Twin Peaks (TV Series) Rest in Pain (1990) User Reviews

A disastrous funeral

[Tweekums · 9/10 · 2 May 2012]

The day after his mysterious dream Agent Cooper recounts it to the local police until they are interrupted because a fight has broken out at the morgue; FBI forensic scientist Albert Rosenfield is refusing to release Laura's body for burial until he has completed his examination; he believes the local coroner is incompetent and has no problems saying so. Cooper manages to defuse the situation gaining Rosenfield some more time without delaying the funeral. It might have been better had it been delayed as things got rather emotional when Bobby Briggs steps forward to call everybody hypocrites then threatens to kill James Hurley... that is only the start of it; Leland Palmer, Laura's father, throws himself on top of the coffin which proceeds to go up and down as the mechanism for lowering it into the grave malfunctions. Later on Cooper is told of a second, unofficial law enforcement agency in Twin Peaks; The Bookhouse Boys; they work to combat the evil that resides in the woods around the town.

This episode was not weird in the way the previous one was but it was certainly strange in a more normal way... if that makes sense. Laura's funeral and Leland's behaviour both during and after the service was bizarre; perhaps it was just the grief of a father who had lost his daughter; perhaps it was something else; only time will tell. We didn't really learn anything more about Laura's killer although I'm sure the clues Rosenfield uncovered will be relevant later. We do though learn more about the inhabitants of the town; such as the fact that Norma Jenning's husband is about to be released from prison and that Catherine Martell has been keeping a second account book for the sawmill; whether or not these facts are relevant remains to be seen but it all adds to the feeling that there is a lot wrong in the town of Twin Peaks.

"this must be where pies go when they die."

[framptonhollis · 9/10 · 22 September 2017]

Like any great season one episode, this engaging piece functions not only as a thrilling murder mystery but also a brilliant fusion of tense drama and black comedy. The humor here isn't as consistent as it would be in many later episodes, but it's much more successful. Although the humor is pitch black it's still laugh out loud hilarious at times. Only Twin Peaks can make moments featuring a disastrous funeral (easily the most memorable and iconic moment in this episode) and a grieving father have a tone that switches from the comical to the distressing to the poignant in a matter of seconds.

All of Audrey's moments in this episode are highlights, as they are in pretty much every episode. I, among many others, am still kind of upset that she and Cooper never got together as their eccentric, likable, and humorous personalities made the perfect match!

1x04

[formotog · 8/10 · 4 September 2020]

Great episode. Agent Rosenfield is already really growing on me. Very funny and witty character. The characters in general are just brilliant, as is the dialogue. This show does genuinely make me laugh out loud quite a lot. That being said, I think this was the first episode to properly introduce some actual dramatic moments that aren't simultaneously very strange and/or funny. Cooper gave a really nice speech on life in Twin Peaks, and as weird as Nadine is, it was kinda tragic to see her telling Ed about Norma. The funeral scene was I think the perfect example of this show's ability to handle humour and drama simultaneously. The acting is a big part of how this is achieved successfully, because you can tell that each performance is delivering what it needs to. This show is really starting to grow on me

Low 8

Surprisingly underrated

[lareval · 10/10 · 1 October 2021]

While many may find it kind of the weakest outing of Season1, I was as hooked and in awe as I was in both Episodes 1 and 3. An excellent portrait of a gossip, broken town that shows its best face to cover its dark soul up. Terrific pacing, great performances and more surprises to discover. Wonderful entry!

"Rest in Pain"

[TheDonaldofDoom · 24 February 2018]

This episode is more about getting to know the characters than the investigation, which is great because the characters are one of the many strong elements of Twin Peaks. There's Albert who understandably wants to go about the investigation but does it in a disruptive way to local residents. This leads to an interesting conversation in which Cooper describes how Twin Peaks is a special place with good people, a place unlike anywhere he's seen. What he's saying totally makes sense to the viewer as throughout the three episodes Twin Peaks has consistently given off that vibe. It would make more sense though if Cooper himself was normal, as an outsider to Twin Peaks. The fact that he is as weird, or weirder, than Twin Peaks, negates the full impact of what he says about the place.

Twin Peaks is at its best when it deals with grief, and there's no shortage of grief here. Different people deal with Laura's death in different ways. Laura's father hasn't got over it, leading to a brilliant, disastrous funeral scene that shows how the funeral has been precisely the opposite to what it was intended to be. When Laura's father jumps onto the coffin, it's just the right mix of comic and sad (when he tries to get people to dance with him later though, that's over-the-top and silly in my opinion).

Bobby at first gives off the image of not being too disturbed, but the way he reacts to the funeral shows otherwise. He says what surely other people must be thinking, that it's pointless. And he's right, in a way, what does a funeral achieve? It's meant to achieve a sense of closure, but it doesn't look like it's achieved that for anyone. And as he gets into a scuffle with James, another one who is struggling to move on, farrow providing a sense of closure, the funeral has actually caused all the emotions rise to the surface.

In the Bookhouse Boys there's also the first clear confirmation of something that's been felt from the start by that unsettling vibe: there's darkness in Twin Peaks.

Interesting funeral and a secret organisation

[CursedChico · 9/10 · 1 November 2020]

I would say that for summary of episode: Interesting funeral and a secret organisation.

After funeral, at coffee shop, the woman was having fun with the father who was crying for his daughter - probably he was involved to death of the his daugher, i think so.

We saw an illegal organisation which was founded "to protect the town". Cops are in it. Now fbi in it with cooper.

I thougt albert was superior of cooper but we saw that it was via verse.

Everyone knows laura's killers , but they keep living with it. Probably town has some balances and they dont want to ruin it.

The organisation wants to finish drug and people selling it, so they dont want to go on that murder of laura as i understood.

They are like local mafia. And other side is that organisation with police, that kid and his uncle.

It will be interesting season.

Episode 3

[lassegalsgaard · 10/10 · 25 April 2023]

In many ways, this is one of the most important episodes of this show ever. It's not an episode that sets up anything really big for the rest of the season, but it's the first episode that really highlights the tragicomedy that this show has become so famous for in the years since it's original run. The episode in itself features some of the most bizarre pieces of comedy that the show has produced, culminating in some iconic scenes, like the funeral scene and Leland Palmer's dance at the end. A lot of this laid the groundwork for what would become famous trademarks for the show as it went on, and to this day, I still think that this is one of the show's greatest episodes, and that's despite the fact that not a lot is actually happening. It's the first episode of the show that wasn't written by David Lynch or Mark Frost, so they went out and got Harley Peyton who had only written one feature prior to his work on this show and he helped bring in some characters that would become quite important for the show. As mentioned earlier, this episode is a perfect example of the show's brilliant tragicomedy aspect and because of Peyton's writing, it beautifully walks that line, never stumbling on its way, and delivers these wonderfully intimate moments that Tina Rathborne brings to the screen with her incredible skills as a director and adding her imprint to the show's unusual tone, seamlessly following in David Lynch's footsteps.

This episode feels like a nice step backwards after the insanity that was "Episode 2." It's not easy to capture the Lynchian feel without having a lot of weird instances, which is why Tina Rathborne's direction of this episode feels so fresh, because she does capture it but with a lot of scenes that are not filled with action. It's all in the conversations that the characters are having and the dynamic way that Rathborne can capture a few people sitting around a table and talking. Her skill turns static talking scenes into the most intriguing and fascinating scenarios imaginable.

A lot of this is also due to the writing, and Peyton's work on this episode is incredible. The funeral scene is a perfect example of the tragicomedy element done so well. On its surface, it could come across as very silly and a lot of the comedic bits may not feel like they fit on first viewing. But after having seen it many times, the inherent sadness of the situation and the pain that all the characters are feeling really comes to the forefront and makes it one of the single most heartbreaking scenes in the show's short history.

Once again, the show is skilled at navigating through a plot that features a lot of different characters and is able to give them all a little time to shine. There are certain individuals who are not highlighted in this episode, but it still feels like they're there. It's the lived-in nature of the town and the cast that makes them all so valuable to the story, even when they're not present. And this episode even introduces a bunch of new characters, most importantly Maddy Ferguson, played by Sheryl Lee, who has previously enjoyed playing a corpse on the show.

Other big highlights of the episode is Miguel Ferrer's performance as Albert. He's going to be named as a highlight for a lot of episodes, but with this episode serving as a proper introduction to him and his characteristics after we got a sense of him in the last episode, he did such a great job of selling all the aspects of Albert, some of the good ones he have, but mostly the negative ones that are essential to him. This episode also features an all-time great scene where he gets punched in the face and lands on a corpse.

"Episode 3" is one of the most important episodes of the show and the one that really introduces the tragicomedy aspect of the show. It features some all-time great moments and works as a perfect example of what the show can be when it doesn't focus on its weirder attributes, which can sometimes work well.

Well, That's Inappropriate

[Hitchcoc · 8/10 · 2 June 2017]

This episode is more about character development. The investigation begins to hone in on people that have not been touched yet. There is a fight at the morgue between the medical examiner and a hotshot guy that was brought in by Cooper. Then we have an intense event at Laura's funeral where threats are made. Cooper analyzes his dream and has a disappointing commentary about it. Leo continues to be a threat and his wife doesn't do much to avoid possible reprisals.

Cemetery

[AvionPrince16 · 8/10 · 7 April 2022]

The episode let us disappointed at the beginning because the last episode generate a huge expectations that we will know in the epiosode that the name of the killer will not given in that epiosde and the dream need to be understand. Disappointed in that part. So this episode is focus in Laura 's funeral and. A lot of events happened. The father is so sad for his girl, Leo have problem with the business and they found a drug dealer that may be deliver Drugs to Laura. The book of accountancy is disappeared and we know who got it. And they tried to steal maybe the business. A very nice episode with some nice events need to see more to unravel all the mysteries.

Furthers the characters more than the plot

[TouchTheGarlicProduction · 7/10 · 11 March 2017]

I personally feel that this is the weakest episode of the first season, though it's still pretty strong. The main focus of the episode is Laura's funeral, and the effects thereof. With the exceptions of the introduction of the Bookhouse Boys, the first appearance of Mandy Ferguson, and the funeral scene itself, the episode doesn't have many memorable scenes, nor does it advance the Laura Palmer investigation that much. It's just a run-of- the-mill episode. It doesn't even really end on a strong note, but more of a whimper.

Ducks on the Lake

[aramis-112-804880 · 1 September 2023]

"Who killed Laura Palmer?" It's still the most vital question in the show and Agent Cooper and Sheriff Truman are on the case.

Some of the characters begin to stand out in relief. Bobby's father, for instance. Deputy Hawk, a great tracker (who always comes back saying, "I lost him." Albert, who gets treated as he deserves.

The sadness continues around the death (my brother died shortly before the first episode so I can attest the grief is incredibly realistic; and thirty years later I'm coincidentally watching it again just months after losing my father) and the unspeakable Red Lodge weirdness that many think ruined the show is minimized.

Audrey really comes into her own as the sultriest person on TV in 1990.

Oh, and the totally inappropriate moments of laughter continue. Lynch and company had a way of turning tragic scenes on their heads to make us laugh and be ashamed we did.

At this point, in 1990, it's still the best thing on TV.

Laura's funeral

[gedikreverdi · 12 March 2022]

Tha father going up and down on his daughter's casket at the graveyard is one of the most bizarre things I've watched. They also talked about something in the woods. It's going supernatural?