Twin Peaks, Episode 2.5: The Orchid's Curse

Twin Peaks: The Orchid's Curse

“Twin Peaks'” second season finally begins to move some in its fifth episode, “The Orchid's Curse.” Having finally discovered that Audrey is being kept at One Eyed Jack's, Cooper decides to go above the law and assembles the Bookhouse Boys to sneak inside and save her. Meanwhile, Donna gets closer to Harold Smith, while plotting with Maddie to sneak into his house and steal Laura's secret diary. Even more meanwhile, the consequences start to catch up with Josie while a mysterious buyer makes the Horne brothers a business offer.

I still don't know if I like Harold as a character, especially with Lenny von Dohlen's twitchy and hard-to-pin-down performance. Moreover, I find it unlikely that Maddie would be pulled into another one of Donna's crazy schemes, considering how the last one turned out. Still, this subplot does produce what is probably one of Donna's best moments in recent memory. She describes a memory with Harold about a night out with Laura, that resulted in her first kiss. It's a poetic, lovely scene that nearly justifies the odd choices – a kiss? Really? – the show has made with these characters.

Considering Dale Cooper is more of an investigator than an action hero, there is some definitely novelty in seeing him sneak into the casino and take on some bad guys. It's a suspenseful sequence, especially the brief introduction of an owl. Watching our heroes get in over their heads, but ultimately outmatching the bad guys, is a satisfying feeling. Even more so after so much ludicrous build-up. Finally, Audrey is rescued and this particular plot cancer has been excised. Took 'em long enough.

Despite the relatively serious elements running throughout, “The Orchid's Curse” is still an episode with quite a lot of comic relief. Some of it works and some of it doesn't. Andy gets a phone call back from the fertility experts, leading a rather amusing exchange. His excited announcement of being “a whole damn town” is probably one of the funniest gags surrounding the character. I'm still not sure how I feel about Nadine's super-strong high school makeover. It's definitely sort of funny but it still feels like a bizarre digression, even for this show. I can certainly say that an opening bit of physical comedy, involving Leo's lift chair, was a misstep.

While “Twin Peaks” is still struggling to get out of its sophomore slump – and would continue to struggle with this going forward – “The Orchid's Curse” at least represents the show resolving and discarding some of the storylines that have been dragging down the pacing. Still, the show's identity crisis, between being an overstuffed soap opera and cutting edge television, remains far too evident. [6/10]