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Straight to the action tonight! we see Chuck chasing a guy in a suit through a rail yard – with a gun! He begs Chuck to not pull the trigger. “I gave you a chance,” Chuck says. The screen goes dark and a gunshot rings out.

“Three days earlier…” Argh, I hate that plot device.

Jeff and Lester are playing Nerf tag and knocking customers about; John corrals them and knocks their heads together (literally!), putting him in trouble with Big Mike when the hapless losers threaten to sue. The strong-arm approach to managing a situation won’t get the results he wants in the civilian world. He asks John an important question: can he bend like the reed, and not just snap like the Kit-Kat?

Back in Castle, Sarah has returned from Washington. General Beckman gives Chuck a mission which will test all he has learned. Nerves kick in when he finds out Sarah and Shaw will be in Washington (no backup?).

When we return from the opening theme, Chuck is startled in his kitchen by Sarah with his mission brief. He is to find the CIA mole who is selling secrets to Russia. Back at the Buy More Big Mike sets out to change John’s image from the outside in.

Back to Chuck, at the hotel stakeout setting up his gear. Sarah joins him and he breaks out Chinese take-out and champagne… and “Private Eyes” on the iPod. Then he starts a conversation about her and Shaw, but is interrupted by Shaw from the Castle. Back to business, but as usual he can’t let it go and tells Sarah he wants another go at their relationship when he’s passed his test. As he and Sarah are about to kiss Shaw breaks in again. Chuck missed Anatoly’s entrance into the hotel! He grabs his handy dandy video glasses and heads in.

Chuck goes into the spa, then into the steam room looking for Anatoly. He receives a note to meet the mole up in the hotel room, and they head up, tossing the note onto the floor. The Russian bodyguards turn back and ask why he’s so anxious to pick up the trash, then go after him. Chuck flashes and takes them out, and trails Anatoli up to the upper floor, slipping into the adjoining room, and out onto the balcony. Edging over he sees Anatoly’s death, then sees the mole. Then his towel slips and falls leaving him perched naked seven stories up – but Chuck is ecstatic anyway. He’s done it. But …it’s only halfway through the hour…

Big Mike meets an impeccably tailored Casey, and the bedraggled Jeff and Lester at Subway for an apology, which includes John eating some crow, then sharing a tuna and pepperoni sandwich with Jeff. Seriously, Jabba the Hutt and Leia on Tattooine, all over again. The next day Chuck gives the changed John Casey a gift of thanks: his sidearm. He also tells John that Sarah has invited him to dinner at Union Station alone. “You sure you passed your test?” a skeptical Casey asks. Flash to Castle and Shaw tells Sarah what is happening at Union Station. Chuck has to take his Red Test: he has to kill the mole he uncovered the previous night. Sarah refuses to go along, but Shaw tells her Chuck will only go through if she is the one to give him the order.

At dinner, Chuck almost gets into his emotional diarrhea. Until Sarah gives him the remainder of his mission. She looks like her appendix is about to burst. He seems randomly calmer but doubts his ability to carry it out, and she tries to reassure him (while glancing round for an exit, any exit) that if he does not, there is nothing wrong with going back to being Chuck.

Agent Perry joins him on schedule as Sarah departs. After an introduction Agent Perry takes a break to the washroom before looking at the pictures Chuck says he has for him. Chuck’s suspicions are aroused and he follows. When Perry attacks him in the bathroom, Chuck flashes and brings the hurt back to Perry. However, after he has subdued Perry and Perry says he’s no better than one of the Ring, Chuck wavers and decides to arrest him instead and Perry makes a break for it. The chase continues into the rail yard. Chuck catches him. He squeezes the trigger, a shot rings out and Perry slumps to the ground. Chuck, astonished, turns to see Casey melt back into the night. Sarah, however, only saw Chuck point the gun, heard the shot, and saw Perry die.

Chuck asks Casey later why he did it. “Because you weren’t going to. You aren’t a killer, Chuck,” he responds, but not unkindly. Chuck goes inside his apartment and finds his new mission packet: a first-class ticket, an i.d. card and a badge. He’s to fly to Washington for his induction. Sarah still isn’t answering her phone.

She is marinating in misery back at her hotel room. She recounts to Shaw her Red Test, the worst day of her life, and though she tells Shaw she no longer is in love with Chuck, she laments the change wrought in an agent by his first kill. Chuck bounds to the door thinking it’s Sarah knocking, but it’s the driver to take him to the airport. At least this week we’re spared the folk-song-and-slumped-shoulders montage.