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

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.

The Re-Watch

And we’re back, with Harold and the orchids! (“Harold and the Orchids” would be a great name for a Las Vegas dance review, wouldn’t it?) While he is understandably upset about what Donna did, his reaction may be just a liiiiiiiittle overboard. Harold, if they’re unclean and they’ve contaminated you, going Freddy Kruger on them is just going to get blood everywhere and make things even worse.

And just as Hawk saved the day last episode, it’s now James’s turn! He grabs Maddy first, though as soon as they get out, Donna is the one he asks if she’s okay. (Nice cover, James.) Back inside, Harold starts poisoning the orchids and howls out in grief. Though for the first time I’m suddenly wondering if he’s poisoning them or just spraying them with water to clean them off, since why the heck would he have a pump spray filled with poison? Took me 20 years to wonder that.

But hey, it’s not all bad! The terrible betrayal of Harold Smith’s trust results in a rekindled relationship between Donna and James! So…yay?

With Audrey safely back, Harry I.D.s Jean Renault, and Cooper realizes Renault was after him. Coop berates himself for going out his jurisdiction and winding up making Audrey pay the price.

Harry, this isn’t the first time my actions have brought suffering to someone I care about in the name of doing what I had to do. Damn it, I should have known better.

This is not a speech he’s probably given Andy.

When Cooper tells Ben about Audrey being held at One-Eyed Jack’s, Blackie, and Jean Renault, Ben is…pretty terrible at acting surprised. And of course the fact that he checks out the money before he even asks about how Audrey is doesn’t help win him any fantastic parenting awards. His reunion with Audrey at the Bookhouse isn’t much better. The value of every raindrop, Ben? Really? My favorite moment in this scene is of course:

And oh, hey, Leo’s home! Yaaay! And Mr. Pitt from Seinfeld is bringing them the insurance money! Yaaay!! When it turns out that after all the fees they only get $700/month, Stupid Bobby Plan #3 goes down in flames! Yaaaaaay!!

Also, it’s a plaid party! YAAAAAAAY!!!

And then, the writers just figured, what the hell. Kazoos.

Bobby and Shelley class it up by making out in front of him on the table after telling him off for all the horrible things he’s done. It’s a weird scene, but fun.

Nadine’s adjusting to life back at home. Big Ed is…not so much.

Creepy Asian Guy is making Josie go back to Hong Kong with him tonight via intimidation and threats against her and Harry, and this after a pretty strong implication that he’s just raped her. So now he’s Creepy Asian Asshole Douchebag Guy. But hey, at least he’s going to die. Threatened with death for her and Harry if she doesn’t leave with CAADG that same night, Josie visits Ben and out-connives him to get the money he owes her from the sale of the Mill and their dirty dealings.

As much as I love to hate Josie, you really have to hand it to her here.

And soon Josie takes her leave of Harry. He fires off two “I love you”s that slow her down, but she makes it out the door anyway. Speaking of taking leave, James and Maddy have a pleasant, mature discussion to say goodbye before Maddy goes back to MISSOULA, MONTANA!!

And those of us who’ve seen the series shift uncomfortably in our seats…

Leland is back working for Ben. In the meeting, Leland almost absent-mindedly takes a bit of fur from the stuffed arctic fox in Ben’s office.

Pete meets Mister Tojamura at the Great Northern bar.

I had to save the best parts for last, though, because cover your ears: it’s time for Gordon “THIS IS MY INDOOR VOICE!” Cole, played of course by David Lynch himself. (Hey, did Mark Frost have any cameos in this show?) While Donna is telling Harry about Harold, in he comes.

I don’t know where the closed caption person gets off putting a damn period on the end of that sentence.

I freaking love Gordon. I also like that though he’s shouting all the time and just terrible at reading lips, he’s nonetheless a pretty smart guy, a good boss, and a fully competent regional bureau chief. I mean, okay, so maybe he does shout out some possibly need-to-know FBI stuff so the entire sheriff’s station can hear him, but even so.

I can’t wait to see him again in the revival. Gordon also brings with him an envelope from Windham Earle that officially begins the whole chess game plot. Pawn to king four! Take THAT, Cooper!! Oh, and did I mention Hawk found Philip Gerard? Or as Gordon puts it:

Mike resurfaces again after they withhold Philip’s drugs. In a wonderfully creepy scene–especially when seen for the first time–and we learn for the first time, well, just all kinds of things don’t we? *takes deep breath*

Mike is an inhabiting spirit.
Therefore, inhabiting spirits exist.
Phillip is Mike’s host.
BOB was Mike’s familiar.
Where BOB comes from cannot be revealed, but he’s a parasite that requires a human host, and he feeds on fear and “the pleasures.”
BOB can only been seen by “the gifted, and the damned.”
Mike would probably be excellent at Tuvan throat singing.

Cooper and Mike share a moment as they recite the Fire Walk With Me poem…

…which I’m not going to write here because it’s night and I don’t want to summon up something weird and dripping with creamed corn. Plus, I don’t want to misrepresent it. For instance, is it “chance” or “chants”? The captions say “chants,” but Lynch has gone on record saying that he doesn’t want to commit to one or the other, because he likes things that can be ambiguous. Incidentally, in the line “Fire walk with me,” is fire in the vocative case (“Hey, Fire! Walk with me!”) or is it an adjective? (“Fire-walking is not as painful as Lego-walking.”) No one freaking knows.

The episode ends with Mike saying this about BOB’s current whereabouts:

A large house made of wood, surrounded by trees. The house is filled with many rooms, each alike, but occupied by different souls night after night.

Cooper surmises that he’s referring to The Great Northern Hotel. And while that does fit, I’ve always thought that he might also be describing the Black Lodge. Twelve sycamore trees, anyone? Souls can be trapped in wood, no? Am I reaching here?

Favorite Moments:
Pretty much every scene with Gordon Cole.

Least Favorite Moment:
Josie’s and Jonathan’s likely-post-rape scene.

Weirdest Moment: