Monsters of Television

There’s this song I know from years ago that talked about the difference between tattoos and scars. One you get to commemorate or remember what you’ve gone through; the other you get because of what you’ve gone through.  I find the sentiment appropriate for this week’s Twin Peaks discussion.

There are all kinds of wounds and scars, and we run the full gamut of them in this episode. We also get a new face or two added to the clockwork, plus some twists I didn’t see coming (but probably should have).

Let’s start with my favorite and least favorite thing: Drunk Harry.

Harry, described by Coop as: “A man who doesn’t love too easily, loves too much.” And that tainted love has left him three different kinds of messed up as he lets grief and whiskey consume him in the wake of Josie’s death. And I don’t like it. It’s strange to see him in that head space and I never thought Josie was good enough for him. I mean, c’mon, she’s a criminal without the good sense God gave a snail (seriously, why didn’t she just poison the wine?). And she broke Harry’s heart. AND she shot Coop.

Definitely not good enough for Harry.

But Harry, softhearted Harry, fell for her. And fell even further once she died (mysteriously, weighing only 65 lbs., but that’s another story). Harry’s wounds are internal: he’s got a bad case of a broken heart. Drunk, bitter, angry, violent Harry is not a good Harry, and Coop’s calmness is weird put up next to him. But Cooper prevails as always, bringing Harry down from his pyramid of broken furniture, coaxing the gun out of his hand, and starting him on his way to healing with a bro hug. Because bro hugs fix everything. Except the hangover Harry’s going to have. Bro hangover fixes can fix that.

Ben’s internal black heart has led him to his crusade for the pine weasel – by staging a fashion show, as one does to save endangered species. You should all come to my evening wear show to save the manatee. The models are great and include Lucy and Andy, and the guests include an incredulous Catherine, wearing the fanciest muu-muu I have ever seen. The pine weasel is totally adorable, y’all, and I don’t get why everyone loses their minds when it bites Dick. Dude had it coming.

Then we have actual scars, like those found on Daddy Briggs and Log Lady. That’s right: DADDY BRIGGS AND LOG LADY. Log Lady went for a walk in the woods when she was a wee lass and came home over a day later with a brand new scar on the back of her leg that looks like a mountain range. And she experienced the same light show and owl serenade that Briggs and Cooper did, but she had it twice. Once when she went missing, and once right before her husband died. OH MY GOD, YOU GUYSSSSS.

And there’s Annie, Norma’s sister, and former nun, just released from the convent. Annie has scars on her wrists that are most likely meant to signify suicide attempts (though if they are, it was a half-hearted attempt, considering that you can’t off yourself with those kind of perpendicular cuts. You can mangle some tends, though). She’s a complicated beauty with a complex and tragic past, come to Twin Peaks bearing scars.

So of course Coop falls for her the minute she pours him a cup of too strong coffee.

Speaking of love and wounds – Audrey seems to be past her infatuation with Cooper and has moved on to Wheeler. Wheeler takes her on a picnic, saves her from a fall during the great Pine Weasel stampede, and serenades her while wearing a ridiculous hat. Audrey, for her part, giggles a lot and admits: “There was someone, but – not anymore.” R.I.P., Audrey/Coop.

The biggest wounds and scars of them all have to be Windom Earle’s, ’cause man ain’t right in the head. He gets extremely peeved that Cooper has enlisted help with their chess game AND that he is attempting to play a stalemate game. So he delivers his next move to Donna incognito as an old friend of her father’s. Donna, showing once again that she’s a complete moron, lets him in. Yes, Donna, invite a complete stranger into your home while you’re there alone. I’m surprised you’ve lasted this long.

But, yes, Windom’s got some mental scars messing things up, and possibly emotional scars as well. But what he really wants is to inflict wounds of all kinds on Coop. And seeing as how he spotted Coop and Annie’s first interaction, I’d hazard a guess at exactly where he plans to strike the hardest. After all, Coop told Pete that they had to protect the queen as long as possible in their game.

Notes:

• Josie’s dead. Why do we have to watch her classy jazz-noir prono?
• I love how Twin Peakers stick their elbows out parallel to the floor when they drink coffee. Like how some people stick out their pinkie fingers when sipping tea.
• “Maybe we better just whistle on our way past the graveyard.” <3 Hawk.
• “She’s also had two prostitution arrests, Harry.” OUCH, COOP.
• Poor Pete, killing himself to try to keep Earle from killing anyone else. While also teaching Andy and Lucy how to play chess. That man is a saint.
• OH GOD. MIKE HAS COME AROUND TO THE IDEA OF BEING WITH NADINE. LIKE ALL THE WAY AROUND TO THE GREAT NORTHERN FOR A FRISKY NIGHT. AHAHAHAHA!
• Who was that whispering to Donna’s mom and what was he whispering about? Who did Jones attack and… did she just crawl into bed with Harry?!