Bloodless Coup

Pushing Daisies and "Bitter Sweets"

So I've been Netflixing season 1 of Pushing Daisies, and while the art direction, costumes, Chi McBride, the show's similarities to Dead Like Me, and, most especially, Kristin Chenoweth immediately won me over, I wasn't so sure about the show itself until watching episode 8, "Bitter Sweets". By this point the writing, which has been getting sharper and sharper every week, is excellent, and the show seems to finally hit an area of emotion that's a bit more grounded. Don't get me wrong, I love the flights of fancy and fantasy, but the early episodes show motives and feelings that are a bit too perfect. By now the characters are getting a better feel for how they really fit together. And of course this episode includes another brilliant and amusing Hitchcock homage (this time to Tippi Hedren and The Birds), some great bits of Olive (Kristin Chenoweth), and an amusing guest star turn by Molly Shannon. I'd say "Girth" remains my favorite episode yet, but my appreciation for the series continues to rise.

And the writing really is great fun. Some of my favorite lines from the last few episodes:

If the sacred cash cow that I worship moos down on us ...

Lily doesn't believe in water any more, she thinks it's a waste of a perfectly good tumbler.

Olive found herself in a cloud of steamed milk and self-pity.

I mean it's a broad generalization but my guess is an attractive man who makes pies for a living shouldn't spend even a short amount of time in prison.

I also heard you walking the streets, moaning her name, like something out of a Tennessee Williams. It may be romantic, but it's not dignified.