Couchbound/Continued #367 - Supernatural: Season 1, Episode 17, "What Would Buffy Do?"

Before a few weeks ago, I'd only ever caught Supernatural occasionally on a whim while traveling. As regular Couchbound readers will know, I cut the cord a long time ago and never looked back. As such, even shows that find their way to Netflix can breeze right on by me if I don't get a nudge from friends. Honestly, I knew more about the show from internet memes than anything else before this spring. While I'm not going to say that my friend telling me to pop it in my queue has been a life-changing experience, I must admit, it's a cute show.

I picked this particular episode to comment on first (granted, I'm still only on the first season) because I think this is the point where the writers decided to say "to hell with it" and really go meta. There had been hints before, one-liner throwaway jokes about aliases or pop culture tidbits, but to straight up name-drop Buffy the Vampire Slayer? Oh yeah, it's on.

Set in yet another small town that looks oddly like British Columbia, the Hell House episode shows us what the power of the internet combined with Tibetan "concentration symbols" can do, which is apparently bring a horror meme to life.

Thank GOD that Slenderman hadn't been invented back when this episode first aired a decade ago.

Of course the standouts for the episode are the brash geeks who stumble into (and pretty much single handedly create) the evil internet tulpa story to the consternation of the Brothers Winchester. They very much remind me of Andrew and Johnathan from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, two lonely nerds trying to make their way in the ghost world. The fact that they pull a "WWBD" dialogue filled with sad cliches is both the icing on the cake and the poison hidden inside of it.

Like the Sherlock Groupies lampooned in Series 3 of that show, Supernatural doesn't really pull any punches when it comes to making fun of what is probably a largish segment of their fanbase. Of course, we can laugh and say it's all in good fun and they deserve the fish and false flag optioning because the two geeks are arrogant pricks who DON'T do the right thing (which plays exactly into Sam and Dean's hands via reverse psychology), but still, it seems a little mean-spirited to me.

I'm also not a huge fan of the random prank war that broke out between Sam and Dean. It just sort of sprang out of nowhere and, while I could get behind the idea if it played out over a series of several episodes, having them trying to one up each other every seen just felt a bit too much, too soon.

And where does one even find itching powder in rural Vancouver... I mean, Texas? 

That said, I still liked the episode. Not my favorite, so far... but I've been told the series gets quite a bit better once it hits its stride around season 3 or so, with the introduction of Castiel.

We'll see.

Probably in a few weeks to a month as, despite my ci comme ça feeling for this one, I'm invested enough in its routines, quirks, and strengths that I want to give it more of a chance.

Until later, Potatoes~

Day Three Hundred and Sixty-five - The Cabin in the Woods, "THIS... IS... IT!"

I had absolutely no idea what to expect the first time I saw The Cabin in the Woods. I knew it was done by Drew Goddard and Mutant Enemy (see: Joss Whedon, et al.) so I had high hopes, but never was I expecting to be as blown away by its complete and utter subversion of the horror genre.

To put it simply, The Cabin in the Woods is the perfect homage to all of what encompasses Horror Films... and is a damned hilarious comedy as well. It's so good that it's supplanted every other Horror movie in existence to become my favorite of all time.

The story is fairly straight-forward, but is told in an unusual manner. In fact, just based on the cold open (which features key antagonists Bradley Whitford and Richard Jenkins, as well as Whedonverse alum Amy Acker), you wouldn't think it a horror film at all... until the title card gives you a screaming jump scare and the stereotypical victims are all introduced.

As the college kid weekend getaway progresses and is contrasted with the bunker scenes, the film's strange conspiracy begins to reveal itself and the audience gleans that the whole shebang is a very carefully choreographed human sacrifice to ancient eldritch horrors. The victims choose their doom and the bureaucrats do their damnedest to make sure said doom comes to pass, for the survival of our entire species.

Of course, things go wrong and even as the pretty young things die one by one, the survivors manage to stumble on the inner workings of the sacrifice and throw a giant monkey-wrench into the works, dooming both themselves and us all to Hell on Earth at the hands of the ancient ones... and you're not quite sure they're wrong for doing so.

While I like how pretty much every one of the victims inverts their stereotypes in entertaining ways, the real stars of the show for me are Richard Jenkins and Bradley Whitford. While I love both of them for the tremendous character actors that they are (see them in films/series like Killing Them Softly, The West Wing, and The Good Guys... Rich in the first and Brad in the latter two), it's here that their humor and presence really shines. From the laughter they inspire picking on The Harbinger (Tim de Zarn) and their cute dance routine to the serious moments like the quiet prayer Jenkins intones after the first death, these two "puppetmasters" really make the movie for me.

Cabin also bears the distinction of having Chris Hemsworth pre-Thor as Cabin was filmed just after Star Trek, but was shelved for several years, first due to 3D post conversion and then MGM's bankruptcy. Thank the Old Gods that it eventually came out (the 3D wasn't necessary at all), but I'm sort of glad Thor was released to theaters first as it provides fodder for a hilarious riff of Hemsworth during the keg scene ("ANOTHER!") that I always say no matter how many times I watch the film. Not that the film deserves riffing, as it's pretty close to perfection in my opinion, but is one of those movies that can take it (and take it well) even though riffing is not required.

Quick shoutout to Sigourney Weaver who makes a late game cameo not unlike her role in Pegg and Frost's Paul. It's a last minute treat that sends the movie over the top, I think.

And... that's pretty much it.

An entire year of Netflix: movies, series, documentaries, three hundred and sixty-five days of media all delivered over the internet at, what, nine bucks a month? I spent a hundred and eight dollars (plus electricity) for my daily doses of television and film. Sure, there was plenty of content that I wanted to see which never hit the Stream or dropped off before I could get to it, but there were also tooooons of episodes and movies that I never blogged about... usually binges of MLP:FiM or Phineas & Ferb, Cosmos (before it left) or MacGyver.

Good times.

I think I'll do a retrospective of some sort tomorrow... but, tonight? It's time to party. A full YEAR of Netflix. Wow. Kind of tearing up a little.

Thanks for reading, Potatoes~

Day Three Hundred and Thirty-one - MST3K: Werewolf, "What is it with vaguely European productions?"

I want to feel bad for Joe Estevez as he's the obvious black sheep actor of the family. Where Martin, Charlie, and Emilio have had such grand careers, he's stuck in crappy films like Werewolf and Soultaker. Now, don't get me wrong, he adds a lot of comedic value to such movies, especially with the help of Mike and the Bots, but still... kinda depressing.

Set in the greater Flagstaff, AZ area, Werewolf first follows a half hour of skinwalker drama as a group of European scientists find the skeleton of a long dead lycanthrope and discover than not only is it real, but it has infected one of their Native American laborers. After a small mount of Howling-level wolf antics, the pictures nominal main character, the writer Paul (also European), who falls into the honeytrap of Natalie who falls into his lap and somehow gains the lycanthropy virus.

The villain, Yuri (who is cursed with both bad hair and lighting), spends a good half hour of the film "discovering" the particulars of the werewolf curse, stealing some lycan blood from the hospital and infecting a random (also European) security guard who apparently transforms while circling the block in "Flagstaff" (Glendale, California) due to the fact that he passes THE SAME GAS STATION half a dozen times. Talk about reusing your stock footage. It's pretty damn hilarious to watch him go through the transformation over the period of 5-10 minutes and freak out, killing himself in a fiery explosion.

There's also a hilarious sequence where film lead Paul, now a wurewelf (no, seriously, listen to Natalie pronounce it), starts dry humping his own bed in the throws of lunar fever. This tendency recurs when he kills some random couple in the middle of their foreplay on a muddy road. Well, he kills the girl, anyway, by giving her neck raspberries.

Werewolf is a crap movie that is made hilarious by Mike and the Bots. Keep an eye out for Militiaman Santa, the most effeminate biker ever, and that SAME DAMN GAS STATION! The inbetweeners are a bit hit or miss. The 50's love song with the guys in drag was blah, but Mike as a Were-Crow was freaking hilarious. All in all a worthy pick to have in rotation on Netflix.

Until tomorrow, Potatoes~

Day Three Hundred and Four - Twin Peaks: Season 2, Episode 22, "It's OVER... It's FINALLY over! *sob*"

THIS IS IT, LADIES AND GERMS!

We've made it at last to the final episode of Twin Peaks (not counting Fire Walk With Me, which isn't available on Instant Stream) and I couldn't be happier!

There's not a lot happening in the mundane world as the grand majority of the episode centers on Coop's travels to The Waiting Room and The Black Lodge, but there are a few things.

Audrey handcuffs herself to the bank vault at the Savings & Loan where Andrew and Pete set off an explosive device left for them by Eckhardt as one last piece of revenge (Pete! No!). No chance of Pete coming back for the sequel if Lynch keeps his hinted promise of returning to Silent Hill-I mean, Twin Peaks-in 25 years when Laura says she will see Agent Cooper again.

Donna packs up and makes ready to leave, but is stopped by her father returning. Due to the charged emotions, thanks to Ben paying a visit, Doc Hayward snaps and pushes Ben down, where he lands face-first into the fireplace stone and possibly fractures his skull.

Andy and Lucy cement their relationship thanks to Andy's pledge to help her bear her child no matter the location or witnesses and they finally confess their love to one another. Just a side note there, I really love the little lilting gasp that Lucy lets out when she hears Andy say it for the first time (at least, in our sight).

That's the mundane world... but the real meat is Coop in The Black Lodge. THIS is David Lynch at his finest and there are a lot of parallels here to the supernatural murder mystery he did for the big screen a few years later, Lost Highway.

At the beginning of the episode, Windham takes Annie behind the Red Curtains at Glastonbury Grove and Coop follows as quickly as he, Truman, Pete, and the Log Lady assemble all the clues. Coop in The Waiting Room and Black Lodge are some of the most mysterious and symbolic sequences from the entire series. Not only does he meet several versions of The Man From Another Place, but also The Giant, Caroline/Annie, Windham Earle, Laura Palmer and her many Doppelgangers, BOB, Leland's Doppel, and Agent Cooper's own Shadow Self.

While there's plenty of mystery, the fun lies in the horror to be found. I just love Laura's Doppelgangers as they scream and flail in reverse and the other Man and his jittering dance is pretty creepy. I especially liked BOB intervening and taking Windham Earle's soul before setting Coop's Doppel on the chase.

I know it shouldn't be funny, but Kyle MacLachlan's gallop when he plays the Doppelganger is so goofy even as it creeps you out. I sort of shudder to think what BOB will do in Agent Cooper's body, since it seems that the Doppel catching Coop means he's no longer in the driver's seat of his own being, but that's half the fun. My own personal theory, thanks to Laura saying she'll see him again in 25 years, is that he's been trapped in The Waiting Room with TMFAP and The Giant for the past two and a half decades, waiting for his vision from that first dream sequence to come true (Laura kissing his older self and whispering the name of her killer).

If there's any justice to the world, Lynch et al. are planning a reunion TV movie (or maybe miniseries) for 2015 that will bring everyone back so that we know what happens, but I'm not holding my breath. The closest we get might be the sendup episode of Psych that aired a few seasons ago (that's available on the Instant Stream~). Either way, there will be no Pete unless they sub in someone in copious bandages. Heh, Pete as the Invisible Man.

You know, despite how rough it could be, there were some truly great moments in the series that really did influence pop and counter culture to a noticeable extend. I mean, you have the aforementioned episode of Psych, but also The Simpsons, The Killing, and many, many more examples all throughout the gamut of media and mediums. Without Twin Peaks, I wonder if we would've gotten X-files or Fringe? Lost or Silent Hill? I doubt it, but that's just my opinion.

In any case, it's been a long, sometimes painful road to this point. October's Couchbound Spooktacular has had many ups and downs... the second season of Twin Peaks being mostly downs... but it's been fun, especially tonight! The Red Curtains always make my day (and frighten me at night). Thanks for joining me and look forward to tomorrow as we get back to our regularly scheduled Couchbound programming with, you guessed it, PONIES!

Until tomorrow, Potatoes~

Day Three Hundred - Ghostbusters, "I believe it's Magic... Magic...."

If memory serves me there was one VHS tape that my family borrowed from the base library quite a bit. That tape was The Neverending Story, which my parents probably thought was a more wholesome pick than a movie that had a simulated ghost fellatio scene. Still, Ghostbusters was probably a close second due to the fact that, besides a few fleeting expletives and the aforementioned "spirit suck" (which was really just a dream sequence), it was a pretty safe horror movie to watch... more comedy than anything else.

When it was re-released in theaters two years ago, for one night only, my friends and I were almost first in the queue to see it once again on the big screen (sadly, no vintage trailers went with it). It was a gloriously nostalgic experience. It's been close to forty years since VCRs and DVD players made re-releasing films in theaters a novelty at best as who would want to go out and pay theater prices when they can watch it in the comfort of their own homes. Personally, I'm on the fence. I love Netflix and my DVD/BluRay collection, but sometimes it's nice to see an old favorite on a 50'x20' screen.

In any case, no theater release for Ghostbusters this Halloween season, but we're lucky enough to have it on the Instant Stream just in time for our last Weekend Spooktacular Flick. Maybe it's the nostalgia or maybe I'm on a weird Ernie Hudson binge (as he was also in yesterday's The Crow), but I was definitely in the mood for a supernatural film that was more fun than frightening.

Ghostbusters definitely delivers.

Made in the mid-80's in the height of Bill, Dan, and Harold's careers, Ghostbusters tells the story of three paranormal psychologists and engineers who are thrown out of their university positions just when they find proof of real, honest to deadness ghosts! Being the enterprising Americans that they are, they decided to go into hock and start their own ghost extermination business and, after a slow start, business booms.

Along the way, they begin investigating the haunting of a young musician (Sigourney Weaver) who is being occasionally tormented by a demon dog named Zuul and constantly hit on by the smarmy leader of the Ghostbusters, Peter (Bill Murray).

Anyways, long story short, great mystical convergence, possible apocalypse, and harassment and interference by the EPA. I mean, really... the EPA? Well, it was the 80's.

As far as the film goes, it definitely shows its age via its dated effects, but they still hold up pretty well and were actually groundbreaking for the time. Yes, it's mostly matte and miniatures work, but there are still plenty of fun practical effects like the shooting card catalogs and floating books (which still give me mild chills to this very day).

While I'm never scared like I was as a child with this film, getting more from the laughs than the jump moments (that chase through Central Park with Rick Moranis definitely freaked me out more then than now), I think that I enjoy Ghostbusters more this way, as an adult. It's just so much better when you catch things like Venkman's not so subtle come-ons towards Dana or the previously noted supernatural sex act. It's also better when you see Ernie Hudson's Winston as more than just a second act add-on and instead see him as a contrast to the bookish scientists of the team. Winston adds an everyman dynamic to the team that grounds them instead of allowing them to remain aloof as experts among plebeians.

For my last Spooktacular horror flick, I probably could have chosen something more creepy and scare worthy, but I'm actually pretty happy with Ghostbusters. It's a nice nod to both nostalgia and the softball fun of the holiday. Sure, I could freak myself out with other films... but this is better... for me, anyway.

Now... let's see if I can power through the final five episodes of Twin Peaks and survive.

Until tomorrow, Potatoes~

Day Two Hundred and Ninety-four - Twin Peaks: Season 2, Episodes 11 & 12, "Mulder, you are a FOX!"

And here he is... it took almost twenty episodes, but tonight we finally get David Duchovny in his famous role of Denise/Dennis, the transvestite DEA agent who comes to investigate the frame job that Jean Renault and company are fitting Agent Cooper for.

I don't know if it has any merit, but I like to think that the work David did there in Twin Peaks directly resulted in his landing the role of Fox Mulder in the X-files just a year or two later. That's the head canon that I'm sticking to, anyway.

In any case, Denise comes to town and almost immediately knows the score, having worked with Cooper before in Oakland, but evidence is needed. Luckily for Agent Cooper, several clues fall directly into his lap thanks to an opportune (supernatural?) coin flip and a little insider info from Audrey, who has photographic evidence of Hank and Jean's new partnership. It seems Ben hired Bobby to follow Hank and Coop is the prime beneficiary.

Elsewhere in Twin Peaks (and outside of it), James takes an Easy Rider road trip, Josie attempts to make peace with Catherine and winds up an indentured servant instead, Nadine impresses the high school gym teacher with her preternatural strength and tries out for the wrestling team, Major Briggs teleports back into existence, and the Mayor's brother (Tony Jay) gets married and dies so quick it's hard to call Tony's role anything but a special guest appearance. I swear, the man gets barely five minutes of screen time before he's fitted with a toe tag thanks to overexertion on his wedding night. Hard to blame him, though, as it seems any male in his blushing bride's direct vicinity falls under a spell... and this includes both Dick and Andy (much to Lucy's consternation).

If you didn't know already from previous entries in our Twin Peaks Spooktacular, Denise is one of my favorite characters, along with Albert. Now that I think about it, if it weren't for new villain Windham Earle and Internal Affairs Agent Hardy (whom is played quite well by Clarence Williams III, but isn't a very sympathetic or fun character), it would be safe to say that all the FBI White Hats comprise my favorite characters... being Coop, Albert, Gordon, and Denise. They're all smart, odd, and gung ho about justice. My kind of people.

I also love how jealous Audrey gets when Denise interrupts their tête-à-tête. That rushed kiss to mark her territory is hilariously cute and Denise's questioning after her is a quaint little nod that deepens the context of his transvestism.

Can't say I'm happy with James' new storyline, but when am I ever? The whole femme fatale/damsel in distress routine is so blatantly obvious that I can't even role my eyes anymore. If I weren't watching the show for the blog, I would totally be fast forwarding every single moment of it... taking a cue from my sister, actually, and how she dealt with boring storylines in her soaps.

I'm also kind of ambivalent when it comes to the new Audrey/Bobby angle that is developing. Not only is he trying to put the moves on someone else, completely disrespecting Shelly, but going after Audrey? One can only hope it's just as it seems and she's using him to keep an eye on her father. Time shall tell, I suppose (or not... as I can't remember if that resolves before the series ended).

Boy was I ever glad that Major Briggs made it back safe... but it looks like, whatever story he has to tell, it's probably going to knock someone for a negative loop. With that uniform, you can only hope that it's time travel!

Until tomorrow, Potatoes~

Day Two Hundred and Ninety-three - Slither, "Watch out, Mal!"

James Gunn is hit or miss with me.

While I can really get behind his Troma work, as rough as it is, some of his mainstream stuff (like Super or his short for Movie 43) doesn't really appeal. That said, I really enjoyed Slither for the terrible movie that it was. It's a cheesy 80's monster flick with millennial trappings and actors.

With famous faces like Elizabeth Banks, Nathan Fillion, and Jenna Fischer, you'd kind of expect more moolah attached to this project, but this was made fairly early in their careers before they became bankable movie and television stars (Firefly notwithstanding).

Set in a small town whose biggest celebration seems to be the annual kickoff to deer season, Slither tells the story of an extraterrestrial encounter with a parasite that takes over or consumes every living thing it encounters. The organism happens upon a controlling husband (Michael Rooker) and implants itself within his brain, gaining his memories in addition to its already overriding urge to procreate and decimate the local ecosystem.

That's not to say it is totally remorseless in its march to domination, as he/it cannot seem to find the will to infect his/its wife (Elizabeth Banks), Starla, and instead turns to a local floozy to spawn its tiny, mind-controlling slugs. This all comes to the attention of the smitten local sheriff (Nathan Fillion), who hasn't gotten over his childhood crush on Starla... but who is certainly out of his depth when it comes to alien parasites.

It's definitely a cheesy monster flick that I could easily see being made as a drive-in double feature in the 50's or 60's. The powercreep steadily advances until all but a lucky few avoid the squiggly hordes of brainslugs, only for said survivors to conveniently deduce and thwart the mother-(or, in this case, father)-brain. It's even got the cliche deus ex device in the form of a young teen who has a brush with the hivemind, but gets away with precious knowledge on how to defeat the menace.

Still, cheese aside, it's actually a pretty fun little movie.

It doesn't go overboard on special effects, but what they do have doesn't seem to look too out of place. The prosthetics are used sparingly, but are decent and they blend fairly well with the CGI. Sure, it's not as good as, say, WETA did at the same time with LOTR, but with the budget they had (15 million), I think Gunn and company did a good job. What could've devolved into a SyFy movie of the week (a la Sharknado) actually turned out all right.

I especially liked Gregg Henry as the foul-mouthed mayor and, well, Nathan Fillion can charm his way through anything. I kind of felt bad for Jenna Fischer, as her role didn't have anything to it, really, but everyone's gotta start somewhere... and while Elizabeth Banks was okay, she didn't really thrill, either. C'est la vie.

Overall, Slither is a great popcorn flick that is best watched with friends. You don't need to riff it, as it stands well enough on its own, but it wouldn't hurt it that much to add a few one-liners of your own. In the end, it's definitely fun Halloween Spooktacular fare.

Until tomorrow, Potatoes~

Day Two Hundred and Ninety-two - Carrie, "They're all going to laugh at you~"

You know, it's hard to find this classic Stephen King story scary. Sad, a bit painful, and a little clever in its depictions of fundamentalism, bullying, and teenaged angst, but never scary. Maybe it's just that times have changed and I've grown jaded over the years. Most of my scares come from personal demons of late.

The film itself has this weird "after school special vibe." It vilifies teenage sex  even while it revels in sexual imagery for the first half of the film. It's villains are openly sadistic and avid alcohol drinkers, and sloppily so. Watching John Travolta dribble Pabst Blue Ribbon while driving is more comical than cautionary. It's hard to imagine how his character has the brain power to operate a vehicle if he cannot master the rudimentary motions of drinking from a can.

Still, it's a brave film... simulating oral sex during the necking scene and, perhaps most importantly, that opening locker room sequence that is replete with full frontal nudity, however brief. It's an odd kind of saturnalia, that scene, which follows up with Sissy Spacek almost masturbating to the camera in the prologue to the infamous and traumatizing "plug it up" bit. I can't quite tell if De Palma was going for titillation or artistry... either way, it's suitably disturbing, if only from a social aspect.

The horror elements, though, are actually really, really tame. Carrie's powers are simple parlor tricks, even when she goes on her telekinetic rampage. And whether it's corn syrup or electrocution or death by car accident, there's nothing groundbreaking about the effects. In fact, when Travolta and Nancy Allen buy it in the rollover trying to mow Carrie down, the spinning camera trick is completely comical.

I think the only redeeming moment in that regard was when Piper Laurie (whom Couchbound readers will recognize from Twin Peaks where she plays Catherine) recreates the martyrdom of Saint Sebastian in her kitchen thanks to Carrie and quite a few knives and other sharp objects.

In regards to that death, she did kind of deserve it... even if she seemed orgasmic and rapturous as she died. Maybe she thought she was righteous enough, trying to kill her daughter, that she'd get into heaven.

Honestly, the only thing that creeped me out in the entire movie was that little Saint Sebastian figure with the glowing eyes in Carrie's prayer closet. I don't know if it was electric or if those eyes were the Devil's Hellfire themselves, I just know that I wouldn't want that thing anywhere near me.

Quick shout out to P.J.Soles who, for the life of me, looked like Carrie Fischer in this film. Bugged the heck out of me.

On the whole, Carrie feels more like a cautionary tale on bullying and fundamentalism than anything, a "worst of both worlds" message that evil comes in many guises. You can't help but feel sympathy for Carrie as she's damned if she does, damned if she doesn't with a mother and classmates like hers.

It's funny, I'll be watching the 2013 remake this weekend for A Review Too Far/The Void Zone. I wonder what the update is going to do to raise the stakes?

Until tomorrow, Potatoes~

Day Two Hundred and Ninety-one - Twin Peaks: Season 2, Episodes 9 & 10, "And the beat goes on..."

Seemingly confounded at every turn, Cooper makes a final, desperate play to reveal the true killer of Laura Palmer (and now, Maddie, too). Gathering many players from both sides of the White Hat/Black Hat citizens of Twin Peaks, he hopes that some force... some magic... will show him the way.

And it works.

Leland is unmasked as the host for BOB and, let me tell you, BOB is not happy. Just in time, too, as it looked like Donna was about to meet the same fate as her friends by tempting BOB with an easy target, coming so willingly into his den as she did.

But, it's time for falling action.

Leland/BOB is cuffed and confesses to so many things, vowing to destroy and kill again, then leaves thanks to a cleansing bath of cold water (something someone should write down for future reference), leaving Leland broken and dying and finally conscious as to the crimes he's allowed BOB to commit by serving as a host.

A wake is held and many friends, enemies, and strangers make an appearance... including Tony Jay (one of my favorite voice actors of all time). It's a nice moment where it seems that the only dark juju comes in the form of the Mayor and his brother feuding... which is a nice contrast to the fact that Leland, however redeemed he might be, was still a murderer. I mean, we get BOB and the White Hats get BOB (for the most part), but most of the folks at that wake don't, so it's strange to me that so many folks would be there.

In addition, Albert (Miguel Ferrer) makes an appearance to conduct forensics on Maddie as the investigation winds down and he stays a short while, dropping vengeful lines of dialogue that make me very happy.

With BOB temporarily banished and Leland dead, it almost looked like it was time for Coop to leave, but he's the star of the series, so something had to keep him in town... and it came in the form of a suspension instigated by a corrupt Mountie and Jean Renault, still smarting over his brothers deaths and losing the ransom for Audrey... I guess.

It's a soap, so I should have forgiven it for its hammy melodrama, but it just feels like lazy writing to me. I reiterate the same complaint, which I've voiced before, over Norma's and Nadine's storylines. Sure, life goes on and everyone has their little troubles, but in comparison to BOB and the White/Black Lodges, it's all so much filler fluff.

Bleh.

At the very least, it was nice to see Major Briggs and Coop in the final moments of the second episode sharing a contemplative moment about the mysteries of the supernatural goings on in the Ghostwoods. Major Briggs (Don Davis, whom I really enjoyed on Stargate:SG-1) is yet another of my favorite characters. I pretty much love all the elder White Hats... Coop, Hawk, Truman (to an extent), Ed, Albert, Denise/Dennis, and the Major. Great guys/gals.

It's also nice to see concrete confirmation that the doddering old waiter and The Giant are the same being. Well, sort of concrete. I mean, it's all symbolic, flashing back and forth between reality and Cooper's communing visions, but you get the idea.

Still, I can't help but feel that we've past the series' peak and it's all downhill from here. I'm sure there will be a few things worth watching in the episodes to come (there are twelve left, after all), but I don't know that Heather Graham and the encounter at The Black Lodge will be enough.

Bonus extra: Josie's back (and looking a little beat up)~!

Until tomorrow, Potatoes~

Day Two Hundred and Ninety - Twin Peaks: Season 2, Episode 8, "Chicks and Ducks and Geese better scurry...."

After the violent and mysterious end to last night's episode, it would've been hard to imagine how David could've topped it... and he kinda, sorta didn't.

While nothing was awesome as The Giant's bit of freestyle poetry at the Roadhouse or BOB's terrifying attack on the poor, ill-fated Maddie (whose visions of blood on the carpet were more than a little prophetic), this episode was still fairly decent, packed as it was with more BOB antics, close calls, and almost-got-ems.

BOB is definitely still behind the wheel of Leland's body as every single reflection the audience is privy to reveals BOB's face instead of Leland's, and boy is he taking advantage.

After playing what looks to be a hundred or so golf balls worth of chipping practice in the very same living room he just murdered Maddie in, BOB pops the club bag with her body in it into the trunk of his car and takes a trip to the Great Northern to regale its guests with a dance routine. From there he takes a leisurely drive towards the golf course, only to be pulled over by Truman and Cooper, and seriously tempts fate by offering to show Coop his new clubs.

For just a split second you think he's going to be found out, both when Coop comes around the back of the car and when BOB hefts a driver in an almost menacing fashion behind him. Talk about a tense moment that, for me, was the best of the night.

No, Fortune favors BOB today, it seems as every single person who is investigating Laura's death is none the wiser... save for Agent Cooper who seems to think something is amiss, but can't put his finger on it.

Anyways, Pete visits Ben Horne in jail with a message from Catherine that is just delightful to see. Well, the message is so much blackmail fluff, but Pete's reactions and laughter are just delicious. It's great to see Jack Nance (who plays Pete) get some juicy moments to act out. He's one of my favorite of Lynch's regulars along with Everett McGill. Such a shame that he's no longer with us.

Barely anything from James and Donna, which makes me deliriously happy, but far too much with Hank and Norma. Looks like another subplot is brewing in dirty Hank's mind. Honestly, I think the only reason this new wrinkle was added was to keep Hank fresh in our memory as he hasn't really had much to do the past few episodes. Bleh, I could definitely live without him anyway. At least we know, through heavy hinting, that it's Norma's mother who is the food critic that she's been waiting on. No hint that Norma's caught on, though.

There was one GIGANTIC flaw to the episode, though... and it came in the form of a flashback sequence for Ben and Jerry. It's a weird bit about an older girl dancing in the dark for them as children that is shot in slow-motion and just goes on forevvvvveeeeer. What a complete waste of time for a throwaway sequence. I get that it's supposed to contrast their previous innocence with the dastardly men they are now, but still, a horrible piece of filmwork on behalf of David, et al.

Quick shout-out to Andy and Lucy for telling her busybody sister to shut-up... particularly Andy. It's not often that he sticks up for himself, but when he does it's grand! Another quick mention for Maddie's body in the plastic in a direct repeat of Sheryl Lee as Laura's body in the opening episode... just with dark hair instead of blond this time. Good symmetry.

So, to sum up, not as great as last night, but that's a high bar to reach. Still, pretty darn fun (save for that one bit), if I do say so myself.

Until tomorrow, Potatoes~

Day Two Hundred and Eighty-nine - Twin Peaks: Season 2, Episode 7, "J'ai une âme solitaire"

It's finally happened! BOB has been revealed... or, at least, BOB's host has been revealed. It only took, what... fifteen episodes (some of them being double-sized, like the pilot and second season premiere)?

That's not the full measure of the night, though, as the reveal (and subsequent murder of Maddie) only occurs in the final minutes. No, there's still plenty of other stuff to pad out the majority of the afternoon and evening's revels.

Leo gains a small ability to communicate despite his brain damage while Shelly and Bobby worry about bills and their lives as potential caretakers. Maddie spends her last day in town with her relatives and Norma is let in on the fact that Nadine thinks they're all teenagers again thanks to the post-suicide attempt regression. Audrey confronts her father about One-Eyed Jack's and immediately goes to Cooper, whose own investigation into Harold's suicide reveals parts of Laura's secret diary... which seems to hint at Ben Horne as being BOB, but oh, that would be too easy, wouldn't it?

I especially liked that we get a second big reveal... that Catherine finally feels safe enough (with Ben arrested and Josie gone to Hong Kong) to let Pete know that she's alive and has been masquerading as Tojamura.

But... BOB... now that's the revelation that we've all be waiting for. That it comes at the cost of Maddie is a shame, as I would rather she'd just have been able to go back to Montana, but it works as a morbid statement of murderous symmetry.

It's a brutal and experimental sequence, to say the least. I liked most of the mirror bits, though I could've done without BOB's face matted over Leland's for that giggle session. It was much more effective when the device was just BOB in the mirror and the two of them smiling. It's pretty much the same problem that I have with the chase around the living room. They do a pretty terrible job matching up the positions of both actors (Ray Wise and Frank Silva) as Lynch tries to go for a duality, flipping back and forth between personas during the sequence. Additionally, the spotlight was a terrible choice of symbolism, making it feel like a stage play instead of a mystical murder. For her part, I think Sheryl Lee did a fine enough job as the victim... though she could've fought back a bit more.

To be honest, I think what really did it for me in the episode was everything that went down in the Roadhouse.

We've got Coop, Truman, and the Log Lady staking out the joint because the Owls are in play there somehow, Julee Cruise is performing several haunting tunes, James and Donna are sharing a private moment, and The Giant comes a'calling. Lots of great stuff happening.

For one thing, I think the only adorable moment for the James/Donna love affair is Laura Flynn Boyle lipsyncing Julee Cruise. Then there's Carel Struycken's despondant warning, which Coop can't understand. The icing on the cake, methinks was the fact that both Bobby and Donna seem to have had their own visions or brushes with someone walking over their grave as Donna bursts into tears and Bobby looks like he's about to. I have to wonder what they saw, felt, or heard.

Great mix of the supernatural and the mundane here. Sure, there were a few boring bits (Leo, Nadine), but overall this is one of the strongest, most intense episodes of the series... high up there on the entertainment factor. It's a bit sad, really, as it's arguably all downhill from here. Final bright spots/reflections: no more Harold, no more Maddie, lots of supernatural shenanigans, good times had by all (save for Maddie).

But what was with that horse, man? Sometimes you just have to wonder about Lynch.

Until tomorrow, Potatoes~

Day Two Hundred and Eighty-eight - Twin Peaks: Season 2, Episode 6, "Dang, Josie... you get around almost as much as Laura."

With very little supernatural going on this THIS episode, as well, I'm starting to get seriously bummed. There's a little, what with The Owl and MIKE making an appearance at the very end, explaining just what he and BOB are (Inhabiting Spirits), but still... no visions, no BOB. I need my fix, man. Gimme some Red Room, Davy, just a little! I'm hurting bad, man. Real bad.

Still, there's a little plain old, generic, human drama that's entertaining. Bobby and Shelly get the Vegetable Also Known As Leo home (with much less disability money than they were expecting), Josie is pressured to cut all her ties in Twin Peaks by her creepy "brother," and Ben tries to get cozy with the enigmatic Tojamura. Still no revelation on "him" yet, but it's obvious that's a terrible makeup job that is hiding someone's true identity.

Speaking of, I love Pete's attempts to socialize with Tojamura. It's going to make the revelation of who Tojamura is just that much sweeter. But that's a spoiler and I think that promised I'd blog as if this were a virginal run through the series. No matter what, that makeup really makes it obvious that some sort of shenanigans are going on... and it was especially risky of Ben to hand over Tojamura's cashier's check to Josie without signing any paperwork.

While Audrey doesn't have much to say after being rescued, I think the best part of the episode was when Ben tries to comfort her in that smarmy way he has while we all (well, the audience and Audrey) just know he was trying to get into her naughty bits while she was a masked new girl up at Jack's. Too bad she didn't make him squirm with her new found leverage. Coop's good enough with body language that he had to know that something was up, but nary a word... just formalities.

This episode also brought the first in-person appearance of David Lynch, himself. We'd heard him earlier on the phone, as Coop's supervisor, but this was the first time we'd seen his FBI Director persona in the flesh. I love the gag with the overly huge hearing aid and comically bad lip readings. I don't like how he hints that Albert (Miguel Ferrer) isn't coming back, though. Taking it as a first-time watcher, that would've seriously disappointed me. Funny character, even still... and just the sort of drop-in that I'd reserve for myself if I were in his place, so kudos.

I think that my main disappointment in the episode is the silly thriller section that carried over from last episode where Donna and Maddie attempt to get Laura's secret journal from the shut-in, Harold. His self-mutilation and trust issues are just so much cheap fluff... and his anguished wails after they leave were some of the hammiest acting that I've seen in forever.

Well, not really. This is Twin Peaks, after all... where hammy acting is the norm. Still, it was a bit over the top, even for them.

Overall, this wasn't the best episode or the worst. There were annoying bits and entertaining ones, so... as long as some happiness could be had from the watch, then I guess it was worth it. It's just so uneven. But that's the reason folks watch Soaps, right? You latch on to what you like religiously and ignore the rest. It reminds me of my sister fast-forwarding through General Hospital to get to the couples she loved, lo those many years ago.

Until tomorrow, Potatoes~