Subject: Comments/questions on Episode 8
From: jgp@rutabaga.Rational.COM (Jim Pellmann)
Date: 1990-10-02, 00:47
Newsgroups: alt.tv.twin-peaks

Many thoughts/comments/questions on the new episode:

- Piper Laurie (Catherine Martell) was conspicuously absent from the opening
  credits.  While this could merely reflect the fact that she was not in this
  episode, I'd point out that Eric Da Re (Leo Johnson) was not in this episode
  (although we did see him in flahsbacks), yet he was listed.  Also Joan Chen
  (Josie Packard) was listed but not seen at all.
  
  Could they have really killed Catherine off?  Mark Frost did say nobody was
  really safe.
  
- What was the meaning of the Giant's response to Cooper's question of
  where he (the Giant) came from:  "The question is 'Where have you gone?'"
  
  Did this mean Cooper had crossed into the world of the Giant?  Or was he
  merely pointing out to Cooper that he hadn't been to some places in Twin
  Peaks where he might find clues?
  
- We've seen what "There is a man in a smiling bag" means.  How about the other
  two things the Giant told Cooper:
  
  - "The owls are not what they seem."  For readers of Laura's secret diary,
    could this be related to the three things the Log Lady told Laura:
    - "Things are not what they seem."
    - "Children are prey sometimes ..."
    - "Owls are sometimes big."
    
  - "Without chemicals, he points."  He who?  The third man?  Bob/BOB?
  
- Blackie is apparently a heroin addict, dependent on Ben and Jerry?

- What was the S-N-A-G to which Jerry referred when summoning Ben from Audrey's
  room?  A snag in the mill burning plan?
  
- Did everyone notice Mark Frost playing the TV reporter?

- In Maddy's dream/vision, did she see blood or fire spreading on the carpet?
  Since they cut to a fireplace scene, I would assume it was fire.
  
- What is the significance of Leland's hair turning white?  Guilt?  Getting
  over his grief?

- Continuity error:  when Cooper and Truman were at Leo's house figuring
  out what happened, the VCR that was on top of the TV when Bobby fell against
  it (just before Hank shot Leo) is missing.
  
- What is the significance of the boots found with the cocaine?  Remember when
  Leo told Bobby in the woods: "Leo needs a new pair of shoes."
  
- What's causing the personality switch in Donna?  Is she trying to act like
  Laura to be more attractive to James?  Or is she turning into Laura (the bad
  side)?
  
- Who sent the note telling Donna to check out the Meals on Wheels?  Could it
  be the Log Lady since she was shown immediately afterwards?
  
- Albert says that Gordon Call (Cooper's boss) ordered Albert back to Twin
  Peaks.  As we have heard, David Lynch is to appear in the sixth episode as 
  the hard-of-hearing Gordon Call.
  
  Best Albertism:  
  
    Cooper: "Where does this attitude of general unpleasantness come from?"
    Albert: "I'll have to get back to you on that."
    
- From where or what did Jacoby get the smell of scorched engine oil?

- Albert confirmed that the letter found under Teresa Banks fingernail was
  'T'.  We had assumed this was the case from the blackboard in the rock
  throwing scene, but this was the first confirmation.  Still doesn't tell
  us much of what it might mean.
  
- As pointed out here last week by David Tuttle, we have a serious continuity
  error with the AB negative blood type of the third man.  Cooper says it is
  neither Laura's, Ronette's, Leo's, nor Jacques', yet in episode 5 when they
  are searching Jacques' apartment, Cooper surmises and Doc Hayward confirms
  that Jacques' blood type is AB negative.  Could this be the one thing Cooper
  forgot (according to the Giant)?  I don't think so.
  
- The actor who played the Hong Kong detective checking into the hotel in 
  episode 6 did not play the Asian man in this episode.  Is this supposed to 
  be the same man?
  
- Just what is Hank's connection to Ben and Jerry?  He's obviously been in
  on a lot of their plans.
  
- When the Giant reappears, he says, "One person saw the third man.  Three
  have seen him, yes.  But not his body.  One only, known to you, ready to
  talk." It seems clear this is Ronette.  But if she does know who the third
  man is, why does her (very disturbing) dream/memory/vision show the same man
  (Killer Bob?) as in Cooper's dream, and Sarah's vision?  Why wouldn't she
  "see" the real identity of the third man?  And for that matter, was she
  reliving the events in the railroad car?  What were the flashes of light?
  What was the image of Killer Bob running through a doorway (running through
  the hospital doorway at Ronette)?  That whole sequence was very effective and
  sent a shiver through my spine.

- Classic Lynchisms:

  - The overly long opening scene with the waiter.  It was great at relaying 
    the agony of Cooper's long wait for help.  (When will this scene be over?)
    
  - The long pan over the rows of donuts while Cooper/Albert were explaining
    what happened the night of Laura's death.  With obligatory fade-in of the 
    woods and stoplight.
    
  - The shtick with the hospital food and the doctor's comment "Nurse, I
    really mean it.  You'd better speak to that kitchen." just before
    Pete gags at the smell of it.

- And how about the ABC "save our jobs" commercial for the Saturday night
  programs?  I thought that was clever.