LateReg wrote:I'm surprised by your reaction to this, as I usually agree with all of your recaps. Maybe you're right, and this was a "too perfect" reintroduction of Cooper. But I don't know. Cooper actually did fight his way out of it. You can tell in Part 15 that he was determined to get that fork into that socket. This whole thing is largely about his identity, that even when he's trapped in a shell of himself he still retains the traits that make him unique, and it signifies that this whole time he was hyper-aware of what was happening because Cooper was there all along. So him just snapping out of it and instantly being whole, while unexpected, seems perfect to me, as he is who he is and always will be. As well as a hilariously winking joke to go along with so many others about patience and audience participation and unpredictability: "Finally." And it occurs at the exact moment we both most expect it (after the electricity jolt) and least expect it (he's in a coma and we resign ourselves to thinking it's yet another tease with no wake-up in sight). This seemed like a very natural yet unpredictable event to me, which also gave us what we were promised and gloriously teased about ("Bear With Me") from the get-go: A Return. All I know is that it was joyous in what felt like a very sincere way to me. I hope it's real, but even if it isn't, the moment remains.
Diane was a tulpa, but isn't that also kind of perfect? We can still feel for her as she has Diane's memories, so her pain is real, what she's gone through is real. At the same time we still haven't met the real Diane, so the most mysterious main character in all of Twin Peaks has found a way to be kept under wraps. Which is pretty neat.
Thanks LateReg, that's nice of you to take the time to read my drivel. Truth is, with all the brilliant speculation and deeply insightful posts that are dropped here every day, I feel like an idiot. There are so many subtleties caught and connections made that leave me astonished at my own simple way of viewing the show. I'm a gullible simpleton that simply takes it as it comes, missing out on a lot of layering and implications. But this makes me so grateful for everyone here and all the interesting thoughts shared on a daily basis. I can't properly state just how much I appreciate everyone on the board here.
For example: Richard and Linda, two birds, one stone -> Richard on a big huge stone. I completely missed that connection, and had to see it here. In the moment I was terrified and simply caught up in the emotions brought on by the overall presentation of the events at hand. So what I got out of it were the obvious dynamics and their implications, while others were able to notice the stone for what it was, and then logically connect Linda with it, seeing into the future events of the story while unveiling a bit of what The Fireman had made reference to.
To kind of go off subject for a moment, I'm gonna be really sad when the series ends and we stop sharing with each other every day. I'm surely not the only one here that is removed from former days of steady friendships and frequent get togethers. It's not simply a matter of getting older, I don't think. Part of it is a general shift in society, and certainly part of it is personal, but technology has empowered us with the ability to communicate and share by way of online boards and texts and email, and the abundant ease of access has had an isolating effect.
It used to be a normal thing to pop over to a friend's and knock on the door unannounced. These days, those same people might find your sudden appearance to be an inconvenience, as they are "busy" shopping online, writing social media life updates, gaming alone or with strangers on the net, watching hours of TV uninterrupted, and generally hiding out from all the good things that brought us joy in not so distant times. It's like they're living in the Convenience Store.
Back to the subject at hand, I can understand liking Cooper's awakening. The thing is, I did enjoy it as its own thing. In other words I wanted him back as much as the next person, and also found his interaction with Bushnell, his "family", and the Mitchum Brothers to be very satisfying. I was happy to see them all heading to Twin Peaks as well. My problem stems from the context and the chronological placement. The way he suddenly came to only justifies all the demands people had months ago when they wanted him to snap back. It gave this odd impression, and it begged the question, "Why didn't this happen a bit sooner?" Of course there's a solid answer to this, but since I can't ask David or Mark, I'm left a bit puzzled.
Once it had gone on forever, I began to think that they were simply dangling the guy in the FBI suit before us in order to distract us from something else, and that the entire story was about to turn on its head, and I was so ready for that. That's part of the reason the scene came off with such flatness. To be predictable is not a sin, but be predictable with some serious impact if that's the direction you're taking. Having him sit up, speak directly with The One Armed Man, take a ring out of the Red Room and hand over some of his hair... is just too much. We all know that place as a secluded otherworld accessed by mysterious portals. To see him reach in like that doesn't sit well with me. Seeing Ray vanish and fade into the Red Room just feels normal, seeing Dale reach into that realm feels abnormal, and that's just how it hits me for whatever reason. The experience is different for everyone, of course.
It was as if the creators had passed the point of no return with Dale in Vegas, then rebounded to an event that should have happened earlier, when we'd already gone so far down that road that something else entirely would have been more appropriate.
Harry Yallrite wrote:Reading this review was more mentally exhausting than getting through the first 16 episodes of The Return. Not saying I wasn't entertained - but I need a nap now.
*sniff*
Aw heck, I've been told how long winded I am. Believe it or not, I try to edit down!
Harry Yallrite wrote:But first I need to brush my teeth...
"Good idea."
