In which we re-watch all of Twin Peaks and spout spurious nonsense about it.

Listen to this week’s Spotify playlist.

There are times that I really suspect Lynch to be taking the piss out of the more earnest elements of his fan base and the Log Lady’s introduction to this episode is definitely one of those. “What really is creamed corn? Is it a symbol for something else?”

Margaret – as Norma calls her, respectfully – is the driving force of this week’s episode, her encounter with Major Briggs in the diner prompting his revelations to Cooper later on. I love the way the Major is completely unperturbed by her needling of him – the seemingly odd but actually rather interesting question “are you proud” is quite something to ask a military man – and this is another of these moments which are on the surface strange but actually ring true. I’ve seen a lot of people over the years deftly humouring the local ‘character’ in bars.

What the hell does Major Briggs do though? It’s classified, as he told Bobby last week, but his dot matrix printouts of space gibberish are pointing to his work being on the more X-Filesy side of government.

Meanwhile, Donna is taking some time out from James and Maddie’s doo-wop revival to deliver Laura’s meals on wheels to a lovely lady and her terrifying magical grandson (who is actually DKL’s son, statement of the obvious fans…) and some possibly symbolic creamed corn. As a non-American I actually have no idea what creamed corn is – is it just sweetcorn and cream? It doesn’t look/sound particularly appetising… Also, does Donna call her Mrs Truman or did I imagine that?

BOB’s grubby, engine oil scented fingerprints are all over this week too. He’s being a bloody terrifying identikit drawing and scaring poor Ronette all over again – and she looks very childlike in her hospital bed. His scary sketch turns up in the Great Northern too, prompting some nice plotty chunks from Leland – and doesn’t Leland seem so much better today? Glad he got over his Sinatra induced fainting episode so quickly…

And then there’s Maddie in… hold on, I have to deal with whatever is going on with James here. I mean… what is going on with James here? So he’s somehow convinced Maddie and Donna to join some kind of Paul Anka tribute band and make moony eyes at him while he sings falsetto entreatments of teenage love. Oh, teenagers are self important and easily swayed by a pretty boy but this is something else entirely…

Anyway, back to Maddie. Donna drags pouty boy off for some unconvincing snogging and a cryptic phone call, leaving poor old Madeline alone in the world’s chintziest basement. BOB is pure terror embodied, crawling and gnashing and forcing perspective – just in case we were starting to think he was some kind of normal villian… He’s probably the scariest we’ve seen since he appeared in Sarah’s living room way back in episode one.

Oh, Audrey! I nearly forgot about Audrey – she’s still out at One Eyed Jacks (which is a very silly place, incidentally. Do those girls wear that horrible nylon underwear all the time? That way lie yeast infections, people…) indulging whatever the hell Emory Buttis’ fetish is. Everyone seems very unconcerned with her disappearance, you’d think a vanishing teenage girl might be something that would ring some alarm bells given that, y’know, one just turned up dead a few days ago… “I’m Audrey Horne and I get what I want.” So did Laura…

Unsorted Observations:

Jerry’s outfit is fantastic. His smoked cheese pig looks pretty great too.

The barbershop quartet at breakfast mirrors the viking chanting from last season nicely.

OOO SUSPICIOUS BLOKE IN THE HOTEL

“rural know-nothings and drunken fly fishermen”. I love Albert…

Hank is pure soap baddie.

Leo is one hairy vegetable.

Bobby and Shelly are 50s sweethearts.

Wyndham Earl? What’s going on there then?

Donna’s all dressed in red…

JAMES, KISS THAT GIRL!

Andy cannot into sticky tape.

Lucy and Andy 4EVA

Next week: Donna learns about orchids and Nadine relives her youth…

Join The Great Twin Peaks Re-Watch here, or read last week’s post here.