Michael G. Munz

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

  • Novels
    • Memory of Dragons
    • Zeus Is Dead
      • Praise for Zeus Is Dead
    • Zeus Is Undead
    • The New Aeneid Cycle
      • A SHADOW IN THE FLAMES
      • A MEMORY IN THE BLACK
      • A DRAGON AT THE GATE
    • MYTHED CONNECTIONS
    • Four Fantastical Ways to Lose Your Fingers
      • Get it FREE!
  • Geek Notes Blog
    • Blog Archive
    • Farscape Re-Watch
    • Michael Reads Percy Jackson
  • Bio
  • Contact
  • Press

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

May 4, 2017 By Michael G. Munz Leave a Comment

  • Tweet
  • Share on Tumblr

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.

The Re-Watch

Well this episode starts with some big stuff: Ronette was attacked in her hospital bed, and now she’s got something under her nail. (It’s a letter B.) With a 24-hour guard, how did BOB get in there? He can’t physically move around without a host, right? Did an owl fly in the window and do it? Don’t hospitals take measures to keep owls out of intensive care??

After a two-episode delay, Cooper tells Albert and Harry about the Giant and his clues. I can’t say as I blame him too much for the delay, even though the rocks-and-bottles thing went over well enough.

“…Any relation to the dwarf?”

Hey, Coop? If that psychic link is going to lead you right to BOB, why does it just circle the picture?

Albert is understandably skeptical about the whole BOB thing, and gets back to the whole Cooper-shot-thrice thing. Apparently Cooper was shot with a Walther PPK, which Albert then says was James Bond’s gun. You know, nearly every single time I’ve shown this to someone they mention “That’s James Bond’s gun!” a moment before Albert says it. I love that. 🙂

And speaking of love, it’s time for perhaps the most famous, and most quoted, of all of Albert’s lines, complete with a sudden swelling of dramatic music.

Now you listen to me. While I will admit to a certain cynicism, the fact is that I am a naysayer and hatchet-man in the fight against violence. I pride myself in taking a punch and I’ll gladly take another because I choose to live my life in the company of Gandhi and King. My concerns are global. I reject absolutely revenge, aggression, and retaliation. The foundation of such a method… is love. I love you Sheriff Truman.

Albert: Full of surprises. It’s a fun moment, and an interesting layer to his character after being mostly just a highly competent, highly condescending, acerbic presence. I never took the love thing to mean romantic love, but rather a love for a fellow human being. This is not to say I’d have a problem the character were gay at all. It’s just that the rest of his speech indicates a more general, universal love. Speaking of love, I also love Cooper’s follow-up to the reveal of Albert’s contradictory nature: “Albert’s path is a strange and difficult one.”

…Except, wouldn’t demanding Harry’s badge after Harry punched him last season be retaliatory? Well, pobody’s nerfect.

But on to new people and new experiences! This episode introduces us to the orchid-breeding, agoraphobic, dazzlingly-coiffed Harold Smith.

You know, he could do a good Malcolm Reynolds cosplay.

You know, Harold looked older when I first saw this at age 18. Now he looks so young! Though I also just watched the Psych ep that he’s in, so that could be affecting it. He says he wrote to Donna to see if she’s place one on Laura’s grave, but also because Laura wanted him to get in touch with her. Plus hey, he’s a mysterious older guy who has his own place! Combined with the mystery of his relationship to Laura, Donna spends a while hanging out.

And speaking of new character introductions, this ep has another one: Hello, Dick.

He’s so self-absorbed he’s going to collapse under his own damn gravity.

After taking a whole episode to rush over to the Sheriff’s station from the Great Northern, Leland finally shows up to talk to Cooper and Harry about how he knows BOB. (Hmm, was he the mystery caller last episode? But why would he want to be anonymous?) And again I still wonder, is this Leland actually remembering, or is BOB just dropping hints like the Riddler?

Leland/BOB is a pretty sharp aim with a flicked match.

We get another Mysterious Asian Guy sighting, and then it’s time for yet another new character when Jean Renault shows up. I hate this guy. But in a good way, for the most part. I think he hangs around the series a little too long, but his ruthlessness and fake Quebecois accent are mostly a welcome addition for me.

Meanwhile, without chemicals, he points! (But did he flush?)

While a lack of Haliperidol, Mike wakes up from inside Phillip Gerard. And speaking of waking up: Nadine’s still in her coma, pumping out so much adrenaline she’s ripping through restraints. That’s a very active coma. And then she wakes up and thinks she’s a teenager. I’ve had mornings like that.

Welp, heeere we go…

And speaking of, um, the opposite of waking up, Cooper questions Dr. Jacoby under hypnosis so he can better remember details of Jacques’ murder. Jacoby’s hypnosis script is a golf narrative, and it nearly makes Harry sleep, too. As someone who really, really finds golf boring, I can’t really blame him. Jacoby mentions smelling engine oil in the park, too. So definitely BOB there, so far as I’m concerned. Oh, and he saw Leland kill Jacques.

Donna goes to visit Laura’s grave. In Twin Peaks. At night. OH, GOOD IDEA!

James shares a tender hug with Maddy after just walking straight into the Palmer house. Then Donna just walks in. Then Leland just walks in. (Well, okay, it’s his house, but still. Murderer in town, people! Lock the doors! Stop visiting cemeteries at night!) Also James smashes the Palmer’s lamp. Classy. And then Harry and Cooper just walk in! And what happens then? Leland gets arrested! So let this be a lesson to you folks: When there’s a murderer in town, lock your damn door or you’ll get your lamps destroyed and your ass arrested! And stop visiting cemeteries at night!

After repeatedly walking in on Maddy and James at the wrong time, Donna can’t take it anymore. She runs to Harold and stumbles on…

Dun dun DUNNNN!

Favorite Moments:
Though it’s actually not my favorite of Albert’s lines (I prefer his whole tirade during Laura’s autopsy on the day of the funeral), of course I have to go with his hatchet-man speech.

Least Favorite Moment:
Nothing major in this one, but possibly Big Ed singing? He’s got a good voice, but I’ve never really been a fan of people singing on screen, unless it’s a musical. (I’m weird that way. Apparently as a toddler I used to tell my own mother not to sing when she sang to me.)

Weirdest Moment:
Mike surfacing in Phillip Gerard in the Sheriff’s Station men’s room. His echoing voice is an especially effective…er…effect. Or was that just Sheriff’s station bathroom acoustics?

Favorite Lines:
“Do you have a judgment about that you’d like to express?” (I use this one a lot.)

“It’s been six weeks, Dick. You said you were going to call.”
“I know. …I lost your phone number.”
“I work for the Sheriff, you could’ve dialed 911.”

Things I noticed for the first time:
Doc Hayward says he’s going to close the door behind him when he leaves Ed alone with Nadine, but after she wakes up the camera pulls back and the door is still open.

Sparkwood & 21 traffic light count: 4

Waterfall close-up shot count: 2

Windblown trees shot count: 4

On to episode 4 of the second season…
View all of my Twin Peaks re-watch blogs here!

  • Tweet
  • Share on Tumblr

Filed Under: Featured, Movies and TV, Twin Peaks rewatch Tagged With: Geek Interest, Harold Smith, I love you Sheriff Truman, Jean Renault, Rewatch, Twin Peaks, Without chemicals he points

Subscribe to my newsletter and get a FREE copy of Four Fantastical Ways to Lose Your Fingers!

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Subscribe to my Newsletter!

About Me

I'm a Seattle-based speculative fiction author and geek. Lately I'm writing the sequel to my award-winning comedic fantasy, Zeus Is Dead: A Monstrously Inconvenient Adventure!
[Read more...]

Read My Books:


B089LY6VFP cover

Memory of Dragons: A Contemporary Fantasy Adventure

Price:
$4.99

Purchase at amazon.com


B01GF5QWGE cover

Zeus Is Dead: A Monstrously Inconvenient Adventure

Price: $3.99

Purchase at amazon.com


B01GF5QWGE cover

Zeus Is Undead: This One Has Zombies

Price: $5.99

Purchase at amazon.com


B01GF1CT1A cover

A Shadow in the Flames (The New Aeneid Cycle Book 1)

SALE! $0.99

Purchase at amazon.com


B01G9P1JN6 cover

A Memory in the Black (The New Aeneid Cycle Book 2)

Price: $2.99

Purchase at amazon.com


B01JKJLD98 cover

A Dragon at the Gate (The New Aeneid Cycle Book 3)

SALE! $2.99

Purchase at amazon.com


B00EUU0588 cover

Mythed Connections (short story collection)

Price: $0.99

Purchase at amazon.com


B072XXDTV7 cover

Four Fantastical Ways to Lose Your Fingers

Price: $0.99

Purchase at amazon.com

My Tweets

COMPLETE BLOG ARCHIVE
TWIN PEAKS RE-WATCH BLOGS
FARSCAPE RE-WATCH BLOGS
MICHAEL READS PERCY JACKSON

Search:

Popular Posts

  • Michael Reads Percy Jackson: The Lightning Thief (Ch 16) posted on November 30, 2014 | under Michael Reads, TLT
  • Top 5 List: Minor Star Wars Characters posted on December 5, 2015 | under Featured, Movies and TV, Top 5
  • Pooh and Piglet at Tanagra – a tweet that exploded posted on August 21, 2016 | under Featured, Miscellaneous, Movies and TV