Pushing Daisies - The Norwegians

And the game-changer on last night's episode of Pushing Daisies is...George Hamilton?

The preternaturally tanned one wasn't credited with the cameo at the end of the show so his appearance as Ned's long lost father came as a bit of shock--especially given the fact that he bears little resemblance to Jon Eric Price (who played the role of the Piemaker's errant Dad previously) and NO resemblance to Lee Pace.

Speaking of Dads, Chuck bemoans the fact that hers has taken off: "I've been dumped by my Dad!" "You haven't been Dad-dumped," Ned consoles. A lone button sitting on the windowsill convinces Chuck that her Dad is still around--watching over her.

Meanwhile, Vivian tries to hire Emerson Cod to track down the MIA Dwight Dixon. Knowing full well Dwight's whereabouts (replacing the formerly dead Charles Charles in his coffin), he refuses the case and attempts to talk Vivian out of digging any deeper.

The bereft Vivian turns elsewhere for investigative support--to the Norwegians. Who resembled not so coincidentally the trio of Emerson, Ned and Chuck. Fearing the Norwegians will find out the truth, the three enlist Olive to convince Vivian to drop the case.

Olive is upset at being excluded from the three sharing secrets, but Chuck tries to tell her that it's for her own protection. "I don't need protection. That's what I have several long-standing restraining orders for!" exclaims Olive.

However, she reluctantly agrees to help out. But while talking to Vivian, she sees the similarity between Lily's obfuscation and that of Ned, Emerson and Chuck. Not only doesn't she talk Vivian out of her search for Dwight, but talks herself into switching teams.

And so Olive jumps ship and starts working with the Norwegians, who have located the note that Lily wrote to Dwight in his hotel room. They present the evidence to Vivian who confronts Lily. Lily tells her that Dwight stood her up as well--and shows her Charles Charles' watch which she found in Dwight's possession. This she offers as proof of Dwight's nefariousness since--as far as they know--the only he could have obtained the watch was by digging up Chuck's grave to get it.

The Norwegians also found a shovel underneath Dwight's bed and tracked the traces of dirt on it to the graves of Chuck and her Dad. But upon exhuming them, they find both coffins empty. Ned and Emerson come up with a plan to destroy the forensic evidence by getting rid of the Norwegians mobile lab, nicknamed "Mother."

When he goes to steal the vehicle, he finds Olive there with the same idea. Turns out that Olive was not a turncoat but deep undercover. As the two hurtle Thelma and Louise style towards a large chasm, Olive pumps Ned for information. "I got myself dirty," Ned admits. "Well, allow me to soap up those hard to reach place!" Olive offers.

Ned and Olive manage to dive out of "Mother" as it goes over the cliff. Clinging to a tree branch, they are rescued just in the nick of time by a mysterious man.

Chuck is sure that her Dad was the guardian angel that saved Ned and Olive and also the person who made sure that both coffins were empty. Not only was Dwight removed from the coffin, but he was placed in his hotel bed looking like he died of natural causes and with a stash of items making him look like a graverobber.

Which he was, as a matter of fact...

But Ned and Olive's savior was not Chuck's Dad, but Ned's. In the form of George Hamilton.

Go figure.