I was horrified to discover this morning that my DVR had not recorded last night’s episode of Pushing Daisies. I think I’ve fixed what I think was ailing the stupid machine (we’ll see if it records Life on Mars while I’m out tonight, or not), but, in the meantime: Ack! No Pushing Daisies? I was forced to resort to the full-streaming-episodes capability of the show’s official site, and I don’t want to come across as too ungrateful, because at least I was able to watch the episode, but: ugh. It was not the most fun I’ve ever had watching a show. The controls of ABC’s player were very slow to respond to my attempts to make them do, you know, the stuff they’re supposed to do, the playback was frequently jerky (and I’ve got a fast cable connection), and more than once I had to quit out of the player and start over because something inescapable and weird happened (like a promo for another ABC show was flashing in the background and trying to take over my browser).

But enough about that.

Funny, but just last week I was saying how clever it is how each episode has worked in the previously-on info that you need to know (like about Ned’s ability) as part of the narration, as a little tale about Ned’s past, or about the past of another character. And here it goes and contradicts me, and just jumps right into a standard previously-on recap. Which isn’t a bad thing in itself, of course -- some things we really do need to be reminded of, and new viewers need to be caught up on -- but still...

Best line of the episode: Ned’s “I’ll be your comforter. Consider me your king-sized duvet ready to wrap you in goose-down goodness, tonight.” Oh-kay! (And then Chuck’s non-duvet goodness right at the end? Oh my. And oh yes: this is the naughtiest nice show ever.)

All this disconnect among lonely people! The pretend-friends company, Ned’s jealousy over Olive and Chuck’s new friendship and new roommate-ness, Emerson and his mom (who, for all their talk about what great pals they are, clearly haven’t seen each other in a long while)... Oh, have you ever seen anything sadder than the hug machine, or Ned’s face when he hugged it? *blubber*

Eww, squirting dead guy! Eww, unexpected dead body! Eww, doesn’t offal pie sound, er, offal?

This I predict: Olive is going to have the learn the truth about Chuck and Ned eventually. Who would believe that two people in love can’t touch? Olive already doesn’t believe it. And also, because this show isn’t content to tread water but is constantly shifting the status quo of its characters, this seems like a logical development.

Speaking of Ned... people react really well to being dead and then not-dead again, don’t they?

(Watch full episodes at ABC’s official site for the show.)

(next: Episode 5: “Dim Sum, Lose Some”)