A Touch-less Romance

                       The cast of Pushing Daisies 

What if you had the power to bring the dead back to life with just a simple touch? What if that awesome power came with a caveat? First touch, life.  Second touch, permanent death and not touching the person/thing that you just revived within a span of a minute, another within proximity dies in his/its place. What if you fell in love with the girl next door but due to circumstances which include unintentionally causing her father's death, you grew apart, but meet her again, nineteen years later, as a dead corpse?  What if with your magic touch, you bring her back to life and then you realize, with just one look into those gorgeous eyes, that she is the love of your life and you can't bear to part with her again.  What if you love her to pieces but you can never ever touch her, much more hold her hand or kiss.

                       Ned 'petting' his dog, Digby

Such is the premise of ABC's new show "Pushing Daisies". I was able to watch its pilot episode and instantly I fell in love with this quirky series created by Bryan Fuller and directed by Men In Black director, Barry Sonnenfeld.  I love the amusingly strange fairy tale romance between Ned, the pie-maker with the life-giving touch and Chuck, the pretty, formerly-dead girl next door. You can see even from the very first episode that the two characters are smitten with one another.  It's the stuff reminiscent of Sleeping Beauty, (Though somehow all the pies kind of remind me of the witches' cottage in Hansel and Gretel) but with a "Wonderfalls" feel to it. (Which coincidentally was also created by Bryan Fuller). I love the script, the primary color-based cinematography, the wonderful narration of Jim Dale (of Harry Potter audio book fame) and most especially the interesting chemistry between lead actors, Lee Pace and Anna Friel. Pace's innocent boyish look is to die for (it's okay because he can bring me back to life, anyway ^___^) while Friel is beautifully smart. Plus, I also have a thing for couples where the guy towers over the girl. (Gives hope for us barely five feet women, nyahahahaha)  

                      Kissing monkeys

 So how do you love someone and not touch her?  How can you content yourself with just exchanging knowing looks and bittersweet smiles?  Let's turn the table around.  What if  you're smitten  with a guy and want very much  to touch his cheek, kiss his lips  or  have  those long limbs around you, but you just can't because it would mean the death of you?   I love the part when Ned asked Emerson to give Chuck a hug and then bashfully said, "That's from me."  How freakin' sweet is that!  Or the part where they held their own hands behind their backs pretending that they are holding each other. The question is will a love thrive without  touch? Without a kiss? Without making love? Or will all that sexual frustration make the heart grow fonder? These are interesting questions worth expounding with the added dash of a murder plot on the side. This makes Pushing Daisies one hell of a very promising series. 

I'm rooting for Ned and Chuck.   I hope this 'touch-less romance' works. 

May their love be warm and sweet as pie.   

May it blossom and flourish like daisies.

Credits: photos from the ABC website, YouTube video by daemonstv