Chuck Versus the Coup d'Etat

"Chuck Versus the Coup d'Etat"
Chuck episode
"Roomies!"
Episode no.	Season 4 Episode 4
Directed by	Robert Duncan McNeill
Written by	Kristin Newman
Original air date	October 11, 2010
Guest stars
Armand Assante as Premier Alejandro Goya Tia Texada as Hortencia Goya Alex Fernandez as Commandante Juan Pablo Turrini Mekenna Melvin as Alex McHugh Todd Sherry as Dr. Fred Hornblower
Episode chronology
← Previous "Chuck Versus the Cubic Z" Next → "Chuck Versus the Couch Lock"
List of Chuck episodes

"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 (Armand Assante) and his wife Hortencia (Tia Texada) show their gratitude by inviting the gang to their beautiful island. Chuck Bartowski and Sarah Walker work on becoming better communicators as they join Captain Awesome and Ellie for a getaway to Costa Gravas. Back at home, Morgan Grimes embarks on a forbidden romance that may put him at odds with Colonel John Casey.

Plot

Main plot

Commandante Juan Pablo Turrini, the most trusted advisor to the Costa Gravan Premier Alejandro Goya, arrives in Burbank unannounced. General Beckman orders the team to stake out the Costa Gravan Embassy (excepting Colonel Casey, who is recovering from a gunshot wound received in "Chuck Versus the Cubic Z"). Beckman soon learns the Turrini is heading not to the embassy, but to Echo Park. He arrives at Ellie and Devon Woodcomb's apartment, informing Devon that he is "needed" again. When Chuck and Sarah arrive, Turrini plays a tape where Goya invites the gang to his castle in Costa Gravas to thank them for them saving his life in "Chuck Versus the Angel de la Muerte".

They are transported in Goya's private jet to his castle, where he and his wife Hortencia (Tia Texada) have thrown a banquet in Devon's honor. They unveil a nine-feet-tall statue of Devon. Meanwhile, Chuck flashes on a sign, revealing that there is a Soviet-era weapons system behind a red door. Sarah calls Casey for instructions, which he provides, having spent two weeks in the castle on an assassination attempt (see "Chuck Versus the Angel de la Muerte"). Chuck and Sarah attempt to pick the lock on the door, but they are interrupted by Devon and Ellie in an intimate moment. Meanwhile, Hortencia performs a coup d'état on the democratic government established by her own husband, blowing off the head of the statue in the process.

Chuck flashes and he and Sarah defend Ellie and Devon from the rebelling soldiers; Premier Goya escorts the group through a nuclear control room and they escape on his private jet. No longer trusting his own embassy, Goya decides to seek refuge in Casey's apartment. Chuck flashes on a picture of the control panel, and the Premier reveals that it controls nuclear missiles aimed at various cities (mostly American). Two keys are needed to access the missiles; one Goya has with him while the other is with Hortencia.

Turrini betrays Goya and attempts to capture him, but Casey is prepared, having theorized this possibility earlier in his career after seeing how close Turrini was to Goya's wife. While a standoff ensues between Casey and Turrini and his soldiers, Goya saves Casey's life by knocking him unconscious and agreeing to go back to Costa Gravas as long as no harm comes to Casey. Turrini agrees and brings Goya back to Costa Gravas. Beckman orders Chuck, Sarah, and Casey to sneak back to Costa Gravas, destroy the nuclear control room, and find the missiles so Premier Goya can be restored to office without being a nuclear threat to the United States. The team enter through tunnels under the castle and places charges to prepare to detonate if anything goes wrong.

Hortencia and her soldiers are making a hostage video, which the Premier interrupts several times. This erupts into a marital dispute, and Goya grabs his wife's sidearm and holds her at gunpoint. Chuck crawls in through a hatch to be a mediator in their argument, attributing this entire ordeal to a marital problem. Turrini approaches Goya to shoot him, but Chuck flashes to disarm him, and Casey captures him. After Goya offers Hortencia the position of Secretary of State, they reconcile, and Sarah confiscates the keys to the nuclear control panel.

Team Bartowski dismantles the control panel, and troops are called in to dismantle the missiles. Chuck flashes on a Russian label on the panel, revealing it to be stolen by Alexei Volkoff as part of his underground weapons pipeline in "Project Beacon". Chuck asks if Goya ever heard of a CIA agent codenamed "Frost" (Chuck's mother, Mary Elizabeth Bartowski), and Goya reveals that she was kept "at home." Goya offers them all his files on his dealings with Volkoff, but cautions them on proceeding with the search.

Later, Chuck reveals to Ellie that he is searching for their mother. She worries that there isn't actually another side to the story, but Chuck says that they have to know.

Morgan and Alex

Morgan is caring for Colonel Casey while he is recovering in a wheelchair. Casey's daughter Alex (Mekenna Melvin) arrives with soup, and it is revealed at this point that she and Morgan have seen each other despite Casey's earlier threats. Morgan seeks advice from his de facto stepfather Big Mike, and Mike advises him to make sure he really loves Alex before he proceeds.

Morgan seeks advice from Dr. Fred Hornblower, a self-help author, who is at the Buy More signing copies of "Dr. Fred's 101 Conversations Before I Do". However, Big Mike interrupts him and tells Morgan that the way to tell if he really loves Alex would be a reaction to simply kissing her.

Alex later visits Morgan at the Buy More. When he tries to tell her about Dr. Fred's advice, she kisses him. He attempts to continue talking before giving in and kissing her back. Big Mike witnesses this secret romance and walks away smiling.

Ellie and Devon

Devon has been giving more attention to the unborn baby than Ellie herself. This worries Ellie, as she is only four-months pregnant, and Devon has already bought a Toyota Sienna and is worrying about saving for the baby's college education. They agree to take a "babymoon", which soon comes in the form of a trip to Costa Gravas (see main plot). They are later interrupted in an intimate moment at Goya's castle by Chuck and Sarah and are forced to return home when Hortencia stages a coup.

When they return to California, they go on a babymoon to Malibu.

Chuck and Ellie

While Ellie still believes that Chuck is no longer a spy, she requests that Chuck does "some spy stuff" while their lives are in jeopardy because of Hortencia's coup d'etat. Chuck prevents their capture or execution by disarming and fighting off several soldiers, leaving Ellie awestruck.

Near the end of the episode, Ellie admits that Chuck never looked more alive than when he protected them, and further believes he must have been good at being a spy. She further admits she was grateful that Chuck gave up being a spy, although she didn't realize, at the time, what she was asking him to give up. Chuck then confesses that he was searching for their mother; a horrified Ellie asks why and Chuck explains that Mary may have had a good reason for leaving and they should reserve judgment until they hear her side of the story. Ellie then asks what if there is no other side and that there was no reason for her abandonment, to which Chuck responds, "Then we'll find that out, too."

Chuck and Sarah

The episode picks up immediately after the cliffhanger in "Chuck Versus the Cubic Z", as Big Mike's engagement ring for Morgan's mother slides through the vent onto the floor in Castle. Chuck kneels down on one knee and picks up the ring, giving the appearance that he is proposing to Sarah, leaving them both in an awkward state of shock. Sarah realizes that Chuck isn't actually proposing, which he confirms, and he frustratedly walks away. Chuck confides in Morgan that he wants to know what Sarah's answer would have been if it were an actual proposal.

Morgan warns Chuck of his and Sarah's communication problems. He gives him the book "Dr. Fred's 101 Conversations Before I Do", but Chuck worries that the thought of preparing for marriage would scare Sarah. After discussing the miscommunication with the ring, they begin the 101 conversations in the book. However, Sarah soon discovers the book, which contradicts their earlier agreement to "take it slow."

Taking advice from the book, Sarah tells a sleeping Chuck that nothing will change her love for him, and that if he were to propose to her, she would accept. Chuck, with his eyes closed, slowly grins.

Production

Continuity

• Ellie is four-months pregnant.
• Several details about Casey's assassination attempts are revealed, including the fact that Casey spent two weeks sneaking through Goya's castle while he was actually with Fidel Castro in Havana.
• The fight scene and music where Chuck and Sarah are working in tandem to defeat the Costa Gravas rebels mirror a similar scene (involving the same music) from "Chuck Versus the Nemesis" which involved Sarah and Bryce Larkin working in tandem against Fulcrum.

Flashes

• Chuck flashes on a sign reading "Pasillo de la Gente", revealing that there is a Soviet-era weapons system behind a red door in Goya's castle.
• Chuck flashes on self-defense techniques to disarm Hortencia's militia.
• Chuck flashes on a photo of a control panel in the castle, revealing it to be nuclear.
• Chuck flashes to disarm Turrini.
• Chuck flashes on a Russian label, revealing the nuclear control panel to have been stolen by Volkoff.

Cultural references

• Chuck states that he will need to spend five hours a week playing Halo with Morgan.
• The tribute to Devon with the unveiling of the statue is a nod to similar scene from the film Rocky III where Rocky Balboa was honored in a similar fashion.

Music

• Girls - "Laura" (Chuck & Morgan discuss the footage of Chuck’s non-proposal)
• Santo and Johnny - "Sleepwalk" (Sarah tries on bikinis and questions Chuck’s motives for going on the trip)
• Le Tropicana Orchestra - "Tropicana" (The Generalissimo’s video message to Devon & Ellie)
• Jesus Alejandro El Nino - "Rebulu" (The Generalissimo creeps out Ellie, introduces everyone to his wife)
• Richard Ashcroft - "She Brings Me The Music" (Chuck tells Ellie that he’s looking for their mother; Chuck hears Sarah tell him she would say yes to a proposal)
• Lewis LaMedica - "Without You" (Morgan & Alex kiss while Big Mike looks on in approval)
• Armand Assante - “Besame Mucho”(The Generalissimo serenades the party-goers)

Critical response

IGN gave this episode a score of 8.5 out of 10.^[1]

References

1. ^ http://tv.ign.com/articles/112/1127406p1.html

External links

• "Chuck Versus the Coup d'Etat" at the Internet Movie Database
• "Chuck Versus the Coup d'Etat" at TV.com