Now that we have the dazzlingly surreal season three, it can be hard to remember that there was a time in which Twin Peaks actually worked as a really engaging and surprisingly straightforward crime thriller with hints of the quirky and bizarre. This episode isn't an epic spectacle of maddening surrealist horror like much of the material that was to come, but it is still ingenious and entertaining television. We travel deeper and deeper into the vast black hole of David Lynch and Mark Frost's iconic tale of mystery and intrigue as they barrage us with memorable moments, heavy tension, shocking violence, black comedy, and essential plot points. Not a second is wasted, there are tons of important set ups and pay offs to get to, and the entire episode flows with a rhythmic sort of intensity, which would be continued to further lengths in the season one finale.
To make things even better, this episode gives Audrey a chance to really shine! She continues going deeper into her own desperate investigation and soon finds herself in a complicated situation. The famous "cherry scene" is included, and the episode opens up on Cooper's unfortunate rejection of her sensual romantic gesture. I have mentioned this before, and I will do so again; these two were destined to be together and it's really too bad that, through some behind the scenes complications, their destiny was never properly fulfilled! However, they still get to remain close friends and the entire sequence is executed with charm and sensitivity.