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P ema u e Wi hd awal: Sea ching o Sa is ac ion in he endings o Pushing Daisies and
Ca ni ale
Ma in A. Zelle -Jacques
“I know ha he e’s a lo o epida ion among he iewe s because he las hing you wan o do
is ge o page 450 in a nine-hund ed page no el and ha e some clown in an expensi e sui wi h
capped ee h pull i ou o you hand and h ow i ou he ca window. Thank god we” e no dealing
wi h people like ha .
HBO is commi ed o elling he s o y o he bi e end.”
[Dan Knau , w i e and p oduce o Ca ni ale, speaking a he Paley Tele ision Fes i al – Ma ch 16 h,
2004]
The comme cial clima e o con empo a y ele ision d ama is a ie cely Da winian en i onmen .
Fo e e y in elligen ly w i en, high-concep d ama which amasses sco es o episodes and a
passiona e ollowing, he e a e dozens which ail a he pilo s age, o a e a imid, hal -leng h
i s season. Fo e e y The Sop anos, he e is a Ca ni ale; o e e y Despe a e Housewi es,
he e is a Pushing Daisies. The comme cial ailu e o so many new shows is he ine i able
consequence o he indus ial logic o TV3, in which “... oday’s p oduc ion ci cums ances, highly
comme cialised as hey a e, i onically appea o ha e yielded a con ex acili a ing c ea i i y and
dis inc i e p oduc , indeed “quali y ele ision”, a he “high end” o he indus y, in TV d ama.”
(Nelson, 2007: 161) The a emp o p o ide new and dis inc i e examples o “quali y” p og amming
encou ages expe imen a ion wi h he con en and o m o ele ision d ama, as p og am make s
seek o a ac and main ain a sha e o an e e mo e agmen ed audience. Howe e , he isk
and expense in ol ed in he p oduc ion o high-end ele ision d ama also o en leads o he
ab up cancella ion o shows which ail o ul ill hei economic impe a i e by a ac ing a di e se
and luc a i e audience. As ea ly as 1995, J.T. Caldwell was al eady able o w i e ha :
I has become an almos obliga o y mid-season i e o c i ics and p oduce s o low- a ed (bu
quali y) shows ha ace cancela ion o whine ha ABC, CBS, and/o NBC a e no longe ac ing in
good ai h; ha he challenging and se ious show in ques ion could ind a long- e m and aluable
audience i he ne wo k numbe c unche s we e no so obsessed wi h he impac o his week’s
bo om line. (Caldwell, 1995: 63)
While he p oduc ion and dis ibu ion o high-end ele ision shows on subsc ip ion channels like
HBO and Show ime may allow mo e leeway o shows which ail immedia ely o ind an audience,
e en hese channels ha e a bo om line o de end. Ne e heless, his oom o manoeu e
has allowed such channels o lead he way in he p oduc ion o inc easingly complex ele ision
na a i es which demand conce ed a en ion and in ellec ual in es men om hei iewe s.
Na a i ely complex shows like The Sop anos, and Six Fee Unde , on HBO, as well as Los
and 24 on ne wo k ele ision, and, o cou se, Pushing Daisies and Ca ni ale, a e indica i e o a
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gene al end in high-end ele ision na a i e – one which has become so p onounced ha Jason
Mi el (2006: 29-30) has dubbed his pe iod “ he e a o ele ision complexi y.” Mi el con ends ha
na a i ely complex shows in oke an “ope a ional aes he ic”, whe eby a momen o especially
in ica e o sel -conscious s o y elling may unc ion as a “na a i e special-e ec ”, solici ing he
iewe ’s a en ion and admi a ion o he i uosi y o he s o y elling as much as o he s o y
being old. Impo an ly, he a en ion paid o he p ocess o na a ion does no , acco ding o Mi el,
de ac om he emo ional engagemen o he audience, and may e en in ensi y i , by in i ing
an ac i e mode o engagemen wi h he na a i e. Whe he na a i ely complex shows a e buil
a ound a cen al enigma, like Los o He oes, o a complex se o cha ac e ela ionships, like
The Sop anos o Despe a e Housewi es, hei inal episodes in a iably in oke he ope a ional
aes he ic as hey encou age specula ion on how hei nume ous plo h eads will be esol ed.
Howe e , when such shows a e cu sho , he in i a ion o in ense in ellec ual and emo ional
engagemen is swi ly e oked, as e en s a e ei he ushed o a speedy semblance o “closu e”,
o else le on a pe manen cli hange . As a esul , one o he byp oduc s o he p oduc ion
cul u e o TV3 is an e e g owing numbe o disappoin ed audiences lu ed in o iewing new
se ies by he p omise o complex, long- o m na a i es, only o ha e hei iewing cu sho – o
ha e he no el pulled ou o hei hands, as Dan Knau pu s i in he epig aph o his chap e .
The emo ional aspec o iewe s” engagemen wi h complex na a i es, whe he be o e o a e
cancella ion, is pa icula ly c ucial, as i unc ions in he manne o wha Hen y Jenkins (2006:
20) has called “a ec i e economics”. This new model o ad e ising and b oadcas ing p ac ice
encou ages s ong, pe sonal ela ionships be ween consume s and media ex s, in i ing iewe s
“inside he b and communi y.” Al hough his “pe sonal” ela ionship be ween consume and b and
may explain why empe s can un ho o e he cancella ion o a a ou i e ele ision show, as we
will see, he inale does no necessa ily signal he end o he audience’s engagemen wi h he
b and.
The audience, howe e , is only one o he pa ies in ol ed in he cancella ion o a ele ision
show. Fo he companies which p oduce ele ision, ea ly cancella ion may ep esen a cessa ion
o in es men in a show, bu i does no signal he end o he show’s u ili y as a commodi y.
Fo example, John Caldwell has a gued ha Quan um Leap used i s inale in o de o posi ion
eposi ion he show as a po en ial asse o he u u e:
Cho eog aphed by ne wo k p ess- eleases, he media an wi h he s o y ha his inal des ina ion
was ac ually he childhood home own o se ies p oduce Donald Bellasa io. ... iewe s a e augh
no abou Sam, bu abou he o igins o Quan um Leap’s p oduce and c ea i e sou ce. Wha
possible unc ion could he exhibi ion o Bellasa io’s au ho ial backs o y ul ill in his p ime ime
science- ic ion? As Quan um Leap headed o syndica ion, his episode’s display o au ho ial
in en ionali y ga e he se ies package a e y luc a i e spin – one ha aimed o mo i a e in e es in
he show’s a e li e. (Caldwell, 1995: 109)
Caldwell sugges s ha Quan um Leap’s inale e oac i ely es uc u es e e y hing which has
come be o e as a highly pe sonal, idiosync a ic ex , in a way which encou ages e- iewing o
he se ies e en on he pa o hose who we e al eady dedica ed audience membe s. Simila ly,
he “p ema u e” ending o a ele ision show encou ages he e- iewing o wha has come
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be o e, now es uc u ed in ligh o i s conclusion. And o cou se, e en a unca ed se ies may
s ill be packaged and sold, whe he in domes ic o o eign syndica ion, o in he o m o DVDs
which, Ma Hills (2005: 58; 54) sugges s make “ ele ision collec able as a ma e ial a e ac
which p omises no only “cu a o ial consump ion”, bu also a sense o ex ual comple eness.”
In pa icula , Hills no es ha he DVD elease o Joss Whedon’s p ema u ely cancelled Fi e ly,
was “ a ge ed a mo e di ec ly and sel - e lexi ely a he an ma ke ”, as Fox, he show’s pa en
channel, a emp ed o ake ad an age o he ans” ins inc owa ds “cu a o ial consump ion”.
Cancelled shows, such as Pushing Daisies and Ca ni ale, encou age ans o engage wi h
hem based upon hei complexi y while hey a e on ai , and hen epackage hemsel es a e
cancella ion, when he alue o a “comple e boxed se ” is a a p emium. And i , as Jenkins
(2006: 20) sugges s, “Acco ding o he logic o a ec i e economics, he ideal consume is ac i e,
emo ionally engaged, and socially ne wo ked,” hen he disappoin ed ans who u n owa ds
in e ne ac i ism in o de o sa e hei a ou i e shows may, i onically, make e en be e po en ial
consume s a e cancella ion.
In he es o his chap e , I will ea bo h he audience eac ion o, and p oduc ion con ex s o ,
p ema u ely cancelled ele ision shows h ough an examina ion o c i ical, popula and indus y
discou se su ounding he inales o Pushing Daisies and Ca ni ale. Ini ially, I will map he
e i o y wi h a discussion o he popula cons uc o a sa is ying o na u al ending, in o de o
show, h ough con as , he lineamen s o he p ema u e ending. I will hen o e a b ie case
s udy o he “na u al” ending o The Sop anos, and h ough his, es ablish a ounded c i ical
ocabula y wi h which o examine he mo e pa ial and disjoin ed discou se a ound he endings
o Pushing Daisies and Ca ni ale. Discussion o he way audiences eac o and engage wi h
p ema u e endings will la gely be d awn om commen s on Pushing Daisies, while Ca ni ale will
se e o illumina e he way a channel a emp s o posi ion a p ema u ely cancelled show in o de
o con inue d awing alue om i .
The “Na u al” Assump ion
The c i ical and popula discou se a ound he idea o a sa is ying o na u al ending, o , indeed,
hei opposi e, he p ema u e ending, sha e one undamen al assump ion: ha he e is some
way in which a ex is supposed o end – ha i should sa is y he desi es o a eade , o ul ill a
pu pose manda ed by i s c ea o , o bo h. Ye he inal shape o a ex is media ed by mo e han
he in en ions o i s au ho o c ea o and he desi es o i s eade s o iewe s. A ele ision ex ,
in pa icula , may be subjec o some o all o he compe ing, and some imes con adic o y o ces
o a ings, sponso ship, subsc ip ions, con en es ic ion, scheduling and mo e. These a e no
he spon aneous o e lowings o a poe in a ga e , bu ex s p oduced om wi hin a nexus o
pe sonal, cul u al and comme cial conce ns. Ye hey a ouse passion and na a i e desi e in
hei iewe s jus as su ely as he mos idiosync a ic o a is ic exp essions.
Na a i e desi e he o ce which keeps us e u ning o ic ion, whe he on he page o he sc een.
And a la ge pa o ou desi e is o a ‘sa is ying ending”, wha Pe e B ooks (1984: 19) desc ibes
as, “ he ac i e ques o he eade o hose shaping ends ha , e mina ing he dynamic p ocess
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o eading, p omise o bes ow meaning and signi icance on he beginning and he middle.” By
implica ion, he ending o a na a i e which does no “bes ow meaning” upon wha has come
be o e is likely o be ead, by some, a leas , as unsa is ying. By con as , Ca he ine Belsey
(1994: 35, 37) sees he app oaching ending o a ealis na a i e in highly emo ional e ms,
desc ibing a eade app oaching he end as, “B ea hless wi h exci emen , h illed, cu ious and
ea ul a he same ime... anspo ed ou o ime and place, imme sed in he ic ional wo ld
and in ol ed wi h inc easing in ensi y in eelings o inc easing ension.” Ye e en as he eade
is ca ied away a he close o he na a i e, Belsey acknowledges he almos impossible ask
o p o iding a uly sa is ying ending, w i ing ha , “The las page o a book which has been a
eally good ead can b eak hea s, because i compels us o ecognize wha , o cou se, we ha e
eally known all along (and wha he sel - e lexi e pos mode n ex iumphan ly keeps eminding
us), ha i wasn” ue, ha he whole expe ience was a ex ually induced illusion. The end o
he s o y is desola e, wi h o wi hou a happy ending, because i ea i ms he ex uali y o he
ex .” Be ween hei wo app oaches B ooks and Belsey d aw a en ion o he concu en , and
po en ially con adic o y, desi es o eade s o endings o be bo h logical and ca ha ic, e en as
hey acknowledge he disappoin men which necessa ily comes wi h he end o a lo ed s o y.
In he case o a ex which is b ough o a sudden end, ypically h ough cancella ion in he case
o a ele ision na a i e, hese desi es a e no less s ong, bu he ex may ha e no oppo uni y
o a emp o mee hem. Ne e heless, as Jos ein G ips ud (1995: 248-9) w i es, “Endings a e
happy, o unhappy, ab up o well p epa ed, logically sa is ac o y o unsa is ac o y. Bu as long
as an ending is he e, he ex in i es sense-making e lec ion.” The pu pose o his chap e ,
hen, is o examine he kind o ‘sense-making e lec ion” which goes on in he a e ma h o a
ele ision na a i e’s ending, and h ough his, o de e mine he s uc u es which unde lie he
popula and c i ical concep ion o he sa is ying ending.
As we ha e al eady no ed, he idea o a na u al o sa is ying ending is p oblema ic. F om an
indus ial pe spec i e, he mos na u al conclusion o a ele ision se ies comes a he momen
when i seems likely o s op ea ning he inancial income and b and capi al on which i s alue
es s. E en mo e han he ‘sa is ying ending” he idea o a se ies ha ing a “na u al ending”
is dependen upon he assump ion ha a ele ision se ies is o ganised by an au ho i a i e
pe sonali y – o en one who has had a clea no ion o he ending in mind om he beginning.
Dan Knau , o example, o iginally concei ed o Ca ni ale as h ee “books”, each o which would
consis o wo seasons
(h p://ca ni aleshow.we pain .com/ h ead/3538523/no+ hi d+season), while Amy She man-
Palladino claims o ha e known which wo ds would end The Gilmo e Gi ls om he momen she
c ea ed he show. (h p://www.gilmo egi ls.o g/spoile s.h ml) O cou se, he wo k o a show’s
c ea o is no he only hing ha sus ains a ele ision d ama, and wha e e claims o au ho ship
he o igina o o a show migh once ha e had a e likely o become mo e a enua ed o e a long
p oduc ion his o y. Ne e heless, in popula discou se, he idea o a na u al ending seems o
equa e oughly o an ending which a show’s p oduce s o c ea o s choose, a he han one
o ced upon hem by he ne wo k. Wi hin he a i icial bina y o a and comme ce, he “na u al
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ending” posi ions i sel en i ely on he side o “a ”. I his makes he concep o a na u al ending
a dubious one i used o explain he ac ual wo kings o a ele ision inale, i emains a use ul
ouchs one when examining p ema u e endings, since i ep esen s he ideal o which ans o
p ema u ely cancelled shows aspi e. Wi h his in mind, a b ie look a he discou se su ounding
he “na u al” ending o The Sop anos should help us o es ablish a se o ideas wi h which o
examine he “p ema u e” endings o Ca ni ale and Pushing Daisies.
The inal episode o The Sop anos was ai ed on HBO, on he 10 h o June, 2007, and ended on
a no o ious blackou in he middle o a ense scene which seemed o sugges ha Tony Sop ano
was abou o be assassina ed. This capped a un o eigh episodes which had been o de ed
a e he inal ‘season” had al eady been announced, and s a emen s made on behal o HBO
emphasised ha he choice o con inue wi h he show es ed wi h i s c ea o , Da id Chase:
B ad G ey, he new Pa amoun s udio chie , who e ained his i le o execu i e p oduce on “The
Sop anos,” said ha M . Chase, when he go in o he s o y elling o he coming season, decided i
was s ill so ich i could be con inued, a decision M . G ey said was endo sed by e e yone in ol ed
in he p oduc ion. (Ca e , 2005)
In he e ms discussed abo e, hen, he ending o The Sop anos ep esen s an exempla y
“na u al ending”. No only did he show’s au ho choose he momen he show would inish, bu ,
in he kind o indus y-e acing discou se ypical o HBO’s b and s a egy, he easons gi en o
his choice a e pu ely c ea i e, cons uc ed as a na u al impe a i e o he s o y being old. This
ac s as a public gua an ee o he a is ic in eg i y o he ending, and ex ends o The Sop anos he
p o ec ed s a us a o ded o an a objec , de ending he decision o end he show on a blackou
by aligning i wi h Chase’s s a us as he au ho . The c i ical and popula esponse o he ending
o The Sop anos, can hus ac as a kind o con ol agains which o examine he esponse o
endings which audiences o c i ics deem o be “p ema u e”. Al hough he ange o esponses o
he ending o a show wi h as la ge and ocal a ollowing as The Sop anos is in imida ingly la ge,
in gene al, opinions end o d aw on elemen s o h ee ela i ely dis inc discou ses which I will
call he pla onic, he melod ama ic and he indus ial. Each o hese discou ses co esponds o
he expec a ions o he ending held by a pa icula commen a o , bu hey a e also ypically isible
in he ex i sel , as he show’s p oduce s a emp o answe , and manipula e, he expec a ions
o hei audience.
The pla onic discou se assumes ha he e is an “ideal” show and assesses he success and
sa is ac ion o he ending in ela ion o how “ ue” o “au hen ic” i appea s in ela ion o ha
ideal. F om his “Pla onic” discou se, we ge commen s ela ing inales o he endings o ea lie
episodes o na a i e a cs, o en celeb a ing ci cula i y a he han ad oca ing he closing o
na a i e he meneu ics. Alan Sepinwall, he New Je sey S a -Ledge ’s dedica ed Sop anos
blogge , o e s an emblema ic example:
And ye he inale, bo h he i s 55 minu es o i and ha sadis ic las scene, i pe ec ly wi h
e e y hing Chase has done on his show be o e. Did we ge he iolen i ewo ks o las week?
Absolu ely no , as he only dea hs o he hou we e Phil Leo a do … and A.J.’s SUV… Bu ha ’s
been he pa e n o e e y season: he majo ac ion goes in he penul ima e episode, while he inale
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is sa ed o quie e lec ion and he odd whacking o wo. (Sepinwall, 2007)
In his app ecia i e e iew w i en se e al mon hs a e ini ial eac ions o he inale had passed,
Sepinwall is implici ly alida ing he choice o end on a blackou based on i s in insic Sop anos-
ness. He in okes ea lie season endings as p eceden s, bu impo an ly also appeals o Da id
Chase as he igu e o au ho ship, and hus au ho i y, behind he show. This combina ion o
s a egies a emp s o ally he ending wi h hose quali ies Sepinwall sees as he mos impo an
o The Sop anos as a whole – and i seems likely ha hese same mo i a ing ac o s unde lay
he p oduc ion o he inale. Hence AJ’s epe i ion o a line Tony spoke in he inale o he i s
season, eminding he amily o “Focus on he good imes”, and he e u n o Da id Chase as
bo h w i e and di ec o o he only ime since he pilo episode.
The melod ama ic discou se e alua es he success o an ending in e ms o he deg ee o
d ama ic esolu ion, closu e o emo ional ewa d i o e s o i s iewe s, and expec s he ex
achie e he “he oic con on a ion, pu ga ion, pu i ica ion [and] ecogni ion” which Pe e B ooks
(1976/1995: 204-5) sees as he unc ion o popula melod ama. Fo an audience membe who
engages wi h ele ision p ima ily as melod ama, na a i e desi e can only be sa is ied when he
ending seems o explain o jus i y p e ious e en s, and when he cha ac e s ha e me he a es
hei ac ions ha e me i ed. Ma y McNama a’s a icle in he LA imes o e s a pa icula ly cogen
example o his discou se:
While i is one hing o lou he con en ions o ele ision, i ’s ano he o lip d ama ic adi ion, no o
men ion you audience, he bi d. No, he [Da id Chase] didn’ owe us any nea endings, no some
so o inal wo d on he na u e o good and e il. Bu a e eigh yea s, he did owe us ca ha sis,
some so o emo ional expe ience ha would, i no sum up he en i e eigh yea s, lea e us wi h
some hing mo e meaning ul han ins an panic and linge ing i i a ion. (McNama a, 2007: 3)
Pa icula ly in he in oca ion o he ca ha sis she expec ed om he se ies ending, McNama a
d aws upon he melod ama ic discou se, o eg ounding he need o ha e he na a i e desi e
sa is ied by an emo ional expe ience engende ed by he inal momen s o The Sop anos. And
ye i does seem ha , o p oduce s oo, he sa is ac ion o iewe s” melod ama ic expec a ions
is an impo an conside a ion – hence he numbe o he meneu ics which a e closed a he end
o The Sop anos. Phil Leo a do is dead and his eud wi h he Sop ano amily e ec i ely ended;
Tony and Ca mela appea econciled; Tony’s he apy wi h D . Mel i comes o an end; e c.
The hi d discou se, he indus ial, makes i sel el h ough he commen s o sa y iewe s
and indus y commen a o s. Less emo i e han ei he he pla onic o he melod ama ic, he
indus ial discou se o se s na a i e desi e wi h knowledge o he condi ions o p oduc ion which
may impinge upon he ending o a se ies. In he case o The Sop anos his discou se is mos
commonly hea d in he asse ion ha he ending was le open o make oom o a ea u e ilm
based on he se ies, bu also appea s in Ma in Mille ’s column on he elease o he comple e
boxed se o The Sop anos:
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… an absence o upcoming “sop anos” s o ies on he small o big sc een ha dly cons i u es an end
in he digi al age. Fo yea s, indi idual-season DVD se s o he show ha e ocke ed o he op o
he sales cha s, and he e’s li le eason o belie e -- despi e i s hea y p ice ag a $399.99 -- ha
“The Sop anos: The Comple e Se ies” will be much di e en . (Mille , 2008)
Wha e e Mille ’s pe sonal esponse o he end o The Sop anos, hen, his na a i e desi e is
quali ied by his awa eness ha The Sop anos is as much a commodi y as a ex . A he same
ime, he exis ence o a “Comple e Se ies” boxed se is a es amen o he p oduce s” ai h in he
show as bo h commodi y and ex – hei ce ain y ha i will con inue o p o oke na a i e desi e
in iewe s bo h old and new.
The examples p o ided he e a e delibe a ely simple ones. In mos audience and c i ical
esponses, all h ee discou ses a e in e idence, wo king in ension wi h one ano he o s uc u e
he complex assump ions unde lying each commen a o ’s concep ion o a “sa is ying ending”.
I is impo an o no e his balance because, as we will see, i is seldom p esen in esponses o
shows which ha e su e ed om a “p ema u e” ending. As he ollowing discussion o Pushing
Daisies will show, in hese cases, he indus ial discou se eme ges as dominan , and bo h
c i ical and popula commen s end o ocus on he ex a- ex ual easons o cancella ion, o
else on gene al dissa is ac ion wi h he indus ial condi ions su ounding con empo a y ele ision
p oduc ion.
Pushing Daisies
Long be o e i s second season cancella ion, Pushing Daisies al eady showed signs o he s ain
in ol ed in p oducing dis inc i e ele ision d ama in TV3. Al hough hea ily p omo ed by ABC as
a new en -pole d ama, joining a hea y-weigh s able o shows including Despe a e Housewi es,
Los , and Ugly Be y, Pushing Daisies was immedia ely plagued by p oduc ion delays esul ing
om i s la ish isuals, and midway h ough i s i s season, became one o he shows o all a oul
o he 2007-8 Hollywood w i e s’ s ike. As a esul , he i s season o Pushing Daisies consis s
o only nine episodes and ends on a cli -hange o iginally mean o be he end o a mid-season
a c. Al hough ABC gua an eed a enewal o he nex season, he e we e wo ies ha he hia us
migh cause he show o lose he audience i had only jus s a ed o a ac . (Schneide , 2008)
Ul ima ely, only a sho second season o hi een episodes we e p oduced, and he inal h ee
episodes we e no ini ially ai ed. These we e un eiled a he 2009 Paley Tele ision Fes i al on
he 19 h o Ap il, and we e e en ually shown o he gene al public la e in Ma ch. The ending o
Pushing Daisies, hen, was no jus p ema u e, bu was di icul o access. Commen s om ans
on he mos p ominen o he many Facebook g oups a emp ing o sa e he show (Sa e Pushing
Daisies 2008-2009: 11,325 membe s) epea edly emphasise hei disappoin men a no being
able o iew hese inal episodes in hei no mal unning o de . One commen a o opines ha : “I
jus ead ha ABC is no e en going o ai he las h ee episodes ha Fulle wo ked so ha d on so ans
would no be le in limbo. I you wan o see hese episodes you will ha e o buy he DVD.......I am so
sad.” (Sa e Pushing Daisies 2008-2009)
E en be o e hey ha e had a chance o see he ending o he se ies, ans like his one a e
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p epa ing o ecei e i in e ms o he indus ial discou se – commen ing on he ne wo k’s decision
no o ai he episodes, and complaining abou ha ing o buy he DVD. Fo iewe s who eel ha
a belo ed show has ended p ema u ely, he a /comme ce bina y, isible enough in a “na u al”
ending like ha o The Sop anos, becomes mo e p ominen , and conce ns abou aes he ic
quali y and na a i e sa is ac ion a e il e ed h ough a hype -indus ial discou se. E en ans
who in oke he concep s we ha e iden i ied wi h he pla onic and he melod ama ic discou ses
end o do so in he con ex o an awa eness o he indus ial ac o s which ha e quali ied he
ending, as exempli ied by ano he commen om he same message boa d:
I miss his show so much. I inally ound a show I liked and i ’s gone. We ans also need “closu e”
and need o see he inal episodes. I am happy ha he cas go jobs elsewhe e bu eally who
ca es, i ’s no on Pushing Daisies. I wouldn’ be he same. So glad I ha e Season One. Can’ i o
Season Two o come ou . I am so sad :(!” (Sa e Pushing Daisies 2008-2009)
Jus as he p e ious commen a o ’s e e ence o [B ian] Fulle ’s wo k on he inal episodes
ecalls he au ho ial in en ionali y common o he pla onic discou se, his one’s desi e o “closu e”
echoes he language we’ e seen in he melod ama ic discou se. Ye bo h quali y hei na a i e
desi e wi h e e ence o hei us a ion a no being able o access he ending.
When ans inally did ge hei oppo uni y o iew he ending, i came wi h a inal wo-minu e
mon age assembled en i ely om digi al images and p e iously used oo age, which a emp ed
o w ap up as many plo h eads as possible. The inale was o iginally designed o end on a
cli hange , as one o he cen al cha ac e s e ealed o he aun s who had b ough he up ha she
had e u ned om he g a e. Howe e , once Fulle lea ned ha he show had been cancelled,
he used sho s dona ed by se e al isual e ec s houses in o de o c ea e he inal mon age.
(IGN.com, 2009) This mon age wo ks o p ecisely he opposi e e ec o he hype -indus ial
an discou se p oduced a ound he ending, emphasising he pla onic and melod ama ic aspec s
o he ending in he hop o c ea ing a sa is ying, i no a na u al, ending o he iewe s. The
sequence is domina ed by he lush isuals and ob usi e oiceo e which a e he dis inguishing
ai s o he se ies, hus helping o ein o ce he Fulle ’s au ho ial signa u e in he manne o he
pla onic discou se. Mo eo e , i appeals o he melod ama ic discou se by o e ing a deg ee o
esolu ion o almos e e y cha ac e , as he aun s esume hei synch onised swimming ca ee ,
Oli e inds a lo e and Eme son is euni ed wi h his missing daugh e , all wi hin a ew sho
momen s. E en Ned and Chuck, a oman ic pai ing so s a -c ossed ha hey canno ouch
wi hou Chuck dying, ind a deg ee o closu e, posing on he doo s ep o he Aun s as i benea h a
wedding bowe . Thus, while ans bemoaned he impossibili y o closu e, o na a i e sa is ac ion
due o he show’s unca ed un, he cas and c ew o Pushing Daisies wo ked especially ha d o
p o ide exac ly hose ea u es. Despi e hese e o s, howe e , an discussion la gely con inued
o cen e upon he indus ial discou se su ounding he ending, and pa icula ly on illainizing
ABC o cancelling he show, a he han on engaging wi h he ex ual quali ies o he ac ual
ending. The commen s page dealing wi h he inale on he an-si e “ hepiemake .com” is illed
wi h ans exco ia ing ABC o cancelling he show while keeping o he s on he ai , bu ela i ely
ew people discussing hei opinion o he ending:
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# Anna1212 on 06 Jun 2009 a 7:01 pm
Ca he ine- Me oo! E e y single ime he ge a eally good show hey ha e o go and cancel i !!!
I’m sooo done wi h ABC. Idc i i s bad economic imes i any hing Pushing Daises would help wi h
aising spi i s
# Daisies ules on 13 Jun 2009 a 11:46 pm
I did no expec o see Chuck euni ing wi h he aun s (mom). Tha was he mos shocking hing o
ha e happened o me in he en i e se ies and I was le b ea hless. I couldn’ help bu c y my eyes
ou , and I s ill am. The ending wi h he showing o o he windmills, ligh house, and he es was
beau i ul. Again his show was he bes show e e and will always be he bes show e e . The e was
so much good abou i , i was amazing. Now ha i is done, I can go back o no wa ching TV again.
This show is de ina ely he nex Fi e ly, Fu u ama, e c. I will be emembe ed and who knows,
Family Guy and Fu u ama came back, so could Pushing Daisies. I all depends on when Ned will
ouch i .
# lau a on 14 Jun 2009 a 12:59 am
Se iously, whe e’s he pe i ion, I’ll sign i !! Whe e’s he message boa d o ABC, why a en’ hey
lis ening? So many ash shows, and he e’s a gem! 12 Emmys and hey s ill cancel i ???? Some hing
is w ong! Isn’ he e any way o le hem know di ec ly ha we wan i back!?!
(h p://www. hepiemake .com/episode-213-ke plunk/)
As hese examples show, ela i ely ew o he commen s made explici men ion o he e en s
o he inale, ins ead appealing o ex a- ex ual ac o s such as awa d nomina ions and wins,
and denig a ing o he shows in compa ison o Daisies. E en in he second commen , which
does men ion he e en s o he inale, he iewe ’s sa is ac ion wi h he ending is quali ied in
e ms o he indus ial si ua ion su ounding Pushing Daisies, he hope o a u u e comic book
ende ing he inale less inal han i migh appea on i s own. Many o he ans commen on hei
an icipa ion o a comic book o mo ie which migh ie up he loose ends. S ill o he s s a e hei
in en ion o pu chase he exis ing se ies on DVD and o wa ch i o e again. Nea ly all, howe e ,
engage wi h he ending o Pushing Daisies i s h ough he lens o i s en o ced cancella ion, an
awa eness o he comme cial condi ions which ha e shaped he ex supplan ing a di ec eading
o he ex i sel .
In con as o he “na u al” ending o The Sop anos, a ound which he e was a ema kable
consonance o pu pose in e idence be ween p oduce s and ans as bo h deployed pla onic and
melod ama ic discou ses a ound he inale, he ending o Pushing Daisies sees p oduce s and
ans wo king a c oss-pu poses, wi h he p oduce s a emp ing o manu ac u e an app oxima ion
o a na a i ely sa is ying ending despi e he p ema u e cancella ion o he show, while ans
seem almos o a oid engaging ac i ely wi h he end o he na a i e, ins ead ocusing hei
a en ion and e o s on he indus ial ac o s which a e esponsible o he ending i sel . Despi e
hei di e en app oaches, howe e , bo h he p oduce s “mobiliza ion o he pla onic and
melod ama ic discou ses, and he ans” o he indus ial ha e he po en ial o lead o he same
esul . By p o iding Pushing Daisies wi h a deg ee o inali y o closu e in i s na a i e, Fulle
