Part 9 - This is the chair (SPOILERS)

[twin-b]

When Betty said, "this is the chair, watch here" (or whatever she said), was I the only one to expect something supernatural or someone to appear in the chair?

I was also surprised at the seemingly unsophisticated method of opening the container. I guess he did have to know to wait for the humming to stop to throw it down on the concrete a second time.

[Mr. Reindeer]

That hour felt very exposition-heavy. Particularly the Bill Hastings scene: after all the build-up in Parts 1 & 2 hinting at some sort of possible LH-style identity/reality confusion, we get an anticlimactic, chatty backstory revealing that Hastings and Ruth were armchair occultists. Eh. Wonder if that's the last we'll see of Lillard, seems like he was more plot device than protagonist after all.

The scenes with Bobby & co. were also too dialogue/backstory-heavy, but the emotional impact and Garland's implicit presence (as well as the score and Ashbrook and Stewart's performances) made them a lot more enjoyable. I love the subtle call-back to Garland's Episode 8 monologue about having confidence in Bobby's future. I wonder when he gained these more specific insights, though? Those were definitely among the warmest moments so far this season; Ashbrook is killing it.

The Johnny Horne scene was edited really strangely, even for DKL. It felt like there wasn't enough coverage, or maybe that DKL was doing his best to avoid showing the actor's face to hide the recast. I would imagine that even 75% of fans of the original show had no idea what they were watching...aside from the names "Johnny" and "Jerry," and a split-second rear 3/4 view of Sylvia, it's just a scene of a dude running into a wall.

Spoiler:

Given the odd mystery of Robert Bauer being spotted on set in Wa. by reliable local sources and then left out of the show, Johnny's seeming fate here makes me REALLY curious what the hell went down behind the scenes.

I was really hoping DKL would avoid using any recasts, so this was a little disappointing to me. I wonder if Johnny's injury/death will have some significant plot/character repercussions? If not, I wonder why they even bothered reintroducing the character just to do this? Also odd that in the later scene, Ben doesn't act at all like a man whose son was just seriously injured or killed.

(Somewhat related note: No one has mentioned the kid Richard ran over in several weeks. I generally don't mind this show being all over the place, but within the world of the TP sherff's station, you'd think Truman would be more concerned with solving the killing of a local kid as opposed to following up tangents from a 25-year-old closed case.)

Interesting that Ben is still "good," apparently. Is this the one late season 2 plot that stuck? Also note that Ben seems incapable of acting on his worser impulses, whereas in season 2, he had to struggle against them.

It was weird seeing Au Revoir Simone again. They were one of my least favorite Roadhouse bands on their first effort, but I did like this track a lot better. Wonder if anyone else will get a second curtain call.

The show continues introducing new TP townies. I'm wondering if some of these, like the girls tonight, will end up just being random one-off slice-of-life moments.

Do we have any idea who the Heinrich Viegel mentioned on the website is? Weird that Hastings seems to co-edit this site with this guy, whereas in the show he claims Ruth was his collaborator.

Initial reaction: This was overall the least satisfied I've been with an episode since Part 4. Not a bad hour by any stretch, but it spent way too much time telling rather than showing, particularly disappointing after the glorious Part 8. I think it might improve on rewatches once I've adjusted my expectations slightly.

[frompureair]

9/20 -10/1 is also the feast of trumpets this year. The Revelation 12 sign is supposed to appear in the stars on the 21-23 a 2 day period in which is alluded to. After that event happens in the Bible the rapture happens. Not sure if Lynch was referring to this though as his symbolism usually is of More of a Tibetan religion and not Christianity but now I'm way down the rabbit hole so I'll climb back out.

This episode was amazing if more is revealed at this pace and builds tension so steadily then the last few episodes are gonna give me a heart attack!

Jerry is a gift. My God when he tripped himself I lost it. I could see Dougie doing the same thing to himself and causing a head injury and becoming Dale again, not sure if that was the reference to Johnny hitting his head or the Ben head wound which has never been referred to since it happened.

Will be watching this one a lot! I'm sure I missed a lot on first viewing from smiling so much

[Jonah]

When Betty said, "this is the chair, watch here" (or whatever she said), was I the only one to expect something supernatural or someone to appear in the chair?

I (briefly) thought the same. I thought Briggs would (time-travelling), maybe using CGI, or something from the lodge.

[Esselgee]

If Johnny does live, it would be great to see Jacoby working with him again.

he lost his license

Yeah, I could still see Sylvia bringing in Jacoby to work with Johnny at some level due to their past history.

[Aerozhul]

Wouldn't Ben be a little more distraught if his son died earlier that day? I know this thing was a monster to edit and fit together, so some allowances are made by me for the timeline, but I think Ben's scene would have been inserted in a different episode or part if Johnny had died.

I don't think Ben knew about Johnny at that point, for whatever reason.

[twin-b]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mbi7rq-TSk8

Just love how everything is tying together.

Almost... 3 Coopers there.

[edit: I guess the readout from the capsule could have been different though and included to indicate he 2 Coopers]

[Framed_Angel]

I've wanted to see Hastings brought back in after this many episodes' absence.
We still don't know what the flesh-like scrap the cops found in his car's trunk was, then? It had seemed like it might be related to what cops pulled from Ike Spike's crime scene.

And I keep confusing Hasting's secretary with his librarian lady-friend and sleuth-partner Ruth. If Betty the Secretary died when her car exploded [?], then we assume her remains weren't able to be examined for the coordinates he says "she kept written on her hand so she wouldn't forget"? And I'm still wondering how exactly Ray obtained that information from her when DoppelCoop couldn't get it himself. Or what Buella and company had to do with any of this.

"This is the chair", seems like Betty Briggs stated it purposefully that way, but the real object of interest was contained within the chair. It's one of many scenes where something is compartmented or containing something, as the pages from Laura's diary were concealed in the restroom stall door, or the cigarette pack Richard Horne gave that dude as a guise for cash it contained -- even Sheriff Frank's computer screen hidden then 'ejected' from within a desk mechanism is another receptacle disclosing unexpected contents.

Anyway I'll be glad to see how Hastings' info takes the story and I hope it includes how Ruth died, whether there was significance to the one eye caved in or shot the way it was. I've been watching The Sopranos S1 and the character who dies in the bathtub with his eye shot out made me think of that.

[WhiteLodge90]

Overall very good episode. When we heard that cool electric guitar sound right before they went to the Sheriffs station I thought we were getting a James scene as that guitar generally accompanied him but I was fine with it being there.

I also really got my hopes up that Josie's face was going to somehow pop out of that wall with Ben and Ashley Judd or if anything else he'd find Audrey's hiding place... Was hoping for something about darker there with the ominous music playing and a great northern scene at night. That was always associated with something creepy but has been a bit of a let down thus far.

[AgentEcho]

The Roadhouse scene was definitely a peculiar note to end the episode on. Both those women had a vibe reminiscent of the lady screaming numbers in the Rancho Rosa house.

[wAtChLaR]

If Johnny does live, it would be great to see Jacoby working with him again.

he lost his license

Yeah, I could still see Sylvia bringing in Jacoby to work with Johnny at some level due to their past history.

absolutely....i think he may have departed though...poor johnny

[wAtChLaR]

The Roadhouse scene was definitely a peculiar note to end the episode on. Both those women had a vibe reminiscent of the lady screaming numbers in the Rancho Rosa house.

it felt like it could have been a conversation between Laura and Ronette

[wAtChLaR]

Overall very good episode. When we heard that cool electric guitar sound right before they went to the Sheriffs station I thought we were getting a James scene as that guitar generally accompanied him but I was fine with it being there.

I also really got my hopes up that Josie's face was going to somehow pop out of that wall with Ben and Ashley Judd or if anything else he'd find Audrey's hiding place... Was hoping for something about darker there with the ominous music playing and a great northern scene at night. That was always associated with something creepy but has been a bit of a let down thus far.

yes i was waiting for the entire wall to become this

[garethw]

a dude running into a wall.

A couple of people mentioned that it was like Ben Horne's injury in ep. 29, but it reminded me of Madeleine's fate, too.

With Coop's bathroom mirror scene, that makes four folks in TP who've smashed their heads into walls. Lynch sure likes his head injuries, but this particular mode of delivery seems curiously commonplace in the Pacific North-West.

[Mr. Reindeer]

Also, the Buckhorn coroner is my favorite new character. I love her.

Constance Talbot! I love her too. She had phenomenal chemistry with Albert this episode; I want to see a full hour of the two of them on a date.