The Bicks Pod

The first installment of our five-part look at Fire Walk With Me begins with the Deer Meadow portion of the film. FBI Special Agents Chet Desmond and Sam Stanley are called in to investigate the murder of Teresa Banks, a drifter whose body washed up on the shores of Wind River. What they discover leads them to believe this is more than your average whodunnit. We're also introduced to the J Edgars in Philadelphia--Gordon Cold, Albert Rosenfield, and Dale Cooper--and meet the mysterious Philip Jeffries, who has a lot to say about a meeting above a convenience store that he claims to have attended...

That's a terrible plot description for this part of the film, but really, how else do you summarize ANY part of Fire Walk With Me?

We're joined by former guests Aaron, Nathan, and Tasha, who returned to give us their views on the film. We also enlisted the brainpower of two total Twin Peaks newbies--Olivia and Simon--who haven't seen any of the original series and who are here to tell us if Fire Walk With Me can stand apart from the series they have never watched before.

Buckle up, Peakies! It's gonna get weird!

We've made it to the end, and as a victory lap of sorts, here's our summarization of the last half of Season 2, with shoutouts to the people of this fab fan community and all the Twin Peaks podcasts where you can catch Season 3 (with many thanks to John for helping us compile the list!):

• The Twin Peaks Podcast

"Through the darkness of future's past The magician longs to see One chants out between two worlds: Fire walk with me"

It's the finale folks, and the moment we've all been waiting for has finally arrived. Will Agent Cooper be able to save Annie from Windom's clutches? Who will he encounter in the Red Room? And what will become of his soul?

Notes:

• Psalm 141

Leo gains a little ground and releases the Major...and then Windom comes unwound...Annie writes a speech about trees (and seeks a little of Coop's expertise)...the Miss Twin Peaks pageant hits fever pitch and goes off with only one teeny, tiny, itty bitty little hitch... Strap yourselves in, Peakies, because we're getting down to brass tacks with this penultimate episode of Twin Peaks: it's 2x21 "Miss Twin Peaks".

As everyone in town gears up for the Miss Twin Peaks contest, Windom makes final preparations in the woods. Luckily for our intrepid Eagle Scout investigator, Leo has a change of heart and frees the captive Major Briggs, who returns with stories to tell. It all leads to the night of the festivities, and with so many women vying for the crown (and Windom waiting in the wings) it's all hands on deck for a showdown of epic proportions.

John Justice Wheeler shows Audrey his "plane", Major Briggs checks out the local terrain, hand shakes drive the townspeople insane...and is that BOB coming back again? We've got torches to light the the path to the Black Lodge...you coming with us?

Agent Cooper finally realizes that Windom Earle is playing by a different set of rules, and with the clock ticking, the race is on to discover what the game is and how to beat him. It begins to dawn on him that maybe Earle didn't come to Twin Peaks for him...that maybe his goal all along was something of far greater and more devastating import... Meanwhile, unbeknownst to everyone, Major Briggs is abducted in the woods by Windom Earle, who seems hell-bent on extracting as much information from his former Project Blue Book colleague as he can. Cooper takes Annie dancing, and has a warning visit from The Giant. There's something wrong here, indeed. Because up in the woods...in the dark of night...near a circle of sycamores...

Also: Lucy's gonna pick a baby daddy! Ben has a plan to raise the visibility of Stop Ghostwood! Donna discovers her birth certificate! Audrey and Jack take their relationship to the next level! Put your right hand in and shake it all about: it's episode 2x20 of Twin Peaks, and things are definitely heating up!

Notes:

• Would be seriously remiss if we didn't credit John Thorne's amazing Twin Peaks bible The Essential Wrapped in Plastic here, again, for providing us with a host of amazing facts and tidbits, including the quote about the Dugpas. It truly is an essential book, a must-have for fans!

There's a cave puzzle to decipher, Ben fancies himself a moral advisor, and Rusty's not having a good day either...buckle up, Heavy Metal Youths, it's party time! (We promise, there are brewskies...)

The mysteries of Owl Cave continue to unfold as the Sheriff's Department continues their investigation into its origins and meanings. But they aren't the only ones trying to crack the code: Windom Earle has been to the petroglyph and is now hot on the same trail. Enlisting the help of Major Briggs (for his connection to Project Blue Book and, thus, to Windom Earle) the fellas seem poised to make headway. Cooper also realizes that Audrey, Donna, and Shelly are being targeted by Windom Earle, and that the poem he sent them is one that Cooper sent to Caroline before she was murdered. Seems like the perfect time for Cooper to take Annie on a romantic nature study...but who's that watching from the shoreline? Elsewhere in Twin Peaks, Catherine lets Pete the poet have a go at the puzzle box Eckhardt left behind. There's another event for the Stop Ghostwood campaign, this time involving wine tasting. And Windom Earle finally makes good on his threat to take another piece from the board...literally.

Also! Ben is tempted to do bad! Donna confronts her parents! Bobby takes a tone with Shelly! Gordon makes his move! Jack gets a telegram! Coop drinks milk! With so many new players on the stage, the stakes are steadily building...but what is all this sweet work really worth? We're counting down the days to the big finale, when all (mostly) will be revealed!

Harry's looking pretty grave, JJW becomes Audrey's new fave, & the Sheriff's Department visits a cave! Buckle up, Peakies! We're flying on the wings of love today!

Harry has a hangover and both Cooper and Gordon find themselves twitterpated as they fall for members of Norma's Double R staff! But while everyone's making heart eyes at each other over slices of pie, Windom Earle continues his dangerous game, this time with cards as the metaphor instead of chess. As we inch closer and closer to the inevitable confrontation between Agent Cooper and his Moriarty, the stakes are raised: there's new love in the air and a diverting new game on the horizon, this time involving...beauty pageants?

Also: John Justice Wheeler asks Ben for permission to date his daughter! Andy spelunks past Lucy's window! Donna's has more suspicions about her mother!

Let's fly! It's 2x18: "On the Wings of Love"

Notes:

• Pretty sure we named the wrong card suit when talking about Agent Cooper's card in Windom's deck; he's the King of Spades (which has now caused us to start singing that old Canadian #1 song "King of Spain" by Moxy Früvous: "...now I eat humble pie!")

Our two amazing guests this week can be found in the following places:

• Clare Nina Norelli

• Angelo Badalamenti's Soundtrack from Twin Peaks (33 1/3)

• TV Peaks: Twin Peaks and Modern Television Drama

Song Credits:

• Julee Cruise. "Into the Night." Floating into the Night, Warner Bros. Records.

Truman's feelin' low, Annie says Hello, John Justice Wheeler sings adagio, and Windom Earle plots his overthrow...

A day after the death of his beloved Josie, Truman is in the dumps and Cooper does his best (which isn't saying much) to cheer him up. But while the sheriff's department rallies around their sheriff, Windom Earle still looms just out of sight, and soon enough, Cooper is going to have his sights on someone else entirely...

Also: Annie starts her first shift at the Double R! Audrey and Jack go on a picnic! Donna and Shelly get a visitor! Margaret and Major Briggs compare tattoos! And the pine weasel takes center stage!

We're tending some pretty big Wounds and Scars this week with Episode 25 of Twin Peaks!

Notes:

• No confirmation that Barry Pullman is related to Bill. Aidan haz a sad.

Wherein Aidan and Lindsay sit down with Paul Blinov (@PaulJBlin) of Edmonton's Rapid Fire Theatre about their annual Bonfire improv festival and the Lynch-inspired show "Rapid Fire Walk With Me", which was performed on April 7, 2017 in downtown Edmonton.

Links:

• Rapid Fire Theatre

• Twitter: @theatresports