Comfort Food (Pushing Daisies 2.8)

After learning that Pushing Daisies is canceled, I think we were all in need of a little comfort food. And this episode delivered. It might have been my favorite one this season. I think it was the hats. Olive and Ned in matching hats just takes the…uhm…cake.

But I’m jumping ahead of myself. Let’s start with our theme intro—Young Ned at boarding school. He is in need of some comfort food and whips up a pie for himself. But just then, his dentally-challenged friend Eugene enters and needs some pie, too. And pretty soon all the boys in the school are partying with Ned and his pies. The party ends too soon when foreboding-authority-figure enters the kitchen and marches Ned away. Lesson learned? “Even a forkful of immediate gratification can lead to a world of grave consequences.”

Speaking of graves, Ned and Chuck are leaning over Charles Charles’ casket ready to open it up. As is typical, they lovingly argue about who gets the first 30 seconds of their one minute. And soon Ned touches Mr. Charles.

He asks the important question about Dwight Dixon (uh, is he bad?), then gives Chuck some alone time (like 30 seconds) with her dear old Dad.

The next time we see our lovebirds, Ned is asleep in bed holding Chuck via some plastic wrap. Chuck is fitful and gets up…so we can begin our TWO AWESOME STORYLINES!

Ready? Let’s start with:

NED and OLIVE at the BEST IN BELLY COMFORT FOOD COOK OFF. Apparently, this is THE place to be for yummy food makers…we’ve got Buffalo Muffins, the Waffle Nazi, Colonol Likken’s Southern Fried Chicken and more. Olive and Ned are desperate to win the blue ribbon this year. So, they don matching outfits with matching pie hats (this is what I want to be for Halloween next year! Olive and Ned in their pie outfits!).

Soon, they meet Leo Burns, the Coordinator of the Best in Belly Comfort Food Cook-Off. (I just like to say that.) He secretly says he’s rooting for them—even over Mary Ann Marie Beadle from Buffalo Muffins and the current Blue Ribbon holder, Colonel Likken.

As Olive and the Mary Ann Marie trade barbs, the Colonel is disovered dead—southern fried in his own vat of oil! Ned tells Olive to distract the crowd while he…investigates. After a little touch, he interviews the Colonel who tells Ned that he was pushed into the batter and the fryer from behind—it was murder! And why? To steal the secret recipe of his 500 herbs and spices he’s so famous for.

Meanwhile, the make-shift Pie Hole’s oven is smoking. It’s been sabotaged by a maple syrup carrying saboteur. Ned and Olive discover maple syrup AND a bowl of the Colonel’s batter in the Waffle Nazi’s tent. But our Nazi is a no-go because he and the Colonel were actually just going into business together—you know, for chicken and waffles.

Leo Burns scoots in on his handy dandy scooter and disqualifies The Pie Hole. And as they pack up, they realize they have to take just one more chance—and investigate the crime scene! They find some plastic sprinkles on the ground—belonging to none other than the Muffin Maven herself, Mary Anne Marie. But before they can accuse her of any wrongdoing, she knocks them out with a pan to the head.

And when they wake up, they discover she had been sabotaging everyone’s entries. But had nothing to do with the Colonel’s death. And as they argue, they notice track marks on the floor—belonging to none other than Leo Burns.

And the facts are these: Leo, a normal skinny guy, needs some comfort good himself one day and indulges in a bucket of Col. Likken’s chicken. Fifty buckets or so later, he needs a scooter to haul around his new weight. He takes out the chicken man while nabbing the secret recipe.

Leo is arrested. Mrs. Colonel Likken goes into business with the Donut Hole guy. (ew.) And Ned and Olive win the Blue Ribbon.

And Olive SINGS a secret love song to her Pie Man. Lovely. (by the way, did you get her Christmas cd yet?)

Now, storyline #2:

CHUCK AND EMERSON ON THE CASE…

Vivian and Lily are both waiting for Dwight—Vivian at her house and Lily at his hotel room, with shotgun loaded! She finally leaves him a note letting him know she has the pocket watch and will meet him at the graveyard.

Dwight appears at the cementary with his own gun in hand. But he does not see Lily. Instead he sees Ned and Chuck bringing Charles Charles back to life.

And NOW THE BIG NEWS:

As Chuck’s thirty seconds draws to a close, she pulls a glove on her dad, tells him to play dead and for the first time tricks her Pie Man. Charles Charles is newly alive and someone around them is dead. But who?

That’s right. None other than Dwight Dixon.

But let’s rewind…
Ned knows nothing of this because he’s at the Best in Belly Comfort Food Cook Off (told you I liked saying it.) So, how does Chuck find the person she arbitrarily murdered via Ned? She hires Emerson.

Chuck is freaking out that kept her dad alive by using Ned and murdering someone else. She asks Emerson to help her find her victim. And that’s when they find Dwight…and his rifle aimed at Charles Charles’ grave.

They’re not sure why Dwight would want to kill them. And while Emerson heads back to his car to grab a couple of shovels he keeps there (you know, like we all do), Chuck’s pricked conscious speaks to her via Dwight. He mocks her for not telling Ned yet.

And just then Lily shows up looking for Dwight. With shotgun in tow, of course. But don’t worry, Chuck ducks behind a tombstone before Lily is any wiser.

AND NOW THE TWO STORYLINES CONVERGE…

Ned visits Vivian and Lily because Chuck is not at the Pie Hole. As they are speaking, they see someone moving around in Ned’s old house. Ned runs over there thinking it’s Chuck being held captive by Dwight Dixon. And instead he hears Charles’ Charles say, “Charlotte?”

Chuck, “It’s ok, Dad.”

Ned, “Dad?”

Chuck, “I was going to tell you.”

THE END

Best Lines of the Night

Ned to Chuck, “15? I was 9.”

Emerson to Chuck, “Hell yeah, I’m mad. I’m steamed furious, red hot, and don’t think I ain’t gonna yell at you later.”

Colonel Likken to Ned, “Stealthy like a snake. Or a Yankee.”

Waffle Nazi to Ned and Olive, “I speak English with a German accent. Pagentry.”

In Conclusion.
Why do I even do this part? I should just cut and paste from my previous posts. I LOVED IT. I seriously thought this was one of the best shows of the season. I LOVED the two storylines that split up our Pie Quartet. It felt fresh to see Ned and Olive together (and alone). I loved Emerson and Dead Girl hanging out.

But the highlight (besides Olive’s song and the Colonel’s Yankee comment) were the costumes at the Best in Belly Comfort Food Cook Off. I felt like I was in a food court in the Land of Oz!

I just have a few questions: What IS up with Dwight and the pocket watch? Is this the last we’ll hear of Dwight? How is Charles Charles going to stay alive with a half decomposed body? Will Olive always be the spurned lover? How will Ned react to Chuck’s deceit?

Now, I’m back to cursing abc or whoever it was that canceled my precious Pie Hole. See you next week, pie fans!