Sarah and Casey frantically search for Chuck, who has gone off-grid with Jill, who they've just learned is a Fulcrum agent. One glimmer of hope remains: Fulcrum don't know Chuck is the Intersect, or that Jill's been compromised. Meanwhile, Chuck's getaway with Jill is disrupted when he sees a seemingly-innocuous text on her phone...
- **FLASH**
... And realises she works for Fulcrum. Panicking, he leaves the hotel room babbling an excuse, only to run into Sarah and Casey. They hand Chuck a tray of coffee and send him right back in so Jill won't get suspicious.
Back at home, General Beckman has a plan to use Chuck to spy on Jill. Leader, the Fulcrum agent who sent the text, is a priority target and they'll never have a better chance. Sarah is skeptical, but Chuck is determined; Jill betrayed him twice, and it's his turn.
With Thanksgiving coming, Ellie has a crisis as Awesome's parents are coming, so she takes drastic action; Morgan is uninvited! Chuck promises to help, but is distracted when Jill calls to make a date. Left without plans, Morgan is recruited by Big Mike to guard the Buy More with Jeff and Lester over Thanksgiving. Chuck meanwhile runs to Sarah in a panic, unsure how to handle his date with an enemy agent. She assures him everything will be fine: she and Casey will be nearby, and they know where the date will be by tracking Jill's credit card.
Chuck goes on the date, which is at a fairground and not the music centre after all. Just like on their first date, Jill bribes a carny to stop the Ferris wheel when they're at the top, where they kiss... and then she pulls a gun on him. She confesses that she works for Fulcrum, and that her orders are to abduct him from their date. On the way to the car park, however, they're stopped by Leader, who tells Jill Sarah and Casey are closing in and to Just Shoot Chuck. She refuses, and a chase ensues across the fairground, including the titular Gravitron and the House of Mirrors. Leader closes in on Chuck, but is shot and wounded by Jill after a change of heart. Sarah and Casey close in and arrest Jill, but Leader escapes.
Morgan is underwhelmed by his Thanksgiving prospects at the Buy More: locked in with Jeff's one and only tripwire trap and... shudder... microwave turkey. He persuades Jeff and Lester to hack the locks and let him out so he can bring back the mythical substance known as "real turkey." He gets out, but an alarm is triggered that alerts Big Mike.
At the Castle base, Jill is questioned with a Lie Detector. She admits to being Fulcrum, and reluctantly gives up the secret medical centre where Leader is being treated. Sarah and Casey take a team and crash the centre, while Chuck is left alone with Jill. He takes the opportunity to asked her a few questions about their relationship, learning that she didn't sleep with Bryce at all; that was the simplest way to get rid of him, on Fulcrum's orders. Finally, she charms him into untying her. Sure enough, by the time Sarah and Casey return with Leader, Jill is armed and waiting. Which was of course the plan all along.
Jill locks the team in separate cells while she and Leader access the base's computers, searching for Bryce. However, Chuck manages to smuggle the base manual into his cell and does some quick programming. Jill and Leader find themselves booted out of the system. Confronting Chuck, who tells them that he's also called for CIA backup and cut off communications, so there's nothing they can do but wait to be arrested for real. However, Leader has a trick up his sleeve; he puts a bomb on the door of Sarah and Casey's cell, where it will soon kill them but leave Chuck unharmed. Chuck unlocks his door and leaves with them in exchange for the bomb being disarmed.
However, Chuck also has tricks up his sleeve. As soon as Chuck and the Fulcrum agents are clear, Sarah and Casey's door opens with a message that Chuck is leading them through the Buy More. At the store, Chuck leads the agents over Jeff's tripwire, buying enough time for Sarah and Casey to show up. Sarah runs after Jill while Casey brawls with Leader, who almost wins but is steamrollered by an enraged Big Mike, who mistakes him for a thief.
At home, Ellie gets some welcome news; Awesome's parents can't come after all! She's delighted that now they can have a relaxed Thanksgiving, but guilty for disinviting Morgan. Just then, Morgan is caught trying to dig out the practice turkey Ellie threw out earlier. She reinvites him, but also grants his request to invite some more people.
Meanwhile, Jill gets a clear shot at Sarah, but Chuck diverts her by offering a way out. He takes her to the Nerd Herder, tells her to take it and promises not to report the theft. But when she gets in, Chuck triggers the car's detention mode and seals her in. Don't try to kill Sarah in front of Chuck.
With Jill arrested and finally behind them, Chuck and Sarah join Ellie, Awesome, Morgan, and Morgan's guests: Jeff and Lester.
Trope Flash:
- Absurd Phobia: Chuck describes his fear of carnivals in this way. After being held at gunpoint by Jill at the top of a Ferris wheel, he describes his fear of carnivals as perfectly rational and adds that it's now spread to a fear of ex-girlfriends as well.
- Always Someone Better: How Ellie feels about Awesome's parents, who are both doctors and have raised three doctor sons. They apparently love her, but she still feels somewhat insecure around them.
- Apologetic Attacker: Jill, when she pulls a gun on Chuck.
- Chekhov's Gun: The Castle base manual, which Chuck has read. He uses this knowledge to cut off comms, call for backup and rig Casey and Sarah's cells to open automatically after Jill and Leader take him.TAKING THEM THROUGH BUY MORE. UNLEASH THE CASEY.
- Description Cut: In the beginning, Casey speculates that Fulcrum will be torturing Chuck already, and that he won't last an hour. Cut to Chuck and Jill in bed at the hotel.
- Did Not Think This Through: The flashback in the beginning to Chuck's first date with Jill. He took her to a fairground and bribed the carny to stop the Ferris wheel when they were at the top...despite his fear of both heights and carnies.Jill: Well, that was pretty moronic!
Chuck: I was going for... romantic. - It's Personal: When Sarah expresses doubt that Chuck can handle turning Jill's infiltration around on her, Chuck insists that he can and will.Sarah: General, Chuck is not ready for this type of mission. He could barely handle a goodbye with Jill. She's going to see right through him.
General Beckman: This is our best opportunity to infiltrate FULCRUM, but if you don't think he's ready...
Chuck: I'll do it. Jill betrayed me twice. You bet I'll do it! - Manipulative Bastard: Leader. The plan is for Jill to back out of killing Chuck, shooting Leader to sell it. Once arrested by Sarah and Casey, Jill reluctantly gives up the medical centre where Leader is being treated. While Sarah and Casey go after him, Jill charms Chuck into untying her, overpowers him and is waiting with guns when Sarah and Casey return. With Team Chuck locked away, Team Fulcrum can peruse the CIA's database for Bryce's location.Chuck: You let her shoot you?
Leader: Devious, aren't we? - Oh, Crap!: Chuck, when he flashes on a coded text on Jill's phone and realizes that a) she works for FULCRUM, the shadowy organization that wants him for nefarious purposes and b) he's alone with her, having carefully gone off-grid.
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Paranoia Fuel: Jill turning out to be a spy, for Chuck.Chuck: Excuse me, I'm sorry, General, but who in my life isn't a spy? My sister? My best friend? Should I just start asking people that when I first meet them? "Hi, I'd like the extra value meal, and while we're on the topic, do you covertly work for a government espionage faction?" - Shmuck Bait: Chuck, going to question Jill about their relationship. Sure enough, she manipulates him into untying her and pulls a gun on him.
- Spanner in the Works: Leader is built enough to take down even Casey in hand-to-hand...then Big Mike, of all people, blindsides him and saves the team.
- Xanatos Speed Chess: Chuck, when trapped in Castle. He does some quick programming to shut down comms and the computer while calling backup. He also programs a backup plan for when Jill and Leader force him to open his cell and go with them. Later, he comes up with a plan on the fly to prevent Jill from killing Sarah and trap her in the car.
