Twin Peaks saw a triumphant, challenging return in 2017. Here are the 15 scariest moments from The Return

One of the most exciting television events of 2017 was the triumphant, unexpected return of David Lynch’s seminal series, Twin Peaks. Sometimes it still feels like a crazy dream that this 18-hour dive into madness even happened. It’s safe to say that Lynch’s revival of his classic ‘90s series defied expectations and confounded viewers, just like it did 25 years ago. There are a lot of things to love about Twin Peaks: The Return, but this is Bloody Disgusting; we’re all about that horror! Accordingly, here are the most terrifying moments from the return of Twin Peaks and the biggest opportunities where David Lynch gets to prove of just how much of a madman he is!

15. Mr. C’s Arm Wrestling

Something as mundane and silly as arm wrestling usually doesn’t result in anything too memorable. This is, of course, Twin Peaks’ twisted take on arm wrestling though, so of course it’s appropriately bonkers and off-kilter. Granted, Mr. C’s arm wrestling domination of a biker gang isn’t exactly scary per se (although it is deeply awesome), but that’s what it’s at the bottom of the list. Even if the sequence doesn’t shift into genuine fear, there’s still an uncomfortable energy that fuels it. It’s never clear exactly where things are about to go and it does feel like at any moment the arm wrestling might end and everyone erupts in something more dangerous. This happens in Twin Peaks’ penultimate episode. It’s a set piece that shouldn’t work—and it wouldn’t in anything else—but Lynch’s unusual sensibilities give this sequence bite.

14. “You Were Manufactured…” – Gold Sphere and Black Smoke

Perhaps the most iconic new visuals from Twin Peaks: The Return were the gold balls and the effects that were used when the Black Lodge needs to suck souls or disassemble bodies. The unusual style and quality of these effects is what gives them so much charm and why they so strongly stand out. It feels like Lynch employs retro sensibilities to bring these unusual occurrences to life. They are truly visuals that you can only see in Twin Peaks though, so naturally they need to be a little sinister.

13. Ike the Spike Tries to Assassinate Dougie

The fear in this scene comes from the fact that a seasoned assassination is after Dougie, who up until this point illustrates that he has a very tenuous comprehension of the world around him. It seems implausible that Dougie will be able to protect himself here. That anxiety beautifully mixes with the danger that Ike the Spike brings and it’s an explosive moment. Furthermore, some helpful Lodge entities stop by to assist Dougie, which add a healthy what the fuck factor to all of this as well.

12. 25 Years Later, Laura Gets Ripped Away

This is a rather minor moment that gets lost in all of the other chaos that “Parts 1 and 2” of The Return bring to the table. In a delicious serving of fan service, Lynch decides to re-create and extend Cooper’s famous scene in the Black Lodge, with Laura. The beats from the scene are the same as they were from 25 years ago, only this time it ends in an alarming fashion. Laura appears to painfully get ripped away into the sky and disappears. It’s one of the first visuals that gets Cooper on his mission in The Return as well as an early indicator for how this will be a darker juxtaposition of its former self.

11. Bill Hastings’ Death

Bill Hastings is certainly one of the more tragic new figures to show up in The Return. The show really puts him through the wringer, which sadly ends with his messy demise. All that Hastings wants is love in his life, but the fact that he discovers the existence of other realities ultimately puts him in jeopardy. Hastings isn’t a villain, he just gets caught up in something that’s much bigger than him. He doesn’t even know what’s going on, which makes all of his pain even more devastating. If Bill’s death doesn’t freak you out, then that Woodsman with the float-away head in his jail cell definitely will!

10. The Final Glimpse of Audrey Horne

Audrey’s role in Twin Peaks: The Return is still one of the most controversial topics between fans. Sherilyn Fenn’s Audrey was one of the most beloved characters from the original series and her inclusion in The Return is not only minimal, but also confusing and belittling to the character. While there are many theories in response to what exactly is going on with Audrey and whether she’s still in a coma, trapped in the Black Lodge, or something else, it seems that most agree that something about her world is off. The final scene that the series provides of Audrey is a trippy dive into the character’s mind that ends on a note that only raises more questions. It doesn’t seem like Audrey has a happy ending though and that in itself is deeply tragic and frightening.

9. Charlene Yi Screams at the Roadhouse

This is yet another moment that doesn’t serve a larger significance, but it just works so well tonally. The Return has a lot of fun with how it uses the Roadhouse as a venue for moody music and performances, but it also takes on this weird nightmare quality. There’s one scene where Charlene Yi—whose character doesn’t even get a name—just crawls around, freaks out, and screams while at the bar. It might not make a whole lot of sense, but it sends an overwhelming message to the viewer and is the perfect way to show that something is wrong in Twin Peaks. Don’t try to decipher this, just let it take you over.

8. Bobby Briggs and Zombie Vomit

Twin Peaks can be frightening for a number of reasons, but sometimes certain sequences connect because they just make the audience feel uncomfortable. This scene in particular isn’t important to the larger story and doesn’t get called back to either. It’s just an upsetting, weird moment from a busy night in the life of Bobby Briggs. It’s purpose is not to make sense, but rather to make the audience feel overwhelmed. It certainly succeeds and is all sorts of gross, too.

7. “Mother is Coming” and the Plight of Naido

During Dale Cooper’s bizarre odyssey from the Black Lodge back to the real world, he makes some unusual detours in “holding centers,” so to speak. One of these visits takes Cooper to the Mauve Zone, which isn’t unlike an isolated prison. While in this place, a frantic woman with no eyes named Naido tries to get Cooper’s help and constantly spreads the message that “Mother is coming.” It’s a strong, disorienting sequence where Cooper is made to feel even more useless and insignificant. Naido comes back to the show in a big way, but until she gets demystified she’s such an off-putting, alarming creation.

6. “What Year Is It?”

The original ending to Twin Peaks was something that fueled decades of conversation and debate and it looks like the conclusion of The Return won’t be very different. Lynch embraces many of the themes and ideas that have guided his filmography, such as fugue states, waking dreams, and doubles. This leads The Return to a Moebius strip of an ending where reality is played with and put in a blender. Both the characters and the audience get the feeling that something is off, but just can’t put their fingers on what. Then “Cooper” asks “What year is it?”, “Laura” screams, and everything goes to hell. How’s that for an ending?

5. The Woodsman’s Rampage

The brilliance of The Return’s “Part 8” is almost too much to take in. It’s an hour of television that truly deserves to be in a museum. While this installment is full of plenty of high art, there’s also some genuinely terrifying sequences, too. A lot of this episode’s fear comes from the “Woodsman.” He’s a Black Lodge entity that puts a lot of chaos into motion and takes a lot of lives in the process. What’s even worse is that his brain crunch murder style also appears to be a mind meld of sorts where he’s maybe also absorbing information from his victims? Either way, it’s painful. Never before have the words “Gotta light?” been so loaded.

4. Richard’s Hit and Run

Some of the most powerful moments from out of Twin Peaks are when the series bombards the viewer with emotions. It’s one thing to frighten the audience, but to simultaneously make them sad or elated leads to an even more satisfying payoff. Richard Horne is a trainwreck that causes many disasters throughout The Return, but the worst of his offenses is when he carelessly runs over a young boy. Everything about this scene connects, whether it’s Richard’s reaction, the mother of the boy’s reaction, or Carl Rodd’s reaction, who witnesses the boy soul go off to another realm. It’s an assault and a lot to take in, but boy does it resonate.

3. Sarah Palmer “Defends Herself”

Sarah Palmer is one of the bigger question marks of Twin Peaks: The Return, but moments like this certainly seem to imply that some Black Lodge spirit has escaped and is using her body as its new home. One disturbing scene sees a local aggressively come onto Sarah while she drinks at a bar. Sarah proceeds to take her face off and reveal the demon underneath while she goads on, “Do you really want to fuck with this?” Then she kills the guy. It’s a surprising, brutal moment and what makes it even more effective is that Sarah seems to plead for the guy to leave her alone because she knows what his fate is going to otherwise be.

2. “Mother’s” Attack

The premiere of Twin Peaks: The Return was met with such anticipation and no one really knew what to expect. The first two episodes would be what help set the tone for this return and audiences soon learned that this was a darker and different Twin Peaks. One of the most memorable moments from the premiere involves two spectators who are watching an empty box. A mysterious millionaire has decked the place out with surveillance to make sure that if something shows up in the box that it definitely won’t be missed. When these two voyeurs begin to have sex, not only does something appear in that box, it proceeds to violently murderize these individuals. Twin Peaks holds its tongue for a long time on what exactly goes down here with “Mother,” which almost makes this violent entity all the more frightening in the end.

1. “Open Wide”

The eighth installment of Twin Peaks: The Return is one of the best things that David Lynch has ever made. It’s a slow, uneasy, experimental look at the “birth” of evil. It attempts to shine a light on the larger, primordial forces that hide in the shadows of Twin Peaks and the finished product is kind of staggering. “Part 8” presents a lot of unforgettable images, but the final moments are some of the most memorable—and disturbing—of the entire series. An innocent girl (who may or may not be Sarah Palmer) sleeps with her mouth open and a terrifying frog-like insect progressively crawls into her mouth, down her throat, and makes this girl its new host. It’s pure nightmare fuel and it speaks to that deep-seated fear of not knowing what goes on when you’re asleep. The girl doesn’t realize that she’s now playing host to this monster. Maybe this very thing has happened to you…

Twin Peaks is such a rich universe that experiences no shortage of terrifying moments. These are the bits that freaked us out, but what are the scenes that made you say, “Wow, Bob, Wow!” Sound off in the comments below.