In the ninth and final episode of the first season of Pushing Daisies, I did not expect that many plot twists and cliffhangers. Intrigued? Then it’s time for Mark to watch Pushing Daisies.
THIS IS ONE OF THE GREATEST SHOWS I’VE EVER SEEN, OH MY GOD!!!!
- Okay, so I know this is yet another show affected by the writer’s strike, since it fits with the timeline of it. (Fall/winter 2007.) However, aside from the fact that this season is only nine episodes long, you’d never be able to tell. This has been a consistent and fulfilling journey, and I’m so thankful there’s more.
- Well, that’s partially because of those things that happen later on, but honestly, I’ve never seen anything like this. At all! Not a single television show comes close. And that means I know why y’all are so upset about this show’s brief life. I AM UPSET ABOUT IT, AND I AM NOT EVEN DONE.
- So let’s just start off with my favorite thing about “Corpsicle”: At no point do the writers shame Chuck for her need to be away from Ned or for wanting to stop hiding her secret. If anything, they present her struggle with what she knows as one that’s necessary. She does not owe Ned anything for bringing her back to life. She isn’t forced to be in his company. And as stressful as it is that she might tell Oscar her secret, the writing (through Jim Dale’s narration) explains exactly why she would do something to risk Ned’s secret.
- (Which makes me wonder again: Why exactly has Ned not told Olive about who he is? As far as I understand it, he limits this information just to people who need to know, but at this point, doesn’t Olive need to know? He trusts her with the Pie Hole, and that is a big deal because… well, he’s Ned the Piemaker! It’s what he does!)
- Chuck’s struggle relates so much to what happened to her when her father died, and I’m thankful that the writers started “Corpsicle” with a flashback. We see how many clues she had that Ned knew something about her father’s death. But I actually found the entire bit about who comforted Chuck first to be more significant. It’s meaningful because so much of the tension between Chuck and Ned comes from their inability to physically comfort one another. Even as a child, physical affection meant a lot to Chuck.
- All of this reminded me of the sad reason why Ned is friends with Chuck’s aunts. I never get the sense that they’re active friends of his. I think they appreciate his generosity and his pies, and in this episode, they definitely feel like he’s overstayed his welcome when he brings up Chuck’s “ghost.”
- Building off the last episode, “Corpsicle” continues the growth of Chuck and Olive’s friendship, and it’s such a fantastic dynamic for the show. This time, Olive hides Chuck in her apartment while Ned is looking for her. She understands that Chuck needs to be on her own, and that’s awesome! Well, she is nosy about what’s going on, too.
- SO CHUCK JUST TELLS HER. oh my god OH MY GOD
- Except that it’s so absurd that Olive thinks Chuck is joking. I can breathe again.
- OH, RIGHT, THERE’S ALSO A MURDER MYSTERY IN THIS EPISODE, TOO. And it’s a doozy! I genuinely couldn’t figure it out! Of course, there are some interesting parallels between that plot line and what’s going on with Chuck and Ned, and it’s one of the things all of Bryan Fuller’s shows have been great at pulling off. You’ve got themes of people desperate to please one another. You have someone literally giving their heart to someone else to make them happy!
- But it’s what comes out of this case and Chuck’s absence from it that matters. First of all, on a surveillance shift, Ned does that thing that Emerson never wants him to do: open up to him. I swear, half of this show is just Emerson saying DON’T DO THE THING, and then Ned DOES THE THING. Anyway, in a moment of vulnerability, Emerson admits that he does know how Ned feels regarding him disappointing Chuck.
- BECAUSE HE HAS A DAUGHTER.
- WHAT
- WHAT?????
- OH MY GOD WHAT
- WOW, EMERSON JUST GOT SO MUCH CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT IN HALF A SECOND.
- Season two, you must deal with this.
- And then we’ve got everything with Oscar and Chuck, which is CEASELESSLY SUSPENSEFUL. OH MY GOD. Paul Reubens is sufficiently creepy here, and I’m glad that his more unsettling traits are portrayed that way. What he represents for Chuck is a way out of the bubble she’s stuck in. She’s tantalized by the idea of admitting her secret to him, and she toys with this by giving him a lock of her hair. But he returns that gesture of trust by giving her back, hoping that she’ll just tell him the truth.
- What I love about Chuck’s decision is that she thinks about who she is sharing the secret with, and she realizes that she doesn’t know anymore better than Ned to share a secret with.
- No, I’m not crying. Not at all.
- There’s a really weird/sweet ending to the murder plotline. Abner gets a heart! And he’s happy during the surgery! Though Madeline had to kill three people in order to get this to happen, so… awkward!
- Now, I haven’t been terribly interested in the mood enhancer plot, and then this episode. The thing happened. I was happy that Chuck accepted Ned back and that Ned refused to raise Chuck’s father again. (Also, wouldn’t he be a skeleton??? That would be too unnerving.) I absolutely did not expect the last minute twist that “Corpsicle” gave me.
- AUNT LILY IS ACTUALLY CHUCK’S MOM.
- !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
- !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
- I AM SO DONE WITH THIS SHOW!!!!
We’ll do season 2 predictions tomorrow! The video commission for this episode is now archived on MarkDoesStuff.com for just $0.99!
Mark Links Stuff
– I have redesigned MarkDoesStuff.com! Check out this post explaining the new changes, which includes the start of a permanent archive of all Mark Watches videos!
– The Mark Does Stuff Summer Tour is happening soon! Check out the posted dates, suggest new ones, help bring me to YOUR TOWN.
– I have been nominated for a Hugo in the Fan Writer category! If you’d like more information or to direct friends/family to vote for me, I have a very informational post about what I do that you can pass along and link folks to!
- Mark Reads Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is now published and available for purchase! It’s available in ebook AND physical book format, and you can also get a discount for buying the ENTIRE SET of digital books: $25 for 7 BOOKS!!!
-Â Video commissions are open, and you can commission a Mark Reads/Watches video for just $25!
