Twin Peaks (TV Series) Zen, or the Skill to Catch a Killer (1990) User Reviews

The ULTIMATE Twin Peaks episode...

[michielh · 10/10 · 14 August 2007]

This is the ultimate Twin Peaks episodes, no doubt about it. This episode contain's the "Cooper & the midget dream sequence", which is really THE scene that everyone still remembers who watched the series back in the 90s, one of the most intense television ever. It's also a fact that the David Lynch episodes where the best. (and the most creepy)

Here the series just gets "weird" for the first time. This really surprised many viewers who up to this point thought they were watching only a murder mystery. Here it gets surrealistic. It's brilliant how Lynch introduced his mind to the masses with twin peaks.

Things start to get weird; very weird!

[Tweekums · 10/10 · 1 May 2012]

This episode opens with a rather uncomfortable meal; the Horne family are sitting around the dinner table when Ben's brother, Jerry turns up and gives his brother a baguette; which he promptly tucks into ignoring the meal in front of him. The two of them then leave the room and get on their boat and head to 'One Eyed Jacks'... a nearby brothel; just over the border in Canada. Not much later we see Agent Cooper's very strange method of deduction which involves throwing rocks at a bottle; a method that came to him in a dream! That is nowhere nearest to being the strangest thing though; as the episode ends Cooper has the strangest dream; it involves the one armed man, a girl who may be Laura Palmer and a very peculiar dancing dwarf! The way they talk is decidedly creepy... what this all means only time will tell... possibly.

Up until know things have been slightly off; here they become off the wall weird... it is here that we learn Twin Peaks isn't going to be just a whodunit with slightly eccentric characters; it is certainly a programme unlike I'd seen before or since. David Lynch clearly knows how to do his stuff as rather than alienate the viewer the strangeness draws you into his strange world. Away from the total weirdness Cooper's FBI companion, forensic expert Albert Rosenfield turns up and immediately offends the sheriff's department with his view of their work; while he has only been in one scene Miguel Ferrer does a fine job in the role and makes a welcome addition to the cast.

The one that hooked me

[TouchTheGarlicProduction · 10/10 · 11 March 2017]

When I am introducing a newbie to Twin Peaks, I always insist that they commit to watching the first three episodes, because as good as the first two are, they never reach the same surreal heights as this episode. I refer not only to the episode's iconic final scene, but also to the sandwich scene and Tibet scene. Plus, the episode ends on a cliffhanger that's sure to get them to watch more. It certainly had me hooked!

Not only does the episode have three of the show's most famous and surreal scenes, but it also introduces a couple of major characters, including Benjamin Horne's brother Jerry and FBI Agent Albert Rosenfeld. Jerry's loose demeanour helps illuminate another side of Benjamin's character, and Albert's impatience and sarcasm towards local law enforcement is a nice source of conflict.

In case the sandwich scene and the Tibetan rock throwing scene didn't make the viewer aware that the episode was directed by David Lynch, the dream sequence at the end should make it crystal clear. It's the first time that mainstream audiences were exposed to David Lynch firing on all cylinders. It was probably many people's first impression of intensely surreal film-making. This has made it (rightfully) the show's most famous and iconic scene. It's the moment that hooked me. Aside from the final episode of season two and the episode in which the killer is revealed, this one is definitely my all-time favourite.

David Lynch has started...

[Red_Identity · 16 August 2010]

So far, the series has been really great. It is captivating with very interesting characters with mysterious reasons. Episode 3 shows a dream sequence which I have to say, is one of the best scenes I have ever seen on television. The dream sequence is wonderfully written and directed. It has the atmosphere and the tone of a motion picture, and it certainly has the famous Lynchian feeling to it. 3 episodes in, and this series is addicting and very, very well written and directed. It makes most shows out there seem like filler compared to this. I will happily continue to watch and enjoy Twin Peaks, because it serves interesting story lines every episode so far.

It's getting weirder & better.

[joshi_3592 · 10/10 · 17 June 2010]

I started watching this show because I had heard it was a form of paranormal or supernatural based, or something, but at least I knew it had to be good since it is a David Lynch show. The pilot missed any oddities, but it was good so I continued watching. This episode is where it get's weird. If any of you have seen the Simpsons episode "who shot Mr. Burns, part 2" you're gonna have fun with this one. This episode has the infamous dream sequence, it is weird, it is confusing, but I loved it. This is Lynch at his weirdest and best. I can't help it, I love dream logic, and it is very hard to make on film/TV, but this time they really got it right.

And not to forget the rest of the show, it's getting more intricate, butt hat just makes you wan't to watch the next episode even more.

It's finally getting there, I give this episode a 10/10.

Twin Peaks finest hour (47 mins)!

[slomas6 · 10/10 · 29 July 2020]

Stop me if you've heard this one before but surely this is the point where TV truly became cinematic (even in 4:3 ratio).

The humour intentional or otherwise is as good as any comedy & I watch early Arrested Development on loop.

The emotional & occasional erotic mystery foundations for still recent payoffs including the first of the often emulated none-bettered Lynch dreamscapes.

But thats the point, for a network Neo Soap to be that ahead of the game - Lynch/Frost's finest hour, Televisions finest hour.

my favorite episode from the first season

[framptonhollis · 10/10 · 20 September 2017]

Following the bleak Pilot and the colorful first episode, this odd and entertaining piece of the Twin Peaks puzzle is a sort of mixture of the two distinct styles and moods of its predecessors. It has a much more light feel to it than the Pilot, but it's also filled to the brim with disturbing visuals and dramatic moments. Lynch returns as director, so, naturally, the episode certainly isn't lacking in the surrealism department. As a matter of fact, it contains one of Lynch's most memorable and widely referenced surrealist sequences: Cooper's twisted, comic, and enigmatic dream. It is a masterpiece of cinema in its own right, even when separated from the Twin Peaks franchise, and it also marks the first appearances of The Man from Another Place and the Black/White Lodge (a.k.a The Red Room), both of which have become key figures in the Twin Peaks universe.

Aside from the wild surrealism, there's also tons of great character moments, most notably the material surrounding the Hornes. Audrey does her famous and crushingly seductive dance while her uncle is introduced in a hilarious moment in which Lynch seems to be singing the praises of French sandwiches. This episode is most definitely one of the most successfully funny in the series even if it is not among the most consistently comical. Lynch is just a natural at absurdist humor and, therefore, whenever he's behind the camera, things are bound to get mind numbingly hilarious at some point.

I could go on and on describing the episode's great scenes and celebrating its genuine craftsmanship in terms of cinematography, scripting, character development, etc., but it's best that anyone who hasn't seen this one yet to watch it as soon as possible. If you're just getting into the series now and don't love it yet already, this classic might just change your mind!

Now We're Cooking!

[Hitchcoc · 10/10 · 31 May 2017]

This is David Lynch. Obviously, up to this point, we have been treated to a bevy of quirky characters with insane relationships. There are earthly things going on, including the threat from Leo, who suspects who it is that is visiting his wife when he is gone. Those two thought guys aren't so tough when Leo shows up in the woods where they are supposed to pick up cocaine. Leo's wife is continually victimized by him and is in a fight for her life. But we then have the real Lynch. There is the famous dream sequence which ends the episode. It leads every discussion of this amazing series. But that's not all. Cooper begins to narrow the search for Laura's killer by throwing things at a bottle on a stump. There is a nutty trip to a brothel after a scene with a couple of brothers, Ben and Jerry, munching on a couple of giant sub sandwiches. Then there is that unbalanced vamp, Audrey, dancing to some really odd music in the diner. Here we go!

1x03

[formotog · 8/10 · 4 September 2020]

For the most part, this was a good episode. It's definitely been getting gradually weirder. I'm really loving Agent Cooper, he's a great, smart, and very funny character. The scene where he uses the rocks to determine the suspects was great and just different. I like this show so far because it's just different, even if it is 30 years old. And then, of course, we have the dream sequence. It's David Lynch so I won't even begin to try to understand it, but it was brilliant either way. The lighting throughout this episode was really great, especially in that deep red room. I'll never know how Lynch is able to come up with this stuff, but it was captivating, and exactly the reason I wanted to watch this show. I have no idea where we go from here, but I'm definitely looking forward to how this pans out, especially seeing as Cooper seemingly now knows who the killer is

Low 8

As great and filled with iconic moments as the pilot

[lareval · 10/10 · 30 September 2021]

Wonderful and mesmerizing third installment of 'Twin Peaks'. It's bizarre, funny, terrifying, trippy and outstanding. A unique atmosphere that only someone unique like Lynch could pull it off.

Most of the town is cheating on their spouse

[CursedChico · 8/10 · 31 October 2020]

Most of the town is cheating on their spouse. It seems interesting to me. The married ones or the young ones. Most of the couples we saw.

That long haired guy leo is hard tip. Why is she still with him? She accepts the violence towards her. She does not have to stay. I dont understand.

Then, Bobby comes to see her without any fear.

Zen scenes were excellent. Mysticism came and they all saw how it worked.

Probably leo was killer but someone hired him to do. In the dream, cooper understood who hired in my opinion.

It reminds me x-files but not like of course. Cooper is a different person.

A curious episode

[AvionPrince16 · 8/10 · 6 April 2022]

I enjoyed the episode. It have some discovery: we learn that laruara Palmer may have some business with the two guys who went out of jail and she may keep the money for them. We know also that the women who get hurt by her own husband cheat on him. An the detective play a curious game with a bottle and two name go out of this: the husband who hurt his wife and the psychiatrist of her. Pretty strange the way he did it and make the tv show pretty incoherent in this time. Later we wil witness also have a curious dream by the detective and at the end he will pretend that he knows who killed Laura Palmer. That cliffhanger make us wanted to watch the next episode and it have a g eat. Expectations for the next episode.

Captivating, beautiful and unnerving. That is the infamous dream sequence

[Coffee_in_the_Clink · 8 April 2020]

It's easy to tell when you're watching a "Twin Peaks" episode if it's one directed by David Lynch or not. "Zen, or the Skill to Catch a Killer", is pure Lynch. Agent Cooper's infamous dream sequence is one of the greatest dream or nightmare scenes ever filmed. It's weird, it's creepy, it's beautiful, it's absolutely unnerving. You feel like you are having this dream yourself, and just want to wake up. Furthermore, this is the first instance in the series where things have truly gotten weird, for lack of a better expression. I feel like this dream sequence is a scene that I will have to return to throughout the show; it's full of imagery and clues that I have yet to realise.

Apart from the concluding dream sequence, this episode also features Agent Cooper's hilarious stone-throwing deduction method!

"Zen, or the Skill to Catch a Killer"

[TheDonaldofDoom · 21 February 2018]

Judging by the reviews, this is a more popular episode than the first two, but I actually enjoyed it the least. People like it for the weirdness and surreal elements and I think weirdness and surreal elements can be great when done well, but not when they exist for no reason other than to be weird. The Leftovers is a brilliant example of how to do weirdness. It has plenty of strange, surreal scenes but they're all there for an actual purpose. The dream sequence at the end of this episode is okay because, well it is a dream so there's no breaking of Twin Peaks' internal logic. The same can't be said for the absolutely bizarre zen scene in which Cooper throws blocks at a bottle to work out who killed Laura Palmer. It's a surreal scene, which would be fine if it made any sense in context of the story. But it doesn't. Why would a professional FBI agent use a pseudo-scientific technique to catch a killer? And why would everyone else be okay with that? This is the thing I dislike about it, not the fact that it's weird. It's the inconsistent characters. We've already established that Agent Cooper has a somewhat unusual personality, but no FBI agent would use this technique or they'd be out of a job.

It's not only the nonsensical zen scene that annoyed me. The moments of "humour" were just not funny at all, not on any level. I was not even remotely amused. Watching someone eat a baguette at a dinner table... ha ha ha. The whole business with Nadine's silent drape runners is just as funny (not funny at all). There is also one scene that I think is trying to be serious but I can't take it so. When Laura's father madly dances with her photo. It's just silly, to be honest, and yet another example of characters behaving in unrealistic ways that take me out of the show.

That's not to say everything about this episode is bad. Indeed, I still enjoyed it whenever it wasn't trying to be funny or deliberately off-kilter. When Leo threatens Bobby and Mike over the owed money that is a wonderfully dark moment. The boys who were previously bullying now cower in fear. The arrival of Albert's team is another one of the better scenes, introducing an arrogant character who is sure to be trouble in the future.

The dream sequence of the detective

[gedikreverdi · 12 March 2022]

The dream with Laura and the dancing midget is trippy but everybody is way too dorky, goofy and quirky and it feels overwhelming at times. But on the other hand, it has a certain charming vibe to it so I'll keep watching.

Decline of Twin Peaks

[aramis-112-804880 · 1 September 2023]

Obsessed with the death of Laura Palmer Agent Cooper has a trippy dream and the series starts going to heck.

When this series first aired I was 28 and mistook weird for brilliant. Having been unable to watch the first month I taped it (remember videotape?) and watched the first four installments in a row.

Already, nearly everyone I knew, including friends and coworkers, were beginning to drop out because they couldn't follow all the soap opera storylines. "Binging" on the show (a word not yet coined) helped me keep it straight. But what really divided them was Cooper's dream. What had become wacky-soap-opera-cum-mystery became a supernatural tale and it alienated many.

Looking back over a thirty years I, the only person I know who stuck with the series to the bitter end, wallowed in the weirdness.

Now it looks over-blown and ridiculous. The author Quiller-Couch said, Kill your darlings. Lynch should have murdered a few.

Still, the episode has much to recommend it, including Tibet and Cooper's hair. It's a divisive episode that caused violent reactions in 1990. If, as I did, you keep watching . . . You're probably nuts.