In which we re-watch all of Twin Peaks and spout spurious nonsense about it.

Listen to this week’s Spotify playlist.

Oh Nadine. Oh, Nadine. Jesus, I know what happens and this still bloody kills me every time. She’s just so utterly destroyed, so girlish and earnest – obviously there’s a dose of prefiguration here – but so god-damn teenage. In a show so focused on teenagers, she’s an adult who never grew out of high school – or out of her love for the big dumb quarterback.

Having spent the past few weeks slowly revealing that just about everyone is cheating on their spouses, what we see tonight is a lot of these couples showing why they were together in the first place. There’s some actual – seemingly genuine but you never can tell with big Cathy – affection between the Martells. Pete, ever the innocent, throws himself completely at her mercy as she presumably knew he would. Elsewhere we’ve got Hank and Norma sharing a dreams of feather beds and blue skies – and a kiss, albeit brief and seemingly regretted. We’ve got Andy and Lucy’s passionate reunion with a revelation that everyone saw coming. And then, of course, there’s Big Ed and Nadine. Badalamenti is incredible in this scene, his toytown recreation of the main theme equal parts nostalgic and creepy; just what the scene merits.

Also, did I not say that this whole dressing up as Laura thing was a bloody idiotic idea? Jacoby had a heart attack. Great work there, the three investigators. I just feel sorry for the Doc this week, having a bunch of snotty brats poking through his cocktail umbrella collection and making him doubt his sanity. Let’s face it, we’d all have a tiki room if we thought we’d get away with it. No? Just me?

Still, they’re possibly more use than the TPPD. So pleased with themselves after busting Jaques Renault they’re too busy acting like they’re in a cop show to be effective police – all this smug chat about the ‘trout is on the line’ and Harry turns his back on an armed suspect. When you’re being out-copped by Andy it’s maybe time to go on a wee refresher course, eh? The blokeish locker-room chat in the station after the fact is pretty despicable as well. Hooray, we just put a man in Hospital! Doc Hayward is in for a sleepless night tonight…

There seems to be a directorial decision to show a different aspect of the town tonight as well – we’ve been al forests and rivers thus far but this episode shows the working industry of the town, the water plant and the saw-mill as grubby and mechanical as they are. I wonder if this is a reflection of the revelations about the humans of the town – as none of the people are as perfect as they first seem neither is the town this bucolic idyll that Coop sees it as, the perfect façade is powered by big dirty industry.

Of course, this episode is all about the cliffhangers – Audrey in her ridiculous lingerie hiding from the old man and Cooper’s three sharp shots. What a way to leave us…

Unsorted Observations

Leland is bloody terrifying.

“Mother always said I was born lucky…”

Jaques goes from doofus to irredeemable pretty quickly.

Leo tying up Shelly is pure silent movie villain.

Pete’s high school yearbook.

“I can’t understand a word you’re saying.”

Fire in the mill coincides with the fire alarm in the hospital.

Hank is framed with deer horns when he’s threatening Josie.

Bobby gets some great bobbyfaces this week.

“24hr room service must be one of the premier achievements of a modern society…”

And here we are, at the end of the first series. This is where it really starts to get interesting…

Next year: Cooper talks to a giant and Leland gets a new hairdo.

Join The Great Twin Peaks Re-Watch here, or read last week’s post here.

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