Let’s Rock! While life goes on in Twin Peaks, the twelfth episode of the series offered one of the most substantial answers to the missing pieces yet presented. Of course, to accept that answer, one must overlook a certain inconsistency with a certain established fact.
The Case
Angela is sweet on Clark. But Clark is known to get very chummy with other women at the Roadhouse. As her friends know, this could get ugly if she finds out about Clark. She’s off her meds now, and it could be very bad as she even dreams about Clark.
Oh, and Trick survived a near-collision with someone on the highway.
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Yeah, we’re going to the last scene of the episode because for all its inanity, it feels important. It illustrates the ABC primetime soap opera people remember Twin Peaks being is still happening. It’s still out there with its dull intrigues and mundane dramas. And even though a drama like Shelly’s relationship with Red feels elevated, it’s still part of a show the revived program doggedly avoids.
In fact, the whole episode decided to avoid the case for the most part. But then again, the Buckhorn case is sort of meaningless now. And Dougie’s problems seem solved. So what are we left with? Hutch managed to kill the warden. So that’s the first part of his task squared away. We also know that Bad Cooper’s business in Las Vegas is still unknown to the Blue Rose Task force — but more on that in a moment.
In the meantime, let’s stew on the fact that Ben is more than ready to believe that Richard killed that little boy and has no problem paying for it. Also, any story from his youth is heartbreaking.
The Updates
Audrey Horne is awake! Left with the notion that she might still be in a coma from the bank explosion all those years ago, it was an amazing thrill to see her upright. Hilariously, the camera knew we’d be thrilled and quickly moved off of her and onto her lawfully wedded husband Charlie. Much like the mundane drama of Angela and Clark, Audrey also seems to still live in the primetime soap. So her major concern is for her lover Billy.
Unbeknownst to her, Billy got caught in Richard’s crosshairs. I think at this point we have to assume he’s her son. Which would seem important except for all the plot we’re given on the Audrey spinoff no one has been watching all this time. The scene seems to assume we’re familiar with Charlie, Billie, Tina and why Audrey is in this situation. It’s also sad. Audrey always seemed a little bit smarter than the sad soap opera world around her. But gravity comes for us all and turns us into mundane players in a one-season series.
Meanwhile, something happened to Sarah Palmer. Something significant. Something that made her blind to picking up a couple of bottles of Popov to supplement her purchase of Smirnoff and Mr. and Mrs. T’s Bloody Mary Mix. But beyond her consumer habits, the freak-out seemed to suggest Sarah has a passenger in her addled mind. I can’t help but think about David Lynch’s weird interview with all the Palmers in the series Blu-ray set and wonder if maybe Leland and Laura are truly present at all times.
Then, when you notice the fan was on when Hawk stopped by, you almost have to wonder if BOB is in the house as well.
The Questions
- How the heck does Charlie have a working rotary phone? Can I buy one?
- Why is Carl such a kindly old cuss now? While he wasn’t an angry man in Fire Walk with Me, he is distinctly more helpful now. I suppose twenty-odd years can change a man, but that much?
- What did Jerry find in the woods? Did he find the Fire Hawk and Frank will face?
- Did Bobby ever make it up to Big Ed’s Gas Farm?
- Possibly connected to previous question, but why is the Golden Shovel working for Nadine?
- What sort of man was Ben Horne’s father? He seemed so distant before, but the bicycle story suggests something different.
- Are “the men” Sarah warned the clerk about our old friends the Woodsmen? Things seem to be headed in that direction.
Not about Judy
At last, I know this about Philip Jeffries: he was selected by Gordon to head the Blue Rose task force. I also know it was organized as an unofficial successor to Project Blue Book. And on top of that, I now know Jeffries selected Albert, Chet Desmond and Cooper to be part of the Task Force.
Which makes it all the stranger that Jeffries and Coop didn’t recognize one another when Jeffries made his crazy appearance in 1988. In Fire Walk with Me, it’s clear that Coop has never met Jeffries, but Jeffries has some idea who Coop might be. At the same time, this new information underlines Desmond’s disappearance and puts a special mark around Albert as the only person on the team not to have a close encounter with the forces in the outer beyond.
Tammy might want to reconsider accepting the assignment.
But I also have to wonder if the Blue Rose task force was aware of Major Briggs’ special presidential assignment. According to The Secret History of Twin Peaks, Briggs was also selected to head an unofficial successor to Project Blue Book. That was how he built his monitoring station near Twin Peaks.
Also, I just had another thought: Windom Earle was not officially part of Blue Rose.
The Blue Rose
For as seemingly inconsequential as this segment felt — especially after the forcefulness of last week — finally knowing what the Blue Rose is feels huge. Well, at least for those following this story through the Jeffries angle like I am. While it still doesn’t put to rest the biggest dangling mystery of Fire Walk with Me, it does confirm what a blue rose means and why it even has that name. That, strangely, is good enough for me.
But also, seeing Audrey once again felt a little bit like going home. I have to give Sherilyn Fenn a lot of credit for giving Audrey her voice back. In interviews, the actor sounds nothing like the character; right down to her register. But to hear her pitch and delivery again made it seem as though no time had passed … even if ten seasons of the Audrey show have definitely missed us by.
Oh, also, special shout-out to Jonathan Bruce for covering Part 11 last week. Comic-Con and the usual ConCrud flu knocked me off my usual schedule, so his help was invaluable. But baring anymore unforeseen illness, I will be here every Sunday until Twin Peaks runs its course and we all meet again in Valhalla.
