Twin Peaks, Episode 1.1: Traces to Nowhere

Twin Peaks: Traces to Nowhere

In its first regular episode, “Twin Peaks” continues to develop the plot points of its pilot. Cooper and Sheriff Truman discover that James Hurley was in love with Laura Palmer and that he didn't kill her. They continue to pursue other leads, uncovering other people with connections to the victims. Donna reveals her love of James to her parents, who approve. Bobby and Mike get out of jail, with plans of their own but fearful of what Leo might do to them when he discovers they don't have the money he's owed. This is not the only shady shit Leo is up to, as Shelly discovers a bloody shirt in his laundry.

“Traces to Nowhere” wasn't directed by David Lynch. That duty fell to Duwayne Dunham, who would go on to edit “Wild at Heart.” (And, amusingly, direct a bunch of Disney movies.) Despite that, Dunham maintains the Lynchian atmosphere that defined so much of the pilot. During its best moments, the second episode of “Twin Peaks” has moments of odd beauty and bracing horror. A replay of the video tape of Laura's picnic, which shifts into slow-motion with her distorted voice playing over top, feels right out of “Blue Velvet.” As does a scene of Deputy Hawk pursuing a mysterious man into a blue room. When Donna talks about how James makes her feel, even in light of Laura's death, as Angelo Badalamenti's music soars, you really feel those emotions.

Yet it's the scenes of horror that perhaps make the biggest impression. “Traces to Nowhere” marks the first appearance of Killer BOB, “Twin Peaks'” phantasmatic villain. And it's only a glimpse. Sarah Palmer is still totally locked in her grief, imagining Donna as her daughter. When BOB is shown, it's as a face trapped behind the bars of Laura's old bed. Though it's a short scene, it's a small taste of the surreal horror Lynch has always excelled at. Something as simple as a man's face in a bedroom turning into creepy sight. There's also a disturbing ferocity to the moment when Leo batters Shelly, though the camera thankfully cuts away soon enough.

There's also plenty of the show's quirky humor visible in “Traces to Nowhere.” The very first scene has Dale Cooper hanging upside down in his bedroom, rambling about his hotel accommodations before delivering a hilarious non-sequitur about Marilyn Monroe and the Kennedys. In fact, a lot of the episode is devoted to developing Cooper, showing his quirky personality and particular fascination with the simple joys in life. The show's off-kilter comedy gets genuine laughs in moments concerning a fish in a peculator, Nadine's cotton balls, or the continued nonchalant quality that everyone treats the Log Lady with.

Still, as good as “Twin Peaks” can be, it was frequently a frustrating show. You can see the roots of that frustration as early as the first normal episode. There are already subplots growing that I'm relatively indifferent too. Bobby Briggs is such a little asshole, that it's hard to care too much about his interactions. Similarly, Leo Johnson is such a fucking scumbag, that any scene revolving around him is so deeply unpleasant, you want to move past them as quickly as possible. Catherine and Ben's scheming around the Packard Mill is already deeply uninteresting to me, even if Richard Beymer and Piper Laurie have wonderful chemistry together.

Still, there's a lot of wonderful stuff happening around “Twin Peaks” in its first hour-long episode. If nothing else, Dale Cooper continues to be a complete delight and watching him probe into the town's underbelly remains fascinating. [7/10]