Recap / Pushing Daisies S 2 E 11 Window Dressed To Kill

The Past

Young Olive, ignored and neglected by her wealthy parents, is kidnapped—by two bumbling thieves who end up being far better parents to her.

The Present

Ned has sworn off raising the dead, convinced it only leads to problems. That leaves Emerson at a disadvantage when investigating the deaths of the window-dressers at Dickers' Department Store.

Tropes

• Brought Down to Normal: A variant, crossed with 10-Minute Retirement—Ned doesn't lose his power, but decides not to use it.
• Confusing Multiple Negatives: Olive tries to parse Ned's declaration that he didn't never look at her the way he looks at Chuck. She parses it by overusing this trope.
• Everyone Has Standards: Jerry and Buster may be petty thieves but they disapprove of how neglectful Olive's parents were.
• Foreshadowing: The first department store diorama, by Erin (and to a lesser extent, Coco), showed a scene similar to Erin's murder. The second diorama, by Coco, shows a woman with just a bit of her dress caught in an escalator...
• He's Back!: Ned raises Randy Mann's rhino to scare off the police.
• I Need a Freaking Drink: Dickers, when Emerson and Chuck tell him that Denny is probably the murderer.
• Parental Substitute: Jerry and Buster obviously care more about Olive than her biological parents (who didn't even notice she was missing until the "kidnappers" brought her home).
• Share Phrase: "Erin, and, to a lesser extent, Coco..."
• The Other Darrin: Young Olive has been recast.
• Whole-Plot Reference: Olive's kidnapping and relationship with her kidnappers references Savannah Smiles.
• Unrequited Love Switcheroo: Olive finally seems to have moved on from Ned, and is flirting with Randy Mann. When Ned is seen watching them, the narrator reveals that the Pie Maker is very jealous.