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What a great episode.

I love the buildup we're getting. It's clear that something is very wrong in the town of TP and maybe the rest of the country too. Other than Nadine, things haven't worked out for the original cast in the last 25 years. And something is about to go very, very wrong, as the sequence with Bobby showed both in and outside the diner. "Around the dinner table, conversation is lively"...maybe a reference of BL entities coming together to feast?

Cole's hand shaking is another sign of this. Note that the last time we saw this, Cooper was about to lose a battle with an evil doppelganger and apparently plunge the world into 25 years of ascendant evil. The kids born during that 25 years sure are a messed-up bunch. Becky previously appeared to be like Shelly in her taste for bad men, but this painted her as a dangerous basket case in her own right.

However, there's still hope. Cooper -- even as Dougie -- still seems to radiate goodness and affect others. Note how the Mitchum brothers ultimately don't really want to kill him, and end up much happier to have him a "friend", even beyond getting their 30 mil. This is also underlined by the exchange with the old lady from the casino, who has money *and importantly* also seems to have straightened out her life. This is Cooper's influence, and boy does the world need him.

And he was SO close to coming back. I'm still sticking with my theory that this show is in the process of becoming TP. It's never going to be the fan service that some wanted, but as things go on it's getting more and more familiar. Note how the combination of cherry pie and Badalamenti's music (the tune being played on the piano was his) *almost* woke Cooper. I think TP: The Return is a more literal title than we realized.

So who else thinks that Gordon and Albert are playing Diane? Seemed obvious, plus I thought that the line about switching coffee for milk may have been code for Albert photoshopping the pic to throw evil Cooper off. Cole knows more than he's letting on. So does Hawk.

 gorgon wrote:

I love the buildup we're getting. It's clear that something is very wrong in the town of TP and maybe the rest of the country too. Other than Nadine, things haven't worked out for the original cast in the last 25 years. And something is about to go very, very wrong, as the sequence with Bobby showed both in and outside the diner. "Around the dinner table, conversation is lively"...maybe a reference of BL entities coming together to feast?

Yeah, adding to the "no happy endings" theme I mentioned before, sad to see that Bobby and Shelly are no longer together. Even worse to see that Shelly has hooked up with Frank Booth Jr. But, again, still good to see that Bobby himself has turned out alright. And WTF was with that zombie sick kid in the car? Regarding Nadine, I'm still waiting to see Big Ed. It was great hearing him mentioned, but where is he? And where are the rest of the Bookhouse Boys?

Cole's hand shaking is another sign of this. Note that the last time we saw this, Cooper was about to lose a battle with an evil doppelganger and apparently plunge the world into 25 years of ascendant evil. The kids born during that 25 years sure are a messed-up bunch. Becky previously appeared to be like Shelly in her taste for bad men, but this painted her as a dangerous basket case in her own right.

I picked up on the hand shaking, too. In the original series, a few different people suffered the hand shaking in the lead up to the entrance to the Lodges opening up. Suggestive that the same thing is happening soon. Also noticed that Albert's unfinished line about the location of the coordinates suggests it's in Twin Peaks.

So who else thinks that Gordon and Albert are playing Diane? Seemed obvious, plus I thought that the line about switching coffee for milk may have been code for Albert photoshopping the pic to throw evil Cooper off. Cole knows more than he's letting on. So does Hawk.

They definitely are playing her along. I'm still hoping that Diane isn't exactly a willing volunteer in Evil Cooper's plot. But, no happy endings, right?

And, dammit Hawk, since you told me I don't want to know what that tging is, now I really do what to know what that is!

So Cooper rubbed his face and said "dead"...with the movement being basically identical to that of Evil Coop's death face mush. Do you figure that's a meaningful thing suggesting the two are linked, or is it just kind of a 'wink' at the audience?

There is some kind of link, as Mike said early on that one of them has to die. They probably can't coexist indefinitely on Earth.

Oh, regarding Big Ed, I have a feeling that Nadine dumped him and he's not with Norma either, for whatever reason. It somehow seems like it'd be his fate in this dark world to end up alone with neither of them.

I haven't gotten through the Secret History yet, but Frank is a Bookhouse Boy, right? Although he doesn't seem like a 'mystical' guy, he also doesn't seem completely put off by the weirdness that's unfolding. And maybe that's how we'll get to see James again and learn a little more about what exactly happened to him in the years since.

I have a feeling that the zombie sick kid and the rash are related to whatever Red is pumping into TP and the surrounding area. The black corn on Hawk's map is obviously suggestive of garmonbozia, but also might be warning of some kind of Nurgle-y pestilence in advance of the apparently imminent apocalypse.

While this story clearly isn't about traditional Christian mythology, it seems like Evil Coop is roughly an Antichrist-like figure, and I wonder if Red is more-or-less a herald/horseman figure.

 gorgon wrote:
Oh, regarding Big Ed, I have a feeling that Nadine dumped him and he's not with Norma either, for whatever reason. It somehow seems like it'd be his fate in this dark world to end up alone with neither of them.

I can see Big Ed being on his own, if Norma had given up on him. One thing the Secret History made clear about him is that he was almost too good for his own good. Too responsible. Too focused on doing right by others, even to his own detriment by not standing up for himself. That's how Hank got Norma in the first place.

I haven't gotten through the Secret History yet, but Frank is a Bookhouse Boy, right? Although he doesn't seem like a 'mystical' guy, he also doesn't seem completely put off by the weirdness that's unfolding. And maybe that's how we'll get to see James again and learn a little more about what exactly happened to him in the years since.

The Secret History does state that Frank is one of them (amusingly, it's revealed that Frank is the one who gave Hawk his nickname, that he couldn't stand at first). The book also echoes the Log Lady's comment about the Truman brothers being "true men". Interestingly, there is a picture of one of the bookshelves showing the favorite books of the members. Frank's is "Angle of Repose" by Wallace Stegner, if that means anything. Cooper's is The Warren Commission Report. Interesting to note is that Toad is a member.

I have a feeling that the zombie sick kid and the rash are related to whatever Red is pumping into TP and the surrounding area. The black corn on Hawk's map is obviously suggestive of garmonbozia, but also might be warning of some kind of Nurgle-y pestilence in advance of the apparently imminent apocalypse.

I don't know if all of it is coming from Red and some sort of bad drugs. Like the hand shaking we saw in the original series indicating a possible leakage of evil from the Black Lodge, this could also be symptomatic of the opening of the portal.

So, last night, we finally get to see Audrey.

And my face just had one big WTF expression on it from beginning to end in that scene.

That scene was just so strangely odd and out of place, even for David Lynch, that I kept expecting the camera to pull back and reveal that the two of them were performing a play or something. Or was I just missing something regarding the names being used?

Now we know the origin of the Blue Rose (kind of).

Also:
" what kind [of wine] is it?"
"It's 11:05."
"..."
"Albert, sometimes I worry about you."

Yeah...that Audrey scene. Honestly by the end after that drawn out phone conversation, the guy just looks at her and won't say a word. I think this was Lynch seeing how far he could frustrate and push the viewer into madness. I think we were meant to literally feel the exact emotions Audrey was visibly showing (her patience being tested). I found it kind of hilarious in a way. Reminds me of when that guy was sweeping the floor for five minutes straight.

Glad to see you guys are getting it too. That was probably the most 'meta' episode of the series, and was mostly hilarious if you can shift yourself to seeing it that way.

Consider that in the room comes Albert -- acting with us -- with something important to say (i.e. attempting to move the narrative along). But Gordon -- acting as Lynch -- and his companion (who is also a spoof of Lynch's love for femme fatales) have that excruciating goodbye for no apparent reason, all the while Albert stands there wearing his "really?" face. And Gordon has that gak-eating grin. Then even after she leaves, Gordon starts blabbering on about something completely irrelevant to the scene or plot.

Lynch and Frost are having so much fun with us right there, it's almost criminal. And it seems like lots of fans and message board denizens are falling right into their trap from the way they're flipping out about this episode. I took Gordon's 'worry' to really be about us as the audience and what we tend to demand and require these days.


I felt like Audrey's scene was meant as a symbolic (and only symbolic) parallel to Cooper's experience in the BL. She's stuck in a room with a little person asking permission to leave, and having an endless nonsensical conversation.

Did Jerry have blood all over his hands, or was it just me?

Ok, after tonight's scene with Audrey, something is definitely going on there. It's like these two scenes aren't actually happening in reality. Is she dreaming them? Hallucinating? Still in a coma? I can't believe she would still be in a coma, but I could believe that she has had a mental breakdown at some point due to the that is Richard Horne.

Big Ed!!!!
poor Big Ed

And...James's song is still cringeworthy.
I went back and checked the end of the first episode, the woman he was looking at then is the same one in tonight's episode while he was singing.

 gorgon wrote:

However, there's still hope. Cooper -- even as Dougie -- still seems to radiate goodness and affect others. Note how the Mitchum brothers ultimately don't really want to kill him, and end up much happier to have him a "friend", even beyond getting their 30 mil. This is also underlined by the exchange with the old lady from the casino, who has money *and importantly* also seems to have straightened out her life. This is Cooper's influence, and boy does the world need him.

Definitely seeing even more of this, with Sizemore's character breaking down like he did, and even Bushnell being not-so-angry with him.

I'll admit that I poo-pooed most of the theories floating re: Audrey after the last episode, but now it certainly appears that something is up. She's definitely trapped in some way, and probably of her own will or doing since Charlie seems to be pushing her to leave. I suspect that things are much worse for Audrey than I previously thought. She may be an extremely damaged individual.

Regardless of what's going on, I also wonder if there's something symbolic at work too. Audrey as a teenaged coquette is such an iconic part of the original series. But the character can't be that anymore, and Sherilyn Fenn can't play her that way anymore. So the character is kinda trapped between expectations set in the past and the realities of the present.

Such a bleak episode even beyond Audrey. Entrapment seemed to be a running theme. The Sarah Palmer segment was chilling. Big Ed! And while most don't like James and his song, I thought that segment was extremely effective at evoking past sorrows and perhaps signifying new ones to come. Spontaneous crying at the road house has never been a good sign, and that was also indicated by the storm rumbling outside the Double R.

And yet -- the Dale bubble of good continues to work its magic. But will it be enough?

WIth Audrey there may be some kind of mental illness or trauma that has yet to be explored. Something definitely isn't right though..

James lipsyncing the exact vocals of the old song didn't work for me. His older features combined with that effeminate voice just doesn't work in 2017. It even seemed odd in the original show like I didn't buy it. It is nostalgic and achieved that kind of feeling but..

But now evil coop has a number of thugs under his wing..he seems quite adept.

There are those who think Audrey is still in a coma. The theory is that she's receiving outside stimuli and could wake up, but is scared to do so...probably because of other trauma she's subconsciously aware of.

I feel like it's not going to be that straightforward, but something along those lines is going on. Seems like the closer people were to Cooper, the worse off they became. Imagine what that's going to be like for Dale when he wakes up and sees all the carnage.

Evil Coop hasn't shown that kind of strength before, but it's interesting to note that his hand looked sooty in this episode like those of the woodsmen. Maybe that's a new thing since his resurrection? I'll have to check earlier episodes.

I may have to rewatch this episode before saying much, as this one has given me more to think about than any other.

Anyway, apart from laughing at the funny stuff, I am normally very quiet while watching a show, but I did actually cheer at Chad's arrest. Feth Chad.

This episode confirms that David Lynch is not normal. His Monica Bellucci dreams are not like any other man's Monica Bellucci dreams.

And, given the odd way at the end in which that one woman asked the other her mother's name and the pause in answering, could Tina and Audrey be the same person? Split personality thing going on? With Charlie being the mental construct that communicates between the two? Just a random thought that occurred to me.

Was there something in that incinerator room that James checked out that I didn't see? My eyes have missed a lot in this show, so I was just wondering. Speaking of things I didn't see, I read this bit elsewhere: when Big Ed was eating his soup alone and looks up, his reflection (which is hard to see) is not in sync with what he's doing, and even very obviously "glitches" to then match up to what he's doing. It looks like he notices it, too. There are apparently lots of other cues indicating reality is bending in Twin Peaks.

Edit: another random thought, could Andy be host to The Giant now?

Yeah, lots to talk about in that one, although I think I have to do my rewatch before I'm fully coherent about it.

I don't *think* Andy is hosting the now-Fireman/was-Giant so much as he was chosen to work on his behalf. He might not be the obvious choice, but then he might have been the purest of heart of the bunch (certainly more than Bobby, with his past).

I couldn't glean anything from the end of the scene with James. I think that's a reveal to come. It would be fitting if he was the one to discover Laura in some shape or form.

Edit: It *could* make some sense if 'Tina' is another identity that Audrey's mind created in response to trauma. At least we now know (probably) than the coma theory is out since Audrey seems aware of current happenings in TP with actual people.

Oh, I'm definitely not invested in the idea of Andy being The Giant's host, it was just a random idea.

Another random thought just occurred to me, and it's a rather disturbing one. Given what happened in the bar, isn't it highly likely Sarah Palmer may have to go to the Sheriff's office to make a statement? And what if she encounters that eyeless lady?

Also, my hopes of Janey-E being innocent in all this are dimming a bit. I'm hoping she still is, but it's just too much of a coincidence that she happens to be Diane's half-sister.

Is Janey-E really a nice person, though? She's gone from being a bit of a harpy to very pleased now that her husband brings home lots of money and expensive items, is buff and available for her pleasure while demanding nothing in return, says almost nothing, has no opinions or will of his own, is a kind enough dad, etc. Even early on she got over his encounter with Jade immediately and completely after she saw all the money he won.

It's very possible she's just more societal commentary by Lynch and Frost regarding selfish spouses. Or maybe it's all a hint that she's in it for other reasons. She's out of real Dougie's league...so maybe Diane and Mr. C set her up with Dougie in return for financial considerations as his caretaker until Dale attempted his return. Then recently she's just enjoying her job more now that Dale is making her life better.

I felt like she was just the typical long suffering spouse. Living with Dougie's gambling and whoring (it's Vegas, after all), but not liking it. I feel like Dougie wasn't much of a person, though. If Dale is pure good, and Bob Cooper is pure evil, then Dougie was probably very much in between, neutral almost.

Anyway, I mainly came here this morning to give a warning about what kind of Twin Peaks coverage you read online. I read that the last four episodes (or, at least, their synopsis) have leaked in Germany, and the synopsis for them is already out there.

Yeah, I read that as well. I have to admit I don't quite understand how these networks can't secure their stuff better.

For now, all I'm gonna say:
9:30 mark, AWW YESSSS!!!!

EDIT: Next day thoughts:
The scene with Catherine Coulson (the Log Lady) was probably the most difficult to watch of the season.

Seeing the "lightning strike" through Dale's brain at the mention of Gordon Cole was impressive. Sticking the fork in the socket may be what brings Dale back all the way.

Amazing episode. Strong contrast to that other show on the other premium network.

"I am the FBI."

Chills. Coop is back.

What a line. I'll admit I yelled a "FETHING A" at my screen after that one.

It was remarkable to see KM inhabit that character again, seemingly so effortlessly, after 25 years. Same diction, same aura, same Dale, but maybe with a little more gravitas thanks to 25 years passing. If he's not nominated for every applicable award, it'll be a far bigger crime than his snub for the original series (lost to Peter Falk for 'Columbo'? Really?).

Anyway, the world needs Special Agent Dale Cooper more than any of us really understood. Welcome back, buddy. And talk about a cathartic moment.

Laura Dern also brought it in a major way. She had some line deliveries in her monologue that were just chilling. Roth and Leigh's big scene was hilarious. And I think Audrey is truly in another place, from the band playing the music backwards during the credits and the electrical buzz during the mirror moment.

AH man, sooo good seeing Coop back this episode.

It's interesting to think that Diane has been a tulpa for the past 20-odd years. Makes you wonder what happened to the original. Her line "I'm in the sheriff's station" suggests that Naido could be Diane. Equally interesting to note that "Diane" seemed to have her own will, as she didn't exactly cooperate with Evil Cooper 100%. Speaking of tulpas, hopefully Dougie 2.0 will be a somewhat better husband and father than Dougie 1.0.

Great to see Audrey's dance again. While everyone is 25 years older, obviously, when she smiled during her dance those 25 years just faded away.

Nice, offhand confirmation that Richard was Evil Cooper's son.

I can't wait until next weekend, I think we get the last two episodes together. I hope they leave it open for a Season 4. I want more Coop.

Regarding Diane...

D-I-A-N-E

N-A-I-D(-O)

And Janey stole the missing E.

It's funny that with all the theorizing going on online, almost none of it has been on the mark, while Lynch and Frost have hidden stuff in plain sight. We should have known when Cooper would return back in episode 3 when he went out the receptacle marked '15' and not '3'.

Found this image posted elsewhere, loving it.

Just watched the 2 part finale, still not sure what the hell I just witnessed. As someone who wanted this to be the end (for good) and woulda preferred closure, this offered none of that in a way. Coopers behavior in the final episode reminded me more of his evil counterpart somehow. He was his typical upbeat self in e17 but in the final part his mannerisms voice etc didn't seem right. I kind of feel like how Audrey was acting earlier on, like a helpless childlike thing. Kinda like Lynch just butt-raped everyone and boiled peoples brains....but not necessarily in a bad way. I've been drinking nonstop since friday so maybe i'm not in the clearest of mind.

I *think* that whatever she told him, it involved him not getting the happy ending. You see this in the scene in the sheriff's office when Dale gets that "uh oh" look and his face becomes superimposed over the action. Still, I think what part 17 gave was the ending that Lynch and Frost had to write (closure), while 18 offered the ending they wanted to write (continuing mysteries). Which may also be a commentary on what happened in season 2 with their battles with the network over solving Laura's murder.

Part 18 is an especially 'open' text in terms of possible interpretations, but I think the best explanation is the most straight-line one. Dale's attempt to change history and defeat the Mother/Experiment/Judy by saving Laura goes wrong when the Mother/Experiment/Judy steals her away. Dale and Diane -- based on the Fireman's instructions -- find a portal to the place where Laura is...some kind of alternate or pocket dimension...or a dream? Anyway, they comment that things may be different on the other side, and they are...Dale and Diane's identities begin to shift to 'Richard' and 'Linda'. Dale resists this to a degree (some kind of psychic 'self' muscles from his Dougie ordeal?), but Diane can't and she's swallowed up in the Linda identity.

When Dale wakes up to find that the building and his car have changed overnight -- it's a clear sign that this place has otherworldly, dreamlike qualities beyond just being another timeline or ordinary reality. And in fact Dale finds Laura through the dream logic of following a diner sign. The scene at the Palmer house also doubles down on clues that this reality isn't 'right' by the use of the Tremond and Chalfont names. The ending represents Laura either becoming lucid within this dream place...which is actually kind of a positive note, since it's she and not Dale who has any chance of defeating the Mother. I'm not sure if the dream is actually the Mother's, or if it's Laura's, brought on by the Mother.

To me, it's actually fairly well spelled out when you stop and consider it, although I'm seeing all kind of other theories involving timelines and reverse orders and such that seem overly convoluted and not fitting the evidence we're given. That's my $0.02.

And I actually like this ending more and more the more I think about it. Of course another cliffhanger is frustrating, but that's Lynch for you.

I do want a season four, but I fear we won't get it. But, maybe this time Lynch and Frost will allow the story of Twin Peaks to carry on in book form.

I liked how Evil Cooper spent all these years on his evil plan, and when he finally made it into the White Lodge, the Fireman was basically "lol, nope!" and teleported him right out of there. A bit anticlimactic, to be sure, but still funny.

We did get a happy ending, though, with a replacement Dougie Jones showing up. Hopefully, he's a bit of a better Dougie Jones than the first one (less gambling, less whoring, and more Dale-like). And, maybe it was just me, but there was something funny about the way the Dougie seed bounced before turning into him that made me laugh.

I'm still thinking about it all, and I'm not sure how well I can express my not-quite-fully-formed thoughts yet.

And, yep, Agent Tammy Preston was wasted for the entire season. I don't know how good of an actress Chrysta Bell is, because she never had much of a chance to actually act, other than just look pretty the whole time. A pity, as the character itself is played up really well in Frost's book and set some high expectations.