Pushing Daisies Review:
"Oh Oh Oh... It's Magic" (Episode 206)

After a three-week hiatus, Pushing Daisies returned with a buoyant new episode that further developed three of the four over-arching second-season plotlines. (Emerson's missing daughter has yet to be fleshed out.) "Oh Oh Oh... It's Magic" also guest starred Fred Willard, and for anyone who has seen his performance in this, you'd know that is a very good thing indeed. Now, onto those story lines:

1. Ned's Father (and new brothers): Ned has uttered enough carefully-constructed sentences about his daddy issues to fill 10 novels by now. He's so bitter, jaded and disenchanted with the whole idea of the magic of father's love. But his poor bushy-eyebrowed brethren, Maurice and Ralston, still idolize their departed father. (Departed in the sense he's disappeared, but he's definitely still very much alive.) Turns out Ned isn't the only one desperate for a father figure. The aspiring "kitty regurgitator" gave the poor Great Hermann (Willard) "cementia" just because he longed for a father-son relationship as well.

2. Chuck's Mother: Chuck still yearns for her two favorite aunts, so Ned pulled off a magic trick of his own: he wired up Olive with a microphone, sent her in to role play with Lily (not like that, perv) and had Chuck listen and dictate her burning questions through an earpiece. Clever guy, that Ned. On a side note: is it just me, or does Chuck seem a bit subdued in recent episodes? She's nearly always bright and bubbly, but her light has increasingly dimmed, as if she's slowly tumbling down a melancholic rabbit hole. This could either just be a) my misguided observation or b) the reality of her situation—being estranged from her family and also constantly privy to Ned's turbulent ocean of issues is a pretty difficult burden to bear. 

3. Dwight Dixon: Last seen menacingly spying on our favorite piemaker and undead girl, Dwight Dixon (played by the great Stephen Root) reappeared, revealing a bit of his still-mysterious back story. Turns out Dixon was in the war with Chuck's father and Ned's father, and the three formed a close bond. Each was given a pocket watch engraved with their initials, and Dixon dropped in on the formerly reclusive duo of Lily and Vivian (they're back!) to investigate the watch's whereabouts. He even took Vivian out on a "date," to the piehole of course, in an effort to locate the watch. What he wants with the watches is still unclear, but if it's enough to drive him to dig up the grave of his dead friend's daughter, it's probably something juicy.

Stray things I loved: I love Olive's investigative work. "The killer knows how to make a sandwich," she exclaims. Nice work there, Detective Snook. I love Emerson's commitment to witty retorts, asinine comments and sneering facial expressions. "Where did I put that rat's ass I could give?" You go, boy. And, as I've blathered about before, Lily's steely disposition, deadpan delivery and blatant alcoholism is always welcomed and appreciated. Nice to have her back. Finally, I like (not quite love) Ned's new half-brothers. With so many characters coming and going, it's nice to have a couple stick around for a while.     

Finally: Anyone and everyone who reads this should head here and sign the online petition to save Pushing Daisies from cancellation. Currently at 42,000+ signatures, the petition points this out: "The Nielsen system is outdated, and does not fairly represent the amount of people watching." True story. In this day and age of DVR's, TV on DVD and online watching, fewer and fewer of us watch shows during their actual time slots. Lest you get discouraged, there is precedent for fan outrage saving a beloved show. If Jericho, of all things, can be saved, there may just be hope yet. Don't forget to do your part. Vote or die, right? (Or, in this case, electronically sign or die.)