Twin peaks: Mid-Season 2 (Revisited)

I have always thought that the second part of S2 worked really well within the context of the show. It was a much needed relaxing point, before the sheer madness of The Return.

With that said, it did have lots and lots of boring plotlines, which haven't lead anywhere. This edit disposes of them, in the best way possible.

My favourite thing is how Windom Earle was handled, he really is a lot more menacing, and feels like a genuine threat.

I'm happy to say, that the second season is now great, and an absolute pleasure to watch.

Many thanks, MisterCooper.

First time Twin Peaks watcher. I was a ways into the post-Lynch episodes and staring at my monitor almost saying out loud, "Just cut this entire plotline". I skipped ahead to episode 21 and immediately was sad that I missed what had happened because even without David Lynch directing (I know he didn't direct much of the show regardless) I felt that the show had definitely recovered and felt like Twin Peaks again.

So I went back and started about halfway through Mister Cooper's edited episode 13. I definitely noted that I wasn't actively angry at the show anymore but it still wasn't peak Peaks.

Episode 14 felt a little slow with all the random citizens having so much plot to do but I started getting back into it and the random plotlines did start to feel a little meatier than soap opera writing. I still hate Amnesia Nadine being a subplot at all, was hoping she'd be gone, but only one short scene so not too bad. The Josie plot coming to a head felt like the first BIG Twin Peaks is back moment.

Ep 15 The show feels back on track. Like a lesser episode from the peak Lynch Frost days. Still not a fan of Nadine but they're mercifully short scenes. This version of the show really preserves the depressive post ep 9 feeling without letting it slip into meaningless filler. Which is why I think I prefer having an edited down s2 second half instead of a brutal cutting of ep 9 to 22 with as few scenes as possible. Cooper is settling in as a local so cutting this more relaxed arc out completely would probably mess with the overall feeling of the show.

Ep 19 Overall it's been pretty seamless. What's really interesting is that the way Leo and Windom Earle only have three scenes together in this version makes you imagine what went on between them that whole stretch. The way Leo tells the Major to save Shelley becomes another tension tool pointed at the Miss Twin Peaks Pageant. And the way it's edited makes it seem like Earle is just talking to Leo's motionless corpse which makes Earle quite threatening and mad.

So here at the end I guess I'd say that I still hate Nadine's whole amnesia storyline and you could probably edit it out (I haven't watched Return though so I could be wrong and it gets referenced a lot), but that's about it as far as the bad stuff goes. The season hits a lull after episode 9 but this edit has made it feel like a natural downbeat part of the story instead of filler.

Watched the final unedited episode of season 2. The single edit (other than cutting Nadine's amnesia) I would suggest is to take out the shot of Leo struggling with the string in his mouth. Although not explicit, I had the sense from the last time Windom Earle talked to him that he was already dead and just slumped against the wall. So editing this out of the final episode would be good. As is you don't have context in this edit for what is happening with the string, so just cutting it would work the best.

I'm a working dad with a wife and kids, and don't have a lot of free time. I only ever watch TV series with my wife, and we usually have similar tastes so we settle on a series and watch it after work when the kids are (finally) in bed. So, it usually works out. But not with Twin Peaks. I really wanted to watch it, and she really didn't click with it (mostly.., she did like the Laura Palmer / Dale Cooper / Black Lodge stuff, but absolutely hated all the side-plots).

We had made it to the mid-point of season 2... but I knew I was going to lose her with the mid-season slump, and I wouldn't get a chance to watch it on my own. So, if we couldn't find a way through the mid-season 2, then that was it (and I was so looking forward to The Return).

MisterCooper's fanedit saved my marriage.

Short and sweet. I forgot to review this edit when I watched it. Probably because I was just so blown away. I've now watched it I don't know how many times. It's on a loop with the first season and the first half of the second season. I don't much bother with the original back half of the season. I just watch this. Great edit. Very well done. Perfect for the fan who wants to cute through the garbage and get straight to a more serious back half of season 2. Can't recommend it highly enough.

Much improved experience.

Watched second 2 with a brand new first time watcher.
As James' side thing is quickly wrapped up, first time watcher says "I'm glad I didn't have to sit through all that."
Billy Zane still feels dropped in, and then Annie. First time watcher says "I guess if they added someone for Audrey, they had to add in a girl for Coop." Guess he exists to add to the theme of love.
Nadine is a lot of comic relief.