initially opposed to the idea because he wants to get himself and Ellie away from the danger attendant with Chuck's spy life, but he relents, realizing how important the opportunity is to her. Soon she is granted a sabbatical, allowing her to take a year off so she can both pursue the fellowship and go to Africa with Doctors Without Borders as Devon planned.
In "Chuck Versus the Tooth
" Ellie is manipulated by a Ring operative she met in Africa named Justin into believing that Casey is a double-agent and a threat to her father. While posing as a CIA operative, Justin recruits Ellie as an asset
after she accidentally discovers a substantial amount of weaponry stashed away in Casey's apartment, and is tricked by Justin into revealing that Stephen left a means for his children to contact him. Their means of communication was through the advertising in newspapers, so they could send secret messages. However, Stephen came to Burbank, instead of revealing his whereabouts that Justin desired. When Ellie asked about what to do about Casey, Justin gave her a music box that could jam his communications. The box is later revealed to have a gun, which Justin urges her to use to shoot Casey, who was planting bugs around her apartment. Ellie couldn't bring herself to do it and instead struck Casey down with a frying pan before running to Justin. Unfortunately, he locked her in his office while lying that the CIA had safeguarded her father.
Ellie learned of her father and brother's involvement in the CIA in "Chuck Versus the Subway
," and was instrumental in helping Devon and Morgan rescue the team from Daniel Shaw
after witnessing her father's murder. Ellie approved Chuck's decision to finish Shaw and the Ring, but insisted he quit once they were defeated. However, Chuck would be drawn into the spy world once more with an unknown enemy that their father had been fighting.
In "Chuck Versus the Anniversary
" Chuck was on his way to tell Ellie that he has to return to being a spy to find their mother, but she presumed that he was telling her that he's returning to the Buy More, now controlled by the U.S. government. In turn, she confides in her brother that she's pregnant. Ellie and Awesome are expecting a daughter. Although Ellie had discovered Chuck's work with the CIA during the previous season's finale, she did not actually see how good at it Chuck actually was—or how much he truly enjoyed the work—until "Chuck Versus the Coup d'Etat
." She openly admitted being impressed with Chuck's skills when he and Sarah helped both Ellie and Devon, and Generalissimo Goya, escape a coup d'etat
in Costa Gravas.
Ellie was briefly reunited with her mother in "Chuck Versus the First Fight
," after Morgan arranged the visit as part of a plea deal in which Mary agreed to help the team locate Chuck following his capture by Volkoff agents. During the meeting, Mary explained to Ellie where she had been the last twenty years and also subtly provided hints relevant to a search Ellie was conducting for anything left behind for her by her father (prompted by Chuck's own inquiries if Stephen had done so). The story Mary told her about road trips in the family's old Mustang
led her to the realization that a car she had seen in the classifieds of the newspaper—which she was searching due to her father's habit of leaving her coded messages in such a manner—was indeed left behind by Stephen as she suspected. With Devon's help Ellie recovered the vehicle and a note from her father. Hidden beneath one of the seats was one of his computers. She found it and Devon said he would take it. After Devon has Lester hack it to turn it on, there was a password that only Ellie knows, which was "Knock, Knock" and the answer was "I'm here".
The laptop contained her father's research on the Intersect in the brain from an engineer's perspective. She corrected it with her neuroscience but wasn't able to activate it through a new password which was known only by Chuck. Although Ellie was unaware of the purpose of her father's work, the corrections she made allowed Chuck to reactivate the Intersect.
In the episode "Chuck Versus the Muuurder
", Ellie devotes her time to the research on the laptop, after it is given to her by National Clandestine Service
Director Jane Bentley. When she is sleeping, the laptop scans her, and verifies her identity before accessing files on "Agent X".
, Adam Baldwin
and Yvonne Strahovski
. On January 16, 2009 it was announced that Scott Bakula
would be appearing as Chuck and Ellie's father Stephen in a three-episode story.
She immediately took a liking to Sarah, and is one of the few characters who enjoys Casey's company or refers to him by first name ("He's so sweet!").
After Chuck, the most important person in Ellie's life is her husband, Devon Woodcomb. She's the only character who never refers to him as "Captain Awesome," although she did refer to his parents as the "Very Awesomes" when they were planning a visit. She loves him dearly, but under the effects of truth serum angrily complained about his frequent use of the word "awesome," and what she felt as moments of neglect of her feelings in the relationship. Ellie later accuses him of self-centeredness and disregard what she wanted when he a bought washer and dryer for their anniversary (as opposed to a big-screen TV).
Although usually calm and collected, Ellie becomes a nervous wreck and a perfectionist when she is required to be near Devon's parents, whom she refers to as the "Very Awesomes." In "Chuck Versus the Gravitron
," Devon's parents are supposed to come over for Thanksgiving and Ellie's nervousness manifests with her cleaning at a hurried pace, cooking multiple turkeys (which she promptly throws in the trash for flaws only she notices) and uninviting Morgan. Ellie was greatly intimidated during a visit from Devon's parents, and was quickly driven to frustration by Honey Woodcomb's interference with the wedding plans, but hits her breaking point when Woody offers to walk her down the aisle (the only part of the wedding she imagined was her father doing this). She was also deeply disturbed by her perception of Devon's bachelor party, after seeing incriminating photographs taken by Lester of an unconscious Devon with Agent Forrest (dressed as a cop-themed stripper). She was hurt, and believes Chuck and Morgan are covering up willful actions taken by Devon during the party (she later learned the truth). And like Chuck, Ellie also has a trusting nature, which the Ring used to manipulate her into thinking that her handler was CIA and that Casey was a double agent.
It is unknown whether she has the same ability to absorb and retain visual information as her father and brother.
Doctor of Medicine
Doctor of Medicine is a doctoral degree for physicians. The degree is granted by medical schools...
, Ph.D.
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
, is the older sister of title character Chuck Bartowski
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:...
on the television series Chuck
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...
. She is portrayed by actress Sarah Lancaster
Sarah Lancaster
Sarah Lancaster is an American actress. Since the show's inception in 2007, she has co-starred in the NBC comedy-spy series Chuck, as the title character's sister, Ellie Bartowski....
.
Biography
Eleanor Faye Bartowski was born to Stephen and Mary Bartowski in 1978. With the exception of her younger brother, Chuck (Zachary LeviZachary Levi
Zachary Levi Pugh , better known by his stage name Zachary Levi , is an American television actor, director, and singer known for the roles of Kipp Steadman in Less than Perfect, Chuck Bartowski in Chuck, and Flynn Rider in Tangled.- Early life :Zachary Levi Pugh was born in Lake Charles,...
), little was initially known about the Bartowski family beyond that their mother left them when they were younger (Chuck was in the fifth grade) and that their father was "never really there." Her father, Stephen J. Bartowski
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....
, first appeared in the episode "Chuck Versus the Dream Job
Chuck Versus the Dream Job
"Chuck Versus the Dream Job" aired on April 6, 2009. It is the 19th episode of the series' second season. Chuck interviews at Roark Industries to investigate a possible virus, while his father, Stephen J. Bartowski, returns home.-Plot summary:...
." Ellie attended and graduated from UCLA Medical School, where she met and went to school with her future husband, Devon Woodcomb. Devon was in love with her for three years ("give or take") before the events of "Chuck Versus the Seduction
Chuck Versus the Seduction
"Chuck Versus the Seduction" is the second episode of Season 2 of the U.S. television series Chuck, first airing October 6, 2008. Chuck must go undercover to retrieve the Cipher from Sasha Banachek , known as the Black Widow...
." They began dating when Devon gave her his sweater and said it was meant for her because the color matched her eyes. She also earned a Ph.D.
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
, although neither the discipline in which, nor the university where, she studied has been revealed as of the end of season four.
When her brother was expelled by Stanford University in 2003 he came back to Echo Park in Los Angeles
Echo Park, Los Angeles, California
Echo Park is a hilly neighborhood in Los Angeles, California, northwest of Downtown Los Angeles and southeast of Hollywood.-History:At the end of the 19th century, when the hills were still covered with native vegetation, a horse-drawn streetcar line served the dirt road that is now Echo Park Avenue...
to stay with her. For much of their lives growing up, Chuck and Ellie relied on each other, and after Chuck returned home Ellie became one of his main sources of support as he recovered from Bryce Larkin
Bryce Larkin
Bryce Larkin is a recurring character on the spy comedy series Chuck on NBC. Bryce is the ex-college roommate and fraternity brother of the series' main character, Chuck Bartowski and was formerly partnered and once romantically involved with Chuck's CIA handler Sarah Walker. Bryce was responsible...
's betrayal. At the beginning of the series, Ellie is throwing a birthday party for Chuck and has invited a number of her girlfriends for him to meet in hopes of helping him get past 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...
. In the first episode of season 4 it is revealed Ellie is pregnant. In the fifth episode of the fourth season, it is revealed Ellie and Devon are having a daughter. In the twelfth episode, they decide to name the baby Clara. In the thirteenth episode, Clara is born.
Series
Ellie Bartowski-Woodcomb is portrayed by actress Sarah LancasterSarah Lancaster
Sarah Lancaster is an American actress. Since the show's inception in 2007, she has co-starred in the NBC comedy-spy series Chuck, as the title character's sister, Ellie Bartowski....
. She first appears in the series at the beginning of "Chuck Versus the Intersect
Chuck Versus the Intersect
"Chuck Versus the Intersect" is the pilot episode of the American action-comedy television series Chuck. The episode was directed by McG and written by series co-creators Josh Schwartz and Chris Fedak...
," when Chuck tries to escape his birthday party which she arranged to try introducing him to real women. She remains one of the most important anchors between Chuck and his real life throughout the series, and her safety is one of his foremost concerns. When Chuck discovered 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....
had bugged the home he shared with Ellie, he was even prepared to threaten Casey if he found out he was spying on her as well. When Chuck's extraction by the government was imminent, he made a point of telling her goodbye, and later asked Sarah to tell her something to make his disappearance "okay."
Most of Ellie's appearances in the series have been as part of the side-plots involving Chuck's real life and coworkers at the Buy More
Buy More
Buy More is a fictional big box electronics retail chain in NBC's action-comedy series Chuck. The Buy More is a parody of similar chains, particularly Best Buy....
, so she has rarely figured prominently into the main arc. Her most significant role in the main plot of an episode came in "Chuck Versus the Truth
Chuck Versus the Truth
"Chuck Versus the Truth" is the eighth episode of Season 1 of Chuck and aired on November 12, 2007. Chuck's real life and spy life intersect when his sister is poisoned by a mercenary tracking down nuclear secrets, and Morgan is given a secret mission by Big Mike.-Main Plot:The episode opens to...
," in which Ellie attempted to treat nuclear expert Mason Whitney when he was poisoned by Reardon Payne. When Whitney later died, Payne, disguised as a police officer taking a statement, exposed Ellie to the same toxic truth serum he used on Whitney to find where he hid his nuclear codes. Ellie nearly died as a result of the poisoning until Chuck administered the antidote. Although she was in a coma during this time, Ellie became the first person Chuck told about his secret life. She was also among the hostages in the Buy More when Ned Rhyerson crashed his car into the store while evading the police. For her sake, Chuck convinced Devon not to go through with a plan to overwhelm Ned, and later identified himself as the Intersect
The Intersect
The Intersect is a fictional secret technology appearing in the television series Chuck. Within the series, it is used to house and analyze large quantities of encoded data...
to Mauser to prevent him from killing her. The bracelet Chuck gave to Sarah in the same episode was a charm bracelet Chuck and Ellie's father gave to their mother when Ellie was born.
A major recurring thread in the series is the love/hate relationship she has with Chuck's best friend Morgan Grimes. Morgan has been in love with Ellie for a long time (or at the very least has a very strong crush
Puppy love
Puppy love is an informal term for feelings of love or infatuation felt by young people during childhood and adolescence, so-called for its resemblance to the adoring, worshipful affection that may be felt by a puppy. 'Simple infatuation is often called a "crush" or "puppy love"...
on her), but Ellie is at first shown to barely tolerate him. However, as the series progresses, she and Morgan come to form something resembling a friendship, partly owing to them both missing Chuck as his spy life begins to interfere more frequently with his real life. Morgan also offers her support and comfort during a fight with Devon, where he admits he sees her as a sister (that he wants to have sex with so bad). Morgan's girlfriend Anna immediately takes a dislike to Ellie because of Morgan's long-standing crush.
Throughout the series, Ellie encourages Chuck and pushes him towards leaving the Buy More and doing something more suitable to his education level. After Chuck expressed misgivings about his relationship with Sarah in "Chuck Versus the Suburbs
Chuck Versus the Suburbs
"Chuck Versus the Suburbs" is the thirteenth episode of the second season of Chuck. It originally aired on February 16, 2009. General Beckman sends Chuck Bartowski, Sarah Walker, and John Casey to an Los Angeles suburb on an undercover mission, with Chuck and Sarah posing as a married couple...
," she encouraged Chuck to break up with her, before 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....
reminded her that Sarah was the best thing that had happened to him in a long time. She was ecstatic when Chuck announced he was moving out and that he and Sarah would be getting a place together, but did not have a chance to react when Chuck later abruptly changed his mind.
Devon proposed to Ellie at the end of "Chuck Versus the Marlin
Chuck 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,...
," and she accepted. This began a secondary arc throughout the second season covering the preparations for the wedding. Ellie's regret that her father would not be there led Chuck to decide to track him down and promise that their father would be there. Their father indeed appeared at the end of the second season (see below). Ellie married Devon in the second season finale
Chuck Versus the Ring
"Chuck Versus the Ring" is the second season finale of Chuck, which aired on April 27, 2009. The day of Ellie and Devon's wedding arrives, but Chuck finds himself forced to protect both his sister and the event from a vengeful Ted Roark....
.
In the third season, Ellie grows concerned that Chuck and Devon seem to be keeping secrets from her. The secrets really have to do with Devon being in on Chuck's spy life since late in season 2, and Devon always has trouble lying to her, but Ellie remains unaware of what they are keeping from her. She begins to snoop on Chuck -- even enlisting Morgan, who shares suspicions about Chuck. Their suspicions are allayed when they catch Chuck sneaking around to make out with Hannah, but Ellie still takes note of Devon and Chuck being "thick as thieves."
Ellie gets her dream opportunity, a neurology
Neurology
Neurology is a medical specialty dealing with disorders of the nervous system. Specifically, it deals with the diagnosis and treatment of all categories of disease involving the central, peripheral, and autonomic nervous systems, including their coverings, blood vessels, and all effector tissue,...
fellowship at (UCLA rival) USC
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
. Devon is initially opposed to the idea because he wants to get himself and Ellie away from the danger attendant with Chuck's spy life, but he relents, realizing how important the opportunity is to her. Soon she is granted a sabbatical, allowing her to take a year off so she can both pursue the fellowship and go to Africa with Doctors Without Borders as Devon planned.
In "Chuck Versus the Tooth
Chuck Versus the Tooth
"Chuck Versus the Tooth" is the 16th episode of Chuck third season, and originally aired on May 10, 2010. When Chuck struggles with disturbing dreams, he believes his most recent one predicts danger for a visiting head of state. Beckman, however, is unconvinced and assigns Chuck to meet with a CIA...
" Ellie is manipulated by a Ring operative she met in Africa named Justin into believing that Casey is a double-agent and a threat to her father. While posing as a CIA operative, Justin recruits Ellie as an asset
Asset (intelligence)
In intelligence, assets are persons within organizations or countries that are being spied upon who provide information for an outside spy.There are different categories of assets, including people...
after she accidentally discovers a substantial amount of weaponry stashed away in Casey's apartment, and is tricked by Justin into revealing that Stephen left a means for his children to contact him. Their means of communication was through the advertising in newspapers, so they could send secret messages. However, Stephen came to Burbank, instead of revealing his whereabouts that Justin desired. When Ellie asked about what to do about Casey, Justin gave her a music box that could jam his communications. The box is later revealed to have a gun, which Justin urges her to use to shoot Casey, who was planting bugs around her apartment. Ellie couldn't bring herself to do it and instead struck Casey down with a frying pan before running to Justin. Unfortunately, he locked her in his office while lying that the CIA had safeguarded her father.
Ellie learned of her father and brother's involvement in the CIA in "Chuck Versus the Subway
Chuck Versus the Subway
"Chuck Versus the Subway" is the 18th episode of the third season of Chuck. It originally aired on May 24, 2010 in a special two-hour block with "Chuck Versus the Ring: Part II." As the Intersect continues to malfunction Stephen hurries to complete the Governor for his son...
," and was instrumental in helping Devon and Morgan rescue the team from Daniel 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...
after witnessing her father's murder. Ellie approved Chuck's decision to finish Shaw and the Ring, but insisted he quit once they were defeated. However, Chuck would be drawn into the spy world once more with an unknown enemy that their father had been fighting.
In "Chuck Versus the Anniversary
Chuck Versus the Anniversary
"Chuck Versus the Anniversary" is the fourth season premiere of Chuck. It originally aired September 20, 2010. When the CIA gains control over the Buy More, Chuck Bartowski begins searching for his mother . Sarah and Casey follow a trail to Russia as they investigate the mysterious Volkoff...
" Chuck was on his way to tell Ellie that he has to return to being a spy to find their mother, but she presumed that he was telling her that he's returning to the Buy More, now controlled by the U.S. government. In turn, she confides in her brother that she's pregnant. Ellie and Awesome are expecting a daughter. Although Ellie had discovered Chuck's work with the CIA during the previous season's finale, she did not actually see how good at it Chuck actually was—or how much he truly enjoyed the work—until "Chuck Versus the Coup d'Etat
Chuck Versus the Coup d'Etat
"Chuck Versus the Coup d'Etat" is the fourth episode of the fourth season of Chuck. It originally aired October 11, 2010. Indebted to Captain Awesome for saving his life in "Chuck Versus the Angel de la Muerte", Premier Alejandro Goya and his wife Hortencia show their gratitude by inviting the...
." She openly admitted being impressed with Chuck's skills when he and Sarah helped both Ellie and Devon, and Generalissimo Goya, escape a coup d'etat
Coup d'état
A coup d'état state, literally: strike/blow of state)—also known as a coup, putsch, and overthrow—is the sudden, extrajudicial deposition of a government, usually by a small group of the existing state establishment—typically the military—to replace the deposed government with another body; either...
in Costa Gravas.
Ellie was briefly reunited with her mother in "Chuck Versus the First Fight
Chuck Versus the First Fight
"Chuck Versus the First Fight" is the seventh episode of the fourth season of Chuck. It originally aired November 1, 2010. In the wake of his first fight with Sarah, Chuck Bartowski embarks on a rogue mission to prove his mother's innocence, ultimately colliding with her MI6 handler, Gregory...
," after Morgan arranged the visit as part of a plea deal in which Mary agreed to help the team locate Chuck following his capture by Volkoff agents. During the meeting, Mary explained to Ellie where she had been the last twenty years and also subtly provided hints relevant to a search Ellie was conducting for anything left behind for her by her father (prompted by Chuck's own inquiries if Stephen had done so). The story Mary told her about road trips in the family's old Mustang
Ford Mustang
The Ford Mustang is an automobile manufactured by the Ford Motor Company. It was initially based on the second generation North American Ford Falcon, a compact car. Introduced early on April 17, 1964, as a "1964½" model, the 1965 Mustang was the automaker's most successful launch since the Model A...
led her to the realization that a car she had seen in the classifieds of the newspaper—which she was searching due to her father's habit of leaving her coded messages in such a manner—was indeed left behind by Stephen as she suspected. With Devon's help Ellie recovered the vehicle and a note from her father. Hidden beneath one of the seats was one of his computers. She found it and Devon said he would take it. After Devon has Lester hack it to turn it on, there was a password that only Ellie knows, which was "Knock, Knock" and the answer was "I'm here".
The laptop contained her father's research on the Intersect in the brain from an engineer's perspective. She corrected it with her neuroscience but wasn't able to activate it through a new password which was known only by Chuck. Although Ellie was unaware of the purpose of her father's work, the corrections she made allowed Chuck to reactivate the Intersect.
In the episode "Chuck Versus the Muuurder
Chuck Versus the Muuurder
"Chuck Versus the Muuurder" is the nineteenth episode of the fourth season of Chuck. It originally aired on March 21, 2011. Chuck Bartowski is made the team leader and tasked with finding new Intersect candidates, but must solve a murder mystery when his recruits start turning up dead...
", Ellie devotes her time to the research on the laptop, after it is given to her by National Clandestine Service
National Clandestine Service
The National Clandestine Service is one of the four main components of the Central Intelligence Agency...
Director Jane Bentley. When she is sleeping, the laptop scans her, and verifies her identity before accessing files on "Agent X".
Development
Sarah Lancaster was cast in the role of Ellie Bartowski in March, 2007, joining Zachary LeviZachary Levi
Zachary Levi Pugh , better known by his stage name Zachary Levi , is an American television actor, director, and singer known for the roles of Kipp Steadman in Less than Perfect, Chuck Bartowski in Chuck, and Flynn Rider in Tangled.- Early life :Zachary Levi Pugh was born in Lake Charles,...
, 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...
and Yvonne Strahovski
Yvonne Strahovski
Yvonne Strahovski is an Australian actress. Born in Australia to Polish immigrant parents, Strahovski speaks Polish and English...
. On January 16, 2009 it was announced that 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...
would be appearing as Chuck and Ellie's father Stephen in a three-episode story.
Personality
Ironically, considering that Chuck's secret life has led him to save Ellie's on three occasions, she still plays the role of the over-protective older sister and deep-down still sees him as her baby brother. She frequently offers Chuck encouragement and advice on women in general, and his relationship with Sarah in particular. Although unaware of the truth of that relationship, Ellie is one of the first people to recognize that her interest in Chuck is genuine. She was immediately concerned when Chuck ran into Jill again and was meeting her for dinner to catch up.She immediately took a liking to Sarah, and is one of the few characters who enjoys Casey's company or refers to him by first name ("He's so sweet!").
After Chuck, the most important person in Ellie's life is her husband, Devon Woodcomb. She's the only character who never refers to him as "Captain Awesome," although she did refer to his parents as the "Very Awesomes" when they were planning a visit. She loves him dearly, but under the effects of truth serum angrily complained about his frequent use of the word "awesome," and what she felt as moments of neglect of her feelings in the relationship. Ellie later accuses him of self-centeredness and disregard what she wanted when he a bought washer and dryer for their anniversary (as opposed to a big-screen TV).
Although usually calm and collected, Ellie becomes a nervous wreck and a perfectionist when she is required to be near Devon's parents, whom she refers to as the "Very Awesomes." In "Chuck Versus the Gravitron
Chuck Versus the Gravitron
"Chuck Versus the Gravitron" is the 8th episode of the second season of Chuck. It aired on November 24, 2008. Chuck, Sarah and Casey are shocked to discover that Chuck's girlfriend Jill is a Fulcrum agent in search of the Intersect...
," Devon's parents are supposed to come over for Thanksgiving and Ellie's nervousness manifests with her cleaning at a hurried pace, cooking multiple turkeys (which she promptly throws in the trash for flaws only she notices) and uninviting Morgan. Ellie was greatly intimidated during a visit from Devon's parents, and was quickly driven to frustration by Honey Woodcomb's interference with the wedding plans, but hits her breaking point when Woody offers to walk her down the aisle (the only part of the wedding she imagined was her father doing this). She was also deeply disturbed by her perception of Devon's bachelor party, after seeing incriminating photographs taken by Lester of an unconscious Devon with Agent Forrest (dressed as a cop-themed stripper). She was hurt, and believes Chuck and Morgan are covering up willful actions taken by Devon during the party (she later learned the truth). And like Chuck, Ellie also has a trusting nature, which the Ring used to manipulate her into thinking that her handler was CIA and that Casey was a double agent.
It is unknown whether she has the same ability to absorb and retain visual information as her father and brother.