Edward Copeland's Tangents: Twin Peaks Tuesdays: Episode 24

Tuesday, August 21, 2007

Twin Peaks Tuesdays: Episode 24

By Edward Copeland
Following Josie's mysterious death, Sheriff Harry Truman has gone on a bender of stupendous proportions. Hawk even brought him a breakfast from Norma at the Double R, but Truman refuses. He's sticking to an all-liquid, alcoholic diet. Being sheriff "used to be a simple job," he laments. "I guess the world's caught up with us."

Someone else has some catching up to do with the world: Norma's sister Annie (Heather Graham) who has just left a convent. Norma asks if she's talked to their mother, but Annie says no, which Norma completely understands. Also at the Double R, the Log Lady is drawn to the mark left on Major Briggs' neck after his disappearance. With Harry out, Cooper has assumed more duties at the sheriff's station, mainly because Hawk has no interest in paperwork and Cooper has a lot to fill out with Interpol concerning Josie and Eckhardt's deaths. Doc Hayward's autopsy of Josie couldn't determine a cause of death but did find that she weighed a mere 65 pounds at death, which would seem impossible. Though the characters don't raise the issue, given that a tear rolled down her cheek prior to her death and water freed BOB from Leland, could Josie perhaps be some sort of elemental spirit and the low weight is evidence that all the water had left her body and ended up in that drawer pull?

Windom reads Cooper's latest chess move in the paper and gets angry because he realizes that Dale is getting help and is trying to play a stalemate game. Earle doesn't find that fair and takes his anger out on Leo. At the Great Northern, Dick is coordinating a fashion show that will serve as the launch of Ben's campaign to save the pine weasel. Mr. Pinkle shows up with a stuffed example of the creature, but Dick advises that perhaps that undermines their message. Audrey and John Justice Wheeler go on a picnic together and Wheeler serenades her with a guitar. Cooper makes another attempt at getting through to Harry, mentioning that Josie's dossier not only included murder and attempted murder but prostitution arrests in Hong Kong. Harry won't hear of it and yells at Dale to get out.

Eckhardt's assistant Jones (Brenda Strong) pays Catherine a visit. Naturally suspicious, Catherine keeps a gun trained on her at all times. Jones says that Josie and Eckhardt will be buried side by side. The better to keep an eye on each other, Catherine cracks. Jones reveals her purpose for the visit was that Eckhardt had left a gift for her and she gives her a mysterious, shiny black box. Windom Earle disguises himself as Dr. Gerald Craig, an old college acquaintance of Doc Hayward and visits with Donna, who shares her desire to get out of Twin Peaks. "Don't knock small town life until you've lived in the big city," Earle says. He thinks Donna has a small slice of heaven in Twin Peaks and urges her to enjoy high school in all its absurdity before leaving a gift for her father. At the sheriff's station, Pete has several chess games going at once, to try to figure the best way to get

to a stalemate while losing the fewest pieces. He tells Cooper that even if he jerryrigs some of the classic stalemate games, he still can't do it without losing at least six pieces. Cooper tells him to do what he can and to protect the queen at all costs. Two of Pete's students, Lucy and Andy, are playing a game of their own and Lucy cries foul when Andy tries to move his knight without doing "the little hook thing." Andy insists the move is optional, but Pete sets him straight. The Log Lady and Major Briggs arrive at the sheriff's station to tell Cooper that the Log Lady has a similar mark on her leg from a similar disappearance in the woods she had when she was only 7. She also recalls the call of the owl. Donna's mom and dad return home and she tells them about Dr. Craig's visit, which Doc says is impossible since Gerald Craig drowned years ago. When he opens the gift, it bears a knight with a chess move. Doc realizes it's from Windom Earle and tells Donna that the man is very dangerous and to never let him in the house again.

Now that Ed and Nadine have "broken up," Ed enlists Dr. Jacoby's help in trying to explain the concept of divorce to her so the path for Ed and Norma will be clear. Jacoby isn't getting very far and tells Ed that Nadine will see reality again when her mind feels it's safe. When Nadine hears the word divorce, she says she thinks she's gone blind in her left eye. Another unexpected visitor arrives at the Hayward home, but Donna knows this one as she witnesses a mysterious conversation between her mother and Ben Horne. Norma tries to convince Shelly to enter the Miss Twin Peaks Pageant, but Shelly is skeptical, giving a mocking speech about world peace by getting all leaders to form a circle and hold hands because "you can't make a fist if you're holding hands." Coop pops in to the diner as well and once again doesn't notice a disguised Windom Earle. He does however notice Annie and instantly lights up, even when he spots the scar on her wrist indicating a suicide attempt. Harry is getting worse, with a bottle of booze in one hand and a gun in the other. Cooper tries to get him to give him the gun but Harry says he's never turned his gun over to anyone. Cooper suggests that this might be a damn fine time to start. Finally, Cooper gets Harry in a hug and the sheriff cries. He tells Hawk to make sure that someone keep watch on Harry throughout the night.

At the Great Northern, Mike and Nadine are checking in under assumed names. The fashion show includes Lucy and Andy. Catherine drops in, assuming that Ben is just setting up an elaborate plot to stop Ghostwood, but Ben insists he's sincere about his change, considering it a first scrubbing one of the dirtiest consciences in the entire Northwest. Pinkle brings out a real pine weasel and tells the story of the endangered critter and of its attraction to shiny objects and cheap cologne, like the ones Dick are wearing and the weasel bites Dick on the nose, before Tremayne is able to get the weasel off and chaos ensues, including great weasel point-of-view shots. The madness knocks Audrey off the stage and straight into Wheeler's arms, who gives her a kiss. Back at the Book House, someone knocks the man assigned to watch Harry unconscious. It turns out to be Jones, who then proceeds to remove her clothing and climb into bed with the unconscious sheriff.