Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Twin Peaks Tuesdays: Episode 11
BLOGGER'S NOTE: Our weekly recaps of Season 2 will be pre-empted next week for a special post, so the recap of Episode 12 won't be until May 29.
By Edward Copeland
In what must be one of the most creative openings yet for an episode of Twin Peaks, director Todd Holland pulls sort of a reverse on David Lynch's famed opening of Blue Velvet. Only instead of delving beneath the surface, that's where we begin as abstract images and sounds slowly unravel to reveal that we are inside the title of the wall in one of the sheriff's station's interrogation rooms as Leland is being questioned about the murder of Jacques Renault. Leland waives his right to a lawyer, telling Cooper and Harry that he knows his rights and he'll represent himself, before basically confessing. Harry asks Leland why he killed him and Leland says that it was because they arrested Jacques for killing his Laura, making Cooper and Harry look remorseful. Leland asks them if they know what it feels like to suffer that sort of loss and Cooper says he doubts any of them are a stranger to grief, but Leland insists that this is different, something deep inside. Harry says a traveling prosecutor and judge should soon arrive to handle the multitude of criminal cases now awaiting ajudication in Twin Peaks.
Outside the room, Doc Hayward comments that Leland will have to plead insanity and that no parent should have to bury their own child, to which Cooper sternly replies, "Do you approve of murder, Dr. Hayward?" After Cooper exits, the comic relief of Andy and Lucy re-emerges as Andy asks Doc if he can re-take his sperm test, since he "flunked" the first time. Amazingly, Doc has a handy specimen bottle in his medical bag and tells him to fill it, put it in a brown paper bag and he'll wait in the car. As Andy prepares to hit the rest room, he runs smack into Lucy and knocks over her boxes of candy while she spots the issue of Flesh World that Andy had planned to use for inspiration. A miffed Lucy marches off in a huff. Dale
asks Harry if there are any new leads on the BOB front and learns that Hawk found out that no one named Robertson was ever registered as having lived next to the Palmers' house on Pearl Lakes. Soon, bumbling Andy enters the sheriff's station lobby and proceeds to drop his sample and it rolls under the chairs. Cooper asks him where he got that, actually referring to Andy's boots, but Andy says it's a private matter until he realizes the mistake. Cooper notes that the boots which Andy said he bought from the one-armed man are the same kind they found under the board at Leo's house, meaning that perhaps the cocaine was not the clue the Giant referred to as being at Leo's house but the link to the one-armed man.
At the Great Northern, an eager employee anxiously tells Ben that she's received a tip that well-known Seattle travel writer is heading to Twin Peaks and they should be prepared, since the critic's identity is a secret but he or she always pays in cash, so Ben tells her to be alert. The news is not nearly as pleasant when he enters his office to discover Jean Renault, whom he doesn't recognize at first, with the video tape of Audrey as prisoner. Renault insists he's just the messenger, but says that perhaps he and Ben can make a deal regarding the future management of One Eyed Jack's but that he has a condition separate from the ransom the kidnappers demand: He insists that Cooper make the drop. Ben tells him that Dale is an FBI agent, but Renault doesn't care and Ben is more than willing to give Cooper up in exchange for Audrey. At the Double R, Norma also has been tipped about the impending arrival of the travel critic, so Hank rushes out to spruce the place up, even suggesting that perhaps she should call Big Ed and tell him to recommend the diner to any strangers.
Donna visits Harold Smith again and he reads her a passage from Laura's diary where Laura says she's afraid that Donna wouldn't be her friend if she knew the darkness that dwelt within her. Donna tries to convince Harold to turn the diary over to the police, but Harold insists it is his. Ben shows Cooper the tape and the conditions: $125,000 in cash delivered by the FBI agent. Ben says he knows Cooper understands Audrey's "value" to him and will do his best to get her back safely. Days after the mill burned, Josie finally returns home from her shopping spree and acts shocked when Pete informs her that Catherine died in the fire, though he's not sure what they will bury since no body has been found.
At One Eyed Jack's, Emory brings a strung-out Audrey to see Jean. Audrey says that Emory hit her, which Emory denies, but Jean reassures her it won't happen again before killing Emory. At the sheriff's station, Cooper finally confronts Lucy about what is going on. She admits that she and Andy used to date, but that she got annoyed by him because he never exercises, never washes his car and doesn't even own a sports coat so they broke up. She then tells him about her dalliance with Tremayne. "Are you still seeing this Dick?" Cooper asks, but Lucy says no. Cooper then sees Harry and tells him that he needs Harry's "best Bookhouse Boy" for an operation that he can't tell Harry about. Harry says he'll set up a meeting for that night at the Roadhouse. The arrival of a mysterious stranger at the diner, sends Hank and Norma scurrying and when the man excuses himself to go to the bathroom, Hank lifts his wallet and learns that he's the area's traveling district attorney. At another table, Maddie tries to reassure Donna that nothing's going on between her and James but when Donna brings up the diary that Harold has. Maddie quite stupidly suggests that they have to tell James and Donna flies off the handle again and leaves.
Harry is grateful to see Josie back, but he expresses his concerns to her about her sudden absence just when the mill burned. Josie acts hurt, but then proceeds to seduce Harry on the couch, unaware that the mysterious Asian man is watching through the window. Later, Josie introduces the man to Pete as her "cousin
Jonathan." Once Pete is gone, Jonathan (Mak Takano) tells Josie that after six years, her work is nearly done and then she'll return to Hong Kong, though Josie informs him that she still needs to get Pete's signature before she can complete the sell of the mill. When Harry returns to the sheriff's station after his tryst, he meets the arrival of Judge Sternwood (Royal Dano), a quirky old customer. He asks Cooper how he finds their little corner of the world and Cooper says, "Heaven." "This week, heaven contains arson, multiple homicides and an attempt on the life of a federal agent," Sternwood tells him. Unfazed, Cooper replies that "Heaven is a large and interesting place." While the authorities excuse themselves to another room, Dick Tremayne wanders in and tells Lucy that he's wracked with guilt and has to do the right thing, which in his mind is offering her $650 to "take care" of the problem. Lucy orders him out. Judge Sternwood begins Leland's bail hearing, telling him that he's been before him many times and he's sorry for his loss and that when the "frail shadows we inhabit have left the stage," he hopes they can raise a glass in Valhalla. Since D.A. Daryl Lodwick (Ritch Brinkley) hasn't shown up yet, the judge delays the hearing until the next morning as long as Leland is fine with another night in jail, which he says he is.
At the Great Northern, another mystery Asian visitor has arrived, and he's paying cash. Identified as Mr. Tojamura (Fumio Yamaguchi), Ben's faithful employee tips off Norma that she thinks the critic has arrived. The friend I was watching the episode with though seems to think that underneath the Japanese cloak, it's really Catherine in disguise. As Cooper awaits his meeting with a Bookhouse Boy, Harry arrives at the Roadhouse and soon Dale realizes that Harry plans to be the one to help Agent Cooper on this mission. Meanwhile, the storms that have pummeled Twin Peaks all day have cut power to the diner and Hank sees someone in the dark. It's Jonathan, who proceeds to beat the hell out of Hank and warns him that next time, he'll take his head off.
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Labels: Lynch, TV Recap, Twin Peaks
