Twin Peaks S01 E03: Rest in Pain

In episode two of “Twin Peaks,” we learned more than we needed to know about Tibet, cheating couples and radical dreams. This episode we have a funeral.

Diane

Who is this mystery person that Agent Cooper (Kyle MacLachian) tells all his personal history to? Is Diane Cooper’s secretary, his girlfriend, mother, imaginary friend? Whoever Diane is, she must be sick to death of hearing about Twin Peaks.

Audrey (Sherilyn Fenn) has a crush on special agent Cooper and he feels something towards the girl, too. His remark about her perfume may be a compliment, but it may just be Cooper’s looking for another clue. Cooper has Audrey write her name. We’ve found the person who left the note under the door. She wants to help. She knew Laura better than anyone else. I believe Audrey. She’s seen things and, heard some of daddy’s secrets. Audrey is a wealth of information. She explains to Cooper what goes on at One Eyed Jacks and that Laura worked in Ben Horne’s department store; at the perfume counter.

Cooper tells Audrey that slant in her handwriting hints at a heart that yearns for romance. He tells her to be careful. Doesn’t Cooper realize that Audrey is yearning for him? Their conversation and mutual ‘like’ for each other is interrupted with the arrival of Harry Truman and Lucy.

While Cooper talks ham and maple syrup, Harry’s focus is on who killed Laura. Cooper tells them about his dream and some mumbo jumbo about breaking the code to solve the crime. Cooper talks about Mike and killer Bob and the reason Mike cut off his arm; blah, blah, blah. Then, Cooper then describes the red room, the midget in the red suit and, the beautiful woman who whispered the name of the killer in his ear.

Poor Harry (Michael Ontkean) hangs on to every word thinking there is a reason for this insane conversation, but Cooper can’t remember the name of the killer. Right now is when you would expect Harry to give Cooper a Gibbs smack to the back of the head; he doesn’t, but I want to. Andy calls. There’s a fight at the morgue; Albert.

Sultan of Sentiment

Agent Albert (Miguel Ferrer) is on a roll. He tells Dr. Haywood that he’s traveled thousands of miles and several centuries into the past to do tests on Laura. I love Albert. His righteous zingers are hilarious. Ben Horne is there and tries to calm things down, but Albert stands his ground and picks up the drill. He’s got a lot of cutting and pasting to do. Albert’s latest insult to Harry earns him a punch to the nose. Not for anything, but if I’m ever murdered, I’d want Albert doing the autopsy. My killer’s capture would be a shoe in.

A few of the characters on “Twin Peaks” watch a soap opera called “Invitation to Love”, but it mirrors what’s happening on the show. I find myself trying to keep up with what’s going on with the characters on that soap opera because they’re just as wacky as the characters on Twin Peaks. Speaking of characters, we get to meet a new player on this episode. Madeleine Ferguson (Sheryl Lee) is Laura’s look-a-like cousin. She’s in for the funeral. Leland is surprised to see Maddy. Why? Wouldn’t you’d expect family to show up?

While Norma is pestered by Hank’s lawyer into giving jailbird hubby, Hank, a good recommendation, Cooper is visiting Leo. Ducks on a lake! Cooper gets excited over the strangest things. It cracks me up how innocent Cooper is at times. This is a man with a gun and a badge. He’s probably put away many a hardened criminal, and yet, he goes all gaga over ducks.  While Leo lies about knowing Laura, Bobby (Dana Ashbrook) gets a heart to heart talk with Major Colonel Dad. That poor man had this blank expression on his face after talking to Bobby. I recognized it. I’ve worn it myself many times whenever my teen aged daughter tried to explain to me why she should be allowed to stay out past midnight on a school night.

Albert’s Results

While Hawk is off to track down the one armed man, Albert gives his report which proves that he knows his stuff. Cocaine was found in Laura’s diary; toxicology results also positive. The twine embedded in Laura’s and Ronette’s wrists are a match. Laura was tied up with her arms bent backwards just like in Cooper’s dream. The killer washed his hands before kissing Laura. The claw marks and bites on Laura’s shoulder are from an animal and, plastic with the letter ‘J’ was found in Laura’s stomach. Cooper refuses to sign a complaint lodged against Harry Truman.

Laura’s Funeral

Everyone is preparing for the funeral even wacky doodle Nadine. We do learn that Ed and Norma were a couple in high school and listening to Nadine speak, you wonder is she wasn’t a stalker back then.

The funeral is uneventful with all the main characters lost in thought and Cooper watching everyone for clues and body language. Yep, the funeral is uneventful until Bobby goes James Dean on us and, they begin to lower the coffin into the ground.

Andy Burns mentioned this particular scene in his book, Wrapped in Plastic: Twin Peaks. I thought I was prepared for what I was about to see, but hell no! Leland (Ray Wise) throws himself upon the coffin messing up the wiring. That scene is going to be stuck in my head forever.

Secret Society

Cooper learns of a secret society when he meets with Harry, Hawk and Ed (Everett McGill) for coffee and pie. They call themselves the Bookhouse Boys. Harry and his posse might seem like small town cops, but they’re smart enough to know that there is something evil lurking in the very heart of Twin Peaks. They have their opinion of what’s going on and they have their likely suspects. The police, as far as I’m concerned, would be the most likely to notice the supernatural stuff going on. They are on the front lines and they deal with the garbage, day in and day out. Harry’s secret society has taken it upon themselves to continue the tradition of protecting their people from whatever entity is sucking the life out of their town. They suspect Jacques Renault (Walter Olkewicz), the bartender at the Roadhouse, of bringing drugs into town. Cooper is invited to their secret meeting place where they are holding Bernard Renault prisoner; Bernard isn’t talking.

Conclusion

I’m wondering if Albert would think differently of Twin Peaks if he knew about Harry’s secret society. What is Josie’s real story? Is she playing Harry when she tells him that Catherine and Ben might want to hurt her? What isn’t she saying? Life in Twin Peaks is one big soap opera. Everyone claims they loved Laura Palmer, but no one really knew her. While Cooper talks souls with Hawk at the Road House, Leland starts dancing and crying out for someone to dance with him. What can I say, Twin Peaks is full of wacky doodles and dangerous secrets.