I'll post at greater length when I am done watching tonight's episode. But after seeing Molly Shannon being attacked by the birds, I couldn't help but think of how much they'd made her look like Tippi Hedren even before that scene. But for some comparison, here's a publicity photo of Hedren in "The Birds."
Great fun to see friends/collaborators Mike White and Molly Shannon working together again (among other things, he directed her in "Year of the Dog"). I would have liked to see more of them but apparently we'll have to settle for her alone. But she is a pleasure, and she fits in with the weird-but-still-kinda-real characters in the show.
Ned the Pie Maker's confession at the end threw me some. But it does fit in with his ongoing attempt to achieve real intimacy with Chuck. The physical is a constant compromise, so the emotional connection has to be without compromise. Hence the confession. And the show nicely set it up with Olive's longing for the traveling salesman — for her own uncomplicated, direct, emotional and physical link to someone, even if it's not Ned.
Other good stuff: the salesman's monologue about love and Olive's unsatisfied reaction to it. Shannon/White scamming the Pie Hole gang with her feigned stutter and anger. And my favorite thing: Olive's chat with Chuck, especially the line "I can be a very good resource for you on Ned if you don't mind me clawing out your eyeballs while we talk."
