| Revision as of 00:52, 3 November 2007 editJasonbres (talk | contribs)Extended confirmed users28,834 editsNo edit summary← Previous edit | Revision as of 02:51, 4 January 2008 edit undoMr. Absurd (talk | contribs)Extended confirmed users6,120 editsm copyeditNext edit → | ||
| (16 intermediate revisions by 8 users not shown) | |||
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
| {{Infobox character | {{Infobox character | ||
| | colour = | | colour = #FFDD00 | ||
| | colour text = | | colour text = | ||
| | name = Ned | | name = Ned | ||
| | series = |
| series = ] | ||
| | image = | | image = ] | ||
| | caption = | | caption = | ||
| | first = ] | | first = ] | ||
| Line 10: | Line 10: | ||
| | cause = | | cause = | ||
| | creator = ] | | creator = ] | ||
| | portrayer = ]<br> |
| portrayer = ]<br />Field Cate (Young Ned) | ||
| | episode = | | episode = | ||
| | nickname = The Pie Maker | |||
| | nickname = "Beaver Boy" (as referred to by ] ] and ]<ref name="The Fun in Funeral">'']''</ref> | |||
| | alias = |
| alias = | ||
| | |
| gender = Male | ||
| | gender = | |||
| | age = 29 | | age = 29 | ||
| | born = | | born = | ||
| | death = | | death = | ||
| | specialty = | |||
| | specialty = bringing dead things back to life with one touch and killing them with another | |||
| | occupation = |
| occupation = ] maker | ||
| | title = | | title = | ||
| | callsign = | | callsign = | ||
| | family = |
| family = | ||
| | spouse = | | spouse = | ||
| | children = | | children = | ||
| | relatives = | | relatives = | ||
| | residence = | | residence = Liberty Apartments | ||
| | religion = | | religion = | ||
| | nationality = | | nationality = | ||
| }} | }} | ||
| '''Ned''' |
'''Ned''' is a ] in the ] television series '']'', portrayed by ]. | ||
| Ned has a unique magical ability to be able to bring back to life anyone or anything that is dead. Ned works as a pie maker at his restaurant The Pie Hole, and also uses his gift to aid ], a ], by bringing dead people back to life to find out how they died. | |||
| The ability allowed Ned to be reunited with his childhood sweetheart, ], who he resurrected after discovering she was murdered. Both have strong feelings for each other, but Ned is unable to touch Chuck again, or she will die forever. | |||
| == |
==Ability== | ||
| Ned has the ability to bring the dead back to life with a single touch, but there are two conditions. First, if he touches whomever he has revived a second time, it will die forever; and second, if the revived thing—person, animal, or other organism—remains alive for more than sixty seconds, something or someone else in close proximity will die in its place. Generally, whatever dies is a rough equivalent to what has been revived—a person for a person, an animal for an animal, or a plant for a plant. | |||
| ===Childhood=== | |||
| Ned grew up with his ] and ] in a bright and colorful home in ], next door to Chuck and her father. Ned harbored a childhood crush on Chuck and the two regularly played together. Chuck also enjoyed spending time in Coeur d'Coeurs' yellow ] fields with his dog, ], which is where he first discovered his magical touch.<ref name="Pie-lette">'']''</ref> | |||
| ==Childhood== | |||
| When Ned was nine years, 27 weeks, six days and three minutes old, according to the narrator, Digby ran into the street and was struck by an 18-wheeler ], which killed him instantly. Speechless and horrified, Ned touched his deceased dog just under his left eye and, to his surprise, Digby came back to life. This was the first time Ned had resurrected a living creature, and was the first moment he discovered that he had the ability to bring the dead back to life.<ref name="Pie-lette">'']''</ref> | |||
| Ned grew up in the village of Coeur d'Coeurs, next door to a girl named ], nicknamed "Chuck", whom he had a childhood crush on. Ned discovered his gift by reviving his dog, Digby, who was run over by a truck. Later that day, Ned also revived his mother after she suddenly died of a brain aneurysm. However, he soon discovered that his gift had consequences when Chuck's father died next door in exchange. Ned discovered the other effect of his gift later that night, when his mother kissed him goodnight and died a second time. | |||
| During their respective parents' funerals, Ned and Chuck kissed—the first time for both of them. After the funeral, Ned's father dropped him off at the Longburrow School for Boys, never to return. Ned continued to test his gift, learning its limitations and rules. The only contact he ever received from his father was a pre-written ] that announced, "We've Moved". On ], Ned dressed up as a ghost and went to his father's house, but discovered that his father had remarried and had two stepsons. | |||
| Later that day, when Ned's mother was baking a pie and helping Ned get cleaned for dinner, a ] in her ] burst, killing her instantly. Shocked, Ned touched his mother once under her left eye and she was brought back to life. She had been completely unaware of what happened to her and assumed she had slipped. Moments later, Ned and his mother saw Chuck's father fall dead while watering his lawn next door. This was the first time Ned realized if he kept someone alive for longer than one minute, another life had to be taken. | |||
| ==Current life== | |||
| While tucking Ned into bed that evening, Ned's mother kissed her son once upon the forehead, and she died a second time. Ned touched her again but she remained dead. This was the first time he realized that touching a resurrected person a second time would kill them forever. Ned avoided social attachments after his mother's death, fearing what he would do if someone else that he loved died.<ref name="Pie-lette">'']''</ref> | |||
| After finishing school, Ned opened his own restaurant, The Pie Hole, a restaurant specializing in pies. Ned lives above the restaurant in an apartment, next door to his employee, ], who is not aware of his ability. Olive has long held a deep affection for Ned, but despite her many attempts to attract him, he has no feelings for her. | |||
| Ned enters into a partnership with ] ], who accidentally discovers Ned's ability. Ned uses his ability to revive people who have died under suspicious circumstances to ask them about the nature of their death, thus allowing Emerson to solve the crime and collect the reward money, which the two split. | |||
| Nevertheless, during the funerals of their respective parents, Chuck and Ned, who were "dizzy with grief, curiosity and hormones" according to the narrator, exchanged a kiss, the first for both of them. Shortly afterward, Ned's father dropped Ned off at the Longburrow School for Boys in North Thrush, where Ned learned more about his power and how to control it. Ned would not return to Coeur d'Coeurs for 19 years.<ref name="Pie-lette">'']''</ref> | |||
| During the ] Ned and Emerson hear of a woman being murdered on a cruise ship, with a $50,000 reward for solving the crime. Ned soon learns that the woman is ], whom he had not seen for almost twenty years. He revives her to ask her who killed her, but discovers that she doesn't know. He is about to touch her but cannot bring himself to do it, allowing her to live instead and inadvertently causing the funeral director to die. Chuck and Ned soon develop strong feelings for each other and begin a relationship; however, they cannot touch at all, as doing so would kill Chuck. | |||
| ===Business arrangement=== | |||
| Ned developed a love of pies from his mother and, as an adult, opened the Pie Hole, a restaurant specializing in pies. He lives in an apartment above the restaurant next-door to his employee, ]. Ned and Snook both bake the pies but Snook is unaware of Ned's magical touch, and thus does not realize the fruit in their pies are so ripe with flavor because Ned touches dead fruits and brings them back to life.<ref name="Pie-lette">'']''</ref> | |||
| ==Critical reception== | |||
| The Pie Hole began to fall into financial ruin, but was saved by an arrangement Ned entered into with private investigator Emerson Cod. One day, while Cod was chasing a fleeing criminal along the rooftops of several buildings, the man slipped and fell to his death, landing on a dumpster outside of The Pie Hole, where Ned was emptying his garbage. The criminal's hand grazed Ned's face as he landed and he was brought to life. Cod witnessed this and watched as Ned touched the criminal a second time, killing him again. Cod proposed a partnership in which he would find unsolved murders offering rewards for information, and then Ned would bring the victim back to life. They would learn the circumstances of their death and solve the crime, thus collecting the reward and splitting it between the two.<ref name="Pie-lette">'']''</ref> | |||
| ], the actor who portrays Ned, has received mostly positive reviews from ], described as "an immensely likable lead, full of childlike vulnerability and almost palpable longing"<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117934899.html?categoryid=32&cs=1 |title = Pushing Daisies Review |accessdate = 2007-11-18 |last = Lowry |first = Brian |date = 2007-09-28 |publisher = Variety}}</ref> and "endearing but not too cute"<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/03/arts/television/03stan.html |title=Loner Finds He Has a Touch for Piemaking and Undeadmaking |accessdate=2007-11-18 |author=Stanley, Alessandra |date=2007-10-03 |publisher=]}}</ref>. However, he is also described as "overly slow-witted"<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sliceofscifi.com/2007/10/05/pushing-daisies-a-slice-of-scifi-review/ |title=“Pushing Daisies” — A Slice of SciFi Review |accessdate=2007-11-18 |author=Sloan, Samuel K. |date=2007-10-05 |publisher=Slice of SciFi}}</ref>. | |||
| Pace has also been praised for his acting with ], who portrays ]; critics have said, "Pace and Friel are so darn adorable together"<ref>{{cite web |url=http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/tv/333991_tv03.html |title='Pushing Daisies' wins the prize for originality |accessdate=2007-11-18 |author=McFarland, Melanie |date=2007-10-02 |publisher=]}}</ref> and "the chemistry between Lee Pace and Anna Friel is undeniable."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.tvsquad.com/2007/10/10/pushing-daisies-dummy/ |title=Pushing Daisies: Dummy |accessdate=2007-11-18 |author=Keller, Joel |date=2007-10-10 |publisher=]}}</ref> | |||
| ===Reunion with Chuck=== | |||
| Emerson Cod brought to Ned's attention a $50,000 reward being offered for a drowned woman, who Ned quickly learned was Charlotte "Chuck" Charles. Ned had not seen or heard from Chuck since their kiss 19 years ago, but his romantic feelings for her remained. Ned resurrected Chuck at the ], but could not bring himself to send her back to death; her life was inadvertently exchanged for ], the grave robbing funeral home director. Although Chuck would later admit to Cod that he had given though to bringing her back for good, he said he didn't realize he would do it until the moment occurred.<ref name="Pie-lette">'']''</ref> | |||
| Chuck helped Cod and Ned find ] and split the reward between them. They soon tracked the very valuable plaster monkeys, which Chuck was killed over, to the home of her ] and ], where the Shiny Shoes Killer attacked Ned. Aunt Lily shot the killer to death and the monkeys were given to Chuck and Ned. They soon discovered that the monkeys were actually made of solid gold, and split the wealth from them with Emerson Cod.<ref name="Pie-lette">'']''</ref> | |||
| Chuck not only starts working with Ned and Emerson Cod in solving their mysteries, but she also brings a new, friendlier element to the relationship. When Ned resurrected ], the first victim Chuck accompanies them to help, she asks whether he has any final words or requests, something that Ned admits he had never considered in the past.<ref name="Pie-lette">'']''</ref> | |||
| ==Personality and traits== | |||
| Ned is a kind-hearted and mild-mannered man who maintains a calm and mellow demeanor even when confronted with extraordinary situations, in large part from frequent encounters with death and resurrection. Due to his part in the death of his mother and Chuck's father as a child, Ned generally tries to avoid social attachments, as demonstrated by the discomfort he expresses from Olive Snook's sexual advances. Ned also has what the Narrator describes as "an obsession" with pies, which he inherited from his mother (possibly developed due to the fact that his mother was baking pies when she originally died). <ref name="Pie-lette">'']''</ref> | |||
| As a result of all the death he has encountered, Ned has a high threshold for gore and experiences none of the awkwardness most experience around death. Ned is respectful for the dead and those he brings back to life, as demonstrated by his insistence to Emerson Cod that they be called "alive again" rather than zombies, undead or the living dead.<ref name="Pie-lette">'']''</ref> | |||
| ===Ned's touch=== | |||
| Ned is able to bring the dead back to life with a single touch, an ability he first discovered at age nine when he resurrected his dog, Digby. Ned has no idea how or why he was given this ability, which the Narrator described as "a gift" that was given by no one in particular. The dead that Ned brings back to life are only permitted to be alive for one minute before another life must be taken in exchange. The life exchanged for another is taken from a random living creature that is in the general proximity at the time, usually a specimen of a similar "level" to the resurrected (i.e. a squirrel for his dog, flowers for re-ripened fruit, humans for humans, fireflies for fireflies).<ref name="Pie-lette">'']''</ref> | |||
| Any wounds or injuries inflicted upon a person in life are not healed by the Ned's touch, but the "alive again" do not seem to feel any new paĒin from those injuries; when ] was brought back to life, he did not seem to be suffered from the horrible injury on his face, which was inflicted by the Rottweiler who mauled him to death. The effects of Ned's touch, however, are apparently different regarding non-humans and non-animals; while they remain in the physical form they had in death, a strawberry that Ned touched while preparing to make a pie blossoms into the plump, ripe form it had in life.<ref name="Pie-lette">'']''</ref> | |||
| Ned's touch not only works on dismembered corpses, but each of the parts from that body are able to operate independently from each other once resurrected. Ned first discovered this when he brought back to life a criminal who was accidentally decapitated by a falling fire escape ladder while fleeing Emerson Cod; the head was still able to speak, and the headless body was able to move and attacked Ned and Cod.<ref name="Pushing Daisies: The Comic Book">Pushing Daisies: The Comic Book</ref> | |||
| ===Alternative forms of affection with Chuck=== | |||
| Although Chuck and Ned are unable to touch, the two have developed several alternative ways to demonstrate their affection toward each other. While Ned is unable to hug Chuck, he once had Emerson Cod hug her and said it was from him. During one night in which they slept in different rooms, the two both touched the same spot on their respective walls, as a way of holding hands. They have also held their own hands together behind their backs, pretending to be holding each other's hands.<ref name="Pie-lette">'']''</ref> Ned and Chuck have kissed through plastic. <ref name="The Fun in Funeral">'']''</ref> They also danced together on the roof of the Pie Hole in beekeeper suits.<ref name="Pigeon">'']''</ref> | |||
| ==Characters resurrected by Ned's touch== | |||
| {| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 90%;" | |||
| |- | |||
| ! Character | |||
| ! Episode | |||
| ! Notes | |||
| |- | |||
| | ] | |||
| | "]" | |||
| | The first creature that Ned brought back to life. A ] died sixty seconds afterwards. Ned hasn't touched Digby since. | |||
| |- | |||
| | ] | |||
| | "]" | |||
| | He kept her alive for more than a minute, causing the death of Chuck's father, Charles Charles. | |||
| |- | |||
| | Unnamed criminal | |||
| | "]" | |||
| | He fell to his death from a roof after being chased by Emerson Cod and was touched when Ned was taking out the trash. Fortunately, Ned touched him again before the minute was up. | |||
| |- | |||
| | Another unnamed criminal | |||
| | "Head" (from the ''Pushing Daisies'' comic book) | |||
| | This touch is interesting because this criminal was accidentally decapitated by a fire escape ladder. Ned touched his head and he was still able to communicate and his body was still able to move. | |||
| |- | |||
| | ] | |||
| | "]" | |||
| | | |||
| |- | |||
| | ] | |||
| | "]" | |||
| | Chuck is the second creature that Ned has kept alive for more than a minute without touching again. | |||
| |- | |||
| | ] | |||
| | "]" | |||
| | | |||
| |- | |||
| | Matthew Miltenberger | |||
| | "]" | |||
| | The cause of his murder is not revealed. The narrator says that he was a professional ] who was found dead in the ] tank of a franchise ] and lobster house. | |||
| |- | |||
| | ] | |||
| | "]" | |||
| | | |||
| |- | |||
| | Rick Page | |||
| | "]" | |||
| | Was one of the ] hanging in place of ]. | |||
| |- | |||
| | Beth | |||
| | "]" | |||
| | Was one of the ] hanging in place of ], the one whom before she died, was riding a ] at a county fair. | |||
| |- | |||
| | ] | |||
| | "]" | |||
| | Ironically, it was Lawrence who died in exchange for Chuck's life. | |||
| |- | |||
| | ] | |||
| | "]" | |||
| | | |||
| |- | |||
| | 30s woman | |||
| | "]" | |||
| | Was accidentally touched by Ned in the basement of the Schatz Brothers Funeral Home. Once she is revived, she mistakes Ned for her husband and asks him if he turned off the gas. | |||
| |- | |||
| | Elderly man | |||
| | "]" | |||
| | Was accidentally touched by Ned in the basement of the Schatz Brothers Funeral Home. Once he is revived, he asks not to be resuscitated. | |||
| |- | |||
| | ] | |||
| | "]" | |||
| | A messenger ] who was picked up by Olive. Ned revived her accidentally when Olive brushed her against Ned's hands. A ] died sixty seconds afterwards. | |||
| |- | |||
| | ] | |||
| | "]" | |||
| | | |||
| |- | |||
| | Conrad Fitch | |||
| | "]" | |||
| | The real Conrad Fitch, not ] who was posing as him when Ned, Chuck and Emerson first came into the crashed apartment. | |||
| |- | |||
| | ] | |||
| | "]" | |||
| | At the time, Lucas was already buried so very little of his ] were left. Chuck showed "a little dignity" by putting her sunglasses on him. | |||
| |- | |||
| | ] | |||
| | "]" | |||
| | | |||
| |- | |||
| | ] | |||
| | "]" | |||
| | | |||
| |} | |||
| Ned has also touched various ], ], as well as dead ] so that his pies have everlasting flavor. | |||
| ==Characters dead from Ned keeping someone else alive== | |||
| {| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 90%;" | |||
| |- | |||
| ! Character | |||
| ! Episode | |||
| ! Who was kept alive in exchange | |||
| |- | |||
| | A ] | |||
| | "]" | |||
| | ] | |||
| |- | |||
| | Charles Charles | |||
| | "]" | |||
| | ] | |||
| |- | |||
| | ] | |||
| | "]" | |||
| | ] | |||
| |- | |||
| | A ] | |||
| | "]" | |||
| | ] | |||
| |} | |||
| Other things that have died due to Ned keeping things alive for more than a minute include ] in exchange for ], a ] in exchange for a ], fireflies for other fireflies, and ] in exchange for the dead fruit he uses for his pies. | |||
| ==References== | ==References== | ||
| <references /> | <references /> | ||
| == External Links == | |||
| ] | ] | ||
| ] | |||
Revision as of 02:51, 4 January 2008
Fictional character| Ned | |
|---|---|
| Pushing Daisies character | |
 | |
| First appearance | Pie-lette |
| Created by | Bryan Fuller |
| Portrayed by | Lee Pace Field Cate (Young Ned) |
| In-universe information | |
| Nickname | The Pie Maker |
| Gender | Male |
| Occupation | Pie maker |
Ned is a fictional character in the ABC television series Pushing Daisies, portrayed by Lee Pace.
Ned has a unique magical ability to be able to bring back to life anyone or anything that is dead. Ned works as a pie maker at his restaurant The Pie Hole, and also uses his gift to aid Emerson Cod, a private investigator, by bringing dead people back to life to find out how they died.
Ability
Ned has the ability to bring the dead back to life with a single touch, but there are two conditions. First, if he touches whomever he has revived a second time, it will die forever; and second, if the revived thing—person, animal, or other organism—remains alive for more than sixty seconds, something or someone else in close proximity will die in its place. Generally, whatever dies is a rough equivalent to what has been revived—a person for a person, an animal for an animal, or a plant for a plant.
Childhood
Ned grew up in the village of Coeur d'Coeurs, next door to a girl named Charlotte Charles, nicknamed "Chuck", whom he had a childhood crush on. Ned discovered his gift by reviving his dog, Digby, who was run over by a truck. Later that day, Ned also revived his mother after she suddenly died of a brain aneurysm. However, he soon discovered that his gift had consequences when Chuck's father died next door in exchange. Ned discovered the other effect of his gift later that night, when his mother kissed him goodnight and died a second time.
During their respective parents' funerals, Ned and Chuck kissed—the first time for both of them. After the funeral, Ned's father dropped him off at the Longburrow School for Boys, never to return. Ned continued to test his gift, learning its limitations and rules. The only contact he ever received from his father was a pre-written postcard that announced, "We've Moved". On Halloween, Ned dressed up as a ghost and went to his father's house, but discovered that his father had remarried and had two stepsons.
Current life
After finishing school, Ned opened his own restaurant, The Pie Hole, a restaurant specializing in pies. Ned lives above the restaurant in an apartment, next door to his employee, Olive Snook, who is not aware of his ability. Olive has long held a deep affection for Ned, but despite her many attempts to attract him, he has no feelings for her.
Ned enters into a partnership with private investigator Emerson Cod, who accidentally discovers Ned's ability. Ned uses his ability to revive people who have died under suspicious circumstances to ask them about the nature of their death, thus allowing Emerson to solve the crime and collect the reward money, which the two split.
During the pilot episode Ned and Emerson hear of a woman being murdered on a cruise ship, with a $50,000 reward for solving the crime. Ned soon learns that the woman is Chuck, whom he had not seen for almost twenty years. He revives her to ask her who killed her, but discovers that she doesn't know. He is about to touch her but cannot bring himself to do it, allowing her to live instead and inadvertently causing the funeral director to die. Chuck and Ned soon develop strong feelings for each other and begin a relationship; however, they cannot touch at all, as doing so would kill Chuck.
Critical reception
Lee Pace, the actor who portrays Ned, has received mostly positive reviews from critics, described as "an immensely likable lead, full of childlike vulnerability and almost palpable longing" and "endearing but not too cute". However, he is also described as "overly slow-witted".
Pace has also been praised for his acting with Anna Friel, who portrays Chuck; critics have said, "Pace and Friel are so darn adorable together" and "the chemistry between Lee Pace and Anna Friel is undeniable."
References
- Lowry, Brian (2007-09-28). "Pushing Daisies Review". Variety. Retrieved 2007-11-18.
- Stanley, Alessandra (2007-10-03). "Loner Finds He Has a Touch for Piemaking and Undeadmaking". The New York Times. Retrieved 2007-11-18.
- Sloan, Samuel K. (2007-10-05). ""Pushing Daisies" — A Slice of SciFi Review". Slice of SciFi. Retrieved 2007-11-18.
- McFarland, Melanie (2007-10-02). "'Pushing Daisies' wins the prize for originality". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Retrieved 2007-11-18.
- Keller, Joel (2007-10-10). "Pushing Daisies: Dummy". TV Squad. Retrieved 2007-11-18.