10.18.08
Posted in Reviews at 8:20 pm by Administrator
Written by Gretchen Berg and Aaron Harberts
Directed by Peter O’Fallon
It’s been hard for me to get into this season, much like has apparently been the case for many of those who enjoyed the first season, but I think the cobwebs are falling away and the show has regained its stride. Very little of this episode was repetition, they didn’t bother explaining Ned’s ability again, and the overall story arc showed some progress. All in all, not bad for the third episode of the season.
The writers wisely realized that keeping Olive away from the rest of the cast, and dragging out the subplot regarding Olive keeping the secret from Chuck, would be a bad idea. It’s the kind of plot element that gets old very quickly. Instead of letting the secret remain with Olive, the writers gave it to Chuck. In essence, it seems like a small change, but it changes the dynamic in an important way.
For one thing, it makes Chuck’s decision to keep her revival away from Lily and Vivian a lot more difficult. Even without knowing that Chuck is alive and well, Lily will not be happy with the notion that Olive might have told someone (otherwise, why would she leave the convent)? Ned has been given a reason to go looking for his father and gain some measure of closure. Oh, and the episode was full of sarcastic wit from Emerson, so that’s always a good touch.
Regrettably, the ratings are still not reaching the bar set by the first season. One would think that an intelligent and unusual offering like “Pushing Daisies” would be perfect during such difficult times, but maybe it’s still too morbid for the liking of the masses. Unfortunately, it’s forebears “Dead Like Me” and “Wonderfalls” also struggled and died young.
Writing: 2/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 2/4
Final Rating: 8/10
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10.11.08
Posted in Reviews at 8:16 pm by Administrator
Written by Peter Ocko
Directed by Lawrence Trilling
There were a few theories in various comments to the previous review on the season premiere as to why that episode didn’t quite help the season hit the ground running. One very good theory was the massive amount of exposition, designed to bring new viewers up to speed in a minimum amount of time. Good in concept, rough in execution. (And sadly, the premiere doesn’t look like it managed to bring back all the old viewers, never mind new ones.)
This is unfortunate, because this episode managed to explain some of the same material in a more elegant manner. In fact, with so many of the new plot threads established in the premiere, the story was allowed to evolve more organically. The result was a better episode overall, especially in terms of the quirky humor and syrupy relationship drama. In other words, it was a great example of what makes “Pushing Daisies” unique.
I’m still not sold on all the subplots, at least not so much that I’m compelling to comment on them at length. This might be a problem if I found them all dreary, but they’re all worth the time given to them. Perhaps that’s because of the humor that is evenly distributed, giving every situation a satirical edge. It’s a very nice touch.
That said, it looks like the show is struggling in the ratings, along with most of the shows that were forced to close out last season in the fall, thank to the writers’ strike (or, I should say, thanks to the production companies who forced the strike). “Pushing Daisies” is a hard enough sell as it is; it doesn’t need to be fighting an uphill battle as well. There’s enough material in the can to justify keeping the show around for a little while longer, but if the ratings continue to fall, how long can the network remain patient?
Writing: 2/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 2/4
Final Rating: 8/10
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10.04.08
Posted in Reviews at 1:10 am by Administrator
Written by Bryan Fuller
Directed by Adam Kane
The pilot for “Pushing Daisies” was one of the best episodes of the entire strike-ridden 2007-2008 season, and the short but sweet first season did its best to maintain that initial quality. That struggle was mostly won, but the rough patches were frequent enough to make me wonder if the series would always be a matter of diminishing returns.
I’m not sure the second season premiere does much to mitigate those fears. For one thing, this is the first episode I’ve watched in true HD, and while the color palette is wonderful, the budget concessions are glaring. To be fair, the production is so fairy-tale in nature that the rough edges are just as often a clever way to turn relative thrift into intentional style. But this wasn’t the tour de force that the pilot represented by any means.
Perhaps it was the need to stuff the episode with enough background information to bring the audience back up to speed, or how long it took the series to return relative to the rest of the shows on the schedule. Whatever it is, I felt like it took a little too long to get back into the Pie Hole groove. And that’s even with the opening with Chuck in a cute bustier, and the fact that this country could use a weekly dose of the whimsical these days.
There were plenty of funny moments, and the show hasn’t lost its charm. There’s the usual Bryan Fuller injection of loose subplots afoot and plenty of character moments to enjoy. But it just may be that the magical qualities of the first season will be harder to rekindle than I had suspected.
Writing: 2/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 1/4
Final Rating: 7/10
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