Twin Peaks S02 E03: The Man Behind the Glass

The log knows all! On the last episode of “Twin Peaks,” Cooper is told about his ex-partner’s escape and, Major Briggs received a message about Cooper from outer space. Twin Peaks is the Bermuda Triangle of television series. What makes “Twin Peaks” cool? Grab your coffee and follow me.

Ronette

This episode opens with Cooper, Harry and Albert wondering who tried to kill Ronette as she lay in her hospital bed in one of the most dysfunctional hospitals in the world. While Cooper pulls a clue from her fingernail, Albert notices something strange about the IV bag. There are plenty of strange things going on at that hospital.

It was at this moment that I glimpsed, if just for a second, the genius that lurks inside David Lynch’s mind. Lynch tricks us into thinking we are watching a normal series where the storyline revolves around human characters. Like a well-executed illusion, Lynch continually keeps us distracted from the real story. What is the real story? The town itself is the main character; everyone else is secondary.

Let’s start with the hospital. We already knew that something was very wrong with the hospital after seeing the food. Even though the doctors complained about the lousy food being served to their patients, the green bubbling gruel, which looked like the toxic waste you’d get from fracking, continued to be served. Even more sinister a fact is that the crap was also given to the shut-ins of the town. Thankfully, by the time Donna is working for Meals on Wheels, the quality of the food had improved.

I worked in a hospital during the early seventies. I was the Unit clerk for the Intensive Care Unit and later the secretary for the Operating Room Supervisor.  Our patients would have tossed the whole tray at us if we ever served food like that. Yeah, hospital food can be bland and unexciting, but it shouldn’t glow in the dark.

There were many clues as to the craziness of the town, like the dyed IV fluids dripping into Ronette’s veins. Albert took notice of this right away. Why didn’t Dr. Hayward pick up on this? Speaking of weird stuff happening at hospitals, I wasn’t too surprised with Jacoby’s hospital room being decorated like a tropical vacation spot. In the fifteen years that I was an employee at the hospital, there were a few occasions when one of our resident doctors needed medical or surgical intervention and were forced into the role of patient. Being a doctor on staff meant that you received the best food and, a room that resembled a suite from the Four Seasons Hotel.

Albert

Albert’s disdain of the town and his comical wisecracks to those around him, drive home the point that he may be one of the few stable minded people on the show. He has to be wary because Cooper may have been taken over by the “Twin Peaks” version of the body snatchers. With Cooper’s mind already open to mystical beliefs, the conversion was quick. Cooper’s mention of the giant and the giant’s clues brings forth a slam dunk reply from Albert, “Any relation to the dwarf?” Albert’s brilliant use of sarcasm is the one of the best things about the show. Miguel Ferrer is the perfect man to play the sarcastic special agent. His timing is right on.

Secondary Characters

Donna finally meets Harold Smith (Lenny Von Dohlen). He raises orchids. This is a strange man who refuses to leave his home. Is he a vampire? Maybe Harold suffers from agoraphobia. This is a crippling disorder where people are afraid to leave their homes. The bigger question is why does Harold Smith have possession of Laura’s real diary?

Lucy is such a sweetheart that you overlook her quirks. Kimmy Robertson plays her Lucy as the triangle in a room full of circles and squares. Lucy is part of the “Twin Peaks” world, and yet, she is a red herring. Lucy’s cluelessness is used to distract us from what is really happening. How did Lucy meet Dick Tremayne (Ian Buchanan)? Dick is a smart dresser, a designer of men’s clothing, has a British accent and, eats his food the European way. Why would he date Lucy? Would Lucy allow herself to be swept so easily off her feet? Like I said, Lucy is a red herring who got herself pregnant by a not so charming dick.

Conclusion

Twin Peaks is sick. Its disease spreads easily. Everyone in that town has secrets, some darker than others. Maddie knows that Donna loves James, but she still flirts with the boy. Shelly refuses to testify against her husband because she has plans for the insurance money.  The one-armed man, Gerard, knows bad things about Bob, but he uses drugs to forget. His forgotten syringe is the third clue from the giant. Nadine awakes from her coma thinking she is only eighteen years old which makes Ed, a bigger prisoner to her madness than he was before.

Audrey is the pawn in a scheme that Blackie, Jean Renault and Emory use to get ransom money from Ben Horne. What they don’t realize is that Ben is too corrupt to give a shit about Audrey and that is a big shame because Audrey is the only normal person in town. Sure, she plays the sex kitten, but Audrey only wants to do what’s right for Laura and the town.

Yep, the town of Twin Peaks is the main character in this series, but everything revolves around Bob and Leland. What part do they play in this madness? Leland tells Cooper, Harry and Hawke that he knows Bob from his childhood. Bob was a neighbor of Leland’s grandfather. Bob lived in a white house. Bob had a habit of flicking matches at little Leland. “Want to play with fire, little boy?”

While Donna visits Laura’s grave, Jean Renault makes plans to kill Cooper and Leland is arrested for murdering Jacque Renault. Who is the Asian man that follows Cooper? Could it be Windom Earle in disguise?  There is only one place to get that answer. The log knows all!