[Podcast] Week 13: 'Twin Peaks School on Substack

From the author’s private photo collection. Snoqualmie, Washington October, 2017

This Week’s Syllabus

1. Watch Twin Peaks: The Return “Part Five”

2. READ THE NEXT CHAPTER in your textbook: A Skeleton Key To Twin Peaks, 2nd Edition. by

   JB Minton 📺
   .

3. Consider and, if it feels right, discuss.

Part Five

This week, we dive into the heart of the enigmatic Twin Peaks The Return, focusing on Episode 5, which explores the profound exploration of grace versus malevolence. Part Five intricately weaves the tale of a man waking from a dream, or more aptly, a nightmare thrust into a world that seems bent on denying him any semblance of awareness or success. This dreaming construct, grappling with a corrupted soul from previous Twin Peaks lore, navigates an existential minefield led by fate, chance, and perhaps divine intervention. Each step is a test, a dance with shadows and echoes of his former self, who now seems to possess an overpowering will to influence the dream's narrative and move this consciousness onto the path of darkness, cruelty, pain, and power.

But what stands out most profoundly in this episode—what defines much of The Return—is the philosophical musing on whether natural grace is more potent than a life led by sheer will and malice. This question is beautifully tangled in the surreal narrative fabric of Twin Peaks The Return, where every character's narrative arc feels both predestined by past misdeeds and eerily autonomous.

The narrative complexity of this story is matched by cinematic brilliance. These scenes of human drama, trauma, and joy are visually striking and packed with symbolism that might take multiple viewings to fully appreciate. And yes, we see our presence within the story. This meta-narrative twist invites viewers to influence the unfolding events, either complicating or simplifying the tale's trajectory (depending on who you’re rooting for to win).

As we explore Part Five, let's ponder the delicate balance between fate and free will in The Return’s narrative universe. How does the interplay of these forces drive the characters toward their inevitable destinies? Are they merely puppets in a preordained show, or do their choices have the power to alter the grand design?

YOUR READING ASSIGNMENT THIS WEEK 🔽

Limited access to this copyrighted material is by explicit permission of the author and only available for this free cost during the active running of this course in 2024. The final version will be available in book format shortly after the conclusion of this course.

Next class…Part Six “Don’t Die”

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