Pushing Daisies Season 2:Episode 1: "Bzzzzz"
It's been a long ten months since we last stopped by the Pie Hole for a bite but I'm happy to say it's open for business once more and despite the gap I can also report that not much has changed with our Pie maker and his crime solving cohorts.
If you were one (like me), who was utterly charmed by the story of a man who raises the dead in between baking delicious pies, this is a good thing. The quirky humour, wonderful dialogue and delightful set design and production values remain but while it's great to have all these things back, there is a concern creeping in that maybe, just maybe, the formula needs a little shake up lest it go stale.
From the get-go we're back into familiar terrain, involving an eccentric Honey company who have been very busy bees indeed, when it comes to murder that is. Both Chuck and Ned must go undercover to try and solve a case of a mysterious swarm of bees that apparently killed an employee while still dealing with their unique-hands off-love story. The characters have always been paramount here, so while all this is happening we see cynical Private Eye Emerson Cod trying to get a pop up book published and poor put upon Olive Snook feeling the burden of one secret too many based on the fall out of the season one cliffhanger. While all this gives great potential the episode doesn't quite flow as an season opener. It feels like a standard mid season adventure, great fun for viewers already in the know but not the episode for new viewers to jump in on.
Character interplay remains as sharp as ever but there's no surprise to the mystery, as we've seen its type before and it falls into the old trap the first season of Pushing Daisies fell prey to. Unlike other crime shows they only establish one or two characters to be the potential assailant so surprises are few and far between. One can't help but wish that regarding the bee story, it had more of a sting in the tale. But the case is merely a small cog in the magical world on display and in that regard Pushing Daisies is utterly unique. You won't see another show like it, the way its setting fizzes and sparkles, it's a storybook brought to Primetime life. It's a show to be swept up in rather than dryly analyse and if you surrender to the whimsy you'll have a blast. Lee Pace remains the most likeable lead on Television, his Ned being a charming yet crucially never cloying presence. His chemistry with Anna Friel's Chuck is undeniable and it's easy to imagine them becoming an iconic TV couple. Chi McBride undercuts the sweetly romance with a healthy does of cynicism and one-liners and is ably supported by Kristin Chenoweth's Olive but here the writers make a slight misstep. Sending Olive off to a nunnery in this episode might give them a few episodes worth of material but feels like an unnecessary and improbable development that wounds the dynamic of the show. Personally I hope they resolve this thread rather quickly. (I'm aware I requested a shake up earlier in the review but still feel that Olive is an essential foil to the other characters and might suffer if her arc wanders too far from the core group, but I'll have to wait and see what happens!)
It is truly great to have this show back, brightening up the darker days set to arrive with the approach of Winter. It's just a shame to report that the ratings for this episode were hardly stellar and is causing concern for the studio with whispers of cancellation already being murmured as a possibility. The facts are these: we believe in this show and want to see it given the chance to breathe and live on just like Chuck. It has a loyal audience and must be given time to carve it's niche. Good pies need time, attention and care.
It might be premature but if you're a fan and are worried about the show check out this link:
http://www.petitiononline.com/daisies/petition.html
