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Episode Recap: "Pigeon"
Another Wednesday, another delightful episode.
Poor Ned. It looks like he’s gone through most of his life being lonely. After he discovered his "gift," he kind of lost touch with people. Sensing something is amiss with Ned, Digby sets off to find him, but he somehow knows he and Ned aren’t allowed to touch. The only reason I’m willing to go along with this little leap in logic is because this show is a fantasy. Well, that’s not the only reason. I don’t really have a problem with Digby being an extremely smart doggie who is able to infer "the rules" of Ned’s gift, but I did think we’d get a little more on how Digby’s managed to stay so youthful all these years. I know quite a few of you had questions about that as well.
OK, that’s my only quibble. Ned, Chuck and Emerson go to investigate a plane crash after Emerson smells some money in the suspicious circumstances. In the apartment, Chuck and Ned have a near-miss touching incident that leads to Chuck being in another man’s arms. Ned is none too pleased by this. He’s so distracted, in fact, he asks Conrad Fitch to stop touching his girl. Much to Ned’s chagrin, Chuck stays behind when he and Emerson go to the morgue to investigate the case. The coroner is suspicious but Ned does his thing and discovers the plane was hijacked. Fifty-three-year-old pilot Bradan Caden didn’t commit suicide as his insurance company assumed.
While Ned, Chuck and Emerson follow their leads, Olive takes an injured bird and Chuck’s pie to Aunts Lily and Vivian. And something happens to her while she’s there: She starts to like them. Together they fix the carrier pigeon and when the bird makes its escape, Olive convinces them to give chase. They end up at N.A.R.M. Ned, Chuck and Emerson also end up there. But let me back up.
After Ned gets the information he needs from Bradan Caden, he and Emerson return to Conrad’s apartment. They discover the real Conrad stuffed into his coffee-table trunk. That means the man they met earlier is the escaped convict who hijacked Bradan Caden’s plane. Ned finds Chuck holding hands with said convict at the Pie Hole and is more than a little perturbed. He tries to stop the mystery man from getting away, only to be left with his detachable arm. They discover the escaped convict is Lefty Lem (Dash Mihok), in jail for a white-collar crime at an energy company. His cell mate, Jackson Lucas, was in the clink for a diamond heist. Emerson sees an opportunity for an even bigger payday.
Ned reanimates Jackson to get the location of the diamonds. They also discover Lefty Lem also knows that information. In search of the mill that houses the diamond treasure, Ned, Chuck and Emerson go to a mill curator for information and that’s how they end up at N.A.R.M.: the National Area of Retired Mills. Turns out Lefty Lem and Elsita (Jayma Mays), the current resident of the mill, have been corresponding via the carrier pigeon. Just as Ned, Chuck and Emerson are about to break up this happy party, Olive does something curious. Realizing she doesn’t want to see the Darling Mermaid Darlings in pain, she prevents Lily and Vivian from seeing Chuck. Olive might be jealous that Chuck has Ned’s heart but she’s not heartless. Emerson barges in on the party after Olive and the aunts have cleared out. He calls the police and counts his cash as the cops try to cuff Lefty Lem and take him back to jail. Elsita promises to keep corresponding with Lefty. Back on Ned’s rooftop, he and Chuck dance in their bee suits.
Favorite lines:
Emerson: "Is that a dead bird? Why you touching a dead bird? Throw that away. It’s swimming with disease and you serve food."
Olive: "Don’t be such a drama queen."
Ned: "It’s raining dead birds."
Emerson: "Because Big Daddy needs some new yarn."
Ned: "I can’t catch her, Emerson."
Emerson: "You can’t suck on her toes neither. [crickets] Some women like that."
Coroner: "Well then. Flies land on me they pay rent."
Ned: "DNA-ish."
Lily: "Uh hum. It's a carrier pigeon."
Olive: "Diseases or messages?"
Lily: "Both."
Vivian: "A bird with gossip. How exciting."
Ned: "Was this the hand you were holding?"
Chuck: "If you’re referring to the touching thing, I see it as more of an obstacle than a problem."
Elsita: "Oh, no. You didn’t use bows to tie me up did you? You take a hostage like you tie your sneakers."
Some funny visuals:
• Olive forcing Ned to put his hand on her chest and moving it to the rhythm of her heart. When Emerson happens upon them, Ned can’t pull his hand away fast enough.
• Olive ripping off a taxidermied parrot’s wing and giving it to Lily to bejewel on the wounded carrier pigeon.
• Emerson using Ned’s hand to slap the windmill curator awake only to discover she’s not actually dead, she's just got a bad case of narcolepsy.
• Elsita revealing the hiding place for the diamonds is her fake wooden leg.
Random things:
• Chuck’s been a stay-at-home juror
• Vivian giggles, something she apparently hasn’t done in years.
• Looks like Lily has an eye-patch for every occasion.
Did you recognize Jayma Mays as Charlie from both Heroes and Ugly Betty?
Did you see Chuck touch Ned in the graveyard? I don’t know if she actually touched him but her hand got awfully close to him. I DVRed back a few times to see if I could make out whether or not there was contact in that dark cemetery. Thoughts?
I love it when Kristin Chenowith's Olive sings, so I liked her duet with Ellen Greene's Vivian. I also enjoyed Lily’s surly attitude to their singing. I really enjoy Swoosie Kurtz.
As always, I’m looking forward to your thoughts on the episode.
If you want another delicious slice of Pushing Daises, check out our Online Video Guide.
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Oct 25, 2007 2:58 AM
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They used a freakin' They Might Be Giants song! That was awesome...
OK, I guess this series is now tied with Dirty Sexy Money as my favorite new show this season. I just love it. And after hearing that mighty cool rendition of Birdhouse in Your Soul, I love it even more!
Regarding Digby, I think that he doesn't understand the rules of Ned's powers. He's just reacting to years of an owner who will not touch him. Ned may have scolded him over time to condition him into this behavior. It's easily explainable without endowing the dog with human intelligence.
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Oct 25, 2007 3:22 AM
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Love the show as well. I always seem to miss the singing though, think I must have switched over to the ball game for a few minutes.
I thought I saw a touch as well but I think she just brushed his jacket which seems to be ok. I don't think it was a flesh to flesh touch, just his clothing. I'd have to watch it again to be sure.
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Oct 25, 2007 4:23 AM
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I think the show is implying Digby is ultra-intelligent, like with him pulling the fire alarm on his way to find young Ned.
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Oct 25, 2007 4:33 AM
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I couldn't believe it when I heard Birdhouse in Your Soul! At first I thought it was awfully strange that she just happened to say to the aunts "birdhouse in your soul...." But then when they actually sang it? Yay!
I can't believe I actually got to hear a TMBG song on TV! Ever since discovering them at the age of 12 they have been one of my favorites ever since! Not to put too fine a point on it.
I really didn't need to be convinced even more to love this show!
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Oct 25, 2007 7:03 AM
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I also thought I saw Chuck touch Ned in the graveyard, but agree that it could have been an almost touch. Great review! You captured everything I loved in this episode! I laughed hardest, I think, at the bejeweler. And the wooden leg hiding place. Love this show!
One thing that bugged me was the disappearance of Ned's bee stings. I've never been stung by a bee, but does the bump really go away that fast?
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Oct 25, 2007 8:51 AM
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My favorite line of the episode--
Emerson to Lefty Lem: "Hand up!"
Then watching the cops handcuff him and just letting the one end dangle.
I cackled with laughter.
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Oct 25, 2007 8:59 AM
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I thought I saw Chuck touch Ned also. Also, maybe when Ned made Digby alive again, he hasn't aged .... ??? If so, that would be a problem for Chuck... she'll be the same for ever... and won't die? Or did they explain that she could die again and I missed it?
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Oct 25, 2007 9:01 AM
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Just when I thought that this show couldn't get better, when I think the "They Might Be Giants" shout out is just that when Olive is discussing the "Birdhouse in Your Soul" to Ellen Greene's "Vivian", bam it continues to make knock me over and the two are actually singing "Birdhouse in Your Soul". I so love this show.
These stories are so damn good. Only six primary cast members makes it so much better. (The coroner once again gets some great lines!) The fact that there is clearly no one of the main characters that is flat unlikable makes it an absolute blast. The actual stories are what makes this show excel. We actually care about the guest stars and the narration hasn't become tedious, it is welcome and a great aid in exposition.
I am very happy this show got a full season pick up. Brian Fuller has really created a gem and the story just keeps getting better and better. (His absense from "Heroes" is so clearly felt, that show has become a clunking and boring mess since he left. His "Company Man" was the last great episode that show has seen) Hopefully he can find a way to get his actresses from his previous cancelled shows some guest spots. Watching this show I miss "Wonderfalls" even more and wonder how FOX could have screwed that up so bad.
Lee Pace, Anna Friel, and Chi McBride are becoming the go to comedy team of the year. They are just about as perfect a combo as is possible on television. I so hope this fantastic work continues.
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Oct 25, 2007 9:03 AM
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Fun show again last night. My favorite lines: just about everything that comes out of Emerson's mouth. He cracks me up.
I thought it was funny that he was ready (again) to bolt and run to his car when it was getting close to the 60-second mark that the bird had been left alive.
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Oct 25, 2007 9:13 AM
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This show remains my #1 of the season. Snappy dialogue, great visuals. I too thought there was a "touch" in the graveyard, but. . .maybe not? Love all the characters. So very creative - glad to hear it was picked up for a full season.
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Oct 25, 2007 9:32 AM
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I'm surprised no one has mentioned the implications of Olive's warning to Chuck at the windmill - and I'm hoping the writers don't just let this slip by! I'm not saying I want Olive and Chuck to become BFF now, but Chuck must know that Olive knows given the "tart apple" warning line.
This show is quirky and fun and funny how did we get so lucky to have it actually succeed on network TV?!
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Oct 25, 2007 9:32 AM
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first things first - I absolutely thought Chuck touched Ned but before I even got the DVR backed up I realized it would have been his clothing anyway so no foul, however, once I re-watched it it was clear she just threw her hand up in a wait gesture and there was no physical contact.
Thank you for pointing out that Elsita was Charlie from Heroes. I knew I'd seen her before but I couldn't make the connection.
How incredibly great was it to actually see Chuck and Ned holding hands in Chuck's imagination? Ned is so adorable. He just looked crushed when he caught them holding hands.
I got a chuckle out of your questioning why Digby knows he can't touch Ted, but had no problem with a bird being able to fly not only with a taxidermy wing but after being bejeweled all over its body  . Fantasy indeed.
Miscellaneous thoughts:
Did I miss some explanation for why Elsita had a wooden leg?
Who was with me in terrible distress over the fate of the squirrel and who blew a sigh of relief when an ugly grackle bit it instead?
Just bringing a bejeweler into the episode at all is priceless.
Love to see Ned do his acrobatic tricks. Sliding under that table was ubersexy.
The song this time sort of left me flat even though it also included Ellen Greene's lovely, if a bit odd, voice. Maybe its just because I was unfamiliar with the song and it wasn't much of a song IMHO.
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Oct 25, 2007 10:08 AM
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You guys crack me up. So it's a stretch that Digby hasn't aged and is smart enough to know he can't touch Ned (even though he demonstrated his intelligence by pulling the fire alarm and finding Ned at the boarding school he'd never been to before), BUT you don't seem to have any problem with a bejeweled pigeon with a prosthetic wing being able to fly??? It's a fantasy, sit back, enjoy and as they've demonstrated, they'll dribble answers to all the questions a bit at a time.
Favorite line was when Ned and Emerson are filling Chuck in on what they know about Lefty. "Miss one trip to the morgue" she laments. Favorite scene - the beekeeper dance.
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Oct 25, 2007 10:09 AM
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Why does Elista have a wooden leg? If it was explained then I missed it.
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Oct 25, 2007 10:11 AM
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