Summary
The enigmatic allure ofTwin Peaksis inextricably linked to the presence of the Log Lady. Her cryptic prophecies and otherworldly wisdom serve asa cornerstone of the show’s surreal atmosphere. Yet, a glaring oversight in the streaming era has deprived audiences of an essential component of the show’s experience – the Log Lady intro scenes which, much like abook by Jennifer Lynch, are aTwin Peakscompanion.
These brief, Lynch-penned vignettes not only provide a unique framing device but alsooffer cryptic clues and a sense of groundingamidst the show’s often chaotic narrative. They also encourage the viewer to speculate onTwin Peaks’questions and mysteries. The absence of these intros is a significant loss for both new and returning viewers, diminishing the overall impact and understanding of David Lynch’s masterpiece.
Twin Peaks Complete Timeline (& Every Alternate Timeline) Explained
In David Lynch’s tour de force, Twin Peaks, time and reality are fluid and elusive. Here’s Twin Peaks' primary & alternate timelines explained.
Twin Peaks' Log Lady Intros Are Missing From Streaming
A glaring omission in the streaming availability ofTwin Peaksis the absence of the Log Lady introductory scenes. It’s a puzzling decision, perhaps a genuine oversight but possibly due to audio volume differences. Either way,this exclusion does a disservice to new and returning audiences. The Log Lady – also known as Margaret Lanterman, played by Catherine E Coulson – is a big part of both the mystical and familiar feel of the show. She appeared in both original seasons, the prequelFire Walk With Me, and the revivalTwin Peaks: The Return.
Viewing the intros not only brings the audience closer to the 90s viewing experience –they’re the closest thing to Lynch explaining himself.
Although viewing the Log Lady intros isn’t essential, it undeniably contributes to theTwin Peaksexperience. Lynch is notorious for not explaining away his work. He granted only two interviews aboutThe Return, disregarding every query about the plot (Vulture). However, the Log Lady intros in the original series are written by Lynch –they were made for the show’s rerun on Bravo in 1993, intended as a companion. On the DVD releases, they’re optional – on streaming, they’re missing. Viewing the intros not only brings the audience closer to the 90s viewing experience –they’re the closest thing to Lynch explaining himself.
Twin Peaks’ Log Lady Intros Are Important During The Show’s Chaotic Events
In addition to being Lynch’s equivalent of an editorial note,Twin Peaks’ Log Lady intros ground the series. ThroughoutTwin Peaks, especially in season 2, events get increasingly off the wall. Without Margaret to greet the viewer and provide some context, albeit cryptic, it would be easy to dismiss some events as weird for weird’s sake. Her commentary is the anchor.She doesn’t explain the mystery awaybut, comfortingly, is always there. Viewers watching without are missing the cozy nostalgia this evokes. Margaret, despite being known as quirky, provides normalcy within the unsettling undercurrents of the plot.
While season 2 certainly has its merits, the most common complaint is its dull soap opera subplots, such as the James Hurley and Evelyn Marsh affair, as well as inexplicable events that are seen to use Lynchian realism gratuitously.The Log Lady makes the haywire season 2 much more palatable. TakeJosie’s bizarre exit fromTwin Peaks,for instance, her spirit being trapped in a drawer pull. The Log Lady intro for that episode provides some much needed context:
“A hotel. A nightstand. A drawer pull on the drawer. A drawer pull of a nightstand in the room of a hotel. What could possibly be happening on or in this drawer pull? How many drawer pulls exist in this world? Thousands, maybe millions? What is a drawer pull?This drawer pull - why is it featured so prominently in a life or in a death of one woman who was caught in a web of power? Can a victim of power end, in any way, connected to a drawer pull? How can this be?”
Margaret’s questioning about the drawer pull entrapment shows it’s not meaningless. She highlightsJosie’s being trapped in her lies and pursuit of powerand calls her a“victim”of power, a reminder that Josie was trafficked, one of several characters that mirror aspects of Laura Palmer. This scene also contains the only closeup of the Log Lady in all the intros, aside from the zoom on the finale, prompting the audience to pay closer attention to seemingly frivolous details.
The Log Lady’s Intros In Twin Peaks Hint At Key Clues
Although the Log Lady doesn’t give away the plot, she hints at events in the episodes and their significance as a whole.Margaret, after all, acts as a conduit for the log– the log carries the spirit of her husband and knows things other characters cannot, the secrets of the dark woods. Some of her musings are significant hints at the mechanics of the show’s universe –“as above, so below,”she states in episode 9, a clear reference to Hermeticism. This arguably confirms that a character’s fate passing through the Black Lodge depends on their spiritual development.
Her intros also provide hints about why the show went downhill in many viewers’ eyes in season 2:
“So now the sadness comes. The revelation. There is a depression after an answer is given. It was almost fun not knowing. Yes, now we know. At least we know what we sought in the beginning. But there is still the question, why? And this question will go on and on until the final answer comes. Then the knowing is so full there is no room for questions.”
It’s widely known that Lynch revealedwho killer Laura Palmer inTwin Peaksso early because of network pressures (Collider).The Log Lady’s reflections encapsulate a core tension within the mystery genre– the thrill of the chase versus the emptiness of the solved puzzle. The ultimate satisfaction lies in the complete understanding of the narrative, a goal that is often elusive in the most compelling mysteries. The Log Lady’s contributions complete to that bigger picture of the “why” of all the events in the series.
Beyond this,the intros give us a more endearing insight into Margaretthat we don’t necessarily get from her conversations with other characters – for instance, in one intro, she confesses that she hopes Norma likes her because she likes and respects Norma. This makes Margaret much easier to like despite spitting out her pitch gum in the Double R. By returning to her in each episode ofTwin Peaks, which changed TV forever, she becomes the heart of the series, making it all the more touching that reprising her part inThe Returnwas Catherine E Coulson’s final role.
