Twin Peaks: Season 3, Part 4 "Brings Back Some Memories" Review

 "I'll go have a word with my pinecone."

Deputy Chad Broxford

Part 4 begins at the Silver Mustang Casino with Dale Cooper (Kyle MacLachlan) continuing to win jackpot after jackpot.  He is approached by two friends of Dougie Jones (Kyle MacLachlan) who tell Cooper where Dougie lives.  The Casino arranges a limo to drive Cooper to Dougie's house.  When they arrive, Cooper is confronted by Dougie's wife, Janey-E (Naomi Watts), who is furious that Dougie has been missing for three days and missed their son, Sonny Jim's (Pierce Gagnon) birthday.  When Janey-E learns about all the money Cooper won, her mood improves because they can finally pay off their debts.

Later, Mike (Al Strobel), warns Cooper that Mr. C (Kyle MacLachlan) is still out there and that one of them must die.  The next day, Janey-E struggles to help Cooper get dressed in the morning, but Cooper gets very excited about a cup of coffee.

Gordon Cole (David Lynch) has a meeting with Denise Bryson (David Duchovny), who is now the FBI Chief of Staff.  They discuss Cooper's reappearance in South Dakota and Gordon's choice in bringing Agent Tammy Preston (Chrysta Ball) on the assignment.  Denise suggests it may just be because of Tammy's looks, but Gordon insists its because Tammy is a talented Agent.

Gordon, Tammy and Albert Rosenfield (Miguel Ferrer) travel to South Dakota to see Mr. C in federal prison.  He was arrested because cocaine, a machine gun, and the severed leg of a dog were found in his car after his crash.  Mr. C claims he was working undercover with Phillip Jeffries (David Bowie) and that he was on his way to see Gordon when he got in his accident.  Tammy realizes that Mr. C is lying about that because he was traveling West when he crashed his car.  Gordon instructs the prison to give Mr. C his phone call and to keep him informed of the results.

Gordon and Albert have a private conversation and Albert reveals that many years prior, he received a call from Phillip Jeffries asking for information about an agent in Columbia that Cooper needed.  Albert gave Phillip the information and a week later the agent was murdered.  They discuss their uneasiness with the situation and that this is definitely a Blue Rose case.  They discuss bringing in someone else to talk to Mr. C.

Sheriff Frank Truman (Robert Forster) returns from a fishing trip and has a meeting with Hawk (Michael Horse), Andy (Harry Goaz), Lucy (Kimmy Robertson), Deputy Chad Broxford (John Pirruccello), and Bobby Briggs (Dana Ashbrook), who is now also a Deputy.  Hawk tells Frank about the message he received from Margaret Lanterman (Catherine E. Coulson).  Chad makes dismissive remarks about Margaret until Frank kicks him out of the meeting.  Bobby reveals that Agent Cooper was the last person to talk to Major Briggs (Don S. Davis) before the Major died in a fire at his military station.

Andy and Lucy's son, Wally Brando (Michael Cera), arrives to give his parents permission to turn his childhood bedroom into a study and to pass on well-wishes to Frank for his brother's recovery from an illness.

Back in Buckthorn, South Dakota, Constance Talbot (Jane Adams), the coroner, gets a hit on the fingerprints for the male body, but the identity and records are blocked and require military authorization to get access.

The episode ends at the Roadhouse with Au Revoir Simone performing.

What Works:

I love watching Cooper getting himself caught up in the life of Dougie Jones.  First we have Naomi Watts joining the show, which is great on its own, but watching her deal with all of the madness surrounding Cooper is pretty entertaining, if exasperating.  It's got to be tough to act against a character who barely speaks, but Watts is more than up to the task.  I also love Cooper's interactions with Sonny Jim.  It's wholesome and adorable.  And this storyline ends with Cooper having coffee for the first time this season.  Iconic and hilarious.  

It's a small role, but I really like the performance of Jay Larson as the limo driver.  The man is simply trying his best to get Cooper home and then he stands outside of the house and waits with Cooper.  I don't know why I like it so much, but the character comes off as very kind and endearing.

David Duchovny's Denise was a fantastic addition to the show in season 2 and it's great to have her back, even if it's only for one scene.  I like watching Cole and Denise interact and this scene has one of my favorite lines in the entire show and it's something I like to say in real life.  "Fix your hearts or die."  It's a powerful statement and Lynch wrote it for his character to say, which gives it even more impact.

The scenes at the Sheriff's station are bizarre, but wonderful.  We get Lucy not understanding cell phones, which is just perfect, a brief appearance by Michael Cera, who is the only person who could play the child of Andy and Lucy, and the first appearance of Chad, everyone's least favorite Deputy.  Chad sucks, but it's something that all of the other characters and the audience can agree on.  Watching Frank kick Chad out of the meeting is very satisfying.

We also get the reveal that Bobby Briggs is now a Deputy.  It's honestly perfect for his character and Dana Ashbrook gives an amazing performance when he breaks down after seeing a photo of Laura Palmer (Sheryl Lee).

Finally, I love the scene where Gordon, Albert, and Tammy visit Mr. C.  The scene is absolutely chilling and feels wrong to watch.  The way Mr. C is framed in the scene and the distorted audio gives the character an otherworldly appearance.  It's off and scary.  Seeing that both Albert and Gordon are affected by this meeting makes it even scarier.  These two agents have seen a lot and now they're up against something beyond what they can imagine.  It's a foreboding way to end the episode.

What Sucks:

I got nothing for you.

Crystal Coffee:

The Crystal Coffee Award goes to the most competent character of the episode.  For Part 4, this Award goes to Gordon Cole for his handling of the Mr. C situation.  This is his 1st time winning this Award.

Verdict:

Part 4 is another really enjoyable episode with great performances across the board, even from small roles with character that don't have a name beyond limo driver.  Cooper, Janey-E, and Sonny Jim interacting is very fun, Denise's return is great to see, everything at the Sheriff's Station is wonderful, and MacLachlan continues to be incredible as Mr. C.  This episode has absolutely got it going on.

 10/10: Amazing