(S02E01) What's the buzz? The buzz is bees and bees were the main topic on tonight's season opener. Frankly, I really don't like bees, so I found the sight of the dead body -- Kentucky Fitz -- covered in pus-filled bee bites rather repulsive. However, you got to hand it to Pushing Daisies for production values. Everything about the show remains top-notch. The look, the feel, the essence remains as precious as the Emmy-award winning pie-lette (for direction). In fact, that's the only problem with PD; it is precious. For some people that's too much. For me, this is TV that's just too good to care about the delicate balance between surreality and satire, fable and a far-out acid trip.
So, all that aside, tonight's show picked up the threads from last year's all too brief season. The major developments, amid all the biz about the bees and French Stewart as a honey king named Woolsey Nichols, were many. Vivian and Lily made it out of the house because they missed the special pies that Olive was delivering for Chuck. That outing proved to be a catalyst. Olive had it with all the secrets and did a human version of Edvard Munch's The Scream which led to her being sequestered -- thanks to Lily -- in a convent. Chuck then decided to create some space between herself and the Pie-man by moving into Olive's apartment.
As Pushing Daisies usually does, the case requires way too much attention to detail, but in the end Betty gets her bees back and Woolsey goes to jail and Chuck gets a new home which Ned makes even more homey by filling it with everything from her room at Vivian and Lily's house, and Emerson Cod seems to have a secret about his new avocation, a pop-up book called Lil' Gum Shoe ("the tale of a little girl who's father couldn't find her").
Other points of interest
-- The art direction remains superb, all the variations on hives and bits about bees and bee-girls and honey.
-- The homage to The Sound of Music was perfect, with Kristin Chenoweth on the verge of bursting out in song as the camera swooped down on her on a mountain top. It's amazing what they can do with CGI, isn't it?
-- The teal blue/green habits reminded me a bit of The Flying Nuns' colors, although it was more about The Sound of Music. As Olive said, "Unless you can tell me a flibbery-gibbet is a title of respect," which is a term from the lyrics to "How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria?"
-- Poor Olive, just when she tries to rid herself of being the secret keeper, Lily laid another one on her; she's Chuck's mother and Chuck's father was Vivian's boyfriend! Oy vey!
-- Bryan Fuller wrote this episode and it was filled with great lines. This is the kind of show you really should watch more than once to catch them all!
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
10-02-2008 @ 1:33AM
Brent said...
Great thoughts and I have an equal amount of praise to add myself.
http://tinyurl.com/4yxp7k
This show hasn't had an episode I didn't really enjoy yet, and even its occasional dip in quality is minor. The show is just so charming it's hard to hate it for anything.
Also did anyone else notice the Dead Like Me shout out?
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10-02-2008 @ 8:48AM
Toby OB said...
Yes, indeed, Brent! The Happy Time Temp Agency! (Mut be a national franchise.....)
10-02-2008 @ 3:23AM
Midnight13 said...
I agree about the lines. Sometimes its quirky dialouge is too quirky for its own good because its like they want to speak really fast and snappy, like you were reading a Dr. Suess book or something, and you don't catch all the funny lines because they speak so fast. Come on, everyone talks like they are hopped up on caffinee, or sugar, or.... I went from watching the first season in HD to having to watch it in standard, and if there is any show on right now that screams for being watched in HD its this one, the colors just pop. You should post like a list of the 3-5 best lines for each episode. Often I laugh out loud when I hear them, but hours later don't recall them, it would be a nice refference for the episode recaps.
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10-02-2008 @ 3:27AM
KenMo said...
This show is so unique and intelligent that I fear that it will not connect with the populous that seems to need everything "spoon fed" to them.
Maybe they should rename it America's Favorite Pie Maker or something that will fit in with the trend of barely tolerable drivel that we are bombarded with every week.
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10-02-2008 @ 5:52AM
John Darc said...
trying to explain the concept to people.
did they ever show who died in Digby's place? Since Digby got to live past the 60 second mark, what dog died in his place?
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10-02-2008 @ 7:00AM
Reuven said...
John -
I believe they showed a squirrel dropping dead from a tree shortly after Digby was revived.
10-02-2008 @ 7:11AM
Lora said...
It was a squirrel.
10-02-2008 @ 3:34PM
John Darc said...
does squirrel really equal dog? so far in the show, we've been shown squirrel to equal pigeon, and human to equal human
10-02-2008 @ 8:53AM
Ryan said...
I love this show and I loved this premiere! The first commercial-free 20 minutes was very nicely done trying to introduce new viewers to the show while still moving along with the night's plot.
And the characters are even better than I remembered them all those months ago!
But yes I agree, the lines kept coming at us at rapid pace so it's hard to remember lines I laughed at or made me smile, but I know I did do both a lot last night.
Sigh. It's great to have this show back.
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10-02-2008 @ 10:08AM
7thton said...
Note to Pushing Daisies: slow down the dialog. I must have missed every other word. Hard to follow the plot that way.
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10-02-2008 @ 10:20AM
SassylilB said...
I am so upset! I did not get to watch this show at all last year! I finally watched it last night! It was so good! I could kick myself for not watching last year! The episode was really good. I got a little lost at times but that is to be expected.
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10-02-2008 @ 12:08PM
Ryan said...
Sassy, don't worry. The first season is only 9 episodes, so you can quickly catch up. Plus I think they did a wonderful job in the first 20 minutes summarizing the important points of the show.
10-02-2008 @ 10:25AM
Kim said...
I love this show! The characters are so well developed, from the unrequited love that Olivia has to the sharply sarcastic Emerson. The Aunts are fantastic too! I love the sets with their bright colors. I love the quirky mysteries and the references to pop culture. This show is my feel good programming and I hope it lasts for many years.
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10-02-2008 @ 11:42AM
jennyjames said...
I loved Pushing Daisies last night. In HD! It looked great and really nice to see everyone back. If you have never seen if, go check out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJr8hYadMjE . Don’t let a good show disappear!
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10-02-2008 @ 11:51AM
Leah said...
To those who are missing the fast dialogue, turn on closed captioning. It helps immensely.
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10-06-2008 @ 7:18PM
nisesmith said...
I also love this show for it's beautiful colors and whimisical story lines, not to mention the very unconventional love story that is Chuck and Ned. But I'm afraid it will be cancelled as well. I talked to a friend about this show and she said, "I just don't get what people like about this show."
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10-11-2008 @ 1:14AM
steve said...
Yes I too hope the the general public does not find it overly clever! High praises to Jim Dales narration!
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