Least Favorite Storyline in Twin Peaks

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Least Favorite Storyline in Twin Peaks

Little Nicky
23
15%
James/Evelyn Marsh Storyline
51
34%
Ben Horne Civil War
22
15%
Audrey and John Wheeler
14
9%
Nadine in High School
13
9%
Packard/Eckhardt Battle
4
3%
Josie as a maid
1
1%
Leo as a vegetable
0
No votes
Donna and her true father
2
1%
Donna and James season two
4
3%
Milford/Lana
11
7%
Other (Please specify in comments)
6
4%
 
Total votes: 151
Agent Earle
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Re: Least Favorite Storyline in Twin Peaks

Post by Agent Earle »

I'd also like to make a statement that I consider Packard/Eckhardt standoff top-tier TP! My only gripe with it is that is should be longer; they disposed of the wonderful David Warner way too soon!
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Mr. Reindeer
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Re: Least Favorite Storyline in Twin Peaks

Post by Mr. Reindeer »

Agent Earle wrote: Sun May 30, 2021 6:44 am I'd also like to make a statement that I consider Packard/Eckhardt standoff top-tier TP! My only gripe with it is that is should be longer; they disposed of the wonderful David Warner way too soon!
Agreed on all points! That “Packard Theme” by Angelo is damn cool, and Warner makes so much from so little. O’Herlihy is also really fun. So is Piper. Great stuff.
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Jonah
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Re: Least Favorite Storyline in Twin Peaks

Post by Jonah »

Lana is the worst imo. All these men swooning over her when they're surrounded by Sheryl Lee, Madchen Amick, Sherilyn Fenn, Peggy Lipton, and Lara Flynn Boyle. I'm not running Robyn Lively down - she's very attractive, but it's not like these men weren't already surrounded by stunningly gorgeous women. It's so stupid. And they even make Hawk into a bumbling fool and others in a sort of bad sitcom of Episode 19. The dance in 28 is awful too, but I don't mind her closet scene with Dick. Maybe I'd just acclimatized by then.

I still don't think the Nadine stuff is that bad, though of course it's not very good. Good points about her playing the character more like 12 than 18, though. I'm going to say a very naive 16 year old is what they were aiming for, but I'm probably being generous. Regardless, seeing as how Lynch directed some of that story in 14 and 29 and as it disappears for long stretches (at least I think it does) it's probably one I don't find too bad once Episode 17 is over. And as I said before it gives us at least two funny scenes - where she climbs into bed with Ed and Norma and where she and Mike check into the hotel - and two good scenes - breaking the glass in the diner and waking up in the finale. So that's more than I can say for the other threads.

The Evelyn stuff is just shoddy imo. It's like a bad film noir or an attempt at one of those bad 90's erotic thrillers that was so popular on VHS. It's not outright ridiculous but it's not very good, it's just poorly done and way too long, stretching out over 5-6 episodes. I do like the scenes in Wally's Bar, though, for the most part, and I think they're sort of eerie in the Diane Keaton episode. Not having it in the town of Twin Peaks is also to it's detriment - it would have worked better if it had taken place in the town, or even on the edges of it. It's like a storyline Big Sky recently did, where they wander out of the town to another one altogether, which just makes it feel like a different show, a very loosely connected spin-off. That one's done a bit better, though, with better actors and more presence of the main leads, but it still reminded me of it. Yeah, the Evelyn stuff would have been better in the actual town itself. It's interesting though that apparently all the footage of James at the beginning of Episode 18 was shot for the pilot by Lynch himself or under his supervision - that elevates the beginning of the storyline a bit for me, that and the Wally's bar scenes, otherwise it registers somewhere between ugh and meh for me.

Little Nicky - whatever. His two actual scenes are okay and would probably have gone mostly unnoticed had it not been for the thought bubble scene and the final summation scene, as others have noted.

I'm mixed on the Dick stuff. I sort of like him too, the actor is great, but his scenes were the start of the not-so-great stuff in Season 2, fairly early on too, way before the mid-season slump. I suppose characters like him - and Lucy's sister, Gwen - were the more bearable side of the silly stories. If they'd kept a few side plots like that, even the dull-ish MT Wentz storyline that no one's mentioned yet that I'm also not very fond of, but if they'd kept them to that level, it wouldn't have been so bad. The problem with the mid-season is they mostly threw all those type of comedic and sub-par subplots into the mix, amped them up, and also some fun but cheesy sci-fi stuff with bad special effects, and all of that stuff was all that was in the mix with the very strongly felt absence of the Palmer storyline and Bob and the possibility of more murders all missing in action.
I have no idea where this will lead us, but I have a definite feeling it will be a place both wonderful and strange.
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Jonah
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Re: Least Favorite Storyline in Twin Peaks

Post by Jonah »

Mr. Reindeer wrote: Sun May 30, 2021 6:53 am
Agent Earle wrote: Sun May 30, 2021 6:44 am I'd also like to make a statement that I consider Packard/Eckhardt standoff top-tier TP! My only gripe with it is that is should be longer; they disposed of the wonderful David Warner way too soon!
Agreed on all points! That “Packard Theme” by Angelo is damn cool, and Warner makes so much from so little. O’Herlihy is also really fun. So is Piper. Great stuff.
Yeah, that was a fun little storyline, even if it wasn't top-notch I enjoyed it. They should have kept it going longer. Same with the Josie storyline. Had Joan Chen come back for another season, they could have gotten very surreal and interesting. I was disappointed Lynch and Frost didn't follow up on it in The Return (beyond the hum, that is).
I have no idea where this will lead us, but I have a definite feeling it will be a place both wonderful and strange.
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JackwithOneEye
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Re: Least Favorite Storyline in Twin Peaks

Post by JackwithOneEye »

if you're a West Side Story fan, the Civil War stuff gives you some Russ Tamblyn/ Richard Beymer shared screentime.
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JackwithOneEye
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Re: Least Favorite Storyline in Twin Peaks

Post by JackwithOneEye »

The MT Wentz stuff I really like. The "you're overreacting" line and Peggy's delivery when she says "but they're my reactions" and the music fades up. classic. love that scene.
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Jonah
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Re: Least Favorite Storyline in Twin Peaks

Post by Jonah »

I don't mind it but I think its placement in the show was annoying. That reveal was was just one episode after Maddy's murder and felt more inconsequential than it should have had it come even just a couple of episodes sooner or later. I think tying Ernie into it soured it too. But, yeah, it wasn't nearly as bad as some of the mid-season plotlines, more in line with the Dick Andy Lucy baby story, Gwen, and some of those storylines, possibly even a bit stronger than them, but again its placement was all wrong imo.
I have no idea where this will lead us, but I have a definite feeling it will be a place both wonderful and strange.
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Mr. Reindeer
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Re: Least Favorite Storyline in Twin Peaks

Post by Mr. Reindeer »

JackwithOneEye wrote: Sun May 30, 2021 7:03 am if you're a West Side Story fan, the Civil War stuff gives you some Russ Tamblyn/ Richard Beymer shared screentime.
They even sing together! I loved that.
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mtwentz
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Re: Least Favorite Storyline in Twin Peaks

Post by mtwentz »

Ok, the Nadine storyline wasn't the greatest. But when in the penultimate episode she talks about Mike's 'buns' and Ed gives Norma that look...that still sends me rolling on the floor in laughter everytime. In fact, it seems all the awfulness is worth it for that one punchline.

John Justice Wheeler and Ben Horne Civl War, on the other hand, had no real payoff for me.

The first few episodes of Windom Earle really did not work for me. But by the last 3 episodes, Earle finally clicked.
F*&^ you Gene Kelly
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Mr. Reindeer
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Re: Least Favorite Storyline in Twin Peaks

Post by Mr. Reindeer »

mtwentz wrote: Tue Jun 01, 2021 12:00 pm Ok, the Nadine storyline wasn't the greatest. But when in the penultimate episode she talks about Mike's 'buns' and Ed gives Norma that look...that still sends me rolling on the floor in laughter everytime. In fact, it seems all the awfulness is worth it for that one punchline.
That whole bit makes me cringe so much just thinking about it. Different strokes for different folks. :mrgreen:
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mtwentz
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Re: Least Favorite Storyline in Twin Peaks

Post by mtwentz »

Mr. Reindeer wrote: Tue Jun 01, 2021 1:17 pm
mtwentz wrote: Tue Jun 01, 2021 12:00 pm Ok, the Nadine storyline wasn't the greatest. But when in the penultimate episode she talks about Mike's 'buns' and Ed gives Norma that look...that still sends me rolling on the floor in laughter everytime. In fact, it seems all the awfulness is worth it for that one punchline.
That whole bit makes me cringe so much just thinking about it. Different strokes for different folks. :mrgreen:
Maybe you'll like my other favorite comedic moment from the show better:

Andy spelunking down in front of Lucy's reception desk. Do you remember that one?
F*&^ you Gene Kelly
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Mr. Reindeer
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Re: Least Favorite Storyline in Twin Peaks

Post by Mr. Reindeer »

Heh, the spelunking one does make me chuckle.
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Jonah
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Re: Least Favorite Storyline in Twin Peaks

Post by Jonah »

That's one of those silly moments that imo actually works. It's weird - sometimes a completely ridiculous sequence like that can be so awful (especially in the mid-season) and other times they work for some reason.
I have no idea where this will lead us, but I have a definite feeling it will be a place both wonderful and strange.
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hopesfall
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Re: Least Favorite Storyline in Twin Peaks

Post by hopesfall »

My kneejerk reaction was to click the Lana storyline, but I decided to sit with it for a moment, and try to imagine myself watching the show whilst these storylines present themselves; to feel the boredom/irritation/etc. In the end, it was indeed the Lana sub-"plot". The reasons for which I needn't go into, as it would be like listing the reasons I wouldn't like to set myself on fire. Nadine came a close second. Seeing her reduced to that after the beautifully dark and tragic character from the first season was a tad depressing in itself to say the least.

Up until several years ago I would've gone straight for the James/Evelyn story, but at the risk of being ridiculed, it has really grown on me over time. I'm not sure if I've become quite a sucker for noir-type stories and aesthetics, or if it's just that it still somehow manages to transport me into its world (even if it's not quite the world of Twin Peaks), I just seem to be able to tolerate it more now, and dare I say even enjoy it.

Civil War Ben always offered me plenty of comic relief, and seeing Tamblyn and Beymer singing together brings me immeasurable joy, so I couldn't possibly vote for that. None of the other ones listed offend me terribly.
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mtwentz
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Re: Least Favorite Storyline in Twin Peaks

Post by mtwentz »

I found the Evelyn-James interesting, but it just didn't have a great payoff at the end (for me).

My favorite scene from that storyline is the little conversation between Jeffrey and James. I thought that scene was pretty well written and acted.

At the end, nothing tied back to Twin Peaks or the rest of the show, it was just its own little detour. That is where I was disappointed. But I was intrigued right up until the storyline's abrupt ending.
F*&^ you Gene Kelly
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