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Nov
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Posted by pushingdaisies
November 24, 2008 |
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My sister is, on the whole, a much more dedicated listmaker than I am. She’s the more methodical of the two of us, whereas I’m the one more likely to go off on a rambling tirade that may be of possible amusement to some, but general and overall confusion to others. Because that’s the case, I’m snagging a page out of her book (no, really; she’s gonna be upset since it was spiral-bound and didn’t tear away neatly and there’s that nasty little papery bit that’s stuck inside the spiral and littering up the whole thing irrevocably now) and drawing up a list.
Without further ado, here you are. It should also be noted that I’m not putting these in any particular order, despite the fact that I’m numbering the list. Mainly I’m numbering it because without numbered lists, sometimes my counting is off and I end up with eleven…teen. Yes.
- The cleverness of the dialogue. It seems obvious, but it cannot be overstated enough. Some people have noted comparisons between this and one of Bryan Fuller’s earlier series, Dead Like Me. However, I think it’s much more apt to draw the comparison to the rapid-fire dialogue often exchanged between characters in the similarly short-lived Wonderfalls…although, to be honest, the latter didn’t seem as immediately comfortable in its own skin as Pushing Daisies did. Perhaps that’s as it should be, though; as anyone writes, hopefully they evolve, and if that’s as much the case here, I’m simultaneously excited and terrified to see where Fuller will take us next. And also whether or not we’ll be able to keep up.
- ‘Daisies’ was never afraid to let its geek flag flutter proudly. As Nivair H. Gabriel points out in this article, although PD will ultimately be short-lived, there’s an awful lot of geek shouting out crammed into an awfully small amount of space. And yet, at the same time, it was all-inclusive fun. If you didn’t get the references, maybe you wouldn’t have been as amused, it’s true—but neither would you have been made to feel like a petty object of derision because you weren’t in on the joke. Pushing Daisies was (and is) that rarest of shows: one with something for everyone, and yet utterly true to itself and pandering to no one.
- Emerson Cod. Previously, I’ve stated that my favorite character in anything ever is probably Lara Means from Millennium. Those who know me know that I don’t get particularly attached to shows or to characters very often. Emerson Cod satisfies some level of amusement deep inside my soul like no other character ever has. I have three words for you in explanation: knitted gun cozies.
- The untenable adorability of Ned and Chuck. Every relationship has its obstacles, and it’s true that in almost every one, there are bound to be times when one partner or the other will feel that they can’t get through. Like they can’t touch the other person, for whatever reason. And then there’s Ned and Chuck, who really can’t touch each other. But they find ways anyway, and it’s those infinitely creative ways they find around the pink hand-knit undead elephant in the room that make their relationship so charming and sweet. Besides, everyone knows beekeeping accoutrements are the new lingerie!
- Olive, Unrequited. Oh, poor Olive. Adorable, charming, pushy…sometimes adorably and charmingly pushy, even. This show is all about wanting what you can’t have, and nowhere is it more obvious than with the fantasticness that is Olive Snook. What’s even more impressive is that she finally makes the realization that she can’t go on torturing herself the way she has, and that she should really get over Ned, because he’s obviously not interested in her in the way she’d like. A lot of characters (and even some real-life people) could learn a lot from her.
- Who needs a special musical episode when you’ve got a song in your heart all the time? Other shows have had The Musical Episode, to varying effectiveness. I was just watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s “Once More, With Feeling” again a short while ago and reminiscing on all the things I loved (and still love) about it. But Pushing Daisies recognizes the fact that sooner or later, everyone is tempted to burst forth into song. Everyone’s got their own personal soundtrack going on inside their heads, ready to burst forth at any minute. Even if you don’t normally count yourself as a fan of the musical genre on the whole—which I don’t. Random self-musical insert into everyday life? Big checkmark here.
- It’s all about color. It’s almost like the difference between watching old Technicolor processed films and watching more normally-processed color films. All the stylistic choices involved in the making of Pushing Daisies are eye-poppingly gorgeous, almost to the point where you feel as though you’re gorging yourself just by drinking it all in. It’s eye candy in the best sense of the phrase.
- The costumes! This follows on from my last number, I suspect, and there is definitely some overlap there. And yes, Chuck’s dresses are a good chunk of this love…but really, EVERYONE is dressed exceedingly well. And by “well,” I don’t mean “I want to look like everyone on this show,” (well, I wouldn’t mind Chuck’s wardrobe, except I look nothing like her, but it is gorgeous) but “well” as in “incredibly well-suited to each character and the overall fabric of the show in general.”
- Listening to the cast talk about the show is highly entertaining. OK, I know it’s expected that actors will speak well of whatever they’re currently working on, and PD isn’t wholly unique in this. But in interview after interview, watching/listening to the actors and hearing their insights into their characters is incredibly charming and entertaining. Maybe not as much as the show itself, but a close second. For me, getting a glimpse at what’s going on inside anyone’s creative process is its own sort of gleefully addictive substance.
- The utter uniqueness of its being. Perhaps I’m belaboring the point here, having pointed out individual aspects that add up to this particular conclusion throughout this list, but it’s completely true: if you add up all the aspects of the show that I’ve pointed out so far, there really has never been anything quite like it on television, or in any other medium. To that end, it serves as a sort of joyful blast in the face of the sort of cynicism that says “everything’s already been done.” Because clearly? It hasn’t. It may be more difficult both on the parts of those involved in the creative process and on the parts of the audience, but reaching for creativity is, ultimately, worth it. Despite the fact the show’s now been cancelled. It’s still an incredibly strong and artistic statement, and that alone is heartening in itself.
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Great post! I’m not a big fan of the show, but this post alone makes me want to check it out more…
Thanks!
You should definitely check it out before it’s off the air. There was a promo video that ABC did prior to the start of the 2nd season to catch people up on the events of the 1st season. I’ll post it (I’ve seen it on YouTube) in my next entry. If you watch it before tonight’s episode, you shouldn’t be too far lost. 