Twin Peaks: Season 2, Episode 17 "Wounds and Scars" Review

 "Mr. Martell, Andy moved his knight without doing the little hook thing."

-Lucy Moran

"Wounds and Scars" picks up with Harry Truman (Michael Ontkean) drinking and mourning the death of Josie (Joan Chen) at the Bookhouse.  After learning more about Josie's past, Harry becomes violent and trashes the Bookhouse.  Eventually, Dale Cooper (Kyle MacLachlan) manages to talk Harry down, comfort him, and put him to bed with one of the Bookhouse Boys sticking around to keep an eye on him.

Annie Blackburn (Heather Graham), Norma's (Peggy Lipton) sister, arrives in town after leaving a convent and starts working at the diner as a waitress.  Cooper meets her and is instantly attracted to her, but he doesn't notice that they are being watched by Windom Earle (Kenneth Welsh).

The Log Lady, Margaret (Catherine E. Coulson), notices the markings on Major Briggs (Don Davis) neck that he received during his recent disappearance.  Margaret has similar markings on her leg from when she briefly disappeared as a child.  They tell Cooper this information.

Windom Earle figures out that Cooper is attempting to stalemate their chess game and is receiving outside help, which enrages him.  He ends up disguising himself and visiting both Shelley (Mädchen Amick) and Donna (Lara Flynn Boyle).  He pretends to be an old college friend of Donna's father, Will (Warren Frost), and gives her a present to give to him and his phone number.  When she gives them to Will, he reveals that that particular college friend drowned years beforehand.  The phone number is for a cemetery and the present is Earle's next chess move.  Will brings it to Cooper.

Thomas Eckhardt's (David Warner) assistant, Jones (Brenda Strong), visits Catherine Martell (Piper Laurie) and gives her a puzzle box left to her from Eckhardt.  Later, Jones goes to the Bookhouse, knocks out the Boy guarding Harry, and then gets into bed with the passed out Sheriff.

Ben Horne (Richard Beymer) visits the Hayward home when Will isn't there.  Donna watches him have a whispered conversation with her mother (Mary Jo Deschanel).

Pete (Jack Nance) informs Cooper that there is no way to stalemate the chess game without losing at least six pieces, which means that six more people could die.

Nadine Hurley (Wendy Robie) and Mike Nelson (Gary Hershberger) check into the Great Northern Hotel in disguise as a married couple, but are recognized by some of Mike's classmates.

Jack Wheeler (Billy Zane) asks Audrey Horne (Sherilyn Fenn) out for a picnic.  Afterwards, Audrey returns to the Great Northern to help put on a fashion show to raise money for Ben's "Stop Ghostwood" campaign, which is hosted by Dick Tremayne (Ian Buchanan).  The show descends into chaos when the endangered pine weasel bites Dick on the nose and runs off.  Audrey gets knocked off the stage, but Jack catches her and they kiss.

What Works:

Harry Truman is a pretty steady and predictable character.  Apart from some occasional anger, we don't ever see much emotion from him.  Michael Ontkean gets to stretch his acting chops in this episode with lots of anger, regret, sadness, and despair.  I really like the scene where Cooper talks down Harry.  Both actors do a great job and it ends up being a sweet moment of the friendship between them.

Kenneth Welsh continues to do a great job as Windom Earle and I love the personas he uses when he is in disguise.  I think his scene with Donna is really well done and the scene where Donna and her parents realize who he really was is chilling.

This is Annie's introduction to the show.  I know she can be a somewhat divisive character, but I've always really liked her.  Heather Graham gives a really good performance and I like watching this character get reacclimated to world outside the convent and talk crap about her mom with Norma.

Finally, I love the Stop Ghostwood fashion show sequence.  It's just so odd.  Twin Peaks can always use more Dick Tremayne and having Andy (Harry Goaz) and Lucy (Kimmy Robertson) in the show is hilarious.  Plus watching Dick get bit by the pine weasel always cracks me up.  

What Sucks:

The Jack and Audrey storyline still doesn't do it for me.  I don't fully understand why.  It just doesn't click and feels a bit forced.  I like both actors and I don't think it's their fault.  Jack just isn't super interesting.

Crystal Coffee:

The Crystal Coffee Award goes to the most competent character of the episode.  For "Wounds and Scars," this Award goes to Dale Cooper for talking Harry down and comforting him.  This is his 10th time winning this Award.

Verdict:

Aside from the Jack and Audrey stroyline, this is a fun and solid episode of the show.  I really like the stuff with Harry and Dale, as well as everything with Windom Earle.  The fashion show is hilarious and I enjoy Annie's introduction scenes.  

 9/10: Great