The focus of the episode continues the series' dreamy exploration of good versus evil and the effect of time on the denizens of the town. It is this concept that is reflected outwards on the viewer during this chapter, showing a kaleidoscope of different themes and plotlines that coalesces to form the sinewy fibers of connective tissue for the mammoth narrative. The first segment involves an endearing reconnection of two beloved characters, beginning what will be an hour-long dissertation on finality. From its initial, heartwarming sequence, things jump through time and interdimensional space as Cooper's evil double has a hypnotic encounter at the Gas Station from Part 8, complete with its nightmarish occupants. Within, lies one of the season's many surprises: a mysterious player in avatar form.
There is an intriguing divide between the opposition of this season, with various groups forming subsects with their own mores and rituals. Evil Cooper and his continually evolving gang of killers, Cole and his Arthurian Knights of the Blue Rose, the prisoners of Twin Peaks town jail, and the Twin Peaks Sheriff Department are representative of the forces that have evolved over time, both in the vacuum of the Lodge's influence and the outside world that spins inexorably towards possible annihilation. The sequence in the Gas Station continues the sublime camerawork and imagery that dwells within the dark side of Twin Peaks, a surreal universe populated by demons and angels of the mind's eye.
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| Hello old friend |
Dangling threads are eliminated as some of the darker elements begin to cannibalize themselves, paring down Lynch and Frost's world to the essentials. While death and violence are the trademarks of Evil Cooper, the Light does not escape untainted, with two possible protagonists being imprisoned for a moment of roadhouse rage and a trio of lawmen holding a silent vigil as the spirit of a beloved personality transitions from one existence to the next. This is the essence of The Return and Lynch and Frost at their best. Violence, horror, love, peace, and hope are fluid concepts under their insightful eyes and the result is a show that continues to defy classification and yet manages to hypnotize and utterly surprise its audience consistently every week.
-Kyle Jonathan