CHUCK Exec Producer Teases “Epic” Sarah Story, Carrie-Ann Moss

Chuck executive producer Chris Fedak joined reporters for a conference call this week to answer questions about what’s happening in the show’s fifth and final season. Many of the questions dealt with Chuck’s journey and Morgan being the new Intersect, but Fedak gave Sarah Walker (Yvonne Strahovski) equal time by teasing an upcoming episode featuring her character.

This season’s eighth episode, airing in early 2012, is titled “Chuck vs. the Baby” and will give viewers our first look at Sarah’s mom, played by Cheryl Ladd. It’s a story Fedak has been wanting to tell but wasn’t sure he would have time with just 13 episodes order for this season.

“When we first started working on this season of the show, I didn’t think we’d have the time or ability to tell the ‘Sarah’s Mom’ story. That’s something that we’ve built out over the course of the years, just touching on it in small ways, but I thought that would be one of the storylines we wouldn’t be able to address,” he recalls. “However, as we got into the second half of the season, you’re talking about episode 8, we decided to focus on Sarah for that episode. I have to say, for those fans who love Sarah Walker, it will be your favorite episode ever. Considering Phase 3 and all those episodes that have come before it, it is an amazing, epic story that reveals a lot of secrets about Sarah that you could never have imagined are actually back there.”

In addition to Ladd as Sarah’s mom, White Collar‘s Tim DeKay guests as Sarah’s original handler. “Tim is fantastic in the show,” raves Fedak. “He brings incredible gravitas to this backstory. It’s not our funniest Chuck story, we’re going into ‘epicland’ in regard to Sarah’s past. Cheryl is wonderful and warm and caring and fantastic as her mother. For the Sarah Walker fanatics out there, it will be your favorite episode ever.”

Speaking of amazing guest stars, The Matrix’s Carrie-Ann Moss begins a multi-episode guest role in Friday’s episode as “the improbably named Gertrude Verbanski.” She owns Verbanski Corporation, a private espionage firm competing with Chuck’s Carmichael Industries for clients (and intel).

“Carrie-Ann is wonderful,” Fedak enthuses. “She’s funny, she’s scary, and she has the most amazing relationship with John Casey and Adam Baldwin. The chemistry between Adam and Carrie-Anne is amazing. In our third episode, we have a fight between the two of them which is the most erotically charged thing we’ve ever done on the show.”

Having seen that episode (airing November 11), I can vouch for Fedak’s description both of Moss’s ability and the incredible chemistry between her and Adam Baldwin. You will love her in this role!

Chuck airs Fridays at 8/7c on NBC.