A professor at Stanford escapes narrowly when hunted by a mysterious agent. As he runs, he makes a panicked phone call to the CIA, explaining that he's being targeted for some data he copied onto a disk.
At the Buy More, Chuck is appraised of the situation, but has reservations: the professor in question is Professor Fleming, the very man who wrongly expelled Chuck for cheating. Chuck flat-out refuses to have anything to do with any mission that involves him, or Stanford. On returning home, Chuck is confronted by Awesome and his frat buddies, who try and rope him into joining their weekend trip to Stanford for a football game with their own alma mater, UCLA. Ellie makes a pitch, suggesting that going back to Stanford might help Chuck confront his bad memories and move on, but Chuck flatly refuses: Stanford threw him out for something he didn't do. They're done. End of discussion.
Chuck decides to follow through on this resolution by finally throwing out his old box of Stanford memorabilia. As he heaves the box into a dumpster, his old student ID falls out. Chuck picks it up...
- **FLASH**
... Wait. Why was Chuck in the Intersect?? The only person to ask is Professor Fleming, so Chuck reluctantly joins Sarah and Casey as they go to a safe house where they suspect Fleming is hiding; Chuck is to stay in the car while they check it out. However, Chuck spots Fleming returning with groceries and runs after him. The two talk, but only manage to establish that Fleming carries some shame over what happened with Chuck before Fleming is shot in the back with a crossbow bolt by Magnus, the Icelandic agent who has been pursuing him. Magnus takes a set of digits that lead to the data. Chuck sees the digits, and realises they're Dewey decimal codes for a spot in the Stanford library where Bryce used to stash things. However, he can't remember exactly where that was... unless he goes back to Stanford and looks.
At Stanford, Chuck finds Bryce's secret stash spot and the data concealed there, but Magnus and his team confront them and demand the disk. A chase ensues across the campus, and the team take refuge in a lecture hall where Chuck inserts the disk into a computer, determined to find out why he was on the CIA's radar at college. The data turns out to be a list of all the Stanford students Fleming recruited to the CIA, an incalculably valuable resource to a foreign power. However, Chuck is stunned to see his own name on the list. Before he can find out more, Magnus and his men find the team.
Sarah and Casey lay down cover fire so Chuck can escape with the disk. He finds a computer lab and uses the data to summon Stanford recruits to rescue Sarah and Casey. As he finishes, Magnus corners him and demands the disk, only to be knocked unconscious by the last recruit Chuck called.
Back home, Chuck sneaks the disk home. Sarah arrives to take it... once they've both had a look, naturally. Chuck opens the video with his name, finding Professor Fleming preparing to interview a potential CIA recruit, Chuck Bartowski. However, Bryce Larkin arrives instead, determined to prevent his friend from being recruited.
Video Fleming has bad news for Bryce; Chuck's recent exam results are so promising he's going to be recruited for a military project, whether he likes it or not. Bryce, convinced Chuck is too good a person for spy work and will not survive, realises the only way to save him is to falsely accuse him of cheating, thus invalidating the test results.
Chuck and Sarah are both shocked to realise that Bryce had good reasons for getting Chuck expelled. After Sarah has gone, warning him not to tell anyone, Chuck returns to the dumpster with his Stanford things and retrieves a photo of himself and Bryce in happier times.
Trope Flash:
- Big Damn Heroes: The Stanford recruits summoned by Chuck arrive just in time to save Sarah and Casey from a Bolivian Army Ending apart from the last one, who saves Chuck from Magnus.Chuck: I'm just glad you check your voicemail!
- Company Cross References: All of the shows seen during the channel-surfing contest held by the Buy More employees (before Harry interferes with the master remote and sticks the TVs on golf) are Warner Bros. shows — everything from Kung Fu The Movie and The O.C. to Animaniacs and Night Court (which creates a minor Celebrity Paradox come season 2).
- Flash Back: Several, to Chuck's time at Stanford. Special focus is on his relationship with Bryce, especially his role in Chuck's expulsion.Flashback!Bryce: You brought this on yourself, Chuck.
- Groin Attack: Awesome throws a football to Chuck, accidentally hitting him in the "produce section". He offers to make it up to Chuck by taking him to the Stanford/ UCLA game that weekend.
- Not So Stoic: After seeing the video that proves Bryce got Chuck expelled to protect him, Sarah calmly removes the disk, warns Chuck not to tell anyone and leaves, only shedding a tear for Bryce once she's alone.
- Shoutout: New Assistant Manager Harry Tang's ownership of the master remote that controls all the Buy More TVs is compared to the Ring of Power from The Lord of the Rings.
- Trust Password: Among Stanford students recruited by the CIA, "Are you coming to the toga party?" means "Trouble afoot, bring guns." It's not clear what happens if someone is actually invited to a toga party.
- Wham Episode: Bryce framed Chuck for cheating to prevent him from being forcibly recruited by the CIA, saving his friend at the cost of their friendship.
- Wham Shot:
- Chuck, throwing out a box of his Stanford memorabilia, picks up his dropped ID... and flashes. Why was Chuck in the Intersect before Bryce sent it to him?
- When the team examine Professor Fleming's data, it's a list of Stanford students recruited by the CIA, with video interviews. And then Chuck sees his own name on the list.
