Let's Watch Twin Peaks

Wikipedia wrote:

Twin Peaks is an American television serial drama created by David Lynch and Mark Frost. The series follows the investigation, headed by FBI Special Agent Dale Cooper (Kyle MacLachlan), of the brutal murder of a popular teenager and homecoming queen, Laura Palmer (Sheryl Lee).

As with much of Lynch's other work (notably Blue Velvet), Twin Peaks explores the gulf between the veneer of small-town respectability and the seedier layers of life lurking beneath it. Each character from the town leads a double life that is slowly uncovered as the series progresses, as it attempts to expose the dark side of seemingly innocent lives. The show further resembles Lynch's previous and subsequent work, in that it is difficult to place in a defined genre: stylistically, the program borrows the unsettling tone and supernatural premises of horror films, and simultaneously offers a bizarrely comical parody of American soap operas with a campy, melodramatic presentation of the morally dubious activities of its quirky characters. Finally, like the rest of Lynch's oeuvre, the show represents an earnest moral inquiry distinguished by both weird humor and a deep vein of surrealism.

This topic will chronicle my first ever viewing of Twin Peaks. I don't know if anyone else on this forum has ever seen it, so I will warn you now: I will discuss what happens in each episode as well as my theories on what's going on. My knowledge of Twin Peaks is quite limited, all I know is that it's supposed to be weird as hell and very, very David Lynch.

My reasons for doing this watch-through basically boil down to two reasons. First of all, supergreatfriend's incredible Let's Play of Deadly Premonition put me the idea in my head, since the game draws more than a little inspiration from Twin Peaks. Secondly, I watched Mulholland Drive - a film directed by David Lynch - for the first time last night and decided if Twin Peaks is anything like that, then it's worth watching.

I plan to watch both television first, followed by the Twin Peaks movie. Now, the movie is apparently a prequel, but it seems it contains many spoilers for the main series and I was advised to watch the seasons first. So that's what I'll do.

I figure this will probably take me about a week. Maybe sooner depending on how good it is. Let's go.

Pilot

Synopsis:
- Laura Palmer's body is discovered washed up on the shore of a lake by a local fisherman.
- Not long after, Ronette Pulaski, a girl who attended from Laura's high school, is found wandering on a bridge before lapsing into a coma.
- FBI Agent Dale Cooper is called in. Cooper is eccentric and anti-social, but strikes up a friendship with the local Sheriff, Harry S. Truman.
- Cooper examines Laura's body. He discovers the letter 'R' wedged under the nail of her middle finger, confirming his suspicions that there is connection between Laura's death and the death of another girl named Theresa Banks that happened a year earlier. Cooper tells Sheriff Truman that under Theresa's fingernail was the letter 'T'.
- Bobby Briggs, Laura's boyfriend, is arrested. Beforehand, it is revealed that Bobby was having an affair behind Laura's back with a local waitress named Shelly. Shelly herself is married to Leo, an abusive and domineering trucker.
- Cooper breaks the lock on Laura's diary and discovers that she was secretly dating another boy, whom she calls 'J'. In addition, Cooper learns that Laura may have ties to illegal activities when he finds a ziploc bag containing some cocaine and a key to a safe deposit box which holds thousands of dollars in cash.
- A videotape that shows Laura and her best friend Donna Hayward having a picnic is found, filmed by an anonymous third party. When Donna is questioned, she lies and claims it was filmed by a female hiker, but Cooper deduces that it was filmed by 'J' and that evidence from the tape suggests that 'J' is a biker.
- Cooper questions Bobby and quickly concludes he is not the killer. Before letting him leave, however, Cooper shows Bobby the tape and tell him that Laura was having affair, hoping Bobby will lead him to 'J'.
- Bobby meets up with a friend named Mike Nelson, and decides that Laura's secret boyfriend must be James Hurley, a biker from their high school.
- The site of Laura's murder is discovered and at the scene Cooper finds one half of a heart-shaped pendant.
- Later that night, Donna sneaks out and travels to a local biker bar in order to talk to James, whom she knows has the other half of the pendant. Meanwhile, Bobby and Mike go to the same bar, intending on findng James and kicking his ass. Mike, who is dating Donna, spots her at the bar and gets angry, thinking she's also having an affair. A brawl ensues and during the chaos, a biker rescues Donna and takes her to James. Cooper and Sheriff Truman, who have been waiting outside the entire time, follow.
- Donna and James meet on a secluded backroad. While talking, they find a mutual attraction in each other and kiss. James admits that he saw Laura before she died and that she was acting like a completely different person. James says that Laura told him that Bobby killed someone and then she ran off. James knows that with the heart-shaped pendant and his lack of an alibi for the previous night that he'd be arrested if he talked to the police. Donna tells him to bury the pendant and promises she'll protect him.
- Cooper and Sheriff Truman catch up to them and James is arrested. James is placed in a cell opposite Bobby and Mike, who had been arrested for the earlier brawl. Bobby swears he'll make James pay.
- That night, Sarah Palmer, Laura's mother, suddenly screams in terror. At the same time, a gloved hand unearths the buried pendant...

Comments:
- That was one long ass pilot, clocking in at just over 90 minutes.
- Geez, you can tell the age of the show just from it's title sequence. Even ignoring the puke green credit font, the plodding music track and the long close ups of the saw mills, roads and tree really reinforce the fact that the show's over twenty years old now.
- Speaking of music, I swear there was one track that must have been their default 'go-to' track. It showed up several times, in not always entirely appropriate places.
- FBI Agent Dale Cooper doesn't show up for the first half hour, and I gotta say, the show really picked up after he was introduced.
- The synopsis above wasn't all encompassing, there were a lot of characters introduced who didn't appear to be directly related to the main plot. Perhaps they'll become relevant later.

Favorite Scene:


This came out of nowhere. The boy is never seen again and the shot is just a segue between two scenes. Caught me completely off guard and I love it.

Rating:
The episode took a while to pick up, but when it did I was pretty enthralled by it. I'm eager to watch the episode and find out what happens next.

8/10

Discussion:
- The ending was.. weird. It ends with Sarah Palmer sitting bolt upright and screaming while we see someone taking the pendant from the place where it was buried. I don't know if the two were related or Sarah was screaming because of something else. We'll see, I guess.
- I have no clue who could possibly be the killer right now. I'm giving David Lynch the benefit of the doubt and assume that the killer isn't going to be completely out of left field and can be deduced from clues presented in the show. Right now, however, there's not a lot to go on, but here's what I've gathered so far:
- The killer was male.
- Laura knew her killer.
- Laura was involved in some "dangerous stuff", according to James.
- So right now, there's not really a lot to say. If James is to be believed, Bobby has killed someone in the past, so it could be him. But then again, maybe James was lying in order to throw suspicion off himself. They were both linked to Laura and they both had opportunity and motive. Who knows?
- As for who took the pendant... I'm going to guess that it was Joey, the biker who brought Donna to James. He left after he dropped her off, but he might have come back. It can't have been James, since he was in jail, and the hand the looked too large to be Donna's hand.

Onto the next episode.

Episode One

Synopsis:
- Cooper meets Audrey Horne, the daughter of the owner of the hotel that he is staying at and a classmate of Laura's. Audrey had previously shown a rebellious streak in the previous episode when she intentionally ruined a business opportunity for her father. Nevertheless, she seems takes a shine to Cooper.
- Laura's autopsy report is completed and Laura was bound and tortured before succumbing to blood loss from numerous shallow wounds. The report also reveals that in the last 12 hours of her life, she'd had sex with at least three different men.
- Shelly is doing Leo's laundry when she discovers a shirt covered in blood. Unnerved, she hides them in a drawer and narrowly avoids being caught by Leo.
- James is questioned by Cooper and Sheriff Truman. He admits that he shot the video of Laura and Donna having a picnic and that he knew that Laura had used cocaine in past. James says that Laura managed to quit, but a few days previously she had started using again when something happened that shook her up badly. When asked about the pendant, James lies and tells them he doesn't know anything about it.
- Leo realizes the shirt covered in blood is missing and freaks out.
- Bobby and Mike have a conversation in the jail cell. It soon becomes clear that they're involved in the drug trade and that Leo is a partner of theirs. Bobby and Mike, along with Laura, owed Leo a lot of money. Bobby had paid Leo half of what they owed, but Laura's half was still in her safe-deposit box when she died.
- Cooper is confident that James is not the killer, so he is released into the care of his uncle, Ed Hurley. Bobby and Mike are released shortly afterward, but not before Cooper jovially tells them that if anything happens to James, they'll be the first to be locked up.
- Donna visits Sarah Palmer, Laura's mother. Sarah is delusional however and after embracing Donna, believing her to be Laura, she sees a raggedy looking man hiding beneath bed and begins screaming hysterically.
- A police officer interview Ronette's parents in the hospital, but while doing so he spots a one-armed man skulking around. He tries to follow him, but the one-armed man gives him the slip.
- While in a diner where Laura has previous worked, Cooper has his first encounter with the so-called "Crazy Log Lady", an elderly woman who carries around a log wherever she goes. She tells Cooper that on the night Laura died, the log saw something. When Cooper asks what, the Log Lady tells him to "ask the Log himself." When Cooper looks at her incredulously, she walks away in disgust.
- Shelly returns home from work. Leo demands to know where his shirt is. When she lies and denies knowing what happened to it, he beats her, telling her he'll teach a lesson about respecting other people's property.
- The episode ends with Dr. Jacoby, a psychiatrist who Laura was seeing, listening to recordings of a session he had with her though headphones the day before she died. When Laura mentions 'a mystery man', he focuses even more intently. As he listens he softly begins to weep, clutching tightly in his hand the heart shaped pendant...

Comments:
- Yes, this is Episode One, not Episode Two. Technically, the Pilot could have been called Episode Zero. I don't know why.
- There's a brief flashback while James is being interrogated where Laura gives him the necklace. Laura... kinda talks like a retard.
- My synopsis really only covers stuff that I feel is connected to the murder. I've cut out some stuff that I really can't be bothered to talk about. Oh well, if it becomes relevant I'll mention it.
- Speaking of which, before each episode, the Crazy Log Lady delivers a short monologue, discussing some kind of theme or plot point that comes up during the episode. I have no idea how to address them, other than it's very weird.
- When Sarah Palmer sees Donna as Laura, a terrible 80's looking superimposition of Laura's face appears on screen and it looks ridiculous.
- I'll say it now, Donna and Audrey are about a thousand times hotter than Laura. At least, they were twenty years ago.... Hm...

Favorite Scene:
Cooper and Sheriff Truman are told they drank coffee that had been brewed from water containing fish:


MY IMMERSION:


OH GOD HE'S IN THE HOUSE:


Rating:
The 45 minute length really worked much better than the 90 minute and made the episode a lot more easy to digest. Cooper continues to be an absolute joy, and a couple of the townspeople have begun to grow on me. Sheriff Truman, James and Donna are all good characters.

9/10

Discussion:
- So it was Dr. Jacoby who took the pendant. He was very briefly introduced in the Pilot, but I didn't really see the point in mentioning. Damn.
- The shows seems to be over stressing how dangerous and violent Leo is, so I'm reasonably certain he's not the killer. He doesn't really have a motive either, since Laura had his money and was planning on paying him. Right now, I think Leo is a red herring of sorts. He's a dick, but he's not the murderer.
- The one armed man also briefly showed up in the Pilot, right before we met Dr. Jacoby in fact. Who is he and why is he skulking around the hospital?
- This episode seemed to exonerate James. At the same time, the episode seemed to push the fact Bobby is violent right in our faces. Maybe he did kill someone, but I don't think he killed Laura.
- Sally's vision (see above) was completely hilarious, but I think it was meant to be taken seriously. If it was, was that the killer? If it is, then we haven't met that person yet. More to the point, is Sally psychic? What's causing these visions?

Onto the next episode.

Episode Two

Synopsis:
- Cooper receives a phone call from Deputy Hawk, the police officer who chased the one-armed man. Cooper appears to be anxious and orders that a round-the-clock watch be kept on Ronette. A knock on the door interrupts the phone call, but when Cooper opens the door, all he finds is a letter with the words 'Jack with One Eye' written on it.
- Bobby and Mike enter the forest to pick up a supply of cocaine from a drop off point in the woods and notice that there isn't as much as they paid for there. Leo appears, armed with a shotgun, and tells them that he's still waiting for the rest of the money. Bobby notices that there is a shadowy figure watching them from a distance, but Leo tells them not to worry about it. Leo reveals that he knows his wife is having an affair but doesn't appear to know who with. Bobby, panicking, tells Leo they'll sort the money problems out soon. Leo ominously threatens the boys until they flee back to their car.
- Bobby visits Shelly and sees the bruises from Leo's beating. He swears he'll kill Leo if he ever hurts her again.
- Cooper gathers the police force and demonstrates his bizarre deductive technique that he subconsciously unlocked in a dream. By throwing rocks at a glass bottle from distance, he can gauge a person's relevance to a case. Cooper decides this would be the best way to figure out the identity of 'J' from Laura's diary. Using this technique, he deduces that both Dr. Jacoby and Leo Johnson are relevant to the case. In addition, he discovers that just north of the Canadian border is a casino called the 'The One-Eyed Jack'.
- Back at the station, Sheriff Truman shows Cooper a blood soaked rag that Deputy Hawk found a half mile away from the train yard where Laura was killed. Suddenly, three FBI agents enter the station. The leader of them introduces himself as Albert Rosenfield, having been called in by Cooper to help inspect Laura's body. Cooper quickly warns Sheriff Truman that Albert is 'not a people person', but this soon proves to be gross understatement. Albert is arrogant, belligerent and dismissive of the local police force's efforts.
- At the Palmer household, Laura's parents Leeland and Sally are both shown to be mentally unhinged and unable to cope with Laura's death.
- That night, as Cooper sleeps, he experiences vivid premonitions of the one armed man and others. His dream culminates with Cooper sitting in a red room with a dancing midget who talks in a heavily distorted voice and a girl who is identical to Laura Palmer. When Cooper awakens, he calls Sheriff Truman and declares that he knows who killed Laura Palmer and that yes, it can wait till tomorrow morning.

Comments:
- One thing I loved was that after Cooper mentions that he has a natural sympathy and affinity for the Tibetan people, Lucy the police secretary is next seen reading a big old book on Tibet.
- Albert's great. He's such a dick.
- I'm beginning to suspect that Audrey might be retarded. Like, actually retarded. Her brother is, after all. Maybe it runs in the family.
- I continue to ignore a growing subplot involving Audrey's father, her uncle and the owners of a local sawmill. Oh well, I'll talk about it when the time is right.
- The premonition sequence is a surrealist's wetdream. I didn't know what the fuck what going on.

Favorite Scene:
Cooper's deductive technique was absolutely amazing, so here it is in full:
If this doesn't make you want to watch Twin Peaks, then nothing will

Albert's introduction was also hilarious, if only for Cooper acting completely oblivious to how much a dick Albert was:


Rating:
This was a brilliant episode. I feel like the show really came into it's own here.

10/10.

Discussion:
- Leo and Dr. Jacoby have both been identified as relevant the case. James has been completely
- The man who appeared to Sally in the previous episode appears to be the one armed man. So I guess that he's the killer, then?
- What the fuck is the red room? Who is the midget? Why can Cooper go there? Is it real or is it just a representation of Cooper's subconscious?

This show is about a murder? I've never heard anything about it other than it's supposed to be weird. Is this the show with that midget who talks backwards?

Yep. Twin Peaks appears to be the inspiration for the scene in the Simpsons in the second episode of the "Who Shot Mr. Burns?" storyline. When Chief Wiggum drinks the warm milk and has a vision of Lisa speaking backwards and holding flaming cars.

Anyway:

Episode Three

Synopsis:
- Cooper deduces that it was Audrey who slipped him the note that read 'Jack with One Eye' under his door. Audrey admits that the One-Eyed Jack is a brothel. Cooper quizzes her about Laura and learns that she and Ronette once worked in the same perfume store. Cooper also acknowledges Audrey's feelings for him, but casually rebuffs her and asks her to leave when he sees Sheriff Truman and Lucy the police department's receptionist arrive.
- Immediately they ask him who the murderer is, at which point Cooper gives his interpretation of his dream.
- Cooper saw Sarah Palmer have a vision of the killer, and Deputy Hawk sketching his picture. Cooper receives a phone call from a one armed man named Mike, who claims that the killer's name is Bob... but a different Mike and a different Bob from who we know. They both lived above a convenience store and both had tattoos that said "Fire Walk With Me", the same cryptic phrase found on a piece of paper at the site of Laura's murder. Mike couldn't stand the killing anymore, so he cut of his own arm. Bob refused to stop killing, so Mike shot him. Twenty five years later, Cooper was siting in a red room. The dancing midget's companion, who looks just like Laura Palmer, whispered the name of the killer in Cooper's ear. However, he's forgotten who she told him.
- Later, in the morgue, Albert's methods and callous disregard for Laura's body are causing Doctor Hayward (Donna's father) distress. Albert insults Sheriff Truman one too many times and the Sheriff smacks Albert in the face. Cooper steps in and demands Albert back off.
- Meanwhile, at the Palmer household, Laura's cousin Madeline arrives for the funeral.
- Cooper and Sheriff Truman pay Leo a visit. Leo claims he was in Montana when Laura was murdered and that his wife will confirm his alibi.
- Albert presents his report to Cooper. Toxicology confirms Laura had cocaine in her system on the night of her death. Different twine fibers on her wrist shows that she was tied up twice in two different locations on the night of her death. Albert also discovers the letter 'J', partially dissolved, in her stomach. Sheriff Truman leaves to attend Laura's funeral and Albert presents Cooper with a witness report of Sheriff Truman's assault on Albert. Cooper refuses to sign it, however, claiming the people in Twin Peaks are decent and honest. Albert leaves, clearly frustrated.
- At Laura's funeral, Bobby snaps. He screams at the mourners that they're hypocrites because they all knew that Laura was in trouble but did nothing to help. A fight breaks out between James and Bobby. Bobby repeatedly tells James "You're dead" before the fight is broken up.
- At a diner, Cooper meets with Ed Hurley, Deputy Hawk and Sheriff Truman. Sheriff Truman confides in Cooper that they believe that someone is smuggling drugs into the town and that the One Eyed Jack is involved. Sheriff Truman reveals that he, Hawk and Ed are part of a secret society that protects the town called the Bookhouse Boys.
- They take Cooper back to their clubhouse, where they show Cooper that they've kidnapped the brother of suspected drug smuggler Jacques Renault. The brother managed to warn Jacques however, and Jacques calls Leo for help. Leo agrees to take Jacques acorss the border to safety. After Leo leaves, Shelly hides a gun under the blood-stained shirt.
- Cooper sees Dr. Jacoby visit Laura's grave in the middle the night and talk to him. Dr. Jacoby admits that Laura was the first patient that he had truly cared about for a long time.
- Josie Packard, the heiress to a large saw mill in Twin Peaks and the lover of Sheriff Truman, suspects that her sister-in-law Catherine Packard and Benjamin Throrne (Audrey's Father) may be plotting to murder her for her money and that the death of her husband a year earlier may not have been an acicdent. Sheriff Truman swears he'll protect her, but unbeknownst to both of them, Catherine is secretly bugging their conversation.

Comments:
- I love that when Cooper tells Sheriff Truman and Lucy that he had a dream, the first thing the Sheriff asks is "....Tibet?"
- There's been several punches thrown in the series and every single one of them look completely unrealistic.
- Cooper's visit to Leo was great. Cooper is completely unflappable and smugly counters everything Leo says with a smirk and an infuriating retort.
- I hope this isn't the last time we see Albert. He's a dick but he's a dick that's on the good guy's side. You don't see too many of them that don't die or turn evil.
- Leeland and Sally Palmer both continue to be unable to cope with Laura's death. Unfortunately, the portrayal of their depression seems to have no basis in reality and they just spend all their time being pathetic and wailing incoherently.

Favorite Scene:
The only thing that sticks out is Sheriff Truman laying out Albert:


Rating:
The show continues to be good, but I didn't enjoy it as much as the previous episode.

9/10.

Discussion:
- Cooper believes that his dream is a code and that if he "break[s] the code [then he] solve[s] the crime". I suppose that means he's had them before... and that he'll likely have them again.
- Leo and Jacoby are related to the crime, but neither seem to be the killer.
- What is the deal with the Bob and Mike from the dream? Is it just a coincidence that they share the names with two character already in the show?
- This Bookhouse Boys club seems awfully strange. Any kind of secret society in a rural community instantly makes me think of The Wickerman, Hot Fuzz, y'know the type... I hope it's not the case that they turn out to be an evil cult.
- Still got no idea who the killer is, but I'm confident it's not James, Bobby, Mike, Dr. Jacoby or Leo.

Onto the next episode.

Episode Four

Synopsis:
- The police make a police sketch of the man that Sarah Palmer saw in a vision. She also reveals that the details of another vision; she saw a gloved hand removing a heart-shaped pendant from the a hole. Donna, who is also there, becomes worried.
- Cooper visits Dr. Jacoby to talk about Laura. Jacoby is hesitant to break doctor-patient confidentiality. However, Jacoby does admit that on the night after Laura was killed, he followed a man that drove a red corvette before losing him on an old sawmill road. Sheriff Truman says that Leeland Palmer drives a red corvette.
- Deputy Hawk tracks down the one-armed man to a motel. The man turns out to be the Mike from Cooper's vision. Cooper and Truman question the man, whose name is Phillip Michael Gerard, about his visits to the hospital. It turns out Phil has a friend named Bob, a veterinarian who has been in a coma for the last three days. Cooper asks about the Phil's missing arm, about whether it had a tattoo or not. Phil breaks down crying and says he had a tattoo that said 'Bob'.
- Audrey, eager to get Cooper's attention, vows to help him find the killer. To do that, she enlists the help of Donna. Together, the two of them consider the possibility that Laura worked at One-Eyed Jacks.
- Cooper and Sheriff Truman investigate the place where Bob Lydecker the veterinarian works. They find that he cared for birds, which would explain some previously unexplainable wounds on Laura's body, and that convenience store next door sells the same twine that Laura was bound with.
- Bobby and Shelly are taking the opportunity to spend some alone time together because Leo's away. Shelly tells Bobby that Leo is involved with Jacques Renault and shows him the bloodstained shirt; Bobby triumphantly declares that it is the answer to all their problems.
- James meets Madeline, Laura's cousin, and appears to be smitten.
- The police department find that Jacques Renault owns a pet canary who could have produced some of the wounds on Laura's body. When they get to his house, they scare off Bobby - who is searching for more evidence of a connection between Leo and Jacques. Bobby inadvertently drops the blood-stained shirt. Cooper finds the shirt and is happy to have a found a solid link between Leo and Laura.
- Leo meets with Benjamin Horne. Leo shows Benjamin the corpse of one of his former drug runners who he suspected as a snitch. Benjamin pays Leo to burn down the saw mill owned by Josie Packard, hoping to frame her.
- James and Donna return to the site where they buried the pendant and find it missing. James is skeptical as to how Sally knew about it, but Donna tells him that she'd always had 'dreams' and that Laura sometimes had them too.

Comments:
- I wasn't gonna say this at first, but it's become steadily more blatant and stereotypical since his introduction: Hawk is a Native American. That means he can track, dispense words of wisdom, expert marksman, paint with all the colours of the wind, etc, etc. It is now very firmly in the politically incorrect stage.
- I really feel like I'm not doing this show justice when I synopsize it. There's so much more to the story than just what I tell you guys. Maybe you should watch it yourself?

Favorite Scene:
There was a llama in the vet's office and it was hilarious:


Rating:
Nothing incredible, but in no way bad.

8/10.

Discussion:
- So we meet the one armed man. And it does look like the veterinarian named Bob is involved in the cases. I wonder how it will play out.
- Was Bobby planning on blackmailing Jacques and Leo? How could he possibly think that was a good idea? And another thing, in the first episode Laura told James that Bobby had killed someone.... what happened to that plot point?
- So Laura's mother really is psychic, and - Donna is to be believed - so was Laura.
- Will Leo successfully frame Josie? How will Sheriff Truman react?
- Nothing new about the Bookhouse Boys this episode. It's weird how that suddenly got dropped.

Onto the next episode.

Episode Five

Synopsis:
- Tests shows that the blood on Leo's shirt is Jacques Renault's.
- Audrey manipulates her way into a position at the same perfume store where Laura and Ronette worked.
- At Renault's house, Cooper finds a porn magazine that both Laura and Ronette posted ads advertising themselves in.
- James and Donna enlist Madeline's help in their private investigation into Laura's death
- While following up the address of the porn magazine ad, Cooper and the others interview the Crazy Log Lady. She (speaking for her log) tells them the log saw three men and two women together that night. The police assume that it was Leo, Laura, Renault, Ronette and a third, unidentified male. Cooper and the others find the cabin where Laura was first bound as well as the bird that attacked her.
- Audrey discovers her father and Catherine are having an affair and learns of the plot to torch the lumber mill.
- Madeline finds a box of hidden tapes in a bed post in Laura's room.
- Benjamin is shown to have a deal with Josie, but the details of which aren't revealed.
- Hank Jennings, Leo's former drug partner, is released on parole after his wife Norma vouches for him at the hearing. He roughs up Leo, telling him that he's back in charge. Leo tries to take out his frustration on Shelly, but Shelly shoots him.
- Cooper returns to his hotel room to find Audrey naked in his bed. She begs him to let her stay.

Comments:
- I like Audrey, but I hope Cooper doesn't fall for her. Other than the fact she's still in high school and he's in his thirties, he doesn't strike me as the romantic type. Plus, he already has 'Diane'.

Favorite Scene:
Unfortunately, nothing really stood out to me in this episode.

Rating:
Another solid episode that wasn't bad but wasn't spectacular either.

8/10

Discussion:
- So it seems Laura was a prostitute. On the night of her murder, we know that she had had sex with three different men. Assuming these three men are the same as the Log Lady saw, then it's Leo, Jacques Renault and an unknown third man. Perhaps the third man is the shadowy figure who accompanied Leo for the drug trade in Episode Two?
- It appears Benjamin Horne has his finger in everybody's pie. He's dealing with Catherine, Josie, his brother Jerry and Leo. Plus, he seems to have ties to One-Eyed Jack's. He's looking mighty suspicious right now, but I don't think he's the Third Man.
- Shelly shot Leo, but we don't actually see where he is shot and merely hear him cry in pain. He could very well still be alive.

Onto the next episode.

Episode Six

Synopsis:
- Cooper rebuffs Audrey, but he's sympathetic and let's her down gently. He tells her right now, more than anything, she needs a friend.
- The police take care of the parakeet recovered from the cabin, hoping that it might have mimicked an incriminating conversation.
- Mounting evidence suggesting that One-Eyed Jack's is involved convinces Cooper that a visit is in order. Because it's out of his jurisdiction (it's in Canada), he decides to enlist the help of the Bookhouse Boys.
- Leo survives being shot, having taken a bullet in the arm. Leo watches the house with a hunting rifle and spots Bobby arriving for a visit. Bobby comforts a hysterical Shelly. Leo hears Lucy talking about the parakeet on his police radio and drives off, deciding he'll deal with Bobby and Shelly later.
- Donna, James and Madeline listen to Laura's tape. It turns out the tape is for Dr. Jacoby; Laura would record her thoughts and then give them to Dr. Jacoby. The tape from the night of Laura's death is missing. Donna, James and Madeline plan to break into Dr. Jacoby's office and recover the tape.
- Audrey spies on the manager of the perfume store recruiting a female employee as a 'Hospitality Girl' at One-Eyed Jack's.
- Hank, who is charismatic when he needs to be but rotten to the core, doesn't like how close his wife Norma is to Ed Hurley.
- Leo shoots the parakeet but not before it leaves a cryptic message on Cooper's voice-activated tape recorder.
- Cooper and Ed infiltrate One-Eyed Jack's in disguise and meet Blackie, the madam of the establishment.
- Hank and Josie appear to be in cahoots.
- Audrey shows up at One-Eyed Jack's and get s a job as a Hospitality Girl using a fake name
- Madeline tricks Dr. Jacoby into leaving his office by pretending to be Laura, while Donna and James plan to break in. Bobby watches them from the bushes, but unbeknownst to him, another person is watching them all from the forest.
- Bobby plants something in James' bike, while the person in the woods creeps closer to Madeline...

Comments:
- Lucy, who is having a tiff with her boyfriend Deputy Andy, is clearly pregnant.
- Cooper's afraid of birds. Who would have guessed?

Favorite Scene:
Again, nothing really stuck out. Shame.

Rating:
8/10

Discussion:
- I don't really know what to say, the next episode is the Series Finale and there's still a lot of questions to be answered. Let's get right to it.

Onto the next episode.

Episode Seven

Synopsis:
- Donna and James find the tape and the necklace in Dr. Jacoby's office.
- Dr. Jacoby approaches Madeline (who he believes to be Laura) but is attacked by the shadowy figure and knocked unconscious. Dr. Jacoby is hospitalized, having suffered a heart attack during the attack.
- At the Casino, Cooper's dealer is Jacques Renault. He uses the opportunity to question him, pretending to be Leo's employer. Cooper asks Renault to make a run across the border, promising $10,000 in return for his services.
- Leo attacks Shelly in their home, telling her that she "made [him] do it".
- Renault is arrested in a string operation and charged with Laura's murder and the attempted murder of Ronette. Renault resists and is shot in the shoulder by Deputy Andy.
- Donna, James and Madeline listen to the tape from Dr. Jacoby's office. It turns out that Laura was in a sexual relationship with a man who drives a red corvette.
- Leo prepares to burn down the sawmill with a tied-up Shelly still inside. Leo plants a bomb with a one hour timer and tells her that he's going to kill Bobby.
- Ed's mentally-unstable wife tries to commits suicide.
- Josie pays Hank $90,000. It turns out Hank intentionally went to jail for vehicular manslaughter in order to avoid implication in the murder of Josie's husband.
- Bobby, pretending to be Leo, calls the police and makes an ominous remark about James' bike
- Cooper question Renault, but it soon becomes clear he's too stupid to be the killer. On the night of the murder, Leo and Jacques apparently had a little spat and Jacques used Leo's shirt to mop up the blood.
- James enters the police station and gives Cooper the tape. The police search James' bike and find the cocaine that Bobby planted.
- Bobby returns to the Johnson house to try and find Shelly, but is confronted by an axe-
wielding Leo. Just when Bobby is about to be killed, Hank appears and shoots Leo dead.
- Catherine shows up the sawmill, responding to an anonymous call. Shelly begs her for help and Catherine rescues her.
- Meanwhile at the hospital, someone sets off the fire alarm as a distraction and uses the opportunity to smother Jacques Renault to death with a pillow. The culprit is revealed to be a tearful Leeland Palmer, taking revenge on what he thinks is Laura's killer.
- Benjamin, having just closed a huge business deal at the One-Eyed Jack, requests the company of the 'new girl' from Blackie, unaware that it's his daughter Audrey.
- Cooper returns to his hotel room, talking to Diane about how he knows that it's just a matter of time before the real killer is caught. He finds a letter addressed to 'My Special Agent' under his door, but receives a phone call before he reads it. The phone line is distorted, so Cooper thinks nothing of laying the down next to the receiver when there is a knock at his door. We hear Deputy Andy exclaiming that they've found Leo Johnson and that he's been shot.. Cooper opens his hotel door to be faced with an unknown assailant pointing a gun at his chest. The assassin shoots Cooper three times in the chest...

Comments:
- That's the first season done and dusted. I'm making a good pace right now.
- I was right about Lucy. She is pregnant.
- Overall, I'd say the first season of Twin Peaks was very good. There are some quirks, and the first episode takes a while to pick up, but when the show grabs you, it grabs you hard.
- The first season only has eight episodes, but it appears the second season has twenty two. Geez, the show is good, but I don't think they can string out them murder investigation that long.
- It's that they went with a 'kill 'em all!' ending. A lot of the characters are either dead, dying, or somehow incapacitated as the season ends. It'll be interesting to see what direction it takes.

Favorite Scene:
Uh... Man, I dunno. Every since the llama scene in the vet's office, nothing seems to measure up.

I've been spoiled, it seems.

Rating:
A very good episode. I knew there was going to be a cliffhanger ending as soon as the scene cut to Cooper right at the end.

9/10

Discussion:
- So Leo's dead. Killed by Hank. Why?
- We're still not close to solving who killed Laura Palmer, but there have been numerous hints that she may have been in a sexual relationship with her father. Ick.
- We still haven't gotten any more information about the person Bobby supposedly killed.
- Was Cooper's assassin also Laura's killer or some new party in all this?
- Speaking of Laura's killer, the veterianrian who is apparently the real life equivalent of the Bob from Cooper's premonition hasn't been mentioned. He's apparently still in a coma, but he hasn't been mentioned since Phil talked about him. Maybe he'll show up again?
- Right now, it's impossible to even guess who the killer is. I gotta say I'm disappointed by this. I though the series would present clues that would allow us to figure out the killer, but that doesn't appear to be the case.

NEXT SEASON.

How many seasons are there?

Two.

I remeber this getting banned due to them releasing a diary or something in a paper.

Episode Eight

Synopsis:
- Cooper is sprawled on floor, bleeding out but still conscious. An elderly waiter appears in the doorway with room service. Cooper asks the seemingly oblivious waiter to call an ambulance but the waiter just talks to Cooper briefly, gives Cooper the bill, and then wanders off.
- After losing consciousness, Cooper experiences a vision. A giant man appears before him and tells Cooper three things: There is a man in a smiling bag. The owls are not what they seem. Without chemicals, he points. In exchange, the giant takes the ring from Cooper's finger, saying he will return it when Cooper finds the three things to be true. Before departing, the giant man says that there is something to be found at Leo's house. Cooper passes out.
- Audrey tries to hide from her father and covers her face with a mask to avoid being identified. Audrey is moments away from being unmasked when Benjamin is called away by his brother.
- In the morning, Cooper is still laying on the floor, bleeding. He talks to Diane and remarks that he was wearing his bulletproof vest as per Bureau regulations for Agent's who are undercover (Cooper was disguised while he investigated One-Eyed Jack's). At last, the police arrive and bring Cooper to the hospital.
- At the hospital, Cooper is brought up to date of the events that transpired the previous evening: Leo was shot. Jacques was strangled. The mill burned down. Catherine and Josie are missing. Cooper, though still injured, insists they investigate Leo's house.
- Ronette, who has been in a coma for the past week, stirs in her sleep.
- Leeland Palmer, his hair now snow white, shocks Sally and Madeline with a dramatic shift in attitude. No longer depressed, he now stalks around the house, singing, in an impossibly happy mood.
- At Leo's place, Cooper accurately profiles the scene, but isn't aware of Bobby or Hank's involvement. The police find gasoline-soaked clothes in Leo's truck that link him to the fire at the saw mill. Andy inadvertently discovers Leo's cocaine stash.
- Albert returns in order to investigate Cooper's shooting.
- James is interviewed by Sheriff Truman. They both suspect Bobby and Mike planted the cocaine in James' gas tank. James gives the other half of the heart pendant to Cooper and reveals that Laura may have a connection with a man named Bob.
- Cooper and Sheriff Truman questions Dr. Jacoby in his hospital bed. he tells them how he found the pendant after accidentally stumbling upon James and Donna while pursuing the red corvette. Dr. Jacoby also tells them that he suspects that Laura wanted to die.
- At the hospital, Cooper sees the body bag that held Jacques Renault and remarks it looks remarkably like a smiling face. He realizes that the first of the giant man's prophecies has come true.
- Bobby, having visited Shelly, goes to the diner where she works. There, he sees Hank and recognizes him as the one who shot Leo.
- Cooper and Albert review the evidence they've gathered and present their timeline of the events of the night of Laura's murder. They conclude that the third man was the killer.
- Benjamin and his brother Jerry meet with Hank. They were the ones who hired Hank to murder Leo. Hank was also the one who anonymously tipped off Catherine and led her to the burning saw mill, hoping that she'd die when the building collapsed.
- Blackie threatens Audrey, telling Audrey that she doesn't want to hear any more complaints about her from customers.
- That night, Audrey wonders why Cooper hasn't come to save her yet. The note that she left him lies forgotten on his bedroom floor.
- Cooper receives another visit from the giant man. The giant man tells Cooper that he should try and find all the answers at once, and that a 'path is formed by laying one stone at a time'. He elaborates by saying that only one person saw the Third Man and is ready to talk about it. The giant man also warns Cooper that he forgot something, but Cooper doesn't seem to remember what.
- Back at the hospital, Ronette finally awakens but is quickly driven into a frenzy by the horrors she has seen...

Comments:
- This episode is 90 minutes long again. Dammit, it caught me off guard again.
- I... really don't know what was up with the waiter at the beginning. So far the show has had some weird quirks, but remained mostly grounded in reality. I don't know if the waiter scene was supposed to be funny or what but it seemed radically different from the type of thing you'd see in the first season.
- Some unfortunate 'wacky' elements have begun creeping in to the show. At one point, Deputy Andy steps on a loose floorboard and it flips up and hit in the face. I guess it's...funny?
- I'm glad Albert's back. He's still an utter treat.
- Another reoccurring 'wacky joke' is the horrible food in the hospital. I'm more confused than anything about why they would feel the need to shoe-horn this into the show.

Favorite Scene:
Anything with Albert in it.

Rating:
It was stronger than the first 90 minute episode and was a good episode overall, lots of ground was covered. Plus, Albert came back. However, I'm not fond of the wacky elements that have sprung up all of a sudden and hope that they are only temporary.

8.5/10

Discussion:
- Hmm, the giant man. He makes numerous mentions indicating that he is not alone (such as 'we want to help you' or 'that's all I'm permitted to tell you). I wonder if he's related to the dancing midget. Perhaps they are opposing forces, or maybe they represent the dual sides of Cooper's subconscious. We'll see.
- It turns out Leo Johnson had the red corvette, not Leeland Palmer. Whoops, my bad.
- We briefly see flashes of Ronette's memory when she wakes and flips out. It all looks very disturbing. It appears that the scraggly looking man whom Sally had visions of WAS the one who killed Laura. Well then.

Movin' on.

Episode Nine

Synopsis:
- Albert reveals that Cooper's former partner Windom Earle, who was 'retired' and incarcerated in a mental asylum, escaped. As Albert and Cooper talk, a sinister looking oriental man watches them.
- Cooper and Sheriff Truman visit Ronette, but she's in shock and is unresponsive. They show her some sketches;when she sees the sketch of the raggedy man, she begins having a seizure.
- Deputy Andy learns that he's sterile and confronts Lucy about it. She ignores him.
- Sheriff Truman tells Cooper that Hank used to be a Bookhouse Boy and that he was "one of the best". The conversation is interrupted when Benjamin calls the department and reports Audry missing.
- Leeland Palmer sees a wanted poster of the raggedy man and realizes that when he was a boy, the man used to be his grandfather's neighbor.
- Leo survived being shot, but he is in a coma and is very likely brain-damaged and paralyzed.
- Someone calls Lucy and demands to speak with Sheriff Truman, but refuses to tell her their name.
- Audrey interrogates the manager of the perfume store while he is tied up in BDSM gear. She learns that Benjamin is the owner of One-Eyed Jack's and that Laura only worked there for one weekend.
- Major Briggs (Bobby Briggs' father) that on the night that Cooper was shot, he received a message that said "The owls are not what they seem" while monitoring radio waves for the army.
- Donna is contacted by Harold Smith, a shut-in that Laura befriended while delivering for a meal-on-wheels program. They arrange to meet.
- Madeline has a vision of the raggedy man that leaves her terrified.
- Cooper has another vision. He is awoken by a phone call from Audrey, but the line is suddenly cut off by Blackie. She reveal that she knows who Audrey is and tells her that she's in big trouble.

Comments:
- Cooper never misses an opportunity to mention Tibet and its history.
- Okay, so I'm beginning to see why this show gets the reputation that it's weird. While working for the meal-on-wheels route that Laura did, Donna makes a delivery to an elderly woman and her young grandson (who's is dressed in a tuxedo). The elderly woman looks at her plate in disgust and asks if there's creamed corn. Donna looks at the plate and says yes. The woman asks again and suddenly the creamed corn vanishes without a trace. Donna looks over and sees the woman's grandson son holding the creamed corn in his hands... Yeah.
- In addition to the above, before Donna leaves, the old woman remarks that they used to bring her hospital food...Ugh, I though we were done with that

Favorite Scene:
This category is getting cancelled.

Rating:
8/10.

Discussion:
- Windom Earle will obviously come up again, he used to Cooper's partner so he's definitely going to be important. Why was was he in mental institution?
- So the raggedy man was alive when Leeland Palmer was a boy. Has he aged since then? Are we dealing with someone supernatural here?
- So two of the giant man's prediction have now come true. What will the final premonition "Without chemicals, he points" mean?
- Who is Harold Smith and what's his involvement in all this?

Episode Ten

Synopsis:
- In the night, someone implanted a 'B' underneath one of Ronette's fingernails and puts blue dye in her IV feed. (The letters R B T have so far been recovered).
- Donna meets Harold Smith; he turns out to be a young agoraphobe. Harold says that Laura told him to get in contact with Laura if anything ever happened. Harold is a horticulturist and asks Donna to place an orchid on Laura's grave. Donna tells Harold that she'll come back and visit.
- Leeland Palmer visit the police department to share his information about the raggedy man. He says the man name's was 'Robertson".
- At One-Eyed Jack's, Blackie plans to ransom Audrey back to Benjamin.
- Phil the one armed man spots the wanted sign of the raggedy man and feels faint. As he tries to take his medication, he has a seizure and then relaxes. He calls out to "Bob" and swears to go after him.
- Audrey is awakened by Jean Renault, Jacques' older brother. Jean promises Blackie that he'll kill Cooper for 30% of the ransom money.
- Cooper finds the medication that Phil was going to take and excitedly realizes that it is the third premonition ("Without chemicals, he points").
- Under hypnosis, Dr. Jacoby is able to remember the night of Jacques' death. He realizes that is was Leeland Palmer.
- Donna catches James and Madeline in an intimate moment and runs away. James follows her and Madeline breaks down, comforted by Leeland Palmer. The police arrive and arrest Leeland for the murder of Jacques Renault.
- Donna goes crying to Harold, who comforts her. While he goes to get her a drink, she finds Laura's diary.

Comments:
- Albert's a pacifist and managed to defuse a violent situation with surprising efficiency.
- The father of Lucy's baby is a smarmy guy called Dick.
- For the entire series there's been this scene transition of a traffic light changing lights. It's started to really bug me.

Favorite Scene:
After Donna catches him with Madeline, James screams her name in the most scratchy girly sounding yell in the world. It sounded ridiculous.

Rating:
8/10.

Discussion:
- When Cooper tells Albert and Sheriff Truman about the giant man, Albert asks if it's related to the midget. So Cooper has been having these dreams since before he got Twin Peaks, and the FBI knows that he has been having visions. Strange.
- Harold's a real creep. I have no idea why Donna would go to him in her time of need.

Episode Eleven

Synopsis:
- Leeland confesses to the murder while being questioned by Cooper and Sheriff Truman.
- Jean meets with Benjamin and shows him the tape of Audrey. Jean tells Benjamin he wants him to surrender his control of One-Eyed Jack's and that he wants Cooper to deliver the ransom money.
- Donna and Harold have dinner together. Harold admits to having the diary, claiming Laura gave it to him. It's a second diary, separate from the one already in police custody. Harold reveals he enjoys chronicling the lives of others.
- Benjamin asks Cooper to make the trade for Audrey.
- Josie returns from Seattle from a shopping trip, unaware that Catherine perished in the fire. Pete (Catherine's husband) tells her the service will be in a few days.
- Audrey, drugged and beaten, is taken to Jean by Emery (the manager of the perfume store). Jean murders Emery and assures Audrey that she's in no danger while she sobs helplessly.
- Cooper requests Sheriff Truman for help from the Bookhouse Boys and asks for "their best man", but doesn't tell Sheriff Truman why.
- Sheriff Truman meets with Josie. He expresses his doubts about her whereabouts for the past few days and thinks she may have orchestrated the sawmill fire in order to collect insurance money. As they get intimate, Pete watches jealously from the window.
- Donna meets with Madeline. Donna is cold and rude, but she tells Madeline that Harold has Laura's diary and that she's going to get it back.
- Judge Clinton Sternwood visits the police department in order to arraign Leeland, but cannot do so as the prosecutor is delayed. His female law clerk, Sid is also introduced. Together they retire for the night. Sheriff Truman reassures Cooper that everything is set for tonight.
- Josie introduces Pete to her cousin Johnathan - the suspicious oriental man who has been tailing Cooper. As Pete goes to make coffee, Johnathan tells Josie to hurry up and sell the sawmill property, Josie tell him she needs Pete's signature first (as he is Catherine's heir). She also mentions that Hank might be a problem, but Johnathan tells her not to worry about.
- Cooper waits for the "best" Bookhouse Boy. Sheriff Truman arrives and Cooper asks where the Bookhouse Boy is... before it clicks. Together they prepare to go.
- Johnathan shows up at the diner where Hank is working (to keep up the appearances that he is reintegrating into society). A fight ensues and Johnathan subdues Hank with ease. Johnathan tells Hank to back off or else.

Comments:
- There are some really hammy scenes in this episode. So far the acting's been okay to good. But I've notice since the second season began that a lot of one-scene characters are hamming it up real good. This is intrinsically tied with the growing 'wacky' nature of the show.
- Harold's such a creeper.
- It's a shame I've neglected mentioning Pete so far since I really like him. So here's a short synopsis: He's the fisherman who found Laura. He's married to Catherine, who bullied and verbally abused him. He's a super sweet and thoughtful guy, but it's pretty clear that he has feelings for Josie, who is his former sister in law (Josie was married to Andrew, Catherine's brother and the former owner of the sawmill. When he died 'accidentally', Josie inherited it, but Catherine felt it was hers thus leading to the storyline in the first season).
- There's a subplot in this episode about a famous critic visiting Twin Peaks.
- I should start counting the traffic light scene transitions. Fuck.
- They named a Judge 'Sternwood'. I get it.
- Dick - the smarmy bastard - gives Lucy the money for an abortion. She screams at him until he leaves.
- The Judge gives a very strange and out of place speech about Valhalla while he talks to Leeland.
- Johnathan and Josie have a private conversation... in English. I suspect the actors aren't from the same background and are in fact both just 'Asian'.
- I really like the chemistry between Cooper and Sheriff Truman (not gay). When Sheriff Truman showed up at the rendezvous point it was quite heartwarming actually.
- The fight between Johnathan and Hank features some of the worst play fighting, unnecessary moves and reaction shots I've ever seen in a fight. Ahhh the 90s.

Favorite Scene:
- Andy - who's sterile - asking if he can take another sperm test (since he 'flunked' the last one). He feels things might be different because he's been wearing boxer shorts.
- When Cooper realizes that Sheriff Truman is the one who's going to be helping him.

Rating:
9/10

Discussion:
- There's no way Catherine died in the fire.
- Why is Pete so sinister all of a sudden?
- What awaits Cooper and Sheriff Truman at the exchange for Audrey?
- Why is Johnathan in such a rush to close the deal?

Episode Twelve

Synopsis:
- While stretching in his room, Cooper finally finds Audrey's note. It says "I have gone North. Jack may hold the answer. Love Audrey." Cooper realizes where she is and tells Sheriff Truman.
- At the pre-court hearing, Leeland is granted bail.
- Donna meets with Harold and offers to share her life story in exchange for Laura's diary. He tells her he'll read it to her and that is can't leave the room. While he's distracted, Donna steals the diary and steps out of the house, Harold is unable to follow and collapses when he steps outside. Harold retrieves the diary as Donna rushes to his aid.
- At the arraignment to judge Leo's mental state to see whether he is capable of standing trial, Judge Sternwood decides that Leo is not fit to stand trial.
- The ransom drop off point is given to Benjamin. Cooper departs with the money to the meeting and Benjamin tells Hank, who is listening from the next room, to follow him and make sure things happen as they should.
- Donna and Madeline plot to recover Laura's diary. James encounters Madeline at the diner, grows suspicious and decides to follow her.
- Cooper and Sheriff Truman stage a raid on One-Eyed Jack's. Together - and with the unexpected help of Hawk - they rescue Audrey. Hank reports to Benjamin that the plan didn't go as expected when he is suddenly taken hostage by Jean, who has murdered Blackie.
- Harold catches Madeline stealing Laura's diary while Donna tries to keep him distracted. He corners them in his living room. Sobbing, Harold grabs a pair of gardening tongs and begins to tear into his face...

Comments:
- This episode marks the 12th day since Cooper arrived in Twin Peaks.
- I've neglected to mention that Bobby and Sherry have been scheming to keep Leo alive on life support in order to collect insurance.
- Just before he gets the ransom call, Benjamin receives a generous business proposition (5 million, to be exact) from Mr. Tojamura, a strange Japanese man who is staying at the hotel.
- Ed's wife Nadine (who tried to kill herself) suffers amnesia and believes herself to be a high school senior again.
- Andy gets his test results back and learns that he was temporarily sterile.
- I just realized that I've been calling Sheriff Truman.... Sheriff Truman the entire time. His name is Harry. That's what I'm gonna call him from now on.

Favorite Scene:
- Lucy goes on vacation to visit her relatives. Andy fills in for her duty as receptionist. The office is covered in post it notes.

- During the raid, there's a bunch of cool scenes but this is my favorite:


Rating:
10/10

Great episode. Funny, cool and entertaining.

Discussion:
- Who is Mr. Tojamura?
- Why is Harold such a goddamn psycho?
- What is Jean planning?

Episode Thirteen

Synopsis:
- Harold charges the girls but James rushes in and saves them. In the chaos, Harold maintains his hold on the diary. Once safe, James and Donna reconcile.
- Cooper and the others bring Audrey back to the hotel. From the needle marks and her dialated pupils, Cooper suspects she'd been dosed with heroin.
- Harry recognizes that he saw Jean while he was at One-Eyed Jack's. Cooper realizes tha Jean planned to kill him by using Audrey as bait and feels guilty for putting her in such a dangerous position.
- That night, Cooper tells Benjamin everything that transpired and returns the breifcase of ransom money.
- Cooper's supervisor, FBI Agent Gordon Cole arrives at the station to speak with Cooper. At the same time, Phil the one armed man is brought in for questioning.
- Audrey wakes up. She asks Cooper to take her home, planning to tell him what she found at One-Eyed Jack's about her father. Benjamin -right suspcious that she might know something - insists that he comes along too.
- Johnathan (the sinister Asian man) gets dressed after having sex with Josie. He gives her a plane ticket that will take her back to Hong Kong to see a "Mr. Eckhart" and tells her that they will leave tonight. She tells him she needs one more day for the insurance money, as well as the money from Ben Horne. He says that if she doesn't come tonight, he will kill Harry.
- Josie meets with Benjamin and demands that he buy her propety. After some brinkmanship, Josie leaves with her money.
- Gordon meets with Cooper. He feels that Cooper may be getting in over his head "like he did in Pittsburgh". Gordon then hands Cooper an envelope. Inside is a piece of paper with a set of chess moves on it. Cooper realizes the letter is from Windom and that he's made "the opening move".
- Josie and Johnathan (she introduces him as "Lee") are leaving when Harry comes to check up on her. She tells him that she sold the mill and that she's leaving. Harry tells her that he loves her but she leaves anyway,
- Cooper, Gordon, Harry and Hawk interrogate Phil. Phil begs them to let take his medicine and Gordon reveals that Phil is taking medication for schizophrenia. Cooper refuses to let him take his medication and Phil goes through a change. His new personality is called Mike, who claims to be a visiting spirit, Phil is just a host. Mike tells them that Bob is his "familiar". Cooper asks where Bob comes from, but Mike refuses to answer. Mike compares Bob to a parasite, saying he requires a host and feeds on fear. Mike reveals that he is trying to stop Bob, and that the raggedy man is his 'true face' - only the 'gifted' and the 'damned' can see it. Mike claims that Bob is in the hotel.

Comments:
- Leo is brought home. Shelly and Bobby are both appalled when they learn that - after medical costs and taxes - they wouldn't be earning as much money from insurance as they thought.
- Gordon is extremely hard of hearing. He yells constantly, and people respond in kind if they want him to respond.
- I'm hoping that Johnathan and Josie aren't cousins.
- Josie is hideous, but everyone acts like she's beautiful. She isn't. I really hope she's gone for good (Harry can do better), but I doubt she is.
- Mike is the hammyest ham to ever ham a ham. When he says that the damned can see Bob, he looks right at the camera.

Favorite Scene:
Blah.

Rating:
9/10

Discussion:
- So Mike and Bob are spirits. Well then. I don't know where to start.

Episode Fourteen

Synopsis:
- At the Great Northern Hotel, Mike sits in the lobby checking each of the guests to see if they house Bob. A second before Benjamin enters the room, Mike has a seizure.
- Hawk visits Harold's house after Donna goes to the police. He discovers that Harold has destroyed his flower collection and has hung himself in his greenhouse.
- Madeline prepares to leave Twin Peaks and says goodbye to Sally and Leeland.
- The police finally recover Laura's second diary from Harold's house.
- Audrey confronts her father about One-Eyed Jack's. He tells her he's owned it for five years and that he knew Laura worked there (very briefly). She asks if he slept her, he admits he did. Audrey asks if he killed her, he replies "I loved her".
- While reading Laura's diary, Cooper finds numerous mentions of Bob and an ominous mention of Benjamin. Audrey arrives and tells Cooper what she knows; Cooper realizes that Mike collapsed when Benjamin walked in.
- Benjamin is arrested just before he finalizes a deal with Mr. Tojamura.
- That night, Pete is up late making a snack. Out of nowhere he is accosted by Mr. Tojamuru, who passionately kisses him. As Pete splutters, Mr. Tojamuru removes his glasses and reveals that he is actually Catherine, wearing a wig and mask.
- Sally has a vision, but the stress of it leaves her unconcious.
- White at a bar, Cooper has another premonition of the giant man. The giant man says that it is happening again.
- As Leeland Palmer dresses himself, he glances at himself a mirror. The raggedy man stares back at him. Leeland dons some surgical gloves and attacks Madeline, violently beating her until she's unconcious. He proceeds to place something under her fingernail.


Comments:
- Harold's suicide note says "I'm a lonely soul" in French. What a deep guy.
- Shelly and Bobby struggle to meet ends meet. Bobby suspects that Leo has money stashed away somewhere. While searching Leo's things, he find a microcasette tape.
- At one point, Sally has a premonition of a white horse standing in her living room. That's it. That's all it is. Just a horse. Deep.
- When Leeland attacks Madeline, there is some gratutious slo-mo. Think.. Darkplace slomo.

Favorite Scene:
Fuck knows.

Rating:
9/10

Discussion:
- So I guess Leeland is the killer? Or maybe Ben was the killer and now Bob has simply... switched... bodies...

next episode

Episode Fifteen

Synopsis:

- The next morning, Leeland Palmer is nonchalantly playing golf when Donna and James come to say goodbye to Madeline. He tells them that he dropped her off at the bus stop. He leaves with a golf bag that contains Madeline's bloody and beaten body.
- Ben's brother Jerry offers to represent him as an attourney.
- Leeland's high spirits attract the attention of Harry and Cooper. They tell him that Benjamin has been arrested for Laura's murder. Leeland feigns sadness, but creeps away and bursts into barely supressed laughter.
- After five minutes in an interrogation, Jerry tells Benjamin to get a better lawyer.
- Bobby listens to the micro cassette he found. On it, Leo has recorded all of his conversations with Benjamin. Bobby plans to blackmail Ben.
- Mike wakes up and sense that Bob is close. He knocks out his police escort and flees out of a window.
- Hank returns after two days of absence.
- Pere visits Harry to tell him that Josie is gone. While talking, they realize that Johnathan/Lee is not who Josie said he was. Before anything can come of it, Cooper arrives and tells them that Mike is gone.
- Pete goes to the cells in order to deliver a message to Ben from Catherine. Ben has to sign over the land the sawmill lies on or Catherine will tell the police something exceptionally damning about the night Laura died. After Pete leave, Ben trashes prison cell in a fit of rage.
- Leeland drives erratically, singing a chippy tune while swerving all over the road. Cooper and Harry pull him over. Leeland manages to divert attention by mentioning that on the night of Laura's death, Benjamin left to make an angry phonecall regarding what Cooper suggests is the diary. As Harry goes to take a message from Lucy, Leeland insist he show Cooper his new golf clubs. Cooper narrowly avoids spotting Madeline's body when Harry calls him over, saying that they found Mike.
- They bring Mike to meet Ben. Mike remarks that Bob has been close by, but that he's isn't here anymore. Cooper begins to have his doubts that Ben is the killer.
- Audrey visits Cooper that night. Audrey once again tries to have "a talk" with Cooper, but Cooper receives a wrorying phone call. He tells Audrey to go to her room and lock the door.
- Cooper and Harry arrive together at the top of the waterfall. Madeline's body is recovered from the river, wrapped in plastic just like Laura was.

Comments:
- At one point, Harry looks at a woodpecker outside of his window. We then see what is clearly documentay footage overlayed with a binoculer shape.


Favorite Scene:
Jerry tries to throw his weight around as a lawyer. Cooper proceeds to remind Jerry that he graduated last in a class of 142, took the bar exam three times, and has had his license to practice law revoked in four states.

Rating:
9/10.

Discussion:
you get the idea by now of what discussion really entails

Episode Sixteen

Synopsis:

- Albert returns to examine Madeline's body. He finds the letter "O" under her fingernail. Cooper asks Harry not to release the information of her death, saying he needs 24 hours to "end this".
- Donna and Cooper find a page from Laura's diary, which describes Cooper's first dream (with the dancing midget) exactly from her perspective.
- Cooper asks Mike about his dream. Mike says that the giant man can help him find Bob, but Cooper must ask him first.
- Mr. "Togamaru" visits Ben. When Ben realizes it's Catherine, he signs the contract she presents to him, assuming she'll vouch for him for the night of Laura's murder - it's the truth after all. She doesn't.
- Donna visits Leeland to tell about the diary. Throughout the conversation, Leeland gets increasingly more aggressive and intense, but the timely arrival of Harry stops him in his tracks. Harry tells Leeland there's been a murder and requests his help. Donna goes and tells James that Madeline is dead.
- Harry leads Leeland to a bar where Cooper and several others await. He tells them that since all other methods have failed, he is going to rely on "magic". Major Briggs and the elderly waiter from the first episode arrive. The elderly waiter and Leeland have a brief conversation that mirrors one from Cooper's first dream. The giant man appears and drops Cooper's ring and Cooper finally remembers. In his dream, Laura told Cooper that her father killed her. Cooper tricks Leeland and arrest him.
- Cooper and the police interrogate Leeland - or Bob rather, who unabashadly confesses. He thanks Leeland for being a good host and then says that he will leave him when the time is right.Afterwards, Cooper describes in meticulous detail all the clues that prove the killer was Bob-in-Leeland.
-The sprinkler system is triggered by the smoke from a cigarette and Bob uses the opportunity to smash Leeland's head against the wall and to escape from Leeland's body. As Leeland lays dying, he reveals that Bob appeared in his dreams as he was a boy and possessed him. Leeland admits that Bob made him kill Theresa Banks and Laura. Cooper comforts Leeland as he dies.
- The next day, Cooper and Harry declare that it is their duty to stop Bob... somehow.

Comments:
- There are a lot of slanted camera angles in this episode.
- Remember that old woman and her grandson and the creamed corn? Apparently that was an illusion or something. Donna visits the house and finds a different woman living there, who's childless and whose mother died three years ago..
- As Leeland dies, Cooper directs him towards a light and Laura. Leeland sees her and appears at peace when he passes away.

Favorite Scene:
Cooper's magic scene was pretty well done.

Rating:
10/10

Discussion:
- Technically.... I was right about Leeland and Laura having a sexual relationship. Ha.
- So this epsiode marks the end of the mystery really. Laura's killer is dead. Bob's still out there I suppose and I imagine that is what the remaining thirteen episodes will be about.

Episode Seventeen

Synopsis:

- Three Days Later, Sarah Palmer prepares to bury her husband next to her only child. Cooper comforts her and tells her that Leeland was not guilty and that he died at peace.
- At the wake, Cooper tells Major Briggs that he has some vacation time saved up, and plans to stay in Twin Peaks for a few more weeks. Major Briggs invites him to go on a fishing trip.
- Audrey once again (...) tries to convince Cooper to be with her. Cooper tells Audrey that he will never let that happen, because the last time it did, the woman he got close to died. She was a federal witness and he was assigned to protect her along with his partner Windom. When an attempt was made on her life, Cooper wasn't ready for it because he loved her. She died in his arms, Cooper was badly injured, and Windom lost his mind. Cooper tells Audrey that he will always consider her his friend. She seems to accept that.
- Bobby prepares for an interview with Benjamin Horne.
- Catherine surprises Harry in his office. She tells him that a guardian angel saved her life and that after the sawmill fire she found herself in the woods. She tells them that she went into hiding because she was afraid another attempt would be made on her life.
- Cooper prepares to leave for the fishing trip. Harry gives him a special lure and also gives him a Bookhouse Boy badge, making him an honorary member of the society. As Cooper says his goodbyes to the police force, an FBI Agent named Roger Hardy and a Canadian Mountie burst in. Hardy tells Cooper that - effective immediately - he is suspended from the FBI.
- The reason for the suspension was the unlawful raid Cooper and Harry conducted on One-Eyed Jack's in order to rescue Audrey. In addition, three deaths that occured during the raid (including Blackie), the escape of Jean Renault and the disappearance of a large amount of cocaine (that the Canadian authorities were planning on using in a sting operation on Jean) are seen as suspicious.
- Ben laughs off Bobby's attempt to blackmail him. Audrey stops Bobby from being thrown out by bodyguards and the two of them strike up a friendship.
- Hank reveals himself to be in the employ of Jean Renault, as is the Canadian Mountie who accompanied Agent Hardy. Jean requires a broker to launder his money, so Hank convinces his trying-to-go-straight friend from prison, Ernie (who is also Hank's father-in-law, having recently married Norma's mother) to accept the job.
- Josie, tired and exhausted, shows up at Harry's in the middle of the night. They embrace and kiss.
- On the fishing trip, Major Briggs asks Cooper if he's heard of a place called The White Lodge. Cooper excuses himself to urinate when a bright light blinds him. The Major yells out and the light cuts off, leaving Cooper alone in the woods.

Comments:
- I've been accidentally calling Sarah "Sally" for a while. Whoops.
- Leo continues to move ever so slightly.

Favorite Scene:
doot

Rating:
9/10.

I've heard that there is a significant drop in quality in the second season, but so far things have been par for course.

Discussion:
911 was an inside job.

Episode Eighteen

Synopsis:

- Major Briggs is missing. Cooper and Harry interview Brigg's wife, who isn't worried. She says he regularly disappears as part of his work.
- Gordon Cole calls and tells Cooper that he's behind him 100%. He also warns that the drug enforcement agency are sending an agent to investgiate called Dennis Bryson.
- At the hearing with Hardy, Cooper stands by his actions but refuses to defend himself even though he risks expadition to the Canadian authorities. Hardy decides to uphold the suspension for the time being and warns Cooper that he will.
- Cooper asks Harry and Hawk about the White Lodge. Hawk tells Cooper that "his people" believe that the White Lodge is where the spirits that rule men and nature reside. Hawk then reveals that there also exists a "Black Lodge", the place where evil shadows reside. Before once can reach perfection, one must confront their demons in the Black Lodge.
- Mulder Dennis arrives, dressed as as woman and asking to be called Denise. Denise doubts that Cooper is guilty, but resolves to begin the investigation immediately.
- Josie finally tells Harry the truth. She used to work for a man called Thomas Eckhart in Hong Kong. Eckhart is dangerous and wants Josie back - she believes he killed her husband. Josie fears that he will now kill Harry and herself.
- Hank and Ernie return to Twin Peaks. It's clear that Ernie is not happy to be involved in a criminal operation again.
- Hank visits Ben at the Great Northern. Ben chasitises Hank for failing to kill Catherine. Hank shruggs off the criticism and nonchalantly tells Ben that One-Eyed Jack's is now Jean Renault's.
- Cooper receives another message from Windom. Windom taunts him in chess analogies, smugly telling Cooper that the he will kill him, no matter what.
- Denise warns Cooper that he (she?) found cocaine residue in his car. Cooper responds that he's being framed and Denise agrees, but says that he (she?) will need more evidence to prove that it is. As an aside, Cooper asks why Denise is now dressed as a woman. Denise says that an undercover operation last year forced him to be a transvestite and discovered that he (she?) liked it.
- Josie goes to Catherine and asks for her help. Catherine tells Josie that she will now work as a maid and that if she disobeys then Catherine will hand her over to Eckhart. As Josie leaves, a man enters the room. The man - revealed to be Andrew (Josie's husband that was believed dead) - says that their plan to lure out Eckhart is going perfectly.

Comments:
- There's a portrait of Harry S Truman in Sheriff Truman's office. Hm.
- Cooper was threatened with being handed over to the Canadian authorities. Ooh, scary. I'd much rather serve a full murder sentence in a Canadian jail than a reduced one in an American jail.
- Ben is in a real bad way. He's disheveled, dirty and depressed; watching old home movies of his father and family on a projector alone in his office.
- Josie continues to be utterly repulsive.
- James, who has fled Twin Peaks because he's sick of the stress, gets a job fizing a car for a beautiful woman whose husband's away on business.
- Hank is a terrible goon. He can't kill anyone to save his life.

Favorite Scene:
When Mulder shows up, dressed in drag, the reactions from Harry and Hawk are great.

Rating:
8/10

Discussion:
Are transvestites referred to by their gender (what they see themselves as) or their sex (what genitalia they have)? Very confusing.

Episode Nineteen

Synopsis:

- Bobby visits Ben again. Ben asks Bobby to tail Hank Jennings and find out everything he can.
- Cooper looks into the lodges in and around Twin Peaks. By luck, he discovers one called 'Dead Dog Farm' that has a history of mystery about it. Cooper resolves to investigate further.
- The recently remarried head of the local newspaper has a heart attack while having sex with his golddigger wife.
- Cooper visits the Dead Dog Farm with a real-estate agent called Irene. He spots three sets of tire tracks, even though Irene says she hasn't shown the property to anyone in over a year. Cooper determines that there was a meeting there in the past couple of hours after evidence on the inside. He finds a supply of cocaine.
- Cooper goes to tell Harry about Dead Dog Farm when he finds him in a meeting with Colonel Riley - Major Briggs' superior is fronting the investigation. It soons becomes clear that the White Lodge is a real thing and that Briggs' disappearance could possibly have ramifications that go beyond 'national security'.
- Audrey talks to Bobby again. Audrey offers him a business proposition shortly before he visits Ben. Bobby presents Hank with some photographs of Hank as Audrey eavesdrops.
- Audrey steals the photographs and gives them to Cooper. The photos show the meeting at Dead Dog Farm and Cooper exclaims that she has just saved his life. Cooper presents the photos to Denise, as well as the cocaine he found, which should be more than enough to exonerate him on the drug charges.
- Denise confronts Ernie with the photos of the Dead Dog Farm meeting and asks him to turn against the others for his own sake. Denise (and Cooper) tells Ernie that he's going to participate in a sting operation with him (her?!) to get the others.
- Bobby returns home to find his mother waiting for him. She confesses that she's worried about Major Briggs. Bobby reassures her and together they remember him fondly. Suddenly, Major Briggs returns, dressed in old-fashioned pilot gear and unaware of how long he's been gone. His wife asks if everything's alright, he says no.

Comments:
- Dick and Andy, trying to prove themselves as responsible fathers, take turns looking after a young orphan called Nick. At one point while changing a tire, Dick is almost crushed by the car. Nick, extremely upset, begs Dick not to die. Dick secretely believes that Nick murdered his family.
- James snogs the woman he's working for shortly before her husband comes home. It turns out that her husband beats her and she retaliates by fucking up his cars. Her husband may or may not be important later.
- The golddigger wife hangs around the police station and manages to enthrall Andy, Dick (who begins quoting Shakespeare when he sees here), Doctor Hayward, Harry and Hawk who hang of her every word, much to Lucy's chagrin. The scene is terribly slapstick and unfunny.

Favorite Scene:
Hawk tries to be suave and it doesn't work out:


Rating:
8/10.

Discussion:
Did you know that 0.999 = 1? True story.