Morgan: My best friend is a spy?! This is the best news I’ve ever heard! Chuck, you are officially rehired as my best friend.
Chuck’s life is hitting rock bottom now that Morgan fires him as his best friend. While the rest of Team Bartowski is gone without him, Chuck finds himself in trouble when Ring agents infiltrate the Buy More posing as buyers and take control of Castle. Morgan finds out Chuck’s big secret.
Romantic Reversal. Chuck still denies his feelings for Sarah but Morgan makes him realize he’s fooling himself. (This is why we love the little bearded man, right?) Chuck has his epiphany and, just like Sarah after 2.16 Lethal Weapon, he stops fighting his feelings and admits, “I do love Sarah. I kept telling myself that I didn’t, I wouldn’t, I couldn’t but I do!” This is when he stops lying to himself about his feelings for Sarah, and this admission frees him from his burden and makes him flash again. He loves Sarah but, like her in S2, he doesn’t quite know what to do about it just yet.
Bromance. This is the friendship episode, the episode about Chuck and Morgan, and is the mirror of 1.12 Undercover Lover, which was the friendship episode between Chuck and Casey. As 1.12 was the beginning of a beautiful spy friendship between Chuck and Casey, 3.09 is the beginning of a beautiful spy friendship between Chuck and Morgan. As Chuck was tied up to Casey and they were about to die, Chuck is tied up to Morgan and they are about to die. In a reversal from that episode, where Chuck assumed the passive role in the ensuing fight, Chuck assumes the active role in this episode’s ensuing fight. As Chuck helped Casey come to terms with his feelings for Ilsa, Morgan helps Chuck come to terms with his feelings for Sarah. As Casey and Chuck walked together towards Casey’s apartment at the end of the episode, Chuck and Morgan walk together out of castle at the end of this episode. Chuck walking in Casey’s shoes.
Spy Reversal. Team Shaw falls in the trap set up by the Ring. Chuck saves the day. The episode is a mirror of 2.08 Gravitron. The Ring uses a diversion to take control of castle and its data, just as Fulcrum used a diversion to take control of castle and its data. In a reversal from 2.08, Shaw puts the mission first and decides to sacrifice Chuck’s life while Sarah puts people first and buys Chuck time to get out of castle at great personal cost, just as Chuck put people first and decided to save Sarah’s and Casey’s lives at great personal cost and bought them time to get out of castle.
Love vs Duty. Chuck admits to himself his duty can’t override his love for Sarah.
Feelings as a liability. As soon as Chuck openly admits his feelings for Sarah, he can flash again. He’s not a machine. Ok, he is a machine but he’s also a person.
Red Test. Chuck uses non-lethal methods to take out the Ring agents in Castle.
Hero’s Journey. Reward: Did you think Chuck had reached rock bottom? Wait until he gets fired by Morgan as his best friend. Now Chuck is completely alone (he’s alienated Sarah, Ellie, Devon, and now Morgan) but starts on his path of redemption and is rewarded with Morgan’s friendship, with a functioning Intersect, and with acceptance of his feelings for Sarah. This is the Gonna fly now moment of the hero’s journey.
