Welcome back, Pushing Daisies fans! It's been a long time since this beloved show went off the air, and while it's sad that the final episodes are airing in what may be the worst time slot on television, I'm just relieved that they're airing at all.

This episode picks up with Ned holding fast to his promise from the last episode to stop using his powers — not for good, not for evil, not even to un-rot the fruit for his pies. But can he hold out when there's a whole world in need of his powers? Meanwhile, we get a glimpse of young Olive and her daddy issues (go figure), and that helps to bring the Chuck-Olive-Ned love triangle to some delightfully awkward new heights. Ready to chat about it? Just read more.

There's no denying that Ned and Chuck have a magical romance. But what if what Ned really wants is a hand to hold (without a glove)? He gets a taste of what that might be like in this episode, as he pretends to be Olive's fiance in an effort to please her childhood kidnappers/surrogate fathers. (Only in the world of Pushing Daisies would such characters even exist!) Apparently she's been writing them letters about the man she loves for years; she just neglected to mention that he doesn't love her back. And now, not far removed from Ned's confusing "I wouldn't say never" moment, the two of them are acting like lovers. Ned takes pains to point out it's temporary, once again breaking Olive's heart (but opening up the opportunity for her to make a real connection with Randy Mann). But maybe he enjoyed "trying on" this relationship more than he thought? Even after assuring Chuck that he only wants to be with her, he glances out at Olive and Randy effortlessly clasping hands and feels a pang of jealousy. Maybe Ned could be swayed by the chance to kiss someone without a layer of plastic wrap between them.

Then again, maybe not. Because Ned's the kind of guy who does the right thing, even when "the right thing" is waking up Randy Mann's dead rhino. Ned has a power, and while keeping it under wraps is an interesting experiment, it's destined to be temporary. As Randy says, who wants to be a "super-tall, clumsy guy" like Clark Kent when Superman is only a quick change in a phone booth away? By the end of the episode, Ned's back to the status quo of waking the dead and saving rotten fruit.

But before that, it's fun to watch Emerson and Chuck try to solve a crime the good, old-fashioned way. Chuck's not a half-bad detective, and in the end, Ned's abilities only confirm their hunch about who's killing off the Dicker's window dressers. Dick Dicker seemed a little off from the start, but as usual, the resolution of the case is beside the point; it's just fun to see all the twists and turns Daisies takes to get there.

Some other thoughts:

  • Who would neglect a child as adorable as Olive Snook? Her inadvertent kidnappers were right to tell Olive's parents what they were missing — even if it did land them in jail.
  • Speaking of Olive, love her reenacting the water tower moment on a Pie Hole cherry light and reading Double Negative: What You Shouldn't Not Know in an effort to suss out Ned's true feelings.
  • How sweet is the kiss that transfers Chuck's lipstick to her glove and then to Ned's cheek?
  • On Olive's list of things you try on: "You try on your best friend's bra and you smile on the inside cause yours are bigger and better."
  • I could really go for a slice of Pearway to Heaven.

Did it feel good to be back in the world of Daisies? And what would you like to see resolved in the next couple of episodes?

Photos copyright 2009 ABC, Inc.

Love This Email Print Facebook Stumble It!