26 year later: The new season of Twin Peaks.

[PsychedelicDiamond]

.

..

...

Sheesh.

Episode 8 was quite something, wasn't it? I didn't expect Lynch to go full Eraserhead on us. But he actually did it. The absolute madman. I think the whole sequence with the giant and the lady in the fancy dress might just be one of my favourite sequences in Lynch's entire filmography. We actually live in a time where this runs on TV. Think about that for a moment. Just think about it.

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

Did you hear that Zach? Twin Peaks is getting a new season!

Directed by David Lynch in 1990-1991, it followed the investigation of a young woman in a small town. Kyle MacLachlan did a great job as Special Agent Dale Cooper. He evoked such confidence and intelligence, with just a hint of mystique. It's an image of the FBI that has stayed with me all these years, it even helped inspire me to join the bureau. The show ended on a cliff hanger though, I've always wondered what really happened in that lodge. I know Zach, once this case is over we should watch the new season and find out together.

Zach, is there something here that you want to check out? We're supposed to go through Anna Graham's file at the Sheriff's office, but if you want to act on a hunch, then I'm with you.

You put a huge smile on my face reading this.

Also I heard Persona's Velvet Room is inspired by Twin Peaks. I also know Lynch voiced the bartender in The Cleveland Show.

Any way I can watch this? I have Netflix and Hulu.

Depends where you are in the world.
In the States it's only available through Showtime. It's also on Hulu, but you have to buy the Showtime add-on.
I think, but I'm not sure, it's also available through Amazon Prime.
You could use Showtime's free trial, though you have to cancel it on the final day if you don't want to get charged.
Netflix is streaming the show in certain parts of the world, like Latin America. Not in the States at the moment.

Catherine, also by Atlus, has a little bit of Twin Peaks in it as well. Also some parts of Silent Hill 4: The Room.

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

Anybody else still watching this? I'm getting a little bit sick of Dougie but otherwise I'm loving the show.

 

[CheetoDust_v1legacy]

Anybody else still watching this? I'm getting a little bit sick of Dougie but otherwise I'm loving the show.

I have some catching up to do but I think part of the issue is it was filmed as an 18 hour movie. Not a serialised show. Makes it really difficult to watch on a weekly basis. at least for me it does.

 

[PsychedelicDiamond]

Anybody else still watching this? I'm getting a little bit sick of Dougie but otherwise I'm loving the show.

Really? Because this episode he finally kinda clicked for me. Him making friends with those two mob bosses was such a genuinely funny and yet kinda touching moment. I dunno, it's like Cooper's such a thoroughly good and kind person that even when he's half catatonic people still fall in love with him. There's something kinda... cute about that. I mean, obviously the whole plotthread is sortof a parody of stuff like Breaking Bad or Fargo, about ordinary people getting mixed up in those crime dramas but the real joke is: Dougie makes it out of everything unscathed without having to do anythiing, just with his childlike innocence. I dunno, I find it entertaining to watch.

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

Anybody else still watching this? I'm getting a little bit sick of Dougie but otherwise I'm loving the show.

I have some catching up to do but I think part of the issue is it was filmed as an 18 hour movie. Not a serialised show. Makes it really difficult to watch on a weekly basis. at least for me it does.

It really does show they didn't give much thought to the TV format, they just chopped an extraordinarily long movie into 18 pieces. So the episodes aren't really structured as such; they pick up and drop out without forming a "proper" three-act arc. It makes things interesting and unpredictable but also disorienting, since you never really know who or what will carry over to the next episode, who or what will be "important" to the overall show, etc.

Anybody else still watching this? I'm getting a little bit sick of Dougie but otherwise I'm loving the show.

Really? Because this episode he finally kinda clicked for me. Him making friends with those two mob bosses was such a genuinely funny and yet kinda touching moment. I dunno, it's like Cooper's such a thoroughly good and kind person that even when he's half catatonic people still fall in love with him. There's something kinda... cute about that. I mean, obviously the whole plotthread is sortof a parody of stuff like Breaking Bad or Fargo, about ordinary people getting mixed up in those crime dramas but the real joke is: Dougie makes it out of everything unscathed without having to do anythiing, just with his childlike innocence. I dunno, I find it entertaining to watch.

I do enjoy Dougie and the posse of weirdoes he's up against (reminds me a little bit of Wild at Heart, down to the assassin hotline). I haven't seen the latest episode yet (so I'm not reading too much into your post) but I admit he's providing a very emotional, very touching angle here and there. I guess I just want the old Cooper back and I'm getting impatient about it.

 

[PsychedelicDiamond]

I do enjoy Dougie and the posse of weirdoes he's up against (reminds me a little bit of Wild at Heart, down to the assassin hotline). I haven't seen the latest episode yet (so I'm not reading too much into your post) but I admit he's providing a very emotional, very touching angle here and there. I guess I just want the old Cooper back and I'm getting impatient about it.

You know, that's an interesting comparison. Wild at Heart was about a couple travelling to Las Vegas while a group of eccentric gangsters are chasing them... and of course they never actually get to Las Vegas. Dougies plotline is set in an around Las Vegas and he's still struggling with a group of eccentric gangster who have it out for him.

Maybe it's coincidence, on the other hand a lot of this season is Lynch revisiting ideas from his earlier movies. I'm just waiting for someone to get on a lawnmower. That'd make me happy, I always felt that Straight Story was secretly one of his best movies.

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

I do enjoy Dougie and the posse of weirdoes he's up against (reminds me a little bit of Wild at Heart, down to the assassin hotline). I haven't seen the latest episode yet (so I'm not reading too much into your post) but I admit he's providing a very emotional, very touching angle here and there. I guess I just want the old Cooper back and I'm getting impatient about it.

You know, that's an interesting comparison. Wild at Heart was about a couple travelling to Las Vegas while a group of eccentric gangsters are chasing them... and of course they never actually get to Las Vegas. Dougies plotline is set in an around Las Vegas and he's still struggling with a group of eccentric gangster who have it out for him.

Maybe it's coincidence, on the other hand a lot of this season is Lynch revisiting ideas from his earlier movies. I'm just waiting for someone to get on a lawnmower. That'd make me happy, I always felt that Straight Story was secretly one of his best movies.

I finally saw the latest episode. I liked it a lot, but I'm still hung up on Cooper snapping out of it. Eleven episodes down and seven to go I guess it's only going to happen in the finale or the episode before that. I'm also bummed Shelly is no longer with Bobby. Now the silly fanboy in me is hoping Red turns on her and Bobby comes to the rescue + back with her. This is the only show where I give a crap about things like that.

As to "Lynch Watch" we have so far:

Eraserhead (most of episodes 3 and 8)
Dune (the space business - and Brian Eno-ish soundtrack - from episode 8)
Blue Velvet (always felt pretty close to Twin Peaks to begin with)
Wild at Heart (the comedy lineup of botched assassination attempts)
Fire Walk With Me (duh)
Lost Highway (the Hastings character, Mr. C's intro and the doppelg?nger/replacement decoy plot)
Mulholland Dr. (similar narrative, structure and aesthetic - down to having the same DP)
Inland Empire (see above, plus the whole "chopping up dozens of hours of random footage into a story" vibe)

I'm missing Elephant Man and Straight Story.
(I'm also missing Audrey and Big Ed, where the hell are they?)
((Also did you catch Donna's sister being Steven's lover? ))

 

[the December King]

Anybody else still watching this? I'm getting a little bit sick of Dougie but otherwise I'm loving the show.

I'm totally loving it. It is just weird enough, and yet...

Was episode 8 the one with the nuclear explosion? Cause, that episode was the best television I've seen all year so far. I laughed, I cried, it was horror, it was sublime.

Also did you catch Donna's sister being Steven's lover?

NO I DID NOT AND NOW I HAVE SOMETHING TO SURPRISE MY BETTER HALF WITH!

Seriously. She normally disdains most show lore when we watch anything. But this? Twin Peaks? She's nerded out in ways I simply can't keep up with- a glance at a scenario before anyone is introduced, or even steps onscreen, and she's like "that's so-and-so from blah-de-blah!" or "I'll bet this is related to blank!" and I'm like "whaaaaaaa...?" - and she's usually right!

I'm equal parts proud and jealous.

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

Anybody else still watching this? I'm getting a little bit sick of Dougie but otherwise I'm loving the show.

I'm totally loving it. It is just weird enough, and yet...

Was episode 8 the one with the nuclear explosion? Cause, that episode was the best television I've seen all year so far. I laughed, I cried, it was horror, it was sublime.

That's the one. Very, very divisive episode among fans, but I loved it.

Also did you catch Donna's sister being Steven's lover?

NO I DID NOT AND NOW I HAVE SOMETHING TO SURPRISE MY BETTER HALF WITH!

Seriously. She normally disdains most show lore when we watch anything. But this? Twin Peaks? She's nerded out in ways I simply can't keep up with- a glance at a scenario before anyone is introduced, or even steps onscreen, and she's like "that's so-and-so from blah-de-blah!" or "I'll bet this is related to blank!" and I'm like "whaaaaaaa...?" - and she's usually right!

I'm equal parts proud and jealous.

Yeah, I watch it with my girlfriend as well and it's nice to share that kind of connect-the-dots enthusiasm for a TV show for once. Watching it in pairs also helps in not missing out anything. I suck at recognizing people's faces so she's very handy in letting me know "that's the woman from two episodes back!" or something.

And that's totally Gersten Hayward! The name showed up in the credits and I rewound through the whole episode until I hit that one scene. She's still played by the same actress, Alicia Witt. If you stick through the credits like that you can get ahead of the show long before some reveals. Like how Eamon Farren was long credited as "Richard Horne" before the show officially showed him to be a grandson to Ben and Sylvia (Audrey's kid? Yuck).

 

[the December King]

And that's totally Gersten Hayward! The name showed up in the credits and I rewound through the whole episode until I hit that one scene. She's still played by the same actress, Alicia Witt. If you stick through the credits like that you can get ahead of the show long before some reveals. Like how Eamon Farren was long credited as "Richard Horne" before the show officially showed him to be a grandson to Ben and Sylvia (Audrey's kid? Yuck).

"Yuck" was exactly what my better half said when we (who am I kidding, she) sussed that one out.

 

[PsychedelicDiamond]

Also did you catch Donna's sister being Steven's lover?

NO I DID NOT AND NOW I HAVE SOMETHING TO SURPRISE MY BETTER HALF WITH!

Seriously. She normally disdains most show lore when we watch anything. But this? Twin Peaks? She's nerded out in ways I simply can't keep up with- a glance at a scenario before anyone is introduced, or even steps onscreen, and she's like "that's so-and-so from blah-de-blah!" or "I'll bet this is related to blank!" and I'm like "whaaaaaaa...?" - and she's usually right!

I'm equal parts proud and jealous.

Yeah, I watch it with my girlfriend as well and it's nice to share that kind of connect-the-dots enthusiasm for a TV show for once. Watching it in pairs also helps in not missing out anything. I suck at recognizing people's faces so she's very handy in letting me know "that's the woman from two episodes back!" or something.

And that's totally Gersten Hayward! The name showed up in the credits and I rewound through the whole episode until I hit that one scene. She's still played by the same actress, Alicia Witt. If you stick through the credits like that you can get ahead of the show long before some reveals. Like how Eamon Farren was long credited as "Richard Horne" before the show officially showed him to be a grandson to Ben and Sylvia (Audrey's kid? Yuck).

As a matter of fact no, I absolutely did miss that on first watch. But then it also took me a moment to realize that the man in the car dealership was Mike Nelson... i'm just not that good with faces. And I don't have a girlfriend who is. For this purpose I guess you could say 4chans /tv/ is my girlfriend... now that's a sad thought.

Anyway, so far the only character they've recast is Johnny Horne.Which is surprising because otherwise they seem to go out of their way to either get the same actors or find a way to improvise without them. Sometimes more, sometimes less succesfully. I like the idea of the dwarf having changed his form and the way Major Briggs still has so much of an impact on the story despite being dead.

On the other hand the way they're writing around Harry Truman and Philipp Jeffries seems a bit awkward so far and I'm kinda wondering if they're going somewhere with this or if they're gonna keep up the whole "only communicate with other characters by phone" thing.

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

Also did you catch Donna's sister being Steven's lover?

NO I DID NOT AND NOW I HAVE SOMETHING TO SURPRISE MY BETTER HALF WITH!

Seriously. She normally disdains most show lore when we watch anything. But this? Twin Peaks? She's nerded out in ways I simply can't keep up with- a glance at a scenario before anyone is introduced, or even steps onscreen, and she's like "that's so-and-so from blah-de-blah!" or "I'll bet this is related to blank!" and I'm like "whaaaaaaa...?" - and she's usually right!

I'm equal parts proud and jealous.

Yeah, I watch it with my girlfriend as well and it's nice to share that kind of connect-the-dots enthusiasm for a TV show for once. Watching it in pairs also helps in not missing out anything. I suck at recognizing people's faces so she's very handy in letting me know "that's the woman from two episodes back!" or something.

And that's totally Gersten Hayward! The name showed up in the credits and I rewound through the whole episode until I hit that one scene. She's still played by the same actress, Alicia Witt. If you stick through the credits like that you can get ahead of the show long before some reveals. Like how Eamon Farren was long credited as "Richard Horne" before the show officially showed him to be a grandson to Ben and Sylvia (Audrey's kid? Yuck).

As a matter of fact no, I absolutely did miss that on first watch. But then it also took me a moment to realize that the man in the car dealership was Mike Nelson... i'm just not that good with faces. And I don't have a girlfriend who is. For this purpose I guess you could say 4chans /tv/ is my girlfriend... now that's a sad thought.

Anyway, so far the only character they've recast is Johnny Horne.Which is surprising because otherwise they seem to go out of their way to either get the same actors or find a way to improvise without them. Sometimes more, sometimes less succesfully. I like the idea of the dwarf having changed his form and the way Major Briggs still has so much of an impact on the story despite being dead.

On the other hand the way they're writing around Harry Truman and Philipp Jeffries seems a bit awkward so far and I'm kinda wondering if they're going somewhere with this or if they're gonna keep up the whole "only communicate with other characters by phone" thing.

Well Johnny Horne was already played by two different people in the original show, so it figures they still wouldn't much care who played him next. And I think it was immensely lucky for Lynch and Frost that the very last thing the dwarf says on the show is "When you see me again it won't be me". As for Harry Truman and Jeffries, yes, there's something very suspect about the inclusion of their characters. Mostly because they could've just handwaved their absense with throwaway ease. And they do at first with Harry - he's sick, end of story - but because they insist on having him "totally on the other side of the phone" I wonder if the show has something more in store for him. Otherwise why keep bringing him up, and in such a cheap way too? What are the chances of a surprise cameo from Michael Ontkean? Jeffries on the other hand I wonder if he'll be recast, like the dwarf, by something rather than someone. He was in the Lodge, which gives you enough elbow room to improvise along those lines.

 

[PsychedelicDiamond]

So, Audrey was in this one. And in true Twin Peaks: The Return fashion the scene she was in was awkward, drawn out, almost free of context and raised a lot more questions than it answered. You know. The usual.

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

So, Audrey was in this one. And in true Twin Peaks: The Return fashion the scene she was in was awkward, drawn out, almost free of context and raised a lot more questions than it answered. You know. The usual.

I'm not sure whether I want to congratulate or condemn the show for being so deliberately obfuscating about Audrey. They certainly where going for it. I don't mind vague - episode eight was the most vague hour in TV I've ever seen as far as I'm concerned - but then you have this kind of vague, whose sole purpose is to annoy you.

1. The whole scene centers on a discussion surrounding "Billy". Who the fuck is Billy?
2. They keep name-dropping unseen characters. Paul. Chuck. Tina. Etc.
3. This Charles character hogs the scene with his half of a telephone conversation.
4. He goes on to refuse to disclose any of the "amazing" things he's just been told.

Audrey's reintroduction to the show is such a disappointment.
Anyway, I'm off to ***** about it in my blog. Cheers.

 

[PsychedelicDiamond]

So, Audrey was in this one. And in true Twin Peaks: The Return fashion the scene she was in was awkward, drawn out, almost free of context and raised a lot more questions than it answered. You know. The usual.

I'm not sure whether I want to congratulate or condemn the show for being so deliberately obfuscating about Audrey. They certainly where going for it. I don't mind vague - episode eight was the most vague hour in TV I've ever seen as far as I'm concerned - but then you have this kind of vague, whose sole purpose is to annoy you.

1. The whole scene centers on a discussion surrounding "Billy". Who the fuck is Billy?
2. They keep name-dropping unseen characters. Paul. Chuck. Tina. Etc.
3. This Charles character hogs the scene with his half of a telephone conversation.
4. He goes on to refuse to disclose any of the "amazing" things he's just been told.

Audrey's reintroduction to the show is such a disappointment.
Anyway, I'm off to ***** about it in my blog. Cheers.

Here are some things worth thinking about:

Is Charlie the bald man who was with Evil Cooper on that photo in New York? What we know about that place is that it's owned by an unknown billionaire. What we see from Charlie's office it's very possible he's a rich man with an interest in the supernatural (all those old books, a crystal ball on his desk... funnily enough after literally telling Audrey he doesn't have one)

So, what is it between him and Audrey? They're married but there's no love between them and she's openly admitting to having an affair with whoever Billy is. They also talk about her asking him to sign "documents"...are they planning a divorce? Then why does he reluctantly agree to help Audrey find Billy?

The stolen truck they're talking about probably has something to do with what Andy was investigating a few episodes earlier but that's about all we know about that.

It sure was a frustrating episode. And obviously deliberately so, scenes like the french woman Gordon was seeing taking extremely long to leave and Charlie's phonecall without disclosing what they were talking about afterwards are obviously meant to be kind of a joke on the viewer so if nothijg else they're self aware.

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

So, Audrey was in this one. And in true Twin Peaks: The Return fashion the scene she was in was awkward, drawn out, almost free of context and raised a lot more questions than it answered. You know. The usual.

I'm not sure whether I want to congratulate or condemn the show for being so deliberately obfuscating about Audrey. They certainly where going for it. I don't mind vague - episode eight was the most vague hour in TV I've ever seen as far as I'm concerned - but then you have this kind of vague, whose sole purpose is to annoy you.

1. The whole scene centers on a discussion surrounding "Billy". Who the fuck is Billy?
2. They keep name-dropping unseen characters. Paul. Chuck. Tina. Etc.
3. This Charles character hogs the scene with his half of a telephone conversation.
4. He goes on to refuse to disclose any of the "amazing" things he's just been told.

Audrey's reintroduction to the show is such a disappointment.
Anyway, I'm off to ***** about it in my blog. Cheers.

Here are some things worth thinking about:

Is Charlie the bald man who was with Evil Cooper on that photo in New York? What we know about that place is that it's owned by an unknown billionaire. What we see from Charlie's office it's very possible he's a rich man with an interest in the supernatural (all those old books, a crystal ball on his desk... funnily enough after literally telling Audrey he doesn't have one)

So, what is it between him and Audrey? They're married but there's no love between them and she's openly admitting to having an affair with whoever Billy is. They also talk about her asking him to sign "documents"...are they planning a divorce? Then why does he reluctantly agree to help Audrey find Billy?

The stolen truck they're talking about probably has something to do with what Andy was investigating a few episodes earlier but that's about all we know about that.

It sure was a frustrating episode. And obviously deliberately so, scenes like the french woman Gordon was seeing taking extremely long to leave and Charlie's phonecall without disclosing what they were talking about afterwards are obviously meant to be kind of a joke on the viewer so if nothijg else they're self aware.

Don't know why but I was expecting Jeffries as the "anonymous millionaire". Don't recall that photo you mention though.

And yeah, the trolling was very tongue in cheek. But this is the first time I fear we're bound for an Evangelion-like "fuck you" finale.

 

[PsychedelicDiamond]

Don't know why but I was expecting Jeffries as the "anonymous millionaire". Don't recall that photo you mention though.

And yeah, the trolling was very tongue in cheek. But this is the first time I fear we're bound for an Evangelion-like "fuck you" finale.

Here's the photo I was talking about, the one Tammy was showing to Gordon and Albert towards the end of episode 10:

http://imgur.com/a/duAEe

Bald guy in glasses. Could be Charlie, especially seeing how he's wearing a robe and appears to be sitting on a high chair or something which would make up for him being... vertically impaired.

Otherwise I agree with you, we're at the start of the last third and they'restill introducing more plot thread than they're resolving. Slowly but surly the leading question stops being "Where is all of this going" and starts being "All of this is going somewhere, right?"

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

Don't know why but I was expecting Jeffries as the "anonymous millionaire". Don't recall that photo you mention though.

And yeah, the trolling was very tongue in cheek. But this is the first time I fear we're bound for an Evangelion-like "fuck you" finale.

Here's the photo I was talking about, the one Tammy was showing to Gordon and Albert towards the end of episode 10:

http://imgur.com/a/duAEe

Bald guy in glasses. Could be Charlie, especially seeing how he's wearing a robe and appears to be sitting on a high chair or something which would make up for him being... vertically impaired.

Otherwise I agree with you, we're at the start of the last third and they'restill introducing more plot thread than they're resolving. Slowly but surly the leading question stops being "Where is all of this going" and starts being "All of this is going somewhere, right?"

Exactly that. There's only so much Twin Peaks left and the weaker aspects of the show stop being "adorably indulgent" and start feeling like they're wasting precious time. Right now we have six hours left of Twin Peaks, and I don't think they can even begin to tie everything together in six hours. At least it feels that way.

 

[PsychedelicDiamond]

Now that we're on the home stretch I might as well share my impression with each individual episode...

This was an interesting one!

The business about evil Cooper is interesting, the guy's a badass. I'd honestly like to see in some way just what the hell he's been up to between the end of the original series and the start of this one. Just how he got his gang of colourful henchmen. The armwrestling scene was just genuinely cool and, hey, it tied his plotline and Richard's together. For whatever that's worth.

Dougie had some good stuff going on too. Even in his current state Cooper is solving crimes... that's gotta count for something. Don't know if it gets him any closer to getting his mind back, I still maintain he has to meet someone from his old life first but it's these little things that show just how much of the old Cooper is still in him.

Today's obligatory awkward scene that goes on for way too long was Sarah Palmer watching tv in her living room. A looping excerpt from an old boxing match. This, along with the nature documentary of lions tearing apart their prey earlier on would indicate that she has a rather violent taste in entertainment. Seriously, something sinister is going on there. Also... gotta give it to Lynch and co, they really get what the house of an old widow looks like. The Palmer household has become an oddly scary place.

I can't make heads or tails of what's going on with Audrey and Charlie. This episode was even more cryptic about it. Are they really husband and wife? Has Audrey developed some mental issues? I mean, it does seem to run in the family... They look like they're engaged in some sort of roleplay actually. Man, I dunno. There's something here that Lynch is not telling us. Logic would dictate that this is somehow gonna relate to Richard... I mean, he has to ber her son, right? Sure as hell isn't gonna be Johnny's.

Norma and her business partner... you know, it's never quite been on the forefront but there is a certain theme about money in this season. Dougie Jones owing some gangsters money, winning big in the casino, working for an insurance company. Becky constantly asking Shelly for money. Dr. Jacoby selling overpriced garbage. Carl talking to one of his tenants about paying his rent. Now, in this episode, the guy dressed like an account random asking evil Cooper if he needs money at the most inappropriate time and Norma having that seemingly entirely unrelated conversation about running her diner... it's definitely there, I just wonder if it adds up to something. I mean, it's actually been spelled out that Twin Peaks has some economic troubles. Just something to think about.

Has James really always been cool? I dunno, but his scene towards the end calls back to season 1 in a pretty interesting way. Now, what's interesting: Who is that crying lady?

Talking about interesting: The little scene with Big Ed at the end seems pointless but pay close attention: His reflection in the glass doesn't follow his actual movements! Once again I gotta say: There's something going on there. There have been those weird little glitches in reality throughout the season, many of which could have been production oversights but a lot of them would appear to be deliberate. Food for thought.

Also: This one had a lot more... let's say conventional pacing than most episodes so far. Apart from that Sarah Palmer scene there wasn't much in the way of empty space. Is Lynch done screwing around and actually gonna move the plot forward or is that just what he wants us to think? Only way to find out is to keep tuning in... time just seems to fly by when you're watching Twin Peaks.