PD Finale Spoilers
Question: So, you've seen the Pushing Daisies finale (you lucky bastard). Can you give us any scoop about it?! --John
Ausiello: As a regular episode of Pushing Daisies, it was an absolute triumph. The main plot pits Vivian and Lily against their old synchronized swimming rivals, The Aqua Dolls (played by Wendy Malick and Nora Dunn). As you can imagine, inspired silliness ensues. Highlights include enough bitchy one-liners to fill a dozen EW SoundBites columns, Jaws-themed scene transitions that are a perfect blend of cheese and cheesier, a cameo by a very grown up (and rather buff) Wilson Cruz, and an unrecognizable Josh Hopkins as the Aqua's bitchy, bleach-blond manager. Now, as a satisfying conclusion to the series, the episode falls a little short -- but through no fault of Bryan Fuller and his extraordinary team. Remember, this was never intended to be a series finale. Fuller & Co. had to piece together a prologue using existing footage and some well-placed CGI, and the finished product is pretty amazing. Will it leave you wanting more? Probably. Is it better than the alternative (i.e., ending on a cliffhanger)? Damn straight it is.
I'm more than happy with the end result, and I have no doubt you will be, too. Speaking of which, tickets to the Paley-hosted finale screening go on sale today. If you can't make it to Los Angeles because you live somewhere far away like, I dunno, Belgium, then buy the DVD when it comes out. And it will come out. Eventually. "I was just going over the specs yesterday with the DVD people," Fuller tells me. "They don't know when it's coming out because it's contingent on when/if ABC airs [the final three episodes]. ABC has the rights to air them through September. So they're hoping that they'll know when so they can schedule a release date because the DVDs can't come out before [the final episodes] air."
Ausiello: As a regular episode of Pushing Daisies, it was an absolute triumph. The main plot pits Vivian and Lily against their old synchronized swimming rivals, The Aqua Dolls (played by Wendy Malick and Nora Dunn). As you can imagine, inspired silliness ensues. Highlights include enough bitchy one-liners to fill a dozen EW SoundBites columns, Jaws-themed scene transitions that are a perfect blend of cheese and cheesier, a cameo by a very grown up (and rather buff) Wilson Cruz, and an unrecognizable Josh Hopkins as the Aqua's bitchy, bleach-blond manager. Now, as a satisfying conclusion to the series, the episode falls a little short -- but through no fault of Bryan Fuller and his extraordinary team. Remember, this was never intended to be a series finale. Fuller & Co. had to piece together a prologue using existing footage and some well-placed CGI, and the finished product is pretty amazing. Will it leave you wanting more? Probably. Is it better than the alternative (i.e., ending on a cliffhanger)? Damn straight it is.
I'm more than happy with the end result, and I have no doubt you will be, too. Speaking of which, tickets to the Paley-hosted finale screening go on sale today. If you can't make it to Los Angeles because you live somewhere far away like, I dunno, Belgium, then buy the DVD when it comes out. And it will come out. Eventually. "I was just going over the specs yesterday with the DVD people," Fuller tells me. "They don't know when it's coming out because it's contingent on when/if ABC airs [the final three episodes]. ABC has the rights to air them through September. So they're hoping that they'll know when so they can schedule a release date because the DVDs can't come out before [the final episodes] air."