Pushing Daisies S01 E04: Pigeon

This episode contains a relatively simple mystery, but with a complex twist ending that some may find to be too coincidental. The real stars of this episode, though, is the further development of Ned’s and Chuck’s relationship and the continuing adventures of Olive with Chuck’s secret.

Summary:

We start another episode with a flashback to Ned’s childhood at the boarding school. This trend is becoming interesting as we are learning that this season is really focused on Ned’s life and his development as a character (as well as Chuck’s since we often flashback to her life as well). This will be in contrast to season two (when we get there) as that season seems much more broad with its on characters and closer to Olives journey, rather than Ned’s. I wonder how the show would’ve progressed and if each character would’ve gotten their own season (Emerson’s probably being the third season’s character arc).

Back to the flashback, we see Ned alone at school and Digby back at the house, also alone. This prompts Digby to run away to attempt to find Ned, which he eventually does. The meeting is bittersweet, though, as both remember that they can’t touch. This scene mirrors the present day as Digby’s vow to never leave Ned’s side, even with the drawbacks, represents the various relationships in the show. This is in direct reference to Olive’s dedication to Ned, Ned’s dedication to Chuck, and Chuck’s dedication to her aunts.

We then transition to the Pie Hole where Ned nearly catches Chuck making her mood-enhancing pies for her aunts. This leads to Chuck to ponder “the little things” like if her recently more extravagant dreams are due to her status as formerly dead, or if bee’s honey will taste different if they were also brought back to life. At this point, Ned reveals a gift to Chuck. On the rooftop, Ned has created a new bee hive for Chuck to care for, knowing that she missed her life back home.

We also see Olive’s internal thoughts in a new scene as she ponders about her feelings towards Ned and wonders what she should do now that she know’s Chuck’s secret. While grabbing Chuck’s pie to deliver to the aunts, a pigeon flies into the window, distracting all of our main characters. While arguing outside, Ned accidentally reawakens the bird, and is unable to touch it again. This causes another bird to fall out of the sky. The group (Ned, Chuck, Olive, and Emerson) look towards the sky, just as a cropduster flies into a nearby apartment complex.

Emerson, looking for another opportunity for cash, and Ned and Chuck go to the apartment complex to assess the situation. Here, Chuck shows off her law knowledge by explaining to Ned that there could be a lot of money involved in the accident. During this time, she trips and, Ned being unable to catch, she falls into the arms of Conrad Finch, the strapping owner of the apartment. Chuck stays behind with Conrad, while Ned and Emerson head to the morgue.

At the morgue, we run into the body of pilot and learn of his past through narration. We also get to see Ned’s jealous side as he is concerned about not being able to catch Chuck and her staying behind with Conrad. Ned reawakens the pilot and learns that he was actually hijacked by an escaped convict. He reassures the wife of the pilot that it was not a suicide.

After this, we cut back to Olive and her delivery of the pie to Chuck’s aunts, along with the pigeon that flew into the window, hoping that the aunts could help. We learn that the pigeon is actually a carrier pigeon with a message and Olive becomes determined to fix up the pigeon so that it could deliver the message. She also tries to convince the aunts to go to the Pie Hole afterwards to try and expose Chuck’s secret.

Emerson and Ned arrive back at the apartment, with Ned immediately noticing an off-putting smell. He moves over to the trunk serving as a coffee table and open it. Inside is a dead body, who we come to learn in the actual Conrad Finch. The impersonator was the hijacker.

We travel back to the Pie Hole, where Chuck is sharing Pie with the unknown hijacker. During their conversation, Chuck reveals that she finds a kind of thrill in her new life. She can discard the parts of herself that she did not like and maintain the parts that she did. While revealing this part of herself, the fake Conrad takes her hand. Chuck, enamored with the new physical intimacy, asks him to continue. She closes her eyes and pretend it is Ned’s hand that she is holding.

Chuck is reawakened by a slam on the window and finds Ned there, glaring at them. Conrad makes a break for it through the kitchen. Ned almost catches him, but loses him after his prosthetic arm comes off in his hands. After this ordeal, Emerson comes back with knowledge about the hijacker. We learn that he is actually a whit-collar crook who was arrested for insider trading. He shared a cell with a diamond thief who nicknamed him Lefty Lem (for his missing left arm). Lem’s cellmate died with his treasure still hidden and the trio goes to his grave site to find more information.

At the graveyard, the trio digs up the dead body of Lem’s cell mate. We learn that the diamonds are still under the stairs of a retired windmill. The trio decides to go investigate, believing that Lem is also looking for these missing diamonds.

Back at the aunt’s house, Olive helps Lily and Vivien to create a prosthetic wing for the bird, which they have affectionately nicknamed Pidge. The aunts continue to lament to Olive about how much they miss Chuck and this only furthers Olive’s determination to reveal her secret to them. During an aside, Olive tries to convince Vivien to open Pidge’s message and read it, but she refuses, alluding to an event in their past where Vivien read a message she shouldn’t have and Lily never forgave her for it.

After the production of the prosthetic wing, Pidge flies out the window without its message. The aunts and Olive chase after it trying to deliver the message. We find that they are actually heading to the same windmill as Lem and the trio of investigators. We cut to the car containing Ned, Chuck, Emerson while Ned and Chuck are discussing their relationship problems. Chuck find Ned to be too jealous and misses the physical intimacy that usually comes with a relationship, whereas Ned is concerned about Chuck’s romantic interaction with Lem.

Unfortunately, Lem makes it to the windmill before either of the two cars and finds a woman there. Bored, she allows the stranger into her house and becomes his hostage. The two share some romantic banter (while she is tied to a chair) before the car containing Olive and the aunts arrives with Pidge.

During an unusually cordial tea time, we learn that Pidge has actually been sending messages between Lem and the woman in the windmill all along. We then flashback to learn how this is true. We learn that Lem’s old cellmate actually met the original owner of the windmill while hiding his jewels and the two fell in love at first sight. After getting captured, the two sent messages to eachother through the carrier pigeon. Both of them died and they ensured that the other would continue to get messages so as to not break their partners hearts. Lem was trusted to keep sending messages to the owner of the windmill and the owner asked her daughter to keep sending messages to the convict. After the flashback we learn that the woman actually had the diamonds hidden in her prosthetic leg the entire time.

The group suddenly gets interrupted by a knock at the door. Olive looks through the peephole and finds Chuck, along with the others there. She goes to open the door to reveal the secret, but think backs on her time with the aunts. She realizes that they shouldn’t go through more trauma and warns Chuck so that she can remain hidden. Olive sneaks the aunts out the back and drive off, though Lily catches a glimpse of Chuck through the rear-view mirror.

In the end, the trio catch Lem and turn him over to the police. Lem and the windmill lady continue to write and Olive tries to console the dead pilots wife their new found information.

Pros:

-There is some much needed depth added to the relationship between Ned and Chuck

-Olive’s softening to Chuck at the end helps to make the character more likable. We get to see a more compassionate side to her and her relationship with the aunts is touching.

-The relationship between Lem and the woman in the windmill is well executed and well acted, if a bit coincidental.

-Aunt Vivien’s allusion to a mysterious note helps to create a larger, overarching plot thread that helps to keep the audience invested and eager for more episodes.

-Every character is imbued with the right amount of humor, especially Jayma Mays’ windmill woman.

Cons:

-The mystery was a bit lackluster, but this helped to keep the audience more focused on the character relationships.

-The pigeon plot thread seems like too big of a coincidence and may break a few watchers’ suspension of disbelief.

Overall:

This episode is a bit disappointing when compared to other episodes in the series. The mystery in not very engaging and the twisting plot thread can be a bit exhausting to watch. Especially since we are still getting necessary exposition at the very end of the episode. What saves the episode, though, is the relationships between Ned and Chuck, and Olive and the aunts. It’s great to see negative aspects to Ned and Chuck’s relationships, when in the past, any problems were solved by the end of the episode. And it is especially great to see more empathetic emotions shown by Olive. Her adventures were really the best part of the episode, from her quirky relationship to the aunts, to the wonder we see on Chuck’s face when she learns the aunts are at the windmill too. The episode was good, but could have definitely been delivered better with a deeper mystery, more delving into Olive’s plot, and better use of all of the characters.

Rating:

7/10 Daisies