There are just 3 episodes left!  I do not want this to end. For tonight I am hoping that we start to get some answers and or wrap up story lines since we are getting so close to the end. And when will we get to see Big Ed again?  Or will we at all? Alright everyone, let’s get started.  

Twin Peaks: The Return Part 15

Nadine Hurley (Wendy Robie) walks down the street with a smile on her face, a golden shovel over her shoulder and a look of confident determination. She arrives at her husband’s, Big Ed (Everett McGill), service station, Big Ed’s Gas Farm. As she walks up to him he asks where her car is. She tells him she walked. Stunned he asks her about the golden shovel. Nadine tells him that’s what she’s come to talk to him about.

She proceeds to announce to him that she’s changed and she loves him so much. But she’s been “a selfish bitch!” while he has been “a saint.” Nadine tells him that she’s known all along that he and Norma are in love. She kept them apart because of her jealousy. She feels terrible that she manipulated him into staying with her all these years. Nadine tells him he’s free.  Thanks to Dr. Jacoby’s golden shovel, she is shoveling herself out of the shit.

Nadine wants Ed and Norma to be together and happy. Ed rolls his eyes about her watching Jacoby’s show. He tells her to think real hard about what she’s saying. He thinks she’ll regret this tomorrow. She insists that she thought about this the whole walk over and she is sure. All thanks to Dr. Amp, “the only one around here telling it like it is.” She proclaims he is free and needs to go and enjoy. She turns and leaves a bewildered Ed whose look of confusion soon changes to ultimate relief.

I always love when we start out in Twin Peaks. And where is Nadine going with the Golden Shovel? OMG, she is at the Gas Farm!   I am so glad that we get to see Big Ed again. It feels so Twin Peaks!  But most importantly, I love that Nadine has set Ed free to be with Norma, all thanks to Dr. Amp!  I have yelled a lot with excitement as Nadine is telling Ed he is free to go.

I hope that this works out for Ed and Norma for I have said in a prior article or two that they are the true love story in this show.  Wendy Robie gives one of her best performances as Nadine in this scene.

Ed pulls his truck up in front of the Double R Diner. He jumps out and bounds inside. He spots Norma (Peggy Lipton) and excitedly waves at her. She smiles as she approaches him. Ed tells her everything has changed; Nadine has given him his freedom. She apologizes as she sees Walter (Grant Goodeve) has come in.  As Walter asks Norma if she got his flowers and they head to her booth, a defeated Ed slumps down at the counter. He asks Shelley (Mädchen Amick) for a cup of coffee, as she turns to get it he adds “and a cyanide tablet.”

In her booth, Norma tells Walter she wants him to buy her out of the other franchises. Per their contract she will keep the original Twin Peaks location and he will buy her out of the other. He strongly disagrees with her decision and believes she will regret it. Nearby Ed sits at the counter listening with his eyes closed a smirk creep across his face as Walter leaves. Norma’s hand begins caressing his shoulder. He turns, opens his eyes and looks at her smiling face. He says to her “Marry Me.” She kisses him deeply as Shelley watches them delighted. Norma says “Of course I will.” Otis Redding’s “I’ve Been Loving You Too Long,” which has been playing over the entirety of the scene, continues through shots of the mountains and clouds as if all of nature is celebrating this moment.

YAY! Ed is going to tell Norma he loves her as it should be. However, it was the wrong time it seems again to tell her anything since Walter showed up. And then Ed is sitting there at the counter, closing his eyes, looking like at any time he could die of a broken heart.   But he did not!  Norma loves Ed and Ed loves Norma and all is right in the world of Twin Peaks, at least for now. I just hope that there is not a tragedy of sorts that will separate them. I like too how Shelly is looking at them like “mom and dad” are finally getting married. The song choice to score this scene was beyond brilliant. And there has been more yelling with excitement from me along with happy tears! I feel as if the show just ended now, I would be satisfied. At least for a little bit.

Join us for Halloween with our VIP Packages!

The crackling of electricity flowing through wires on telephone poles along the road is heard and seen before changing to headlights on a darkened road. Bad Cooper (Kyle MacLachlan) is driving. He pulls into a gas station with a convenience store. The same one populated by woodsmen in Part 8. One such Woodsman is waiting out front. Bad Cooper gets out and the woodsman leads him up the stairs on the side of the building that appear to go nowhere. As they approach the top, crackling electricity is heard again as they appear to vanish.

Appearing to pass through the woods, Bad Cooper comes into the room in the picture that Mrs Tremond gives to Laura in Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me. He walks over to a second woodsman and asks for Phillip Jeffries. The woodsman turns on an electric device that appears to resemble some sort of old Hi-Fi. Everything shakes as electricity sounds and images of the Jumping Man appear. The woodsman turns off the machine and a third woodsman appears in the doorway next to him.  The second woodsman taps a stick on the ground and woodsman number 3 motions to Bad Cooper to follow him.

They walk down a long hallway that becomes the woods then they arrive at a staircase. The woodsman leads Bad Cooper up the stairs and around a corner. Bad Cooper, suddenly alone, opens a door to a motel courtyard. The woodsman is standing in the courtyard. Bad Cooper crosses the courtyard to room number 8. The door is locked. A woman in a housecoat (Malachy Sreenan) slowly walks over to him. Speaking backwards, she tells him she will unlock the door for him.

Bad Cooper enters the room and looks toward the far wall.  The wall disappears and reveals one the large bell shaped objects previously seen on top of the purple room and in the white lodge. Smoke flows out of a long spout attached to it. Jeffries voice (Nathan Frizzell) says “Oh, it’s you.” Bad Cooper asks if he sent Ray to kill him. Jeffries responds by saying he called Ray. Bad Cooper tries to get Jeffries to confirm that he did send Ray but Jeffires doesn’t answer.  He follows up by asking Jeffries if he called him five days ago. Jeffries replies that he doesn’t have Bad Cooper’s number.

Jeffries comments that they used to talk. Bad Cooper agrees. The scene changes to the scene of Jeffries (David Bowie) reappearance at the FBI in Philadelphia in 1989. Jeffries says they’re not going to talk about Judy. Bad Cooper “remembers” the incident. Jeffries says “So you ARE Cooper.” Bad Cooper asks why he didn’t want to talk about Judy. He wants to know who Judy is and does she want something from him. Jeffries tells him he should ask her himself. He offers to write “it” down for him. A series of numbers appear in the smoke. Bad Cooper copies them down the again asks “Who is Judy?” Jeffries responds that Bad Cooper’s already met Judy. Bad Cooper asks what he means and the telephone rings. Bad Cooper ignores the phone and begins repeatedly and emphatically asking “who’s Judy?” Jeffries remains silent as Bad Cooper finally answers the ringing phone. Electricity flashes and a moment later Bad Cooper soon finds himself in the phone booth in front of the convenience store.

Bad Cooper hangs up the phone and steps towards the truck where his met by Richard Horne (Eamon Farren) pointing a gun at him. Richard tells Bad Cooper that he recognized him back at The Farm. He knows he’s FBI because he saw a picture of him in his “fancy” FBI suit that his mom had. Bad Cooper asks Richard who his mom is. Richard says “Audrey Horne.” Bad Cooper attacks him and takes his gun. He tells Richard to not ever threaten him again and to get in the truck because they’ll talk on the way. Before getting in the truck himself, Bad Cooper pulls out his phone and texts “Las Vegas?”

As Bad Cooper and Richard drive off, the convenience store begins to flicker, flash and smoke. Soon it begins to fade in and out of existence. Before long it vanishes altogether.

Bad Cooper went to speak with Phillip Jeffries and still Phillip won’t tell anyone who Judy is? Who is Judy?  It’s important too that Bad Cooper asks Jefferies if he called him 5 days ago.  I am trying to stay straight on these different timelines.  If Jefferies did not, then who did?  It appears that what Jefferies gives Bad Cooper are coordinates.  In doing a bit of research these coordinates could lead you to Twin Peaks. And if Bad Cooper has already met Judy … could Sarah Palmer be Judy?   It did freak me out a bit when Bad Cooper and the Woodsman were walking through what appears to be the same room as in the picture Laura had up on her wall in FWWM. 

Also, with all the lights blinking off and on, did that image of the Jumping Man not look like Sarah Palmer?   Is this the same place as in FWWM?  The room where Bad Cooper goes to see Jeffries is # 8.  What is that significance?  I pay attention to all the numbers that are presented in this show and try to decode them. Do you?  If so, help me out with this one.  When Richard said that his mom was Audrey, by this point, it did not seem like a surprise.   Is Bad Cooper though his dad?   And where are they off to now?   We know that the timeline in the show is not the same for all, and when Bad Cooper and Richard leave, that is when he texts Diane about Las Vegas. We saw her get that text a few episodes ago.  I am still questioning why or how Diane is involved in any of this. Where did the store just go to?

In the woods outside of Twin Peaks, former news man, Cyril Pons (Mark Frost) is walking his dog. Gersten Hayward (Alicia Witt) is holding on to Steven Burnett (Caleb Landry Jones) as they sit against a moss covered tree. Gersten tries desperately to comfort Steven, who is holding a gun. She asks him why. He says there is no why, “I did it.” She tells him hid didn’t, that “she” did. She says he didn’t do it because he was stoned. Gersten asks what “she’ gave him. In spite of Gersten’s protests Steven loads a bullet into the gun, saying he needs to shoot himself in the head. Gersten tries desperately to stop him. Pons comes around the corner and spots them and the gun in Steven’s hand. They are startled by his appearance. Gersten runs off and hides behind another tree leaving Steven. Moments later the gun goes off and after frantically running her hands through her hair, Gersten looks up at the woods surrounding her.

At the New Fat Trout Trailer Park, Pons and his dog head right toward Carl Rodd (Harry Dean Stanton). We can’t hear what Pons is saying but we see him point to the woods. Then he points to Steven and Becky’s trailer with the broken window as we now hear him say “He lives in that trailer right there.”

What have Gersten and Steven gotten themselves into? Did Steven just shoot himself?   Where does this scene take place in the timeline with Becky?   Could he have killed Becky and then run off into the woods?   Also, did the Hayward family fall apart after Donna discovered that Ben was her dad?  Is that why Gersten is now hanging around with a druggie?   

At the Roadhouse, the MC (J.R. Starr) introduces the next song, ZZ Top’s “Sharp Dressed Man.” He turns a prop volume dial to the red and then dances off the stage.  

Why does the Roadhouse love ZZ Top?  I don’t love ZZ Top.

At a booth, Renee (Jessica Szohr) sits with her husband, Chuck (Rodney Rowland), and another couple. James (James Marshall) and Freddie (Jake Wardle) walk up and James tells Renee it’s good to see her. Chuck gets mad and tells James not to talk to his wife. As James tries to explain that he was just trying to be polite because he likes her, Chuck leaps up and punches James. Chuck and his friend, Skipper (Casey O’Neill), beat and kick James as Renee yells at them to stop.

Freddie warns Skipper to stop. When he refuses, Freddie hits him with such force it causes the record to skip. Freddie then walks over to Chuck and hits him as well.  James gets to his feet as for someone to call 911 because Chuck and Skipper are badly hurt. As Renee tries to revive Chuck, James apologizes and grows concerned that his eyes don’t look right. Renee glances up at James for a moment then continues as Chuck has foam coming out of his mouth.

If I were James, I would just not worry about saying anything to Renee.   She has a one crazy husband! And her crazy husband is Chuck!   Who has been mentioned before by Audrey and Charlie. Is this the same Chuck whose truck was stolen by Billy?  Also, Freddie just totally snapped their “Gregories” with his green hulk hand!  And James is so concerned for those guys who would have beaten him to death if possible.  It’s apparent that James is a little slower than he had been, almost like a child. 

In the offices of the Las Vegas FBI bureau, Agent Wilson (Owain Rhys Davies) comes to Agent Headley (Jay R. Ferguson) with the news that Mr. & Mrs. Douglas Jones are here and ready for questioning. Headley asks if they gave him any trouble, Wilson replies no but the kids were upset. Headley says “Kid-s? Plural?” Realizing his mistake, Wilson cringes and turns the other way down the hallway as Headley continues to see this Jones family. He opens the door to find a room with a family seven inside. He closes the door a calls for Wilson as he storms down the hall.

Las Vegas FBI! Why were you not introduced to us sooner! Wilson! This needs to be spun off into a sitcom.

Duncan Todd (Patrick Fischler) calls Roger (Joe Adler) into his office. Todd asks Roger if he’s heard from Anthony. Roger says no and is told by Todd to find him for him now. As he says this Chantal (Jennifer Jason Leigh) steps into the room and shoots Duncan Todd through the right eye. Roger spins around and she shoots him in the chest. She leaves and call Hutch. However, hearing Roger wheezing she goes back into the office to put another bullet in him. Still on the phone she tells Hutch “One down, one to go.”

If Roger had just been in bathroom or something, he could still be alive.

James and Freddie are walked in to separate cells in the Twin Peaks Sheriff’s Station by Deputies Hawk (Michael Horse) and Briggs (Dana Ashbrook).  Just as before, the drunk (Jay Aaseng) repeats things that are said. James asks about Chuck and Skipper’s condition. Hawk tells him they’re both in intensive care. James spots Naido (Nae) in a nearby cell and is stunned. Naido and the drunk begin making noises again leading to the jailed Deputy Chad (John Pirruccello) yelling at them to shut up.

I still cannot figure out what is going on here with the guy whose dripping blood out of his mouth, repeating everything. However, shut up whiny Chad and just deal with it!

Having successfully killed Duncan Todd, Chantal and Hutch (Tim Roth) sit in their van eating cheeseburgers. They discuss how people get paid by the government to kill, that this is a nation of killers. Chantal says her fun’s over when the kill someone because it’s no fun torturing a corpse. She complains that she hasn’t been able to torture anyone in a really long time. Hutch apologizes that it just hasn’t worked out lately. She’s greatly touched when he hands her the dessert he picked up for her. They stare together at Mars in the night sky.

Chantal and Hutch need their own spin off too. I enjoy these scenes with them even though they are truly bad and murderous individuals. You can see in these scenes that these characters’ love each other and share the same terrible interest. And did you see that shadowing figure in the background, like a head? Who is watching them?

Janey-E (Naomi Watts) brings Cooper a slice of chocolate cake. As he begins eating it, she tells him that it’s like all their dreams are coming true. She heads back into the kitchen to do the dishes. As he continues to eat Cooper begins touching things on the table. He pushes buttons on the TV remote several times. Finally the TV comes on. Sunset Boulevard is showing. In the film Norma Desmond (Gloria Swanson) has just finished meeting with Cecil B. DeMille about doing a new picture. She leaves satisfied about the meeting.  DeMille says “Get Gordon Cole…“

Cooper eyes grow huge at the mention of the familiar name. However, his attention is soon drawn by the loud crackling of electricity coming from an outlet near the TV. Cooper crawls over to the outlet and tries to stick the prongs of his fork in with no success. He turns the fork around and sticks the other end in, sending electricity throughout his body and blowing the fuses. Janey-E screams in the kitchen while Sonny Jim (Pierce Gagnon) calls down from upstairs to find out what happened.

I cannot believe that I did not think to myself “Gordon Cole” right before it was said, and I have seen SUNSET BLVD more than once. Or did I think about what could possibly be on the television once Coop had successfully turned it on. I know that it’s Lynch’s favorite and that is where he took the name from.  I am not surprised that it caught Coop’s attention or that he went for the wall socket.   Did he just shock himself back? I also want some chocolate cake now.

The Log Lady (Catherine E. Coulson) calls Hawk to tell him she’s dying. She tells him “You know about death. That it’s just a change, not an end. Hawk, it’s time. There’s some fear, fear in letting go. Remember what I told you. I can’t say more over the phone but you know what I mean, from our talks, when we were able to speak face to face. Watch for that one, the one I told you about, the one under the moon on Blue Pine Mountain. Hawk. My log is turning gold. The wind is moaning. I’m dying. Good night, Hawk.” Hawk says “Good night, Margaret,” and hangs up the phone. He then continues “Good-bye, Margaret.” He sits quietly for a moment.

Sheriff Truman (Robert Forster) is in the conference room looking at photos of fish on his laptop. Soon Bobby, Andy (Harry Goaz), and Lucy (Kimmy Robertson) join him.  Frank asks what’s going on. Bobby tells him the Hawk messaged them join him in there. Hawk enters the room and breaks the news to them that Margaret has passed away. Stunned, Lucy says “The Log Lady’s…Dead?” Andy puts his hands on her shoulder as she begins to weep. Frank removes his hat and Hawk bows his head. In the woods the light in Margaret’s cabin fades to dark.

I just don’t know what to say. I know that Catherine Coulson was sick and that she had passed away right after filming. Seeing her though as Margaret talking about death was too much and the tears just flowed. And then how the lights just go out in her cabin, that just did me in.

Audrey (Sherilyn Fenn) heads to the door ready to go look for Billy and is surprised to see Charlie (Clark Middleton) has his coat on. He says “of course” they are going out to the Roadhouse and so he will need his coat. Audrey agrees and then seems annoyed by him. He wants to go because he’s so sleepy. She tells him he’s so rude. He asks if she’s going to put her coat on so they can go or just talk him to death. She tells him Billy never talks to her like this. Charlies replies that’s because Billy is Billy and he is Charlie.  As Charlie continues to try and leave, Audrey begins says that’s she seeing him differently than she has ever seen him before. As if he was a different person. Annoyed, he takes off his coat and goes into the other room. He sits down on the couch and she runs over. She begins strangling him and telling him how much she hates him.

Back at the Roadhouse, The Veils have taken the stage. Ruby (Charlyne Yi) sits alone in a both watching the dance floor. Two bikers approach her, looking at her booth. She tells them she’s waiting for someone. They pick her up out of the booth and set her on the ground. She sits for a while and then begins crawling on her hands and knees across the crowded dance floor before stopping and screaming.

What is going on with her screaming? Is it out of frustration since those guys moved her out of the booth? Is there more to this?

The credits roll over the empty motel courtyard looking toward room 8 before changing angles toward and open garage where the woman in the housecoat is standing.

Final Thoughts

There are only two weeks left and three episodes to watch before this is over!   I enjoyed tonight’s a lot and hope that in the next three, we get more wrap up to these stories.  Join me next week for Episode 16. 

Join me here each week during the season for recaps and discussion of every episode. Twin Peaks airs Sundays at 8 pm on Showtime.