2x16 The Condemned Woman

[7.1/10] Hey! Most of this was pretty good! At least by Twin Peaks standards. This seems like a good time to mention that my ratings (not just for this show, but everywhere) are sort of series-perspective. That is to say, a 7/10 for The Sopranos might be a 10/10 for Agents of Shield and vice versa. I try to judge all shows against themselves, with some measures for absolute quality.

And yeah, if this were any other show, it’d probably be a 5/10 at best, but most of this was coherent, decently acted, and even went somewhere with most of its storyline, which puts it in rarified air among Twin Peaks episodes.

Let’s start with a sort of odd but pretty effective storyline. The show has seemingly paid off the Nadine/Ed/Norma/Hank love quadrangle, and in a pretty decent fashion too. I have to admit, as frequently as I lose patience with her storyline, I have something of a soft spot for Nadine. There’s something about the way she tries to be straight with Ed and “let him down” that has an air of wistfulness to it, the sense that maybe Ed should have just been direct with Nadine when she was sane, and that she’s far more concerned with his feelings than he’s necessarily been with hers. I’m probably reading too much into a cheesy storyline, but there was something melancholy about her breaking up with him, even amid the weird superpower and reverting to high school insanity of it all.

The payoffs with just Norma and Ed were not quite as potent, but still good. Maybe it’s just because the show has spun its wheels on Norma and Ed for so long, but the episode got something out of me when Ed bursts being the counter of the diner, declares that it’s their turn for happiness, proposes to Norma, and kisses her. By the same token, Norma’s encounter with Hank is too over the top for my tastes (“I’d rather be his whore than your wife” is such a hokey line), but I like the idea that Hank tries his usual tricks and puts on an air of contrition, and even goes to the point of threats, but Norma stays steely throughout. Maybe we’ll finally be rid of the albatross that is Hank on this show.

We also get Billy Zane debuting as some mogul whom Ben Horne helped give his start, returned to help a rejuvenated Ben get out of trouble by standing in the way of Catherine’s development of Ghostwood via environmental crusading. They’re clearly setting up some romantic tension between him and Audrey, and while it’s a little belabored (what isn’t on this show?), I can get behind it. Zane has a reserved quality about him which, despite the generic pretty boy love interest material the show feeds him, immediately makes him stand out on the show.

Hell, there’s even some amusing stuff here. Something about Pete and Andrew Martell laughing about smiley-faced breakfast while Catherine glours made me chuckle. I like the Martells better when they’re a little gleeful and chuckly about their evilness than when they’re dour plotters.

Speaking of which, the major fireworks around the episode center on the Martells setting Josie and Thomas Eckert against one another, convincing both sides that the other has betrayed and is ready to kill them. It’s more convoluted machinations, but again, there’s some joie de vivre in it that livens it.

That said, the real meat of the episode, as usual, hinges on Cooper. Him and Alfred trying to keep the info that Josey shot him (which makes no sense...I think) and lots of other from Harry has some weight to it. It shows the depth of their friendship that Cooper wants to be absolutely sure before he’ll move on Josey, and even then he tries to get her to confess first to spare Harry. Harry, of course, finds out in his own way and has his big dramatic moments, which he’s not quite up to. His shouting is pretty ridiculous and he doesn’t do emotional anguish well. Oh yeah, and Joan Chen cannot convincingly faint or die from poisoning or whatever (hopefully) killed her character to save her life.

Still, it’s a payoff to some long-running storylines, including the Josey-Harry relationship, Josey’s tete-a-tete with Catherine, and the newly ginned up feud between the Martells and the Eckerts. But we get a return appearance from Bob and the Man from Another Place, for reasons that are beyond me. Is the implication that he was possessing Josey too? Is he just appearing to taunt Cooper? And what the hell is the deal with the janky 90s special effects with Josey and the knob on the drawer? Maybe there’s some kind of explanation, but it felt like weird for the sake of weird.

Speaking of things that are hopefully gone forever, Donna seems to send James on his way, tying a bow on the whole Mrs Marsh storyline. But we couldn’t lose James without one more painfully overwrought rumination on love and what they’ve both been through. Feh and good riddance.

The last major storyline to get any juice in the episode is Cooper’s continuing dance with Wyndam Earle. The three young ladies in the town getting mysterious invites and all actually attending this cryptically-described get-together seems beyond reason, but whatever. Earle is back to monologuing with Leo (who is thankfully mostly mute once more), and sending Cooper tapes full of double-speak. It continues to be a weaker part of the show, but I suspect it’s going to carry us through to the finale.

Still, this one was, by Twin Peaks standards at least, a keeper. James and Josey still deliver terrible performances, but maybe they’re gone! Everybody else seems on their game in the acting department; the show closes the book on a number of persistent story threads in a satisfying enough fashion, and the truly awful plotlines and scenes are kept to a minimum. Maybe there’s hope yet! (Not holding my breath though.)

this episode wasnt awful, but i cant say it was a favorite either. alberts short scenes won me over, and as usual cooper carried the episode. i don't know what he was doing on his bed before running to josie but it was entertaining. i don't care for donna and james, i would be entirely satisfied for neither to be around again. they served a purpose regarding the laura mystery, but they fall flat here. norma and ed are just as lackluster, but at least we're seeing some resolve. the implication that nadine and mike had sex is gross to me and very much something im uncomfortable with, which just lends to me disliking her character more. the norma and hank scene wasnt horrible, but I'd be extremely happy if we were rid of hank for good. pete was brilliant as always and andrew had some entertaining moments. catherine was slightly less insufferable than previous episodes but still not a character i care for. Truman battling with what josies done was nice, im glad he came through in the end to defend coop. hawk kicking out hanks crutches was iconic as hell. that ending was.... i don't know what to make of it. we've had some crazy things go on in this show, but genuinely what the fuck was that? was bob possessing josie? is she somehow trapped in the drawer knob? was she somehow killed by the drawer knob? i care very little for josie, her acting has always been awful, and that ending is doing her no favors