Two Old Enemies Return
Chuck Versus The Cubic Z is the third episode of Chuck's fourth season.
Sarah tries to tell Chuck she's not ready about getting married and having kids.
A prison transfer delivers old foes Hugo Panzer and Heather Chandler to the Buy More for temporary detainment
Morgan tries to deal with a huge game-release mob and the return of Big Mike.
This episode provides examples of:
- Accidental Proposal: The episode ends with Chuck finding Big Mike's engagement ring on the floor... while he's bending the knee right in front of a very awkward Sarah.
- Air-Vent Passageway: Sarah, Chuck and Heather escape Hugo through the passageway in Castle's ventilation system.
- Beauty Is Never Tarnished:
- Greta #3's face is intact after being punched in the face by Hugo.
- Neither Sarah or Heather look any worse for the wear after beating up each other.
- Brand X: A videogame called "Spy Attack" is supposed to be one of the biggest releases of the year, which fills the Buy More with a crowd.
- Break Them by Talking: Heather is easily able to figure out that Sarah and Chuck are now together and starts preying on Sarah's insecurities about their relationship.
- Callback:
- Big Mike comes back, to ask Morgan for permission in marrying his mother.
- Two old foes make a return: Heather Chandler (Nicole Richie) from "Chuck Versus the Cougars" and Hugo Panzer ("Stone Cold" Steve Austin) from "Chuck Versus First Class", now both retroactively being connected to Volkoff Industries.
- Cavalry Betrayal: The helicopter crew that comes to pick up Heather and Hugo aren't CIA, they're just more of Volkoff's men
- Commitment Issues: While Sarah is happy with her relationship with Chuck, she's still very reluctant about the idea of marrying and having children.
- Crowd Hockey: Morgan chasing after the eponymous Cubic Zirconium ring during a Buy More riot. He doesn't find it. Chuck does. On bended knee. In front of Sarah.
- Dark Action Girl: Heather gives Sarah a run for her money when fighting her.
- Designated Girl Fight: When Heather inevitably tries to make her escape, is up to Sarah to fight and subdue her while Chuck deals with Hugo. Sarah is more than happy in beating her up.
- Did You Just Have Sex?: Heather can tell just by Sarah and Chuck's body language that they're now an item, and the very first question she asks Chuck is about how good spies are in bed.
- Feet-First Introduction:
- Similarly to Greta #1, the first thing we see of Greta #3 is her feet with a pan up to her legs as she's introduced.
- Hugo is also introduced by with a shot of his feet as he stomps down the stairs.
- Good Cop/Bad Cop: Sarah and Chuck try this method when trying to interrogate Heather about Chuck's mom. Although Sarah would much prefer it if it were "Bad Cop and Silent Cop.
- Headturning Beauty: Once again, both Chuck and Morgan get Distracted by the Sexy by Greta #3's hotness. She's later complaining to Casey at Castle about how all the other employers keep leering at her.
- He Knows Too Much: Volkoff tasked Hugo with eliminating Heather due to her knowing too much about the company, including information about Chuck's mother.
- Human Shield: Hugo uses Morgan as a human shield, but Big Mike manages to tase Hugo, releasing Morgan,
- Improvised Weapon: Hugo folds a paper so hard that he uses as an improvised shiv against a guard.
- "Not So Different" Remark: Heather torments Sarah with this, saying they're both Femme Fatales spies that have dated sweet geeks, and Sarah's Commitment Issues will drive Chuck away just as it happened to Heather and her husband.Heather: I got hitched to a dork just like you. Sweet, dumb, loyal mutt. And that was attractive. I thought, "This schmuck is gonna make me a better person." And for 10 minutes, I convinced myself I didn't mind movie night or dinner at 6. Then my true nature kicked in. And the reason this conversation has Burton so upset is because it's doing the same for her. We're the same. [...] She's all spy. White weddings, rug rats in a minivan? It's not in our wiring.
- Manipulative Bitch: Heather is still a great manipulator and easily gets the upper hand when talking to Chuck and Sarah about her mother while driving a wedge between them.
- Percussive Therapy: After beating up Heather who tormented her the whole episode, Sarah looks down at her and quips "That felt good."
- Power Incontinence: Chuck has an involuntarily flash when he sees Heather and finds out she's somehow connected to his mother "Frost".
- Prisoner's Dilemma: When Volkoff's men have Sarah and Heather cornered, they offer Sarah they'll spare her if she hands over Heather. Heather expects her to go through with it, and is shocked when Sarah frees her and hands her a gun to help drive them pack instead.
- Save the Villain: Sarah and Chuck have to protect Heather from Hugo, since she has the information they need. Being the Manipulative Bitch that she is, she does her best to torment them both about the situation.
- Schoolyard Bully All Grown Up: Heather is still just as good at pushing Sarah's buttons than back when they were children.
- Shout-Out: Greta #3 refers to Lester as "Doc Bollywood".
- So Proud of You: When Morgan first sees Big Mike in the Buy More, he's expecting him to be angry for "stealing his job", but Big Mike tells him he's just proud of him instead.
- Stab the Scorpion: After Heather and Sarah gun down Volkoff's men, Heather turns her gun to Sarah and shots... at the last man that was behind Sarah.
- Statuesque Stunner: Greta #3 is a very good looking woman that towers over most of the characters. She's played by a WWE Wrestler Stacy Keibler.
- Suspiciously Specific Denial: Sarah accuses Chuck of letting Heather get under his skin, but the way she says it makes it clear the opposite is true.Sarah: If you let her get under your skin about the living together thing, and about the other thing she mentioned. We're not going to get anywhere.
Chuck: "Other thing"? What is that "other thing?"
Sarah: Remember. Tough. Silent. Do not let her get under your skin.
Chuck: She's not. She won't... What? - The Tease: When they're crawling through the Air-Vent Passageway, Heather teases Chuck about "staring at her tail", which prompts Sarah to kick her in the face. This only makes Heather more pleased as it confirms she's really annoying Sarah.
- Ticket-Line Campout: A huge crowd of gamers is camping at the Buy More for one of the biggest game releases in the year, putting a lot of pressure on Morgan in his new manager position.
- Torches and Pitchforks: The gamers camping at the Buy More turn into an angry mob when they realize the Buy More doesn't have enough games. Big Mike stops it with a Shaming the Mob speech.
- Villain of the Week: Hugo Panzer, who's attempting to kill his fellow inmate Heather since She Knows Too Much about Volkoff, forcing Chuck and Sarah to try to protect her from him.
- Vulnerable Convoy: Played With. The prison transport truck carrying Heather and Hugo does break down, are they're forced to go to Burbank Buy More for repairs, but Hugo only makes his escape once he gets there.
- What Happened to the Mouse?: Greta #3 disappears after she's knocked out by Hugo, with the last time we see her being a shot of him dragging her away, and we don't find out what he did to her. She comes back in "Chuck Versus the A-Team", so we know she survived.
- With This Ring: Big Mike comes to the Buy More to ask for Morgan's permission in marrying his mother, bringing the ring with him, the eponymous half-carat, pear cut cubic zirconium, entrusting the ring to Morgan.
- Worf Effect: The tall and imposing Action Girl Greta #3 punches and kicks Hugo in the face to no effect. Then he knocks her out with a single punch to the face.
- Working Out Their Emotions: Sarah and Casey are having a boxing spar match while discussing their respective Commitment Issues (Sarah scared of settling down with Chuck, Casey hesitant in contacting his daughter Alex). General Beckmen soon interrupts both telling them to "harness their fury".
- Would Hit a Girl: Hugo's mission is to assassinate Heather and he doesn't hesitate when punching agent Greta right in the face.
