"Oh boy," indeed. At long last Chuck has found his missing Father and now that he's right in front of him, he doesn't know quite how to feel. He began searching for his Dad when Ellie wished to have him walk her down the aisle for her soon to be wedding and now the mission has been accomplished -- thanks to Sarah. When Chuck asks his Dad to please come to the wedding, Stephen Bartowski (Scott Bakula) says that he doesn't think Ellie would really want him there and Chuck let's out his hurt feelings, "You've already shown me what you can't do!" Ouch, but Stephen understands, a long time ago, he walked out on his children to let them fend for themselves which seems unfathomable. When I hear that I ask myself, how old was Ellie when this happened? How old was Chuck? How could they have possibly survived on their own? Somehow they did, thanks to Ellie.
When Chuck convinces his Dad to come home with him we get a wonderful scene with Ellie as she remembers the last thing her Dad promised her was to make pancakes for dinner and he never returned. I love when they all gather in the living room and Stephen mentions that he had a hand in inventing parts of their television and smartphones and was never given credit. Chuck and Ellie just shake their heads, they think their Dad is a little nuts with these claims. He even mentions that he once went to school with Ted Roark (Chevy Chase), the electronics guru of Roark Instruments. Stephen explains that Ted Roark stole all of his ideas and profited from them, leaving him with nothing. When he sets a flyer on the table for Ted Roark's new operating system being unveiled Chuck flashes on it.
Beckman wants Chuck to go into Roark Instruments as an employee to see what Roark has to do with Fulcrum. Sarah tells Chuck that he will even go to the interview as himself with his real qualifications, Chuck is excited when he arrives for his interview in a great scene where he starts to dream what his life would have been like if he had tried to get a job there right after Stanford instead of the Buy More. The thing Chuck has to keep reminding himself of though is that it's just a cover, it's not real. I love when Jeff and Lester see Chuck winning the job outside and immediately call Morgan to tell him that his friendship is over now that Chuck has a new job. Morgan can't help but let the news out when Chuck and Sarah arrive home just in time for dinner. Stephen is bummed that his son has taken a job for the jerk that stole all of his ideas.
When Chuck shows up for his first day on the job, Sarah and Casey are there to try and steal the source code for the operating system that may contain a Fulcrum virus. Soon it's up to Chuck to keep Ted Roark himself from launching the new operating system in a hilarious scene when Chuck steals the launch button on stage, I loved seeing Jeff and Lester even try to help Chuck out. It's also great how Stephen and Ellie are watching at home and see the entire fiasco unfold. Chuck's Dad couldn't be more proud and Ellie is truly horrified.
I have to say this about Ellie, she's really obviously been through a lot, she raised Chuck when her parents were gone and now all she wants is for Chuck to meet his potential in life. At times she may come off as overly involved in his life but her brother has been her responsibility for so long that she can't help it. Poor Awesome also gets grief by siding with Stephen, Ellie has yet to forget all about his little bachelor party screw up. (It's not the poor guy's fault Ellie!) Stephen comforts Devon by telling him that Ellie just wants to know that he won't be anything like her Dad which he assures him he is not.
When Chuck figures out by comparing his map of Roark Instruments to the Intersect Plans that Orion gave him that Roark indeed has his very own Intersect, Chuck makes it his mission to find it. Sarah and Casey say that he doesn't have enough to go on to take to Beckman for permission so he chooses to go at it alone. In my favorite scene in the entire episode, Chuck suits up in a full tactical outfit with twin Tranq Guns. I love when Chuck points his tranq gun at Casey and he's offended, "At least have the decency to threaten me with a real firearm!" Hilarious.
When Chuck arrives, he has to rescue his Dad who looks to be trying to get Chuck his job back which is completely ridiculous, Chuck ran on stage at a huge event and stole the bosses button! But it's all a cover anyway, it turns out that Stephen J. Bartowski is actually ORION! I love the reveal when Stephen closes the doors on Agent Vincent, again played by Arnold Vosloo and gets the drop on him, Chuck stands there dumbfounded. Stephen explains that he didn't invent the entire Intersect. Only the really cool parts. It's wonderful when Stephen explains to Chuck that he had to leave Chuck and Ellie in order to protect them. There was a reason for their abandonment. Stephen takes Chuck to Roark's Intersect where he will attempt to remove the Intersect from Chuck's brain once and for all, unfortunately it doesn't work. It seems Roark has lured them there so he can use Orion to get it to work. Chuck is crushed when his Father must again leave him in order to save him.
This episode had some great songs, Highschool Hoodlums by The Datsuns, Around the Bend by The Asteroids Galaxy Tour, Luisa's Bones by Crooked Fingers and Daddy's Gone by Glasvegas.
Listen to the Podcast Episode: S2Ep19 Vs The Dream Job
Again, if you would like to read some reviews of this episode, we have Alan Sepinwall's review, Eric Goldman's and even one by AV Club which I decided to include after reading it, they loved it. Hehe.
At the end of the episode Chuck tells General Beckman that it should be them that conduct the search for Orion because Orion is his own Dad and they are the best! Casey agrees but Sarah thinks that Chuck will just put himself in harms way again. Beckman gives them the assignment because they all know that once Fulcrum has their own Intersect there will be no stopping them. There's a great moment with Ellie and Devon, he made her pancakes and he tells her that once again, her Dad has gone but he will never leave her, he will always be there for her. It's a great moment and Chuck tells Ellie not to count their Dad out yet. Dang it, why can't they tell Ellie the truth! It just seems cruel. And then we see Stephen Bartowski hard at work on the Intersect in the clutches of Fulcrum.
What a great episode, we got to meet Chuck's Dad and we learned that he was also part of the Spy World and the much bigger picture of things to come. I can't wait to finish Season Two and I thank everyone for listening to the podcast and reading this blog. Thank you.
Until Then, watch more Chuck.
The Jastrom
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