Explain it to me like I'm 5

General discussion on Twin Peaks not related to the series, film, books, music, photos, or collectors merchandise.

Moderators: Brad D, Annie, Jonah, BookhouseBoyBob, Ross, Jerry Horne

Post Reply
User avatar
Black Rose
Roadhouse Member
Posts: 52
Joined: Mon Apr 13, 2009 12:06 am

Explain it to me like I'm 5

Post by Black Rose »

What's the deal with Hank?

No matter how many times I rewatch the show, I don't get it.

Here's what I sort-of-get: Josie had Hank kill Andrew, but Andrew lived, and meanwhile Hank ran over a dude and went to prison for 18 months for that, but Josie gave him 90 thousand after he got out and there was some implicit promise that Hank and Josie weren't finished with each other by a long shot. Then Hank went and shot Leo on Ben's orders, and Hank had told Leo earlier that he had wanted Leo to mind the store, but not open his own franchise.

I'm clearly missing something here.

Can someone fill me in?
User avatar
Audrey Horne
Lodge Member
Posts: 2030
Joined: Sat Apr 14, 2007 9:20 pm
Location: The Great Northern

Re: Explain it to me like I'm 5

Post by Audrey Horne »

Okay, Black Rose. I want you to sit down and listen to me because I think you are old enough and it's time for you to hear this.

When a writer and another writer get together and love each other very, very much they create a character. But sometimes things don't work out and both writers try really really hard to make the character work but it just won't make any sense in the end. Do you understand?

Basically, your parents are getting a divorce.

*Okay, okay. Hank is kind of a mess. I think its one of those things where it was used for atmospheric soap opera mood and a needed foil for Ed and Norma. He was created off the bat (mentioned that Norma has a husband in jail in the pilot)- and he was fairly mapped out for the first season once Frost and Lynch got the greenlight. But it still doesn't make a lot of sense in even an open-ended soap situation. Hank took the rap for another murder instead of the Andrew murder (Huh? How does that work? He ran over some other guy so that clears him and all others for killing Andrew?). I'm guessing Frost, Engle and Peyton wrote the dead vagrant as something that could be another mystery thread down the line -like the man behind the tree in the Leo/Bobby/Mike scene. And Andrew is dead at this stage -although in creating a soap opera I can't imagine they didn't chuckle to themselves that Andrew could be alive later in the series if they continued.

The Hank/Leo/Ben triangle is also convoluted and is chalked up to just making things as complicated as possible with all the interweaving. But we can boil it down to Hank being the head drug dealer in Peaks, with Leo his underling. Hank is a mercinary and will play with anyone for pay. Josie paid him for Andrew, and then Ben pays him for Leo and the mill. Hank takes all the money with his finger in multiple pies.
God, I love this music. Isn't it too dreamy?
User avatar
Black Rose
Roadhouse Member
Posts: 52
Joined: Mon Apr 13, 2009 12:06 am

Re: Explain it to me like I'm 5

Post by Black Rose »

Hank is the head drug dealer? Say what?

I thought the whole drug connection was pretty straightforward with the Renault brothers, Leo, and Bobby. Cooper's BS explanation to Jacques (in one of the best damn scenes ever) notwithstanding. Especially since Hank doesn't seem to be connected to Laura or even One Eyed Jack's at all.

OK, explain it to me like I'm 4. :P
User avatar
Audrey Horne
Lodge Member
Posts: 2030
Joined: Sat Apr 14, 2007 9:20 pm
Location: The Great Northern

Re: Explain it to me like I'm 5

Post by Audrey Horne »

"I told you to mind the store, Leo -not open your own franchise." Seems like that was supposed to be a soap opera surprise that there were two dueling drug dealers -Hank's original, and then the Renaults. But I'll go out on a limb and say it wasn't really a plotline concern.
God, I love this music. Isn't it too dreamy?
User avatar
Black Rose
Roadhouse Member
Posts: 52
Joined: Mon Apr 13, 2009 12:06 am

Re: Explain it to me like I'm 5

Post by Black Rose »

I suppose I assumed that that was in reference to the hit man operation, not the drug-dealing operation. :P
User avatar
Audrey Horne
Lodge Member
Posts: 2030
Joined: Sat Apr 14, 2007 9:20 pm
Location: The Great Northern

Re: Explain it to me like I'm 5

Post by Audrey Horne »

well, granted I don't know this arc backwards and forwards like I do with every sigh and pause Audrey or Cooper do.

but pretty sure Hank is talking about the drug business- being paid as hitmen were sidedeals that supposedly Leo didn't know Hank was also involved in. Hank was working in cahoots with Ben to set up Leo as Catherine's accomplice as a fall guy for the mill fire.

I think Hank is beating up Leo and telling him he's on to Leo independantly pocketing money in Hank's business. But most likely, the writers forgot this whole scene and got further and further away from it in the second season.
God, I love this music. Isn't it too dreamy?
User avatar
Black Rose
Roadhouse Member
Posts: 52
Joined: Mon Apr 13, 2009 12:06 am

Re: Explain it to me like I'm 5

Post by Black Rose »

If I had the power to go back and tell Mark and David things before the series ever got off the ground, I think introducing Hank in the second season would have been a better move.

As I have said elsewhere, one of the weaker points of the declining second season was the lack of real villains. (The Renault brothers, Leo, Josie, Blackie, and Leland are gone, and Ben, Katherine, Jacoby, Mike and Bobby become much less creepy.) Putting Hank in there later in the game might have been fun. :D
User avatar
Black Rose
Roadhouse Member
Posts: 52
Joined: Mon Apr 13, 2009 12:06 am

Re: Explain it to me like I'm 5

Post by Black Rose »

I think I figured out part of my own question.

Hank went away for vehicular manslaughter in order to avoid implication in a much greater crime: Andrew's murder.

According to teh wikipedia, vehicular manslaughter involves negligence, and it's considered a subset of negligent homicide. The type of negligence in question is unknown, but the person must have been driving recklessly or with disregard for the safety of others.

I'm guessing that what happened is that Josie took Hank's car and ran over this other dude.

Meanwhile, Hank rigged up the explosion that killed Andrew.

Josie was Hank's alibi, and Hank was Josie's alibi.

The question here is why anyone had to kill the transient. In this day and age, Josie would have just had to take Hank's ATM card and go blow some money in another county.

Mysteries. :D
Post Reply