Subject: Re: Lynch - CRITICISM!!!
From: csu@alembic.acs.com (Dave Mack)
Date: 1990-12-06, 20:50
Newsgroups: alt.tv.twin-peaks

In article <28216@megaron.cs.arizona.edu> gln@cs.arizona.edu (Gary Newell) writes:
> >In article <1990Dec3.172554.267@iowasp.physics.uiowa.edu>, wilson@iowasp.physics.uiowa.edu (Peter D. Wilson) writes:
>> >> In article <28197@megaron.cs.arizona.edu>, gln@cs.arizona.edu (Gary Newell) writes:
>>> >> > The scene with naval
>>> >> > personnel bouncing rubber balls in the GN while a spastic one-armed man
>>> >> > wiggles in his chair would seem an example of this in my opinion - what
>>> >> > purpose did those people serve? Did it relate in anyway to the plot? 
>> >>   This scene has been brought up several times as evidence that TP is
>> >>   worthless crap.  The basis for the claim is that it has nothing to
> >
> >I didn't say worhtless crap - my point is that a number of scenes did nothing
> >to advance the plot - the one above along with various things that dealt with
> >the murder (why wasn't ronnette offed anyway? - seems strange that Bob/leland
> >would put a letter under her nail and not just snuff her...)

What you don't seem to understand is that this is not typical television
series crap, where you have to do everything and present all the answers
in a neat little package in 48 minutes of air time.

The Who Killed Laura Palmer Show took (give or take) 20 hours to present
the complete story, with maybe a dozen subplots twisted in. With that
kind of time, the show's writers and directors can *afford* to take
excursions which don't advance the particular plot you're interested in.
They can do things that no other show can afford to do in terms of
visual presentation. They can develop characters who have character.
They can go off on tangents for a while before returning to the
main theme.

As an example, allow me to cite a scene which had absolutely nothing
to do with the WKLP thread: Nadine's suicide picnic. That was an 
absolutely stunning piece of drama, beautiful and heartbreaking.
If advancing the central plot line were the only criteria the producers
of TP used, that piece of film would never have been shot, and it
would have been a damned shame.

As for your question about Ronette: watch the show; it isn't over, we
haven't been given all the answers yet. We may never be given all the
answers, but I seriously doubt that BOB and MIKE are gone forever, nor
the Tremonds or the Giant. We'll probably find out exactly why the owls
are not what they seem and why Cooper doesn't like birds. Ronette will
undoubtedly come out of her coma and have something to impart.

Give it time. It doesn't all have to happen in one hour. Enjoy the ride.

-- Dave Mack