A Sincere Thank-You to Women Who Make Us Proud to be Women [Contributors: Jenn, Alisa Williams, Jen W., Ashvini, Erin, Rebecca, and Chelsea]

Well, it's been a week, hasn't it? The sad thing is that there are likely multiple things this could be in reference to. #metoo trended on Twitter as a way for women to acknowledged that they were sexually harassed or assaulted. (Something to note: The movement itself was actually started over ten years ago by a Black activist named Tarana Burke, even though many are crediting Alyssa Milano with it.)

As I watched tweet after tweet and post after post roll in, I felt a lot of things — anger, sadness, empathy, and ultimately an overwhelming sense to do something about what I was reading. But how do you combat misogyny and hate and assault? Well, I don't know the right answer to this. Or even if there is one specific right answer. But I can tell you what our next step as a team at Just About Write was: to elevate women and, in particular, women of color this week.

A woman of color began the #metoo movement, and her name isn't associated with it. That's intensely maddening. And unfortunately it is also all-too commonplace. So instead of erasing women of color from our world's narratives like so many do, we're elevating them. (There are a few white women in this article who have impacted and inspired us recently as well, but you'll mostly find women of color who are shining lights into their communities and using their talents to make the world a better place.)

Most of us here are white, and we recognize that we are privileged. And that means we can step aside and use our platform to make sure that others are elevated. That's what #LadiesSupportingLadies is all about: a way for us to give the mic we have been handed by society over to someone else who deserves to be heard. We are not perfect. I'm the first to admit that I am constantly trying to approach life from a posture that is willing to learn. And I'm thankful for women of color, queer women, trans women, disabled women, and more for continuing to tell their stories. We need them. We need you.

So join us as we discuss women who have changed our lives and are changing countless others' around the world.

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Twin Peaks: The Return 3x18 Recap: "Part 18: What Is Your Name?" (Road Trip!) [Contributor: Erin Allen]

"Part 18: What Is Your Name?"

Original Airdate: September 3, 2017

The final part of the 2-part finale and the 18-part film is nothing like I imagined it to be. It ties up some loose ends while leaving others painfully wide open (Audrey, where are you, girl?) It ends on a cliffhanger similar to the Season 2 finale, with a question that leads to a thousand other questions that you can spend a lifetime (or several lifetimes) pondering. “What year is this?” is the new “How’s Annie?” I can tell you one thing: if Dale Cooper, time-traveling, world-jumping, White Lodge space hunk, doesn’t know, then I, for sure, don’t know.

The last part begins with a flaming Mr. C in the Black Lodge, and MIKE creating a new Dougie out of a seed. We get a little reunion between Dougie and his family. It was so sweet of Cooper to arrange for that. He had a lot to do, and the fact that it was one of his first concerns is heartwarming and characteristic of the Cooper we first met in Season 1.

There is an overlap of the end of Part 17 where Cooper loses Laura in the woods. He ends up in the Black Lodge where moments from Part 2 are interspersed. Once again MIKE asks that dreaded question, “Is it future or is it past?” The arm tree also asks an unnerving question, “Is it the story of the little girl who lived down the lane?” Last time we heard that was from Audrey. This tease really made me stick to my expectation of seeing Audrey again, which, sadly, we do not. But, you know what? That’s on me for expecting anything when I know full well with Lynch I’m only to expect the unexpected, which is exactly what I got.

Laura whispers to Cooper and gets hurtled into oblivion, and Leland tells him to find Laura. Seeing these repetitive bits from Part 2 takes on a whole other context with what we’ve seen now. How it relates to the multiple timelines, I don’t know, but it gives you more to think about and different things to think about than the last time we saw them. “Is it future or is it past?” Indeed.

Cooper exits the Red Room to find Diane waiting for him in Glastonbury Grove. They assure each other that it is really themselves, and begin the first road trip of Part 18. Diane seems wary of whatever they are set out to accomplish. They crossover (from where/when to where/when is up for debate) at one point, and end up at a motel. Cooper goes in to get a room, and Diane sees a tulpa or doppelganger of herself. Then they go into Room 7, and fan fiction ensues. Not really, but kind of? It is a bizarre sex scene (set to The Platters’ “My Prayer”) that seems to be some sort of ritual with what purpose or goal, I do not know. This is one of those points that is of hot contention and has many, many theories flying around it.

The next morning, Diane is gone. She leaves a note to Richard and signs it ‘Linda.’ Cooper and Diane are Richard and Linda. I don’t even know where to begin to sort this out in my brain, but there it is. Cooper leaves the motel, but it is a completely different motel than the one they entered the previous night. That was some wild sex to alter the whole space/time continuum like that.

Cooper goes in search of Laura Palmer with a pit stop at Judy’s Coffee Shop where he deep fries some rude cowboys’ guns. He finds her in Odessa, Texas, living in a house with a crackling telephone pole labeled #6 outside of it. Only it’s not Laura. Well, it is, but she seems to think she is Carrie Page. He convinces her, quite easily, to drive with him to Twin Peaks to her mother’s home. There is a dead guy in her living room and a small white horse on her mantel.

The two embark on the second road trip. There are long, quiet moments with very little dialogue. There is a bathroom break at a gas station. Not much happens in these scenes, but there is something profoundly beautiful in seeing Cooper and Laura together like this. And Sheryl Lee gives a wonderful performance.  

They arrive in Twin Peaks. Laura/Carrie does not recognize anything — not the Double R or the Palmer residence. They encounter an unfamiliar face at the door. The woman whose name is Alice Tremond who bought the house from a Mrs. Chalfont. This is enough to make your head explode and prompts the very appropriate question from Cooper: “What year is this?” Laura hears Sarah/Judy’s voice call out for her from the house, Laura screams, the lights go out in the house, and we cut to black. Shocking. Absolutely shocking. The credits roll over that enigmatic image of Laura whispering into Cooper’s ear.

It is amazing that David Lynch and Mark Frost can give us something that can be taken a million different ways, and make different sense to different people’s theories. That really is true art.

“What matters is what you believe happened.” -David Lynch

Stray Observations:

• There is a lot of face massaging on this season.
• “In those days I was too young to know any better.” 
• Sheryl Lee’s Laura Palmer scream is one of my favorite screams of all time.
• The Lynch/Frost logo at the end was silent which might be the most terrifying thing of all. 

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Twin Peaks: The Return 3x17 Recap: "Part 17: The Past Dictates The Future" (Will The Real Cooper Please Stand Up?) [Contributor: Erin Allen]

"Part 17: The Past Dictates The Future"

Original Airdate: September 3, 2017

I’ve been avoiding writing my final recaps because it really means it’s over, but who am I kidding? It’s never over with Twin Peaks, and David Lynch makes sure of that with this two-part finale. The owl cave symbol turns into an infinity symbol, so that pretty much sums it up. I’ve been thinking about the original run for 15 years and I suspect I will be thinking about The Return for the next 30.

The identity of Judy is revealed...sort of. Cooper goes back in time to save Laura... we think. All the characters converge in Twin Peaks and it’s the last time we see the town and its inhabitants as we’ve come to know them. It is bittersweet. We get footage of Fire Walk With Me as well as the pilot which brings back characters we haven’t seen in The Return like Josie, Catherine, and Pete. (Part 17 is in memory of Jack Nance.)

I’ll do a brief rundown of the events that take place, but I’m not going to even try to explain the time-traveling bit because A) I don’t really understand it and B) there are hundreds of theories online to keep you occupied for... well, ever.

Gordon explains to Albert and Tammy what Judy is. It is an “extreme negative force,” once known as Jiao Dai, that Briggs, Cooper, Phillip, and Gordon have been searching for. Cooper had a plan in the event that he were to go missing. Gordon says, “I don’t know if this plan is unfolding properly.” Upon the conclusion of Part 18, I wonder this, as well.

Mr. C uses the White Lodge to teleport to Twin Peaks which is really cool imagery. When he arrives in the parking lot of the Twin Peaks Sheriff’s station, he says, “What is this?” I’m not sure if he is even aware of the overall evil plan. He is just a tool in the grand scheme of things. And who would’ve thought that the one to stop him from executing whatever mission he was on would be Lucy Brennan. “Andy, I understand cellular phones now!”

Freddie realizes his destiny which is to destroy the BOB rock that comes out of the dead Mr. C. This is an intense battle, and filmed and edited in such a way that only Lynch could offer. Freddie came to be such a cool Twin Peaks character — literally a superhero.

The next scene happens with Cooper’s face superimposed over it. “Some things will change. The past dictates the future.” Naido turns into Diane like we suspected. She has the same chic bob, but it is neon red and awesome. The superimposed Coop says, “We live inside a dream,” Cooper bids his friends farewell, and he leaves with Diane and Gordon as the room goes dark.

The Great Northern room key opens up a door that leads Cooper to the Dutchman’s where the Phillip Jeffries teapot is. He tells Diane and Gordon, “I’ll see you the curtain call.” Cooper appears out of darkness which gave me chills because it was one of the few promo shots we got of The Return, and then MIKE says the Fire Walk With Me poem. More chills!

Teapot Jeffries gives us some really cryptic clues, among them the owl cave symbol morphing into an 8. Also, that it’s slippery in there. Er, what? Phillip Jeffries is still out there being a total enigma. I love it.

Cooper transports back to February 23rd, 1989 in the woods with Laura and James. Laura saw something that night and screamed. This shows us that it was Cooper. After Laura leaves James (I LOVE YOU, JAAAMES!) and runs back into the woods, Cooper intervenes, preventing her murder from happening. The pilot episode begins, but Laura Palmer’s body wrapped in plastic blinks away and the day proceeds without the life-changing discovery.

Cooper tells the young Laura (played by present day Sheryl Lee, who looks phenomenal) that he’s going to take her home. And just when you’re thinking, wow, Cooper really went back and saved her, we cut to the Palmer house where Sarah is moaning grotesquely off screen. She enters the frame and attacks the prom photo of Laura, but it is impenetrable. Cooper looks back and finds that Laura is gone and we hear that infamous scream. Did she go back to contend with Sarah/Judy?

The episode ends, fittingly, with a Roadhouse performance by the incomparable Julee Cruise singing “The World Spins,” music by Angelo Badalamenti and lyrics by David Lynch.

Stray Observations:

• Bushnell Mullins is like a doppelganger of Gordon Cole. “I’m Dougie’s boss.” “That makes two of us.” 
• Jerry was all the way in Wyoming! “He said his binoculars killed somebody.”  
• “Just entering Twin Peaks city limits. Is the coffee on?”
• If The Return had changed your mind on James being cool, the FWWM footage should have set you straight again. 

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Twin Peaks: The Return 3x15 Recap: "Part 15: There’s Some Some Fear in Letting Go" (Perfection) [Contributor: Erin Allen]

"Part 15: There’s Some Fear in Letting Go"

Original Airdate: August 20, 2017

Dare I say this is a perfect episode? I love everything about it from start to finish.

It begins with love and light as Nadine armed with her gold shovel, frees Ed from her kooky (and insanely strong) grasp. She tells Ed to “run to her,” and he does. He heads straight to the Double R while Otis Redding’s “I’ve Been Loving You Too Long” starts to play. How appropriate! He tells Norma that he’s free and she, she... excuses herself to talk to friggin’ Walter. OUCH. This is horrible! Ed stoically nurses his defeat with a cup of coffee.

Then the scene is intercut with Walter and Norma’s conversation and Big Ed and his big broken heart. Norma, thankfully, tells Walter to hit the road, to buy her out of the other franchises so she can go back to owning just the Double R and take care of her “wonderful” family. We cut back to Ed as Walter leaves and Otis’ crooning returns. Norma goes to Ed and he asks her to marry him, and they kiss! Shelly watches with tears in her eyes. (Maybe she’s getting ideas of a certain old flame? Fingers crossed.) The music swells and we cut to majestic views of the mountains and of the clouds in the sky. It’s like even nature is rejoicing because Ed and Norma are finally together and happy after all this time, and all's right with the world. For the moment, at least.

The love and light of that scene is in deep contrast to the villainy and darkness of what happens next. Mr. C arrives at the convenience store. I had to forgo my live-tweeting at this point, it was too enrapturing. I even tried not to blink — I didn’t want to miss anything. But, I did. Over an image of The Jumping Man, Sarah Palmer’s face appeared. I didn’t notice it, and found out about it afterward. What does it mean? Add that to the list of questions that arise throughout this episode. Mr. C doesn’t even know who Judy is! This whole scene at the convenience store is superb and very Lynchian. Unfortunately, David Bowie had passed before being able to return to his role as Phillip Jeffries, so now he’s a large, steaming, talking teapot? I’m not sure what that contraption was supposed to be, but it looked like the big bell-like electricity thingamabobs from wherever that place is that the Fireman was in on Part 8.

So many questions after this scene. Who is Judy? What were those numbers? Is this Bosomy Woman (who is played by a male actor) the key? I mean, she has the key to that door. Also, later Gersten is seen with a key hanging around her neck. I know we’re not supposed to talk about Judy, but how about we do? For real, WHO IS JUDY?

These are things to contemplate later because right after that mind warp that was the convenience store scene, Richard shows up, having followed Mr. C from The Farm. He tells him he recognizes him from a photo his mom, Audrey Horne, had of FBI agent, Cooper. They leave together, and the convenience store fades away in staticky flashes and smoke.

The next scene has someone else heavily tripping out in the woods besides Jerry. It’s Steven. Gersten is trying to calm him down, but he is so far gone, saying things like, “Will I be with the rhinoceros?” and “Or will I be, like, completely turquoise?” He has a gun and he talks about ending it. A man walking his dog (played by co-creator Mark Frost!) interrupts this madness. Gersten runs around the tree, the man hurries away, and a gunshot rings out through the forest — Steven’s fate unknown. The setting is really beautiful, and the camera stays on Gersten for a good long beat after the gunshot. Alicia Witt is pretty amazing here.

And then there’s a ZZ Top moment. No joke. The Roadhouse plays ZZ Top’s “Sharp Dressed Man” as the MC turns the volume way up on a handmade poster of a volume dial. This randomness is prelude to James being weird with Renee in front of her husband, Chuck. Not surprisingly, Renee’s hubby doesn’t like “cool” guys blatantly flirting with his wife. He tells James to kindly refrain by pummeling him with his fists. This is a bad idea since James’ buddy has a Hulk hand that can smash your face in. Freddie uses his superpower on Chuck and his friend, sending them both to the intensive care unit, and him and James to jail.

With the help of Cecil B. DeMille in Sunset Boulevard, Cooper/Dougie sticks a fork in a light socket! Can this be what zaps him back to the Cooper we know? I don’t want to get my hopes up, but it would make sense, yes? Whether this revives him to the old Cooper or not, this scene was really great. Kyle MacLachlan has done a fine job with this version of Cooper, making him just as lovable as before but in an entirely different way.

The scene with Audrey and Charlie is odd as in it begs the question of why they don’t just leave and go to The Roadhouse. This is the third time we’ve seen Audrey and Charlie talk about going out, but never do. Could it be because Audrey’s actually still in a coma and this is all in her head, or is she stuck in some Black Lodge-like dimension? She questions her reality often, too. On Part 13 she wonders who she is and where she is. On this episode, she says she is seeing Charlie differently. “It’s impossible. You, Charlie. It’s you. I never saw you before the way I’m seeing you now, like I’m meeting a different person. Who are you, Charlie?” Great, like I don’t have my hands full with who Judy is, I gotta wonder who Charlie is, too?

And you know what? I love it. I love it so much.

This episode really is perfect, right down to the epic feels it delivers as we say goodbye to a beloved character. The Log Lady calls Hawk and tells him that she’s dying. It is moving and beautiful. Lynch gives this scene the weight and importance it deserves. Catherine Coulson breathed life into this cherished character that had a place in all our hearts, and Lynch let us properly say goodbye to her. The music that plays after Hawk delivers the news to Frank, Bobby, Andy, and Lucy is the same as when the Fireman produced the gold orb with Laura’s face in it on Part 8. This connects them as both being good and pure spirits, in my mind, and was the perfect choice of musical accompaniment.

The credits roll after an incredible scene of a young woman who is bullied out of the booth at The Roadhouse, who then crawls into the dancing crowd and screams while The Veils play on stage. This woman is credited as Ruby. Kind of close to Judy, huh? Also, I would watch an entire feature length film about this girl. She caught my interest immediately, and then in a short amount of time, displayed so much puzzling complexity and emotion.

The mystery doesn’t end there. At the end of the credits, the Bosomy Woman appears. Could she be Judy? Only three more installments left to find out.

Or not.

Stray Observations:

• The exterior of the room where Mr. C meets Teapot Jeffries looks a lot like the motel where Leland met with Teresa Banks in Fire Walk With Me.
• I love this FBI guy who is so filled with rage. 
• Chantal and Hutch could have their own show. Their commentary on government and politics is timely yet humorous. 
• Trying to figure out who Judy is such a mind-bender. She can really be almost any character on the show. Some of my top speculations are Naido, Diane, Sarah, Laura, and even Audrey. I’ve also heard great arguments for Major Briggs and Josie Packard. 
• “In memory of Margaret Lanterman.” And there go the waterworks again.

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Twin Peaks: The Return 3x16 Recap: "Part 16: No Knock No Doorbell" (Isn’t It Too Dreamy?) [Contributor: Erin Allen]

"Part 16: No Knock No Doorbell"

Original Airdate: August 27, 2017

Okay, I said that Part 15 might be a perfect episode, but THIS really is. Lynch keeps topping himself.

Say what you will about evil Mr. C, but he did get his demonic spawn, Richard, zapped out of existence. Peace out, Dick. Mr. C wasn’t too broken up about it. He merely said, “Goodbye, my son” with minimal emotion and then went on his merry way after trying to send a text to Diane.

A lot of action happens at The Jones’ house while they are at the hospital with a comatose Dougie. Chantal and Hutch show up first, waiting to assassinate Douglas Jones. Then the Las Vegas FBI shows up finally identifying the correct Mr. and Mrs. Jones. The Mitchum Brothers’ circus (as Chantal aptly describes them) arrive to stock the Jones’ home with food. A neighbor comes home and takes issue with Chantal and Hutch parked too close to his driveway. Naturally, a bloody gunfight ensues. That was pretty intense, and ended with The Hutchens dead and the neighbor arrested. Well, that escalated quickly. I went from being worried about Chantal’s last bag of Cheetos to mourning her death.

Now about that comatose Dougie. He is no longer comatose nor is he Dougie. COOP IS BACK, Y’ALL! Can I get a thumbs up? And he’s not back just a little bit, but “ONE HUNDRED PERCENT.” MIKE updates him and gives him the owl cave ring. Cooper asks MIKE if he has the seed. Apparently that’s what the gold ball bearing left behind by Dougie is called. Cooper plucks some of his own hair out of his head and gives it to MIKE. “I need you to make another one.” I think he is having MIKE make another Dougie to go live with Janey-E and Sonny Jim. When he says goodbye to them (which is a real ugly-cry moment) he says, “Dougie, I mean, I, will be back.” He lets the Mitchum Brothers in on what’s going on as they make their way to Twin Peaks.

It was shocking to have Cooper back so instantly. He was immediately back to his old self. Even the Twin Peaks theme music started to play. “I am the FBI,” he tells Bushnell. Suffice it to say, I was ELATED, and may have even blacked out from joy for a second. That’s possible, right?

We go from happy shock to devastating shock. Diane receives the text from Mr. C, and it sends her into an anxious fit. She says, “I remember” and texts him back the coordinates. The music that played when we were first introduced to Mr. C back on Part 1 begins to play as Diane makes her way to Gordon. This is incredibly tense because we were just shown that she has a gun in her purse and this song introduced an evil character all those weeks ago.

She finally tells Gordon, Tammy, and Albert what happened that night that Cooper came to see her. It was about three or four years after she had stopped hearing from him. He was very interested in what was going on at the Bureau. He kissed Diane, and that is when she sensed that something was very wrong. Laura Dern gives an achingly gripping performance as Diane, telling the agents that Cooper’s doppelganger raped her. He then took her to an old gas station, most likely the convenience store. As she recalls this nightmare, she glances down at the text message and has a frantic realization. “I’m in the sheriff’s station. I’m not me. I’m not me.” She pulls her gun, but Tammy and Albert were ready and shoot first. Diane’s body disappears with a bang. Tammy thankfully voices what my stress addled brain would’ve eventually got to, “They’re real. That was a real tulpa.” So if the real Diane is at the sheriff’s station, is she Naido? Oh, wow!

Diane’s doppelganger appears in the Red Room. MIKE tells her that someone manufactured her and she’s like no, duh, but in her more colorful language. She disappears in a similar manner as Dougie did on Part 3, leaving behind a “seed.”

The cut to The Roadhouse indicates that the episode is almost over, but, holy moly, what happens in those last minutes is INSANITY. First it’s Eddie freakin’ Vedder introduced with his birth name, Edward Louis Severson. As I listen to his eloquent song, “Out of Sand,” I wait for the credits to start rolling. They don’t. Instead Audrey and Charlie walk in! After Vedder finishes his song, the MC says, “Ladies and gentlemen, Audrey’s Dance.” OH MY GOD. Her music starts to play, and my eyes instantly fill with tears. The dance floor clears, and Audrey Horne dances dreamily as the crowd watches her and collectively sways. It is the most beautiful thing ever. At times during her dance, she had a huge smile on her face, genuine bliss. The reverie is broken by a man running through and attacking another man. Audrey runs to Charlie and tells him to get her out. Smash cut to Audrey looking at herself in a mirror. She is not made up the way she was at The Roadhouse, and she is scared and confused of her own image. WHAT THE WHAT? Electricity crackles and we cut back to The Roadhouse stage where the band continues “Audrey’s Dance,” but it is backwards! Audrey must be in a lodge of sorts.

So, Richard is dead, Cooper is back, Diane is gone (or what we thought was Diane), Audrey is waking up, and Chantal ate her last Cheeto. Cooper is headed to Twin Peaks, and all we have left is the two-hour season finale. “I have no idea where it will lead us, but I have a definite feeling that it will be a place both wonderful and strange.”

Stray Observations:

• Jerry witnessed the death of Richard, but I’m not sure what that means that he was there. He just blamed his binoculars for the whole ordeal. 
• I had three minor heart attacks from this episode. Cooper’s revival, Diane’s doppelganger reveal and demise, and Audrey’s dance followed by evidence of her being trapped in a dimension. 
• “: - ) ALL.” What does Mr. C’s text mean?
• I wish they made a bigger deal of Cooper drinking coffee on the way to the plane. I mean, it’s his first cup of coffee after being back as himself! It was more of a production for Bradley to get his bloody mary. 
• “Here’s to us, Audrey.” “Here’s to Billy.” Is Billy Cooper in Audrey’s dimension? She says she’s in love with Billy. She needs to find Billy. It’s possible, no?
• Some of the lyrics in “Out of Sand” seem to really fit The Return: “I am who I am / Who I was I will never be again [...] I stare at my reflection to the bone / Blurred eyes look back at me / Full of blame and sympathy”

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Twin Peaks: The Return 3x14 Recap: "Part 14: We Are Like The Dreamer" (Excuse Me While I Pick My Jaw Up Off The Floor) [Contributor: Erin Allen]

"Part 14: We Are Like The Dreamer"

Original Airdate: August 13, 2017

Part 14 is one of those episodes that has so much information and so much happens that it just about makes your head explode.

One of those head-exploding moments happens very early on, so it is difficult to keep up with everything that takes place after. I’m talking, of course, of the reveal that Diane and Janey-E are half-sisters. I never would’ve thought Vegas and the Blue Rose Task Force would connect in this way.

I am so in awe of this connection, that my brain was only partially functioning during Gordon’s telling of his dream. I had to go back and watch the dream scene right after the episode ended to really appreciate the beauty and mystery of it, AND THE PRESENCE OF DAVID BOWIE. His character’s name has been mentioned frequently throughout the season. Gordon’s dream includes a scene from Fire Walk With Me when Phillip Jeffries returns to the FBI. It was a thrilling scene then and it is thrilling now. That all of this FWWM stuff is so important to the mythology continually blows my mind.

In beautiful black and white, and partly taking place in Paris (in the dream), the scene has the feeling of a foreign film, complete with Monica Bellucci as herself. That’s right. Monica Bellucci plays herself in a dream. What a trip. And what a dream. “We are like the dreamer who dreams, and then lives inside the dream. But who is the dreamer?” Errr, what? Like I wasn’t confused enough before. But, who is the dreamer, Monica Bellucci?! Please help! Is this all a dream? This is where Charlie comes in to tell me, “This is Existentialism 101,” right?

Still reeling from Gordon’s dream while still reeling from the Diane/Janey-E news, Lynch compounds the mind-bending element by taking us to Jack Rabbit’s Palace. 253 yards East, amidst smoke and flashing electricity, Bobby, Hawk, Frank, and Andy find Naido, naked on the forest floor. She is alive and speaking in that staticky, staccato noise. Before they can do anything, at exactly 2:53, a vortex opens in the sky above them, and Andy disappears.

He appears in the room where the season began, sitting across from The Giant or ???????. He calls himself the Fireman this time. So that’s what the seven questions marks were for! Brilliant! Andy is shown many visions which include Laura, the two Coopers, Woodsmen, and Naido.

They all materialize back at Jack Rabbit’s Palace not knowing what happened. Andy knows, and takes charge. He cradles Naido and tells the other men, “She’s very important, and there are people who want her dead. [...] Don’t tell anybody about this.” I never expected to see Naido again after she flung out into space on Part 3, so this is super intriguing.

Lucy and Andy set up Naido in one of the cells at the station to keep her safe. After they leave, a stressful scene takes place between Naido, a drunk, and Chad. The drunk repeats every noise he hears, Chad is an ornery jerk, and Naido makes chirps like a monkey. Since I first thought Naido could be Judy back on Part 3, the monkey sounds make me think of that again.

But straining for meaning in every single detail is kind of like fighting against the current. At this point, I think I just want to relax and let it take me where it will. We are approaching the end of this wild ride, and we may get answers, we may not. But, it’s still the most fun I have had watching television in quite awhile.

Speaking of fun, how cool is the story that Freddie tells James? Freddie went into one of these vortexes, was told by the Fireman to put on a certain glove, and then move to Twin Peaks from freakin’ England to find his destiny. Um, that’s AMAZING. The whole thing about the glove is fascinating — he’s like a Twin Peaks superhero!

Sarah Palmer also seems like she might be a superhero, exacting vengeance on scummy creeps. Has she had this power all along? She might have, and we only saw a small glimpse into it with what was shown on the original run. This scene was uncomfortable, and frightening, and satisfying. On a show where violence is inflicted upon women practically every episode, it was beyond refreshing to see a dirtbag get what he deserved. Go Sarah!

Part 14 ends in a similar fashion to Part 12. Two women, Megan and Sophie (new characters), at The Roadhouse discuss some other names. Billy’s name comes up again — his current whereabouts unknown. Also Tina’s name is mentioned. She is Megan’s mom and Megan suspects that her and Billy had a thing.

More questions, but that’s okay. All the delicious speculation helps occupy the time until the next episode. Happy clue hunting, Peakies (or Peakers, or whatever you wish to call yourselves)!  

Stray Observations:

• This Lois Duffy case. Wow, Bob, wow.
• That window squeegee bit! All of Gordon’s reactions were great!  
• “Deputy Diane reporting.”
• The scene at the Las Vegas Field Office is so random, yet fits in so beautifully. “Wilson, how many times have I told you, this is what we do at the FBI!”
• “Last night I had another Monica Bellucci dream.”
• The despicable Chad is arrested. Ah, sweet justice!
• “Where I come from we call a bloke like this a “Jobsworth.” A person who delights in acting in an obstructive or otherwise unhelpful manner, as in “I can’t do that, it’s more than my job’s worth.””
• “He just fell over.” “With half his neck missing?!” 
• Lissie performs “Wild Wild West” on The Roadhouse stage as the credits roll. Credits which include Monica Bellucci as herself (still not over that) and “In Memory of David Bowie.” Ouch, my feels. 

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Twin Peaks: The Return 3x13 Recap: "Part 13: What Story Is That, Charlie?" (It’s Not Me, It’s “Just You”) [Contributor: Erin Allen]

"Part 13: What Story Is That, Charlie?"

Original Airdate: August 6, 2017

Part 13 is a hodge-podge mix of stories. Some are major plot developments and others seem like just a simple glimpse into the lives of some of the Twin Peaks residents. Still, there’s a lot of information to sift through, including possible (most likely intentional) timeline tampering. “Is it future or is it past?”

Cooper is still out celebrating with the Mitchum Brothers which makes the short scene of him playing catch (or attempting to play) with Sonny Jim on Part 12 a source of confusion. The Mitchums go big when they celebrate. They buy Cooper/Dougie a car and a play set for his son. They buy Bushnell extravagant gifts, as well. Anthony panics when the party train arrives at Lucky 7, and Mr. Todd informs him that he has one day to kill Dougie.

Their arrival at the insurance firm is in full quirky Twin Peaks form. The jazzy music and dazed Cooper going along with the festivities is fun to watch. As is the whimsical play set that is put up in The Jones’ backyard. I’ve never seen a backyard play structure with a light up marquee arch in front of it. And why was there a movie premiere spotlight and dreamy carnival music playing? It was so surreal and cool.

Anthony acquires the means to poison Cooper/Dougie, revealing that some of the local detectives are in cahoots with Mr. Todd. Luckily Cooper’s weird ways cause Anthony to abandon his plan and confess. This is a nice scene that involves coffee and cherry pie... and dandruff? Odd as it is, it plays really well. Kyle MacLachlan has been very consistent with this bewildered version of Cooper. The slow blink gets me every time. Tom Sizemore is also impressive as Anthony. The guilty unraveling of this guy has been intriguing since his introduction way back on Part 5.

Big things are happening with Mr. C. He’s made it to The Farm, looking for Ray. He finds him, and the only thing standing between him and killing the man that betrayed him is an arm-wrestling match with Mr. Clean. This scene is entirely nerve-racking and entertaining. I was curious to see if Mr. C still had his evil powers after BOB supposedly left his body. The bout with Enzo (the Mr. Clean looking dude) proves that Mr. C is still a force to be reckoned with. He coolly taunts him before winning the match and punching a fist-sized dent into his face, killing him.

His victory leads to an interesting interaction with Ray, which the rest of The Farm guys watch on a big screen from another room. Ray and Mr. C’s conversation is fascinating. It mentions Phillip Jeffries and Major Briggs, and the owl cave ring makes an ominous appearance. Ray was told to put the ring on Mr. C after he killed him. Ray doesn’t get that chance. After giving Mr. C the coordinates and telling him about a place called The Dutchman’s, Mr. C shoots Ray. The ring that Mr. C instructed Ray to put on his left hand, ring finger fades away and falls onto the floor of the Black Lodge. There is a shot of Ray lying dead on the Black Lodge floor, and then a push in on the ring sitting atop the marble table.

About halfway through this interaction, Richard showed up at The Farm and watched the screen, mesmerized. Does he recognize Mr. C?

So Shelly and Bobby aren’t together anymore. I can accept that... sort of. But, why you gotta break up Norma and Big Ed? Why? Ed’s still pining. 25 years later. If that’s not the saddest thing, I don’t know what is. Oh, wait, it’s the credits rolling over Ed sitting alone in silence at his gas station eating soup out of a Double R to-go container.

I’m glad Peggy Lipton got a more meaty scene in this episode. Norma’s been an observer every time we’ve seen her. Her interaction with this guy Walter exudes that sweetness we know Norma has in spades, interjected with these tense glances at Ed. I want to know more about what happened with these lovebirds! And I want Walter to take his market research and get out of Twin Peaks. For good.

Speaking of heartbreak, whatever is going on with Audrey is super heartbreaking. “I feel like I’m somewhere else, and like I’m somebody else. I’m not sure who I am, but I’m not me.” She freaks out and has a meltdown, not sure if she wants to go looking for Billy at The Roadhouse after all. All the while, Charlie is infuriatingly calm and patronizing. “Are you going to stop playing games or do I have to end your story, too?” That sounds like a threat. And it scares Audrey. “What story is that, Charlie? Is that the story of the little girl who lived down the lane?” WHAT IN THE WORLD?! She says, “It’s like Ghostwood here,” and breaks down in tears. Oh Audrey. My heart hurts.

But the pain continues in a scene that makes my eyes and ears hurt. James Hurley performs “Just You” at The Roadhouse. I never in a million years would’ve imagined this. His cringe-worthy falsetto voice and the two brunette singers doing the Donna and Maddie vocals is totally insane. Renee, the girl who James made eyes at on Part 2, gets emotional. I hope she knows that he wrote that song for someone else. All of this is ludicrous, and James is a ridiculous character, but at the same time, I LOVE IT. Lynch takes trolling the fandom to the max with this exhibition. James is a “love to hate” character for a lot of fans, so even if you were rolling your eyes, you were still in total awe that Lynch did that. He. Did. That.

Stray Observations:

• This conversation about Mormons between Chantal and Hutch though. 
• When Becky calls Shelly and tells her that she’s worried about Steven who hasn’t been home in two days has me wondering about the timeline again. Is this before she went and shot up Gersten’s door?
• Nadine fangirling over Dr. Jacoby is superb. Also, their little moment at the end — I ship it. 
• The Sarah scene is fantastic and so spooky. The soundtrack of the boxing match with the static noise on a loop was like “some haunting melody.”
• The reflection of Ed is not in sync with him during part of that end scene. Is it intentional? Is it more of this time looping phenomenon? And what was that piece of paper he burned?

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Twin Peaks: The Return 3x12 Recap: "Part 12: Let’s Rock" (Who Are All These People?) [Contributor: Erin Allen]

"Part 12: Let’s Rock"

Original Airdate: July 30, 2017

Major plot development abounds, and a fan favorite finally makes her long-awaited appearance on Part 12 of Twin Peaks: The Return.

The episode begins with big news. Albert and Gordon offer Tammy a position on the top secret Blue Rose Task Force. She accepts without hesitation. Agents in the task force are a small and elite group consisting of Albert, Dale Cooper, Chet Desmond, and headed by Phillip Jeffries. Albert is the only agent not to have disappeared without a trace. Tammy is the first woman agent to join, and that is a big deal.

Diane gets deputized temporarily. It seems Albert and Gordon want to keep a close eye on her. She agrees by saying, “let’s rock” and making an oddly overt hand gesture. Also, this room is adorned with red velvet drapes, which is a Black Lodge aesthetic. So all this is a very big deal, too, but in what capacity? I have no idea.

Sarah Palmer is such a tortured soul. Can this woman ever have any peace? Even the new turkey jerky display at the grocery store prevents her from getting her alcohol and cigarettes. Grace Zabriskie blows my mind in every scene she’s in. I love the intensity. You have no idea what is happening in Sarah’s mind or what kind of cosmic connection she has, and I’m pretty sure you don’t want to know. It seems terrifying. I’d probably live off of vodka and nicotine, too. This eerie scene is one of the best of the episode. Some of the score is very similar to sounds in Fire Walk With Me, which is an effectively creepy accompaniment.

Hawk goes to check on her, and she sends a whole lot of mixed signals. She flits between scared, agitated, inconvenienced, and nervous. That insidious fan is whirring and there is a strange noise that she says is coming from her kitchen. Hawk assures her that he is here for her. She replies through gritted teeth, “It’s a goddamn bad story, isn’t it, Hawk?” It certainly seems like a cry for help to me, but she says goodbye and shuts the door.

Frank has the unpleasant task of telling Ben Horne that his evil grandson killed that little boy and attempted to kill Miriam, who is now in intensive care. Ben says that Richard has “never been right.” Ben agrees to help Miriam with her medical bills and to notify Frank if he hears from Richard. Then he waxes sentimental about a bike he had when he was a boy. Cool story, bro, but when is Audrey’s name even going to be mentioned?!

Ben mentions the room key that was returned, and asks that he give it to Harry, thinking he might like it as a memento. Further proof that Harry S. Truman and Dale Cooper are a true BrOTP if even Ben picked up on it. Frank says that he think Harry would like to have the key and adds, “We are just opening an old case involving Agent Cooper. Strange this key shows up after all these years.” Yes. Yes, it is.

And the queen has returned. Couldn’t tell you much about her life, but she is back and that’s all that matters. Bless her heart, she still has her sass. If I closed my eyes, it was the Audrey from 25 years ago. Hers is one of the most anticipated appearances, and it lived up to the hype, in my opinion. Audrey is worth the wait. The baffling narrative of Audrey, Charlie, Tina, Chuck, Paul, and Billy that comprises her scene might be infuriating if it weren’t for the overdue presence of Audrey Horne. Brava to Sherilyn Fenn who brings her character back without missing a beat while the audiences is missing several beats. Clark Middleton who plays opposite her as her husband (by contract only?) rounds out the perplexing scene.

Are you confused yet? Well, hold on, the next scene introduces three new characters who spout off even more names. Abbie and Natalie discuss Clark, Mary, and Angela, and then Trick shows up, frazzled from getting in an accident on the way to The Roadhouse. Who are these people on the screen and who are these people about which they are talking. It’s possible that these Roadhouse vignettes are connected and will lead to something, but it is difficult to pay attention when you have no investment in the characters and what they are saying, especially following a scene that was deliberately ambiguous.

Stray Observations:

• “Let’s rock.” Chills! Chills, I tell you!
• Jerry has escaped the woods!
• Is it about the turkey jerky?
• And my fear of ceiling fans has returned. 
• Carl is such a wonderful human. The scene with the trailer park tenant made my heart so full. 
• This scene with Gordon, Albert, and the French woman could’ve lasted about 45 seconds, but David Lynch is not here for that. He’s here for pun-tastic turnip jokes, beautiful women (“That’s the kind of girl to make you wish you spoke a little French.”), and long silences with significant eye-contact.  
• “Next stop, Wendy’s.”
• Yay for more Dr. Amp and Nadine, but it’s just more of the same. 
• Diane continues to be shady, but I don’t think she knows who she is working for. I still think she is one of the good guys. 
• Husband? Really? She went from John Justice Wheeler to this whiny dude? 
• Chromatics make their second Roadhouse appearance.

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Twin Peaks: The Return 3x11 Recap: "Part 11: There’s Fire Where You Are Going" (Cooper Brings A Pie To A Gunfight) [Contributor: Erin Allen]

"Part 11: There’s Fire Where You Are Going"

Original Airdate: July 23, 2017

Part 11 of The Return is a return to the mood of the original. The whole episode from start to finish really felt in line with the best episodes on the first run of the series. From wormholes in the sky to cherry pie, this episode had me on the edge of my seat.

We learn some very important things in the first ten minutes. Miriam is alive! Shelly’s last name is Briggs! Gersten Hayward is having an affair with Steven! All of this is shown in a frenetic, Lynchian, horror movie-style way. Innocent kids playing catch come across Miriam. Tense music plays while Becky is on screen. And, wow, that blood-curdling, rage scream! Way to get the adrenaline pumping from the get-go.

Amanda Seyfried radiates nervous energy as Becky in these first scenes. She maintains this intensity remarkably well; her manic behavior is enthralling. Madchen Amick’s reaction as Shelly complements that emotion. The car stunt is completely unexpected, but feels like an organic progression for the situation. Distraught Shelly calls Norma for advice. I feel like she knows the answer is to call Bobby, but she needs to hear it from Norma. Shelly may have grown up a lot in the past 25 years, but it looks like she uses Norma’s calm rationale as a crutch.

She is also back to dating bad boys. Her and Bobby aren’t together anymore, but they are the parents of Becky, and they seem to get along well. It is heartbreaking to see Bobby sad and Shelly happy with Red, but I got such an overwhelming sense in their family scene together that things are going to be okay for them. Maybe I’m having a Major Briggs premonition or something.

After Shelly comes back in, shots are fired into the Double-R, and what follows is so bizarre. A woman yells at a man about the gun in their car. The man and the boy are unaffected by whatever took place and the incessant honking of the car behind them. Bobby tries to take control of the odd situation, and lets Jesse take over as he goes to talk to the source of the honking. The old woman is hysterical, screaming about being late, when a kid in the passenger seat sort of floats up and towards Bobby. It was like the motion of a vampire rising out of its coffin. The kid is sick and puking, and Bobby just stares in confused wonder. Dana Ashbrook is consistently phenomenal. He was great as young Bobby Briggs on the original, and he has really developed that character even after so many years of not inhabiting him.

I don’t even know what to think of this scene. It could be that it’s all a strange, unrelated, little nightmare, or it could be that it’s vital to the mythology at play.

As to that mythology, there are some major developments in the FBI’s investigation. Hastings takes Gordon, Albert, Diane, and Det. Macklay to the site where he met Major Briggs. Like so much that goes on in Twin Peaks, I have a hard time describing what takes place there. Woodsmen prowl around the area. A portal opens in the sky. Albert saves Gordon from an uncertain fate. Ruth Davenport’s headless body is found. And as for Hastings, well, Gordon said it best: “He’s dead.”

Hawk and Frank are following their own leads. Hawk shows Frank a map that he has. “This map is very old, but it’s always correct. It’s a living thing.” On the map are some symbols we’ve seen before, including some on the piece of paper in the metal tube. The dates on that paper can be read in the stars on the map, as well. Hawk warns Frank that he doesn’t ever want to know about the black symbol that was on Mr. C’s playing card. There are black corn crops which signify death (and probably garmonbozia), and paired with the fire symbol means black fire. The Log Lady calls and tells Hawk, “There’s fire where you are going.”

The last portion of Part 11 focuses on Cooper/Dougie and the Mitchum Brothers. Rodney and Bradley are set to kill him, but there are forces at work that help prevent that. Cooper, out of it as he may be, has exposed the fraud of the arson claim that was orchestrated by Anthony care of Mr. Todd and Mr. C. Bushnell and Lucky 7 Insurance is rewarding the brothers with their $30 million settlement. Cooper is to bring them the check to the meeting at which they plan on offing him.

That isn’t the only thing that helps keep him alive. MIKE from the Black Lodge urges him to bring a cherry pie with him. Bradley had a dream the night before that indicated if Douglas Jones showed up with this one certain item, it meant that he was not their enemy. That item was a cherry pie. The skeptical Rodney has Bradley pat him down, and that is how they discover the check.

They take Cooper out to celebrate. He is triggered several times — by the pie, by the use of “damn good” to describe it, and by some musical notes played on the piano. There are moments in this scene where Cooper looks exactly like he did 25 years ago. This, combined with his wistfulness, is truly moving, not to mention the emotional reunion of Lady Slot-Addict and Mr. Jackpots. Cooper is still out here saving lives even in his condition.

Part 11 is visually stunning with nostalgic and poignant moments, heart-pumping intensity, and even some laughs. I think it’s safe to say it will be on a lot top episode lists of Twin Peaks: The Return.

Stray Observations:

• Boy, was I nervous when that kind ran out into the street. 
• Can we get back to the fact that Miriam is alive, please?
• Carl was really putting off Bookhouse Boy vibes. 
• Lynch’s delivery of “He’s dead” is hilarious.
• Jesse is turning out to be an intriguing character. “Are you interested in seeing my new car?
• “The policeman’s dream.” This throwback to Cooper saying it makes me emotional. Also, the involuntary shaking hand is a callback.
• I would watch a spin-off series about Lady Slot-Addict.
• The episode from the original series that had Gersten Hayward played by Alicia Witt ended on her playing the piano while the credits rolled. This was a departure back then. On The Return, the episodes have ended many different ways, but this one with Gersten ends with someone playing the piano. 
• Angelo Badalamenti’s “Heartbreaking” is the piece that ends the episode. It is beautiful, and some notes are a bit reminiscent of “Laura’s Theme.”

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Twin Peaks: The Return 3x10 Recap: "Part 10: Laura Is The One" (The Log Lady Has A Message) [Contributor: Erin Allen]

"Part 10: Laura Is The One"

Original Airdate: July 16, 2017

This episode doesn’t sit right with me. There is so much violence, and weak portrayals of women — it was kind of exhausting to watch, actually. There are some wonderfully magical moments, but they were few and far between.

Let’s get the bad stuff out of the way first. The two scenes with Richard were horrifying and difficult to watch. If I think about it I can see how it kind of furthers the story and it kind of further develops this beyond evil character, but is it necessary? We know Richard is awful. We watched him threaten to rape a woman and mow down a child on the road. On Part 10, he tries to cover his tracks by killing the only witness to him as the culprit of the hit and run, and then rob his grandmother for money to leave town. The time spent showing the worst of man is a holdover from the original series and Fire Walk With Me. The theme of violence against women has been a mainstay. I just don’t know how much more of it I can stomach, though, or how much it is really adding to The Return, which has been phenomenal so far.

When Richard shows up at Sylvia Horne’s house and calls her “Grandma,” it pretty much confirms that he is Audrey’s son, barring Johnny having had any kids (which is doubtful), or offspring of Donna’s taking the Horne surname (also doubtful). The pure brutality of Richard makes the scene so unsettling, but it is still captivating filmmaking. There is a score that does not fit with the savagery on screen. The closed captioning described it as “saccharine orchestral music.” On top of that, Johnny’s robot teddy bear with a light-up sphere for a head creepily repeats, “Hello Johnny. How are you today?” Mix in Johnny’s helpless moans, Sylvia’s tortured whimpers, and Richard’s vulgar, abusive language TOWARD HIS GRANDMOTHER — it’s almost too much. Talk about a sensory overload, and in such a way as to make you sick to your stomach. But maybe that was the whole point.

Richard’s murder of Miriam at least happens off-screen, but that doesn’t make it any less horrific. The aftermath of Richard telling Chad to intercept Miriam’s letter and Chad successfully following through on that order furthers my unease about it all. Richard is literally getting away with murder, and that is just unacceptable. I look forward to seeing both Richard and Chad get what I hope they have coming to them.

A pleasant moment with Carl singing and playing the guitar is interrupted by domestic violence in the Burnett household. It’s Shelly and Leo all over again, and it’s awful. I don’t want this for Shelly or for Becky. Let’s hope Steven gets his comeuppance, too.

I don’t even want to write about this whole business with Candie and the Mitchum Brothers because it was so dull and tedious. I don’t think it’s quirky or eccentric for these mob guys to have three ditzy blonde girls dressed the same, with similar names, being their... well, basically being their servants and showpieces to stand around and look pretty. Candie trying to catch the fly was played out painfully long, and her over-the-top remorse afterwards was grating. Then later she is portrayed as a dazed dimwit. There was so much screentime with these characters, and it didn’t seem to add much. The plot points about seeing Ike and Dougie on the news makes sense. The visit that Anthony makes to the casino furthers that storyline, but did we need all of the other stuff? The Mitchum Brothers are interesting characters, but that just makes these three female characters that share their scenes even more like unimportant, attractive filler, which is not something I’m interested in seeing on my television in 2017.

Even the strong character of Janey-E, who I have come to love, took a weak turn this week. She’s reduced to this lustful woman preoccupied with her husband’s new fit bod. Nevermind his troubling mental state, I guess, or how he got that fit in THREE DAYS. But, that is all she can focus on after seeing him with his shirt off. The sex scene that follows was worrisome as it is not the kind of humor I expect from Lynch. It seemed like a cheap laugh that was silly and low-brow — something you might see in an Adam Sandler film, but not from auteur David Lynch. Also, not to sound redundant, but how does this help develop the plot? Maybe time will tell, but it certainly feels gratuitous right now.

Not everything was disturbing or flimsy, though. There were some exceptionally lovely moments, just not nearly enough. Dr. Amp aka Dr. Jacoby makes another appearance with his enthusiastic vlog. Nadine watches from her place of business which is a store for her invention, the silent drape runner. It is called Run Silent, Run Drapes, and it has a mechanical drape display and one of Dr. Amp’s golden shovels in the window. Not going to lie, I screamed when I saw the storefront.

Constance and Albert go on a date, and it is charming. Making it even more adorable is Gordon looking on with giddy amusement, even calling Tammy over to witness it in all its glory.

Later, Gordon is doodling in his hotel room. His drawing is some sort of dog-like creature with antlers and a hand hovering above it. This is the kind of quirky and eccentric fodder that I enjoy. More of this type of extra filler, please. There’s a knock at his door and he opens it to a vision of Laura. I was not expecting that, nor was I prepared for that emotional image. She fades away, and Albert is standing there. He found some information on the text that Diane received. It pinged off a cell tower in Philadelphia that came from a server in Mexico. Diane sent a response, “They have Hastings. He’s going to take them to the site.” Albert and Gordon believe that she is in league with Mr. C. “I felt it when she hugged me, but this confirms it.” Tammy then brings further findings to their attention. One of the earliest cards from the penthouse project in New York shows Mr. C meeting with someone there. “This is something. This is really something.”

The narrative portion of the episode ends with a beautiful monologue from The Log Lady.

Electricity is humming. You hear it in the mountains and rivers. You see it dance among the seas and stars, and glowing around the moon. But, in these days, the glow is dying. What will be in the darkness that remains? The Truman Brothers are both true men. They are your brothers and the others, the good ones, who have been with you. Now the circle is almost complete. Watch and listen to the dream of time and space. It all comes out now, flowing like a river. That which is and is not. Hawk. Laura is the one.

Every second with Catherine E. Coulson on screen feels like a blessing. This message is one of hope, but also sort of an explanation for all the horrible things we witnessed prior. “But, in these days, the glow is dying. What will be in the darkness that remains?” I’ve seen enough of the darkness. I’m ready for Laura and all the other honorable characters to cast a light on the evil, and then cast it out for good.

Stray Observations:

• Really? Ben Horne can’t give any money to Sylvia after her grandson assaulted and robbed her? What about all that R-E-S-P-E-C-T he was talking about?
• “He’s so beautiful,” Nadine says about Dr. Jacoby.
• Jerry is STILL lost out in the woods. He’s going to spend the whole return out there, high as a kite, isn’t he?
• Chad does not deserve donuts. 
• Thank goodness we get a clip of the feisty Janey-E  from the news coverage. That’s the Janey-E I want to see.
• Rebekah Del Rio (along with Moby) is The Roadhouse act that precedes the credits. She was the singer that sang “Llorando” at Club Silencio in Mulholland Drive. Her performance was moving then, and it is moving now. She wears a dress with a black and white zig-zag pattern implicative to the floor of the Black Lodge. She sings “No Stars” which is co-written by herself and Lynch, along with John Neff.

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Twin Peaks: The Return 3x09 Recap: "Part 9: This Is The Chair" (Is That A Bag Of Cheetos In Your Pocket Or Are You Just Happy To See Me?) [Contributor: Erin Allen]

"Part 9: This Is The Chair"

Original Airdate: July 9, 2017

Even David Lynch at his most expositional still provides quality television. Part 9 is largely expositional and transitional, setting us up for exciting things. That doesn’t make it any less enjoyable. Here’s what happened.

BOB/Cooper (or maybe I should call him Mr. C now — who knows if the BOB spirit is still with him) makes it to his team’s rendezvous spot. Chantal (Jennifer Jason Leigh) from Part 2 is there with Hutch, who is played by Tim Roth! They fix him up (remember he was shot in the stomach), and give him new guns and clean phones. He texts someone a cryptic message: “Around the dinner table, the conversation is lively,” then he calls Mr. Todd and asks if it’s done. I’m assuming he is referring to the hit on Dougie/Cooper. Mr. C tells Hutch to kill the warden, and then takes off after a goodbye kiss from Chantal at her husband’s insistence. Awkward.

Gordon gets a call from Colonel Davis while they are flying back to Philadelphia. They re-route to Buckhorn, much to Diane’s chagrin. They are also notified of Mr. C’s escape from prison. “Cooper flew the coop!”

At the morgue, Albert, Tammy, and Gordon meet with Lt. Knox and Det. Macklay. Diane waits in the waiting room. She reads a text on her phone from an unknown number: “Around the dinner table, the conversation is lively.” Her text is all in caps. The one Mr. C sent was not. Is there a middle man? Does Diane know that the man she saw in prison is behind these texts?

Det. Macklay briefs the FBI gang on the convoluted case involving the headless body and Bill Hastings. Albert replies, “What happens in season two?” which is the best response ever. Some new information about Bill is that he and Ruth were researching an alternate dimension and published a blog about it, The Search For The Zone (which is a real website!). Then Constance and Albert flirt in the cutest, dorkiest way.

Albert: This from the principal of your local high school? 

Constance: Not to mention, marble champion of the sixth grade. 

Albert: When did he lose his marbles? 

Constance: When the dog got his cat’s eyes.

I SHIP IT. And so does Gordon, according to the look on his face. Actually, the facial expressions from Gordon on this whole episode are fabulous.

Tammy interrogates Bill, and we get another amazing performance from Matthew Lillard. He tells her that he and Ruth found hidden records detailing a place and a time where they could enter the dimension and make contact with a certain person. That person, Bill claims, is Major Briggs. He says that Briggs told them where to get specific coordinates at a secure military database. He needed these coordinates to go to a different place. They brought the information back to him, and “then something terrible happened.” When they gave him the numbers, he started to float up, and he said “Cooper” twice before his head disappeared. Bill describes “others” that came in, and apparently that is how Ruth was killed. I’m thinking the “others” are Woodsmen?

Back in Part 4, Bobby told Hawk and Frank that Cooper had visited his dad the day before he was killed in the fire. That seems like ages ago, but in the timeline it’s not long. The three lawmen go to see Betty Briggs. She knows why they are there. Garland told her right after Cooper had left that one day Bobby, Hawk, and Sheriff Truman (which Sheriff Truman wasn’t specified) would ask her about Cooper, and she was to give them something. She goes to a chair in her living room. “This is the chair.” She pulls a lever and part of the molding on the chair pops open and she pulls out a small metal tube. “Somehow he knew it would all turn out well. He saw this life for you. Your father never lost faith in you.” Bobby gets emotional because, well, duh.

At the station, Hawk and Frank are puzzled about how to open the tube, but Bobby knows how to open it. He throws it on the ground and then holds it up to his ear. There is a humming sound coming from it. Once the sound stops, he throws it down again, and the tube opens. Inside are two tiny squares of paper. One has a place, dates, and a time, along with symbols we’ve seen before. The time is 2:53, which we have heard about at various moments. The place is Jack Rabbit’s Palace, which is a spot Garland took Bobby to when he was young. Bobby even named it Jack Rabbit’s Palace. The dates are in two days' time. They plan on going to this place. “He saw all of this. Whatever this is.” I love the whole Briggs family, and it is so cool how integral they are to The Return.

The police are trying to figure out why someone tried to kill Dougie/Cooper. They do a background check on him and find that there is nothing on him prior to 1997 — no birth certificate or social security number. They take his coffee cup and plan to run the DNA on it. They also find out that the print on the gun belongs to Ike The Spike. They know where he is and surround him. Before they showed up, Ike called and left a message for someone named JT saying, “No cigar.”

Those are the major plot points, but a lot of extemporaneous stuff happened, too:

• Andy and Lucy fight over a chair that they are going to buy online. Lucy wants the beige one and Andy wants the red one. After Andy gives into Lucy, she places an order for the red one. They are a strange pair.
• Johnny Horne runs around his home, and then into a wall at full speed. His mother calls after him, and then runs to where he has collapsed. 
• Jerry is still high in the woods. He is afraid of his foot, which talks to him, “I am not your foot.”
• Gordon smokes a cigarette with Diane.
• Friggin’ Chad is eating in the conference room, and he’s not supposed to.
• The ringing tone is still present in Beverly’s Great Northern office. Beverly and Ben have a moment, and Ben shuts it down. “I can’t do this. I don’t know why it is.” Beverly tells him, “You’re a good man, Ben.”
• There are two performances at The Roadhouse. One by Hudson Mohawke and another one by Au Revoir Simone, who also played on Part 4.
• Two girls, Ella and Chloe, talk in a booth. Ella has a nasty rash in her armpit. She asks Chloe, “Have you seen that penguin? You know the penguin.”  Chloe doesn’t know what she’s talking about, but laughs with Ella anyway. Ella obviously had an empty beer can that she was drinking from, and it was completely distracting in this scene. 
• About that penguin. Cooper told Annie a penguin joke in season two, episode 18: “A couple of penguins are walking across an iceberg, and the first one says to the second one, 'You look like you’re wearing a tuxedo.' The second one says, 'Maybe I am.'” Is this connected to that penguin?!

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Twin Peaks: The Return 3x08 Recap: "Part 8: Got A Light?" (???????) [Contributor: Erin Allen]

"Part 8: Got A Light?"

Original Airdate: June 25, 2017

Part 8 is a beautiful and nightmarish lullaby: partly an origin story of the supernatural Twin Peaks universe, and to some extent a terrifying allegory of good and evil.

Recapping seems futile, but here is a run-down of what happened (as I saw it):

Ray shoots BOB/Cooper, but before he can finish him off, a pack of those blackened hobos (which we know now are Woodsmen) come out of the woods and start pawing at BOB/Cooper’s body. They do this until his body is bloodied and a rock-like orb with BOB’s face on it emerges out of his stomach. This is truly the stuff of nightmares. This (naturally) freaks out Ray, who promptly bails. He calls Phillip as he makes his way to some place called The Farm.

Then the Nine Inch Nails play on stage at The Roadhouse. “She’s Gone Away” fits so well into this Lynchian mood. The distorted cacophony mixed with Trent Reznor’s vocals and these particular lyrics just screamed Twin Peaks to me. It all felt like part of the story, not an interlude or an oddly placed intermission. After this stellar and unexpected performance, BOB/Cooper wakes up with a jolt. Is BOB still with him? Did he dream the whole NIN thing? Who knows? We may never know, and I am 100% okay with that.

Next is where things get weird. Twin Peaks has never ventured into this kind of territory before. It has gone otherworldly and esoteric on the original run and in Fire Walk With Me, and even more so on the first seven parts of The Return, but this is utterly transcendental. It’s a beautiful dream and a horrible nightmare all mashed into one confusing yet plain and simple presentation. It’s at once abstract art and a basic storytelling narrative.

July 16, 1945. White Sands, New Mexico. A historic day in our world’s history: the first atom bomb is tested. We watch this event through the lens of Lynch. It is a creeping and dreamy journey into the horrors of mankind and God-like wonders. A staticky convergence of Woodsmen invade a convenience store (quite possibly THE convenience store) like parasites. Plumes of smoke, galactic bursts, a floating creature exhales a stream of fog in which an orb with BOB’s face in it materializes.

It’s like the experimental Qatsi trilogy by Godfrey Reggio. Slow motion and time-lapsed visuals set to a sweeping Philip Glass score that lull you into a trance at the same time awakening your mind to profound and all-encompassing ideas and philosophies. That concept is cranked up to a Lynch level and centered on the mythology of Twin Peaks.

The dark and disturbing moments are gorgeously grotesque. It makes visiting the heavenly world of The Giant (or ???????) and Senorita Dido that much more serene. The two inhabitants of this place (is it the White Lodge?) are alerted to the cataclysmic event of the explosion and the birth (?) of BOB. These ethereal creatures send their response to this evil into our world. The levitating Question Mark Man produces a gold orb with Laura Palmer’s face shining inside. Senorita Dido kisses it and releases it. The orb floats out to the Earth, specifically towards the Pacific Northwest.

This scene is set in a theater-like room. It is very reminiscent to the Club Silencio scene of Mulholland Drive in setting, as well as feeling. Rita and Betty are inexplicably overcome with emotion as they watch the moving rendition of “Llorando.” I am equally as moved watching this. The look of awe on Senorita Dido’s face and the light of Laura Palmer radiating out of this magical sphere is supremely majestic. The score is peaceful and almost divine with exalted celestial tones, exactly what you would think it sounds like when the universe is creating something good and pure.

Back in New Mexico, the time ticks forward to 1956 where an egg sits on the desert sand. A winged frog insect hatches out of the egg and crawls away. Is it a good creature or an evil one? It’s definitely a creepy one, that’s for sure.

Also in New Mexico, 1956 (at least I think), a boy walks a girl home. It’s very sweet and virtuous. The casting of these two young actors is great. Not only do they have a vintage look, but they exude the innocence of that bygone era. The girl finds a heads-up penny on the ground and rubs the image of Lincoln, in fascination. The boy hopes it brings her good luck.

But, there is more going on in the universe than that luck can handle. Two Woodsmen (one bearing a likeness to Lincoln) float in from the night sky and make their way across the desert. The Lincoln Woodsman goes searching for a light for his cigarette. SOMEBODY GIVE THE DUDE A LIGHT! He frightens off a couple stopped on the road and then crushes a woman’s skull with one bare hand! He commandeers the transmission at a radio station and repeats a demonic poem over and over, hypnotizing the listeners and lulling them into slumber. “This is the water and this is the well. Drink full and descend. The horse is the white of the eye and dark within.”

The girl from earlier is at home listening to the radio. She tries to change the station or turn it off, but the power of his incantation knocks her out. The winged frog insect crawls through her bedroom window and INTO her mouth. Out of all the disturbing images on this episode, this has to be the most horrific. In portentous black and white, Lynch has shown us the creeping in of evil in one of the most imaginative ways possible.

Lynch is an artist, and this is art. Your view of it is subjective. If you find yourself caught up in figuring out what it all means you can drive yourself nuts. But, on the other hand, that is part of the fun. I enjoy both aspects of his art. I like to just revel in the beauty and the horror, but I also like the investigative part of it, too. I know I won’t ever figure out everything, but it all means something to me regardless if I “get” how or if it fits into the story. I have no doubt that Lynch knows what he’s doing and he’s leading us exactly where he wants to and in his own time. I am more than happy to be taken on this ride.

Stray Observations:

• Did the warden sabotage BOB/Cooper’s gun and give one to Ray?
• “I saw something in Cooper. It may be the key to this whole thing.”
• Nine Inch Nails!!!!!!
• I cannot stress enough how mind-blowingly perfect the score and song selections are. “Threnody for the Victims of Hiroshima” added so much to the visuals of inside the mushroom cloud. The Platters’ (who coincidentally has a band member by the name of David Lynch) “My Prayer” played full of hope, and in sharp contrast to the brutality of The Woodsman. 
• It looked like there were more frog insect eggs in that stream of smoke that the creature barfed out. The creature, I believe, is credited as Experiment and was also on Part 1 as Experiment Model.
• Speaking of Part 1, that mysterious box was some sort of clandestine project taking place in a New York City loft. The 1945 Trinity Test of the atom bomb was a culmination of The Manhattan Project. I don’t know if this means anything or not.

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Veep 6x10 Recap: "Groundbreaking" (At the Intersection of Memory Lane and Road to the White House) [Contributor: Erin Allen]

“Groundbreaking”

Original Airdate: June 25, 2017

The previous episode now feels like a way station to everyone’s eventual destinations, which we see is a reunion for the core Meyer crew (except Mike — God help us — is teaching). The reason for the reunion is that Selina is running for president again. This seemed like such a bad idea during the first episode this season, and... yeah, it still feels like a bad idea. Bad for Selina, bad for the country, but not bad for us viewers. The dream team is back doing what they do best, sucking at politics and creating hilarious spectacle. Knowing this is going to make the wait until season seven agonizing.

The episode ping-pongs back and forth between present day and milestones in Selina’s political past. We begin six years ago where Selina gives her presidential concession speech. As she apologizes to her supporters for not being able to bring it over the finish line, the victory music (Starship’s “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now,” which makes me think of Mannequin) begins playing and a flood of balloons falls from the ceiling — that thick, impenetrable glass ceiling that remains fully intact.

Shortly after Hughes’ win, and as she gets situated as the VP, she meets another sexist road block. Hughes takes back his promise to have Selina in an office in the West Wing. Team Meyer is being banished to the OOED across the street. Ben, who was once an adversary to Selina, tells her the harsh truth: “The President doesn’t want you to do anything other than to continue to be a woman.” This is also the first time Selina, Amy, Gary, and Ben have the unfortunate opportunity to meet Jonah, who was starting as a White House intern.

Going even further into the past, we witness the birth of Catherine as well as the birth of Selina’s idea to run for Congress. But most importantly, we the moment Gary and Selina meet. Gary was a candy-striper that brought ice chips to Selina while she was in labor. (He ground them himself. The hospital ones are too big.) He even feeds Selina the name of the doctor. And thus a weird, co-dependent relationship is born. Oh, and Catherine, too.

Eight years after that, Selina is on the campaign trail and catches Andrew cheating. She uses this opportunity to bribe the woman for a hefty donation.

In the more recent past we finally get to see exactly what that spa cover story was all about. Selina recuperated from her monumental loss to Montez at a psychiatric facility, doped up and out of it. Julia Louis-Dreyfus played certifiable Selina frighteningly well. It was hard to watch, especially that kiss with Andrew.

Back in present-day, Selina & co. deal with more library woes and the impending arrival of Selina’s grandchild. The former consists of the library being built on the site of Yale’s former slave quarters. Mike suggests they “own it — not in a slave-y way” — and put up a sensitive exhibit. Selina doesn’t agree, not wanting her library to be “Underground Railroad-ed.” Catherine is the most upset out of all, hearing about it from Marjorie. The least of everyone’s worries (but, by far, the source of the funniest jokes) is what the library building physically resembles.

The library model prop and the punchlines it provides throughout the episode is definitely a highlight, but the kudos to the art department doesn’t end there. The set design in the nursery is fantastic and ripe for comedy (“When did we build an Indian casino gift shop?”).

Once the baby is born, Selina uses it as a prop, too, making her look progressive and inclusive. “As the proud grandmother of an African-American baby, I would rather never have a presidential library than have one that is built on the backs of dead slaves. Shame on Yale and shame on Amy Brookheimer. Oh, and this is my lesbian daughter’s Native-American life partner, Marjorie.”

With all this diversifying of her image, I would think having a Muslim boyfriend would fit in perfectly, but when Selina decides officially to run for president, Ben tells her she has to break it off. Selina grudgingly breaks up with Jaffar, causing her as much heartbreak as him. It is sad to see the sacrifices she feels she has to make and the collateral damage. Jaffar was really good for Selina, and he seemed to genuinely like her. Selina can’t hold the tears in as she leaves the hotel. Louis-Dreyfus really made Selina look vulnerable and broken while trying to be confident with her decision.

The season ends with both Selina and Jonah announcing their plans to run for president, and a shocking reveal that Amy is pregnant with Dan’s baby, setting up almost overwhelming potential for next season.

Another great season of Veep is in the history books. It had changed tonally from the fourth season to the fifth with creator Armando Iannucci’s exit, but it still maintained its sharp wit and biting humor. The show is a bit more raw under David Mandel’s hand, but everyone is still bringing their A-game. This season surprised me by including the full spectrum of storytelling. There were unexpected sentimental moments as well as times that the political correctness boundaries weren’t just pushed, but obliterated altogether.

Stray Observations:

• Richard and Jonah have a sleepover!
• “Where are the toys? Or is the baby going to play chess against Death?”
• This whole convo kills me: "Lu wants to meet in Hong Kong to talk Brazil." "That’s so funny because the lady that does my Brazilian is from Hong Kong." "It’s Kismit." "I know, it really is." "No, her name is Kismit. They make her use Linda."
• Selina publicly named the baby Little Richard! Catherine and Marjorie couldn’t even name their own child!
• Marjorie’s enthusiasm over that wipe warmer though.
• “Will this be on the final?” “Uh, no comment. Old habits die hard, I guess.” Oh, Mike.

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Twin Peaks: The Return 3x07 Recap: "Part 7: There’s a Body, All Right" (Ominous Music Plays) [Contributor: Erin Allen]

"Part 7: There’s a Body, All Right"

Original Airdate: June 18, 2017

Part 7 has thrown me into a Snoqualmie Falls-size black hole of mystification. There are just too many clues and hypotheses and theories to wrap my brain around. Don’t get me wrong, I love the mystery, but WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN? I’m going to try and break it down, which will include my many, many questions.

The episode begins with Jerry trippin’ out in the woods. “I think I’m high!” That’s kind of how I feel reading all the different takes on what happens on this episode. He calls Ben and says he thinks his car is stolen. (OMG, is this a precursor to the stolen car bit with Cooper/Dougie and the police?) While we are seeing Ben’s side of the phone call, the phone cuts off. Did Jerry hang up? Did something happen to him? SOMEONE GO CHECK ON JERRY!

Hawk goes over the pages he found in the bathroom stall door on Part 6. He reiterates clues that we know about from Fire Walk With Me. It figures the most explicit explanation is of something we already know about. That doesn’t lessen the excitement over the discovery of these pages that we’ve been waiting for 25 years to be found. Lynch spends a good amount of time on this scene, which allows for the gravitas of it to be adequately felt.

To recap, the pages Hawk found were three out of the four that were missing from Laura’s secret diary found at Harold Smith’s. In it she writes about a dream she had where Annie visited her and told her that the good Dale is in the lodge and he can’t leave, and to write it in her diary.” On the back of another page it implicates that Laura knew that it was her father. Hawk thinks that Leland hid these pages for fear of being discovered.

Frank calls Harry to get his take on it, but he’s too consumed by his illness and treatment. Frank decides not to bother him with it. “Beat this thing.” Yes, please, Harry beat this thing! Frank then Skypes with Doc Hayward. They Skype! Frank has got a fancy built-in monitor that rises out of his desk with the turn of the lever, and Doc has been diagnosing patients via the internet as he spends his days fishing. The citizens of Twin Peaks using modern technology is a sight. Also quite the sight is Doc Hayward, played by the late and great Warren Frost. They talk about the day Cooper and Annie came out of the Black Lodge. Doc had noticed that Cooper was acting strange and took him to the hospital to be checked out. Later he saw Cooper sneak out of intensive care, and suggests he might have been checking in on Audrey who was in a coma after the explosion at the bank. Both Doc and Frank get somber at the mention of Audrey, and they change the subject. This gives me the feeling that things aren’t going well for Audrey at present, and concerns me enormously.

Andy is investigating the hit and run from Part 6. Well, at least he’s investigating the truck that Richard was driving. The man who owns the truck is very nervous about Andy’s questioning. He insists that he wasn’t driving it and begs Andy to leave, saying he will tell him the whole story, but not now and not here. Andy agrees to meet him elsewhere in two hours. We later catch up with Andy at their meeting place and the truck owner hasn’t shown. There is a cut to the shack where Andy was first questioning him. Ominous Twin Peaks music plays as the camera pushes in on the door.

Lt. Cindy Knox follows up on the latest hit on Major Briggs’ prints. Det. Macklay informs her that they got the prints off of the actual body. “There’s a body, all right.” They show Knox the body and tell her that the body is a man in his late 40s who died about 5-6 days ago. Knox is appropriately surprised and confused by this information and notifies her superior, Colonel Davis (so we get to see Ernie Hudson again, yay!). While Knox is on the phone with him and as she mentions for the second time that the head is missing, a dark figure appears in the background and walks toward her down the hallway. She senses his presence and looks behind her. The camera focuses on the man, and it is the same freaky guy that was in the jail cell with Bill Hastings (Matthew Lillard)! Remember his head floated away like a balloon and Major Briggs’ head floated in space? Also, ominous sounds play whenever he is on screen in this scene. The amount of times I wrote "ominous sounds" or "ominous music" in my notes was considerable.

Lynch blesses us with a moment of him as Gordon Cole whistling in his office with the mushroom cloud photo behind him. We get a glimpse of another piece of art, as well, a painting of an ear of corn. Gordon is hard of hearing and garmonbozia is creamed corn. Many are interpreting that Gordon is either a Black Lodge or White Lodge entity of some kind. We also see that his hearing may be conveniently selective and that he knows more than he lets on.

Albert accompanies Gordon to Diane’s. (He did say “please.”) She is not happy with their presence and she makes her distaste obvious. They tell her that Cooper is in federal lock-up, to which she answers coldly, “Good.” She begrudgingly serves them coffee, and we are blessed again by Lynch as Gordon saying, “Damn good coffee.” He says, “this is extremely important, Diane, and it involves something that you know about, and that’s enough said about that.”

This must’ve convinced her because the next scene is the three of them plus Tammy on a plane to South Dakota. Tammy shows Gordon and Albert an incongruity on Cooper’s fingerprints sheets. The prints taken from BOB/Cooper at the Yankton Prison have one of the digit’s boxes reversed. Someone tried to make it match Cooper’s prints from 25 years ago. Gordon has Tammy hold out her hands. He says Cooper’s greeting to him as he touches each finger. “I’m very, very happy to see you again, old friend.” The first “very” lands on the left hand’s ring finger, and is also the “very” that BOB/Cooper said backwards, “yrev.” Gordon says that that finger is “the spiritual mound, the spiritual finger.” It also happens to be the same finger on which people wear the owl cave ring and where BOB hides the letters under the fingernails of his victims.

One of the best scenes of the episode is Diane’s meeting with BOB/Cooper. Both Laura Dern and Kyle MacLachlan are eerily superb. Diane is visibly upset by seeing him. BOB/Cooper has the deep, monotone voice affectation that he had when Gordon met with him.

Diane: When was the last time we saw each other, Cooper? 

BOB/Cooper: At your house. 

Diane: That’s right. Do you remember that night? 

BOB/Cooper: I’ll always remember that night. 

Diane: Same for me. I’ll never forget it. Who are you?

What happened that night?! Did they sleep together? Did she get pregnant? Is it the Linda that the Question Mark Man mentioned? This is the direction my thinking is going with all this. It’s possible that BOB/Cooper was better at mimicking Cooper back then enough to fool her. It would also explain her animosity towards just the mention of Cooper’s name, meaning he bolted after that night. She tells Gordon something is definitely wrong. When Gordon asks about the night they were referring to, she tells him that they will have a talk about it.

BOB/Cooper knows that the FBI knows that something is amiss, and he’s not going to be released, so he makes other arrangements. Using some information that includes dog’s legs, Joe McCluskey, and the late Mr. Strawberry, BOB/Cooper bribes the warden. He lets BOB/Cooper and Ray Monroe escape.  

Back at Lucky 7 Insurance, Tony grills a silent Dougie/Cooper on what he talked about with the boss. He gets nowhere and leaves when the police come to see Dougie about his car. They don’t get much information from him either until Janey-E shows up. They have a roundabout conversation about whether his car is missing or stolen. They finally reveal that his car was involved in an explosion with multiple fatalities linked to a car theft gang.

Cooper and Janey-E leave somewhat relieved that the car mystery is solved and the thugs are paid off. When they get outside, the hitman, Ike the Spike from Part 6, charges at them with a gun. Cooper snaps out of his haze, pushes Janey-E out of harm’s way, and takes down the gunman. As they struggle for the gun, the arm tree thing from the Black Lodge pokes its head up out of the sidewalk, and says, “Squeeze his hand off.” Cooper complies, but Ike gets away, leaving behind a chunk of skin from his hand that Cooper squeezed into the gun handle. (Which is totally gross, by the way.)

The police show up to take evidence and interview bystanders. The child of one woman says that Ike “smelled funny.” Maybe like scorched engine oil? Another woman says that “Douglas Jones moved like a cobra.”

At the Great Northern, Ben and his assistant Beverly (Ashley Judd), try to find the source of a ringing hum in her office. They flirt as they roam the room. Beverly is the new employee that Ben said he wasn’t sleeping with because she was married (and because of R-E-S-P-E-C-T). He’s definitely gotten better at restraining himself around women, but his desire is still there. It doesn’t seem one-sided, though. Beverly boldly flirts back, and we learn later that her married home life is not a happy one. Her husband is incapacitated by an illness, and she is working to support them. I could not help but think the humming sound was Josie’s spirit in the wood. The camera (ominously) pushed in on the wooden walls as the tone continued.

But, that’s not even the most important part of that scene. The hotel key that Jade had put in the mail arrived back at the hotel. Ben remembers that it was the key to the room that Agent Cooper stayed in while he was investigating Laura’s murder. Ben Horne, you take that key to Hawk right now!

We cut to The Roadhouse to watch a guy sweep the floor for almost 3 full minutes as “Green Onions” by Booker T and the M.G.s plays. Jean Michel Renault is in the background. Watching this guy do this boring chore seems so insignificant that it is probably very significant. The phone rings and Jean Michel answers it, proving two things. One, he is just as scummy as his deceased relatives, and two, the Renault family is still involved in pimping out girls.

Another seemingly inane scene ends the episode. But, like most things on Twin Peaks, it most likely means something. The scene is at the Double R Diner at what looks like the dinner rush. “Sleep Walk” by Santo and Johnny plays on the jukebox. A guy runs in and asks, “Anybody seen Billy?” and runs out again. This simple scene is the source of much confusion and speculation. The closed captioning was incorrect by quoting what the guy said as “Anybody seen Bing?” Executive Producer, Sabrina S. Sutherland has confirmed that it was a mistake. The guy that says it is named Bing, and he is played by Riley Lynch, David Lynch’s son and member of the band Trouble, which played at The Roadhouse on Part 5.

As if that wasn’t odd enough, there is what looks like a continuity error, but might actually be something intentional. The patrons in the diner change as they cut to different sides of the counter. The music track starts to have, you guessed it, ominous overtones after Bing runs in. Large and small events happen that move the story along, but bring up even more questions. Such is the world of Twin Peaks.

Stray Observations: 

• Doc Hayward’s Skype handle is MiddleburyDoc. Warren Frost passed away at his home in Middlebury, VT. 
• I am here for this Diane sass. 
• All this spiritual finger business and looking at Tammy’s hand made me think of the odd line that Red said on Part 6, “Do you ever study your hand.”
• “What does this all mean?” My motto for this whole series so far.
• “It belonged to some girl from Ipanema.” This means something, too. I just know it. 
• “Cheers to the FBI.”
• It’s so great that the blackened man is back to haunt my dreams. Thanks, Lynch.

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