‘Pushing Daisies’ recap: ‘Oh Oh Oh…It’s Magic’
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- November
- 20
“Pushing Daisies” is such a magical show, it seemed pretty appropriate that last night’s mystery dealt with a dead magician. Or, excuse me, is it illUUUUSionist?
And just when you think “Daisies” can’t get any better, it serves up guest stars like Fred Willard, as the late Great Hermonn.
(P.S. Please get everyone you know to watch this show! It’s in danger of cancellation. Pretty pretty please?)
Ned, Chuck and the gang gets pulled into the magical world when Ned’s newfound, magic-obsessed half-brothers, Ralston and Maurice (giggle!), invite them to see their act at the Conjurer’s Castle. They meet Hermonn, who’s been acting as a surrogate father to the boys for years.
Turns out that dear ol’ dad – who used to do magic tricks with all of the boys – abandoned Ralston and Maurice, too. At one of Hermonn’s shows! The younger boys have been in denial, thanks to Hermonn’s lies, thinking their dad was an important man who’d be back for them eventually.
Anyway, Hermonn hires Emerson to find out who’s been killing his animal assistants. Except the murderer has really been trying to kill Hermonn – and then succeeds by sabotaging his most elaborate trick, trapping him in a box as it fills with concrete.
Unraveling this mystery involved another magician called the Geek, whose talent for regurgitating animals and other objects factored into his murder plan. (He was upset because Hermonn seemed to be favoring the Piemaker’s brothers as his apprentices.)
But along the way, Olive is hilariously used as a human shield, Emerson delivered his usual caustic comments and Chuck swanned about in a black feathered cape. Plus, we got to see Chuck’s talent at accents as she crank called Lily, in a pathetic attempt to get her to talk about getting pregnant.
Dwight Dixon – an old friend of Chuck’s dad – is still around, too. He sweet-talks Vivian into a date, although he’s only trying to locate an old pocket watch that was buried with Chuck. Surprise, surprise, when Dwight’s grave digging turns up an empty coffin.
And Ned once again proved his love for Chuck by granting her dearest wish: Getting Lily to talk about being her real mother. Olive, who Lily thinks is the only one to know her secret, gets rigged with a microphone so Chuck can hear their conversation. Chuck gets weepy upon hearing the story of her birth in the nunnery: Even crusty Lily got tears in her one good eye.
It’s so difficult to describe the delight that is “Pushing Daisies.” Honestly, it’s something that’s really better watched than written about. Literally every moment is giggle-worthy and charming: Each scene is chock full of witty one-liners, easy chemistry among the cast and delicious visual bonbons.
So all I can say is this: Please watch. You won’t be sorry.
And as a side note to ABC? It was incredible that you took a chance on this wacky, wonderful show to begin with. Don’t let it go down without an honest fight.
(Photos courtesy of ABC)

















