Part 12 - Let's rock (SPOILERS)

[Deep Thought]

Here’s my literal interpretation of the Audrey scene. As Willa Cather told a journalist who asked her what “Death of the Archbishop” was about, “If I could tell you that I wouldn’t have had to write the damn novel!” this scene looses just about everything when interpreted in this way, at least to me. But I do feel Lynch uses concrete ideas as his inspiration. Mostly this is an exercise in showing the folks who don’t enjoy this scene or this series another way that some folks are looking at the thing. Whether this turns out to be the “correct” interpretation or not is irrelevant to the process of engaging with the art.

Open scene: (I’ve heavily edited the conversation for length)

We see Audrey standing before Charlie, who is sitting behind a desk nearly overflowing with paperwork. Besides papers and incidental office supplies the desk has on it: a Rolodex, a telephone, an hourglass, a crystal ball (an approximation), balance calibration weights spread about the desk, a statue of a black dog.

Dr. Amp: “The ninth level of hell will welcome you!”

“I’m tired of waiting for the phone to ring.”
(Audrey is getting no incoming information)

Charlie: “Stay here and get a good sleep.” . . . “Why you put me down for doing my allotted duty in life? (Sleep Audrey, sleep. This is my job, to keep you asleep).

Audrey: “Why don’t you ask your crystal ball where the fuck Billy is”?
Charlie: “Come on Audrey, you know I don’t have a crystal ball.” (points at his crystal ball)

Charlie: “I’ve been good to you, you always say it.”
Audrey (angrily): “What, I gotta thank you every hour on the hour, get on my knees and adore you”? (as young Audrey did figuratively with Cooper, and there is an hourglass on the desk).

“Look Charlie . . . you have no balls, that’s why I’m in love with Billy. That’s why I’m fucking Billy! I saw Billy in my dream last night, and he was bleeding from the nose and mouth! And dreams sometimes hearken a truth.” (Who is fucking Audrey? Who is bleeding? Well, Cooper was bleeding from the forehead down the nose and mouth just before he raped Audrey)

“Now I gotta go, Charlie, I asked for your company, your protection.” (She can’t go anywhere without Charlie, after all he is part of her).
“And Tina, I gotta find Tina, She was the last person to see Billy.” (Tina is Diane)

“You were supposed to CALL her, but you never did.” (A very specific line reading, indicating Audrey is not able to use the phone).

Charlie: “Don’t be sore at me Audrey, you know I just want the best for you.” (Calling Tina is not in Audrey’s best interest).

Audrey then threatens to bring Paul into the situation to clear up “fishy” contracts. (Paul has the power to change the dynamic of the Audrey/Charlie relationship, the bluff seems to work on Charlie).

Charlie: “OK Audrey, I’ll go with you (Audrey puts on coat) . . .where are we going?” (Charlie seems more concerned with keeping Audrey asleep and following their contract than in any of her desires)

Threatened with having to leave with Audrey, Charlie decides to call Tina.

Charlie: “Let me call her now, OK? I know I’ll tell her I’m alone. Let’s see if she knows anything. If her husbands there she won’t be able to talk.” (If Diane is near “Chuck” she can’t talk).

Audrey: “Chuck is certifiable, so we can’t count on shit from him.” (Chuck is Mr. C.)

Charlie “Chuck told you Tina was the last person to see Billy?”
Audrey: “Yeah.” (Otherwise how would Audrey know about Diane?)

Charlie: “Billy came out of his house and saw Chuck driving off with his truck.” (Yep, Chuck stole Billy’s truck and a whole lot more).

Audrey: “So, what happened then?”
Charlie: “Well, [the sheriff] called Billy, and I GUESS Billy got his truck back and they dropped all charges.” (Chuck got away Scott-free).

(This information really throws Audrey for a loop).

Charlie calls Tina, and is quite concerned with her admission (or denial) about being the last to see Billy. The one clue we have to the conversation is “How did you find . . . “ before he is cut off by Tina. “Oh my goodness” and “Unbelievable what you’re telling me,” round out the shocking news from Tina. (Tina lets Charlie know that Mr C. was the one who impregnated Audrey, not Cooper).

Just to be clear, I do not think Charlie actually calls the Diane out in the real world, but rather we're watching Audrey access and process knowledge she already possesses, or is currently learning about.

Flame away, ha ha.

[Dolmo81]

Not sure if this has already been mentioned, so I apologize in advance. In the scene with Sarah Palmer and the jerky , the camera closed in on the brand of jerky : Albatross. In the mariners tale, the albatross is worn as a burden or punishment along with having to tell the tale of how the albatross was killed. Maybe the frog bug Did go into Sarah palmer as a young girl. The girl had bruised knees and lived with horses- the white horse she sees in visions may be a beloved horse from her childhood trying to warn her of an event? Maybe being a host to the frog bug and having premonitions from another time and space is Sarah Palmers albatross.

[BigEd]

Deep Thought - excellent illustration, and perhaps the right explanation.

[Deep Thought]

Thanks Big Ed, and for those with MEGO just looking at my post above, the summary is:

The Audrey scene circles around how Audrey was raped by Mr. C. while believing it was Cooper. Cooper (Billy) is missing, Mr. C. (Chuck) stole his sole, and Diane (Tina) is the only one who knows what's going on. Charlie is that part of Audrey keeping her in denial, and possibly keeping her in a coma or otherwise incapacitated for some reason (maybe she made a deal and the coma is her side of the bargain).

Edit: I am interested to see the characters of Tina, Billy and Chuck. Should be fun. We already have a possible Billy whose truck was stolen by Richard presumably.

[Metamorphia]

It's elusive why this scene was so creepy, but it was genius. The scariest stuff is often the unseen.

Part of it is that Grace Zabriskie herself can be f**king scary.

She utterly killed it in Inland Empire too with her Polish Visitor part.

Wish she'd been in The Return a little more! Well, still time I guess...

[Mr. Reindeer]

I don't really like the idea of Audrey's story being like Shelly's. I don't think it goes with the character we saw at the end of S2. I think there's more interesting directions to show how Audrey's life has gone downhill.

Someone on reddit made the interesting point that the scene felt stuck in time. They weren't using cellphones, and Charlie wasn't using a computer.

In regards to the episode as a whole, it was the first one this season I didn't enjoy. I get that Lynch is all about patience, but that shouldn't mean he should be completely left off the hook when he overdoes it.

Yeah, agreed. Audrey and Shelly are such distinct, unique characters. I'd hate for them to have such similar stories.

How are the two situations similar? Leo was an abusive alpha male; Charlie is a whiny sleepy "milquetoast." Sure, they're both terrible marriages, but whereas Shelly was a prisoner, Audrey/Charlie feels like a marriage of convenience where Audrey is the dominant partner and could end the "contract" if she wanted to.

[Cappy]

Thanks Big Ed, and for those with MEGO just looking at my post above, the summary is:

The Audrey scene circles around how Audrey was raped by Mr. C. while believing it was Cooper. Cooper (Billy) is missing, Mr. C. (Chuck) stole his sole, and Diane (Tina) is the only one who knows what's going on. Charlie is that part of Audrey keeping her in denial, and possibly keeping her in a coma or otherwise incapacitated for some reason (maybe she made a deal and the coma is her side of the bargain).

This a very good summation. I don't think Audrey is literally in a coma, but she is a deep state of denial, wherever she is.

I wonder if she's living behind the wall in Ben's office, or in Room 315.

[Cappy]

How are the two situations similar? Leo was an abusive alpha male; Charlie is a whiny sleepy "milquetoast." Sure, they're both terrible marriages, but whereas Shelly was a prisoner, Audrey/Charlie feels like a marriage of convenience where Audrey is the dominant partner and could end the "contract" if she wanted to.

I guess I wouldn't want to see Audrey and Shelly having similar story arcs/situations in the Return, in regards to their relationships to their respective kids. I read a post that suggested Audrey was like Shelly, in that she was a mother who turned a blind eye or was oblivious to their offspring's dangerous lifestyle. Audrey and Shelly have nothing alike aside from that potential scenario, assuming Audrey even knows who Richard is.

I love both characters, but I wouldn't want to see them going through identical story arcs being in denial about turbulent children. Obviously Richard is way more to handle than Becky, but that's the gist of what I was trying to say.

[rocketsan22]

Why was Beverly crying???

[pixletwin]

Why was Beverly crying???

I thought it was because she pitied Ben.

[Deep Thought]

Why was Beverly crying???

She never had a bike as a kid.

[starmand]

I'm so happy that they're revisiting Sarah Palmer and really examining what that kind of trauma could do to a person. This part to me gave Sarah a bit of the dignity that Lynch gave Laura in FWWM.

Sarah disappeared so unceremoniously from the original series after Leland's death, as if she had no story left. It's really a kindness to the character that we get to see the toll this saga has left on her. A goddamn bad story indeed. And I have a feeling she's headed for a catharsis, conclusion and possibly even some grace. I hope the angels come back for her.

[wAtChLaR]

Why was Beverly crying???

i don't know but she was a MONSTER to her sick husband (maybe there is back story) but i'm NOT a Beverly fan

[wAtChLaR]

I'm so happy that they're revisiting Sarah Palmer and really examining what that kind of trauma could do to a person. This part to me gave Sarah a bit of the dignity that Lynch gave Laura in FWWM.

yes and i hope she is in every remaining episode

[TheLodger1980]

I'm definitely in agreement that Diane is being possessed by The Arm based on the sound made when she entered the room with Gordon, Albert, and Tammy, and saying Let's Rock. Maybe The Arm is working with Evil Coop for some reason. Sarah also seems to be interacting with the Black Lodge (e.g., the parallel with the fan in FWWM and the interaction between BOB and Laura) (what if the woodsmen are looking to find a new host for BOB that they retrieved from Evil Coop?). Also, is it just me or were there Blue Roses next to Miriam Sullivan in
her hospital bed?