Monsters of Television

Turns out I was right.

I’d pondered from the beginning where this show would go once its central question – Who Killed Laura Palmer – had been answered. Now that that portion of the season’s entertainment has been wrapped up, it appears that our A-plot will focus on that mystery man himself, Agent Dale Cooper.

Having wrapped up the Palmer case, Cooper is set to leave Twin Peaks (much to everyone’s sadness) and head off for a well-deserved vacation. Daddy Briggs offers to take him night fishing first, so goodbyes are made all around.

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“You’re on the path. You don’t need to know where it leads. Just follow.”

Who killed Laura Palmer?

This is the question, the driving force that started Twin Peaks. We’ve spent the better part of two seasons pursuing the answer to this question, albeit in a very roundabout and convoluted way. We’ve meandered toward the truth, had it revealed to us but not to the characters, and watched as the characters caught up to the final revelation.

Now the truth is out there for everybody to see. The murderer has been found. Justice, of a sort, has been served. The series could end right here without complaint from me. But it doesn’t. So the question has become: what now?

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I’m not sure what to say about this episode.

Part of the Twin Peaks formula – a necessary evil considering its large cast – is that there is very little in the way of resolution to plot lines. Instead, we have a continual stream of intricately connected stories, each becoming the connection for another link. This can be good, because it allows for big stories to build up in their own time, but it also means little stories can get lost in the shuffle. It also means that sometimes we have to have a filler episode, where nothing important happens but many things are set up for the future.

“Drive with a Dead Girl” is most definitely filler.

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Y’all, this is a disturbing show.

Twin Peaks has never shied away from showing strange or distressing things, but this offering may top the list. It may be the remnants of my dreams last night or the steady click click click that echoes through this episode, but I found it extremely uncomfortable to watch.

The truth is that there is only one scene – cut into pieces – that can be directly labeled as graphic, but there is a sense of foreboding, of wrongness that pervades the entire episode. By the time we get to the scene, we as an audience are primed to let ourselves get carried away with any hint of skin-crawling storymaking. That what we are given is legitimately upsetting only adds to the emotion.

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“But you’re just like the others. You lie and you betray and then you laugh about it!”

I wasn’t so enamored with the last episode – because, let’s be honest, it was bo-ring – but I kind of love this episode. Pieces falling into place, some delicious character moments – and a squee-worthy character arrival – what’s not to love?

“Demons” very much deals with everyone’s secrets, with the things they hide inside themselves and hope no one else ever discovers. Harold Smith’s line, quoted above, is the perfect opener as events lead to certain people’s secrets blossoming, others being threatened, and even more coming to a head.

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Twin Peaks, what are you trying to do? No, really – what is your endgame here? Because if I didn’t know any better, I’d say you’ve lost the plot.

I’m sure all of this meandering and plot-thickening is leading somewhere, but I’d like us to get there a bit quicker, if you don’t mind.

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Judge Sternwood: “Mr. Cooper, how do you find our little corner of this world?”
Agent Cooper: “Heaven, sir.”
Judge Sternwood: “Well, this week heaven includes arson, multiple homicides, and an attempt on the life of a federal agent.”
Agent Cooper: “Heaven is a large and interesting place, sir.”

Heaven on Earth. Hell is other people. Twin Peaks is doing a damn good job of being an example of both those adages.

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One of the dangers when embarking on a First Watch of a show (or film) that has been out for quite some time is that no one else thinks of it as something that can be spoiled.

I clicked on a link this past week that led to a story that sounded interesting. I was not expecting to see Twin Peaks pop up in the opening paragraph, nor to have one of its plot points discussed in detail. Though I attempted to skip past any mentions of the show, the damage was already done. In truth, the very title of the piece, combined with seeing the italicized name of the show anywhere in the article, was enough to be a spoiler.

Alas, I shall push it from my mind and take comfort in the fact that at least I don’t know the when or how or why.

Meanwhile, things are still afooting at pace in our beloved little town full of crazies.

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Is saying “The plot, it thickens” redundant with this show? YES, YES IT IS.

Basically, Twin Peaks is doing everything it can to juggle as many different stories as possible. For the very most part, it succeeds wonderfully. This particular episode might be considered filler, but anyone who knows this show knows better than to think that. “Coma” doesn’t do much for resolution of any established plot threads, but it does set up for some major developments in the (hopefully near) future.

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It’s baaaaaack!

Personal life, holidays, and forgetfulness have delayed the return, but here we find ourselves again, dear friends, discussing the journey that is Twin Peaks. I’m sure the three of you that actually read this were sorely troubled by the absence but never fear – we’re back on track.

Apparently my time away was needed, because I’m refreshed enough that the endless stream of investigation doesn’t bother me the way it had started to by the end of season one. Mind you, season one is much, much shorter than season two, so there’s no telling how long this enjoyment will last. But for now: YAY!

The Slow Boil. It’s a difficult thing to do. Go too slowly, you risk boring your audience. Mess up the timing, and plot threads are left dangling. Pull in too many threads to flesh out a stretched narrative, and the complexity of the story can lose people. The Slow Boil. It can be at turns annoying and exciting. The slower pace means you get time to really savor the build up, the gentle construction of a world and a story. But that pace can also make the story drag and leave you thinking, “C’mon, already!”

So far, the boil of Twin Peaks has had its share of both sides, though the excitement has outweighed the annoyance. The opener of season two – all 94 minutes of it – is on the excitement side.

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