Pushing Daisies - Bad Habits

For some reason last night's episode of Pushing Daisies felt like a Nancy Drew mystery. I don't mean that in a bad way--I devoured the series when I was in elementary school. There's something about secret doors and passage ways that made me nostalgic.

It was an Olive-centric show--which made me happy. And at the end, it was the conclusion of Olive's retreat to the nunnery and her reunion with her friends at the Pie-Hole, which made me happier. I worry though that the writers have a bit of a problem on their hands as Olive is becoming a more interesting character than the two leads.

Kudos to Kristen Chenoweth for creating such a winning character.

Don't get me wrong--I love Lee Pace and the chemistry between him and Anna Friel's Chuck is fabulous. But Chuck's quirky perkiness has taken a somber turn lately and it's kind of a downer. Ned has been a sad sack as well--not only due to Chuck's move next door (Hmm--I wonder where she goes when Olive returns home and back to her apartment...Olive and Chuck become roomies? And Pigby, too?), but his childhood scars due to his father's abandonment.

As for last night's episode: When Olive's friend Sister LaRue takes a dive from the belltower, she hires Emerson Cod to prove that it was an accident so that the nun's soul won't be in jeopardy. Although Olive has taken a vow of poverty, she offers to pay Emerson in prayer.

Surprisingly, Emerson accepts. Olive warns him not to bring Ned or Chuck--but of course he brings both. Posing as investigators from the Vatican, Emerson introduces himself as Father Dowling, Ned as Father Mulcahey and Chuck as Sister Christian. Mother Mary Mary may not be the quickest on the uptake with the pop culture references (obviously they don't watch TVLand in the convent...), but she does eventually do some digging of her own and calls the trio's bluff:

"Sister Christian is nothing but a heavy petting power ballad," announces Mother Mary Mary.

"We're motoring," Emerson replies.

But their escape is blocked by a small army of nuns...

At first it seems like Mother Mary Mary might have murdered Sister LaRue, then suspicion falls upon Father Eduardo. But it turns out that it was Pigby who accidentally pushed the wayward nun in an attempt to retrieve the rare Italian white truffles she had hidden in her habit.

Chuck almost meets the same fate, but is rescued in the nick of time by Olive--and Pigby, who helps pull her back from the ledge. But then it's Olive who loses her balance and ends up falling off the tower--and ends up landing safely in a hay-filled wagon.

Although the reappearance of Ned's long-lost father has been hinted at since the first episode of the season, it would appear from the cast list for next week's episode that it is Emerson Cod's past that will play a part in the story. Oh, and while I was doing a little detective work of my own for this post (just call me Nancy Drew!), I stumbled across a Pushing Daisies Wikipedia.

Enjoy!