Jake

Twin Peaks Rewatch 30: Beyond Life and Death

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Something I was thinking about during the Black Lodge sequence:

When Laura says, "I'll see you again in twenty-five years," is she referring to the first time we see her in the lodge during episode 3?  Cooper is significantly older during that scene.  And from FWWM, we have some understanding that time doesn't flow normally in the lodge.

 

Good catch. The dream sequence (with an older Cooper) was originally part of an alternate ending to the pilot. And that alternate ending actually opened with a title reading "25 years later." So that's almost definitely what Lynch was thinking of when he added the line to the finale.

 

Also, interestingly, in the dream sequence the Lodge floor looks old and worn, whereas its bright and shiny in episode 29. It's going to be really interesting how Lynch plays all of this off in 2016.

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A bit disappointed more first-timers haven't showed up to share their response. I fear we lost most of them somewhere around the Diane Keaton or drawer pull episodes if not earlier...

 

I was a first-time watcher, but I raced through the second half of the second season so can't really accurately answer your questions anymore!

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Also, pabosher enjoyed Windom Earle, so I'm not sure his "opinion" counts! :(

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That's true, I did. It's entirely not the same show as S1, but I enjoyed putting it on and watching it.

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I think binge watching makes that significantly easier compared to watching week by week, I didn't have a problem with him on my original watching spree.

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This is the first time I've finished the show, dropping off sometimes before James disappeared. The last episode was just another helping of stupid nonsense in my eyes. Even though Cooper made it to the Black Lodge it wasn't really any more nonsense than the outside world at this point. To me it was just a bunch of childish trippy scenes with a contrived ending and not funny, scary, or interesting. I never really liked anything directed by David Lynch besides Twin Peaks going into this and now I have concluded that I just don't think I like anything by David Lynch whatsoever.

 

He was funny in that one episode of Louie, I'll give him that.

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First timer here. Still just gathering my thoughts on it.

One thing I can say. Fuck Pete and Audrey dying to the bullshit scheming of Andrew and Thomas. They deserved better than that. :(

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First timer here. Still just gathering my thoughts on it.

One thing I can say. Fuck Pete and Audrey dying to the bullshit scheming of Andrew and Thomas. They deserved better than that. :(

 

I don't think they died. Well, in 2016 it might turn out that Pete died during that explosion because that actor has passed, but I'm sure Audrey is still around.

 

If you remember the season 1 finale, it's full of ridiculous cliff hangers which mostly came out to be meaningless. I think this episode was meant to be the same way. However, Lynch's filming invests everything with such a sense of finality that it's easy to buy that Ben, Audrey, Pete, and Andrew/Thomas (I don't remember which one is still alive at this point) are all actually dead. But I'm sure that if the show had gone on, all those characters would have recovered. (Well, except for Andrew/Thomas, come to think of it. He probably bit the dust).

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This is the first time I've finished the show, dropping off sometimes before James disappeared. The last episode was just another helping of stupid nonsense in my eyes. Even though Cooper made it to the Black Lodge it wasn't really any more nonsense than the outside world at this point. To me it was just a bunch of childish trippy scenes with a contrived ending and not funny, scary, or interesting. I never really liked anything directed by David Lynch besides Twin Peaks going into this and now I have concluded that I just don't think I like anything by David Lynch whatsoever.

 

He was funny in that one episode of Louie, I'll give him that.

 

The lodge scenes could have been silly. I think if the very same scenes were filmed by a different director, then they would absolutely come off that way. Personally, I find that Lynch is able to give everything a beauty and power that it normally wouldn't have. When I watch this episode, I'm not enjoying it on as narrative level, necessarily, but more on an emotional level. It's a combination of sound, color, and powerfully composed images that add up to a sense of deep significance that is just out of my reach.

 

I understand what you're saying about the 'real world' having become just as surreal as the lodge at this point, but that doesn't affect my perception of it in this episode. Not sure why that is. Maybe it's simply because the real world scenes in this episode are more serious and grounded than they've been recently.

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This was the first episode in which I really liked Dan O'Herlihy as Andrew Packard.  He got to interact with people outside of his schemes!  He quoted ancient Romans!

 

Sadly, O'Herlihy, Jack Nance, and Ed Wright (Dell Mibbler) are all deceased.  The guy who played the security guard hasn't acted in over 20 years but he's apparently a Palm Beach society party fixture.  So we could get him back!

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A bit disappointed more first-timers haven't showed up to share their response. I fear we lost most of them somewhere around the Diane Keaton or drawer pull episodes if not earlier...

I was completely into it, and I'm actually kind of glad I didn't skip the terrible stuff because that made it even more amazing. Diluted versus uncut Lynch indeed.

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I usually try to wait til the Rewatch episode is out, but while I'm waiting...

 

I wasn't completely clear on Nadine's scene. Was she finally snapping out of it with full memories of everything that happened, hence the horror? Or was she simply reacting to some random guy being in her house that she didn't know, plus Norma? The only way it really works for me is if she has at least some realization of what happened, although it was a great moment of acting either way.

 

I agree the investigation stuff was worthless. But, the Black Lodge was freaking unsettling, especially Sheryl Lee screeching like a banshee, dear god. Actually that reverse wink creeped me out more. ;)

 

I am somewhat disappointed with the Cooper reveal, as it seemed a bit cheap and an unsatisfying end for our beloved agent. I suppose the real one is still trapped in the Black Lodge? (Come to think of it, does this imply that Leland was a doppelganger too, and the Leland we saw this episode was the original one? Or even Laura?)

 

Other minor point: I was glad to see a bunch of forgotten characters come back, including Sarah Palmer. But what was she trying to do with Major Briggs? His reaction wasn't clear to me when she starts speaking as Bob or whoever.

 

Overall, very happy to have real things to discuss and questions to ask again. Maybe not worth all the hours of mediocrity, but oh well here we are.

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I don't think they died. Well, in 2016 it might turn out that Pete died during that explosion because that actor has passed, but I'm sure Audrey is still around.

When I looked that up strange death, I also read the suicide of Jack Nance's wife and it was an extremely sad story.

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Also, did Cooper actually need the scorched engine oil for anything, or was he just confirming his suspicion and shocking poor Ronette in the process?

 

My understanding was that the small pool in the circle of sycamore trees was filled with the same black oil. The Log Lady tells Cooper at the beginning of the episode that her husband described the oil as "an opening to a gateway". This allows Cooper to recognize the pool as the entrance to the Black Lodge when he comes across it among the sycamore trees – when he kneels down to examine it he repeats "an opening to a gateway".

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The guy who played the security guard hasn't acted in over 20 years but he's apparently a Palm Beach society party fixture.  So we could get him back!

 

It's a boy! It's a boooy!

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So after listening, I didn't realize until you guys mentioned all that Lodge lore, but I was expecting more resolution or explanation of the Black Lodge and map and cave. The show seemed to focus so much on that stuff and yet last episode didn't resolve any of it. After this episode I forgot until just now that we still don't have any idea who made the cave map, or the sycamore circle, or even why Earle wanted to take a woman with him. (Recall that while it was conveniently vengeful to take Annie, initially he planned to take whoever happened to win Miss Twin Peaks.) Not that I particularly care, but still weird that it was completely ignored in favor of "twelve fish = king arthur = ghostwood." (Oh and by the way why the hell does Earle say "twelve fish" why did he care, did he go around looking for a vehicle to steal with twelve things in it oh forget it.)

 

Ben Horne: Jake you mentioned he looked up surprised, but he seems at least unconscious to me, although maybe moving slightly. And judging by the Doc's reaction he thinks he might have accidentally killed him. What an intense scene.

 

Really excited for Fire Walk With Me!

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Also, kudos for staying mostly on-schedule. There is another Twin Peaks podcast which shall remain nameless (yes, I have been listening to two - more actually, haha) that started several months before you guys...and still hasn't reached the final episode. The worst part is they managed to get most of the episodes out at least every couple weeks but after reviewing the second-to-last episode they went on indefinite hiatus - two months and counting, and still no coverage of the finale & FWWM (which is really the only reason I stuck with them for the second half of the series). Sheesh.

 

Anyway, I looked forward to downloading your podcast each week and you did not disappoint. Even though I didn't rewatch the series along with you, the week-by-week discussion offered me a new perspective on a show I have binged on pretty much every viewing.

 

Great work, and I look forward to catching some more of your podcasts in the future. I am not a gamer but the Mad Men one at least looks promising. I plan on finally watching the series soon and when I get to the last season I will definitely be downloading your episodes.

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Ben Horne: Jake you mentioned he looked up surprised, but he seems at least unconscious to me, although maybe moving slightly. And judging by the Doc's reaction he thinks he might have accidentally killed him. What an intense scene.

Yeah, I definitely got the impression he was dead or dying, particularly given Doc's reaction.

Anyway, I loved this episode. David Lynch in his element. His version of the Red Room/Black Lodge/Other Place is so much more convincing than a more conventional supernatural mythology would be: it's dreamlike and to a certain extent unknowable. I'm with Jake on the frustration of this being the final episode, in that this could have planted the seeds for a much better season two, but it's a very strong ending, especially given how completely off the rails the show had gone up until that point.

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Chris, ignominy is pronounced "Pennslyvania."

 

 

And how infuriating.  A few months ago I tried to watch a bunch of Lynch stuff and ONLY Blue Velvet was available on streaming services.  Had to acquire FWWM by dubious means, though I did get the Entire Mystery Blu-Ray set for Christmas.

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Man I didn't read Ben as being dead. Wonder why? I was paying super close attention too because I was shocked at what was happening.

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I didn't read Ben as being dead either.  I hope he's not.  I actually enjoyed his good Ben Horne turn.  Not the Civil War stuff, but I kinda dug the pine weasel arc.

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So, I lost track of these discussions as I sort of blew through the show, but now I can circle back and discuss a little. There was a slight rush of relief as I finally felt this saga come to a close; it began when I first saw the Earle shit, and it has finally ended now that he is both gone from the show and the podcast. What a goober. I feel bad for the actor because, as the cast has pointed out, he seemed to be a competent actor given an intensely crappy role. 

 

I thought this episode was incredible. I watched it under the same conditions as the episode where Maddie was killed, on a saturday night in a pretty large room. It felt intensely rewarding to reach a point where the show was finally good again, and I loved all the Black Lodge stuff. I saw Earl's encounter with Good Killer Bob as an actually quality end to Windom's misbegotten character arc; he finally encountered the raw evil of BOB, and for all his horse outfits and shock collars he couldn't come back from that. It almost felt like Lynch's brand of evil was just dominating the goofiness of Windom with what was good about the show at first. 

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