Daniel Shaw

Daniel Shaw is a fictional character in the television series Chuck. Shaw is introduced in the third season episode "Chuck Versus Operation Awesome" as a government agent specializing in the terrorist organization known as the Ring, and who becomes a mentor to Chuck Bartowski and ultimately a tragic villain and host for the Intersect. He is portrayed by actor Brandon Routh.

Shaw briefly appears, largely off-camera, talking with General Beckman in the third season episode, "Chuck Versus the Three Words". After the completion of the team's mission with Carina, Beckman begs Shaw to allow her to disclose the full details of the assignment, but Shaw leaves her office without a word.

Shaw reappears in "Chuck Versus Operation Awesome", the first of eight episodes in which he was scheduled to have a speaking part in Season 3. Devon Woodcomb's actions prior to this episode led Ring agents to believe that he is a "world-class spy," and Devon is coerced into a mission to kill an unknown person in a CIA facility so that he can prove he is "turned" to the Ring. When Chuck helps Devon reach the office of the target, the target is revealed to be Shaw, who is ready for Chuck's arrival. Shaw's first act in the episode is to fake his death and make it appear that Devon is responsible.

Later, General Beckman introduces Shaw as an expert on the Ring, and places Shaw in command of Operation Bartowski, having been briefed on the team and Chuck's position as the Intersect. When Chuck lures Sydney, the Ring operative after Devon, to the Buy More, Shaw insists on Chuck dealing with his own problems but is ultimately forced down by Casey. He returns to kill Sydney and save Chuck. He is later seen observing the dinner of most of the main characters and pulls out a ring, hinting him to be, or have been, married. In "Chuck Versus First Class", Shaw tells Sarah that he was once married to a fellow spy, Evelyn (later played by Kelly Thiebaud), but that she was killed by a Ring agent five years before.

In "Chuck Versus the Mask", Shaw begins expressing a romantic interest in Sarah, which she initially and strongly rejects. Shaw attempts to deny that he is making advances until, when exposed to cyclosarin gas, he acknowledges that he had actually been approaching her. Sarah admits that she overreacted, and somewhat enjoyed his advances. By the end of "Chuck Versus the Fake Name" Sarah returns his affection and they begin a relationship.

Shaw's service in the series had mostly been relegated to background work from Castle due to the threat against him from the Ring. However, despite initial attempts to kill Shaw, the Ring opts not to target him when they lure him out of Castle and have him "dead to rights" in a setup. This is explained in the episode "Chuck Versus the American Hero", where it is revealed that the Ring intended to bring Shaw in alive so that the Director could meet with him face to face. Shaw uses this opportunity to offer himself up as bait in order to target the Ring's leadership to avenge his wife's death. While in the Ring's custody, Shaw is played a surveillance video of his wife's death, revealing that Sarah killed Evelyn as part of a "red test." After being incapacitated by a Ring operative and rescued from an air strike on the Ring's compound by Chuck, Shaw escapes from the hospital to track Sarah down. As the episode ends, he is driving her to an undisclosed location "to settle an old score."

After the revelation of his wife's death, Shaw turns to the Ring when told by the Director that the CIA believes Evelyn Shaw turned as well and therefore had her killed, although the Director never actually confirms Eve had indeed joined them. Shaw gives the Ring technical data to allow them to complete their Intersect project. He also attempts to murder Sarah, both as revenge for killing Evelyn and as payback against the CIA for betraying him and his wife. Chuck interrupts the attempt, having tracked Shaw down after going through his files and papers that he had written while at West Point. Shaw subdues Chuck and tells him that he is not at fault and that he will not identify him as the Intersect as long as he does not interfere. Chuck refuses to let Shaw hurt Sarah, however, and attempts to defuse the situation peacefully. Knowing Chuck's reluctance to kill and driven by his desire for revenge, Shaw draws his gun, forcing Chuck to shoot Shaw first, presumably killing him.

In "Chuck Versus the Tooth" Shaw appears in Chuck's dream sequences throughout the episode, giving him hints to a Ring operation that was underway. The episode ends with the apparition of Shaw from his nightmares telling Chuck he is still alive, before proceeding to strangle him.