Twin Peaks Rewatch 37: The Return, Part 3

[Jake]

Twin Peaks Rewatch 37:

The Return, Part 3
Twin Peaks: The Return is broadening out, getting funnier, sadder, and somehow even stranger than it was before. Agent Cooper completes his difficult journey out of the Black Lodge only to land in an unexpected pair of shoes: those of a slot machine mega-jackpot champion named Dougie. Hold onto your shoes and follow us through the unknown, as we discuss The Return, Part 3.

If you have a question for us or thoughts to share on the new season of Twin Peaks, write us at twinpeaks@idlethumbs.net.

Looking for a place to discuss the season with fellow viewers? We recommend the Twin Peaks Rewatch forum.

 

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[Bjorn]

So earlier I was wondering whether or not the Dales are separate bodies, split soul/consciousness with one body, or what.

 

3 seems to answer that, that the Doppelgangers are entirely separate creatures from the people they replace.  At least some of the time.  But that does leave me confused about Leland in the original series though, as it was heavily implied there that original Leland was at times present.  But maybe not?  Maybe that was always just BOB in a Leland suit?

 

The episode felt like it had a light more light hearted and funny moments overall, which I appreciate its break from the overall foreboding and heavy feeling of the opening 2 episodes.

 

WHAT THE FUCK IS JACOBI DOING WITH THE SHOVELS?

[Gregalor]

1 hour ago, Bjorn said:

WHAT THE FUCK IS JACOBI DOING WITH THE SHOVELS?

 

Either Jacobi owns a roadside art gallery (every random mountain town seems to have one), or he's a monster hunter and this is all part of his preparation montage. He's got quite the setup for these shovels, although he wastes A LOT of paint.

[MabaseSlums]

I think this episode is my favorite of the currently released so far. Not only is it the beginning of the Wacky Adventures of Coop, but the way it wildly expands the scope of Lodge happenings is really welcome. One of the worst parts about late Twin Peaks for me was how it began to make this otherworldly place a bit of a known quantity, but by bathing in elements that are completely unrecognizable, but working in a similar logic, it really reasserts the force the concept has.

 

I come at Twin Peaks being a fan of Lynch's filmic sensibilities first and foremost, so this series has really been doing it for me. The overall shift is still a bit odd, but I put my trust in it as a viewer. Its been surprisingly satisfying as an episode-to-episode affair. 

[bioshrimp]

I have mixed feelings on particular this episode. a large part felt a bit too much like a lynch movie. what I liked about twin peaks always was a good balanced mix of the supernatural and the rational. but here cooper´s bizarre digital" (?) adventure trip to get out of the lodge took really long. I was actually a bit relieved when he finally made it out. if you also add the red room scenes it felt overall not enough time spent on the other plots "irl" (which I find highly interesting by the way). I dunno, this episode was just a bit too much of the one thing and not enough of the other. I hope it will balance out a bit.

 

@Bjorn: I like your puzzling about leland. I also felt his true self was at times present, where he was able to suppress bob. but now it seems a doppelgänger is really a seperate entity. weird.

[Vegas]

I don't think the doppelgangers were originally supposed to be separate entities? I liked the theory put forth in the podcast about Fire Walk With Me that Bob, as a possessing spirit, would certainly influence Leland and bring out some of his worst qualities, but that they were still Leland's qualities to contend with. And you even get some of that with this Doppelganger Cooper. He's very competent, like Cooper.

 

Having two of them in the "real" world poses a problem, but I think that's the purpose Dougie serves. He was basically a body double for good Cooper to inhabit, since "his"  body is being entirely controlled by the Doppelganger.

 

Seeing Bob in the mirror in the original finale of the show would suggest that Cooper's possession works the same as Leland's, but I think it's becoming clearer that something slightly different is happening here. But not too different - as in episode four they talk about

Spoiler

how one of them has to die.

So clearly he is SUPPOSED to be one person.

 

Edit: it could also be the case that doppelgangers are a thing that's specific to the black lodge and were only introduced in the finale so we just don't know how they work. I had assumed they were some kind of "expression of Bob" based on the final scene, but maybe that's not the case? The relation to Bob is the hard thing to parse, and given what the mysterious person on the phone (not Philip Jeffries?) talking to Doppelganger Cooper said about "being one with Bob again," I think this will be clarified later, or at least elaborated on.

[OscarSWALK]

There was a mention to Cooper in the Red Room about past and future (can't recall the exact quote). This got a friend thinking about the relevance to 3 and 15 when he is with the blind lady which appears to be behind the cigarette socket. Are these numbers relating to past and future as 25 years later could put us in the year 2015 and then past could be 2003. Only a suggestion as it seems like in modern times there would easily be some police database with Dougie's picture that someone relates back to Cooper. 

 

[Gamebeast23456]

The entire cold introduction of the FBI in this episode has one of my favorite jokes in the series. The agents are briefing Cole on this whole outlandish situation where the man is accused of murdering his wife, and Cole, after hearing it all, just says "The Congressman's Dilemma". Which, is now definitely going to be a term I use in my daily life. 

 

Does anyone have any thoughts on the return of Denise? I thought it was kind of odd how it almost felt like gloating about how TP had treated their trans character way better than any other 90s era soap opera possibly would, and Cole using her deadname was really straddling the line on how far you could go with Cole just being a slightly oblivious but well meaning old dude, but at the same time I was happy to see her and see that Lynch fully incorporates that character (and respect for the character) into his vision for the show. I was mostly happy to see her appearance. 

[Jake]

50 minutes ago, OscarSWALK said:

There was a mention to Cooper in the Red Room about past and future (can't recall the exact quote). This got a friend thinking about the relevance to 3 and 15 when he is with the blind lady which appears to be behind the cigarette socket. Are these numbers relating to past and future as 25 years later could put us in the year 2015 and then past could be 2003. Only a suggestion as it seems like in modern times there would easily be some police database with Dougie's picture that someone relates back to Cooper. 

 

His room number at the great northern is 315. I don't have anything other than that, but those numbers did turn up in that order quite a long time ago (and we're reminded of it when the woman pulls out the key from cooper's pocket thinking he's Dougie.)

[KLind]

Speaking of numbers: 

 

The Arm mentioned the numbers '253' in episode two, and in episode three you see those numbers appear a few places. First is on the woman's watch in the purple room, and then on the dashboard clock of evil Cooper's car, when he's being observed by Good Coop from the curtains of the Red Room in episode two. 

 

There's been some mention of discrepancy of what we hear versus the subtitle itself, but I don't have answers for that. (253 in the subtitle vs 257 being heard in the dialogue).

 

Either way, I've been taking note of the numbers in this season, ever since the Giant (or ???????? rather) mentioned '430.' at the start.

[melmer]

The team America barf scene was the fucking best!

 

also, dude, just pull the car over!

 

"Heeeeellllllllllloooooooo"

 

i now know what I'll be shouting if I ever see Kyle MacLachlan IRL

 

i got to say this episode made me squeal on about 6 different occasions. Love. It. 

[melmer]

Why are ya'll getting all hung up on numbers and shit? That's like the least interesting thing going on.

 

It was pointless telling cooper about 2:53 anyway as he was completey unawear of what the time was inside the floating box. That shit just happened to him whilist he looked dumbfounded. He didn't have any agency whatsoever. It's not like he was checking his watch and thinking "I gotta stuff my face in to this thing in 3,2,1..." it's just a fun little thing for the audience, just like:

 

bbbbblllluuuuueeeee rrrrrooooosssseeee = cooper doesn't even look at the blue rose.

[melmer]

Anyone know what the song at the end was? I didn't catch it in the credits. I saw there was a song called 'Mississippi' not sure if it was that.

 

edit. Got it!

 

[melmer]

got linked to this fan playlist by the unofficial website

 

Seems as though this will get updated with all the music as the season goes on (new music right at the bottom)

 

 

 

[melmer]

????

 

[Bjorn]

31 minutes ago, Mington said:

bbbbblllluuuuueeeee rrrrrooooosssseeee = cooper doesn't even look at the blue rose.

 

FWIW, Blue Rose is the code word that Gordon Cole uses to identify particular cases, most likely ones that have a supernatural element to them. 

[Bjorn]

11 minutes ago, Mington said:

????

 

 

Where did you find that at?   egassem is message backwards.

 

 

Edited to add: Oh, I see it, way down on that TP playlist.

[melmer]

I think it originates from a Kyle MacLachlan/rolling stones magazine playlist. Must have been made especially as a promotional thing... god knows what it says though?

 

about blue rose. I half thought the woman in the room with him then (with the eyes) was going to start miming

[James]

The egassem isn't anything too interesting:

 

Kyle MacLachlan says "Tune in this Sunday on Showtime. Many things will be revealed."

egassem.mp3

[melmer]

I thought it would be something like that

 

"hi, I'm twin Peaks dale cooper, I die in episode 5, wabba lubba dub dub"

[melmer]

Cry for help?

[BigJKO]

This effect was super memorable. Hilarious and goofy. It actually looks like a decently complex CGI shot but done in a way that feels consistent with Lynch's other effects.

 

[Bjorn]

I love the nearly completely unnecessary shoes dropping off, and then needing to put on shoes, bit that thing did.

[MarkHoog]

I only have one question after this episode.

 

IS IT ABOUT THE BUNNY?!?!?! 

[bioshrimp]

45 minutes ago, MarkHoog said:

I only have one question after this episode.

 

IS IT ABOUT THE BUNNY?!?!?! 

 

How can I upvote this?