Back to the Double R: A Twin Peaks Rewatch

Time to tune in, turn on, and rip ‘em a new one! We are amped this week—that’s DOCTOR Amped to you—and we are peeling back the layers of skullduggery and ill intent that exert their stranglehold on freedom. Dr. Jacoby is riding the airwaves with his golden shovel, and we at Back to the Double R are reading between the lines to get at the truth you solid citizens deserve about The Return, Part 5: Case Files. This week: Jonathan profiles the man of the hour, one Russ Tamblyn, and his dulcet tones; Jennifer is tracing the mysterious transmitters and transistors upon which subtle influences flow; Colin is seeing the world as a battle between love and power; and Damon is caught in the parent trap. Then, watch us all Twist as we contend with the terrifying interrogation: Could Dr. Amp be… right?! LISTEN: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | BuzzSprout | Spotify | RSS | and more!S3, E5 NOTES:David Lynch (episode director)David Lynch, Mark Frost (episode writers)

Holy smokes, y’all, it seems that Messrs. Lynch and Frost, et al., are not messing around! Who was that in jail cell? Who’s trying to off Mr. C? And what in the heck has the arm evolved into?!? It’s a whirlwind, all right, this Twin Peaks Season 3, Part 2: The Stars Turn and a Time Presents Itself, but we remain undaunted. This week, Jonathan measures the new rabbit hole for drapes and shines a light on our discombobulated hero, Dale Cooper; Damon blasphemes (!!) but has an intriguing theory about Lodges and the lack thereof; Jennifer says there’s a whole lotta shakin’ going on; and Colin sees Lynches within Lynches in this refracted televisual diversion. For the Twist, we’re heading to the Roadhouse to see what they’ve done with the place over the last 25 years! LISTEN: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | BuzzSprout | Spotify | RSS | and more!S3, E2 NOTES:David Lynch (episode director)David Lynch, Mark Frost (episode writers)

At long last, we are all meeting in the beautiful future-present-past! Back to the Double R has arrived at the much-anticipated—and somewhat improbable—Season 3 of Twin Peaks, a.k.a, “The Return.” It feels like we’ve been waiting forever! We stare into our glass boxes for Part 1: My Log Has a Message for You, and behold: Colin thinks we are not even watching television anymore; Damon says it’s Laura, it’s always been Laura; Jennifer thrills to the vintage audio tech and masterful sound design; and Jonathan sees doubles across the years! For the first Twist of 2022, we compare notes on who we were missing in the first episode back. LISTEN: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | BuzzSprout | Spotify | RSS | and more!S3, E1 NOTES:David Lynch (episode director)David Lynch, Mark Frost ( (episode writers)

Bonus episode!! How about some Blue Velvet to go with your brand new New Year?! Your pals at Back to the Double R snuck in an extra recording session to puzzle out some of the mysteries of David Lynch’s idyllic Lumberton, North Carolina, and to ponder what it all means for the good people of Twin Peaks, Washington. In this Very Special Bonus Ep, Damon examines the birds and insects of these twinned cities and finds some noteworthy similarities; Jonathan sees an American flag waving in Red, White, and Blue Velvet; Jennifer maps out characters from each location and sees wheels within wheels; and Colin puts a clunky, old microscope on the dividing line between innocent childhood and corrupt adulthood. Enjoy, folks!! LISTEN: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | BuzzSprout | Spotify | RSS | and more!NEW YEAR BONUS EPISODE: “BLUE VELVET” NOTES:David Lynch (writer, director)

We’re dusting off some weighty tomes as we dive (deep) into the hitherto unknown and unexplored depths of Mark Frost’s “The Secret History of Twin Peaks.” So many questions!! Order up some extra hash browns and ask Norma to put on a new pot of coffee, because we’re going to be here for a while. This week, Damon challenges us to question the veracity of everything we read; Jonathan contemplates the value of extending this narrative (and others) into historical contexts; Colin asks whether this could or perhaps should have been part of the recent boom in Native-driven creative entertainment; and Jennifer reflects on Josie, and other femmes fatales in the show. For our standard book-based Twist, we ask: Okay, but is it canon?LISTEN: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | BuzzSprout | Spotify | RSS | and more!IN BETWEEN 5, SPECIAL #6, THE SECRET HISTORY OF TWIN PEAKS NOTES:Mark Frost (author)

Welcome back to Back to the Double R, where in honor of our subject matter this week, we are podcasting from a slightly alternate universe—so this never happened and if you tell anyone it did, we’ll deny talking about Judy. We sidestep into the absent imaginary with Lynch’s Fire Walk with Me: The Missing Pieces, which is to say, the cool bits that didn’t make it to the theatrical release. This week, did Jennifer wonder about the lighter side of the Palmer family that didn’t get served up to mainstream audiences? Did Damon lament the absence of old familiar faces from the town of Twin Peaks? Was Colin going on and on about time warps and tableaux vivants? Did Jonathan focus like a laser beam on the enigma of long-lost Special Agent Phillip Jeffries? And did we bust out a Very Special Twist focused on the music of the Man Who Fell to Earth himself? There’s only one way to find out!!! LISTEN: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | BuzzSprout | Spotify | RSS | and more!IN BETWEEN 4, SPECIAL #5, FIRE WALK WITH ME (PART 3)—THE MISSING PIECES NOTES:David Lynch (director) David Lynch, Robert Engels, Mark Frost (writers)

Last week, we caught up with the mysterious disappearances of Agents Desmond and Jeffries, and learned about life at the Fat Trout Trailer Park. Now, in Part 2 of our discussion of Fire Walk with Me, we time-jump from Deer Meadow to a pre-Cooper Twin Peaks in order to learn about the darkness that bubbled up to claim the Prom Queen. In this very special Special, Jennifer looks at a Laura Palmer being psychologically torn in two; Colin laments the tragedy of all those who failed her; Jonathan confronts the humanity of Leland Palmer; and Damon puzzles out some of the loose threads from end of Season 2. LISTEN: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | BuzzSprout | Spotify | RSS | and more!IN BETWEEN 3, SPECIAL #4, FIRE WALK WITH ME (PART 2) NOTES:David Lynch (director) David Lynch, Robert Engels, Mark Frost (writers)

Buddhist philosophy tells us that nothing exists outside causes and conditions, so what lead up to our trusted Agent Cooper pulling into the small town of Twin Peaks? Come with us, back, back, back in time, to the mysterious events that launched his investigation (and the mysterious events embedded within those events, and so on, and so on). In this episode of our pod, we dive into the first 34 minutes of David Lynch’s Twin Peaks prequel, “Fire Walk with Me.” In this installment, Jennifer inspects the interference between television and film; Damon investigates the Fat Trout Trailer Park and smells something fishy; Colin puts the FBI in the hot seat, asking if they are the perfect dream decoders; and Jonathan goes through the looking glass to the mirror-world of Deer Meadow. For the Twist, we ask if we’d fall for Agent Chet as hard as we did the black-haired fella from Philadelphia! LISTEN: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | BuzzSprout | Spotify | RSS | and more!IN BETWEEN 2, SPECIAL #3, FIRE WALK WITH ME (PART 1) NOTES:David Lynch (director) David Lynch, Robert Engels, Mark Frost (writers)

Woohoo!! We are way stoked to have you reading a website about a podcast about a book supposedly transcribed from audio recordings about a TV character! Check all of us out! Nice work, everyone. In this, our Back to the Double R Special #2, we dive into the dogeared pages of Scott Frost’s “The Autobiography of F.B.I. Special Agent Dale Cooper: My Life, My Tapes.” Published in 1991, this lesser sibling to “The Secret Diary of Laura Palmer” is a curio of not-undubious distinction—but fans gonna fan, and we kinda liked it! Jonathan kicks us off with a discussion of how this compares to “The Secret Diary…”; Jennifer turns a spotlight on Dale Cooper’s early traumas; Colin wonders whether young Dale is a child of the 1950s, 60s, or 70s; and Damon asks whether Warren’s boy’s book is a useful bridge to Lynch’s Twin Peaks prequel, “Fire Walk With Me.”  For the Twist, we ask our standard question of all the literary elements of the Peaksian landscape that we will discuss: Is it canon? LISTEN: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | BuzzSprout | Spotify | RSS | and more!SPECIAL #2: “The Autobiography of F.B.I. Special Agent Dale Cooper: My Life, My Tapes” NOTES:The Autobiography of F.B.I. Special Agent Dale Cooper: My Life, My Tapes (via WorldCat.org) Scott Frost (author)Can we copy off you? Show notes to come! 

… Wow, Bob. Wow. The Master returns to direct the final episode of the season and the series (or so we thought), in Season 2, Episode 22, “Beyond Life and Death.” The sound of burning motor oil and the smell of hideous laughter usher us into the waiting room of the Black Lodge and we are spat out with at least as many questions as answers. This week, Jonathan contemplates the triumph of evil; Jennifer puzzles out the final doublings; Damon is lost in a time loop; and Colin wonders if these closing horrors were always waiting for us at the end of the road. Programming note! We are disappearing for a bit as we prepare some special content! We're back November 18, 2021, with The Autobiography of F.B.I. Agent Dale Cooper, so grab that where you can (hint: try WorldCat.org). Then, on December 2, we start our special 3-part series on Lynch’s “Fire Walk With Me.” Check BackToTheDoubleR.com for more info! LISTEN: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | BuzzSprout | Spotify | RSS | and more!S2, E22 NOTES:David Lynch (episode director) Harley Peyton (episode writer)Show notes will see you again in 25 years! (Okay, maybe not that long…)

The dancing! The speeches! The pageantry! The EVIL INCARNATE!! We are celebrating fine old traditions in Twin Peaks this week, like sacrificing our queens to the darkness! With all the shiny plastic and plot moves, it’s pretty clear things are about to get real real in Season 2, Episode 21, “Miss Twin Peaks.” As the stakes soar, Jennifer is seeing manifestations of the divine; Jonathan savors impending tragedy and honors Nadine Hurley/Wendy Robie; Colin asks if this crescendo is indeed everything we wanted; and Damon has the key to unlocking all the locks and keys! Our Halloween-flavored Twists continue with our own creepiest moments! LISTEN: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | BuzzSprout | Spotify | RSS | and more!S2, E21 NOTES:Tim Hunter (episode director) Barry Pullman (episode writer)Show notes soon to rise from their grave!

Howdy, Listeners! To celebrate arriving at the Season 2 finale, we are throwing out some bonus content. Damon and Jonathan interview Jennifer and Colin (respectively) so the the two newer viewers (Jennifer and Colin) can place their bets for Lynch & Frost's final moves of the legendary series. (Or are they?!?) Enjoy! And as always, head to BackToTheDoubleR.com for all our regular episodes, other Twin Peaks content, and a full schedule of special programming through the end of 2021! Thank ya, kindly! 

Dark times and ominous portents… what’s not to love?! There’s a fair bit of traditional soap opera mode in this episode, but also some of the most disturbing glimpses of things to come! Things are heating up in Season 2, Episode 20, “The Path to the Black Lodge” and here’s what’s cookin’: Colin is dreaming about things just out of reach; Jennifer has a warning for vixens and virgins; Jonathan sees actualized people and checks in with the always intrepid Audrey Horne; and Damon is all about those harbingers! In our second Halloween-flavored Twist, we recommend some delightfully delicious entertainments that Lynch fans will just die for… LISTEN: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | BuzzSprout | Spotify | RSS | and more!S2, E20 NOTES:Stephen Gyllenhall (episode director) Harley Peyton (episode writer)Show notes coming… well, eventually!

There’s a rising sense of doom in Twin Peaks this week… Or is there? Maybe it’s just some annoying filler narratives as we wait for the big finish which has to arrive eventually. We’ve got Season 2, Episode 19, “Variations on Relations” figured, so jump on in. In this episode of Back to the Double R: Jonathan honors the inimitable Lucy Moran and asks what’s wrong with romance in this town; Jennifer takes down the sketchy snobbery of one Dick Tremayne; Damon laments the state of wayward Heavy Metal Youths; and Colin goes bonkers over the puzzles within puzzles within puzzles. In an epic Twist, we ask which famous icons of the monsterverse could put a scare in Bob himself! LISTEN: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | BuzzSprout | Spotify | RSS | and more!S2, E19 NOTES:Jonathan Sanger (episode director) Harley Peyton (episode writer)Show notes coming soon!

There’s heartstrings being plucked everywhere you look in Twin Peaks this week, and—thankfully!—not in the Bob kind of way! What does this rising tide of pine-scented eros hold in store? We affix our headlamps and plunge into the darkness for this, Season 2, Episode 18, “On the Wings of Love”! Jennifer examines the long reach of sexual jealousy; Colin contemplates the return of Gordon Cole; Jonathan interrogates the intentions of these older dudes; and Damon leads a tour to Owl Cave. For the Twist, it’s a big ol’ grab bag of Oddities for you all! LISTEN: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | BuzzSprout | Spotify | RSS | and more!S2, E18 NOTES:Duwayne Dunham (episode director) Harley Peyton (episode writer)Show notes coming soon! 

The Peaks are humming this week as the town gears up for the big charity auction and the new waitress at the Double R is stealin’ hearts. If it’s Season 2, Episode 17, “Wounds and Scars”—and it is—we are thinking big thoughts and sleeping it off at the Bookhouse. In this episode of Back to the Double R: Jennifer is going to the country; Damon hugs it out like a man; Colin crosses his eyes to look at negative spaces; and Jonathan salutes those who swing for the fences, even if they strike out. For the Twist, we’re crowding the catwalk and dishing on who wore it best, worst, and weirdest!”LISTEN: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | BuzzSprout | Spotify | RSS | and more!S2, E17 NOTES:James Foley (episode director) Barry Pullman (episode writer)Complete show notes coming soon and always available at our website, BackToTheDoubleR.com! 

Well THAT was a hell of thing! This week we got seriously pulled into Season 2, Episode 16, “The Condemned Woman" and could barely get a handle on its wonderfully Peaksy twists and turns. In this episode of Back to the Double R: Damon gives a presentation on the natural history of the Little Pine Weasel; Jonathan unmasks the show’s unmaskings and raises a glass to Josie Packard; Jennifer asks about the metaphysics of that big twist; and Colin wonders about the narrative boundaries of a TV show. For the Twist, we honor awards season by inaugurating the First Annual Creamed Corn Award, saluting the worst storylines we’re glad to see the back side of!LISTEN: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | BuzzSprout | Spotify | RSS | and more!S2, E16 NOTES:Lesli Linka Glatter (episode director) Tricia Brock (episode director) Joan Chen (b. 1961, Josie Packard) Titanic (1997, film, directed by James Cameron) Billy Zane (b. 1966, John “Jack” Justice Wheeler) David Warner (b. 1941, Thomas Eckhardt) Kate Winslet (b. 1975, British actor) All American Girl (1994, ABC TV series starring Margaret Cho) Shang-Chi and the Legend of the 10 Rings (2021, film) Joy Luck Club (1993, film) Crazy Rich Asians (film, 2018, dir. by John M. Chu) Mulan (2020, film, dir. by Niki Caro) Spotted Owl (near-threatened species of owl in Western North America) American pine marten (critter of the weasel family) 50 Simple Things You Can Do to Save the Earth (2008, book, update of 1990 classic) Dragon Lady (media stereotype of Asian women) Charlie’s Angels (1976-1981, ABC TV series)Robyn Lively (b. 1972, Lana Budding Milford) James Booth (1927-2005, Ernie Niles)

Well, thank you, Diane Keaton! The consensus is that despite some serious problems, we are nevertheless back in true Twin Peaks with Season 2, Episode 15, “Slaves and Masters.” This week, Colin frames the good, but not perfect, return to form with a bit called NailedIt/FailedIt; Damon examines how Keaton’s directing brings us back to a “Lynchian” mode; Jennifer spotlights victim-villains, especially Evelyn and Josie; and Jonathan takes on Ben Horne, racist content, and minorities in the show. For the Twist, we go on an art walk in our favorite small town.LISTEN: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | BuzzSprout | Spotify | RSS | and more!S2, E15 NOTES:Harley Peyton (episode writer) Diane Keaton (episode director and American actor, b. 1946) Vicuña wool (wool from a vicuña… go figure)The Queen’s Gambit (2020, Netflix miniseries) Ed Asner (1929-2021, legendary American actor and activist)Reflections: An Oral History of Twin Peaks (2014, book, by Brad Dukes)Time After Time (1979, film dir. and written by Nicholas Meyer) David Warner (b. 1941, English actor)Shakuhachi flute (traditional Japanese and Chinese instrument)Richard Beymer (b. 1938, Benjamin Horne) Red Rock West (1993, neo-noir film dir. by John Dahl) JT Walsh (1943-1998, prolific American actor) West Side Story (1961, film, dir. by Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins) Jonathan’s article on Catherine CoulsonPatton: Lust for Glory (1970, film dir. by Franklin J. Schaffner)Apartheid in South Africa (1948-1990s, political policy of brutal racial segregation)Articles on race  in “Twin Peaks” (flagged by Jonathan):-“Twin Peaks” is So Overwhelmingly White, So Why Do People of Color Keep Watching It?-Twin Peaks is Candy for White Liberals-It Is Happening AgainKenneth Welsh (b., 1942, Windom Earle)

Can you feel that? Is that some of that old Twin Peaks magic? This week, we're tackling Season 2, Episode 14, "Double Play" and we like what we're seeing. In this episode of Back to the Double R: Colin says we're halfway back into the swing of things; Jennifer is on the murder beat; Jonathan is relishing the horror of it all; and Damon is seeing parallels in a noir classic! For the Twist, we inspect Coop's new uniform and ask, "What does it all mean?!"LISTEN: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | BuzzSprout | Spotify | RSS | and more!S2, E14 NOTES:Scott Frost (episode writer) Uli Edel (episode director) Little Shop of Horrors (1982, Broadway musical) Dale Cooper: My Life, My Tapes (1991, book by Scott Frost) Last Exit to Brooklyn (1989, film dir. by Uli Edel) Last Exit to Brooklyn (1964, book by Hubert Selby) Last Exit on Brooklyn (1967-2000, famed Seattle coffee shop) Jennifer Jason Leigh (b. 1962, actor) Eric DaRe (b. 1965, Leo Johnson) Johanna Ray (Twin Peaks casting director, mother of Eric DaRe) Aldo Rey (1926-1991, American actor, father of Eric DaRe) Michael Meyers (character in the Halloween horror film franchise (1978-present)) Jason Voorhees (character in the Friday the 13th horror film franchise (1980-present)) “Final Girl” (horror movie trope)Double Indemnity (1944, film dir. by Billy Wilder) Double Indemnity (1943, novel by James M. Cain) Fred MacMurray (1908-1991, actor) Barbara Stanwyck (1907-1990, legendary actor) Tom Powers (1890-1955, actor)Edward G. Robinson (1893-1973, Romanian-born American actor) Sunset Boulevard (1950, film dir. by Billy Wilder)

Let’s Rock! We're getting that crunchy Lynch/Frost vibe  in Season 2, Episode 13: Checkmate! Jennifer analyzes Jean Renault; Colin asks if his we feel betrayed; Jonathan follows up on Denise Bryson; and Damon theorizes why the Civil War rears its ugly head. For the Twist, we flag some pesky glitches! LISTEN: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | BuzzSprout | Spotify | RSS | and more!S2, E13 NOTES:Harley Peyton (episode writer) Todd Holland (episode director) Rick and Morty (2013-present, Adult Swim TV series) Sandman Slim series (2009-present, horror series by Richard Kadrey) Physical (2021, AppleTV+ series) The Chair (2021, Netflix series)David Duchovny (b. 1960, Denise Bryson) Jennifer’s Favorite SceneDr. Who, Series 12 (First season feat. Jodie Whittaker as the 13th Doctor) Chris Chibnall (b. 1970, British TV writer and producer) The Walking Dead (2003-19, comic series) Episode VIII: The Last Jedi (2017, film, dir. Rian Johnson) Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker (2019, film, dir. J.J. Abrams) “David Duchovny Played…" (2021, article  at ComicYears.com) Deadnaming (use of a trans or non-binary person’s former name without consent)The Crying Game (1992, film, dir. Neil Jordan) RuPaul’s Drag Race (2009-present, VH-1 series)Sleepaway Camp (1983, film, dir. Robert Hiltzik) Ken Burns (b. 1953, American documentarian) The Civil War (1990, documentary series) Battle Cry of Freedom (1988, book by James M. McPherson) Shelby Foote (1916-2005, American writer and historian, controversial)