S03.E06: The Return: Part 6

[Tara Ariano]

Quote

Don't die.

[Pippin]

If Agent Cooper keeps meandering around like a reject from the Walking Dead, I'm gonna die.

Enough already.

Plot usually means moving forward. Can we have some of that?

[Ms Lark]

Hi Shelly. Bye Shelly. Hi Hawk. Bye Hawk. OMG. WTF was the rest of that snooze fest? There was more of Twin Peaks in this week's Fargo then there was in Twin Peaks. Gah. Next week it's definitely PBS.

[dosodog]

I'm still stunned at the child dying.  I knew somebody was going to die.  My money was on the pie lady.

And Mini Van Diesel.  The Assassin. Whoa.  Seriously.  Whoa. 

I never realized how good Kyle McLaughlin was.  The Dougie scenes are working for me.  

Don't die.

[Guest]

How many more characters that I don't give one shit about are going to get crammed into this show? Man, I appreciate a slow-burn show like anyone else who likes that kind of storytelling, but at some point, I sure hope someone can figure out how to start the fire. 

And who was the woman who was murderated by the stabby little fellow who reminded me of a reboot of the voodoo doll from Trilogy of Terror? I know she was the one who made that call (or text, or whatever it was) to the device in Argentina but that's all I know about her. With whom is she affiliated? 

Glad we finally got to see what Diane looks look -- for all of three seconds. Maybe by episode 10 she'll have something to say.

Office Pine Cone sucks. 

The best part of this episode was the band at the end.

[Dorie]

All worth it for Miguel Ferrer's "FUCK GENE KELLY YOU MOTHERFUCKER!"

[Kostgard]

God bless Albert. He is just about worth the price of admission alone.

Diane doesn't look anything like I imagined (other than being Laura Dern).

Coop, the one-armed man told you that you need to wake up. PLEAE DO IT. Enough already.

I am generally more than happy to just let this show wash over me and let whatever happens happen. But I really can't take Cooper stumbling around through Dougie's life like a stroke victim any longer. And I'm really disturbed that beyond the police officer that brought him home, NO ONE seem so to care that "Dougie" appears to have had a serious neurological event and desperately needs medical care. I'm sure Lynch is trying to say something, but at this point it feels like he's just shouting the same word over and over again.

Edited June 12, 2017 by Kostgard

[Cheezwiz]

At this point I've completely given up on having any expectations or preconceived notions about what this show is or what is supposed to be happening. I'm just along for the weird, (slow) ride.

I have no idea what the tragic set-piece with the Mother & little boy was about other than to show what a thoroughly despicable human "mystery Horne offspring" is. I did find it affecting even though we didn't know any of the characters at all. Also, Harry Dean Stanton! YAY!

Also, there's a real Diane! YAY! All this time, I wondered if it was just a name Cooper gave to his voice-activated tape-recorder.

Edited to add Albert YAY! I had assumed Miguel Ferrer wouldn't be in this at all since he passed away, so it's a delight to see that he filmed some scenes before he died. Also loved his cursing of Gene Kelly. I'm from Vancouver, so I completely get where he's coming from.

I'm starting to feel some investment in the Vegas plotline. Although I'm chomping at the bit for Dougie/Coop to awaken from his stupor, I continue to be touched by his performance. I'm enjoying the sweetness of the scenes between StuporCoop and Dougie's little boy. One gets the sense that the real Dougie never paid any attention to his kid, so the kid is intrigued by the sudden strange behavior shift. Very curious to know what his cryptic scribbles on the insurance files meant, as I was expecting him to be fired & tossed out of the office on his ass. Jane-E's baddassery with the two goons was funny.

Mini-Vin Diesel! Holy Hell!

Another excellent close-out band. That's all I got for this episode.

Edited June 12, 2017 by Cheezwiz

[Happy Harpy]

I never identified with Philip Gerard before, but add a "NOW, for fuck's sake" to his "wake up" and you'll get my exacts feelings.

I had high hopes for "Richard Horne" last episode, he was mysterious and menacing. Now he's just another coke-head loser who kills a kid DUI. Blech. I'd complain about "six episodes/a third of the run and no Audrey" and snark about the meaning of "significant presence" but I feel and fear the complete ruination of her character looming and finally I'm not sure I should wish for her to appear.

This episode was such a letdown in general. It says a lot when the first (and almost only) good moment of the episode for me was the infamous red signal.

We finally meet Diane, Hawk finally finds something, but let's explore Dougie's fascinating discovery of home automation instead. I know, those moments are supposed to be cliffhangers; except I wonder if there's a cliff to hang on, since I'm not sure if it's connected to a plot or if it's yet another contribution to the general pointlessness. Every promising moment starts to look like a crumb thrown in a stupid game of cat and mouse. Should I care about the Trumans's son suicide, or is it just another digression about new characters I don't know? Will the DUI lead somewhere, or was it there for shock value and show the gratuitous death of a random child?

Naomi Watts is a good actress and her natural performance is so welcome among the OTT fest. I regret that I have to FF most of it. That's about all the positive (Edit: With Miguel Ferrer's presence) I can muster out of this one.

Edited June 12, 2017 by Happy Harpy

[minamurray78]

I'm totally un spoiled about the cast, so I had no idea Laura Dern would be in it, but it was so right when she turned around as Diane. Also, Naomi Watts' character's the one I'm liking the most, to my surprise. Actually, I'm gonna feel bad for her and their son when Coop wakes up and resumes his life as Special Agent. Which is totally gonna happen soon. Any time now. Please. IM BEGGING HERE.

[dwmckim]

16 minutes ago, minamurray78 said:

I'm totally un spoiled about the cast, so I had no idea Laura Dern would be in it, but it was so right when she turned around as Diane. Also, Naomi Watts' character's the one I'm liking the most, to my surprise. Actually, I'm gonna feel bad for her and their son when Coop wakes up and resumes his life as Special Agent. Which is totally gonna happen soon. Any time now. Please. IM BEGGING HERE.

It's funny you mention that because i was about to post something kind of related, but i was thinking more in terms of Cooper himself.

Yes, there's been a rather huge chunk of showtime (no pun intended) devoted to DougieCoop, and it really hit me this episode that while we're all waiting for him to find himself again, he's is literally living another life as a different identity with people he's becoming familiar with and attached to - particularly his son.  When he does remember who he truly is, how's that going to affect him mentally, knowing he has to leave these people behind?  Will he want to?  This would be a hard decision to make.  In one of the original series' episodes, he states he still wishes at one point to someday be able to form a family; here he's getting that.  That tear he shed last week looking at his son (which gutted me at that time) is going to grow into an even larger pain.

On the less serious side, after his wife kept yelling at him to go "Say 'goodnight' to Sonny Jim", i kept just waiting for him to literally vocalize to the kid "Goodnight to Sonny Jim"

[Fable]

I'm getting a little bored with this.  I will probably watch for the laughs, but it is certainly not must-see TV.  It feels like an SNL skit going on for too long!  

[Primetimer]

Please listen…every time a gay misses the Tonys, the GOP legalizes conversion therapy.

View the full article

[hoodooznoodooz]

For some reason, the Horne cokehead reminds me of the baby in Eraserhead.  

[Guest]

6 hours ago, Happy Harpy said:

I'd complain about "six episodes/a third of the run and no Audrey" and snark about the meaning of "significant presence" but I feel and fear the complete ruination of her character looming and finally I'm not sure I should wish for her to appear.

 

Likely scenario about Audrey. All we've seen of Shelley and Norma so far is them standing around the RR looking like a supermodels slumming it, Heidi has held the same waitress job for 26 years, Bobby's a cop in two scenes, and Sheriff Harry Truman's at home -- sick. I fully expect Audrey to be introduced, allowing a good portion of the original fanbase to be all, "AUDREY!" and then quickly tossed to the sidelines so we can see more of Richard Horne and his over-the-top evil.

I am in no way dismissing this show in its entirety. I have hopes that, by the end, I'll be satisfied by what it is instead of what I wanted it to be -- but this episode was for crap. 

6 hours ago, Kostgard said:

I am generally more than happy to just let this show wash over me and let whatever happens happen. But I really can't take Cooper stumbling around through Dougie's life like a stroke victim any longer. And I'm really disturbed that beyond the police officer that brought him home, NO ONE seem so to care that "Dougie" appears to have had a serious neurological event and desperately needs medical care. I'm sure Lynch is trying to say something, but at this point it feels like he's just shouting the same word over and over again.

SERIOUSLY. 

[Pete Martell]

1 hour ago, Giant Misfit said:

Likely scenario about Audrey. All we've seen of Shelley and Norma so far is them standing around the RR looking like a supermodels slumming it, Heidi has held the same waitress job for 26 years, Bobby's a cop in two scenes, and Sheriff Harry Truman's at home -- sick. I fully expect Audrey to be introduced, allowing a good portion of the original fanbase to be all, "AUDREY!" and then quickly tossed to the sidelines so we can see more of Richard Horne and his over-the-top evil.

I think we saw more of Shelly than that, as they're setting up the story about her daughter. The problem with Norma was she only really had one story anyway and it had already run dry even after two seasons. 

I do agree that I'm not expecting much when we finally see Audrey, although even that would probably be preferable to what they did with her in season 2...

I think that Lynch may have wanted to bring characters back because he liked them (I don't believe he did just as some sop for fans) but he may not have wanted to actually write a lot for them. I guess it depends on what's coming up in future episodes. I think Shelly has to have more to do because of her daughter. Bobby probably is involved in the drugs coming into town. Hawk has had a fair amount to do...

The others, I'm not expecting a whole lot to be honest. 

9 hours ago, Ms Lark said:

Hi Shelly. Bye Shelly. Hi Hawk. Bye Hawk. OMG. WTF was the rest of that snooze fest? There was more of Twin Peaks in this week's Fargo then there was in Twin Peaks. Gah. Next week it's definitely PBS.

I never have watched Fargo the show. One of the reasons I enjoyed the movie was because it felt so unique to what it was -  is the new show more like Twin Peaks? I guess they couldn't repeat the vibe of the movie on TV but that's too bad. 

What does PBS run now for new shows? I've seen Grantchester and Father Brown a few times...I know they have Victoria but I'm not that into the royal docudrama format.

7 hours ago, Kostgard said:

I am generally more than happy to just let this show wash over me and let whatever happens happen. But I really can't take Cooper stumbling around through Dougie's life like a stroke victim any longer. And I'm really disturbed that beyond the police officer that brought him home, NO ONE seem so to care that "Dougie" appears to have had a serious neurological event and desperately needs medical care. 

His wife did say she was going to get him medical help, before she just got pissed off. 

Her reaction to "Jade gave two rides" ("I bet she did!") was probably the biggest laugh I've had in the revival.

Edited June 12, 2017 by Pete Martell

[Pete Martell]

7 hours ago, Cheezwiz said:

I have no idea what the tragic set-piece with the Mother & little boy was about other than to show what a thoroughly despicable human "mystery Horne offspring" is. I did find it affecting even though we didn't know any of the characters at all. Also, Harry Dean Stanton! YAY!

I think the cloud going up was supposed to be pain and suffering or whatever the term is from Fire Walk With Me. Stanton was also in that as the same character. There was also the power line at the end, or as the character formerly known as Michael J Anderson would say, "E....lectricity." 

I'm just sorry he won't be able to have any scenes with the Log Lady as their fates were tied together. 

I thought that was a very overly obvious set piece, but it was interesting to watch, and Stanton's understated performance cut through the hysteria.

[Pete Martell]

7 hours ago, Happy Harpy said:

I never identified with Philip Gerard before, but add a "NOW, for fuck's sake" to his "wake up" and you'll get my exacts feelings.

I had high hopes for "Richard Horne" last episode, he was mysterious and menacing. Now he's just another coke-head loser who kills a kid DUI. Blech. I'd complain about "six episodes/a third of the run and no Audrey" and snark about the meaning of "significant presence" but I feel and fear the complete ruination of her character looming and finally I'm not sure I should wish for her to appear.

This episode was such a letdown in general. It says a lot when the first (and almost only) good moment of the episode for me was the infamous red signal.

We finally meet Diane, Hawk finally finds something, but let's explore Dougie's fascinating discovery of home automation instead. I know, those moments are supposed to be cliffhangers; except I wonder if there's a cliff to hang on, since I'm not sure if it's connected to a plot or if it's yet another contribution to the general pointlessness. Every promising moment starts to look like a crumb thrown in a stupid game of cat and mouse. Should I care about the Trumans's son suicide, or is it just another digression about new characters I don't know? Will the DUI lead somewhere, or was it there for shock value and show the gratuitous death of a random child?

Naomi Watts is a good actress and her natural performance is so welcome among the OTT fest. I regret that I have to FF most of it. That's about all the positive (Edit: With Miguel Ferrer's presence) I can muster out of this one.

I had mixed feelings about the Richard scenes in this episode. I thought the kid-killing was a cliche (and I imagine that he will also kill the bubbly woman who saw him, or get his asshole cop friend to do it - I imagine this will all be found out by Hawk down the line), but I was glad if this means he isn't some powerful son of Bob's because I was sort of uneasy about that and about if they were going to say that Bob essentially raped Audrey. I'm hoping that maybe this means he isn't Audrey's son at all. 

I also thought the contrast between the smooth and stylish raging misogynist in the last episode and the drug-snorting mess in this episode was a neat blend of fantasy and reality, although it is, as you say, somewhat trite. 

My real complaint was probably with the rambling woo-woo scenes involving Balthazar Getty. I know this is part of the Lynch mystique but it's something that varies wildly for me depending on the actor involved and the way the scene is done. This one mostly just made me wish Kevin Walker would pop up from Brothers & Sisters to tell his brother what a douchebag he was. 

I have to admit I'm enjoying the Dougie scenes a lot more than I thought I would be, although I totally get why people would be sick of them.

I don't think Audrey is going to be ruined, at least I hope not, as I don't think any of the returning characters have been ruined, but I guess it depends on how one felt about Audrey. For me she was a good character they got very wrong after the Cooper pairing was nixed.

Edited June 12, 2017 by Pete Martell

[Happy Harpy]

Just now, Pete Martell said:

I'm hoping that maybe this means he isn't Audrey's son at all.

I also thought the contrast between the smooth and stylish raging misogynist in the last episode and the drug-snorting mess in this episode was a neat blend of fantasy and reality, although it is, as you say, somewhat trite. 

You and me both. And Audrey suffered so much from not being loved by her father, I would hate it if  her son happened to be a crossover between Ben Horne, Teen Bobby Briggs and Laura Palmer at their worst. 

Maybe there are two "Richard" Horne or he is possessed by another entity. I could fanwank a young, curious and smart Richard finding the Lodge with dire consequences. At least the different personalities would make sense.

[paigow]

Did Real Cooper leave that letter in the washroom 25 years ago?

The whole magic scene with the dime was very Nic Cage....

Edited June 12, 2017 by paigow

[TattleTeeny]

Quote

I had high hopes for "Richard Horne" last episode, he was mysterious and menacing. Now he's just another coke-head loser who kills a kid DUI. Blech.

I was almost unsure that it was him! I feel like he looked so different outside of the roadhouse setting!

Quote

Also, there's a real Diane! YAY! All this time, I wondered if it was just a name Cooper gave to his voice-activated tape-recorder.

Hahahahahhaha! I'd actually never thought of this being a possibility, but I love it!

Quote

I think the cloud going up was supposed to be pain and suffering or whatever the term is from Fire Walk With Me. 

Garmonbozia! I just tried to make my BF use that as a band name but he just stared at me and at went back to his reading. (FINE! When I make my hypothetical [and better!] band, I'll use it!)

Edited June 12, 2017 by TattleTeeny

[Ottis]

8 hours ago, Cheezwiz said:

I have no idea what the tragic set-piece with the Mother & little boy was about other than to show what a thoroughly despicable human "mystery Horne offspring" is. I did find it affecting even though we didn't know any of the characters at all. Also, Harry Dean Stanton! YAY!

The *only* thing I got out of that was that there was an emphasis on electrical wires around the scene of the hit and run. That, and the people were so weird, just standing and watching afterward.

I actually fell asleep during this one. When did Laura Dern appear? I didn't recognize her?

[Pete Martell]

5 minutes ago, Ottis said:

The *only* thing I got out of that was that there was an emphasis on electrical wires around the scene of the hit and run. That, and the people were so weird, just standing and watching afterward.

I actually fell asleep during this one. When did Laura Dern appear? I didn't recognize her?

I thought that part (the standing/watching) was oddly realistic, although I kept wondering if someone would take video (thankfully not).

Dern was only in shot for a second - Albert went into a bar and she turned around when he called for her. She was wearing a wig that gave Eurythmics vibes (the FBI portion of the new show is giving me a lot of '80s vibes in general and that did nothing to help)

This is what the telephone pole cut to in FWWM (disturbing imagery warning, I suppose).

Edited June 12, 2017 by Pete Martell

[TattleTeeny]

Quote

The *only* thing I got out of that was that there was an emphasis on electrical wires around the scene of the hit and run. That, and the people were so weird, just standing and watching afterward.

I keep making a point to note the number on the pole they keep showing (and of course, I can't at this point recall it--does it have a 3? I think it has a 3. My brain is not great with numbers so much. Other "useless" info, good, but numbers are in one ear/eye and forgotten within minutes). I think it's the same each time it's shown. But that's the thing with David Lynch/Twin Peaks: ever since way back during the first time around, I've found myself doing this--trying to retain mental notes about what may be important later (because I fancy myself able to solve things!) and then realizing later that sometimes it's nothin' but DL randomness. 

Edited June 12, 2017 by TattleTeeny

[hoodooznoodooz]

The waitress who was serving the pie-lover: was she in the original Twin Peaks? I'm guessing they cast her for her giggle.

I keep mistyping Twin Pesks. 

[Pete Martell]

7 hours ago, PreviouslyTV said:

Please listen…every time a gay misses the Tonys, the GOP legalizes conversion therapy.

View the full article

I didn't even realize the Tonys were on last night, but in recent years I mostly just pay attention when Hugh Jackman is involved. 

The guy (Richard) who ran over the little boy wasn't Amanda Seyfried's boyfriend. 

(if we aren't supposed to reply to the recaps, my apologies - I'm not sure if they're put here to reply to or not) 

5 minutes ago, hoodooznoodooz said:

The waitress who was serving the pie-lover: was she in the original Twin Peaks? I'm guessing they cast her for her giggle.

I keep mistyping Twin Pesks. 

Yes, she was in the pilot and in the finale at least. She said her car wouldn't start and Shelly joked with her about how she'd had to jump her old man, and she giggled. 

Edited June 12, 2017 by Pete Martell

[hoodooznoodooz]

Jeebus, I blinked, and Tom Sizemore and Balthazar Getty got old. (I did, too, and have been aging much more poorly, but I am still gobsmacked.)

[TattleTeeny]

Quote

I didn't even realize the Tonys were on last night

Awww, I know this isn't Tony Award-related but it reminds me that both Dr. Jacoby and Ben Horne were in West Side Story. I don't know why but I've always found this disproportionately amusing.

[TexasGal]

11 hours ago, dosodog said:

I'm still stunned at the child dying.  I knew somebody was going to die.  My money was on the pie lady.

And Mini Van Diesel.  The Assassin. Whoa.  Seriously.  Whoa. 

I never realized how good Kyle McLaughlin was.  The Dougie scenes are working for me.  

Don't die.

The inclusion of the mini assassin both made me laugh and made me vaguely uncomfortable.  I guess it felt like the dancing man was just being replaced with another little person.

I thought the same about Kyle McLaughlin's acting.  As much as the Dougie scenes are killing me (don't die!) I've been impressed with how much he's able to convey with pretty much one expression and just parroting random lines.  And, I'll never not love his reactions to coffee.

[Guest]

3 hours ago, Pete Martell said:

is the new show more like Twin Peaks? I guess they couldn't repeat the vibe of the movie on TV but that's too bad. 

O/T: I've only watched the most recent season of Fargo, so I can't address the series as a whole, but this past week's episode was very Twin Peaks-y, including Ray Wise in a guest role. That episode (to me, at least) was very different in tone and mood than the rest of the series has been so far.

2 hours ago, Pete Martell said:

This is what the telephone pole cut to in FWWM (disturbing imagery warning, I suppose).

I'm so confused. :( Also: that little boy is a dead ringer for a mini-me Lynch which, I guess, was the intention.

[Pete Martell]

17 minutes ago, Giant Misfit said:

I'm so confused. :( Also: that little boy is a dead ringer for a mini-me Lynch which, I guess, was the intention.

The boy who played that character on the original show was David Lynch's son. That boy isn't but it does look a lot like him. 

[paigow]

Who hired Tiny Killer? DoppleCooper?

[Penman61]

Bushnell, after some initial puzzlement/frustration, seemed to understand Dougie's doodles on the insurance forms.  

What I saw in Dougie's Doodles was a ladder, a staircase, and then something that could have been a streetlamp or a noose (or something else!).  (I associated these with the Space Room w/the Blinded Lady in Red, but that's a stretch, no?)

More to the point: What did Bushnell see in Dougie's Doodles?  

[Pete Martell]

2 minutes ago, Penman61 said:

Bushnell, after some initial puzzlement/frustration, seemed to understand Dougie's doodles on the insurance forms.  

What I saw in Dougie's Doodles was a ladder, a staircase, and then something that could have been a streetlamp or a noose (or something else!).  (I associated these with the Space Room w/the Blinded Lady in Red, but that's a stretch, no?)

More to the point: What did Bushnell see in Dougie's Doodles?  

I think Cooper must have connected some dots about the insurance scam.

I saw some fans say Lynch was using that scene as a metaphor for fans trying to understand his work and convincing themselves they do. I'm not sure he'd be that into self-congratulatory trolling...it did make me laugh though.

[dosodog]

Recently I read an article from Salon about Twin Peaks and they ended with perfect quote about TPTR.

They pulled it from when they found the hieroglyphics from the cave.  Cooper says to Truman:

Harry, I have no idea what any of this means, but I'm sure it will lead us to something weird and wonderful.

And I'm still picking my jaw off the floor over Mini Vin Diesel. My chest hurts over the way he was stabbing and stirring.

No wonder she didn't want to make that call.....

[AlwaysWatching]

If anyone has already pointed out that Hawk dropped an Indian Head nickel out of his pocket that lead him to the toilet stall door, I apologize. It wasn't another dime with Hawk's pic on it.  Maybe that's a connection or part of the connection to Hawk's ethnicity.  He found a letter but we didn't get to see it, right?

I thought I would hate this "return" of Twin Peaks.  To be honest, I don't remember hardly any characters from the original and I know I need to do some research.   I don't even know who Audrey is-or Diane.

Kyle Maclachlan is killing it for me.  I never knew he was this great of an actor.  Still looking forward to seeing Agent Cooper, but dang, he is doing an amazing Dougie Jones.  It's also kind of nice that I don't expect anything in any given hour.  When I do get something, like his boss ( Hello Don Murray!) finding some deep meaning out of Dougie's obviously more than doodles on the case files, I feel like I've been given a little pay-off for hanging in there.

[TexasGal]

8 minutes ago, AlwaysWatching said:

If anyone has already pointed out that Hawk dropped an Indian Head nickel out of his pocket that lead him to the toilet stall door, I apologize. It wasn't another dime with Hawk's pic on it.  Maybe that's a connection or part of the connection to Hawk's ethnicity.  He found a letter but we didn't get to see it, right?

 

And the Nez Perce tag on the door that caused him to look at it more closely.  His heritage was like DougieCoop's bright shiny lights, leading him where he needed to be to find the clue.  And no, we didn't get to see the letter.

[Penman61]

For anyone else who was not impressed by the "acting" of the extras at the scene of the car accident that killed the boy.

[AlwaysWatching]

4 minutes ago, TexasGal said:

 His heritage was like DougieCoop's bright shiny lights, leading him where he needed to be to find the clue

Ahh! Heritage is the word I was looking for. Bad brain!

[Ms Lark]

6 hours ago, Pete Martell said:

I never have watched Fargo the show. One of the reasons I enjoyed the movie was because it felt so unique to what it was -  is the new show more like Twin Peaks? I guess they couldn't repeat the vibe of the movie on TV but that's too bad. 

What does PBS run now for new shows? I've seen Grantchester and Father Brown a few times...I know they have Victoria but I'm not that into the royal docudrama format.

Latest episode of Fargo (which is a pretty good series) had what some of us consider an homage to Twin Peaks with Ray Wise as a Ray Wise-type character (devil? demon? fallen angel? jury is still out on that one) sitting at a bar in a bowling alley (possibly on another plane or in purgatory? who knows?) talking to a woman who may or may not be dead and giving her a v. cute kitten that may or may not be the reincarnation of her dead boyfriend. More vintage TP than TPTR! But Fargo the TV series, while very odd, is not really trying to be TP.

New shows starting up on PBS this month: Grantchester (new season), Prime Suspect: Tennison (the younger days). Also, Broadchurch (new season) on BBC and Preacher s2 on AMC. Any of those beat TPTR at this point.

[Pete Martell]

38 minutes ago, Ms Lark said:

Latest episode of Fargo (which is a pretty good series) had what some of us consider an homage to Twin Peaks with Ray Wise as a Ray Wise-type character (devil? demon? fallen angel? jury is still out on that one) sitting at a bar in a bowling alley (possibly on another plane or in purgatory? who knows?) talking to a woman who may or may not be dead and giving her a v. cute kitten that may or may not be the reincarnation of her dead boyfriend. More vintage TP than TPTR! But Fargo the TV series, while very odd, is not really trying to be TP.

New shows starting up on PBS this month: Grantchester (new season), Prime Suspect: Tennison (the younger days). Also, Broadchurch (new season) on BBC and Preacher s2 on AMC. Any of those beat TPTR at this point.

Thanks. I've heard that Tennison show wasn't that great but I have enjoyed what I've seen of Grantchester. 

I don't watch a lot of TV these days but I do mean to try Fargo. I'm glad that Ray Wise is still working as I was worried his lack of appearances so far beyond the quick scene in the Lodge might have been for a health reason. 

[ichbin]

6 hours ago, TattleTeeny said:

Awww, I know this isn't Tony Award-related but it reminds me that both Dr. Jacoby and Ben Horne were in West Side Story. I don't know why but I've always found this disproportionately amusing.

Whenever I see Russ Tamblyn I always think of Tom Thumb or Seven Brides for Seven Brothers.  

18 hours ago, Pippin said:

Plot usually means moving forward. Can we have some of that?

Yes, please!  Normally I would figure this will all eventually make sense, but then I remember this is Twin Peaks, so there is a good chance it might not.    Still, I'm in for the long haul, regardless.

 

49 minutes ago, Ms Lark said:

New shows starting up on PBS this month: Grantchester (new season), Prime Suspect: Tennison (the younger days). Also, Broadchurch (new season) on BBC and Preacher s2 on AMC. Any of those beat TPTR at this point.

I've seen the latest seasons of Grantchester and Broadchurch.  They're both fine.  Comparing them to Twin Peaks is comparing apples to oranges though. 

[Pete Martell]

I've been trying to write down why I am enjoying the Dougie arc without it coming across like, "You silly peons don't understand true art," and I'm not sure how, so I will just wing it.

When I came into Twin Peaks, I had heard plenty about Cooper. Cooper and pretty much no one else (save maybe Audrey, and then Laura Palmer). I had high expectations for the character for that reason, and happily, those expectations were met, as I thought Cooper was likeable, funny, incisive, without being a Marty Stu or an empty square-jawed lawman enlivened by an actor's good looks and charm. What stood out most for me about Cooper was that we didn't get the usual trope of the big-city cop being a jerk before being put in his place by the locals, or the sweet girl who wins his heart, or the father figure he never had, etc. etc. While he was an outsider, he was also respectful and appreciative, yet also intelligent, decisive. Most of all I always felt that he had a big heart, without being told that he did - it was just natural in the character. A part of him.

Between the Annie saga, the increasing coldness of the character, and how manufactured the whimsy and "fun" of the town became (along with his reactions to it - the whole thing where he decides to stay always makes me cringe a bit for that reason), the back half of the second season took most of that away for me to the point where I'd almost started to wonder if I'd imagined most of this about the character in the first place. I began to watch the show in spite of him. And even before the writing got really bad for the character, I felt like he'd become oddly boxed in by repetitive eccentricity and by being so popular and so iconic so early on, so that had started to cut him off from the character I remembered and I liked.

I'm not saying this is why Frost and Lynch did this story, because I'm aware that most fans always loved Cooper, and never felt anything about him changed. 

But just speaking for myself, I've enjoyed and appreciated - more than I thought I would - seeing this reconnection of the basic vulnerability, kindness, warmth that was the heartbeat of the character. Cooper needed Twin Peaks in such an organic way in season 1, not in a way where we had to be told about it in monologues. It just brought out something in him that made him feel safe and comfortable, the happiness of the diner along with the darker elements of the woods, the Laura Palmer murder, etc. 

This Dougie story is so much about him searching again, resulting in the beautiful little moments like reaching for the security guard's badge, asking for "home," or standing in front of the statue. And moments that on paper could be very patronizing but onscreen are strangely warm and funny, like going upstairs to see "his" son and clapping the lights on and off to his son's amusement and annoyance. Or the moments that could be made into him being an idiot savant or some useful tool, but instead are given empathy, like the scene where he was struggling to write, or his boss slowly catching onto whatever message was being put into the case files. 

I've always found something cynical in the imagery of the thumbs up, the pie and coffee - something a bit glib. What this story has done for me is to bring back the heart that can make me see that Cooper (whenever we see him again) as more than just a meme, someone I can genuinely care about and follow the way I did so early on.

[Cheezwiz]

2 minutes ago, Pete Martell said:

This Dougie story is so much about him searching again, resulting in the beautiful little moments like reaching for the security guard's badge, asking for "home," or standing in front of the statue. And moments that on paper could be very patronizing but onscreen are strangely warm and funny, like going upstairs to see "his" son and clapping the lights on and off to his son's amusement and annoyance. Or the moments that could be made into him being an idiot savant or some useful tool, but instead are given empathy, like the scene where he was struggling to write, or his boss slowly catching onto whatever message was being put into the case files. 

I've always found something cynical in the imagery of the thumbs up, the pie and coffee - something a bit glib. What this story has done for me is to bring back the heart that can make me see that Cooper (whenever we see him again) as more than just a meme, someone I can genuinely care about and follow the way I did so early on.

Great Post Pete Martell! This is also why I've been following the Dougie/Cooper story intently despite the glacial pace. There is a real sweetness, melancholy and tenderness in this plot thread. When I recently re-watched Season 1, I was surprised at how much I adored his original performance, and how little I appreciated Kyle McLaughlin's acting the first time around. I'm seeing how gifted he is in the revival with his ability to evoke emotion by acting with his eyes, and a few repeated phrases. I really hope we see more of him in other roles after the season ends.

[Ms Lark]

1 hour ago, Pete Martell said:

I'm glad that Ray Wise is still working as I was worried his lack of appearances so far beyond the quick scene in the Lodge might have been for a health reason. 

I think he's probably quite healthy. Works a lot and is a recurring character on "Fresh Off the Boat." Lack of availability is the likely reason for the few scenes. They're not really using the old characters much anyway.

1 hour ago, ichbin said:

I've seen the latest seasons of Grantchester and Broadchurch.  They're both fine.  Comparing them to Twin Peaks is comparing apples to oranges though. 

Good to know. Haven't been comparing, it's an ongoing discussion. Original post (last week and this week) was that I'd be watching PBS (with the new shows coming up) over TP live since TP (as much as I adored it back when it first ran) is not TP anymore. Ditto the BBC and AMC shows. Those are simply upcoming options for Sunday nights.

[paigow]

DougieCooper is more "Simple Jack" than Forrest Gump / Rainman, but the old man figured it out??? Is Diane going to visit DoppleCooper with Gordon & Albert? Then why is she waiting in a bar? Why not rent a car and meet at the prison tomorrow?

[Guest]

So the guy hitching a ride with Carl out of the trailer park? Didn't he say he was a caregiver for a woman named Linda? We've also (unfortunately) met Richard Horne and now have the two names the Giant (or, "????" as he's, for some reason, credited) gave to Cooper in the first episode. I don't know what either one have to do with each other, or if they'll have anything to do with one another at all, but at least it's something to consider.

I'm thinking we're never going to get back to the real Dale Cooper until the last few episodes of the season. Clearly, the centerpiece plot of this season is finding a way to get Evil Cooper back to the Black Lodge and have Good Cooper to stay on Earth. That's a mystery they won't be resolving anytime soon. 

[DesertCyclist]

11 hours ago, paigow said:

Did Real Cooper leave that letter in the washroom 25 years ago?

The whole magic scene with the dime was very Nic Cage....

I've not read to see if there are any replies to this, but I do remember that Gerard made a trip to the bathroom.

[TattleTeeny]

Haha, I think that was in the episode where David Lynch yells, "There's the one-armer now!" That always made me laugh.

Dougie-Cooper makes me feel sad in the way Harrison Ford did in Regarding Henry.

[Affogato]

Just thought, wasn't Ben Horne's son Richard? I'm actually forgetting what happened to him, but he was actually supposed to be normal, just strange? Could this chap be him?