Twin Peaks, Episode 2.3: The Man Behind the Glass

Twin Peaks: The Man Behind the Glass

Officially, the episodes of “Twin Peaks”  don't actually have titles. When overseas, the episodes were granted unique titles, which fans then adopted. “The Man Behind the Glass” has to rank among the more vague titles. Cooper, Albert, and Sheriff Truman continue their search for BOB, especially after it seems the killer leaves a surprise for them with Ronette Pulanski. Leland provides them with a clue while Philip Gerard, the One-Armed Man, also appears to point in a certain direction. The investigators also hypnotize Dr. Jacoby, in hopes he can identify Jacques Renault's killer. Meanwhile, Jacques' brother, Jean, arrives at One Eyed Jack's and intends on using Audrey in a scheme to get revenge on his brother's killer.

“The Man Behind the Glass” is one of those episodes of “Twin Peaks” that is practically consumed by the different subplots. However, the episode somehow features one of my favorite moments in the show's entire history. After firing off another obnoxious comment, Sheriff Truman threatens Albert Rosenfield. Albert fires back with a monologue that confirms his loyalties and defuses the situation in the most unexpected way. It's a gorgeous bit of acting from Miguel Ferrier, managing to be both funny and oddly sweet. This isn't the only moment in the episode I enjoy. The moment the One-Armed Man's human persona fades, and MIKE takes control again, is neat. Jacoby being hypnotized is well shot too, the Hawaiian motif being taken to its logical extreme.

Sadly, “The Man Behind the Glass” does concern itself with a lot of shit nobody cares about. I'm fond of Lucy and Andy. However, I'm having difficult getting invested in the plotline surrounding her pregnancy. Largely because Dick Tremayne, her possible Baby Daddy, is such a cartoonish asshole, a foppish dandy of the most obnoxious type. The sudden plot twist involving Ed and Nadine, her awakening with super-strength and a teenager's personality, is definitely kind of funny. It also feels like the writers are completely grasping at straws with what to do with those two. I further dread what the mysterious Japanese man is getting up to, bringing Josie Packard's melodrama back into the fold.

In particular, two story lines are really starting to drag this show down. It feels like Audrey has been trapped inside One Eyed Jack's for a very long time. I'm a fan of Michael Parks and his wonderfully ridiculous French accent. However, Jean Renault's appearance feels like a desperate attempt to combine Audrey's floundering story line with the main plot. Worst yet, Audrey herself has almost no agency at this point, reduced to a damsel-in-distress. One-Eyed Jack's was more interesting as a den of sin, not the nexus point of international intrigue.

Yet it's still way more interesting than whatever the hell is happening between Donna, James, and Maddie. Listen, Donna and James have never been my favorite characters on this show to begin with. She's slightly on the bland side. He's a bit whiny. Maddie is fine. These negative qualities are only being emphasized now that the writers have rushed the three of them into a love triangle.  James comes off like an impulsive dumb-ass, kissing Maddie for really no discernible reason. Donna's actions, which range from angrily monologue-ing at Laura's grave or storming out of her home, feel hopelessly melodramatic. I just don't care, you guys.

Sadly, “Twin Peaks” is getting so wrapped up in various subplots, that the main story has slowed to a crawl. The only two genuinely relevant bits of information we learn in this episode are: The exact way Leland knew who BOB as a child and Donna discovering Laura's journal with Harold Smith. Albert's speech is amazing but it's stuck inside an otherwise tedious episode. [6/10]