A Swedish channel is airing reruns of the show starting tonight. So I thought I'd create this thread to discuss the show.
FYI, I am watching the "European Pilot Episode".
This is a 113-minute long alternative version of the pilot episode of the series. It contains approximately 25 minutes of additional footage that actually resolves the story of Laura's murder somewhat differently to the series, though still in typical Lynchian fashion. This version was commissioned by the show's producers ABC Television so as to be shown in European cinemas in the event that the series wasn't picked up, hence the name. This way, the production wouldn't be a loss.
Due to wrangles with Warner Home Video, who retained distribution rights, for many years this "European Pilot" was the only version available for home viewing. In fact, the broadcast version was not released on DVD in the US until 2007.
How is the "European Pilot" different from the series version of the pilot?
The "European Pilot" is identical to the broadcast pilot up to the point that Sheriff Truman says, "It must have happened about this time, 24 hours ago." The action then switches to Sarah Palmer, asleep in her living room, having visions of herself looking for Laura on the morning of Laura's murder. Suddenly, she sees the face of BOB looking through the rails of Laura's bed. In the series version of the pilot, this is intercut with footage of a second, different vision: a gloved hand digging up Laura's locket, at which point the episode ends. The BOB footage would later be recycled in the series when Sarah has a vision of BOB in the presence of Leland and Dr. Hayward.
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What follows is a description of the remaining events of the "European Pilot." During Episode Two of the series proper, Cooper has a dream, which actually comprises of all of the events detailed below, as well as Sarah's vision of Bob's face. The episode ends with Cooper waking up and telephoning Sheriff Truman to tell him he now knows who killed Laura. Although the dream sequence itself only utilises some of the footage - mainly the One-Armed Man, BOB in the basement, and Cooper in the red-curtained room with Laura - Cooper gives a full account of his dream at the beginning of the following episode. The reason the footage was reused, whatever the context, was simply because David Lynch liked what he shot for the ending and wanted to incorporate it into the series.
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Sarah calls Lucy at her home and tells her that she suddenly remembered that Laura's killer was in Laura's room that morning, and that she saw his face. Lucy-- who is playing paddle ball while Andy practices the trumpet--tells Sarah that she's going to contact Sheriff Truman and Deputy Hawk (here referred to as"Tommy 'the Hawk' Hill") to come draw a picture of the killer. (An interesting detail, as it is well established in the series that Deputy Andy Brennan is the Twin Peaks Police Department's resident sketch artist.)
Next, we see Cooper asleep at the Great Northern. He receives a call from the One-Armed Man, who tells Cooper to meet him at the hospital. Immediately after Cooper hangs up, he's contacted by Sheriff Truman, with news of Sarah's vision.
Cooper, Hawk, and Truman convene at the hospital, where they meet the One-Armed Man--calling himself Mike--in the autopsy room. Mike tells a story about he and BOB being a pair of serial killers, using phrases such as "lived among the people" and "the species" to indicate that he and Bob are not human. Mike then says that he saw the face of God and cut off his arm, because it bore a tattoo that was a mark of "being touched by the devilish one." The deputies then show Mike two sketches, one of BOB, one of a little bald man. Mike correctly identifies the sketch of BOB, and then says that BOB has been living in the hospital's basement.
Everyone travels down to the basement, where BOB is kneeling over a circle of burning candles arranged around a mound of dirt. (BOB's costume is different here than it was in the series--instead of a denim jacket and jeans, he wears a leather vest with no shirt on underneath and has a tattoo on his shoulder reading "FIRE WALK WITH ME.") BOB recites a poem about his "death bag," and then says, "You may think I've gone insane, but I promise you, I will kill again!" (This is the same thing he says in the interrogation room - through Leland - in Episode 16). Mike then charges into the room and shoots BOB to death. BOB dies; suddenly, Mike clutches his chest and says to BOB's corpse, "Wait until you get yours," then dies. Cooper stares at the two men's bodies and says, "Make a wish." A gust of wind comes out of nowhere and blows out BOB's candles.
The scene then cuts to the red-curtained room, with the caption "25 Years Later." Cooper, with gray hair and covered in wrinkles, is sitting across from Laura Palmer and the Man From Another Place. The Man From Another Place tells Cooper that his favorite gum is going to come back in style, and that "Laura" is actually his cousin. Cooper asks "Laura" if this is true, to which she replies that she knows she looks like Laura Palmer, "but sometimes my arms bend back." The Man From Another Place then tells Cooper that he and "Laura" are from a place where there is always music and birds singing. A strobe light turns on in the ceiling, jazz music begins to play, and the Man From Another Place begins dancing. "Laura" walks to Cooper and tells him something that the audience cannot hear. Cooper and "Laura" then watch the Man From Another Place dance; and as he dances, the credits roll.
My recap of episode
Series begins with Pete Martell finding a body on the shore when going out fishing. It looks like a cold morning. Mysterious music playing in the background. Pete calls the police. Lucy answers, and this is our first clue to what kind of show this is. She informs Harry to which phone she is transferring the call.
"Sheriff its Pete Martell up at the mill. I'm going to transfer it to the phone on the table by the red chair ... the red chair against the wall ... the ... the little table with the lamp on it. The lamp that we moved from the corner. The black phone not the brown phone."
Come on Andy. The same thing as last year at Mr. Blodge's barn.
Laura's mother discovers that Laura isn't home. She calls her boyfriend Bobby Briggs to see if she's there. We find out that Bobby is having a relationship with another girl.
Audrey dancing.
Two business men, Benjamin Horne and Leland Palmer, are having a meeting regarding the sawmill. Benjamin tells Leland that the sawmill is going belly-up within a year, it's time to swoop in soon. He has a meeting with some Norwegian people, as I hear Norwegian being spoken.
All find out that Laura has been murdererd, and most people appear sad & crying. Laura's mother is hysterical. Her father, Leland, is crying. Audrey is crying.
Bobbys is questioned by the police and gets violently upset when they wonder if he could be the killer. He doesn't have an alibi, since he was with Shelley.
Catherine Martell and Jocie Packard are arguing at the mill. Jocie wants to close down production - she owns the mill and has that right. Catherine is so upset that she fires a random guy.
Then it turns out that another girl is missing. Pulanski's daughter didn't come home last night. She was in same school with Laura. But... then a girl dressed in a dirty torn-up silk dress/nighty, with ropes around her wrists comes walking. She looks terrified and shocked. She's apparently named Ronnie.
FBI agent Dale Cooper is on his way, talking to "Diane" in a recorder.
Diane, 11:30 am, February 24. Entering the town of Twin Peaks, five miles South of the Canadian border, twelve miles West of the state line. I've never seen so many trees in my life. As W. C. Fields would say I'd rather be here then in Philadelphia. Fifty-four degrees on a slightly overcast day. Weatherman said rain. If you get paid that kind of money for being wrong sixty percent of the time it beat working. My mileage is 79,345. Gauge is on reserve. Riding on fumes here. I've got to tank up when I get into town. Remind me to tell you how much that is. Lunch was ... uhh ... (retrieves a receipt from his pocket) six dollars and thirty-one cents at the ... Lamplighter Inn, that's on highway two near Lewis Fork. That was a tuna fish sandwich on whole wheat, slice of cherry pie and a cup of coffee. (emphasized) Damn good food. Diane, if you ever get up this way that cherry pie is worth a stop. Okay. (picks up card) Looks like I'll be meeting up with a ahh ... Sheriff Harry S. Truman. Shouldn't be to hard to remember that. That will be at the Calhoun Memorial Hospital. I guess we're going to go up to intensive care and take a look at that girl that crawled down the railroad tracks off the mountain. I'm pretty sure I'll be checking into a hotel. I'm sure the sheriff will be able to recommend a clean place, reasonably priced. That's what I need, clean place, reasonably priced.
Oh Diane, I almost forgot. I got to find out what kind of trees these are. Their really something.
(Dale asks Harry and finds out it's Douglas firs).
The two of them run into a weird doctor, Dr. Jacoby. He was Laura's doctor. He slightly laughs when he tells the police that Laura's parents don't know she was seeing him. He's a psychiatrist.
Agent Cooper checks the finger nails of both girls. In a morgue (without decent lights), he finds something under Laura's nail. It's the letter R.
We find out that Cooper has seen this kind of case before.
Donna and Big Ed are talking about James, who Donna is looking for. A guy named Mike orders Donna to come with him, but she refuses. Big Ed helps her get rid of Mike. Nadine, woman with an eye-patch, yells at Big Ed to get the drapes up. Big Ed and Donna both agree that "they sure know how to pick them".
Dale & Harry talks about a video tape found in Laura's room, and wanting to show it to her boyfriend at some point. They also check her diary. Her last entry:
"asparagus for dinner again, I hate asparagus. Does this mean I'll never grow up." And then she's written, "nervous about meeting 'J' tonight". That's the letter 'J', Diane."
Dale to Diane:
Diane, I just turned back eighteen days to day one. What we have taped to the page here is a plastic envelope containing a white residue and what looks to be a key to a safety deposit box. Sheriff, after you very carefully remove this key I'm going to run this envelope and my bet is it will test positive for cocaine.
Dale & Harry question Bobby and show him the tape of a happy Laura with Donna. They ask him who Laura was seeing, it begins with the letter J. Are they referring to James? Jacoby? Hmmm... Dale tells Bobby that he (Bobby) didn't love Laura anyway, so why be upset?
Norwegian guys again, talking numbers. Audrey enters to watch. Audrey tells the guys about the murder of Laura. Awkward situation.
Bobby is released. Snake/Mike picks him up. Bobby wants to hurt this guy, J.
Dale questions Donna about the video tape. Donna is sad. Dale thinks she's hiding something, protecting someone.
Lucy enters to tell them that Bobby & Mike were talking about J being a biker. In the video tape, a bike is reflected. So obviously, a biker beginning with letter J shot the video. James is seen by a bike.
The Norwegians are leaving Twin Peaks. Ben Horne is upset - Audrey is hiding, but laughing. She apparently wanted to scare them off. Probably to kill Ben's plan to take over the mill.
Dale & Harry go underground and find a pile of dirt with half a golden heart on, plus a piece of paper. On it is written in blood:
Fire walk with me
James is seen holding half a golden heart. So now we can be certain that James and Laura were involved.
Dale & Harry visit a bank to look at a safe deposit box. A deer head trophy lies on a table, after having fallen down. Laura has had a box there for 6 months. A magazine is inside of it. There's money inside the magazine. More than 10.000 Dollars. One page is marked. A picture of Ronnie Pulaski in underwear. On the other side is a picture of Leo Johnson's truck.
Cut to Shelley & Leo. He seems creepy as heck. He asks about unknown cigarettes. He is mad and threatens her.
Norma calls Ed, and they set up a meeting, even though they shouldn't. An affair going on? Nadine tries the drapes.
Dale and Harry discuss the local folks. Josies husband is dead, she inherited the mill. Catherine, his sister, is furious about that.
Then one of my favorite patentheses on TP. The lady with the log.
Dale informs the folks that Laura was victim #2 and Ronnie was supposed to be #3. He warns them and tells them that the killer could be one of the citizens in Twin Peaks.
Doctor Hayward tells Eileen, woman in wheelchair, about Laura's half golden heart. Donna overhears it and looks unhappy and sneaks out of the house. Snake/Mike arrives (with Bobby) to get Donna. Donna's sister Harriet has to tell her dad that Donna escaped. Mike is determined to find her. Dr. Hayward lets Dale & Harry in on it.
Nadine & Ed meet and there's obviously feelings there. Norma tells him she's leaving Hank, who is in jail for manslaughter. A girl is singing the Twin Peaks song at the bar (the roadhouse). Dale & Harry is outside on stake-out. Mike & Bobby arrive to look for Donna. Back-up is called in. Mike grabs Donna and screams at her. Fight breaks out. Donna sneaks out with help from another J-man on a bike (Joey Paulsen), to go see James. Dale & Harry follow them.
Donna meets James who tells her he has no alibi for last night, and that he was with Laura. But she was a different person. She had confided in James that Bobby had told her that he had killed some guy. She was upset. Then she told James that she loves him, and ran off. James cries. Donna and James kiss, but he pulls away. But then they kiss again. Donna asks James to give her his half of the golden heart. They bury it and drive off before Dale & Harry can catch up with them. When they do catch up, they arrest him. Dale believes James is probably innocent.
James is locked up in a cell opposite Bobby & Snake/Mike (who were arrested for fighting at the Roadhouse). Bobby looks angrily at James. They bark and scream at James like lunatics.
Dale & Harry enter a room filled with donuts and coffee. Apparently, Lucy does this every night. Harry tells Dale about Great Northern Hotel.
Harry goes to see Josie and they kiss. She's scared, and he comforts her. Catherine sees them and calls Benjamin Horne to inform him of Harry being there again to see Josie.
Sarah Palmer is lying on the couch and dreams of the perspective of someone walking in the forest. A hand digs up the golden heart necklace planted by James & Donna. Sarah wakes up screaming.
End of pilot episode, European version.