Episode 12

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Audrey Horne
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Re: Episode 12

Post by Audrey Horne »

I'm sorry but I don't think there is a more exciting moment than Cooper rescuing Audrey. That's my Twin Peaks oayoff. The killer reveal is episode 2.14 and this one are the two most satisfying moments for me... One devastating and one so stand up and cheering.
God, I love this music. Isn't it too dreamy?
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TwinPeaksFanatic
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Re: Episode 12

Post by TwinPeaksFanatic »

I always enjoyed episode 12 a lot, particularly for the Donna/Harold Smith scenes. I think it's some of LFB's best work.

I wrote a recap for the episode, which can be viewed here - http://twinpeaksfanatic.blogspot.com/20 ... de-12.html :)
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Gabriel
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Re: Episode 12

Post by Gabriel »

What I have found interesting as the characters walk through the curtained corridors is the similarity between Jack's and the Waiting Room/Black Lodge. The Waiting Room/Black Lodge are to One Eyed Jack's what the bed chamber at the end of 2001 is to a regular hotel room.
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Mr. Reindeer
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Re: Episode 12

Post by Mr. Reindeer »

There's an odd amount of violence against women in this episode: Coop hitting Nancy (somewhat mitigated/justified by his anger regarding Audrey, but still arguably unbefitting of an agent of his standing and prowess), Jean stabbing Blackie (and in a beautifully creepy unscripted moment seemingly savoring her blood as she bleeds from her mouth!), and perhaps most troublesome, Pinkle's casual wife-beating joke, which is even more cringe-worthy in Shelly's presence. Of course, it's certainly the sort of joke plenty of people might have made in that era, and (slightly less so) even might make openly today, so it's realistic in that sense. But the episode seems to want us to find Pinkle endearing, or at the very least, harmless. I'm not really inclined to laugh at his slapstick to begin with (I like Lander generally, and really enjoy him on On the Air, a show I don't particularly like but he's one of the best strengths) -- but after that crack, I'm really not in the mood to giggle at his capering. I really wish Shelly had at least gotten more of a reaction shot registering her disgust. She just placidly smokes her cigarette. Btw, the line isn't in the script, so it's possible that Lander improvised it.

OTOH, I have never found LFB as powerful, in control, or sexy as I do in this episode. It's almost like Clifford made it his personal mission to make Donna pop: the performance she gives in this episode, consistently in every scene, is head and shoulders above anything else she did on the show. Personally, I don't generally find her physically attractive, but the way she's photographed in this one and the energy she gives off is the definition of steamy. She owns it.

And, after this slightly troubling episode from a feminist standpoint (which ends with two females in peril), Lesli Linka Glatter returns in full force next episode, opening with a series of Georgia O'Keefe-esque vaginal orchid shots. :lol:
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Jonah
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Re: Episode 12

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I like the opening here with Cooper in Room 315, speaking into his recorder to Diane, then doing a handstand and - finally -seeing Audrey's envelope. (For some reason I had always assumed the Giant was referring to Audrey's letter when he said "you forgot something", but of course he was probably referring to what Laura whispered in Coop's ear in his dream.)

The trial sequences here in the roadhouse always struck me as a bit ridiculous, but this is Twin Peaks. So it sort of works.

I do like the scene with the Judge, Harry, and Cooper at the bar.

Donna's speech to Harold is very effective and well played by Lara Flynn Boyle.

I like the scene with Maddy and James at the diner.

I love Maddy hiding in the bushes with her coffee! And then we see Cooper crouching in some bushes a little later too. There's a lot of crouching and sneaking around in this episode.

The stuff at One Eyed Jack's was never one of my favourite subplots. All the red drapes remind me of the red room of course - and doubly so when we see the statues now too. Very on the nose - but somehow it works.

Harry peering through the glass and seeing Blackie killed is very eerie. Renault licking the blood is .... I'm not sure if it's OTT or creepy, but it's definitely memorable.

The final scene might have been very powerful only for the fact that the rake is already dripping with fake blood before Harold rubs it on his face. This goof always really took me out of the moment, but I like this storyline overall.
I have no idea where this will lead us, but I have a definite feeling it will be a place both wonderful and strange.
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Re: Episode 12

Post by Poiuyt »

File under Never Noticed Credits: Van Dyke Parks, the legendary writer of the Beach Boys' lost Smile album--lost at least until 2011--appears in this episode.

Not knowing what he looks like, I had to look up who he played. None other than Leo Johnson's attorney. Strange casting choice. I wonder if he asked to be in the show.
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Re: Episode 12

Post by Mr. Strawberry »

Poiuyt wrote:File under Never Noticed Credits: Van Dyke Parks, the legendary writer of the Beach Boys' lost Smile album--lost at least until 2011--appears in this episode.

Not knowing what he looks like, I had to look up who he played. None other than Leo Johnson's attorney. Strange casting choice. I wonder if he asked to be in the show.
Finally listening to Smile thanks to this post. So far, I dig it.

And you're right, that is a pretty odd casting decision.
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Mr. Reindeer
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Re: Episode 12

Post by Mr. Reindeer »

Poiuyt wrote:File under Never Noticed Credits: Van Dyke Parks, the legendary writer of the Beach Boys' lost Smile album--lost at least until 2011--appears in this episode.

Not knowing what he looks like, I had to look up who he played. None other than Leo Johnson's attorney. Strange casting choice. I wonder if he asked to be in the show.
He gave an interview to the TP Archive. He said he had never seen the show or any of DKL’s work, but the episode director Graham Clifford was a former neighbor of his. He had also acted previously with Royal Dano.
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Mr. Reindeer
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Re: Episode 12

Post by Mr. Reindeer »

Not a whole lot to add on this one that hasn’t been said. I love the way Donna/Maddy and Cooper/Harry’s capers play out in parallel, with both Donna and Cooper drawing diagrams of the floor plans of their respective targets.

I’ve also been doing a rewatch of Charlie Kaufman’s movies, in anticipation of his first novel coming out next month. I just watched Adaptation recently, and Harold’s orchid monologues sound a lot like many of the passages in that film (taken from the book The Orchid Thief).

There’s something so oddly intimate about the fact that the first thing Dale does when he wakes up is fumble for his tape recorder so he can tell Diane how he slept.

A tragic end for Blackie. Her character isn’t the most consistently written, but I think Victoria Catlin gives a really underrated performance, navigating everything the writers threw at her to form a memorable and relatively cohesive character, from Ben reciting Shakespearean sonnets at her in E2 to charmingly flirting with Cooper in E6 to her heroin withdrawal and bitterness toward Ben in S2. From her IMDb page, it looks like Catlin had a very short screen acting career and didn’t have any roles after 1990. Does anyone have any insight into her subsequent activities?

Dale’s Diet:
— After a rough night’s sleep: “Perhaps I should keep a closer eye on my after-dinner coffee consumption”
— Black Yukon Sucker Punch, mixed by Sid at the Roadhouse at Judge Sternwood’s behest (Cooper regards the drink with some trepidation, even sniffing it warily at one point...he appears to finally lift it to take a sip just before we cut away at the end of the scene. In contrast, watch Harry down his in two gulps, clearly not heeding Clinton’s advice!)

Speaking of which, the contents of the Black Yukon Sucker Punch are perhaps the biggest mystery this side of “What did Laura whisper in The Return?” This blog did a nice write-up based on the ingredients lined up behind the bar, positing it as a twist on the Irish coffee:
https://jamesoart.tumblr.com/post/10204 ... ineering-a
Rigpa
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Re: Episode 12

Post by Rigpa »

I’ve also been doing a rewatch of Charlie Kaufman’s movies, in anticipation of his first novel coming out next month. I just watched Adaptation recently, and Harold’s orchid monologues sound a lot like many of the passages in that film (taken from the book The Orchid Thief).

Thanks for the heads up about the Charlie Kaufman book! I am an avid fan of everything Kaufman has done. I see it is a 700 pager…perfect book for disappearing into during long isolation hours. I have a friend who has a warehouse in Chester, NY (a little town a bit over an hour from Manhattan). He told me he leased it for a day to a film crew, and as he described the writer/director it became clear to me it was for Kaufman’s new movie “I’m Thinking of Ending Things”. My friend had no clue who he was, which annoyed me no end…if I had been there I would have so nerded out!
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Mr. Reindeer
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Re: Episode 12

Post by Mr. Reindeer »

Rigpa wrote:I’ve also been doing a rewatch of Charlie Kaufman’s movies, in anticipation of his first novel coming out next month. I just watched Adaptation recently, and Harold’s orchid monologues sound a lot like many of the passages in that film (taken from the book The Orchid Thief).

Thanks for the heads up about the Charlie Kaufman book! I am an avid fan of everything Kaufman has done. I see it is a 700 pager…perfect book for disappearing into during long isolation hours. I have a friend who has a warehouse in Chester, NY (a little town a bit over an hour from Manhattan). He told me he leased it for a day to a film crew, and as he described the writer/director it became clear to me it was for Kaufman’s new movie “I’m Thinking of Ending Things”. My friend had no clue who he was, which annoyed me no end…if I had been there I would have so nerded out!
I’ve had experiences like that! I was speaking to a friend of a friend the other day, and when I said I was a TP fan, he told me he worked as an operator on the shoot for the promo video for TR featuring Angelo playing the piano. He said Lynch directed remotely via monitor since Angelo was in NY. Obviously he knew who Lynch was and was excited to work with him, but he couldn’t remember Angelo’s name and I’m pretty sure had never actually seen TP himself.

Anyway, it’s too bad Kaufman doesn’t get more funding to make movies, but the prospect of a novel by him (especially a ridiculously long one) is really exciting.
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AXX°N N.
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Re: Episode 12

Post by AXX°N N. »

I'm also a huge Kaufman fan and can't wait for his book. Just in case you guys don't know, and it shouldn't surprise you, but he's a huge Lynch fanboy himself.
Recipe not my own. In a coffee cup. 3 TBS flour, 2 TBS sugar, 1.5 TBS cocoa powder, .25 TSP baking powder, pinch of salt. 3 TBS milk, 1.5 TBS vegetable oil, 1 TBS peanut butter. Add and mix each set. Microwave 1 minute 10 seconds. The cup will be hot.
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Mr. Reindeer
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Re: Episode 12

Post by Mr. Reindeer »

Ack! I didn’t mean to take this thread off-topic, but just need to clarify that Antkind WAS slated for next month. I was just on Amazon and I see the release date has been pushed back to July. Wanted to make sure I don’t spread misinformation.
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Re: Episode 12

Post by Henrys Hair »

Some thoughts on my latest rewatch:

The note under Cooper's bed in this episode is addressed to 'My Special Agent'. The note beside the phone in Ep 8 is addressed to 'Agent Cooper' - are these meant to be the same note or is the 'Agent Cooper' note the 'Jack WIth One Eye' note from earlier in season 1?

Pinkle's comment about the machine being like a woman and you have to 'hit it hard' seems particular inappropriate given Leo's violence against Shelly - not sure if this was intentional from the writers or not.

Cooper/Truman/Sternwood - love these guys, but bad call on both counts!

There hasn't been much of Sarah Palmer recently, so it's a shame she only has a non-speaking role here.

Ben puts the meeting instructions inside the case with the serialised lock, then shuts it. Let's hope Coop has a good memory, eh?

Blackie lifting the drug presumably stops Audrey getting a fatal dose (we later hear she was 'this close' to a fatal dose, in which case she should really have been taken to hospital rather than the Bookhouse).

Did Harry really need to slam the bouncer's head into the door to open it?
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Mr. Reindeer
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Re: Episode 12

Post by Mr. Reindeer »

Henrys Hair wrote: Did Harry really need to slam the bouncer's head into the door to open it?
LOL that is such a 1980s action-movie moment.
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