Twin Peaks: The Return Part 10 pulls stray story threads together in an hour of television concerned with violence against women. Stewart Gardiner journeys into the heart of darkness underneath Twin Peaks.
By Stewart Gardiner // A storm is coming. I feel it in the water (drink full) and I smell it in the air (it’s on fire). David Lynch slows The Return’s narrative down with part 10, allowing other pieces of the story to catch up. Presumably in preparation of major things to come.
But Twin Peaks: The Return Part 10 isn’t only about moving pieces into place. Lynch has taken a fascinating approach to the material. It’s an episode of television deeply concerned with misogyny and the violence perpetrated against women. The Log Lady states that “Laura is the one,” which is obviously of narrative importance, particularly in light of part 8. But it also reaffirms that the abuse Laura Palmer suffered lies at the black heart of this story. Laura is the strongest of all characters on Twin Peaks; Fire Walk With Me makes that abundantly clear. Unfortunately Laura is not alone in experiencing such suffering in the world.
There is fire, there is darkness, but there is also light. Twin Peaks deals in all of it.
The Postman Always Rings Twice
If Laura Palmer is a hero (which she is), then Richard Horne is the worst sort of monster. There’s nothing supernatural about Richard, even if he does turn out to be the offspring of Audrey Horne, and Mr C. Leland Palmer’s culpability in abusing and killing Laura is certainly called into question during Fire Walk With Me. There are no such questions surrounding Richard. He’s as unlikable a character as I’ve ever encountered; a revolting excuse for a human being.
Miriam witnessed Richard run over the boy and drive off. In part 10 he confronts her in her trailer. She informs him that she has spoken to the police and has also sent a letter to Sheriff Truman that morning. Richard loses it and breaks into her home. The camera remains outside as Richard attacks her. Lynch, always a master of sound design, ensures the audience experience is suitably sickening. “Listen to the sounds,” said ???????, who also mentioned a Richard. This is not music that is in the air.
A History of Violence
Richard lights a candle before he leaves the trailer. He calls Chad and asks him to intercept the letter at the station. Which is rather like a plot line from a 1930s screwball comedy (who sends letters these days anyway?), but that gives it power. Because beneath the surface it is about the evil that men do. The juxtaposition only heightens the horror.
Inside the trailer, Miriam lies in a pool of blood. Richard lighting the candle may have seemed like another Twin Peaks quirk (like Hank and his domino), but only for a moment. For there is nothing quirky about the human slime known as Richard Horne. He has left the gas on and the oven open. What is implied is as powerful as what is heard and I want to cry for Miriam.
Red River Valley
“From this valley they say you are going,” goes the first line of “Red River Valley.” Carl Rodd sits outside in the New Fat Trout Trailer Park singing the song. The editing of part 10 suggests Carl is attuned to the passing of another soul, in this case Miriam.
He is also in tune with his immediate surroundings. A red coffee mug flies out of a nearby trailer’s window. The color red abounds in part 10. Noticeable appearances include: river (Carl), blood (Miriam), mug (right here), scarf (Candie), shoes (Janey-E), door (Janey-E and Dougie), and flannel (Dr Amp). Turns out the mug was thrown by an apoplectic Steven as he rages at Becky. He’s messed up on whatever drug or lack of drugs is affecting him. He is paranoid, vicious, and weak.
Death by Television
Part 10 spends time in the presence of the Mitchum brothers and attending chorus girls Candie, Sandie, and Mandie. Rodney Mitchum is doing paperwork as Candie stalks a fly with a red scarf. She loses the scarf in an attempt at the fly and looks for another weapon nearby. A TV remote control does the trick. Except it does more than that and she wallops Rodney across the side of the face with it. He is knocked over, his face bloodied.
This burst of unexpected and indeed unintentional violence is pure Lynch. Candie is distraught as she didn’t intend to hurt him. Rodney (who was seen in an earlier part beating up a casino manager) tries to soothe her. “Candie, Candie. I’m fine. I’m okay.” The fact that she hit him with a TV remote is the kind of strong metaphor Lynch is not afraid of using, albeit sparingly. Think of the television screen opening of Fire Walk With Me. That smashed screen cannot help but be viewed, at least in part, as some comment upon Twin Peaks’ treatment at the hands of network executives. Lynch is highlighting violence against women in part 10, which is a subject often utilized on television, but rarely addressed beyond the superficial.
What a World
On one hand the violence here is being perpetrated by a woman and the man is apologetic. Typical roles have been reversed. But look a little closer and all is not quite as it seems. Candie weeps uncontrollably (very Lynch OTT), as her colleagues busy themselves making drinks for the brothers. They are there at the Mitchums’ beck and call, at their convenience. The casualness of the patriarchal hierarchy is striking. Furthermore, there is a distance to the girls, a disconnectedness. They act like victims of abuse, cowed in their masters’ presence. Abuse comes in many different forms of course. That of Richard is compared with Steven and juxtaposed with the Mitchums. Lynch has drawn irrefutable connections between them, while acknowledging that it is not a single note issue. Laura is the one, but she is not the only one.
Candie later appears to be the most disconnected of the chorus girls. Her mind is off planet. The Mitchums have to snap her out of it on a number of occasions. She may not be weeping anymore, but the signs are far from encouraging.
Here’s Johnny
Johnny Horne is wearing protective clothing. He is tied to a chair/dining table. This isn’t some sick Frank Booth stuff going down in part 10, but after Johnny’s headfirst dive into the wall in part 9 one assumes his mother is trying to protect him. He has a friend at least. If you can call Teddy from A.I. via one of Lynch’s paintings a friend. The bear repeats, “Hello Johnny, how are you today?” continually. It does not have a friendly face. Instead, it has a glass ball and light bulbs lighting up as it talks. Yikes! Still, if anyone out there is thinking of producing some really unique Twin Peaks merchandise then this is your chance to shine. You know, for kids!
Richard turns up at his grandmother Sylvia’s house wanting money. This all but confirms he is Audrey’s son, as there sure isn’t any father-son chat between him and Johnny. He terrorizes his grandmother, grabbing her by the throat and screaming obscenities at her. It recalls the way he treated the young woman in the Roadhouse when Lynch introduced the character. Richard also reminds one of Leo Johnson in these moments. More examples of domestic abuse.
Shades of Pink
But there is thankfully love in the air elsewhere. Janey-E takes Dougie to see the doctor (it’s the doctor from Enterprise, alternate reality theorists!). He is in peak (Peaks?) physical condition and Janey-E sure as heck notices. A topless Cooper is sure to raise the temperature in a room (making it a red room?). Janey-E gives him a look that says, Just you wait Dougie. Just you wait.
Back at the ranch, Lynch focuses in on Janey-E’s red shoes. She has her toes together, heels pushing away. It’s a Wizard of Oz reference in reverse. Instead of the heels clicking together as Dorothy wills herself to go home, Janey-E is comfortable in the fact that she is home. Within Lynch’s oeuvre it also brings to mind the verbal rape scene of Wild At Heart, where Lulu wants to escape like Dorothy.
Janey-E is wearing shades of pink, which draws a correlation between her and the chorus girls. But they couldn’t be in more different situations. Janey-E asks Dougie if he finds her attractive, but she is not seeking approval or validation. She is attracted to him and wants him. Dougie may think that chocolate cake he is eating is damn fine, but he’s about to get a wake up call. Even if Coop doesn’t actually wake up.
The Wings of Love
Cut to sex scene. Janey-E is on top and Dougie is flapping his arms like a bird. Which is hilarious, but doesn’t veer into ridiculousness. In character terms it works absolutely beautifully. And after all the abuses of part 10, it’s a delight to see the joy of love. Afterwards Dougie has the most beatific smile on his face.
“Dougie, I love you,” Janey-E tells him. “Love you,” says Dougie. It’s a lovely and intimate moment and it makes me feel sad. I worry that something terrible is going to happen to Janey-E. Part 10 does nothing to dissuade that notion as a possibility. But because I can’t believe Janey-E will meet an awful fate, I wonder what will become of them as a couple when Cooper wakes up.
The Silence
The love doesn’t end with Janey-E and Dougie in part 10. Albert and Constance are having dinner together and there’s a beautiful moment where Gordon and Tammy look on, full of joy. Albert’s brilliant, acerbic dialogue has defined him in the past. It therefore seems perfect that the audience doesn’t get to hear what Albert and Constance say to each other. A wonderfully judged moment.
More love: Ben Horne is no longer with Sylvia and he asks Beverly out on a date. She called him a good man last week for not kissing her. Where will this place him on the cosmic scales?
While I’m checking in with the Hornes, I would be remiss to ignore Jerry. He may not be in love, but he is still in the woods. “You can’t fool me! I’ve been here before!” he screams at no one and everyone. His foot doesn’t say anything.
Gordon Cole: The Art Life
Gordon Cole is sitting in his hotel room sketching. He draws a hand reaching out towards a short-legged reindeer creature. I’ve been immersing myself in Lynch’s artwork recently, not only going through the art books but watching the documentaries The Art Life and Pretty as a Picture. It’s a special moment seeing Lynch creating a new piece of art on screen and in character as Gordon Cole.
There is a knock on the door and Gordon answers. It is Laura, or at least a vision of her. She is crying, her face disconcertingly taking up almost the entire doorway. A truly holy cow moment on a show known for them. Gordon Cole has been investigating blue rose cases for a long time now. The visions are however new from an audience perspective. Is he another of the intuitive detectives? Cooper, Jeffries, and Desmond all displayed abilities. Albert was always rational. I thought Cole was too. Up to a point I suppose. Very interesting indeed.
The Site
The vision fades and it is Albert. He tells Cole that Diane received a text after Mr C escaped. The same text Mr C sent to someone in part 9. Tammy traced it to a “server in Mexico.” Albert explains that Diane then sent a heavily encrypted message:
“They have Hastings. He’s going to take them to the site.”
Gordon sensed something wasn’t quite right with her and this confirms it for him. They will keep her close. I still don’t think she is working with Mr C though. Who is she working for however?
Enter Tammy, who brings up the “penthouse murders.” “This was just found on one of the earliest cards,” Tammy says. The image shows Mr C sitting in the glass box. A bald man with glasses sits outside the box, watching him. Theories on a million postcards to The Search for the Zone please.
“Damn,” says Gordon. “This is something. This is really something.”
The Glow is Dying
The Log Lady’s phone call to Hawk needs no commentary from me:
“Hawk, electricity is humming. You hear it in the mountains and rivers. You see it dance amongst the seas and stars. And glowing around the moon. But in these days the glow is dying. What will be in the darkness that remains? The Truman brothers are both true and they are your brothers – and the others, the good ones, who have been with you. Now the circle is almost complete. Watch and listen to the dream of time and space. It all comes out now, flowing like a river. That which is and is not. Hawk, Laura is the one.”
Something is about to happen. Next week perhaps?
No Stars
Part 10 closes in the Roadhouse with Rebekah Del Rio. Del Rio’s turn on Mulholland Drive is of the most memorable sequences in cinema and it already seems like she has always been part of Twin Peaks. Del Rio, Lynch, and John Neff wrote “No Stars” together some years back and it works perfectly here. What a truly magical combination. The song gathers up the violence, sadness, hate, and love of part 10, and allows it to flow out.