Michael G. Munz

The official website of Seattle sci-fi/fantasy author and geek Michael G. Munz

Michael Re-Watches Twin Peaks, Season 2, Ep 9

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Season 2, Episode 9
Written by Mark Frost & Harley Peyton & Robert Engels
Directed by Tim Hunter

Honestly, the only thing I really remember about my first time watching this episode was that I was really sorry to see a certain character go. I don’t want to name that character here, as the first few lines of these posts can show up in previews on Facebook and Twitter and such, so I don’t want to inadvertently spoil anyone. It’s the character who gets a head wound, and gets to hear the Tibetan Book of the Dead. [Read more…]

Michael Re-Watches Twin Peaks: Season 2, Ep 8

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Season 2, Episode 8
Written by Scott Frost
Directed by Caleb Deschanel

My memory of this episode comes not from my original viewing, but one or two viewings later. Among the couple of people to whom I was showing the series to at the time was one woman who loved musicals, and absolutely loved Oklahoma. (The musical, not the state. Though maybe she loved the state as well. I never thought to ask.) She got very miffed at me for showing her something that forever sullied the song, “Surrey with the Fringe on Top.”

I have no regrets. 😀 [Read more…]

Michael Re-Watches Twin Peaks: Season 2, Ep 7

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Season 2, Episode 7
Written by Mark Frost
Directed by David Lynch

My first viewing of this episode with Nick and the rest of the Haggett Hall Twin Peaks-watchin’ folk took place in a dorm room instead of our usual location of the dorm lounge. It was a bit cramped, but Nick insisted that it was probably better to watch in a more private place. He wouldn’t say why. All I knew going in was that there was probably something messed up going to happen that he didn’t want to have to explain to people walking by. (Or, ya know, maybe it was just that other people were using the lounge and he just considered it a good episode to watch out of the lounge anyway?) [Read more…]

Michael Re-Watches Twin Peaks: Season 2, Ep 6

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Season 2, Episode 6
Written by Harley Peyton & Robert Engels
Directed by Lesli Linka Glatter

The memory is a little hazy, and maybe my brain is just plain making this up, but I think when I first saw this episode, the moment FBI Regional Bureau Chief Gordon Cole’s voice first echoed down the sheriff’s station hallway, Nick held up his hands at shoulder level, arms bent, thumbs and forefingers each making a circle, and declared, “Awesome.” He’d forgotten that this was the episode where Gordon shows up. [Read more…]

Michael Re-Watches Twin Peaks: Season 2, Ep 5

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Season 2, Episode 5
Written by Barry Pullman
Directed by Graeme Clifford

Again, memories on this one are a bit fuzzy, so instead I’m going to mention a bit about the episode titles on Netflix, which I haven’t listed on here. They weren’t originally attached to the episodes, nor were they written by any of the series writers. And with titles like, “Zen, or the Skill to Catch a Killer,” “On the Wings of Love,” and of course, “May the Giant Be with You,” it shows.

From what I’ve gathered–and by gathered, I mean from what I’ve heard from the first person who answered my question about this in a Twin Peaks Facebook group–the titles were thought up by someone in Germany when the series was aired in foreign markets. They were then re-translated back into English for use on the CBS website. And I do not like them, so I choose to mostly ignore them.

…Okay, so I do sort of like “Traces to Nowhere” for the second episode. [Read more…]

Michael Re-Watches Twin Peaks: Season 2, Ep 4

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Season 2, Episode 4
Written by Jerry Stahl and Mark Frost & Harley Peyton & Robert Engels
Directed by Todd Holland

It’s time for the fake actor “Fumio Yamaguchi,” who is first credited in this episode, playing “Mister Tajamura.” I love the lengths the producers went to so as to conceal his secret. As I understand it, a fake bio and acting credit list was even made and given a press release.

I really wish I remembered whether or not I bought “Mister Tajamura.” I honestly don’t remember, but I’d like to think I did, at least at first. With the mystery of  who killed Laura Palmer spoiled for me from the beginning, I like to think that some of the big reveals were still available for me to experience. In that light, I’m suddenly even more excited for the revival series because I really will be going in completely unspoiled for the first time in my entire Twin Peaks experience! Is it May 21st yet? [Read more…]

Michael Re-Watches Twin Peaks: Season 2, Ep 3

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Season 2, Episode 3
Written by Robert Engels
Directed by Lesli Linka Glatter

I remember nothing of my initial viewing of this episode. (Heck, it was over two decades ago!) I do know that our dorm lounge Twin Peaks watching group had grown by this time to about ten regulars, plus or minus a few depending on the night. But rather than mention that, I’ll take a moment to talk about something else…

Long-time Twin Peaks fans know that sometime in the 1990s, the series was re-released on a cable channel called Bravo! that may or may not exist anymore. Paired with each episode was a new introduction by Catherine E. Coulson, in-character as the Log Lady, with each of her new lines written by David Lynch. They’ve since been paired with the episodes on the DVD collections as well, but you’ll notice that I haven’t mentioned watching those yet. The truth is I don’t really like them as episode introductions. Don’t get me wrong: I’m glad they exist, and I enjoyed seeing them, but they’re almost like a DVD commentary; they fit better for me as something you watch after your first viewing.

I’m sure I’m in the minority on this. [Read more…]