Director:
Writers:
Stars:
Kyle MacLachlan, Jay Aaseng, Dana Ashbrook
by Mary Cox
“Part 17: The past dictates the future.”
A hell of a lot happened in the penultimate episode of Twin Peaks. Cooper has finally defeated Bad Coop with the help of our literal Hand of God character, Freddie. Naido is revealed to be the real Diane, who has an emotional reunion with our favorite FBI agent.
Here’s the thing: I’m still not convinced that anything that everything or anything this season has actually “happened.” When looking over how everything has gone down this season, and especially when we consider the superimposed face of Cooper as he says, “We live inside a dream,” directly to the audience, it seems like Lynch is kind of pulling a Mulholland Drive here. Everything has been too easy, or too convenient for these characters. Lynch is mocking our need for a cute and tied together ending with the scene at the Twin Peaks sheriff station where all our beloved characters, old and new, are uniting or reuniting at last.
Audrey’s appearance at the Roadhouse in last week’s episode, where the final scene was her appearing in an odd, white room, has still gone unexplained. There’s a considerable amount of unfinished business regarding the Fireman’s prophecy of “Richard and Linda, two birds, one stone,” which can only really
point to the mysterious electricity bolder that killed Richard Horne last episode.
Part of me thinks that Season 3 of Twin Peaks is a response to the demand for a continuation of the series. I’ve had this running theory that Lynch is critical of the concept of nostalgia, which is why Agent Cooper spent almost the entirety of this season as Dougie, and why the heart-warming Twin Peaks reunion scene was shadowed with doubt and unease. Lynch leaves us with the pinnacle of self-satisfied nostalgic rehashing as Cooper fulfills his ultimate goal of trying to save Laura Palmer herself.
However, as revealed by Sarah Palmer’s outburst, Cooper isn’t the only agent in this game any more. Is Sarah actually possessed by the entity Judy? Are Judy and the Jumping Man one in the same? Where the hell is Audrey, and is any of this actually happening
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“Mary Cox is an entertainment writer from the United States. Her hobbies include making good beer and bad decisions, watching drag queens fight on the internet, and overanalyzing everything. Mary one day hopes to be the person shouting “World Star” in the back of a Waffle House brawl video. She is currently tolerating life in Toronto. You can follow her on Twitter at @M_K_Cox”t
TV REVIEW: RICK AND MORTY – SEASON 03 – EPISODE 06
“Rest and Ricklaxation”
Rick and Morty need a break.
Directors: Anthony Chun, Wesley Archer
Writers: Tom Kauffman
Stars: Justin Roiland, Chris Parnell, Melique Berger
Review by Gilbert Seah
This week’s episode gave an answer to the question of whether or not Rick actually cares for Morty. We learn that the detoxifying machine only removes parts of your being that you yourself view as a negative attribute. The fact that Rick’s love for Morty was removed along with his alcoholism and nihilism really reveals the extent to which the Sanchez family is emotionally messed up.
Rick and Morty is a show that’s made in it’s funny little moments, like Detox Rick’s apology for burping and Beth taping a horse’s face over Jerry in her wedding picture. The series isn’t too big on running jokes in the way that some Adult Swim shows can be, but one of the weirder recurring motifs of this show seems to be about urination. This is a little offbeat, but hear me out: in “Rest and Ricklaxation,” one of Morty’s classmates makes a passing comment about being into golden showers.
Summer peeing her pants was referenced three times in Season 2 in “A Rickle in Time,” “Total Rickall,” and “Look Who’s Purging Now.” Not to mention, Summer’s invisible best friend is called Tinkles, another allusion to her childhood bed-wetting.
Rick and Morty is a show where the writer’s hangups and anxieties are on full display, so their obsessions and “interests” will obviously come through as well. I’m not directly saying Justin Roiland or Dan Hammond necessarily have a “yellow” fixation, but there’s been a suspiciously high number of references made to women peeing for this to be a mere coincidence.
Rick and Morty will be back in two weeks because of the Labor Day holiday break, but that will give you enough time to mull over the idea that this series is a window into it’s writers souls. What else can we learn about Roiland and Hammond if we take a closer look at this series
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“Mary Cox is an entertainment writer from the United States. Her hobbies include making good beer and bad decisions, watching drag queens fight on the internet, and overanalyzing everything. Mary one day hopes to be the person shouting “World Star” in the back of a Waffle House brawl video. She is currently tolerating life in Toronto. You can follow her on Twitter at @M_K_Cox”t
TV REVIEW: GAME OF THRONES – SEASON 07 – EPISODE 07 (Season Finale)
A meeting is held in King’s Landing. Problems arise in the North.
Director: Jeremy Podeswa
Writers: David Benioff
Stars: Alfie Allen, Jacob Anderson, Robert Aramayo
Review by Mary Cox
“The Dragon and the Wolf”
Anyone who didn’t see anything that happened last night coming from a mile away needs to get their eyes checked. Game of Thrones has always been a series that’s heavy-handed with its foreshadowing, but the bombs the series dropped tonight have been on our radars for a good while. That doesn’t mean that last night’s bombshell of a season finale was bad! It’s just that things are getting too predictable after seven years, and I miss the wild and unexpected turns we got in the first few seasons, like Jaime losing his hand, and Ned Stark losing his head.
Jon and Dany’s “Boat Ride and Chill” is made a lot weirder when you learn that he’s essentially boning his aunt, but this is par for the course for the Targaryens, who historically like to keep it in the family anyway. Seriously though, how creepy was Tyrion for lurking in the halls and listening in on their
hookup?
I predicted we’d have a big, heart-breaking death in this finale, and I was a little off-course considering how much Littlefinger’s been asking for it since the first season. It’s a little disappointing that Arya only slit his throat, as a full-on Ned Stark style decapitation would have been much more satisfying and tied together.
Now that the Army of the Dead have their Icy Hot dragon, how in the hell is the North going to stand against them? Even though the Night King is outnumbered two to one when it comes to fire lizards, how is Daenerys going to handle fighting and killing one of her own “children”?
Cersei is reaching Nixon-levels of paranoia and scheming, to the point where she’s finally threatened to turn her sword against her own brother. Again, what the series is implying to us through the language of cinema is that Jaime is going to rehash his Kingslayer role before the end of the final season.
This season finale has left us with a monumental cliffhanger (or should I say wall hanger, considering how Tormund barely made it out alive) and with the Night Kings marching in the direct path of Winterfell. My one hope for the final chapter of the series is that they don’t sacrifice story over time like they did with the last few episodes of this season. We’ll have to wait an entire year to find out
TV REVIEW: RICK AND MORTY – SEASON 03 – EPISODE 05
Rick and Jerry go on an adventure.
Director: Juan Jose Meza-Leon (as Juan Meza-León)
Writers: Justin Roiland (created by), Dan Harmon (created by)
Stars: Justin Roiland, Chris Parnell, Spencer Grammer
Review by Mary Cox
“The Whirly Dirly Conspiracy”
As predicted, Beth is visibly struggling with both being single and single parenthood. Her morbid horse hoof statue is indicative that Beth is not thriving in her post-Jerry world. Much like Seinfeld’s Festivus holiday, this season’s seems to be centered around the notion of the Airing of Grievances. Rick finally
gets the chance to directly confront Jerry about “ruining” Beth’s shot at a good future by knocking her up in high school.
As much as I’m loving every episode being a (sometimes literal) therapy session for our characters, using a mid-battle heart-to-heart as the backbone of every episode is getting a little old.
Despite the episode being focused primarily on Jerry and Rick, the understated star of the episode was Morty. We learn that Morty is the mastermind behind the whole premise of the Rick and Jerry episode just because Morty wanted Rick to get off his back for a minute. Morty’s confrontation of Ethan was downright sinister. We’ve seen Morty transform this season from an unwilling and helpless sidekick to a powerful protagonist.
The real question is: what is Morty going to do in future episodes with his newfound power and prowess?
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“Mary Cox is an entertainment writer from the United States. Her hobbies include making good beer and bad decisions, watching drag queens fight on the internet, and overanalyzing everything. Mary one day hopes to be the person shouting “World Star” in the back of a Waffle House brawl video. She is currently tolerating life in Toronto. You can follow her on Twitter at @M_K_Cox”t
TV REVIEW: GAME OF THRONES – SEASON 07 – EPISODE 05
Daenerys demands loyalty from the surviving Lannister soldiers; Jon heeds Bran’s warning about White Walkers on the move; Cersei vows to vanquish anyone or anything that stands in her way.
Director: Matt Shakman
Writers: David Benioff (created by), Dave Hill (written for television by)
Stars: Peter Dinklage, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Lena Headey
Review by Mary Cox
“Eastwatch”
Tonight sees the reunion between the Dragon Queen and our favorite friend-zoned hanger-on, Jorah Mormont, who is summarily planning on throwing his second chance at life straight into the trash by setting out to capture a White Walker with Jon Snow. Once they somehow capture one, the Dragonstone crew intend on taking their frosty friend on a cross-country tour to help negotiate and armistice with Cersei.
The question of this season is: what is Littlefinger up to? After we see him plant a note with the intention to damage Sansa and Arya’s already splintered relationship, it makes me wonder what he’s really after. All signs point to Sansa and being the new Warden of the North, but what’s his end game?
Littlefinger is known for being allied to himself and himself only, so does he intend on backing the Lannister or Targaryen claim to the throne?
Jon’s positive interaction with Drogon once again is pointing to the all but directly established theory that he is the son of Rhaegar Targaryen. Another moment that happened so quickly and quietly that you could have easily missed it was when Gilly brings up the annulment and secret second marriage of Prince “Raggar” in Dorne. This seems to again allude to the notion that Rhaegar and Lyanna’s relationship was legitimate.
Down in King’s Landing, everything is pointing in the direction of Cersei losing her grip on her sanity and on her acceptance of reality. It’s being heavily implied that Jaime is going to potentially have to make a choice between his sister and his country. Calling it now: Jaime’s going to end up beheading Cersei before this whole affair is over. If we think back to the prophecy given to Cersei by a fortune teller, her death was predicted to happen at the hands of a “Valonqar,” which we know is High Valyrian for “little brother”. Cersei always assumed that this meant that Tyrion would be responsible for her death, but with all the signs pointing to Jon’s Targaryen heritage, we can’t be so sure.
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“Mary Cox is an entertainment writer from the United States. Her hobbies include making good beer and bad decisions, watching drag queens fight on the internet, and overanalyzing everything. Mary one day hopes to be the person shouting “World Star” in the back of a Waffle House brawl video. She is currently tolerating life in Toronto. You can follow her on Twitter at @M_K_Cox”t
TV REVIEW: RICK AND MORTY – SEASON 03 – EPISODE 04
Rick and Morty are summoned by the Vindicators to stop Worldender but end up in a deathtrap conceived by Drunk Rick.
Creators: Dan Harmon, Justin Roiland
Stars: Justin Roiland, Chris Parnell, Spencer Grammer
Review by Mary Cox
“Vindicators 3: The Return of Worldender”
Rick’s functional-dysfunctional alcoholism sets the stage for a Saw-like series of challenges that are meant to reveal the true nature of the Vindicators to Morty. This episode was a clear criticism of contemporary super heroes, specifically, those involved with The Avengers franchise.
This plan ultimately works, but not without adding to some of the existing tension between Rick and Morty’s relationship. It seems like Hammond and Roiland are setting the stage for some kind of major schism between our two titular characters, but one thing you have to remember about this series is that nothing is ultimately taken too seriously. Rick and Morty is a powerhouse of a series with a huge fan following, but Adult Swim’s mastermind Mike Lazzo has pulled the plug on popular shows that pivoted too far to drama in the past, such as Metalocalypse and Moral Orel.
Rick and Morty’s recurring show of heart does give the series an element of greater purpose and emphasis, but after so much time this season has been dedicated to the Sanchez family’s drama, it’s nice to see the series return to a Rick-centric perspective. It’s difficult to determine where the series is heading this season, but it’s unlikely that it will venture too far down the path of melodrama
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“Mary Cox is an entertainment writer from the United States. Her hobbies include making good beer and bad decisions, watching drag queens fight on the internet, and overanalyzing everything. Mary one day hopes to be the person shouting “World Star” in the back of a Waffle House brawl video. She is currently tolerating life in Toronto. You can follow her on Twitter at @M_K_Cox”t
TV REVIEW: RICK AND MORTY – SEASON 03 – EPISODE 03
Rick turns himself into a pickle.
Creators: Dan Harmon, Justin Roiland
Stars: Justin Roiland, Chris Parnell, Spencer Grammer
Review by Mary Cox
“Pickle Rick”
It’s Pickle Rick! On this week’s Rick and Morty, we see Rick turn himself into a pickle (and gets himself into a pickle) in order to get out of going to family therapy with Beth, Morty, and Summer. Susan Sarandon guest stars in this episode as Dr. Wong, the family’s therapist.
This series does a great job of juxtaposing ridiculous and serious content, even as far back as the first season with episodes like Rixty Minutes. Tonight this was accomplished by flashing back and forth between Pickle Rick’s sewer adventures and Beth’s complete failure to embrace (and actively participate in) her family therapy session.
Beth seems to be taking center stage this season, where in past episodes, she’s been more of a supporting character. This season is spending a lot of time exploring the unhealthy dynamic between Beth and her father, and how she’s willing to put everything in her life, including her children, aside in order to make Rick happy.
I’m hopeful that this series’ exploration of this dynamic doesn’t delve into cliché “daddy issues” territories, but that it takes a broader look at how toxic relationships can function. Also, I seriously doubt this is the last time we’re going to see a reference made to Mr. Goldenfold’s literal shit-eating grin.
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“Mary Cox is an entertainment writer from the United States. Her hobbies include making good beer and bad decisions, watching drag queens fight on the internet, and overanalyzing everything. Mary one day hopes to be the person shouting “World Star” in the back of a Waffle House brawl video. She is currently tolerating life in Toronto. You can follow her on Twitter at @M_K_Cox”t
TV REVIEW: TWIN PEAKS – S03 E12 – LET’S ROCK
Director: David Lynch
Writers: Mark Frost
Stars: Kyle MacLachlan, Elizabeth Anweis, Chrysta Bell
Review by Mary Cox
This season of Twin Peaks is another testimony to Lynch’s commitment to diegetic sound and to silence. Every episode ending with a performance at the Roadhouse is an obvious example of how Lynch uses diegetic music in his work, but the previous two seasons played with this (in an arguably less successful way) through moments such as James’ weird and unnecessary performance of “Just You.” Silence is just as important as diegetic sound for Lynch when it comes to building tension in his scenes. Some of the more long and drawn-out moments from this episode, such as the exit of Gordon’s French Woman, are set against an empty audio backdrop to really highlight and exacerbate our feelings of frustration.
Lynch did decide to cut us a break with the dynamic return of Audrey Horne, although her interaction with her soon-to-be ex-husband still heavily plays into the theme of impatience and waiting that we’ve seen throughout the rest of the episode. While most of the characters are somewhat the same as they were twenty-five years ago, Audrey has evolved from a shit-stirring schoolgirl into a viciously unhappy adult. The true identity of “Billy” clearly is a mystery, but one thing that we do know for sure is that he’s not the same person as Richard Horne. There’s been no clear explanation as to how Audrey escaped from her coma, but we do learn from Benjamin Horne that Richard never had a father. This definitely provides evidence to the theory that Richard is actually the son of Bob Cooper, who we know was seen exiting Audrey’s hospital room towards the end of the second season.
After Grace Zabriskie gave us another incredible performance as Sarah Palmer in her stunning supermarket meltdown, the scene between Hank and Sarah has a small detail that you might not have caught initially. It’s worth mentioning that the new season of Twin Peaks is definitely more connected to Fire Walk With Me than you might think. When Hank visits Sarah’s house, we get a quick shot of the infamous ceiling fan that we know is heavily symbolic of Bob/Leland’s abuse of Laura. When we connect this particular imagery to the unusual sounds coming from inside Sarah’s house, it’s possible to interpret that there’s still some connection to Bob or to the Black Lodge inside the Palmer residence.
The theme of tonight’s episode, as well as within the the last few episodes in general, is a criticism of impatience, and a meditation on the notion that “good things come to those who wait.” We’ve seen this motif in past episodes, such as in Part 11’s screaming woman in traffic, and the Mitchum Brother’s frustration with Candie in Part 10. This depiction of impatience has continued in Part 12 through Albert’s frustration at Gordon over his long goodbye with the French Woman, and through Audrey’s temper tantrum while her ex-husband is on the phone. Even Hutch and Chantal’s conversation about killing the Warden comes back to not wanting to drag things out.
We have also seen patience be rewarded. In Part 9, Betty Briggs is rewarded for waiting a quarter of a century to give Major Briggs’ capsule to Bobby and the other Sheriffs. The Mitchum Brothers are rewarded with 30 million dollars (and a cherry pie) by showing patience in Part 11. As fans of the series, we all are desperate to know the truth about the Black and White lodges, and to see Cooper make a full return. Lynch knows how we feel, and is imploring us to show a little patience and to enjoy this series while it lasts. Like Gordon Cole says to Albert: there’s a fine Bordeaux right in front of you, so sit down and drink it.
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“Mary Cox is an entertainment writer from the United States. Her hobbies include making good beer and bad decisions, watching drag queens fight on the internet, and overanalyzing everything. Mary one day hopes to be the person shouting “World Star” in the back of a Waffle House brawl video. She is currently tolerating life in Toronto. You can follow her on Twitter at @M_K_Cox”t
GAME OF THRONES Season 7 EP3 Review: THE QUEEN’S JUSTICE
Daenerys and Jon meet. Cersei gains a new ally. Sansa receives an unexpected visitor. Sam is confronted for his actions.
Director: Mark Mylod
Writers: David Benioff, D.B. Weiss
Stars: Peter Dinklage, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Lena Headey
Review by Mary Cox
After seven long seasons of waiting, Daenerys’ plot has finally intersected with that of the Starks. Those who were hoping for an instant love affair between Jon and Dany must have been sorely disappointed. Some might be surprised by Daenerys’ open hostility towards Jon, but she is the Mother of Dragons after all. The need for good relations between the North and Dragonstone has obviously been increased by Daenerys’ military failures in her first foray into the Great Game, but will Jon repeat the diplomatic mistakes of Ned Stark, or will he take after his (alleged) bio-dad, Rhaegar Targaryen?
This was another episode jam-packed with dramatic deaths that highlight the differences between Jaime and Cersei Lannister. Before her death by poison, Olenna castigated Jaime for his overwhelming pussy-blindness, and forescasted his eventual downfall at the hands of Cersei. Even though it’s sad to see her go, it’s rewarding knowing that Olenna went out with a bang by confessing that she was behind Joffrey’s death at the Purple Wedding.
What’s notable here is the difference in diplomacy between the last two Lannisters in King’s Landing. Cersei’s brutal execution of Ellaria and Tyene Sand is miles apart from how Jaime handles his murder of Olenna. It seems that even though the Targaryens are back on the scene, Cersei is the one who is following in the steps of Aerys, the Mad King. As we all know, those who don’t learn from history are doomed to repeat it. As the Kingslayer, Jaime Lannister is no stranger to cutting down an out-of-control monarch, but does he have the ability to make that call when it comes to his sister wife?
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“Mary Cox is an entertainment writer from the United States. Her hobbies include making good beer and bad decisions, watching drag queens fight on the internet, and overanalyzing everything. Mary one day hopes to be the person shouting “World Star” in the back of a Waffle House brawl video. She is currently tolerating life in Toronto. You can follow her on Twitter at @M_K_Cox”t
TV REVIEW: RICK AND MORTY – S03 – E02 – Rickmancing the Stone
Rick, Morty, and Summer travel to a post-apocalyptic dimension and meet some dangerous enemies.
Directors: Dominic Polcino, Wesley Archer
Writers: Dan Harmon (created by), Justin Roiland (created by)
Stars: Justin Roiland, Chris Parnell, Spencer Grammer
Review by Mary Cox
After the April Fools surprise of the first episode of the season being leaked early, Rick and Morty is finally back and on a clear release schedule. Tonight’s episode has Morty and Summer trying to cope with their parent’s divorce by escaping into a Mad Max-type post-apocalyptic desert world to try and work through their emotional issues. Morty deals with his unresolved anger at his father through his mutant arm in a refreshing take on the “enchanted armor overpowering its user” trope. On the other hand, Summer unsuccessfully dives headfirst into a relationship to try and fill the void in her life caused by her family breaking apart.
It’s interesting how Summer is taking such an active role in her adventures with Rick while Morty has historically been hesitant to participate. As much as this episode made it seem like Morty and Summer are over their parent’s divorce after their return from the Apocalypse world, it does seem like this particular emotional thread is going to continue throughout the rest of the series.
A lot of time has been spent establishing that Jerry and Beth’s relationship was toxic and codependent, so it feels like a step in the right direction for them to get divorced. However, their separate lives that were showcased in the first Intergalactic TV episode seem to imply that despite their issues, Beth and Jerry are better off together. We’ll have to wait and see how this dynamic plays out in future episodes.
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“Mary Cox is an entertainment writer from the United States. Her hobbies include making good beer and bad decisions, watching drag queens fight on the internet, and overanalyzing everything. Mary one day hopes to be the person shouting “World Star” in the back of a Waffle House brawl video. She is currently tolerating life in Toronto. You can follow her on Twitter at @M_K_Cox”t
Festival Reviews 