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Twin Peaks Rewatch 2: Traces to Nowhere

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Guest LostInTheMovies

Re: the above, forgot to mention the fifth episode with different end credits, the

the finale, but that does feature Laura if not her portrait - she appears in the coffee cup.

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Most likely, this is just coincidence. But knowing how important the character was to Lynch's conception of the show, this makes me wonder if there wasn't an unwritten (or written!) rule that every episode needed to end with her image - a rule that only Lynch himself felt permitted to break, as long as the episode itself had already highlighted her in an unusual way. The only exception - when another director ignored her portrait - may actually prove the rule.

 

Then gain, maybe I'm just reading too much into this. ;)

 

I think it is an interesting point. It's difficult to know what parts are Lynch sometimes and which Frost or other writers. I have noted in other places that many of the dreams/visions that Cooper has occur in episodes where David Lynch is credited as writer or director. Almost to the point where you wonder if he went uncredited as writer while directing and just showed up on the set to film for those scenes, giving impromptu directions to the actors in the visions. That's part of the issue with deconstructing Twin Peaks. Also, that is some of the fun, I guess.

 

I love the sight gag of David Lynch just showing up with Carel Struycken (The Giant) looming behind him without notifying anyone. I'm sure this didn't happen. I just love the thought of it.

 

EDIT: Also, this is not a hard and fast rule. Dale does have visions in episodes without David Lynch at the helm, but I believe they are the exception. 

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Guest LostInTheMovies

I think it is an interesting point. It's difficult to know what parts are Lynch sometimes and which Frost or other writers. I have noted in other places that many of the dreams/visions that Cooper has occur in episodes where David Lynch is credited as writer or director. Almost to the point where you wonder if he went uncredited as writer while directing and just showed up on the set to film for those scenes, giving impromptu directions to the actors in the visions. That's part of the issue with deconstructing Twin Peaks. Also, that is some of the fun, I guess.

 

I love the sight gag of David Lynch just showing up with Carel Struycken (The Giant) looming behind him without notifying anyone. I'm sure this didn't happen. I just love the thought of it.

 

EDIT: Also, this is not a hard and fast rule. Dale does have visions in episodes without David Lynch at the helm, but I believe they are the exception. 

 

The question of the mythology vis a vis Lynch & Frost is a fascinating one. It's something I'm trying to unwrap right now as I work on a video series covering the show, and I'm coming to the realization that although Lynch added many of the surreal touches himself (Bob, the Red Room,

the giant

) it was generally Frost who created the mythological framework (the Lodges, the Dweller on the Threshold) and pushed for a specifically supernatural reading as opposed to a less specifically defined surrealism. I often wonder if Lynch wanted the spirit world of Twin Peaks to be more ambiguous than it ended up, which makes Fire Walk With Me all the more interesting:

there's a really fascinating fusion of abstract psychodrama and otherworldly mythology in that film - and, in fact, in all of Lynch's work since then.

One of the many ways the Lynch/Frost collaboration may have changed Lynch as a filmmaker.

 

Another area where Lynch & Frost may have differed - which I plan to bring up more in the episode after this upcoming one

(i.e. the Log Lady's cabin) is on Agent Cooper. I've noticed that Frost prefers to highlight Cooper as a worldly but also flawed professional, mystic but also skeptical, whereas in Lynch's hands he's a more idealized conduit between the rational and irrational.

Martha Nochimson discusses this in a really interesting chapter on Twin Peaks in her book The Passion of David Lynch.

 

As for the giant, from what I've heard Lynch called Frost up and said, "Mark, there's a giant in Cooper's room." And Frost said, "I believe you, David."

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On 10/23/2014 at 7:56 PM, Roswell47 said:

Was I the only one that noticed when Ed picked up James from the police station, Hawk and Ed did like some secret code-sign where they drew their index fingers over their right eyes?

 

This was such a cool small detail. On my third viewing of TP ep 2 yesterday I noticed that for the first time myself and also that James mentions the Bookhouse Boys in the same scene and moment.

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Episode 2 thoughts:

 

So the cops have bob and mike in jail 

(heheh). 

 

Cooper needs to go for a wee which is weird to see

in light of series three. 

 

The scene where cooper and truman are horrified by the fish coffee is amazing. The amount of time lingering on them and their faces of polite disgustedness are perfect. 

 

Sarah Palmer is amazingly acted. 

 

Cooper shows more grossness

Spoiler

In a way showing more baddie cooper inside hi - like mr. Cooper.

When he talks about squeezing grapefruits re: Audrey. 

 

Major Briggs is a firm dad - the perfect dad for Bobby. :(

 

Given what we know about Coopers alignment with mysticism I feel he’s a little too incredulous about Margaret’s Log. 

 

Cooper’s little computer is never to be seen again I think. 

 

Also Cooper’s conspiracy theory chat sounds a lot like the margin writer (and the whole tone) of the secret history of twin peaks book. 

 

 

 

 

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