Smelly Cat

What a perfect Thanksgiving treat this Pushing Daisies episode was, and a reminder that this series is definitely something to be thankful for. And to wake up humming Cat Stevens' "Morning Has Broken," isn't a bad way to start a Thanksgiving day morning. By itself, having Aunt Vivan (Ellen Greene) singing the Cat classic would've felt over the top, but all the perfectly orchestrated silliness that preceded helped set it up to feel more then just a tug at the heart strings.

"Jews for Cheeses?" "Follow the yellow thick hose?" "Death by scratch-n-sniff?" All the makings of a classic episode of television. There's also Ned remembering the amorous encounter with a bear-skin rug, and don't forget Emerson's love of pop-up books. These wonderfully kooky turns felt right on in the context of the not-so-mysterious mystery. It was obvious pretty early that Napoleon Lenez (which means "the nose" in French,) was the stink bomber, but the weekly crime drama plots are always secondary to Ned's over-arching tragic existence.

We get that theme treated literally in the opening, with the brief story of the pie maker's origins, being related to the memory of his dead mother. He makes pies because "...the mere smell of it made him feel, if only for an hour, exactly like he wanted to feel : safe, and warm, and loved." And just like Chuck, he typically can't eat his pies, as he's more often then not, brought decaying fruit back to fresh in the baking. You can't have your pie (or Chuck) and eat it too.

Looks like Paul Reubens will be back as Oscar, which is welcome as his portrayal of the sewer-loving smell expert seemed like it had more to it then his brief appearance. He's plays a good villain -- I'm thinking Buffy the Vampire Slayer, not Pee Wee Herman obviously.

Song: "Morning Has Broken" - Cat Stevens

More: I've always thought the show overly accentuated Olive's (Kirsten Chenoweth) um... assets, but last night her cleavage was nearly stealing scenes. Not that I'm complaining, mind you.

Previously: Bionic Birdhouse (Episode 1.04)