Tuesday, September 04, 2007
Twin Peaks Tuesdays: Episode 26
By Edward Copeland
The law of Twin Peaks return to Owl Cave with the intention of studying further the petroglyph and their discovery of the lever. Cooper immediately notices that the scene has been disturbed since they were there, noting Andy's once-stuck pick on the ground as well as other changes. Hawk recognizes some shoe tracks as the same ones he found outside the power station when it was bombed, a sign that Windom Earle has been to Owl Cave. As to why he'd been there, Cooper says that's a frightening question to contemplate.
After asking Andy to do his best to draw a lifesize replica of the petroglyph, the men turn back while Windom Earle sits in his cabin, smoking a pipe, and sharing a tale with Leo and an unknown guest, who seems to be a heavy metal enthusiast (Ted Raimi). Earle tells his guests about the White Lodge, a place of innocence and joy, where raindrops are full of sweet nature. "Generally speaking, a ghastly place," Earle tells them, saying it reeks of virtue's sour smell. Fortunately, he tells them, there is an opposite place, the Black Lodge, a place of unimaginable power that would give anyone able to harness its strength the ability to reorder the planet to his own liking. Earle is determined to find the Black Lodge. The headbanger thinks it's a cool story and all, but he wants to know when he's going to get the beer Earle promised him. Windom promises his reward will come in due time.
As Pete sits alone at home, he mumbles his own variation on Joyce Kilmer's famous poem: "I think that I shall never see/a girl as lovely as Josie." Catherine comes in obsessed with the box that Eckhardt left her posthumously and asks Pete if he's ever seen anything like it. He says it reminds him of a puzzle box he once saw in Guam. Catherine wants to know how long it will take to figure it out and open it. "It could take years," Pete replies.
At the Double R, Bobby is encouraging Shelly to enter the Miss Twin Peaks Contest, since the beautiful people run everything and her beauty could be their ticket to success. At another table, Lana is dining with Mayor Milford (and for some reason a Southern drawl much thicker than she's ever displayed before) and urges the old man to put the fix in for her to win, since he's one of the judges. The mayor says that would be unethical, but he can't fight Lana's seductive charms. Dale pops in to get some coffee and doughnuts for the gang at the sheriff's department and takes the opportunity to flirt some more with Annie, even inviting her to go with him on a nature study. His thoughts are distracted when he hears Shelly reciting the poem that Windom Earle sent and Cooper recognizes it as one he once sent to Caroline. He asks Shelly if she still has her third of the note and he takes it as evidence.
Back at the sheriff's station, Major Briggs has come by at their request and Cooper asks him for any help he can give them about Project Blue Book. Briggs says that his access has been restricted since his disappearance, but he'll do his best if it means lives may be saved. Hawk arrives with Donna's third of the poem and the news that Audrey is out of town. Cooper asks for Leo's file and quickly spots that the poem had been transcribed by the missing Johnson and that means he's involved with Earle somehow. At the Great Northern, Ben meets with Dick, sporting a bandage on his nose from his injury in the pine weasel riot, and assures him that he will cover all his medical bills. Of course, Dick is being greedy with a smile and asking for other expenses to be covered. After he leaves, Ben admits to himself that, "Sometimes the desire to be bad is simply overwhelming." Speaking of being bad, Windom certainly is up to no good in the cabin. The headbanger got his beer, but didn't seem to think it was unusual that his host was sealing him inside a giant chess piece. Windom asks Leo to fetch him an arrow, but Johnson suddenly finds a streak of morality, realizing what Earle is about to do and refuses. Earle activates the shock collar and Leo gives in and hands him the arrow, which Windom promptly uses to kill the headbanger.
At the roadhouse, the signup is under way for the Miss Twin Peaks Contest. Ben addresses the committee of Mayor Milford, Doc Hayward and Pete first, suggesting that they use the theme of saving the woods for the event. Pete is skeptical, but both Doc and Milford feel the idea has merit. As Bobby works with Shelly on her entry, he spots Lana with the mayor and asks if anybody smells a fix (I guess it doesn't bother him that another contestant, Donna, has her father on the committee). There is another entrant for the pageant: Mike comes into the room with Nadine. Bobby takes the opportunity to pull Mike aside and ask him what he's doing with the older woman. Mike says Bobby just wouldn't understand before adding, "Do you have any idea what the combination of sexual maturity and superhuman strength can result in?" Mike then whispers something in Bobby's ear and he shrieks, "Whoa!" in response.
Harry, still trying to cope with Josie's death, visits Catherine to see if she can offer him any insight. Catherine admits she finds it hard to hate her, even after everything she did to her family. She often wondered whether Josie even was aware of her actions, or if somehow she were able to block them out. Then she brings up the matter of the puzzle box to Harry. Harry has no clue about how to open it, but when Pete enters, he takes it and accidentally drops it to the floor, revealing another puzzle box within the box, this one covered with the phases of the moon. Pete sees if dropping the new box works, but it doesn't and an exasperated Catherine whisks the new puzzle box from her husband's grasp.
Annie and Coop finally get to take their "nature study," in a boat on a serene and beautiful lake. Cooper broaches the subject of why she left the convent and alludes to the signs of her suicide attempt, but Annie is reluctant to talk about that. "Hiding from your fears doesn't make the fear go away," she tells him, something Cooper completely understands. The tentative FBI agent then works up his nerve and kisses Annie. They talk a little more and then kiss again, unaware that Windom Earle is spying on them through binoculars on the shore. Back at the Double R, Gordon Cole (David Lynch himself again) is sampling a multitude of pies and sitting with Shelly, the only person on earth he can hear without help. "Twin Peaks seems to be full of beautiful women," he says as Annie and Dale join them and Cole slides next to Shelly in the booth.
The FBI supervisor finally tells Shelly that since he's heading back to Bend, Ore., and doesn't know when he'll be in Twin Peaks again, he's worked up the nerve to ask for a kiss, because otherwise he'd regret it for the rest of his life. Shelly complies and the clinch is witnessed by Bobby, who walks in at that exact moment and demands to know what's going on. "You are witnessing a front three-quarters view of two adults sharing a tender moment," Cole tells Bobby. "Take another look sonny. It's going to happen again" as he kisses Shelly one more time. Later at the Great Northern, Dale is enjoying a drink by the fire when he's joined by John Justice Wheeler and the two men bond, talking about love. Dale says he feels as if someone has taken a crowbar to his heart. Wheeler asks if that's a good thing, and Coop replies in the affirmative, feeling he'd kept it locked up long enough. Just then, a telegram arrives for Wheeler with some sort of upsetting news and he tells the bellboy that he'll be checking out of the hotel immediately.
While the Haywards share dinner (though isn't it strange the two younger daughters are seldom there?), Donna asks her mother pointedly about her relationship with Ben Horne. Eileen tries to deny anything and Doc tries to help his wife into the cover story he'd previously concocted about charity work. Donna is unconvinced and tells them she's entering the pageant in hopes of winning the scholarship money so she can study overseas.
Truman calls Coop to the gazebo, where a large crate has been placed. He said they initially suspected a bomb, but detected no metal. Cooper says he used to be able to guess at what Earle was up to, but he's bewildered by him of late. He urges everyone back and jerryrigs a rock with a string and shoots it to open the crate, revealing the finished chesspiece with the dead headbanger inside. A note on the chesspiece says, "Next time, it will be someone you know."
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Labels: Lynch, TV Recap, Twin Peaks
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You'd never believe the sight of a world-renowned director yelling overly-written dialogue at the top of his lungs and kissing the prettiest girl on the set would be so sublime until you've seen this episode.
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