Pushing Daisies

Pushing Daisies’ Halloween offering, Girth, was a chock full of  goodies with several story angles. It tackled Ned’s sad childhood, Olive’s past employment, a Sleepy Hollow-esque murder story, Emerson’s fondness for shovels and money and Chuck’s secrets.

Two minutes into Pushing Daisies fifth episode, I found myself weeping for Ned as the show opens with the story of how he came to discover his father has abandoned him. It happened on a Halloween and the occasion would forever traumatize him. Dressed as a ghost all covered in blankets (Digby included), Ned, about nine or ten years old, drops by his father’s house only to find that he is happily settled with a new wife and two kids.

Now all grown-up, Ned intends to mark this day and confront his ghost. He spends a night in his old house (which apparently wasn’t prime real estate as it never was bought by anyone else!) and stays in his old room. Ned and lies on the floor where his bed used to be, perhaps reminiscing what he lost. Hearing something from outside, Ned peeks at his neighbor and finds Aunts Lily and Vivian dealing with kids going on a Trick or Treat.

We later see him in the Charles’ living room, asking the aunts about what they remember of his father. And they both tell him how his dad was a jackass, but they also tell him how proud they were he has grown up to be a very fine young man. While there, they served him the pies Chuck secretly sends to her aunts. Realizing that this was the case, Ned began to understand and feel for what Chuck is going through. Later, in the dead of the night, he brings Chuck to her aunts’ house to go trick or treating in a similar costume that Ned wore when he visited his dad’s house once upon a time.

 

Meanwhile, Girth is actually an Olive-centric episode and this week, she too is confronting her own ghost.

We learn that Olive was a horse jockey before she became a waitress, a fact that Emerson finds utterly laughable. During her stint, competition and rivalry with other jockeys was very stiff. Unfortunately, in one particular race where Olive had actually won first place (Jack-Off 200), a jockey named John Joseph Jacobs or JJJ was accidentally trampled to death by the other four competitors, including Olive. And this fiery horseman seems to have risen as a ghost from the grave and is out to kill the remaining jockeys one by one. Olive fears for her safety and hires Emerson to solve the case.

With Ned’s help, Emerson and Chuck talk to the ones already murdered (two so far) and they all learn that back in the last competition, someone apparently sabotaged JJJ’s girth which led to him falling from his horse and getting trampled on. Pinky, the bartender, who was third place in the race, admitted to have done it but all of them kept the evidence of the girth. This was the secret Olive and the jockeys vowed to keep.As it turns out though, JJJ is still very much alive and living in his mother’s basement. Although he was lifeless on the race track on the day of the accident, he was revived by paramedics when they brought him to the hospital. He underwent major operation since his legs were badly crushed and the doctors took parts from horse’s legs to fit into his own. It was his mother who knew all about the secrets, since one of the jockeys did not keep his word and actually told her. Mama Jacobs was bitter, claiming that while his son was still alive, his career is ruined. She was eventually arrested for the murders. Olive meanwhile gave her winning trophy and part of the cash she won to JJJ, who wished to live normally again.Girth has given viewers another episode that would showcase more of the characters’ qualities, giving them depth and substance. And I am growing fonder of Olive. She is perhaps this show’s greatest asset, next to Emerson.

The other facts are these…

Ned uses the prosthetic arm from last week’s episode to touch Digby and both seem to enjoy it.

Emerson and money are good buddies!

Emerson loves his shovel much.

Guest character, Mama Jacobs, calls on Olive’s cleavage. Now, that’s really funny!

Olive kisses Ned! Although, that moment for Olive is short-lived since he quickly forgets about her when he saw Chuck.

Olive and Chuck’s relationship is improving. There may be times Olive still resents her but you can already see that they clearly care for each other.

Aunt Vivian is a sweetheart and I especially was moved by what she told Ned about his father; while Aunt Lily is more of the cynical type, nevertheless I still like her.

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