In this week's Chuck episode, "Chuck Versus the Bearded Bandit," Sarah (Yvonne Strahovski) suggests that Chuck (Zachary Levi) be Morgan's (Joshua Gomez) handler. This is easier said than done, as Morgan begins to feel unfairly sidelined. Morgan's behavior becomes more erratic when the team's latest client, Karl Sneijder (Jeff Fahey, Lost), is revealed to be a bad guy, intent on killing his brother, Wesley (Justin Hartley, Smallville), whom he asks the team to "rescue." With Chuck unable to control Morgan, Sarah calls a competitor, Gertrude Verbanski (Carrie-Anne Moss, The Matrix), to help.
What makes a hero? This is a question that Chuck ponders quite a bit over the years. Chuck begins the series as a geeky tech nerd, and slowly grows into a super spy. He remains a hero even after losing the Intersect computer from his head. Morgan, on the other hand, is clearly not a hero, even though he tries to act as one, just because he now has the Intersect's physical skills. Since they can both do the same things, why is one a hero, and one is not? What sets Chuck above not only Morgan, but virtually everyone else in his world?
The difference in temperament between the two guys is the most likely avenue to explore to understand the distinction. Chuck is a genuinely good guy, more concerned with others than himself, and cool headed enough to take advice from his friends. Morgan is much more impulsive. He isn't bad, but he is normal, in his compassion for others. He doesn't have the same selfless qualities, nor the wisdom to use his powers in the way that he needs to best benefit everyone. In short, Morgan is a perfectly decent man, but he doesn't have the extra "it" factor that elevates Chuck. It's too bad that Morgan can't see that, while Chuck's personality does resemble those of comic book superheros, his own does not.
Of course, it is obvious that Morgan is suffering from more than just his own flaws. Throughout "Chuck Versus the Bearded Bandit," Morgan, a self-proclaimed geek, misses references to Indiana Jones, Star Wars, and shows a lack of appreciation for Die Hard. This is very unusual for Morgan, as all of these movies are right up his alley, and he has been known to worship them in the past. Plus, he isn't as willing to listen to Chuck as usual. Are these signs of a larger change, or is he just suffering memory loss? Is there some damage to the Intersect? Might the design of the program be tailored to certain people, or just specifically Chuck? Any of that could potentially be very bad.
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