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Pushing Daisies Rundown: Episode 13, "Kerplunk"

BuzzSugar — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 07:30:59 -0700

I think I need a hug. The last episode of Pushing Daisies is about as solid a finale as possible, considering that nobody knew it was a finale at the time. It has a story that brings most of the major characters together and a massive reveal at the end - and even the last-minute bit of closure seemed to fit. "For endings, as it is known, are where we begin," we'll chat about this episode when you read more.

I wrote last week about my mixed feelings about the return of Pushing Daisies, especially knowing there wouldn't be much wrapped up at the end. But "Kerplunk" makes it all worthwhile. Not only is it a solid episode, it ends on a note of hope. While I knew it was unlikely - especially with a comic book on the way - I feared the show would end with a rushed Chuck/Ned kiss. But what we get in this episode is so much better. Chuck makes herself known to the aunts, and while we don't get to see the reaction, that final sweep through Coeur d'Coeurs shows that it's ultimately happy. It's "the promise of a new family, brought about by the words 'I'm alive.'" And while I so wish we could have seen that family thrive, I'm surprisingly satisfied just knowing it exists.

Even better, the moment of Chuck's big reveal is completely earned. We see young Lily and Vivian - Lily by turns annoyed with and protective of her little sister, born with a hole in her heart - and their journey to becoming the Darling Mermaid Darlings. And at the hands of a vindictive former (well, apparently current) swimming rival, Vivian learns the truth about Chuck, Lily, and Charles Charles at long last. It's impressive to see Vivian - normally so gentle, she wants fresh lilacs in their swimming contract - hurl something against a wall, and even more impressive for her to seriously consider living without her sister. Well, for a second anyway, since the moment of her breakdown is also exactly the moment Chuck turns up at their door.

Chuck's story in this episode is fascinating - and not one I saw coming. The whole time she's been alive again, she's gone to great lengths to make sure the aunts are happy. But it turns out a full-blown European tour isn't the kind of happy she wants them to be, because she'd miss them too much if they weren't nearby. She nearly sabotages their return performance - something, it should be noted, that would certainly not make them happy - when Ned makes his confession: Ned fears he'd be less important if Chuck and her aunts could reunite. But that's selfish; if he truly loves Chuck, he should let her love the ones she loves (presumably under close supervision, of course).

Some other thoughts:

Great Lily quote, and one that could only ever be uttered on this show: "Don't sign my name to that 'Sorry a shark ate your b*tch of a sister' letter."
Emerson and Olive's matching sweatsuits are amazing, as is Olive's crime moll voice in the interrogation scene.
Wilson Cruz! As a synchronized swimmer! That's inspired.
Amazing that Ned has a picture of Chuck and her aunts still sitting on his old instamatic camera. Actually, just amazing that Ned still has his instamatic camera.

So let's talk about the final moments. Penny comes back to Emerson! The aunts go to Europe! Olive embraces Randy and his sack of pasta and opens a mac-and-cheese shop called The Intrepid Cow! It's all so happy and bouncy and sweet, complete with Digby bounding through yellow fields. It's unfortunate the show couldn't wrap up the stories with Chuck's father and Ned's father on TV - I'm especially curious to learn more about Ned's dad, because I have some theories - but I suppose that's what the comic is for. And with an ending like this, I can wait. What about you?

Photos courtesy of Warner Bros.

TV Tonight: The Pushing Daisies Series Finale

BuzzSugar — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 10:30:38 -0700

Goodbye, fair pie-maker. Goodbye, alive again girl named Chuck. Goodbye, snarky, shady PI and singing itty-bitty waitress. Tonight's the night that Pushing Daisies comes to a close.

It's still a bummer that ABC let this whimsical gem of a show go - but in all honesty, I can't say I'm surprised. From the beginning, it seemed like the kind of show that was going to break my heart, destined for critical acclaim, a niche audience, and premature cancellation. In fact, looking back, the true miracle seems to be that we got two seasons out of it at all, even if they were both shortened (one by the writers' strike and one by ABC's axe).

Tonight's episode, "Kerplunk," wasn't filmed as a finale and doesn't feel like one, but it does have plenty of satisfying moments, especially where the aunts are concerned: They become a central part of the episode's investigation when one of their former swimming rivals goes down at the hands of a shark during a performance. And with a comic book on the way, I'm just glad we'll be able to see more of Ned, Chuck, Emerson, and Olive in any form.

Will you be watching tonight? For a preview of what's to come, just read more.

Photo courtesy of Warner Bros

Pushing Daisies Rundown: Episode 12, "Water and Power"

BuzzSugar — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 09:30:29 -0700

This week's episode of Pushing Daisies - well, really the whole series, but this episode in particular - is about the silly things we do for love. In this installment, it's level-headed, eye-rolling Emerson who falls head over heels into stupidity when a case leads him to his daughter's mother. Olive, meanwhile, makes some questionable relationship decisions of her own about how to proceed with Randy Mann. To chat about this episode, read more.

Love really must be a powerful thing if even Emerson Cod can fall victim to it. Beneath that hardened exterior, Emerson's been a fool for beautiful and mysterious women ever since he willingly got himself in trouble as a child just so he could sit in the office of his lovely principal. More recently, there was Lila, of whom he probably should have been suspicious from the start considering she met him in the middle of a con job. She was supposed to steal the "dam ruby" but ended up with Emerson's heart instead - and, eventually, his Penny. She comes back into Emerson's life in this episode as a suspect once more, this time not just as a thief but as a murderer of the dam ruby's owner. What I loved about this story is how the whole crew gets involved: Chuck, Ned, Olive, and even Randy Mann turn out to help Emerson, who they fear is blinded by "Lilaberry juice." And in many ways, the hero of the whole operation turns out to be Simone, who pulls Emerson away from a rushing flood just in time to save his life and the ruby. For a moment, Emerson even looks redeemed: the killer isn't Lila after all.

But Emerson still falls victim to the "maneating, shape-shifting grifter" who mothered his child. I couldn't believe he would give Lila his keys without walking over to make sure Penny was in the car first, but I guess that's what Lilaberry juice will do. He's expecting to see a little girl with braces; he instead just sees a doll. Luckily - in an ending that felt a little tacked on; I wonder if it was added later when the producers knew they were only getting a few more episodes? - Lil Gumshoe is getting published after all, so maybe Penny will find her way back on her own.

Meanwhile, just as Ned and Chuck are feeling all schmoopy about Olive and Randy, Olive cuts him off. She's not ready to plunge into a real relationship - and even as Ned is convincing her that a rebound is exactly what she needs, Randy's telling her he doesn't want to be her second-best. Ultimately, she confesses everything: that she did want to use him, that he's a difficult person, that she doesn't want to get him caught up in her issues. But before they can work out a real solution, Randy leans in for a kiss - and that seems like a good answer for now.

Some other thoughts:

Though it ultimately gets them discovered in Lila's trunk, the conversation Ned and Chuck have about the nature of love is precious. Chuck's been saying their love is "hardy" (Ned chuckles because he hears "heart-y"), but she really means their love is hard. Why love at all? Chuck wonders. It just leaves people with more to lose. Ned gives a perfectly Ned-ish answer: "Why love something? Because we can."
Olive on her relationship hangups: "I'm that girl in high school who's afraid of real relationships, so she's attracted to guys in college. Or Canada."
How funny was it to hear Jim Dale narrate "dam" over and over again?
Emerson on Lila's shifty eyes: "She's lied so much in her life, her eyes are like that permanently."

How did "Water and Power" work for you? Have you braced yourself for next week's finale?

Photos courtesy of Warner Bros

Pushing Daisies Rundown: Episode 11, "Window Dressed to Kill"

BuzzSugar — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 12:30:46 -0700

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?

TV Tonight: Pushing Daisies

BuzzSugar — Sat, 30 May 2009 10:30:52 -0700

The TV landscape has looked a little less colorful since December. A little less whimsical. A little less fun. That's because Pushing Daisies last aired Dec. 17, and it's been a drab, pie-less world since then.

But! At long last, Daisies returns tonight with the first of its final three episodes. Yes, writing "final three episodes" still breaks my heart a little, but I'm just glad we'll get to see the conclusion of this lovely show on television at all.

When we left off, Ned's father issues were about to get a lot more complicated, as it seemed his dad had started hanging around the Pie Hole. And last we heard, he'd sworn off using his powers - whether for good or for evil. So I'm curious to see where things pick up tonight with "Window Dressed to Kill," which finds Chuck getting recruited onto Emerson's crime-busting team. Also, there's singing from Kristin Chenoweth, which is always a delight, and while this scene with her song may be a bit spoilery, it just made me all the more excited to watch tonight. Tell me: Are you coming back to see how Daisies wraps up?

James McAvoy, Elizabeth Banks Team Up For Dark Comedy

BuzzSugar — Thu, 07 May 2009 10:30:54 -0700

Aww, this cast is so adorable: James McAvoy, Elizabeth Banks, Anna Friel and Laura Linney have all signed on for the dark comedy The Details. No real details yet on Friel or Linney's roles, but apparently the story centers on a couple, to be played by McAvoy and Banks, "who discover an infestation of raccoons in their back yard. Disagreements over how to deal with the animals lead to an escalating series of events."

There's not too much to say about this project yet besides the fact that I'm so intrigued to see Banks and McAvoy together onscreen. I never would have thought of pairing up these two, but now that I think about it, this seems like it could be really funny (and McAvoy is always very easy to watch, of course). Who else would you want to see teamed up with James McAvoy? Do you think he and Banks will do well together?

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Report: Final Pushing Daisies Episodes to Air Starting May 30

BuzzSugar — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 07:30:46 -0700

Could we finally get to see the end of Pushing Daisies on TV after all? When ABC canceled the show in November, it left three episodes unscheduled - and until now, it seemed we'd either have to wait till July for the DVD or book a flight to LA for the Paley Festival this month to see them. But now there's a report that ABC will air the final three episodes on Saturday nights starting May 30.

ABC hasn't confirmed the report just yet, but the schedule is supposed to be announced this week. And it would make some sense, as it would allow ABC to air the episodes - as Saturday night filler, granted, but still! - before the DVD hits stores.

My fingers are crossed that this news is true. Daisies might not have had a huge audience, but its following is awfully loyal. ABC's left us hanging for a while on this one (can you believe the most recent episode aired in December?), but I hope they let Daisies finish out its run on TV. And besides, if that goes well, wouldn't it be great to get to see the rest of Dirty Sexy Money and Eli Stone, too? OK, now my hopes are probably too high. But anyway, what are your thoughts on Daisies potentially wrapping up on Saturdays?

Pushing Daisies Rundown: Episode 10, "The Norwegians"

BuzzSugar — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 10:44:47 -0800

The final episode of Pushing Daisies of 2008 is a doozy, all full of daddy issues and betrayals and Norwegians. Yup, turns out that Emerson's PI business has a rival in the form of three Norwegian detectives who are surprisingly reminiscent of some other folks we know, and Vivian's hired them for a case pretty close to Emerson's heart: the mysterious disappearance of one Dwight Dixon. This episode has a lot of twists and turns and one shocking reveal, so to get to talking about it, just read more.

This whole season of Daisies has, in large part, been about Ned's abandonment issues. His dad left him; he stopped being able to trust people. His dad got a new family; he felt sad and lonely. But how would it change Ned's life to know that his dad was around the whole time, watching over him, making sure he didn't get himself into too much trouble? This episode suggests that Ned's father is the one who set up Dwight Dixon's fake murder scene and saved Ned and Olive from near-certain death - and now he's in the Pie Hole, possibly ready to make himself known. How long has Papa Piemaker been lurking? Does he know about Ned's powers? Does he have powers of his own?

Meanwhile, I loved everything about the Norwegians, from their matchy-matchy sweaters to their mobile lab (MILF!). It makes sense to me that Olive would go running to them - after all, she'd just proven her mettle as Emerson's "itty-bitty," and now she's back to being left out. In fact, I think she would have been justified in actually working for the Norwegians, not just operating in "deep cover" and waiting for Ned or Emerson to come calling. It really must be hard to be Olive, always being told she can't be trusted with secrets. If she did know the truth about Ned and Chuck, though, I wonder if she'd react like Vivian did upon learning the truth about Dwight - wondering if perhaps it was better not to know.

The episode ends with Ned making a big decision: He's not going to use his power anymore. Not for good, not for evil, not for the sake of saving banged-up fruit. "Waking the dead creates too many unfortunate variables," he tells Chuck, and he doesn't want anybody else cleaning up his messes. But can he really abstain? Ned without a power is just a piemaker again, and while that might be nicer for everyone, it seems like a promise that will be hard to keep.

Some other thoughts:

Poor Vivian, so convinced Dwight really loved her. Her reaction when Lily told her the truth really says something about their relationship: Vivian is almost always naive, and Lily is almost always right.
Also, loved Vivian's conception of "intimate" relations: "long walks, clarinet concertos . . . "
Someone on the Daisies set can't spell "cemetery," because one copy of the note from Lily totally said "cemetary" instead. Did I just blow you away with my nerdiness?
Considering he stole Ned's car and is out in the world somewhere with a bandaged-up dead face, Chuck's dad causes surprisingly little trouble in this episode.
"Oh, look at that. A dumb idea just found a friend." - Emerson.
Chuck's button story is so sweet! She also has a good point about her connection with her dad being deeper now even when they're not together: Nobody else can really understand being alive, dead, and alive again.
Getting to hear Jim Dale say "Oh, hell no" is pretty much the best thing ever.

What do you think is the story with Papa Piemaker? Will we ever get to hear the story about how Ned maybe once upon a time had a crush on Olive? So many questions, and only three episodes to go. What did you think?

Buzz News Roundup, 12/17

BuzzSugar — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 13:30:36 -0800

Jesse Eisenberg and Pushing Daisies' Anna Friel are set to star together in the romantic comedy The Wedding. - The Hollywood Reporter
Jessica Alba and Cloris Leachman are the newest guest stars for the post-Super Bowl episode of The Office. - TV Guide
Olivia Wilde has landed the female lead in Disney's Tron sequel. - Variety
Four Christmases director Seth Gordon will direct the comedy Mr. Romance. - ComingSoon
Taylor Swift bested Britney Spears in album sales this week. - Billboard
Lionsgate has acquired screen rights to Loving Frank, a historical novel about architect Frank Lloyd Wright. - Variety
Oprah's production company will produce films and documentaries exclusively for HBO starting in 2009. - New York Times
BBC America will air the Life on Mars sequel Ashes to Ashes starting in March. - Broadcasting and Cable
Jennifer Lopez will star in the movie Plan B as a single woman who becomes pregnant via artificial insemination only to meet Mr. Right. - E! Online
Rob Zombie will definitely write and direct the next Halloween movie. - ComingSoon

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Pushing Daisies Rundown: Episode Nine, "The Legend of Merle McQuoddy"

BuzzSugar — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 09:30:32 -0800

On this week's Pushing Daisies, Charles Charles is still alive and well-ish thanks to Ned's powers and Chuck's reckless decisions - but let's just say gratitude isn't exactly the first emotion he's showing. Meanwhile, Shane Botwin (er, Alexander Gould) turns up as the son of a lighthouse operator who's been fried to death on her own spotlight. It may have been one of my favorite Daisies episodes of all time - was anyone else loving it? To talk about it, just read more.

Chuck thinks that watching Ned and Charles fight is kind of cute - like she's any other girl whose boyfriend and dad don't get along. She says they can pretend to be the teenagers they never were, the star quarterback and the head cheerleader deep in puppy love, fighting against a dad who's protective and overbearing. But Ned? Ned's not so interested in going toe-to-toe with Charles Charles. Looming over their whole relationship is one uncomfortable little fact: Ned killed Charles (albeit inadvertently). And Charles doesn't seem at all interested in forgiving Ned's adolescent mistakes, dropping little reminders into every interaction (like putting "the last 20 years of my life back" on the grocery list).

This could be bad for Ned, very bad: Word could get out about what he does, and he figures it's not a big leap from there to angry mobs with pitchforks. But Charles has no interest whatsoever in obeying Ned's guide to the "alive-again lifestyle" (which involves things like announcing when you're moving around and, you know, not driving around in public with mummy bandages on your face - or, worse in the case of Charles, without mummy bandages on your face). He can't believe Chuck would choose such a small and restricted life and instead asks her to run away with him, to "choose cake over pie" and go on grand adventures like he promised her as a child. Ultimately, Chuck chooses Ned, but when they head upstairs for the apology they believe is coming from Charles, there's just an ominous note on his empty chair: "I chose, too."

Meanwhile, Olive and Emerson take on the lighthouse case together, which is quirky even by Daisies standards, involving a singing barbershop quartet of raincoat-clad sailors, a castaway rescued by a gay family cruise, and a murderer whose idea of a good time is making dioramas of her dead "notable husband" with glitter everywhere. Frankly, I didn't even bother to follow all its twists and turns - I was just in it for the spectacle. And, ultimately, there's a sweet ending: Olive cracks the case (!) by admitting her still-burning love for Ned, and Emerson tells her that if the Pie Hole ever gets too unpleasant as her crush cavorts with someone else, he has a PI job waiting for her.

Some other thoughts:

Olive's coordinated crime-fighting raincoats are genius! Olives for Olive, cod for Emerson, pies for Ned.
"Sometimes I just think to myself: Life. You can't make this crap up." - Annabelle
Also, "Such a depressing word, diorama." And "'Tis better to have loved and lost than to be you." And "Shut the a-capel up." What a great episode for one-liners.
So many adorable Ned/Chuck plastic wrap kisses in this episode! I think my favorite, though, is the giant bear hug with the tarp after Ned tells Chuck he understands why she kept Charles alive.
I love Ned's aghast reaction to Charles saying he's not one for chocolate: "Everyone at least tolerates it!"

Will Charles Charles spill Ned's secrets? Are Chuck and Ned (especially Chuck) being too naive in believing that somehow, maybe they'll all be a big, happy family? And why am I not at all surprised that Lily hates clowns?