Fun
Frisky
Nostalgic
Intense
Adventurous
Choked Up
Curious
Romantic
Weird
David Lynch’s ground-breaking drama Twin Peaks finally returns to television with a two-part broadcast premiere on May 21, 2017 on Showtime — Episodes 3 & 4 will be immediately available to watch on Showtime’s streaming services afterwards. Join Decider as we revisit the genre-bending series in an epic rewatch leading up to the big premiere. Every Tuesday and Thursday we will tackle an original episode in an effort to conquer the entire 30-episode-long original series before the new episodes arrive. So grab a seat and get yourself some cherry pie.
Season 1, Episode 5
Title: “The One-Armed Man“
Original Airdate: May 3, 1990
Director: Tim Hunter
Writer: Robert Engels
Synopsis: Sarah Palmer (Grace Zabriskie) tells Sheriff Harry S. Truman (Michael Ontkean) about her visions of BOB and of a gloved hand finding Laura’s golden heart necklace in the woods. Special Agent Dale Cooper (Kyle MacLachlan) confirms that the man in Sarah Palmer’s vision is the same from his dream. Cooper questions Dr. Jacoby (Russ Tamblyn), who reveals Laura was involved with a man who drove a red corvette. The autopsy reveals that Laura was scratched by birds.
Josie Packard (Joan Chen) has followed Catherine (Piper Laurie) and Ben Horne (Richard Beymer) to the Timber Falls Inn, a rustic motel. At one point, Ben drops a chip for One-Eyed Jack’s and Catherine finds it. This becomes a bit awkward when Cooper and Truman show up at the motel to question a one-armed man hiding there. Even though this one-armed man appears to be innocent, he is able to point the team to his friend, Dr. Bob Lydecker, a veterinarian who treats birds and who lives next to a shop with one of the twine brands used in Laura’s murder. Cooper and the entire Sheriff’s Department spend the evening going through Lydecker’s files looking for bird-owners and discover that Jacques Renault, a Canadian drug runner, owned a bird. It also comes back that the plastic item found in Laura’s body was a One-Eyed Jack poker chip.
Audrey Horne (Sherilyn Fenn) tells Donna (Lara Flynn Boyle) that she wants to help Cooper solve the murder so that he falls in love with her. She reveals to Donna that Laura was seeing Dr. Jacoby and that Laura might have been a sex worker at One-Eyed Jack’s. Donna promises to help Audrey solve the crime, but they have to keep everything they learn a secret. Audrey tells her father she wants to help with the family business and seems to sneak herself into Laura and Ronette’s old job at the department store.
Elsewhere, Shelly (Madchen Amick) and Bobby (Dana Ashbrook) are still hooking up. She lets it slip that Leo is hanging out with French Canadian dealer at the Roadhouse. He reveals they’re drug runners and that he thinks they were giving drugs to Laura. She then, in turn, reveals Leo’s bloody shirt. Bobby takes it and says it’s the answer to their prayers.Later he goes to Jacques and plants Leo’s shirt — just in time for Cooper and company to find it.
James meets Maddy (Sheryl Lee), Laura’s lookalike brunette cousin, at the diner and he’s transfixed. Norma (Peggy Lipton) reluctantly helps her husband, Hank (Chris Mulkey), make parole. Ben Horne later has a secret meeting with Leo (Eric Da Re), revealing he drives a red corvette. He enlists Leo to burn down the Packard mill. Later, Donna and James go back to the woods and find out that Laura’s necklace was gone.
Harry calls Josie and asks her if she was at the motel and she won’t say. Later Josie finds a letter that contains nothing but a drawing of a domino — the same domino as Hank’s keychain. The phone rings and it turns out that Hank is coming to see her – Josie is worried.
Decider’s Favorite Parts Of Twin Peaks, “The One-Armed Man”:
Llama Llama
Agent Cooper’s brief staredown with a llama in the vet’s office is easily the highlight of this episode. Like many other elements of this series, it doesn’t make sense, but it does make you laugh. I need to know more about this llama, for instance, where was it the night of Laura Palmer’s murder? The llama is probably not guilty, but probably was doing something super chill. — Lea Palmieri
Llama Llama Llama
Loved the Doctor Dolittle-worthy shot of an untethered lizard hoof-level with a llama in the Lydecker Veterinary Clinic waiting room, especially because no character comments on the strangeness of the pairing. It’s as if Noah’s Ark washed ashore in the local lake but everyone was too distracted by the Laura Palmer crime scene to notice. — Jenna Marotta
Girl Power
There was a lot to love about this fifth episode, from a glimpse into Shelly and Bobby’s hot hot hot sexual relationship to Dr. Jacoby’s 3-D sunglasses to the supreme (yet very soap-y) weirdness of having Laura’s lookalike cousin around. But I was most encouraged by the ladies-room tête-à-tête between Donna and Audrey, two young women who by all rights should be enemies, but who find a common purpose. Audrey is dying to participate in something as glamorous as a murder investigation, while Donna needs to know how (and why) her friend died, if only so she doesn’t have to continue to be exposed to Sarah and Leland Palmer’s weirdly contentious marriage. I will always be here for a team of rivals, especially when they’re two dark-haired teen dreams. — Joe Reid
Shot Through The Heart
There’s a wonderful interlude in the middle of this episode that shines some light — albeit a dim one – on Special Agent Dale Cooper’s soul. Cooper asks Andy, Hawk, and Truman to indulge in a little bit of target practice. The scene gives the men a moment to talk about their love lives. Andy is confused over Lucy’s coldness and Hawk has a PhD-slinging girlfriend. Cooper, it turns out, has never been married. But he is given a rare monologue that offers a glimpse into his heart. The speech comes next to the revelation that Hawk’s girlfriend’s name is Diane. Coincidences point to larger conspiracies in Twin Peaks — so is the “Diane” on Cooper’s tape recorder an avatar for this missing love? — Meghan O’Keefe
WHAT ABOUT YOU? JOIN THE JOURNEY
Decider will be returning to Twin Peaks for Chapter Six, “Cooper’s Dreams” this Thursday, February 23. Want to watch along? Join in the conversation? Comment, tweet, or add on Facebook YOUR favorite part about Twin Peaks. The best reader response will make it to Thursday’s discussion.
