(S02E09) "We're so together electrons couldn't get between us." - Chuck to Ned on the roofIs it all right for me to say right up front that I don't like Charles Charles? Bear in mind, I'm not one of the "I want Ned and Chuck to wind up together" crowd. I'm with Olive; I want Ned to realize that Olive is the girl for him, but I digress.
The point remains that my blood was really boiling as I watched Mr. Charles threatening Ned, warning him to never see Chuck again, and even going after Ned physically -- with a broom! For a dead guy, the swaddled Mr. Charles sure is a pushy S.O.B.
You kind of knew that Ned would forgive Chuck for tricking him and keeping her dead father undead beyond the one-minute time period. The karmic death of Dwight Dixon neatly ended his threat to The Pie Hole team, but in some ways Charles Charles is just as much a problem. I like the fact that Charles isn't a nice guy, that he is, as Emerson Cod points out, not likely to take to the leash. Where this is going is very interesting and, I think, completely unpredictable. That, my friends, makes for a good TV show!
The case of the lighthouse keepers wife was all Pushing Daisies quirky, with dioramas, glitter, a capella singing groups and the like. Delicious stuff, but truly a background pageant when compared to the Ned-Chuck-Charles conundrum.
What the case did have that was fun was the as yet untried partnership of Olive and Emerson. They were terrific together, and the final scene in which Cod offered Olive a cigar and a job in his PI agency was adorable. Also, in the course of the case, Olive 'fessed up that she's still carrying that torch for Ned. We all knew it, of course. Remember last week's musical interlude -- "An Eternal Flame"?
As a writer, I really appreciate the literate quality of Pushing Daisies, the play on words and the attention to detail. You don't get the idea that they just throw in a word or pluck a name out of thin air. It's all constructed, crafted in a very fine way. If we were able to read the Pushing Daisies scripts, I believe, they'd read as brilliantly as they're performed. It's no wonder the Writer's Guild has honored this show.
So, Chuck chooses Ned in the end and Charles Charles takes off. He's not a good dad after all. Now what?
Interesting points of interest:
-- The claymation scene of the desert adventure was fun. It also set up the wanderlust element in Cuck and Charles' relationship...which lead to Chuck having to make a choice, Dad or Ned? The Pie Hole or worldly adventures?
-- Olive's ghost story about the lighthouse, complete with flashlight effects.
-- Who knew there was an Alive Again Lifestyle Handbook? Can I get a copy?
-- Cake vs. pie: is cake really more complex that a pie? I think this is symbolism.
-- Typhoon Tyrone nearly killed Merle, but he was ultimately rescued by a gay family cruise ship. Where was Rosie?
-- Junior lighthouse keeper Elliot McQuoddy (shades of the Gorton's Fisherman?) finding comfort in Olive's cleavage, then Chuck's.
-- Defaced corpse using Morse code to communicate.
Pushing Daisies' Photos
PUSHING DAISIES Missi Pyle and Peter Cambor in the episode Bzzzzzzzzz! Chuck goes undercover as a Bee Girl at a honey-based cosmetics company after their new spokesmodel (guest star Autumn Reeser) is stung to death. She soon discovers that office politics are killer (literally) between the founder (guest star Missi Pyle as Betty Bee) and the new owner (guest star French Stewart as Woolsey Nicholls). Meanwhile, Ned cant stand her growing independence or the fact that she wants to move out of his apartment. In other developments, Lily spirits Olive off to a nunnery so she won't spill Lily's deep, dark secret. Airs Wednesday, October 1, 2008.
ABC
PUSHING DAISIES Anna Friel as Charlotte "Chuck" Charles star in the episode "Circus Circus"- Ned, Chuck and Emerson search for a missing teen (guest star Hayley McFarland as Nikki Heaps) who's run off to the circus . . . a circus where people keep turning up dead. Meanwhile, overcome with guilt, Lily pays Olive a visit at the nunnery. Airs Wednesday, October 8, 2008.
ABC
PUSHING DAISIES Chi McBride as Emerson Cod, Lee Pace as Ned and Anna Friel as Charlotte "Chuck" Charles star in the episode "Circus Circus"- Ned, Chuck and Emerson search for a missing teen (guest star Hayley McFarland as Nikki Heaps) who's run off to the circus . . . a circus where people keep turning up dead. Meanwhile, overcome with guilt, Lily pays Olive a visit at the nunnery. Airs Wednesday, October 8, 2008.
ABC
PUSHING DAISIES Anna Friel as Charlotte "Chuck" Charles and Lee Pace as Ned star in the episode "Circus Circus"- Ned, Chuck and Emerson search for a missing teen (guest star Hayley McFarland as Nikki Heaps) who's run off to the circus . . . a circus where people keep turning up dead. Meanwhile, overcome with guilt, Lily pays Olive a visit at the nunnery. Airs Wednesday, October 8, 2008.
ABC
PUSHING DAISIES Anna Friel as Charlotte "Chuck" Charles and Lee Pace as Ned star in the episode "Circus Circus"- Ned, Chuck and Emerson search for a missing teen (guest star Hayley McFarland as Nikki Heaps) who's run off to the circus . . . a circus where people keep turning up dead. Meanwhile, overcome with guilt, Lily pays Olive a visit at the nunnery. Airs Wednesday, October 8, 2008.
ABC
PUSHING DAISIES Lee Pace as Ned star in the episode "Circus Circus"- Ned, Chuck and Emerson search for a missing teen (guest star Hayley McFarland as Nikki Heaps) who's run off to the circus . . . a circus where people keep turning up dead. Meanwhile, overcome with guilt, Lily pays Olive a visit at the nunnery. Airs Wednesday, October 8, 2008.
ABC
PUSHING DAISIES Anna Friel as Charlotte "Chuck" Charles star in the episode "Circus Circus"- Ned, Chuck and Emerson search for a missing teen (guest star Hayley McFarland as Nikki Heaps) who's run off to the circus . . . a circus where people keep turning up dead. Meanwhile, overcome with guilt, Lily pays Olive a visit at the nunnery. Airs Wednesday, October 8, 2008.
ABC
PUSHING DAISIES Lee Pace as Ned, Anna Friel as Charlotte "Chuck" Charles and Chi McBride as Emerson star in the episode "Circus Circus"- Ned, Chuck and Emerson search for a missing teen (guest star Hayley McFarland as Nikki Heaps) who's run off to the circus . . . a circus where people keep turning up dead. Meanwhile, overcome with guilt, Lily pays Olive a visit at the nunnery. Airs Wednesday, October 8, 2008.
ABC
PUSHING DAISIES Chi McBride as Emerson Cod and Lee Pace as Ned star in the episode "Circus Circus"- Ned, Chuck and Emerson search for a missing teen (guest star Hayley McFarland as Nikki Heaps) who's run off to the circus . . . a circus where people keep turning up dead. Meanwhile, overcome with guilt, Lily pays Olive a visit at the nunnery. Airs Wednesday, October 8, 2008.
ABC
PUSHING DAISIES Chi McBride as Emerson Cod and Lee Pace as Ned star in the episode "Circus Circus"- Ned, Chuck and Emerson search for a missing teen (guest star Hayley McFarland as Nikki Heaps) who's run off to the circus . . . a circus where people keep turning up dead. Meanwhile, overcome with guilt, Lily pays Olive a visit at the nunnery. Airs Wednesday, October 8, 2008.
ABC
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
12-11-2008 @ 12:21PM
gwangi said...
We must find a away to undead this show.
Sorry couldn't help it.
Reply
12-11-2008 @ 12:34PM
Ryan said...
Man, I'm going to miss this cast SO much. Oh well.
I LOVED the raincoats Olive got for the three of them. Hers was decorated with olives, Emerson had cod, and Ned has pies. I wonder what Chuck would've gotten if Olive got her one.
Charles Charles is a pain in the butt, but he makes great points to Chuck. Both of them are only freaks when they are around Ned. Okay so Charles Charles will probably still be labeled a freak without Ned what with the decomposing face and all. But as for Chuck, she could live a normal life far far away.
Reply
12-11-2008 @ 12:34PM
Kim said...
This may have been the best episode of the season! I'm going to miss this show so much.
Best Line: "Shut the Acapella up" Emerson Cod.
Creepiest Scene: Diarama lady displaying the diarama of her husband's death.
If there were a third season of Pushing Daisies wouldn't it be nice if they introduced a new character to become Olive's great love? She deserves it!
Reply
12-11-2008 @ 1:23PM
Jesse said...
I second that best line nomination. I laughed out loud at that one.
I love this show so much, and while I'd hate to never see Chuck again I've always thought that her life might be easier if she weren't in love with Ned and just left.
Did anyone else catch a spark between Cod and Olive? I get the impression they might eventually develop feelings for each other if this show wasn't being canceled.
12-11-2008 @ 12:41PM
Pasha said...
Am I the only one who was excited to hear Dr. Burton's voice from "Ed" as Charles Charles...even though Charles Charles sucks?
Reply
12-11-2008 @ 12:42PM
JJ Forde said...
I would have to say this wasn't one of my favorite episodes and I think it was all because of Charles Charles. I completely agree with your assessment of him though, they want us to not like him. He does spice up the normal plot mix though and will be curious to see what he drags Ned and Chuck through before Chuck finally asks Ned to re-dead her dad. But Olive and Cod and the musical scene were great. I am going to miss pie.
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12-11-2008 @ 1:10PM
allthewine said...
so glad I'm not the only Ned-Olive fan out there!!
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12-11-2008 @ 1:19PM
Bill said...
Pie > cake.
And I think Olive would've gotten Chuck a raincoat with... maps of North Carolina?
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12-11-2008 @ 1:25PM
Ryan said...
I loved the chest bump Olive gave to Emerson.
Reply
12-11-2008 @ 2:15PM
Ryan said...
Yes! I forgot about that! I absolutely went hysterical after that scene.
12-11-2008 @ 1:44PM
Lorie said...
Seeing Olive and Emerson work together last night made me more angry of PD's cancellation. They were great! Olive's chest bump cracked me up.
Reply
12-11-2008 @ 1:45PM
Joe said...
I loved the Cod-Ned morgue conversation.
"I can't... tap that"
"Trip over an ottoman, Dick Van Dyke that ass"
This episode is the first that really got me bummed about PD's demise. Both it and Eli Stone have avoided the sophomore slump only to be cut down in their prime! Argh!
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12-11-2008 @ 2:09PM
segsig said...
I freaked out that there wasn't a plug for an upcoming episode, but my tivo has one listed.
Reply
12-11-2008 @ 2:49PM
Dan Chichian said...
Damn ABC!
You just knew Charles would be a creep - he cheated on Vivian with her sister. Scummy person when he was alive why should that change when he was undead.
Reply
12-11-2008 @ 3:32PM
John Frost said...
For us Disney Fans seeing all the fun references in this episode to Disney's movie "Pete's Dragon" was a blast.
In the movie, the dragon is named Elliot and the main character is taken in by a lighthouse keeper named Nora whose fiancee was a sailor who vanished on a ship a couple years before. All the action takes place outside of Passamaquoddy (a real town in Maine). And the song the quartet sings at the end “Candle on the Water” was sung by Nora in the movie.
Reply
12-11-2008 @ 3:53PM
Kim said...
I live in coastal Maine and I have never heard of Passamaquoddy, Maine. However, there is a Passamaquoddy Native American Tribe with small reservations in Perry and Princeton, Maine. Also, there are the East and West Quoddy Head Lighthouses in Lubec, Maine.
I apologize if a double posting appears but my first post vanished into thin air.
Reply
12-11-2008 @ 4:01PM
Takayo said...
Why the hell did ABC cancel Pushing Daisies?
I think I'm going to start off every comment on the internet everywhere with that comment!
Anyway, I loved the episode too- the Olive and Emerson team up was hilarious as anything, and how cool was that fight scene between Charles and Ned?! It wasn't all high octane with explosions everywhere or some such, but it still had me at the edge of my seat! All the rhetoric was so great in this episode, loved the conversation between Ned and Emerson in the morgue!
I'm going to miss this show so much...
Reply
12-11-2008 @ 4:17PM
JT said...
My favorite thing was that the lighthouse keeper looked like a fried egg! Her hat was the yolk! well, maybe not my favorite thing, but it made me laugh for a long time.
Reply
12-11-2008 @ 4:12PM
Shel said...
I'm going to throw in with John Frost here. I was thrilled that this episode was, in its own way, an homage to Pete's Dragon, right down to the names and the music. I'm surprised our reviewer didn't catch it.
When they first showed us the lighthouse and the voiceover, I mentioned to Kevin that the backstory for the lighthouse folks was Pete's Dragon. Then I realized we had an Elliot, a Nora, a McQuoddy, and Candle on the Water - well, the song just really took the cake, so to speak.
Cheers!
Reply
12-11-2008 @ 5:48PM
phray said...
John Frost and Shel totally have this one pegged! Also don't forget that the narrator was Doc Terminus in Pete's Dragon.
This show is great, we need Ned to touch it, so it can come back to life. There are plenty of other shows on that can die to take its place in death.