Pushing Daisies

About the same time as last year’s we learned of Ned’s relationship with his father. This week’s episode of Pushing Daisies dug deeper into that and what we saw was this really, really sad side to Ned (I mean if the last fourteen episodes since Season 1 did not give you a complete picture of how he is) — one who carries “a colorful mix of anger, chronic distrust and misplaced guilt”.

I did not want to see an “angry Ned”. For some reason, that hurt a lot. It’s like I really felt what he was going through and it was the worst feeling of all.

But on the bright side, it set up for such a magical, feel-good moment. All the hurt was overshadowed by just one scene where it came to that part where he finally decided to go back to his dad’s house to meet his half twin brothers for the first time. When they went and hugged him? It made my eyes misty.

But this week was also Emerson Cod’s week and he continues to be the driving force to why this show is such a treat to watch. Just look at him in this scene when the bad guy caught them:

I could not stop giggling watching this and didn’t hear what the narrator was saying when it was important because it was something about his dad.

Anyway, Emerson’s character got more action in this week’s episode, too.

And by action, I mean dressing up and going undercover ala Shack, complete with the big and the bling. Their charade worked for me. It didn’t work for the bad guys.

And by action, I also mean his tryst with Simone, one of the women he’s helped in season one and incidentally a woman he’s been enamored with then. Will she potentially be a recurring character in Emerson’s life?

The case of the week, as I gathered (since the whodunit’s getting more and more complicated week after week!), involved a cook at a Chinese restaurant who secretly operates some sort of gambling joint involving, not cards, but Dim Sum. The cook lost to the restaurant’s manager, promising his daughter’s hand in marriage. When he tried to win her back, he failed and gave his life insurance policy claim as collateral. The manager wanted to collect the pay-out and killed him.

A scene straight out of Scooby Doo. I love it!

Ned keeps a clue pad tucked under his jacket. It’s something we didn’t know before. Cute!

Hello, Ned’s twin half brothers! (played by Alex and Graham Miller)

• Ned: “Maurice and Ralston? I’m glad my dad got so creative with naming after I left. Hello, Mercutio and Ribald.”

The brothers will be back in another episode.

This guy introduced himself as a friend of Ned’s Dad and Mom and went to the Pie Hole to ask Ned for his father’s whereabouts. He gives Ned the “piss-jitters”.

• Ned: “You ever shiver when you pee? That’s how it felt when he spoke.”

What is dad’s friend up to, eh?

Don’t forget to watch Pushing Daisies tonight, even if the show is up against Barack Obama. The presidential candidate is airing his campaign special over three other networks at 8:00 PM. But ABC is sticking with Pushing Daisies with a new episode guest starring Stephen Roth.

Episode Title: Dimsum Lose Some

Airing: October 29th

Ned is startled when a mysterious man appears at the diner claiming to be an old friend and associate of his dad’s - and asks for his help in finding him.

Per Entertainment Weekly’s Ausiello, Gina Torres from Firefly and 24 has been cast to play Emerson’s wife. Yep, the very wife who left him and took his daughter. I can actually see this! Kinda was anticipating it… So happy they picked Gina Torres to play her.

Kristin Chenoweth is going to be in the holiday movie, Four Christmases, slated to run in theaters by the end of November. The movie also stars Reese Witherspoon, Vince Vaughn, Jon Voight Jon Favreau and Mary Steenburgen.

The story is a romantic comedy — “The story of a young couple, each of whose parents divorce and then marry other people. This leaves the newlyweds with four parental households to visit over the course of Christmas Day.”

You can check the trailer here.

Kristin of E! wrote yesterday, former Ed and Lost star  Josh Randall is going to be on Pushing Daisies. He is set to play Chuck’s father, Charles Charles, who as you know, died when Chuck was about 8 or 9 years old. Chuck’s father is set to appear in two upcoming episodes (the eight and the ninth for this season).

How and why does Charles Charles return when he’s been dead for almost 20 years?

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Chuck: We even came up with a handshake (proceed to do  handshake with Olive)

Olive: Here comes the center of the universe, pulling us all into her gravitational orbit of blame.
Chuck: Oh, well, FYI, um, there is no center of the universe because our universe is forever expanding.
Olive: Like your neediness. “Wah, respect my feelings. Wah, don’t fence me in. Wah, don’t treat me like I’m dead.” Well, if you’re so dead, how can you be needy? Oh right… you’re selfish!

Olive: It’s like we’re trapped in a sachet in a panty drawer of a dead shut-in, who was shut in her bedroom by her cat so that it would have to smell the scene of Freesia. Can’t you smell it?
Chuck: Yeah. That would be my Freesia hair detangler that you said smells amazing yesterday.
Olive: Wish I hadn’t now.

Chuck: I’m sorry I told you those capri’s make you look taller, because they don’t!
Olive: Mean!

Olive: Don’t shrug at me in the dark Charlotte Charles, that was a low blow.

Ned to Chuck: Selfishly, I want to duvet you right now.

Emerson: Holy Noah Nutty-as-a-Fruitcake’s Ark! (Refering to Randy’s Taxidermy Room)

Pushing Daisies is still on…if we’re basing this on this press release for ABC’s November Sweeps Programming. The show is slated to air for twice this coming month, with a two week hiatus in the first two weeks of November. And it is still airing on Weds at 8 PM.

Some changes should be expected though. I’m waiting news for its full season pick up anytime and it’s making me all nervous…

ABC ANNOUNCES NOVEMBER SWEEPS PROGRAMMING, INCLUDING THE COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS AND AMERICAN MUSIC AWARDS, AND JAM-PACKED ORIGINAL EPISODES OF SOME OF TELEVISION’S BIGGEST HITS

The ABC Television Network announces highlights of its upcoming premieres, specials and regular series programming scheduled to air during the November sweep.

Editors please note: What follows is a chronological listing of programming highlights (all times Eastern); this is not a complete list of all programs airing during November sweep.

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Is there still a glimmer of hope? Wednesday night’s ratings have been below standards once again.

8.00 Block
World Series Fox 13.10 M
New Adventures Of Old Christine CBS 8.01 M
Gary Unmarried [8.30] CBS 7.85 M
Knight Rider NBC 7.23 M
Pushing Daisies ABC 5.67 M
America’s Next Top Model The CW 4.38 M

9.00 Block
Criminal Minds CBS 14.72 M
World Series Fox 13.64 M
Private Practice ABC 7.78 M
Deal Or No Deal NBC 7.60 M
Stylista The CW 2.46 M

10.00 Block
CSI: New-York CBS 14.24 M
Dirty Sexy Money ABC 5.86 M
Lipstick Jungle NBC 4.19M

The demographics is even worse for Pushing Daisies as it drops to 1.9 Million for Adults 18-49. The network is losing money with it.

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Finally, we saw a little something from Emerson’s life when his mom pays him a visit and she tells her she was on to a case. Calista Cod (played by Debra Mooney) is also a Private Investigator. She taught everything his son now knows. And their relationship isn’t only about being mother and son, they were each other’s best friend. But as friends aren’t supposed to keep secrets from each other, Emerson is ashamed he has not told her mother about his daughter. And it was eating him up. He resolved to sit down with her and finally fess up.

Except, Mama Cod wasn’t really there on a case. Her case was finding about Emerson’s secret, when she learned of the book he was trying to get published. Calista thought it was Emerson writing about his crazy childhood. When he finally told her everything and what that book meant, the two ended up fighting. But they patch things up later and Calista offers some advice about rewriting Gum Shoe (the pop-up book Emerson wrote) so that he can finally find his long lost daughter.

This week’s case involved the murder of a Frescort — friend + escort or someone who is paid to be your best friend especially when you’re a loner (which makes a lot of sense to Ned). Buddy was a delusional guy who had issues that go back during high school when the Star Quarterback he thought was a friend, actually wasn’t. Buddy ended up killing him. This what started his obsession with becoming everybody’s best friend and formed the Frescort company. It’s also where he met Joe, who  triggered the same kind of delusion for Buddy, as with the Star Quarterback. When Joe wanted to leave the company, Buddy got all crazy again and killed him.

And yes, the weirdo in the story, Randy Mann, is played by David Arquette (great casting!), the murdered victim’s room mate. While Randy Mann did not turn out to be the murderer, he instead stood as the one friend Ned had outside of their Pie Hole circle which was actually nice to see.

Ned is fretting over the fact that he has less time with his girlfriend now that she and Olive are room mates (and BFFs!). The two ladies made quite a comfortable arrangement, until everything broke down when the two are trapped in the locker trying to solve this week’s case. Old feelings and issues (like Olive being in love with Chuck’s boyfriend) resurfaced, leaving one to storm out of the room in disgust. This is Olive and Chuck’s first big fight.

But as Chuck plans to move back in with Ned, he comes to realize, though his new friend Randy, that living alone is something he has to learn to deal with.  He also knows Chuck and Olive have to make up and mend their friendship. They all have to work their problems out.

This week was yet another solid episode with plenty of good story arch and cute moments.

My favorite scene would have to be the mother and son team investigating their clients. They do their work alike! I also loved this expression on Emerson’s face when they were going over Buddy at his office:

I also got a kick out of Olive and Chuck arguing inside the locker. And that little interview they had with Barb, the Frescort’s front desk person, who also happens to be Joe’s girlfriend.

The look of “constipation” from Olive and Chuck

The way Barb spoke…she reminded me of Mary Murphy on So You Think You Can Dance!

As announced last weekend, Kristin Chenoweth was on Ellen Tuesday, October 21st. Here are videos to her interview and guest appearance, where she gamely participated on a prank Ellen DeGeneres was trying to pull:

Videos from: Pushing Daisies LJ Community

In addition to this, here’s an interesting story on Cheno from StarPulse: Kristin Chenoweth Is Mistaken For A Child

• “I try to order flowers and they won’t let me .They think I’m a child. The last time, the flowers didn’t turn up, I called my credit card company and they told me a child was trying to use my card. I tried to call another place to order my brother a Christmas present, but my voice was too high for the automated system. It sucks. People call me and ask if my mom is home. It’s frustrating.”

This lady is hilarious, that’s why we love her!

I’m once again calling on you people to please block off 8:00 tonight for Pushing Daisies. This week’s episode features David Arquette and Debra Mooney who stars as Emerson’s mom. The episode summary.

On one hand, I am happy for this news. Anna Friel deserves a happy marital life, sans marriage backed by with legal documents. A new baby is always a blessing for any family.

On the other hand…as a fan of the show, it worries me that they are already planning for what to do with the next chapter of their lives when Pushing Daisies doesn’t continue.

• British actress Anna Friel is planning a second child with long-term boyfriend David Thewlis, and she wants it to be born and raised in America. The pair’s three-year-old daughter Gracie is desperate for a little brother or sister - and 32-year-old Friel admits she is eager to be expanding her brood. She tells Page Six magazine, “I really want to be a mother again.” And the family is so settled in Los Angeles - where Friel shoots TV show Pushing Daisies - she wants to make it their permanent home. The star adds, “You know, I’d always thought we’d go back (to Britain), but David and I had that conversation the other day asking, ‘What happens if Daisies doesn’t continue - would we then go back?’ I think my life has sent me in this direction and that I should be here.”

Source

Episode Synopsis (ABC) — “Frescorts” - When the most popular escort at a rent-a-friend agency turns up dead, the team investigates who killed him, including likely suspect Randy Mann (guest star David Arquette), the guy’s antisocial, taxidermy-loving roommate. Meanwhile, Emerson’s famed private investigator mom, Calista Cod (guest star Debra Mooney), pays an unexpected visit, on “Pushing Daisies,” WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 22 (8:00-9:00 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network. (ABC/DANNY FELD)

David Arquette has just signed on to return in a future episode, where he will play the same character and will become Olive’s love interest.

Emerson: What got thee to a nunnery?
Olive: Oh, Emerson. You really want to know?
Emerson: Not especially. That was just my attempt at polite wee talk. Moment’s passed, so let’s talk compensation.

Emerson: I’m Father Dowling. These are my associates: Father Mulcahy and Sister Christian.

Ned: (with the dead Sister LaRue) We are so going to hell.

Ned: My God. Leatherface has a four quart food processor with a two horsepower motor and an extra large feed tube. I’ve wanted one for-ever.

Emerson: Rule Number One: don’t buy fish on Monday. Rule Number Two: Don’t poke an angry German.

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The actress played voice part to Tinkerbell and these are the photos from the premiere. The animated film goes direct to DVD and BluRay.

Kristin is also joined by Young Ned and Young Chuck

Actor Field Cate, Sammi Hanratty and Kristin Chenoweth arrive at the Pixie Premiere of the full-length CG animated movie ‘Tinker Bell’ due to be released on October 28,2008 on DVD and Blu-Ray Disc held at the El Capitan Theatre on October 19, 2008 in Hollywood, California.

Check for Tinkerbell on DVD here. Or at your favorite video stores.