Pushing Daisies

Another very cute, random episode.

The storyline this week was funny- and we get to see another side of Olive. Turns out she used to be a horse jockey and retired when another jockey got trampled during the race he was supposed to win- and Olive took first place in. It's cute how we learn a little more about her each week, and she is a truly delightful character.

To balance all that sugary sweetness, the other storyline this week is about Ned's childhood- how he never got mail from his dad at boarding school until one Halloween he gets a postcard saying his dad has moved- and he goes to see the new house, and his Dad walks out with a new wife and 2 new sons. Ned (and Digby his undead again dog) are dressed in sheets as ghosts and his dad doesn't recognize him, just gives him a candy bar. From that point on Ned hates Halloween, and every year goes back to his old house where he grew up and lies down on the floor where his bed used to be.

I am noticing the costumes in this show- and I like them. If you pause at 20 minutes in, you see Chuck and Olive wearing very cute dresses- I really like the colors and styles. Plus, Olive wears the cutest shift dresses on each episode. Just an observation.

Anyway, so they are investigating the death of a new jockey who claims he was trampled by the other jockey who got trampled in the race- and they go to the guy's mother to find answers because when they opened his grave, they found just a horse's head! Turns out, the mom (who is a bit batty) saved her son's ashes in a trophy case on the mantle, and buried his horse's head in the grave in secret.

Quick side note- the fruit Ned uses in his pies is rotten- when he touches it, it gets ripe again and beautiful and juicy... (although theoretically that could fail since he touches the fruit- so who cuts it up and bakes it into the pies? But that's petty criticism) HOWEVER- he is eating pie with the aunt's and as he puts the strawberry in his mouth, it dies and is immediately rotten! He can't even enjoy the 'fruits' of his labor! (I know, bad pun...) So Ned realizes that Chuck is sending her aunt's pies.

In a weird twist, the first dead trampled jockey wasn't really dead- he was revived in the ambulance but his legs so badly broken that they used his dead horses legs to fix them- and make him taller. He lives in his mom's basement, but he didn't kill the other jockeys. However,when Olive and Chuck give him a ride home, they look to see what his mom keeps in his trophy if not his ashes- and find the ashes of the saddle that was sabotaged which is why he died in the first place. His Mom comes in with a horse and chases Olive and Chuck and turns out she is the murderer, getting revenge for the 'death' of her son's career...

In what could possibly be the sweetest ending ever, Ned takes Olive to her aunt's house (at 2am) dressed in a sheet as a ghost so she can trick-or-treat....