I think I made it quite clear that Pushing Daisies was my favorite new show last year…even going so far as to say that it could be one of the best shows on television. I felt like it was just hitting its stride when the strike cut it short. The question is…could the show maintain its magical charm after 10 months off the air?

Yes. Absolutely. Everything that worked so well in the freshman season is back. The surreal, outlandish world is every bit as vibrant as we left it. The cast maintains spectacular chemistry, with Chi McBride inevitably stepping in to steal the show.

The gooshiness between Ned and Chuck was one of the few hit-or-miss elements of last season. At times, the goo goo eyes seemed a bit overkill, but tonight it worked brilliantly. I like that their relationship is starting to be tested…it helps to move past a lot of the “I love you more…no I love you more” moments of last season.

Also, this is the first time that I’ve ever not found French Stewart incredibly annoying. That has to day something about the quality of the show. The bee-man was spooky enough to give me nightmares, I think.

I have noticed that my tastes in television lean more toward the serial than the procedural, so it was great to see more of the mystery/drama of Chuck’s parentage (though there wasn’t much ground covered that we didn’t already know) as well as the hint of Ned’s father returning soon.

My only real complaint is…get Olive back with the crew. Kristen Chenoweth can hold a scene by herself, but she is too good to be relegated to a cut-away character.

It’s great to have Pushing Daisies is back, and as strong as ever. If you are not watching this smart, witty, ridiculously engaging show, you are truly missing out.