TWIN PEAKS
Season Two

Available on Blu Ray and DVD

Episode 1

Picking up from the end point of Season 1, this feature length opening episode takes in the aftermath of Twin Peaks' most eventful night ever. As Lucy summarises at one point Leo has been shot, Jacques Renault strangled, Nadine is in a coma, Shelly and Pete have smoke inhalation, Josie and Catherine are nowhere to be found, Doctor Jacoby is recovering from his attack and Agent Cooper shrugs off (painfully) the one bullet that got under his bulletproof vest to continue the investigation. Also continuing that investigation is Donna, who gets an anonymous tip off that the meals on wheels programme might be a place to find answers.

David Lynch is back behind the wheel of this episode, so there is no doubting that there will be strange. And strange you get. Following the dancing dwarf of Season 1 we get a giant who tells us three things. He then goes on to add a few things. Apparently, the owls are not what they seem. Leland's hair has turned white and he now has the urge to sing all the time. And is Donna acting differently since she started to wear Laura's sunglasses?

There is perhaps a bit too much of the strange for one episode, tilting the delicate balance between the real and the surreal that Season 1 managed to maintain with such skill that you weren't aware of it. Quirky is fun, but when the wierd is layered on with a trowel it starts to detract from the seemingly normal. Still, it's welcome back to Cooper, Sheriff Truman and all the gang. Plus it's a big hello to Albert (Miguel Ferrer), the irascible forensics expert whose reaction to Big Ed's tearful telling of how Nadine lost her eye is a high point.

There's plenty of mystery out there to be solved and it looks like a few new characters are planning to join the stew, but we could also use a bit of progress on the case at the centre of it all. Agent Cooper's summary of the crime for the benefit of those who didn't see what has gone before is particularly handy, but not exactly insightful in the way of moving things forwards.

Episode 2

Donna finds that the meals on wheels programme has some very strange customers. One of them, Harold Smith, knew Laura very well, but never comes out of his house. James, Donna and Maddy seem to be heading into a love triangle. Bobby's father, the major, can't talk about his highly classified work, but the Log Lady tells him that he must reveal to Cooper that messages from outer space are confirming the giant's story that the owls are not what they seem. Lucy reveals to Andy that she's pregnant, which is a shock to him as he was told that he couldn't have children. And Audrey is still trapped in One-Eyed Jack's, but now they know who she is.

It's a typical day in TWIN PEAKS it seems and that means that there's a lot of wierd going on and not just in the story. True, the encounter that Donna has with the old woman and her grandson with the creamed corn magic hands (you have to be there) is a decidedly odd aside and the introduction of the fact that the giant is likely to be an alien takes things in a new direction, but there are stylistic twitches that are just as odd. The singsong with James and the two girls is just bizarre and out of place, leading to the twisting of emotions, sure, but drawn out beyond any sense or narrative need. The vision that Maddy has of the long-haired man seen by Sarah Palmer is beautifully directed and truly a scary moment.

Somewhere in all of this, the investigation into the death of Laura Palmer is continuing, but seems to be becoming less and less relevant. The news that Cooper's ex-partner and now psychologically disturbed inmate Windom Earle has escaped also seems to cause concern, but goes no further.

Episode 3

Jacques Renault's brother Jean arrives at One Eyed Jack's to help Blackie blackmail Audrey's father into selling his share in the business in return for getting his daughter back. Leland tells Cooper that he had seen the long-haired man, who appears to be called Bob, in childhood visits to the lake. The one-armed shoe salesman has an 'episode' in the toilets and comes out a changed man whilst Donna meets the mysterious Mr Smith and discovers that he has a diary made by Laura Palmer. Dr Jacoby fingers Jacques Renault's killer and Nadine wakes up from her coma.

The wierdness gets dialled down for an episode as the various stories continue to twist and convolute all over the place. Audrey's plight is the darkest and most realistic as she is forced into addiction, something that Blackie seems to have suffered at the hands of Ben Horne. Donna and James's relationship seems to be falling apart at the seams and Maddy is finding it hard to cope. Only Lucy's meeting with an impossibly mannered salesman from Horne's department store seems to hold any light.

There are some classic moments of zaniness in amongst the gathering darkness though. Nadine's waking up to declare that she wants to try out for cheerleading due to her being eighteen is funny, but can't even compete with the moment that Albert the forensics man declares his love for Sheriff Truman. That moment alone is worth switching on the TV for.

Episode 4

Donna goes to have dinner with the mysterious Mr Smith as the relationship between her, James and Maddie continues to get more complicated. Josie turns out to have been in business with friends from Hong Kong all along and now the even more mysterious Mr Eckhardt wants to see her. Leland confesses to the murder of Jacques Renault whilst Jacques' brother sets up the delivery of Audrey's ransom money to be made by Agent Cooper so that he can be killed.

Even by TWIN PEAKS standards not a lot happens here. It all takes place on one rainy night and there is some nonsense about a visiting food critic that nobody can identify that leads nowhere and isn't very interesting anyway. There are, however, some nice moments involving Lucy and her part-time lover Dick and Andy and his sperm sample.

This is the first sign of the show slipping. Let's hope that it stops here.

Episode 5

Donna strikes a bargain with Harold Smith to share her memories for Laura's. When it doesn't go so smoothly, she concocts a plan with Maddie to get hold of the secret diary that Laura left with him, but things do not go as planned. Leland is given bail, Andy finds out that he could be the father of Lucy's child and Bobby is revealed as stealing Shelly's insurance money for Leo. Most of all, Agent Cooper learns of Audrey's whereabouts and sets off with Sheriff Truman to get her back.

After the apparent paucity of activity in the last episode, a lot of things happen at once in this episode. Most of them revolve around Cooper's plan to get Audrey back and Jean Renault's plan to take over One Eyed Jacks, something that leads Blackie, the current manager, to a sticky end. Then there's Donna and Maddie's plan to steal the diary. Dodgy at best and downright stupid at worst, it inevitably goes wrong and as Mr Smith goes off the rails, the girls are left with a cliffhanger ending.

Then there's the new japanese gentleman interested in Ben Horne's real estate project. It's clearly someone in disguise, but who. We think we know, but not all of us agree.

Episode 6

James manages to get Donna and Maddy to safety, but the diary is lost. Shortly after this, Maddy decides to go home. Cooper helps Audrey recover and returns her to the tender mercies of her father. Shelly and Bobby learn that the insurance money isn't going to pay for Leo's care. The one-armed man is brought in and finally reveals his secret, that he is a spirit inhabiting the shoe salesman and that another spirit, known as Bob, is responsible for the death of Laura Palmer and that he knows where Bob is.

There's a lot of aftermath here, following the events of Episode 12. Audrey's condition and her return to her father is, of course edgy and the whole Harold Smith saga has to be dealt with. Josie's business manipulations prove to be a match for Ben Horne and her tearful farewell with the Sheriff stops that storyline before it ever really got going. There is even a nice cameo from director David Lynch as Cooper's deaf boss, totally inkeeping with the tone of the show.

The main news, though,is left for the end when the more supernatural elements of the storyline are confronted head on, the secrets revealed by the one-armed shoe salesman finally wrapping up the mystery of the visions that the Palmer women have been having of Bob.

Episode 7

Cooper and the Sheriff take the troops up to the Great Northern where Mike (the spirit inhabiting Mr Gerard) has told them Bob is lingering. Mike, though, has a fit when Ben Horne walks in, leading Cooper to arrest the hotel owner after Audrey explains that he is the owner of One Eyed Jacks. More importantly, Maddy is about to leave when an important revelation is made in the Palmer household. The Log Lady tells Cooper that there are owls in the Roadhouse and when he accompanies her there, he has another vision of the giant, who tells him that it is happening again.

This is one of the most important and dramatic episodes of the show to date. The centrepiece is, of course, the revelation of what has been going on in the Palmer household, but the sequence in which this is revealed is one that is scary, dramatic, beautifully framed, shocking and really rather distressing. It certainly blows away the more lightweight elements of the plot like Nadine's reversion to adolescence out of the water.

Add to that the fact of Harold Smith's suicide and this is one of those episodes that makes you sit back in chair after the credits and just say 'Wow!'

Stunning, risk-taking television.

Episode 8

Leland Palmer continues to act strangely, but nobody seems to notice. Ben Horne is formally charged with murder and is not happy about it. Bobby comes into possession of information that might prove valuable and Catherine provides proof of her return for the imprisoned Horne brother. Maddy's body is discovered wrapped in plastic, just as Laura's was.

The secret is out, but this allows the tension to be ratcheted up, hunter and prey passing by each other oh so closely. Some of the other stories are just distracting, but the central thrust carries everything else with it and is powered by a remarkable performance from Ray Wise as the rather oddly behaved Leland.

Episode 9

With news of Maddy's death about to break, Cooper is under the clock to find the killer. In desperation, he brings together the suspects on a stormy night at the Roadhouse. The giant reappears and Cooper remembers his dream in which Laura told him who killed her. Leland is imprisoned, but Bob is not about to go quietly into the night.

This is another episode filled with dramatic events as the case is brought to a close, Leland is apprehended and Bob confesses to everything. Now that the main story is over, the question is what will the writers come up with next to keep Agent Cooper in Twin Peaks, or will he depart and leave the spotlight to somebody else?

Episode 10

Now that the mystery of the death of Laura Palmer is resolved, it's time for Agent Cooper to quit the quiet town of Twin Peaks, at least that was the plan. Then another FBI man shows up with a Canadian Mountie in tow with all kinds of allegations about the manner in which the investigation was handled. Cooper is suspended and will have to stay until the investigation into his investigation is over. Then there is the small matter of Major Briggs' disappearence in the woods on a camping trip with the agent.

Following the revelations of the last few episodes, this was always going to be something of a letdown, but there is still plenty going on of interest in the small town. Not much of it is actually going on very quickly, but then that is a signature of the show. The fact that the Mountie is actually in the employ of Jean Renault who is still after Cooper for the death of his brother promises better things.

This also contains the continuation of the fine performance by Grace Zabriskie as Sarah Palmer, a woman who has had nothing but grief since the show began.

Episode 11

A Drugs Enforcement Agency called Dennis shows up and announces that he prefers to be called Denise these days. He/she will be looking into the drugs angle of Cooper's investigation. One of the older members of the town marries a young woman, much to his brother's disgust. The big movement, however, is in Josie's backstory. She's back and she's scared and Catherine has turned her into a domestic slave. Oh, and Andrew, Josie's dead husband, just showed up.

Yes, this is the episode that brings us David Duchovny (later of THE X-FILES fame) in a dress. Everyone's reactions, but especially Hawk's, is very funny and lightens things up considerably. The whole show has seemed lighter and that can't be a bad thing.

James has run into a suave older woman who needs his expertise in the car area. Nadine has tried out for cheerleading and fancies Mike as a potential boyfriend. Windom Earle has sent a new threat. In fact, there is so much going on that you can't help but think that the writers are setting up a whole plethora of plot strands to hide the hole where the Laura Palmer killing used to be. It remains to be seen whether any of them will be worth following.

The least believable of them all (including Nadine's cheerleading nonsense) is Josie's return to Catherine. She has confessed all to Sheriff Truman, so why did she feel the need to go to Catherine at all? Why would she accept to be Catherine's maid? That makes no sense at all, but then again when did anything in this show ever make sense?

Episode 12

Bobby Briggs gets an assignment from Benjamin Horne and when Audrey steals the results, she might have the solutions to Cooper's problems with his own agency. Nadine makes the wrestling team. The men of the sheriff's office are entranced by a newly-created bride and Dick (Andy's rival for fatherhood of Lucy's child) begins to believe that his ward may be the devil incarnate. Major Briggs, however, is returned from wherever he went and does not feel that everything is fine.

There is a lot of stuff going on at the moment, but none of it seems to have any real weight to it. Nadine Hurley's regression to teenhood remains utterly preposterous and is better ignored, soon to be added to by the James Hurley strand. He has so obviously walked into the plot of many a noir film that you can't help but feel he's stupid for not realising that there is something really wrong with his situation, and not in the obvious way. Josie has taken up her new job as Catherine's maid and that is still the most unbelievable plot contrivance yet.

Whilst there are still many things to enjoy (David Duchovny's cross dressing agent is still good value), there is a very real sense that the show is floundering a little and really needs a new focus to anchor it.

Episode 13

Ben Horne decides to start refighting the American Civil War in his office. James gets involved with a woman who is far too interested in the man she said was her brother. Ed makes plans with Norma, which doesn't please Hank who then gets beaten up by Nadine. Most important of all, Cooper is deputised and gets caught up in a siege with Jean Renault. And then Leo wakes up.

TWIN PEAKS is getting a bit patchy around the edges at the moment. There are so many stories vying for attention and some of them are not working. Nadine's trip into High School is really not good. James's walk down film noir alley really isn't working. The whole Cooper and the drugs bust siege is over before it has a chance to get itself properly set up and Major Briggs introduces some major symbolism before being hauled away by the military. It's all very frustrating and unsatisfying.

Then Leo Johnson wakes up in a moment that shocks even though we've been expecting it and Windom Earle makes his next chess move with a dead body and suddenly things are looking up again.

Episode 14

The dead body that was waiting in the sheriff's office was put there by Windom Earle as a new move in the ongoing chess game. Cooper tells Harry the background to the grudge. James, meanwhile, learns that he has been the target of a set up. Shelly is attacked by Leo and Mr Johnson finds a new home.

Storm clouds are brewing and trouble is coming to town. We know this because the town is TWIN PEAKS and because Major Briggs tells us so in this episode. He has been taken to the White Lodge and there been given a vision of the turbulent future; a future that he can no longer remember. With the arrival of Kenneth Walsh's Windom Earle and David Warner's Mr Eckhardt, the pieces on the chessboard are certainly moving themselves around the chessboard, looking for positions of power.

TWIN PEAKS has lacked focus recently and with the hurried departure of the framing of Agent Cooper storyline it looked like that was going to continue, but there is a real sense of foreboding in this episode that promises much and the arrival of Cooper's ex-partner and now nemesis looks to return that focus.

Episode 15

Donna attempts to help James out of being framed for murder, but he finds himself staring down the barrel of a gun. Dr Jacoby comes up with a plan to bring Ben from his time in lala land refighting the American civil war and Catherine invites Eckhardt over to discover the matter of Josie.

Two story strands come to conclusion int his episode, but there is a sense of treading water about everything. Fortunately, Miguel Ferrer is back as Albert, the acerbic forensic expert and his return is immediately entertaining. The same can't be said of the much of the rest of the episode.

Episode 16

Whilst Windom Earle gathers together three of the town's beauties in order to choose his next victim, Cooper bends his minds to the murders and attempted murders laid at Josie's door. She, on the other hand is beign manipulated by both Eckhardt and the Packards into committing another murder.

This is, presumably, the end of the Josie Packard story and if anyone out there can actually tell us what the hell happened to her then that would be a good thing. If bizarre you want then bizarre this provides. This whole subplot has been less than satisfactory from the start, and the conclusion is less than satisfactory and also less than comprehensible. Still, that's TWIN PEAKS for you.

Episode 17

Harry is not taking Josie's death well. Drunk and morose, he's slowly taking the Book House apart, leaving the law enforcement to Cooper. Windom Earle visits Donna in her home and leaves a message for Cooper. Ben Horne, meanwhile, sets about blocking the Ghostwood development and his protege grows ever closer to Audrey.

TWIN PEAKS has always been strong on characterisation. Not always characterisation of a normal kind, but strong nonetheless. It is a brave show that will use so much of its time to the pain being felt by one of the main characters, but as the pace of the show has been erratic and slow most of the time recently it doesn't sacrifice much in the process.

Episode 18

As Windom Earle's plan continues along its slow path, he visits Audrey who continues to grow close to her father's protege. Cooper, meanwhile is growing closer to Annie, Norma's sister. Out of the convent, she is a failed suicide and fragile soul, how could he resist? There are further mysteries to be solved down in owl cave, a place where tattoos become mystic symbols and Windom Earle seems to be one step ahead of everyone.

It's now impossible to see where TWIN PEAKS is heading. Story strands are spiralling out away from each ohter with no apparent hope of being resolved. That said, there are clues falling all around about UFOs and lodges, but nothing is being explained. It's still compelling, just more frustrating than satisfying.

Episode 19

Windom Earle is in full possession of the mythology behind the White and Black Lodges and steps up his campaign against Cooper. Donna's parents refuse to explain the link between her mother and Ben Horne. The Miss Twin Peaks contest gets into full swing and Cooper learns that he is in love with Annie, something that plays right into the hands of Windom Earle's plans.

There are some lovely moments of quirky delight in this episode, something that has been lacking recently, but the main stories are going nowhere, something that we're not exactly unused to. Unfortunately, that robs the series of any sense of urgency.

Episode 20

Cooper finally twigs that Windom Earle's not just looking for revenge on him, but also for the entrance to the Black Lodge and he seems to have found it. Annie decides to enter the Miss Twin Peaks contest as a way of re-entering the world, something that the giant appears to disapprove of in a vision. Catherine and her brother still can't open Eckhardt's last present and Audrey finds that love just left on a jet plane.

With only two more episodes following this one, the urgency is starting to come. There is a sense strings spun out too long finally threading together and the result is looking to be very dark indeed. Many of the annoying subplots have been jettisoned and the search for the Black Lodge and Windom Earle is taking the central stage. We can't help but need to know what happens next.

Episode 21

The night of the Miss Twin Peaks contest finally arrives and Windom Earle makes his move. Annie Blackburn is the winner and she is the woman that he takes. Cooper's only chance now is in the understanding that he has gained of the secrets of the Black and White Lodge and the fact that Andy, of all people, has figured out the location of the Lodges.

The penultimate episode sets up a cracker of a finale, but it really ought to have been able to do it in a much more exciting way. The Miss Twin Peaks contest is really quite dull up until the point where Windom Earle crashes the party (not a moment for epilepsy sufferers) and takes Annie. This is a bravura sequence that makes up for much of what has gone before, but the cliffhanger is more significant than it actually seems.

Episode 22

Windom Earle enters the Black Lodge with Annie. Agent Cooper goes after him to rescue the woman he now loves and finds himself in a place that he has seen before in dreams and is visited by people of otherworldly quality.

Director and co-creator David Lynch returns to direct the final episode and creates an hour of television that will astound and infuriate in equal measures. Does any of what happens inside the Black Lodge make sense? Well I'm sure it does to Lynch and the writers, but I'm also pretty sure it doesn't to most everyone else. That, though, has surely been part of the appeal of this show - it's determination to avoid easy explanations. It is an episode that demands repeat viewings to try and pick up on those bits that do have meaning and significance and those bits that are just the director having fun with his audience.

What will remain, however, is the final twist that is thrown in. Possibly predictable, it is still shocking and possibly the bravest move the show has ever made. What a pity we'll never find out how that gets resolved.