Twin Peaks Season 2 was a Rollercoaster of Horror and Cliches that Still Finished with a Bang

 

Credit to Under the Sycamore Trees: The Night ‘Twin Peaks’ Went Off the Air

I finally understand why Twin Peaks season 2 has been a mix for so many fans. I enjoyed this season regardless of its flaws, but I feel it’s important to discuss why this season felt so odd. Apparently, there is a whole history to this season, and its pretty shocking how so many directors/writers were involved in the second half of season 2. 

The history to season 2 is quite a lot, and I’m planning to talk about this in a future article. Let’s just say that the network decided to interfere in David Lynch’s masterpiece, and it led to creative differences and frustrations. This was a shame to hear about, because it makes me wonder what kind of season we would have gotten if David Lynch had been fully involved. 

The first half of season 2 felt like David Lynch’s influence.

Credit to Twin Peaks: la seconda stagione non è ciò che sembra | Anonima Cinefili

The first half of season 2 was focusing on the mystery of who had murdered a young woman named Laura Palmer, continuing over from the last season. Dale Cooper is shot in the very beginning of the episode, and barely survives the attack. His determination to solve Laura’s murder never leaves his mind, and despite being told he needs to recover, he doesn’t want to give up on Laura. 

During episode 7, which is one of the best episodes of Twin Peaks, Leland, Laura’s father, is revealed to be her killer. Leland had been possessed by Bob, an entity that is the embodiment of evil. He had murdered her cousin in the home, because once she told her family that she was going to leave, Bob took over Leland, murdering Laura’s cousin. It also didn’t help that she looked like just Laura, so Bob held a terrifying fascination for her. 

After the woman’s murder, Dale is finally able to figure out that Leland is the killer, and they arrest him. Dale is the only one out of the authorities who feels sorry for Leland, since he was already aware of the supernatural forces at work in Twin Peaks. They put Leland to rest, finally free from the evil of Bob. 

And then we move on to the second half of season 2, that did have quite a bit of flaws, but was still enjoyable when it came to certain aspects. 

The second half of season 2 was cliche central with several good moments, but was luckily saved by it’s amazing finale. 

Credit to Why Is Annie Blackburn Always Holding a Coffee Decanter? | TWIN PEAKS BLOG

The second half of this season was still entertaining in it’s own way, but some of the storylines left me with utter disappointment. 

Here are all the flaws:

• Jean Renault and Hank were two of the biggest villains in Twin Peaks. They were both quickly taken off season 2, and their endings felt so lackluster. Jean was killed by authorities while hiding away in a house, and Hank was taken back to jail. I was expecting both of them to be killed by Bob, because these two men were so freaking evil. 
• Windom Earle was the main antagonist of the rest of season 2. His villain arc felt so out of place, compared to so many villains in the series. He was way too comedic, and it felt like he should have been in a different show. At least the actor did a good job portraying him, and he had two great final episodes at the end of the season. 
• Some storylines to several characters dragged for way too long. 
• The supernatural elements were lacking. 
• James and Donna were two of the most annoying characters in season 2. Their relationship was a toxic wasteland. 
• Some villain characters should have been killed off sooner. (Leo and Josie got annoying so fast during the rest of season 2. I’m not sure if Leo is dead yet, but I’ll find out later).
• There were several very problematic relationships with high school students. Three couples made me so uncomfortable, because one in person in each relationship was still in school.
• Dale and Audrey moments were lacking so bad. I’m so glad they never got together, but I really enjoyed watching their friendship. (There was apparently some insane history to why these two barely had scenes in season 2).

Now here are all the good things about the season:

• Dale’s new romantic relationship with Annie was pretty sweet. I also really liked Annie as a character. She suited Dale’s personality. 
• Nadine had awoken from her coma with super strength, and became one of my favorite characters. Her relationship with a high school student was the only thing about her I had an issue with. 
• Wheeler and Denise were two interesting characters that were added to the second half of the season. 
• The characters I had come to love in Twin Peaks were still so awesome to watch. Gordon Cole was one of my favorites. 
• I enjoyed the love story between Lucy and Andy. Even though she was stuck in a love triangle with Andy and some dick named Dick, I knew she was going to choose Andy. Their chemistry was so wholesome. 
• The finale was freaking awesome. David Lynch had returned to direct the finale, and even though it ended on a massive cliffhanger, it was still a masterpiece. 
• The ending scared the crap out of me, there were so many powerful horror elements, and I was left with so many unanswered questions, in David Lynch fashion. 

Overall, season 2 wasn’t a terrible season. Twin Peaks is still a horror masterpiece, and I think it’s one of the best shows I have seen in television history. I can’t wait to watch season 3: Twin Peaks The Return next!