Monsters of Television

Relationships, relationships, relationships.

Our lives are one big puzzle composed of various pieces that constitute the various relationships we have. All our relationships are interconnected in a social-structure version of Six Degrees of Separation and by interlocking them, a picture can be created of who we are and why. Such connections are the building blocks of all character-driven stories.

Relationships. Who has them, what kind they are, where they are going, where they have been, how they are related – more than a murder mystery, Twin Peaks is a show about relationships. Laura Palmer’s murder – and the solving thereof – is inextricably wrapped up in who these characters are, how they came to be that way, and what they mean to each other. The significance of character interactions has been so drilled into me by the first three episodes that when new characters were introduced and old characters finally given face time in this episode, I automatically suspected that they would become important.

Out of the blue, we get a new character: Maddy, Laura Palmer’s cousin. Maddy has very little to do in this episode beyond show up, offer condolences to her Uncle Leland, and sport some awesome sunglasses at Laura’s funeral, but there is more to this story, I am sure. And Audrey’s brother, Johnny, is given the opportunity to be more than set decoration. I’m not so sure that he will become important, but I do feel that the scene we get of him interacting with Dr. Jacoby – as seen by Audrey through a secret hole in the wall – gave us important insight into… something. All I know is that nothing is wasted on this show and every scene is important, so I am Paying Attention.

Jacoby and Nadine (Eyepatch Lady, you so cray-cray!) give us a couple of very great monologues relating to relationships. Jacoby waxes emotional at Laura’s graveside about how he pretends to be a good person and how no one questions it (and how Laura made him better, because we’re establishing that Laura Palmer was a troubled *~Very Special Snowflake~*). Nadine – flush off the rekindling of her romance with Big Ed (poor dears) – reminisces about their time in high school and how she, a brown mouse of a nobody, watched Ed and Norma and envied them but knew (knew!) that Ed would love her forever if they could just get together.

The lesson here is that no one is what they seem and the loner who watched you obsessively from afar during high school is probably crazy and you shouldn’t marry them.

Speaking of relationships: of course Audrey would be interested in Cooper. And of course he would be interested right back. Strange birds and feathers and flocking, and all that. Cooper analyzing Audrey’s handwriting after he has confirmed that she was the one who slipped him the clue about One-Eyed Jack’s is wonderful. I’m interested to see what, if anything, this will become and how it will play into everything else going on in Twin Peaks.

I must say that I love Cooper’s ability to put aside MURDER for BREAKFAST. It is, after all, the most important meal of the day. Harry and Lucy arrive at the inn, anxious and excited to get to the bottom of Cooper’s late phone call the night before – the one where he claimed to know who killed Laura Palmer – only to find him settling down for a big meal. Turns out he doesn’t exactly know the name of the killer, but he has had a dream, and all they have to do is decipher the code to catch the killer. Cooper’s spiel about his dream is a thing of beauty, wonderfully supported by Harry and Lucy’s reactions.

“Harry, let me tell you about the dream I had last night.”
“Tibet?”

Ah, I love this show.

I also love when shows are self-aware. Not flagrantly so, but when the characters are aware of their own situations and the unique and nuanced nature of their fictional lives, when shows aren’t afraid to hang a lantern, as it were. It’s no surprise that Twin Peaks – quirky as it is – would do so.

There are a couple of points in this episode where that kind of self-awareness shines through. Leland, while getting dosed by a nurse, is shown watching a soap opera-esque show called “Invitation to Love”. First of all, I have to stop and mention how telling that title is in light of all the relationships that populate this show (see, oh, the first half of this post). Then I have to point out that having a soap opera inside what is, essentially, a soap opera is kind of delightfully meta.

Then we have the Bookhouse Boys. Harry invites Cooper to the diner, where he meets up with Harry, Big Ed, and Deputy Hawk. It’s here that we get the self-awareness, when Harry mentions the small town dynamic of Twin Peaks. They are aware of what a good thing they have, but also of the dark flipside to that.

Y’all, there’s something in the woods.

The inclusion of a secret society tasked with protecting the fair town of Twin Peaks – and whose members are only most of my favorite characters – makes me near giddy with glee. Oh, the layers! Added to the portend that there is Dark Stuff in the surrounding forests, it was all I could do not to start looking for Mulder and Scully in the background. THIS JUST GOT BETTER. OH GOD, I LOVE IT FOREVER.

Bad things are happening in Twin Peaks that are also unrelated to whatever may or may not be in the woods (IT’S THE NINJA!!1!): somebody is bringing cocaine into town from across the border, and the Boys know about it. Though, when they said “the border,” my first thought was: “Ain’t nobody from Canada got cocaine. They’re Canadian, for crying out loud!” But then – but then! – we meet the Renaults. Are they French, you guys? ARE THEY FRENCH? AHAHAHA!

Things are getting interesting, you guys. Stick around.

Notes:

• The opening credits are boring. Really, really boring.
• Oh, Miguel. You are so young and pissy. It’s adorable.
• “Sounds like you’ve been snacking on some of the local mushrooms.” YOU GUYS, it’s a 90s version of The Koolaid.
• I’m sorry, but I find it impossible to believe that Don Papa Scully George Hammond Davis couldn’t control one asshole kid. Hell, that he would have an asshole kid.
• “This must be where pies go when they die.” OMNOMNOMPIE.
• “Shelly got a gun…”
• Also: I accidentally saw someone in the cast list that I kind of wish I hadn’t but now that I know… CACKLE. OMG, CACKLE.