Catching up with the many mysteries in Twin Peaks 2017 (spoilers)

Kyle MacLachlan in a still from Twin Peaks. Photo: Suzanne Tenner/SHOWTIME

Warning: spoilers for the first five episodes of the new Twin Peaks

Well, we are almost one-third of the way into the return of the cult classic TV series Twin Peaks, and David Lynch and company have certainly provided a mystery-packed five episodes so far. The concern, with so many plot lines and a cast list boasting 217 actors, is which stories will be resolved by the end of the season’s run.

First off, let’s talk about the heart and soul of the revival, Kyle MacLachlan’s Agent Dale Cooper. We have yet to be reunited with the coffee and donut-loving, quirky FBI agent we remember from the show’s original run. That Agent Cooper escaped the Black Lodge, only to be trapped in doppelgänger Dougie Jones, unable to convey to anyone his true identity. The Evil Cooper is in jail, trying to keep from being sucked back into the Black Lodge. In the last episode, “Dougie” perked up when given “case files” and hearing the word “agent,” but, the episode closed with him staring at a statue as day turned to night. It seems the good agent won’t be joining us anytime soon.

As for some of the series’ returning characters, we meet Mädchen Amick’s character Shelly’s daughter, Becky Burnett, played by Amanda Seyfried, who shares her mother’s horrible taste in men. Becky is married to Steven Burnett, a loser who can’t seem to land a job and is fond of the nose candy. (Steven is played by Caleb Landry Jones, who played the awful brother to Allison Williams in the recent hit movie Get Out. And yes, I did have to Google that. I recognized him, but just couldn’t place the face.) Fun fact: Steven is rejected for a job by Mike Nelson (played by Gary Hershberger), who was partners in crime with Bobby Briggs back during the days of the original series. Some amateur Twin Peaks sleuths are positing that Becky may be the new Laura Palmer.

Speaking of Laura Palmer, Sheryl Lee, the actress who plays the doomed high school student, spoke with Vulture about returning to the role that made her famous. When asked if Laura will pop up again on the revival, she said “It’s not even like I know! I’m watching it with you guys. I can’t wait to see what happens on Sunday. It’s like a dream world, it’s not meant to be dissected.”

As a fan of the original series, I’m happy to see so many returning favorites, like Laura, the Log Lady (Catherine Coulson, RIP), Nadine Hurley (Wendy Robie) and even David Duchovny’s agent Denise Bryson. But where is Audrey Horne, played by Sherilyn Fenn? The actress isn’t in the iMDB’s cast listing for the show, but it’s rumored that she’s making a return. According to the 2016 novel The Secret History of Twin Peaks, written by the series’ co-creator, Mark Frost, Audrey was saved in the explosion in the bank vault by Pete Martell (played by Jack Nance, from Lynch’s Eraserhead, who sadly passed away in 1996). While Audrey is still M.I.A., there is another Horne on the scene.

Near the end of the fifth episode, we meet an unsavory character at the Bang Bang Club, who assaults a female patron. His name? Richard Horne (played by Eamon Farren). Is he Audrey’s child? If so, who’s the father? With her pretty obvious crush on the good Agent Dale, Audrey could have been deceived and seduced by Evil Cooper. And, in the brief scene, we could definitely see a dark resemblance between the two of them.

Even though there are still 13 more hours to go, the burning question tally is rising quickly. What happened to Matthew Lillard’s charter, a school principal accused of murder? What happened to the black box in New York that caused the demise of Sam (Benjamin Rosenfield) and Tracy (Madeline Zima)? How come Major Garland Briggs’ fingerprints keep showing up places after his demise? How many more story lines can they possibly cram into this show? And where can I pick up my own Dr. Amp’s Gold S**t-Digging Shovel? I need one desperately, and I have $29.99 to spare.

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Photos: Showtime/Suzanne Tenner, Getty Images

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13 Responses to “Catching up with the many mysteries in Twin Peaks 2017 (spoilers)”

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  1. Alyse says:

    I am enjoying it but am so confused at times. But everytime something bizarre happens it brings a smile to my face. It does make me sad to see Agent Cooper look so lost though, i hope he realises who he is pretty soon.

    I think you have explained things pretty well.

  2. shenannagins says:

    Yaaas! I’ve been hoping CB would post about TP. I binge watched the original series last year, and didn’t want to watch TWIN because I heard it was bad. However, I’ve seen several Lynch fans post how the movie and the Secret History of TP do help in understanding some parts of this new series. I’m also way too involved in the fan theories on the official TP facebook page. I shouted when Bobby came on screen, and can’t wait for Audrey to show up. The Dougie storyline is annoying the crap out of me. I can’t wait for Coop to come back full force!

    • Nancito says:

      @shenannagins – do you have to watch the original Twin Peaks before watching this new series? I’m hoping just to start with the new series.

      • shenannagins says:

        Nancito, it helps for the most part if you watch TOS first, but I think you could jump in without seeing it and be okay, especially since the original cast hasn’t been too heavily involved in the episodes so far. I feel like the new series is a slow burn, so I’m trying to be patient lol. I really liked most of the original cast’s characters, and hope we see more of them in the upcoming episodes. I’m hoping to pick up the Twin Peaks book and watch the movie, Fire Walks With Me, and hoping it makes other parts of the new series make a bit of sense, like the weird room with the woman with no face. On the TP FB page, they mention how certain things in the new series are tied to the movie, like Blue Rose, and Argentina. PS- for anyone who wants to check out the new series/watch TOS, Showtime’s doing a free 30 day trial. 😉

      • FuefinaWG says:

        I recommend watching the original show, first, because of Agent Dale Cooper’s personality and the back stories of other characters. I mean, c’mon … Nadine. LOL … What an odd show … so delightfully odd …

    • Nancito says:

      Thank you so much! @shenannagins

  3. toni says:

    I so hope that asshole in the Bang Bang Bar isn’t Audrey’s, because it would take a really dark turn if his father is DoppelgangerCoop. You know that wouldn’t be a consentual meet up.

    I hope he’s Jerry’s or Ben’s son. Both had a habit of sleeping around.

    Also real Cooper is put in place of Dougie who was dragged back into the Black Lodge and vanished. The reason why Cooper isn’t himself is that he spent so much time in the Black Lodge where linear time doesn’t exist. Remember that Major Briggs spent couple of days there and when he came back he had trouble speaking and remembering. Now imagine that after 25 years.

    I love the new show, it’s as intriguing and eccentric as David Lynch.

  4. Insomniac says:

    I have very little idea what’s going on, but I’m loving this anyhow. Didn’t realize how badly I needed Twin Peaks in my life again. Hawk and Log Lady wishing each other “good night” gave me all the feelings during the premiere. And somehow, Dr. Jacoby being an Internet conspiracy nut/huckster seems exactly right.

    Only thing that’s bothering me is that nobody around “Dougie” (who’s really Dale Cooper) has been moved enough by his weird behavior to call 911. I mean, if my husband turned up at breakfast unable to speak or dress himself properly, I’d be freaking the hell out, not just mildly annoyed. But it’s David Lynch, so I’m willing to deal with that.

    • leidub311 says:

      Ha! I kept telling my husband that was annoying me too. Like, hello? How does his wife not think he had a stroke or something?!?!

  5. shenannagins says:

    Toni, thanks for the Major Briggs reminder. I forgot about that! I’m here for the theory that Dougie was created in case Cooper ever escaped from the Black Lodge, so Bob/Bad Coop wouldn’t get sucked back in. I’m really hoping the triggers (agent, case files etc) help Coop remember everything more quickly. I’m also interested to see how the Blue Rose and Mr. Strawberry turn out. One theory is Mr. Strawberry is Windham Earl, but I thought Bob killed him in TOS.

  6. JudithButlr says:

    I think the new season demonstrates how much Lynch needed the network and Frost to actually have PLOT LINES that are interesting. I’m sorry, but the “Cooper in Space” hour was silent and boring. The contrast between the first season and a half of TP versus the new season (we won’t talk about the second half of season 2 here) is so stark….and disappointing. It got better with some semblance of plot with Lillard’s murder mystery, but it’s just too self-indulgent on Lynch’s part and I’m somewhat baffled by all the glowing praise because come on, 40 minutes without dialogue is just overly pretentious crap.

    • FuefinaWG says:

      But you have to remember that “movies” tell a story through pictures and the dialogue is only to propel the story forward when needed …
      Plus, I love the overly pretentious crap. It’s delightful …