(S01E05) "Tell Ned I love... his pies." - Olive
This Halloween-themed Pushing Daisies episode has been one of my favorites so far this season. We learned more about Ned's past and we discovered who Olive used to be while being entertained by a magical and mysterious storyline that was reminiscent of stories and movies such as Sleepy Hollow.
This week's Young Ned scenes were heartbreaking and clearly explained one of the main reasons why Ned doesn't have many friends and why we don't see his family members much. I felt sad for him when he got no letters and packages and even sadder when he got that highly impersonal pre-printed postcard saying his father moved. The most pivotal Young Ned scene was definitely when he dressed up as a ghost and dropped by his father's new house only to discover that the latter was now happily remarried with two kids. Young Ned's heart was crushed forever. I can barely imagine the distress and sadness the kid went through when he saw that his father did love kids... just not him. Each year on Halloween, Ned goes back to his old house and lies where his bed used to be. Aww... I hope Ned buys back that home one day especially since it meant a lot to him. Thanks to his scenes with the aunts, we saw how the two are really opposites that attract (one thinks Ned's father was a good man when the other says that he was a jacka**). Vivian had really nice words to say to Ned, words that helped mend old wounds.
Ned may not have told the whole truth as to why he hates Halloween, but this ordeal helped him think of a way for Charlotte to see her aunts. I don't know if it was because of Vivian's joy while giving candies at 2 a.m., but Lily seemed rather quick at lowering her gun. Could it be that she felt that the ghost was no stranger?
After seeing this episode, I think Olive is definitely my favorite Pushing Daisies character. I love her spark and smile. "Girth" was definitely an Olive-centric episode where we learned a lot about her, including that she used to be a professional horse jockey! What an unusual job for a woman like her. Then again, I shouldn't be surprised at the jobs people have in the dream-like Pushing Daisies. I couldn't help but smile and even laugh a bit when Olive jumped on the bed after winning one round against Chuck. Olive and Chuck finally faced off and shared some screen time, during which they had to bond. They could probably be tagged as frenemies. The case of the week not only hit home (Olive was in danger) but was also kept us a bit on our toes. I wasn't expecting her to die but I wondered if the other jockeys would die before they caught the killer and I also changed my theory on who the killer was a few times (JJJ, one of the jockeys, the mother, etc.). It could even have been a ghost! As Chuck said, if Ned is able to revive the dead, one could think that ghosts are real.
Other tidbits of interest:
- Where does Chuck get the money to pay for these fashionable clothes she wears? She can't use her credit cards and a pie marker assistant may not provide enough to wear that type of clothing!
- Olive kissed Ned after he rescued her and got a slap in the face when he put her down and rushed to find Chuck.
- Ned learning about the pies by seeing one of the strawberries turned bad as it touched his tongue.
- "We see what we want to see." - Vivian
- "Things change. I grew up." - Ned to Chuck and vice versa
- Emerson "calling" the money to ask it if it cared.
- Ned kept the wooden arm from last week's episode.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
10-31-2007 @ 10:31PM
justelise said...
It's time for Ned to put Chuck back into the ground. She's starting to get increasingly annoying.
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10-31-2007 @ 10:34PM
Mariah said...
As for Chuck's wealth, didn't she take a share of the reward for solving her own murder - plus the golden monkeys. I'm sure she's got money to keep her in dresses for ages.
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10-31-2007 @ 10:37PM
Oreo said...
"I love you shovel" :)
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10-31-2007 @ 10:58PM
carterman said...
"I love you shovel."
Emerson was money (get it? ha ha) the whole episode. And damn the Country Music Awards, I can't wait 2 more weeks for this show, damn it! :(
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11-01-2007 @ 12:32AM
joe.m said...
Are you shure that was the arm from last week? Ned had a wooden hand on a stick in the pilot he used to scratch Digby with.
JJJ's mom's backhanded cattiness with Olive was pretty hilarious.
Does anyone else think the show's referring to Lilly and Vivan as Chuck's aunts is a euphamism? Just wondering...
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11-01-2007 @ 2:53AM
Little Willy said...
Chuck and Ned must have a share of the murder-solving reward money. That's how Chuck got money to buy new dresses every week.
This show is becoming my favorite. I'm now looking forward to it every week. And I;m feeling a bit bummed out that the next ep will be in 2 weeks.
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11-01-2007 @ 3:31AM
Will said...
I almost gave up on this show, didn't really like the last 2 eps, but I'm glad I watched tonight,really good story.Kristen Chenoweth was on the Late Late show w/Craig Fergeson the other night and I was amazed at how tiny she really is. I haven't seen her in a lot of other things so it was surprising. For that reason, I can believe the job as a jockey.Also, she looked really great in the long blond hair tonight.
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11-01-2007 @ 4:10AM
Ryan said...
joe.m: Interesting take on the aunts, but I think their backstory was brought up in a previous episode. They really are sisters.
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11-01-2007 @ 10:23AM
TK101 said...
This is my favorite new show of the season, with Big Bang Theory and Reaper placing 2nd and 3rd. I can't see why people think Chuck is annoying - I adore her. Olive is terrific as well, but Chenoweth is always fantastic in any role.
This was a great episode, and really did well to tie together the humor, (melo)drama, and love story. There are no elements of this show, IMHO, that need to be tweaked or made better. It makes me smile like no other show on TV.
TK
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11-01-2007 @ 11:02AM
LK said...
Both aunts thought he was a jacka@@ - only one aunt is blunt enough to say it first-time asked.
The other has a veneer of politeness.
LOVE THOSE AUNTS. I didn't think I would. But I do. They are precious.
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11-01-2007 @ 11:02AM
LK said...
Anybody else recognize mom as Barney Miller's wife (and also the grandma from 'double trouble' - a nifty cheesy-bad show in the 80s about identical twins. I admit to liking that show very much, and it starred Katey Sagal's younger sisters.
I knew it was mom because she clearly was angry about her son's "death", but not really grief stricken like one might imagine - so of course he was alive.
Using "Old Christine"'s brother was a stroke of casting genius.
With so many good quirky actors and actresses in the world, how, oh how, do people like Brad Pitt make it so big?
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11-01-2007 @ 11:52AM
nattyff said...
these is the best episode so far, love the interaction between olive and chuck (olive tone down a little anoyingly cute chuck for the best), and it surprise miself the fact that i found miself wishing that ned kiss olive back!!! nice prince charming rescue, but soo sad seen him go to chuck after and leaving olive all alone!!! :(
I discover that to my olive is the best part of the show, brings humor and singing LOL, the episodes that have more olive are the best (the other ones are good too, but olive brings somenthing to the mix that te other caracters doesn't)
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11-01-2007 @ 5:58PM
Karen said...
Yes, @LK, I recognized Barbara Barrie immediately--and that was my reaction, too: "It's Barney Miller's wife!!"
I was also pleased to see Hamish Linklater, the brother from "The New Adventures of Old Christine." What happened to that show, anyway? It won an Emmy and got cancelled, or something?
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11-01-2007 @ 6:19PM
Oreo said...
Winning an Emmy is a joke, it's not the funniest show on TV, not by a long shot. Then 30 Rock won? Proves my point again.
But New Adventures of Old Christine returns midseason.
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11-02-2007 @ 5:16PM
clgbutterfly said...
This is one of the best an innovative shows on TV. Everything has a meaning and purpose. The color is fantastic. My daughter even picked up on the Mother's house being painted red and I said its because she's mad. I enjoyed the humor with the arm and yes Kristin could be a horse jockey. She used to ride horses! I'm glad this episode fleshed her out and that she and Chuck bonded. She also looked so adorable in Ned's arms. There difference in size exemplified. I also loved Ned freaking and dropping her.
But the sweetest scenes had to be learning about his past and he playing ghost in printed sheets (Digby too!) and where did they find that carpet with the cowboys and indians on it. That was awesome!
I having a wonderful affair with Pushing Daisies!
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11-10-2007 @ 8:35PM
A Viewer said...
There is no show on TV quite like "Pushing Daisies." I watched the pilot when it first aired, liked it a lot, but never watched the next four episodes until just this past week. They were really good, for the most part!
Olive is a really fun character to watch, probably because Kristin Chenoweth is such a great actress. However, Emerson Cod is my personal favorite character. His cynicism and disgusted attitude are always good for a laugh. On the other hand, Ned is sometimes a bit dull, and Chuck gets more and more annoying as time goes on. The aunts are more interesting than I'd expect, but still sort of superfluous. And Digby the Dog? All I can say is he's pretty well-trained.
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