Eric DaRe (Leo Johnson)

[Mr. Reindeer]

I will point out that the one time Windom Earle is somewhat scary: the black lips/white face scene in ep 28, not by lynch, but that makeup associated with the black lodge was used in FWWM.

As others have noted elsewhere, DKL used a similar makeup effect previously in The Alphabet and The Grandmother, and subsequently on Robert Blake in LH. Hunter may have introduced the element into TP using the character of Earle, and maybe DKL took a cue from that, but I doubt Windom Earle was particularly on his mind when he shot that FWWM scene.

[Gabriel]

As I will always say, Windom Earle was a great idea conceptually (brilliant ex FBI partner gone absolutely mad), but DAMN was it ever poorly executed!

Yes. Although Twin Peaks was riffing on the supersoaps of the past decade, the Windom Earle material was shockingly badly played and cringeworthy after the dramas of the Laura Palmer story.

You're exaggerating.

How so? Not being petty, but I'm watching a badly made up Kenneth Welsh pretending to be friends with Donna's dad at this very minute and it ain't good!

[N. Needleman]

You're exaggerating.

How so? Not being petty, but I'm watching a badly made up Kenneth Welsh pretending to be friends with Donna's dad at this very minute and it ain't good!

Thanks for brightening a tiresome work afternoon.

[Dalai Cooper]

James is a pretty unpopular character these days but I don't think there was any question of lynch & frost leaving him out; if earle's not part of the new series it will have nothing to do with fan response and everything to do with the filmmakers' intentions for the series.

If I had to guess (and obviously guessing is a mug's game with this show) I think Earle will be mentioned, but glancingly. The series is about cooper's fate, yes, but probably the episode 29 version: more of an internal struggle, recentred around Palmer case & dream imagery, very little windom. Certainly the uber-cartoony windom from the notorious ep 29 script will be nowhere near lynch's version of twin peaks. Again, it's probably a bad idea to make any predictions with absolute certainty but I strongly suspect those looking for more spooky board game-themed papier-mâché mischief will have to scratch that itch elsewhere.

[Agent Earle]

When it comes to the amount of fan hatred and overall animosity, James Hurley's character ain't got nothing on Windom Earle. Just saying.

[Gabriel]

When it comes to the amount of fan hatred and overall animosity, James Hurley's character ain't got nothing on Windom Earle. Just saying.

Nah, I like both characters. Actually, it's interesting to see Windom on Briggs's tape when he's more 'sane.'

[kitty666cats]

When it comes to the amount of fan hatred and overall animosity, James Hurley's character ain't got nothing on Windom Earle. Just saying.

Nah, I like both characters. Actually, it's interesting to see Windom on Briggs's tape when he's more 'sane.'

The old tape of Windom is probably Kenneth Welsh's finest moment on TP. If only he was like that for the entire duration of his screentime, would have been a lot better. They made him far too cartoony. I'm sure Kenneth Welsh is a wonderful actor, and was just directed pretty poorly

[David Locke]

Again, it's probably a bad idea to make any predictions with absolute certainty but I strongly suspect those looking for more spooky board game-themed papier-mâché mischief will have to scratch that itch elsewhere.

Damnit! I have a huge fetish for spooky board game-themed papier-mâché mischief. What am I to do now?

When it comes to the amount of fan hatred and overall animosity, James Hurley's character ain't got nothing on Windom Earle. Just saying.

Nah, I like both characters. Actually, it's interesting to see Windom on Briggs's tape when he's more 'sane.'

The old tape of Windom is probably Kenneth Welsh's finest moment on TP. If only he was like that for the entire duration of his screentime, would have been a lot better. They made him far too cartoony. I'm sure Kenneth Welsh is a wonderful actor, and was just directed pretty poorly

Yes, the old tape is great and I think why it works is because he comes off as more of a guy who's become genuinely psychologically unhinged - instead of some kind of cartoonish, eloquent/Mad Genius super-villain with a convenient array of disguises and almost magical "powers" at his disposal (or at least the ability to do nigh-impossible things, like transporting the chess piece to name but one example).

I think Earle's other best scenes are, obviously, the Lynch-directed Glastonbury Grove stuff in 29, and then much of his material in 27, like when he's "interrogating" Briggs - or especially near the end when he's half-coherently explaining some Lodge mythology, singing gibberish half the time and generally looking totally insane. All of these scenes show a more realistic and Lynchian portrayal of a kind of psychotic, if high-IQ, lunatic. It makes him much creepier, I think, than when he's being a witty, snarky, disguise-wearing super-villain; that stuff just doesn't fit the tone/feel of the series.