Chuck Versus the American Hero

Main plot

Chuck arrives in Washington, D.C. to be briefed on his new assignment in Rome and Beckman grants him a week's leave before shipping out when Chuck admits he doesn't feel he's ready. Beckman reveals that Chuck is not going to Rome alone, but will be allowed to assemble a team of agents of his choice. Chuck returns to Burbank, to meet the one person he wants most - Sarah.

Devon, who wants Chuck out of Burbank so Ellie feels comfortable leaving as well, and Morgan agrees to help. They are soon joined by Casey, who sees Chuck's freedom in choosing his team as a chance to regain his government position. The three resolve to get Chuck and Sarah back together, but his first attempt fails when Sarah responds icily to his promotion. She admits after seeing him "kill" Hunter Perry, he's no longer the same man she fell in love with. Morgan, Casey and Devon refuse to let him back down, and borrow Jeff's spy gear-equipped van to kidnap Chuck and stakeout Sarah and Shaw on a date. While Morgan draws Shaw out of the restaurant by calling him in the guise of a Ring agent, Chuck moves in and lays out how he feels to Sarah. Shaw finds Morgan and the two are assaulted by actual Ring agents. Shaw attempts to get back to the restaurant to warn Sarah of the attack but is intercepted by other agents seeking to bring him in to the Director. Devon, thinking Shaw is going to interfere with Chuck and is unaware of the situation, tackles Shaw and they smash through a window, temporarily rescuing Shaw but disrupting Chuck's talk with Sarah.

The next morning, Ellie angrily confronts Chuck about coming to Devon, Casey and Morgan about Sarah and not her, and orders him not to give up on Sarah. Back at Castle, Shaw announces his intent to use himself as bait to target the Ring and its senior leadership in revenge for his wife's death. General Beckman approves of the plan, despite Sarah's objection that this is a suicide mission, saying Shaw will be a "true American hero", hence the episode title. Shaw swallows a tracking device to use as a target for an air strike and contacts the Director and agrees to come in. Chuck arrives as Shaw gives Sarah a goodbye kiss, and he leaves after telling Chuck to take care of her. Sarah explains Shaw's intent to sacrifice himself, and that he can't be allowed to go alone. Chuck locks down Castle to trap her there, promising that Shaw won't be alone, then leaves to help Shaw. Sarah uses the connection between Castle and the Buy More to send a message to Casey, who soon arrives to free her from lockdown.

Shaw arrives at the rendezvous, where the Director's men forcibly extract the tracking device and take him to the compound where the Director is waiting. Chuck arrives and finds the tracker, and tipped off by Jeff and Lester (who were stalking Shaw after feeling left out of Chuck's efforts to get back Sarah) follows the Ring agents to their compound. In the bunker, the Director reveals to Shaw that before his death, Hunter Perry was smuggling stolen surveillance footage of Shaw's wife's death and plays it for him. Shaw snaps when the video shows that Sarah was the one to kill his wife and attacks the Director, who reveals he was never actually in the room but that Shaw was interacting with a hologram. Shaw is then knocked unconscious. Meanwhile Chuck arrives as a B-2 begins its bombing run on the building. He fights his way through several Ring agents and rescues Shaw. Sarah pulls up in her car just in time to watch a bomb strike the building, and sees Chuck emerge unharmed with Shaw slung across his shoulders.

Back at Castle, Beckman congratulates Sarah, who admits that everything was done by Chuck. Chuck once again lays everything out to her and tells her that he loves her and wants to be with her, and repeats Sarah's previous offer in Prague by asking her to meet at the train station to run away together. He leaves her with a kiss and to make her decision. Later, Casey arrives at Sarah's apartment to find her packing, and not knowing Sarah has already decided to go with Chuck, admits he was the one who killed Perry, noting that Chuck "didn't have the stones" to pull the trigger. At this confession, Sarah's face lights up, and she thanks Casey, who responds with wishing her a good life as he departs. Before Sarah can leave to meet Chuck, Shaw arrives at her apartment, having escaped from the hospital, and tells her they have a new mission. While Chuck waits for her at Union Station, he is recalled by Beckman to Castle, where she shows him the video implicating Sarah in Evelyn Shaw's death. Chuck is shocked to realize that Shaw now knows the truth, and that Sarah is with him and in danger.

The episode ends as Shaw drives Sarah out to an undisclosed location to "settle an old score."

Production

Actor Mark Sheppard's casting was first indicated on December 10, 2009, and later confirmed by Maureen Ryan of the Chicago Tribune. More details emerged in an interview with ifmagazine.com, in which Sheppard confirmed he will be playing the Director of the Ring.

Production details

Flashes

Chuck notes "No flash necessary!" as he tranquilizes a Ring agent, emphasizing the progress in his marksmanship skills.

Critical response

Steve Heisler of The A.V. Club rated the episode C+.

Lulu Bates of Television Without Pity gave the episode an A+ rating.