In episode 13 of Twin Peaks, director David Lynch finally gives some of the older characters their moment in the spotlight once again, and shows off just how badass Evil Cooper can really be. All this, plus the return of “classic” Twin Peaks moment no one saw coming. Read on for the 7 most Lynchian moments from episode 13.
Las Vegas Conga Line
Early in the episode, Dougie, the Mitchum Brothers, and casino showgirls Sandie, Mandie, and Candie conga line into the insurance office, having just spawned a new friendship over a $30 million dollar payout. (On top if all, the brothers deliver and brand new jungle gym for Dougie’s son, Sonny Jim.) This causes Anthony (Tom Sizemore) to hide under his desk, as his putting the Mitchum brothers together with Dougie was supposed to result in Dougie getting whacked, not becoming new BFFs. Now it’s Anthony who’d better watch his back.
Arm Wrestling, Montana Style
In this episode, we are introduced to yet another setting: Western Montana. We see Evil Coop approach a roughneck thug-laden warehouse called “the Farm”, to which Ray, his old cronie who broke out of prison with him, has escaped to. Upon Evil Coop’s arrival, he is challenged to arm wrestle the boss, Renzo. If he wins, then he becomes the boss; if he doesn’t, he has to do whatever the boss says. Apparently, no one has beat Renzo at arm wrestling in 14 years. But being an evil doppelgänger from another dimension gives Mr. C the edge; he handily beats Renzo, toying with him all the way, and then not only breaks his arm but he literally punches his face in. From that moment on, Mr. C is running this criminal crew. But first, he needs some alone time with Ray, which yields the coordinates Mr. C has been looking for.
Dandruff Saves Anthony’s Life
After his plot to axe Dougie via the Mitchum Brothers fails, Anthony decides to kill Dougie himself. He procures some deadly poison from a local crooked cop and proceeds to pour it into Dougie’s coffee when he’s distracted by a cherry pie. In truly Lynchian happenstance, as he returns from the coffee shop, Dougie sees dandruff on Anthony’s shoulders and starts to touch it, making it look like he’s massaging Anthony’s back in a tender moment. Anthony then breaks down crying, and leaves with the poisoned coffee (which he flushes down the toilet) as the waitress brings Cooper a slice of cherry pie. In the following scene, a sobbing Anthony confesses to his boss, Bushnell Mullins, about the attempt on Dougie’s life, as well as to working with the shady Duncan Todd and cheating the company for thousands of dollars.
Nadine and “Dr. Amp”
Hanging in the window of Nadine Hurley’s silent drape runner store “Run Silent, Run Drapes” is one of Doctor Jacoby’s (Russ Tamblyn) patented golden shovels (only $29.99, with shipping and handling!). Seeing one of his shovels displayed lovingly draws the attention of Jacoby as he drives by, so he stops in to thank Nadine for the tribute; Nadine is star stuck to see her favorite YouTube star visiting her shop. Nadine tells Jacoby, or “Dr. Amp” as he’s known online, she’s his “most loyal foot soldier,” and you can’t help but feel that there’s some romantic tension between the two, even if he was once her doctor. Nadine even shows off her “completely silent” drape runners for Jacoby, and we get the sense that Lynch thinks of this moment as a “meet cute.”
Cigarettes and Booze for Dinner
When last we Mrs. Sarah Palmer (Graze Zabriskie) in the previous episode, she was having a nervous breakdown while buying groceries. Now, we catch her at home late one night with said groceries–cigarettes and tons of alcoholic beverages–and sits herself down in front of the TV to view a 30-second long clip from a decades-old boxing match over and over (courtesy of an apparent technical glitch in her television set). Is she watching an old match with “Battlin’ Bushnell Mullins,” Dougie’s boss, in his glory days? They never say, but it seems possible at least. It’s a sad, silent sequence, which contains no dialogue save that which is coming from the TV. It’s all about a broken shell of a woman trying to kill herself slowly in an empty house, one of David Lynch’s many excellent instances of allowing human behavior to carry out quietly before his camera.
“Just You.”
Of all things from the original Twin Peaks that we did not expect The Return to call back to, James’ song “Just You” was at the top of that list. But David Lynch loves to play with viewers’ expectations. In the classic series, James Hurley sings, in super high falsetto, the second-rate love song with the characters of Donna (Lara Flynn Boyle) and Maddy (Sheryl Lee) as his cooing backups. It is widely considered one of the cheesiest moments in Twin Peaks by just about everyone.
So, of course, Lynch has James Hurley up on stage at the Roadhouse singing the exact same song 25 years later, this time for an adoring audience. One girl in particular, Renee (Jessica Szohr), is moved to tears. In Lynch’s mind, James Hurley and his song “[have]always been cool,” so who are we to argue? In the world of Lynch, James is cool, and this proves it.
Big Ed’s Lonely Dinner
The last original series character we hadn’t seen in the series finally makes an appearance in this episode, as we finally see Big Ed Hurley sitting in a booth with Norma Jennings at the Double R Diner. The original series left their relationship status up in the air–is it possible these two ended up together?
No. David Lynch never makes things that easy for any couple (unless they’re Andy and Lucy). It seems Ed is just visiting an old friend. He later tells Bobby Briggs “there’s nothing happening here” when he asks about the two of them. But as he longingly looks at Norma, we realize Ed is still in love with her. As the episode’s credits roll, we see Ed eating soup alone at his gas station, looking terribly sad and lonely. His wedding ring suggests he is still stuck in a loveless marriage to Nadine, and still wishes he was with Norma (who we find out earlier has franchised the Double R Diner successfully). Much like the earlier scene with Mrs. Palmer, this is a masterful example of Lynch painting a heartbreaking picture with no dialogue and just an actor’s expression.
What were your favorite moments from this latest episode? Be sure to let us know your thoughts down below in the comments.
Images: Showtime
