Twin Peaks Rewatch 8: The Last Evening

[Jake]

Twin Peaks Rewatch 8:

The Last Evening

Twin Peaks' first season is over, somehow ramping up every single storyline it touched, while winding down absolutely nothing. Though the finale left more questions asked than answered, we're only one third through the complete run of the series! Join us as we discuss our rewatch of "The Last Evening" and prepare for Season Two.

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• Episode 9 Pre-Discussion Thread

Catching up? Listen to the Rewatch archive.

Also, though it's mentioned elsewhere in the thread, here is the ABC Prime-Time news featurette which aired the week this episode aired:

[Gamebeast23456]

Retroactively, I think there is a level of goofiness to this ep and how it just stacks intrigue and intrigue on top of each other until the lead is shot. Its the most soap opera concept for an episode.

At the same time, as I watched it I remember distinctly being on the edge of my seat. It worked.

It was a ploy to get people so interested in what happens next that the show had to go on.

Also, I'm interested what conversations there are to be had juxtaposing the pacing and direction of this finale and the next season's opener. But that is probably a discussion for next week.

[Jake]

Yeah I think episode 8 is an episode I like just because of what comes immediately after, but as a first time viewing experience, especially if you're really into the mystery and stakes of the whole story, it's hard to resist. I'm curious to see what I think after re-watching it this week.

[Korax]

OH SHIT THIS SHIT JUST GOT REAL

[Gattman]

I cant wait im up to Ep.11 watching one a day

[StealThisCorn]

Why is Maddy still wearing the Laura Palmer disguise when she is all alone in the park and there is a creeper watching her from the woods?

If you look closely at him, you can tell the guy in the trench coat and ski mask who attacks Dr. Jacoby from behind is the same guy in the ski mask who was hiding behind the tree in the woods during Leo, Bobby and Mike's "football drug deal" in Episode 3. In the original script for Episode 8, there is an additional scene where Dr. Jacoby scrambles to swallow some kind of medication he has on him, ostensibly to explain how he survives his heart attack (Wrapped In Platic #50).

Ok, when Cooper is pulling the con on Jacques, he first says that he cannot believe Leo never mentioned him. Jacques plays it cool, saying that maybe he did. A little later when Cooper pretends that he has been financing Leo all along, Jacques says that Leo never mentioned Cooper's name. Then Cooper says, oh, of course not. Even though he started off by saying he couldn't believe Leo never mentioned him to Jacques! Thankfully Jacques is pretty dumb, greedy and drunk, or Cooper would've gotten caught in his own contradictions.

So who do people think the "mystery man" that Laura speaks about on her tape is, who tried to kill her a couple of times? She says "F-I-R-E" like the "Fire walk with me" left at the crime scene, but also "red Corvette" which we have established is Leo Johnson's car.

In Season 2, James tells Cooper he doesn't think it was a reference to Leo, but tells him how Laura used to say, "do you want to play with fire? Do you want to play with Bob?"

Do you think Nadine subconsciously realizes she isn't all there in the head and that her husband doesn't really love her, maybe even suspecting that he is still involved with Norma, at least emotionally? I have to believe there is more to her sad suicide attempt than just her rejected drape runner patent.

There is a scene where Hank is trying to squeeze Josie for more money and the camera shows him  behind her, almost looking down on her. And the shot is blocked in such a way that the antlers from the deer head on the wall behind him look as if they are horns coming out of Hank's head! It is really weird and cool and I have to believe was intentional. Also, the episode doesn't explicitly say what Josie is paying $90,000 to Hank for, but it seems to imply she paid him to murder her late husband Andrew in the boating accident. And that the vagrant Hank ran over which sent him to prison in the first place was just a ruse to give him an alibi for the larger crime. Now that's dedication!

When Hank cuts Josie's thumb, she starts smearing it across her lips in a very Lynchian moment, even though I don't know to what extent Lynch was involved with this episode. Red lips is one of Lynch's little obsessions. It kind of echoes a much more disturbing scene in his film Wild At Heart where Marietta smears lipstick all over her face. It's also interesting to note  that in the original script for the Pilot, Josie was going to be an Italian woman named Giovanna, played by his girlfriend at the time, Isabella Rosselini. There was also an initial idea for her to be a potential love interest for Agent Cooper, undoubtedly creating friction betwen him and Harry, which is kind of hinted at with the line where Agent Cooper first asks Truman, "Who's the babe?" in relation to his first sight of Josie. She ended up not doing the role, and Joan Chen was cast instead (Reflections by Brad Dukes).

Ok just after Bobby hangs up the phone on Lucy, before we cut to Cooper and Harry questioning Jacques, there is a brief far away shot of a hallway with a nurse chatting with an officer. Now someone correct me if I am wrong, but I swear that looks like the same nurse who appears at the end of the Missing Pieces who

takes the Owl Ring from Annie

. Wouldn't that be crazy if it was! It might just be the same body type and outfit. But be on the lookout for her.

In the original script for Episode 8, Jacques explains a little more about the Fleshworld connection, saying "It was a scam. Takin' these horny old guys, sending money in for dirty pictures, underwear." That line does a better job of both recalling the kinky pictures addressed to Ronette and Laura which were sent to Jacques' P.O. box and explaining what Laura was really using Fleshworld for (Wrapped In Platic #50).

So Bobby's prank call to frame James causes the police pull all surveillance off of Leo's house and send them to Easter Park where no one is anymore, which is what allows Leo to try and murder Bobby and Hank to successfully shoot Leo without anyone getting caught. Just like with putting Leo's bloody shirt in Jacques' house, Bobby keeps fucking up the investigation.

 

Who shot Coop?

[Bolegium]

I thought it was Leo who attacks Jacoby in this episode?

[LostInTheMovies]

Do you think Nadine subconsciously realizes she isn't all there in the head and that her husband doesn't really love her, maybe even suspecting that he is still involved with Norma, at least emotionally? I have to believe there is more to her sad suicide attempt than just her rejected drape runner patent.

 

Oh yeah, definitely (not sure if this was just directed to newcomers, but I think it could be an open question for repeat viewers too). Nadine's such a sad character - the more I watch the series, the more I'm intrigued by her and by Wendy Robie's pretty damn dedicated performance.

The direction the characters goes in season 2 obviously leaves much to be desired but maybe more in the way it's handled than in the idea itself. In the less cartoonish moments it's clear that even this outlandish incarnation of Nadine is pretty driven by really painful insecurity and denial.

I can't necessarily say Nadine is a favorite character (the first time I watched the series I think I was cringing whenever she came on) but over time I have more and more respect for the writing

at least in the first season

and performance, and more pity for the character.

[StealThisCorn]

I thought it was Leo who attacks Jacoby in this episode?

 

No, it can't be because we see Leo busy setting up the mill fire and he's wearing a completely different outfit. Plus if he doesn't bother to cover his face when committing arson and murder, I can't imagine he would for a simple assault. Also, what reason would he have to be watching Maddy and Jacoby or attacking him? It's the same character as whoever was watching Leo, Bobby and Mike in the woods in Episode 3.

[StealThisCorn]

Oh yeah, definitely (not sure if this was just directed to newcomers, but I think it could be an open question for repeat viewers too). Nadine's such a sad character - the more I watch the series, the more I'm intrigued by her and by Wendy Robie's pretty damn dedicated performance.

 

Yeah I'm not sure of the ratio of first time viewers to rewatchers on here, so I'm trying to be very careful. But there are so many little things that seem to take on greater significance when rewatching this series. But I also love hearing crazy and wild theories that first time viewers come up with. I find them really fascinating seeing if they are actually better than some of the stories we got.

For sure! I really liked how Lynch took the original script for the final episode of the series and changed that final scene with Nadine from a campy affair to really tragic that brings us back to remembering 'oh yeah, this poor woman' rather than just using her for comedy, or cringes.

[SuperBiasedMan]

I like how Leo demonstrates how just useless he is as a hired goon meant to create an 'accident' by both trying to burn Shelley in there too and also leaving an alarm clock fuse system. I guess Ben Horne assumed it wouldn't matter how bad a job he did if Leo was killed in the end?

 

I really didn't get why James deduced that Jacoby didn't murder Laura in their 'investigation'. "He didn't kill her, he tried to help her." ...what makes James deduce that based on this tape but not the other one they heard?

 

Also the scene with Pete and Catherine has a great background element of the two dudes gawking in at them through the window and constantly moving each time Pete closes blinds, as if each time they hope that he'll forget about them and stop.

 

And lastly

Holy crap Leland's slow turn and then saying "Hospital" was actually so creepy. He really does play that character perfectly because even though he carries out the murder in a weirdly cold way (with the planned alarm tripping, sussing out where Jacques is and then coming prepared with gloves and everything) I really did not suspect him at all on first viewing and all this went over my head.

[StealThisCorn]

I like how Leo demonstrates how just useless he is as a hired goon meant to create an 'accident'

 

I really didn't get why James deduced that Jacoby didn't murder Laura in their 'investigation'. "He didn't kill her, he tried to help her." ...what makes James deduce that based on this tape but not the other one they heard?

 

Well I know Ben told Catherine he actually wanted it to look like arson, which he was going to blame Catherine for and then, if the insurnace policy had gone through, hang Josie for insurance fraud after Catherine's death in the fire since her name was on the policy as beneficiary. But yeah burning Shelly too there muddles it up and is an immediate connect to Leo.

 

Yeah that was so weird about Jacoby! How they just rule him out as a suspect for no reason. It felt more like the writers of the show saying ok we are going to eliminate this suspect for you all who's been suspicious all season, but using James as their mouthpiece makes it sound pretty dumb. In-story, there is no way that was enough proof to rule out Jacoby.

[SuperBiasedMan]

Well I know Ben told Catherine he actually wanted it to look like arson, which he was going to blame Catherine for and then, if the insurnace policy had gone through, hang Josie for insurance fraud after Catherine's death in the fire since her name was on the policy as beneficiary. But yeah burning Shelly too there muddles it up and is an immediate connect to Leo.

 

Yeah that was so weird about Jacoby! How they just rule him out as a suspect for no reason. It felt more like the writers of the show saying ok we are going to eliminate this suspect for you all who's been suspicious all season, but using James as their mouthpiece makes it sound pretty dumb. In-story, there is no way that was enough proof to rule out Jacoby.

 

I just keep forgeting how convoluted the mill plot is, but you're right.

 

Yeah, it felt like the writers saying it to us (which still seems a bit weird given how much the rest of this finale was meant to hook viewers with uncertainty) but really he's unconclusive. Though, at the same time, I've always found that his suspicious activities have been pretty benign if you accept the idea that he did... 'innocently' love Laura and his erratic behaviour is mostly an act for the sake of others (either for the benefit of his patients or because he finds it to be an effective method of getting through life).

[Guts]

I just keep forgeting how convoluted the mill plot is, but you're right.

 

Yeah, it felt like the writers saying it to us (which still seems a bit weird given how much the rest of this finale was meant to hook viewers with uncertainty) but really he's unconclusive. Though, at the same time, I've always found that his suspicious activities have been pretty benign if you accept the idea that he did... 'innocently' love Laura and his erratic behaviour is mostly an act for the sake of others (either for the benefit of his patients or because he finds it to be an effective method of getting through life).

 

 

Well I know Ben told Catherine he actually wanted it to look like arson, which he was going to blame Catherine for and then, if the insurnace policy had gone through, hang Josie for insurance fraud after Catherine's death in the fire since her name was on the policy as beneficiary. But yeah burning Shelly too there muddles it up and is an immediate connect to Leo.

 

Yeah that was so weird about Jacoby! How they just rule him out as a suspect for no reason. It felt more like the writers of the show saying ok we are going to eliminate this suspect for you all who's been suspicious all season, but using James as their mouthpiece makes it sound pretty dumb. In-story, there is no way that was enough proof to rule out Jacoby.

 

Well she did "Break his heart". I feel like Leo runs on emotion instead of logic 90% of the time. He is always angry. He probably thought he was pretty smart for killing 2 birds ( Not literally) with one stone/tiny firebomb.

 

I think in the pilot we are made to think that the killer is the one digging up the heart necklace. Then we see Jacoby with it and that puts him high on the suspect list, but they have made him so buffoonish by this point he has dropped off significantly, and getting attacked by a black clad figure really drops him down the list. It makes him seem less dangerous and we are also given another mysterious figure to accuse. We are also let in on the tape audio that we were cut off from earlier in the season which points to the "mystery man". The fact that it was withheld from the audience and that the reveal didn't point at Jacoby really clears up most of the audience suspicion. But, he is still on the suspect list, everyone is on the list. 

 

A few other fun comments on this episode. Pete does know who has the ledger, which I never though about before. Hank's overtures toward Jose seem to have sexual subtext but blood thing is almost a tv safe version of rape and it probably accomplishes the same basic point which is violent forceful dominance, the horns on his head are awesome. Its great to see the guy pulling the strings is just hanging out and working the pay phone at the Double R, Though he must be spending a long time taking out the garbage because he manages to threaten jose and kill Leo while on his shift at work. There are some great transitions in this episode, the fire in the mill cuts to someone pulling a fire alarm at the hospital, Pete at the burning mill cuts to Ben signing the contracts. I love that Bobby is smart enough to try and pull the "O shit, I mean good thing i found you" line. Cathryn seems to be trying to decide if it is in her interest to cut Shelly out before doing so. More secret passages, the little hunched seamstress goes into. 

[your name here]

This episode breaks the "one episode a day" scheme that has been going on for entire series up to this point. This means that the first season takes place over the course of exactly one week.

 

It seems a little odd, considering that from the viewer's point of view, each episode is separated by a week, but it all seems to fit together. Are there any incongruities that arise from this that anyone has noticed over the course of the season?

[StealThisCorn]

Well the episode right after the one which ends with Audrey naked in Cooper's bed starts up immediately after on the same night. But then usually when they have episodes that pick up immediately after there is a moment in the episode where they will allow time to pass to move things to the next day, like Cooper and Audrey talking (or maybe more? ^^) all night about her troubles quickly cutting to him waking up the next day for coffee at the Great Northern.

[anderbubble]

Sorry for being slightly off-topic:

 

I've been mainlining this show with all my no-work-tomorrow free nights re Thanksgiving; but now I'm in the unfortunate position of having watched *past* the rewatch schedule. I think I'm going to meditate on self-restraint, and restrict myself to the podcast schedule from here on so that I can be a part of this discussion.

 

Hello!

[LostInTheMovies]

Oddly enough I don't think anybody's explicitly asked it yet, so here's my question for first-time viewers...

 

 

Who (do you think) killed Laura Palmer?

[SuperBiasedMan]

Thinking about my first time watching. I feel like I never tried hard to figure it out, I mostly distrusted the idea that it's Leo and waited for the show to reveal itself. So I am very curious to see what others think.

[Argobot]

The problem with shows that use mystery as their central driving force (Twin Peaks, Lost, The X-Files, True Detective, The Killing) is that the ending is rarely satisfying to the audience. Viewers spend so much time piecing together clues and coming up with theories for the meaning of every single object on screen and are disappointed when the finale fails to live up to that obsession. So I think it's harmful to try and solve this kind of story before the episodes have run its course because either you come up with the correct solution and the ending is boring, or you come up with an insane solution and the ending is still boring. This crowdsourced sleuthing has gotten worse as the Internet has grown in popularity to the point where it feels like showrunners are purposefully filling their shots with little references and clues that they know fans will take the time to puzzle out. Twin Peaks just missed this phenomenon (or maybe it helped usher it in) and it will be interesting to see how the third season of this show is received.

 

All of this is just a really long-winded way to say that if you don't know who the killer is, don't try to figure it out before the show tells you.  

[Bolegium]

That happened to True Detective, but I feel like the show itself was a deliberate subversion of audience obsession, unlike other shows that end up pandering to it.

[LostInTheMovies]

Thinking about my first time watching. I feel like I never tried hard to figure it out, I mostly distrusted the idea that it's Leo and waited for the show to reveal itself. So I am very curious to see what others think.

 

For the life of me, I cannot remember having a suspect when I watched this the first time. I think I was pretty sure that the killer would never be revealed (and that this was why the show was cancelled).

[LostInTheMovies]

The problem with shows that use mystery as their central driving force (Twin Peaks, Lost, The X-Files, True Detective, The Killing) is that the ending is rarely satisfying to the audience. Viewers spend so much time piecing together clues and coming up with theories for the meaning of every single object on screen and are disappointed when the finale fails to live up to that obsession. So I think it's harmful to try and solve this kind of story before the episodes have run its course because either you come up with the correct solution and the ending is boring, or you come up with an insane solution and the ending is still boring. This crowdsourced sleuthing has gotten worse as the Internet has grown in popularity to the point where it feels like showrunners are purposefully filling their shots with little references and clues that they know fans will take the time to puzzle out. Twin Peaks just missed this phenomenon (or maybe it helped usher it in) and it will be interesting to see how the third season of this show is received.

 

All of this is just a really long-winded way to say that if you don't know who the killer is, don't try to figure it out before the show tells you.  

 

That's true as a general principle, but I'd say in Twin Peaks' case expectations are exceeded - or maybe I should say superseded. The show is a lot of fun as a whodunit, but once we learn the killer it recasts everything that came before in a new light, opens up entirely new questions, and radically shifts the tone and style of the show (though it takes the finale and Fire Walk With Me to actually live up to that shift). That said, the actual conclusion of the mystery - Cooper's discovery and the explanation of all the clues, etc. - I find pretty disappointing.

[Gamebeast23456]

Oddly enough I don't think anybody's explicitly asked it yet, so here's my question for first-time viewers...

Who (do you think) killed Laura Palmer?

I honestly never really guessed at it much, mainly because that wasn't as interesting to me.

[LostInTheMovies]

I honestly never really guessed at it much, mainly because that wasn't as interesting to me.

 

Again, my memory of my first viewing is really hazy (even though it was only 6 years ago) but I'm pretty sure

 

I felt similarly to you in season one - thought of the mystery as a MacGuffin and something that I didn't expected to actually HAVE an answer. But I think in the early stretch of season two, when the narrative itself is building to some sort of conclusion and there's more of a darkness and sense of "something more" surrounding Laura's killing, I began to get more invested in the mystery and to realize that it actually WAS going to be resolved. Interesting how the series itself conveys the feeling, even without the benefit of ABC promos announcing "the killer will be revealed!" etc.