Twin Peaks, Episode 3.5: The Return, Part 5

Twin Peaks: The Return, Part 5
Case Files

As we roll into part five of “The Return,” Dale Cooper continues to live under the identity of Dougie Jones, his brain still utterly scrambled. Through his dumbfound stares, vague traces of his old personality start to shine through. Dougie clearly has secrets of his own, as strange men are still pursuing him. While incarcerated, Cooper's doppelganger gets his one phone call... Which does not go the way that's expected. Meanwhile, various investigations – including those in Twin Peaks and else where – continue to move at a snails' pace.

The best moment in “Part 5” are those most concerned with freaking out the audience, something David Lynch usually does a good job with. The doppelganger glares into a mirror, revealing BOB's face staring back at him. It certainly only felt like a matter of time before “Twin Peaks'” most infamous villain made a proper appearance. Even if it's only in the form of a CGI recreation of Frank Silva's face, seen reflected in a mirror. This leads up to the episode's proper climax, when the doppelganger short-circuits the prison's entire electric system with a phone call and a few words. Where it's all going or what the hell it all means is something I'm still not sure but it's cool to see.

Yet most of “The Return” is still occupied with Cooper's strangled attempts to navigate Dougie Jones' life. He repeats certain words, stares at a statue of a cowboy, and still can't go to the bathroom without some assistance. It's past the point of being tedious but I think I'm slowly starting to get it. It's not just Lynch's weird sense of humor. If “Twin Peaks,” as a whole object, is meant to be an examination of grief then Cooper's traumatized, dilapidated persona is a reflection of someone totally broken by years of trauma and unresolved pain. Though Laura's killer was revealed and caught, clearly the pain her death caused has never been settled. Perhaps all of “The Return” is a manifestation of that agony. We'll see soon enough.

Still, even in its revived form, “Twin Peaks” is “Twin Peaks.” By which I mean, this show still has several subplots I don't give a shit about. Shelly has a daughter, Becky, played by Amanda Seyfried. She has a boyfriend, a perpetually strung-out wannabe named Steve. (Who, in another connection to “Peaks” lore, works for Mike Nelson. Remember Mike?) Clearly, they are both troubled and Shelly knows it. Where is this subplot headed and will I care about it at some point? Hell if I know but the shot of Becky's face as they drive off, after getting high, is pretty cool. Whether Sheriff Truman's wife complaining about leaky plumbing or a creepy motherfucker – soon to be revealed as Audrey Horne's son – sexually menacing a girl at the Road House will manage to interest me at some point in the future remains to be seen.

Still, a big reason why “The Return” was such an event series in 2017 was a chance to revisit some familiar faces. This time, Dr. Jacoby gets a big scene all to himself. Apparently, in the years since we last saw him, the doctor has reinvented himself as an internet personality. He rants on a live stream and hocks schlocky products, in a fashion clearly inspired by Alex Jones and similar people of that ilk. While this is a bit of a surprising development, it is fun to see Russ Tamblyn ham it up to this level.

In its fifth part, “The Return” continues to frustrate and fascinate in a way that, I suppose, should be totally expected of David Lynch. I do wish the narrative was progressing in a slightly speedier fashion. That the series lived up to the intense surreal horror of those first three episodes. Yet there's obviously still thirteen hours left to go here, so I'm willing to grant Lynch some room to play around. The pros are still definitely outweighing the cons here. [7/10]