I am – Hercules!!

Pushing Daisies 1.13 FAQ

What’s it called?
“Kerplunk.”

Who’s responsible?
Teleplay is credited to Gretchen J. Berg & Aaron Harberts (“Bad Habits,” “Frescorts”).

What says ABC?
“When one-half of the synchronized swimming duo The Aquadolls (guest stars Nora Dunn, Wendie Malick) meets with an unfortunate end that may have been murder-by-shark, the Darling Mermaid Darlings get a chance to come out of retirement at a traveling water circus. But the surviving Aquadoll may know a little too much about Lily's past. Meanwhile, Ned, Chuck and Emerson go undercover to solve the murder. Guest starring in "Kerplunk" are Mackenzie Smith as young Lily (5 years), Avery Stevens as young Lily (11 years), Giselle Gail Gaines as young Vivian (6 years), Josh Hopkins as Shane Trickle, Nora Dunn as Doris, Wendie Malick as Coral, Joey Slotnick as Jimmy Neptune, Michael James McDonald as Galveston Gus and Wilson Cruz as Sid Tango.”

What is ABC not telling us?
Michael James McDonald turns out to be Groundlings vet Michael McDonald, who spent more than a decade playing the manchild Stuart on Quincy Jones’ abysmal SNL knockoff “MADtv.”

The big news?
“This is a Game Changer,” Chuck tells Ned mid-episode. Then Chuck does something Emerson deems “despicable.”

Does it feel like a finale?
It kinda does, actually, as we do get what would have been something of a game changer, as well as “The Intrepid Cow,” a knock at Emerson’s door and all manner of hints pointing at what awaited our main characters had the series continued.

Do Ned and Chuck touch one last time in this final episode?
They do not.

Does George Hamilton return?
Not this week. And so we are reminded that the series leaves us with loose threads aplenty.

What’s great?
The CGI means by which Doris is suddenly dispatched. The homage to the license plate from “Jaws.” “Touch her before she talks back! Touch her touch her touch her!” Olive, Emerson and Ned’s matching Team Darling outfits. (Remember when Jim Rockford’s most extravagant undercover costume was a cowboy hat?) The big ending.

What’s not so great?
No more flesh-and-blood Ned and Chuck after tonight, and their Marvel comic adventures don’t begin till autumn.

How does it end, spoiler-boy?
With Digby, pushing through a field of daisies.

10 p.m. Saturday. ABC.

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