Twin Peaks: Drive With A Dead Girl

July 24th, 2008

Season 2, Episode 8

Twin Peaks: Lonely Souls

Synopsis

As Leland practices his golf swing in his living room, James and Donna stop by to say goodbye to Maddie. Leland claims he just dropped her off at the bus station. After they leave, Leland places a golf bag - containing Maddie’s corpse - in the trunk of his car.

Jerry visits Ben in jail and offers his services as lawyer. Jerry wistfully recalls the bunk bed from their youth. Lucy and her sister Gwen return to the sheriff’s office. Gwen carries a baby.

Cooper and Harry see Leland dancing around the lobby of the Great Northern, using a golf club as a cane. Harry tells him that Ben is under arrest for Laura’s murder. Leland wanders into a side room, laughing evilly. Cooper only sees Leland from behind, where he seems to be crying.

Doc Hayward draws Ben’s blood. Cooper questions Jerry’s law credentials, shows Ben Laura’s diary, and says they know Ben owns One Eyed Jack’s. Jerry realizes Ben needs a better lawyer.

Bobby plays the cassette tape found in Leo’s shoe. It’s a recording of Ben and Leo planning the mill burning. Bobby decides to use the tape to extort money from Ben.

Norma’s mother, Vivian, pays a visit to the RR diner. With her is Ernie, her new husband. Hank returns, and Norma is angry that he’s been gone for over a day.

The one armed man awakes, and says BOB is close.

Pete tells Harry that Josie has left town. Josie told Pete that her Asian counterpart (Jon) was her cousin, while she told Harry he was her assistant.

Pete pays Ben a visit, and plays a tape recorder outside the bars. It’s Catherine. Ben is amazed to learn she survived the mill fire. Catherine says she was with Ben the night of Laura murder, and be his alibi - but she wants ownership of Ghostwood in exchange. Pete leaves, laughing, and Ben angrily destroys the cell’s bed, muttering he was set up.

Leland drives along a windy road, singing as his car weaves dangerously. Cooper and Harry nearly hit him, and pull him over. Leland says that the night of Laura’s murder, he heard Ben phoning someone about a “dairy”. Cooper wonders if he meant “diary”. Offhand, Leland wants to show off his golf clubs. Cooper ignores Leland and drives off - they missed seeing Laura’s body in the car trunk.

Andy tells Lucy that his sperm test came back positive and he could be the father of Lucy’s child.

At the sheriff’s office, the one armed man circles around Ben, saying BOB is close - but Ben is not the killer. Still, Harry charges Ben with murder. Cooper pulls Harry aside saying it’s a mistake, but Harry says he’s fed up with the mumbo-jumbo.

At the Great Northern, Hank, Norma, Vivian, and Ernie have dinner. It turns out Hank knows Ernie from jail, as a gambler who stole from a savings and loan.

Audrey visits Cooper’s room, saying she just wanted Ben to love her as a father. Cooper receives a phone call and urgently tells Audrey to return to her room and lock the door.

Cooper runs out to a river bank where the body of Maddie Ferguson, wrapped in plastic, is removed from the river.

Thoughts

A very good episode. The identity of Laura’s murder is known to the audience but not the characters. The scene where Leland is laughing/crying is awesome. Also great is the close call of Cooper almost catching Leland with Maddie’s corpse in the trunk of his car. The final scene of Maddie’s body removed from the river, mirrors the recovery of Laura Palmer’s body from the first episode.

Catherine trapping of Ben in exchange for the Ghostwood property is very slick, and ties together two of the long-running plot threads in a neat way.

Meanwhile, the side stories are less amusing. More new characters - Vivian and Ernie, and Lucy’s sister Gwen - all rather unnecessary in the larger scheme of things.

Clues:

At this point, we know Leland Palmer is Laura’s killer, but the characters in the show are still searching:
Mike doesn’t sense BOB in the presence of Ben.
Catherine Martell was with Ben Horne the night of Laura’s murder and therefore Ben couldn’t be the killer.

Next Episode: Arbitrary Law
Previous Episode: Lonely Souls

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