Chuck Episode 3.07 Chuck Versus the Mask

Trying to steal the Mask of Alexander from a museum's high security gallery/vault, Shaw is trapped. The security system is sucking all the air out of the room, giving him minutes to live before he suffocates. He signals Sarah that he's in trouble and that he needs Chuck's help to disarm the security system. Sarah scurries over to the Buy More and interrupts Chuck as he's showing Hannah the Nerd Herd ropes. Hannah, curious about who Sarah is, learns from Morgan that she is Chuck's ex-girlfriend. Chuck runs off for his "Nerd Herd emergency" and Hannah secretly follows.

At the museum, Chuck has five minutes to get Shaw out of the vault before he runs out of air. Casey and Sarah unsuccessfully try to open the hatch from above; it's all up to Chuck. Hannah appears at the museum to help Chuck out, knowing nothing about his mission. Chuck improvises, using Hannah's technical skills to help him reboot the security system. It works: Shaw is released and Chuck's cover is saved. The museum's innocent curator is so impressed with Chuck and Hannah's work that he hires them to ensure there are no more bugs in the system during the unveiling of the mask. Shaw orders Chuck to comply so the team can complete their mission and steal the Mask of Alexander.

At Castle, Shaw brings Sarah her coffee, thoughtfully including the type of swizzle stick she likes to chew on. But Sarah isn't warming up to his advances. Shaw informs the team that hidden inside the Mask of Alexander is an item of interest to The Ring. Their mission will be to secure the mask before The Ring does. Shaw announces their positions at the museum: Chuck in the control room, Casey on surveillance and, importantly, Shaw and Sarah posing as guests at the unveiling. He and Sarah will infiltrate the vault and swap out the mask before anyone notices. There's only one concern -- Hannah has to come along, but Chuck thinks he can handle her.

Morgan and Ellie deduce that Chuck is being secretive because he is heartbroken over Sarah. Meanwhile, Shaw and Sarah get ready for the mission at Castle, while at the Buy More, Hannah and Chuck get their Nerd Herd supplies ready. Shaw uses the opportunity to flirt with Sarah, since they are going undercover as a couple tonight; Sarah wants their "relationship" to be at the beginning stages.

Casey mans the surveillance van, Hannah and Chuck control the control room, while Sarah and Shaw scope out the museum's guests. Shaw plays up his cover with Sarah, kissing her neck while he tells her where the vault is located. However, instead of succumbing to Shaw's moves, Sarah stiffens.

In the control room, Hannah reveals to Chuck that the real reason she works at the Buy More is because of him; they kiss. The romantic moment is interrupted when Hannah notices Sarah on the surveillance video. Chuck looks at the screen and flashes on a Ring agent -- Nikos Vasillis. Chuck runs out of the room to warn Sarah and Shaw, leaving Hannah alone and confused.

Once Chuck informs Shaw and Sarah of Vasillis, Shaw aborts the mission. Vasillis can't know that Shaw is alive -- on a prior mission Shaw set Vasillis's face on fire and he's sure the Ring agent will recognize him. Sarah and Chuck decide to swap out the mask while Shaw makes a break for it -- but to Hannah, who is watching everything from the control room, it looks like Chuck is running off with his ex-girlfriend.

Chuck shuts down the security system so he and Sarah can enter through the hatch of the vault. As they prepare, a jealous streak comes out in both of them -- each decrying the other's new love interest. Unfortunately, Ring agents soon follow Sarah and Chuck into the vault as they are trying to steal the mask.

Hannah is in the control room with the museum's curator, who is in a state of panic because the doors to the vault won't open for the mask's debut (thanks to Chuck). However, Sarah's fighting skills allow Chuck to swap the masks out just in time before Hannah opens the vault's doors for the big reveal.

When Chuck tries to clear things up with Hannah, she excoriates him for abandoning her and going off with Sarah. Chuck, unable to give a good explanation, seems to have ruined any romantic chance he might have had with his new Nerd Herd companion.

The next day, Morgan wimps out in confronting Chuck about his secrecy. Back at the museum, Ring agent Vasillis reviews the surveillance footage from the previous night and believes that Chuck used Hannah to access the security system. Under the guise of a museum official, Vasillis calls the Buy More to hire Hannah to come in for another service call. The new and ambitious Nerd Herder hops at this opportunity.

When Hannah arrives at the museum, Vasillis escorts her into the vault, locking her in and programming the oxygen in the room to come out. He calls Chuck and threatens that if he doesn't bring the mask back to him in 50 minutes, Hannah will be dead.

Down at Castle, Shaw and Sarah investigate the mask only to release a dangerous poison, Cyclosarin -- and they only have an hour to find a cure. Chuck believes the antidote is at the museum. He rounds Casey up to save Hannah, Shaw, and Sarah.

On the way there, Chuck hatches a plan to use a smoke grenade to trick Vasillis into revealing the location of the antidote. Meanwhile, Shaw admits to Sarah that he was hitting on her and what's more surprising is that Sarah admits she liked it. Sarah's condition worsens and as soon as the room is clear of the poison, Shaw carries her out to the museum to get the antidote as soon as possible.

Chuck confronts Vasillis and fools him into thinking that the fake mask has the poisonous gas in it. The counteragent to the poison is in a vase, and Chuck rushes to flash on the right one. Hannah passes out in the vault. He flashes on the right vase, gets the antidote and gives it to Casey, who then gives it to Shaw and Sarah. Chuck opens the door to the vault and saves Hannah. Realizing that Chuck has just saved her life, Hannah forgives him for leaving her the night before. All is not well though, as Vasillis has recognized Shaw.

Sarah and Shaw tell Chuck that it's time for his "training wheels" to come off, meaning he's going to be in charge of his own missions very soon. Sarah takes Chuck aside and tells him that she thinks Hannah is great, and Chuck thinks Shaw is good for Sarah. The two leave their past on a bittersweet note and are ready to move on to new relationships.

Later that night at the Buy More, Ellie and Morgan are ready to see what Chuck's big secret is. They find him sneaking into the home theatre and when they draw back the curtains they find Chuck and Hannah making out. Ellie is happy to see Chuck with his "secret girlfriend," but Morgan seems a bit heartbroken. He thought he had a shot at Hannah.

While Hannah and Chuck neck at the Buy More, Shaw and Sarah get closer at Castle. Shaw assures Sarah that he's the safest guy she'll know. In a scene from the Ring's mysterious chamber, Vasillis informs his bosses that Shaw is indeed still alive. As soon as the words leave his mouth, Vasillis is assassinated.