Guess who lived to die another day? Last week, I bemoaned the fact that new, unique shows like this one never get a chance when up against brain-melting populist fare like So You Think You’re Smarter Than a Ficus Plant or what have you. Then, lo! Not only did Daisies blossom in the ratings, but EW readers flooded our comments board with love for the "pielette."
This week, we answer (or attempt to) the question of whether the show can not only survive its strenuously cute premise but thrive. Like before, it begins with another narrated flashback set in a Tim Burton-esque world of saturated colors and Seuss-ical dream-sequence set design, as our nine-year-old (and 88 days, 3 hours, blah blah blah minutes — enough with that one, Mr. Narrator) Ned, now tragically de-mothered, is dropped off at boarding school by his (literally) disappearing dad, who promises untruthfully to return for him. Cut to mopey Ned, a pariah to his peers, wreaking his emotional revenge by bringing back to life a classroom full of dissection frogs (Did anyone else think of that similar scene in ET: The Extra-Terrestrial? Young Ned, phone home!). As the happy little amphibians jumped and ribbitted their way to sweet freedom, no doubt you too were wondering whether the show would stay consistent: don’t once-dead, now-revived things that live more than a minute require the death of a nearby creature, à la Ned’s mom and Chuck’s dad? Thankfully, the writers comply, dropping a nearby bunch of hapless birds.
Anyway, on to the next: Ned and Chuck (Lee Pace and Anna Friel, pictured), ensconced in separate, Leave It to Beaver beds and then at the breakfast table, quip, flirt, and pontificate — anything but touching — while Olive, our poor, beleaguered pie waitress and unrequited admirer of Ned, spies from a precarious perch on her windowsill. Meanwhile, Ned’s partner in resuscitation, Det. Emerson Cod, awaits Ned’s return from the la-la land of his childhood crush, and is none too pleased to see Chuck, dressed like a slightly deranged Hitchcock heroine, show up for the pair’s next undead interrogation. This week’s victim? A curly-headed research scientist, now roadkill, whose one-minute awakening is hijacked by Chuck’s sunny questions; all they manage to learn is that he very much loved a girl named Janine, and was killed by a crash test dummy. Unhelpful.
But one must deal with the overly chatty hand one is dealt, so Chuck, Ned, and Emerson visit the murderee’s workplace, a futuristic car company with a superstar product: a vehicle that runs on dandelion fuel (really, apparently, just an excuse for the show’s costume designers to whip up some sublimely silly dandelion-topped promo outfits for its car-show girls). Janine, in full fluffer-head regalia, denies knowledge of her deceased love, but is easily swayed by free pie, and the three musketeers soon also find that the crash-test-dummy room is full of crash-test-deadies—that is, deceased folks who gave their bodies up for car research. So whither, then, the real dummies?
It seems we’ll have to wait, and watch Olive get Grease-yback at the pie shop, singing "Hopelessly Devoted" to Ned’s faithfulmutt and an oblivious floor cleaner named Manuel; it’s all devoted, ofcourse, to Ned — and to remind us, apparently, that Kristin Chenowethis a Tony-winning star. Okay, back to the goods: a Cliff’s Notesversion of Janine and Bernard’s blossoming love affair, culminating ina hot and sweaty session inside the Dandy Lion SX (SX, get it??), andJanine’s leading Ned, Chuck and the Detective to a secret spot — thoughnot before her own SX blows itself to dandelion dust, landing her intraction. Turns out that secret spot is a mass burial site for dummies,who, unlike the dead, actually have recording software inside them thattells of automobile trials gone wrong. Think you’re getting thepicture? Our trio does, and heads back to Dandy Lion headquarters, onlyto be greeted by maniacal president Mark Chase, promptly tazed (howtopical!), sealed inside person-sized sandwich bags, and shunted intoan SX — which, it turns out, at a speed of 70 mph, with the seatwarmers on low and the radio on, turns into a flaming vehicle of death.Poor, innocent Bernard had to die at Chase’s hand because he knew hisdirty floral secret, but our resourceful detective Emerson, he of thesecretly self-knit gun cozies and sweater vests, uses a needle of thetrade to free them all (though only after granting Chuck and Ned thechance to share one, prophylactic kiss), and send the deranged Mr.Chase to the Big House.
If there’s one quibble we have, it’s that the murder "mysteries" on this show won’t exactly leave the Law & Order or CSI crewsshaking in their primetime boots; then again, perhaps that’s not thepoint. What we do get, at show’s end, is a special car for Chuck andNed, equipped with a clear passenger-side panel, not unlike a giantSizzler sneeze-guard, to allow Chuck to ride shotgun without the dangerof accidentally bumping up against Ned and re-dying. And, of course, anattached rubber glove for hand-holding — though neither of the twoacknowledge its romantic purpose.
Now tell us, dear readers, did that moment make you squeal withdelight? Or gag? I’m more preoccupied with the anxiety of all the othertimes they stand in close proximity, waiting for a passerby or lightbreeze to bump them into one another and send Chuck — and the show’swhole hook — back to an early grave. Also, what happened to the pursuitof Chuck’s killer? Will it be drawn out over the season? Will wecontinue to care? I’m still nursing a major lady-crush on Friel,but I do need to see a little more than this hermetically sealed world.Do you agree?
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umm.. they found chuck’s killer.. IN THE FIRST EPISODE.. The aunt shot him
I am delighted that the show held my interest for another week! Love the writing, love the actors, love the lifetime countdown, LOVE THE KNIT HOLSTER! And I, too, hold my breath every time Chuck and Ned are near one another lest they touch. Yay!
While not as good as the pilot, I will give Daisies another shot. But so help me if they have Kristen Chenoweth singing on again, I will have to abandon it. One thing I don’t want in my television programming is a musical. Last week’s nonsense nearly made me shut it off forever. Please no more singing from the lovely Chenoweth (or anyone else).
By the way, what other show can use an eating disorder for comic effect? Brilliant!
This episode was fantastic in every way. Kristin Chenoweth can sing every week as far as I’m concerned!
i think youre all wayyy to judgemental… this show is amazing and anytime kristen chenowith breaks into song is completey fine with me! the show is almost perfect and any quirks they wanna add is also fine with me.
They shot Chuck’s killer, but his (her?) body had disappeared.
The car divider was very Quentin Tarantino “Death Proof”.
Oh, I loved the singing… I doubt would show up every episode, but I suspect we will see it again sometime in the future. I also got a kick out of the developer of a dandylion fuel car driving around himself in a Hummer…
Yeah, gotta back up Sarah here and say um…Chuck’s killer – shot by a one eyed aunt in the pilot.
the second episode was even better. i’m already a definite fan of this show.
It’s cool that Popwatch is doing these mini-TV watches, but this was basically a summary of the show with very little opinion until the next to last paragraph.
Then again, I didn’t actually see this episode yet, but, since you detailed pretty much everything that happened, I kinda feel like I did.
Sorry guys! I should have clarified.. We know Chuck’s killer, but we don’t really know the why of it. Wasn’t he just a hitman for hire? What’s the story with the golden monkeys? Do we care?
The body of Chuck’s killer did not disappear. They stood over it at the end and then the aunt’s got the reward money. It says it in the epilogue of the first show.
This epi was just as awesome as I’d hoped. And if Kristen Chenowith wants to sing every one of her lines, I’d love it. She’s fantastic and oh so adorable. I wish Ned was nicer to her.
Leah, I don’t think we care about the monkeys. I think it was just a way for Ned and Chuck to meet-cute…again.
LOVED the quirkiness and charm of the pilot. 2nd episode had more quirk than charm and really, a different song choice would have made KC more outstanding. Spent most of it going, hmm and huh? but at least I didn’t know what was going to happen next! Where did puff girl play in before? looks like Annie from Men in Trees sorta.
Great ep; did anyone else think the car scene with the sweaty handprints was a send-up of Titanic?
I used to watch Anna Friel when she was on the British soap ‘Brookside’, and frankly couldn’t stand her, but now I have to say I think I’m in love. She’s adorable.
Love the show. love love love it. And I can’t wait to see Broadway darling Raul Esparza do a guest appearance next week.
I love this show! it makes me smile the whole time I watch…Cheese Box? Dandy Lion car? Knitted holster for your guns? (I said ’sweet’ just before the character did – I nearly died laughing myself)…I hope this show survives, its like a giant color-book come to life…next weeks ep looks good too…love Ned, he’s so cute…
Insider – Yes, I thought of Titanic immediately during that scene.
The deal with the monkeys was that they were made out of solid gold. Chuck was just a smuggler for Deedee and Chuck’s killer killed Chuck (haha, that sounsws very “Pushing Daisies”-esque) due to the monkey’s worth. Vaery simple, no more than that. I think it’s pretty clear that the writers didn’t want to make the explanation of Chuck’s murder too complicated, nor did they want to drag it out over the season. Her murder isn’t the main focus of the show. Them solving crimes is. And in regards to Chenoweth singing-I’m not gonna lie, I loved it. Chenoweth is so immensely talented and her bursting into song (and being interrupted three times) was just great. Keep up the good work, PD!
This show is utterly charming and wonderful. Kristin Chenoweth and Chi McBride can do no wrong (knitted holsters and socks for his money? priceless! awesome musical number? love it!). But now I’m craving pie…
I LOVE LOVE LOVE this show. It just so freaking good. Anna Friel is my new favorite person, and the show itself is amazing.
I really loved “Wonderfalls” so this show is a good replacement. Also loved Kristen Chenoweth singing. This show will do anything at anytime; I can honestly say I have no idea what is coming next.
pushing daisies is so sweet and cute and unlike anything on tv. i am glad the mysteries arent like law and order or CSI or any of those other bloody police procedure crap shows. hope abc picks it up for the full season and a long time after that! anyone know any other tv shows or movies ned has been in..he is so dreamy!
LOVE this show! DVR’d the first episode because spouse did not want to watch. Worked out well because I ended up watching with my younger brother and we both fell instantly in love. Love the scenery, the dialogue and the characters. It’s like going to the movies once a week and for a working mom that’s truly a treat. Best show of the new season. I really hope this show makes it.
Hey Sarah, is that you? Could we possibly have something else in common?
This show is amazing: I fell in love when I first saw the preview while waiting for a movie to play at a theater. I was unsure how each episode would be used, but I’m glad it’s a sort of murder-mystery, though much more interesting that that of Law & Order or CSI. Ned’s walk is the cutest thing: he saunters with his hands carefully clasped being his back as he relieves any chance of accidentally touching Chuck. He cares about her deeply, as seen when he patiently waits for her to move out of the doorway. I can’t wait to see how this series develops over the season. It’s fantastic.
Chuck’s killer was killed by her aunt last week.
Like the show, but the narrator HAS to go or be trimmed waaaay back. Also, the singing…doesn’t make sense at this stage of the series. I like your musical tv shows as much as the next person (Once More with Feeling is my fave Buffy episode!), but it seems like they just tossed it in to take advantage of the fact that Chenoweth can do it rather than write an additional scene. Is this to be a regular feature – Cop Rock lite? I mean what did we learn from the singing? The waitress likes the pieman – not a big revelation, so not a good enough reason to warrant singing IMO. I’m not invested enough in the characters at this stage of the game to enjoy it…I’m sure others liked it, but it made me want to change the channel. Regardless, I’ll hang in for awhile longer…
Loved every minute of this episode–narrator, song, dog, dummies, everything. It’s hard to believe that network TV actually put on something this brilliant and fun to watch.