Pushing Daisies‘ penultimate episode offered a Penny for your thoughts: Emerson’s long-lost daughter — whom he’s spent the series looking for, yearning for, and writing for (his pop-up book about his missing child, Lil’ Gum Shoe, has now been accepted for publication, we learned) — was within his grasp.
This Daisies featured action-hero Fred Williamson as a wealthy but murdered dam-builder. One of the chief suspects was the woman who bore Emerson’s child, Lila Robinson (Gina Torres), a grifter who pushed this episode into a hardboiled-detective story parody. Given Daisies‘ love of wordplay, the private-eye plot was filled with Chandleresque similies such as “a ruby that he flaunted like a trophy-wife at a high school reunion.”
The mechanics of the mystery in this episode entitled “Water and Power” borrowed liberally from the plot of Chinatown, but the tone was pure Daisies, and it was certainly high time for Chi McBride to get an Emer-centric episode. That brief glimpse of pretty Penny was a heart-breaker, wasn’t it?
Nonetheless, there was also a nice continuation of last week’s Olive-Randy romance, with David Arquette returning to the Pie Hole to be “the rebound guy” for Olive as she weans herself from Ned. Ah, yes, Ned: This was probably the one episode of Daisies that did not center primarily around Ned and Chuck, but I hardly noticed, so swift and clever was its pacing.
So: what did you think? I must say, for a show that prides itself on its adroit language, I was dismayed to see the dust jacket of Emerson’s manuscript read “gum shoe” instead of the correct “gumshoe.” Well, maybe now that a publisher has bought it, a copyeditor will sort that out.
But just the fact that I’m talking about the use of clever slang proves how valuable Pushing Daisies is. There’s no other show on ABC that approaches its wordplay. I mean, I happened to catch the last few minutes of the show that preceded Daisies this night: Here Come The Newlyweds — more crappy, cheap “reality” programming! And yet there’s only one more new episode of Pushing Daisies to savor.
Isn’t it maddening that ABC took so long to release these last three Daisies, building up our fondness for the show again, only to make it disappear forever after next week?
Let your frustration flow below, friends.
Comments (1-30) of 175 Add your comment
It was great to see Emerson get his own episode for once and a surprise that he was dating Simone supposedly since season one. It’s a shame the show won’t get a proper wrapup, but I look forward to whatever we get next week regardless.
Whoa, Ken, you posted this recap so fast!
And I too was annoyed by the “Gum (space) Shoe” mistake, but eagle-eyed viewers — like me! — can see that in the publisher’s letter at the end of the ep, it says, “GumShoe”. Two capitals, but one word.
Loved the ep, but I was a little disappointed that the end of the last ep (Ned’s twinge of jealousy) wasn’t really referenced. My favorite bit was when Lila knocked out Emerson and Simone. I laughed my way through the commercial break. This all can not be properly wrapped up in one mere ep, but I’m already mournfully looking forward to it.
I’m gutted they axed the zany antics of the Pie Hole. I loved the cotton-candy look and the staccato dialogue..loved it! So sweet and romantic (it even made me overlook the folly of being thiiiiiiiiis close to someone who kill you if you forget for a millisecond and brush up against his hand LOL ) Sigh…..I’ll always have a crush on Ned
Oh, this show is so wonderful! What sweet torture to watch tonight’s episode knowing there is only one left. Gina Torres was amazing, as always. Who is the kid who played young Emerson? I loved him! How could ABC cancel this jewel? I am sad.
I just started watching this show and I am fast catching up to all the episodes. And I am broken hearted to see it end so soon!!!! Please let’s send tons of pies to ABC to protest and save this delightful, whimsical show.
I hold out an insane hope that some intelligent network (definately not looking at you ABC) will pick this show up and nurture it the way it should have been. Yes, good, quality shows take money to make, but isnt it time the stream of idiotic reality shows is stemmed? I cant believe the utter crapola that ABC allows to exist. ABC underestimates the intelligence and tastes of the viewing public, panders to the lowest common denominator, and treats fans of quality tv shows disrespectfully.
I am so sad the episode was great. I love the fact that olive is starting this new relationship and I do not get to see it developed. How can something like Wipeout get to be on air for two hours but no pushing daisies. this just sucks
I think that all unique, quality shows should go to cable networks (like HBO, Showtime) where they’ll get the support they deserve.
abc is the worst. the only show they’ve let run its course is lost. i won’t tune in to a new show anymore because i know it won’t last. i can’t believe the crap they run instead of truly inspired, original programming like pushing daisies. let a show find it’s audience! how were seinfeld’s ratings in their first couple of years? this short-sightedness only leads to more garbage like wife swap and wipeout and the bachelor. here’s hope that someone (why not directv since they saved friday night lights already? or usa.) picks it up.
frustrated doesn’t even begin to explain it…
ABC is nuts to cancel this show and replace it with reality games how drek. It’s a travesty to lose a brilliant and beautiful show like Pushing Daisies and not give it the time necessary to build a bigger following. Those of us who love this fine ensemble of actors and the smart writing and art direction will mourn for a long time.
Such a bittersweet feeling that there’s only one episode left!
Here’s hoping for a movie!
I think I’m going to be sick to my stomach after next Saturday. Frustration doesn’t even begin to describe the way I feel after the way that ABC has treated Pushing Daisies. It really makes no logical sense whatsoever that ABC had to wait all these months to show these last 3 episodes. I’ve fallen in love with this show all over again. Now I have to endure the heartbreak of it being taken away from me all over again.
This episode was great. Almost every episode has been. There’s not another show on TV like Pushing Daisies. There’s no other show that captures my imagination like PD. It makes me feel like a kid again. So creative, imaginative, whimsical, witty, and fun. I guess there’s no room on TV for a show this good.
I love Pushing Daisies – But you had to expect the networks to cancel a good show to take a stab at more of the usual crap!
So amazing and bitter sweet to know that it’s nearly over. The promo for next week didn’t even say the final episode. Just the next episode. ABC just doesn’t care about a show this great. A show that crashed the severs of their inner circle website when they offered to air them. It’s just not fair, ending something so good. It never got a real chance with the strike and all.
If only another network could pick it up. Something so the magic doesn’t have to end.
ABC doesn’t know what it’s doing. Look at the shows they canceled this year alone – Pushing Daisies, Samantha Who, Life on Mars, The Unusuals, Cupid, Dirty Sexy Money (a GREAT show), Eli Stone, In the Motherhood and last year they canceled another great show – Miss Guided.
It seems like they just want to populate their nights with Dancing with the Stars and The Bachelor. They’re going to soon learn that those shows will get real old real fast. The viewership of DWTS is already down from past seasons and The Bachelor offers nothing new but the same old thing.
But not to worry. I won’t be watching ABC again. Why bother? I would much rather watch a network that know show to program – and keep – great television shows.
This is just whetting my appetite for the Season Three comic book series that will wrap up all the loose threads of the show. I just hope that the show’s fans are comfortable jumping from the world of television into the world of graphic novels. Don’t be scared, folks. The writing and art direction will be just as brilliant in the comic book as the TV show.
I hope everyone else is as grateful as I am and that we all encourage them to get the Pushing Daisies comic book series out there soon. Hey, how cool would it be if after the series is published, they actually also publish “Lil’ Gumshoe”?
Such a well-made show. The care in the writing is really exceptional, not to mention the production design. I just appreciate the final send-off.
i really hope this show gets picked up by another network–tv definitely hasn’t been the same without it. next week will definitely be bittersweet.
another wonderful episode that made me laugh out loud. I am really going to miss this show! Can we at least have an Olive spinoff?
I blame the writer’s strike for the demise of Pushing Daisies, along with ABC’s ridiculous decision not to show any episodes again until the fall. By the time the second season had started, it had lost any momentum it had built up from the first season. What a shame.
I only caught onto this show this past September, and I love it! I want this show to exist in some form, even if it’s on another channel or if it’s recontinued in a few years time… it’s one of the most original shows on TV, and I love the bubbliness and color of the series.
BRING IT BACK!!!!
too late i am sure but bring it back
This show remains the best on television. It’s a tragedy they are taking if off the air. So sad to see it leaving next week. At least we can continue the story in book form
I’ll miss this show so much!
This is yet another fine show that the writers strike killed. Thanks for the greed, writers.
Boy will I miss this show. ABC, you suck.
This show was incredible. With all the crap shows that are on tv lately, this was the one show that completely drew you in and made you forget about all the wrongs in the world. I loved the characters, the incredibly smart dialogue, the colors of the Pie Hole were bright and so was Olive. It was a show that you could show to your children and they would get a kick out of it. I have absolute disdain for ABC because they cancellled the show. The networks are always trying to find the show that will bring them to the top of the ratings mountian, and they had that show. But instead, lets cancel that great show and replace it with something like wipe-out. Truly sad and a showing of our times. They would rather produce something lackluster instead of something with substance and creativity and a general sense of ingenuity. Way to go ABC!
This show is (was) such a gem… just like that Dam Ruby. And the sight of Olive doing a spit/dribble-take with her coffee is still making me chuckle this morning.