Pilot

I like the opening title. Machinery and saws are cool.

I'm pretty sure we all know that Laura Palmer is pushing up daisies in the first episode, but in case you have never seen the series, I wanna make it clear that I'm gonna be all kinds of spoiler-ific. Don't say I didn't warn ya.

The first and pervasive thing that I'm noticing so far is the rampant cheese factor. It's no worse than Buffy the Vampire Slayer (series, not movie), and that's ok, because I'm a big fan of both Buffy and cheese.

It's kind of funny, because on some level, all the acting is fairly good so far. Well, aside from the kid (James, I come to find out) who snaps his pencil when he finds out Laura is dead. I cracked up at that, which is probably not appropriate when a girl just died, but I'm heartless, so there's that. But yeah, the acting seems good so far, but the cheese factor comes from the production and especially the music. I'm getting the feeling that it's intentional, the sort of 50s-esque soundtrack. It's somewhat incongruous with the 'modern' setting (such as it was 20-odd years ago), but the feel of the town is so throwback-y and red about the neck that it's tonally perfect. Well, all except the theme song . . . at least as sung by the 50 year old burn victim at "The Roadhouse".

We're also introduced to Agent Cooper (the name of the stuffed cat my wife still sleeps with, by the way), who, from the first couple of minutes in, is a totally loon, and bodes well for much entertainment. I really wanna know who Diane is . . . does she live in that little box he's talking into?

Ok, scratch that, next to the psychiatrist, he's totally straight.

Also, Lara Flynn Boyle looks kinda like my cousin.

Seems we have a serial killer hanging about, putting letters under girls' nails . . . seems totally obvious that Agent Cooper is the one killing all the girls! Ok, it's not that obvious, but since I haven't been introduced to many people yet, I don't have much to go on . . .

The wife thinks Sherilyn Fenn is totally HAWT. I can see them playing her up as a sex kitten, but I'm not seeing it yet. A schoolgirl skirt does not a bad girl make . . . but she does seem to be quite a dick. She scared away a gallgle of Norwegians. Is that the propper term? Gaggle? Maybe a bushel?

I find it pretty incredible that two high school guys can beat up a whole bar full of bikers. They would have hit them with tire irons within seconds, and after about minute 6, they would have been a thin paste slowly being absorbed by the sawdust that places like that tend to have as part of the decor. Though, apparently Bobby killed some guy are some point, so . . . maybe he's a sawmill ninja or something. He's got a good set of pipes on him, I'll give him that. The jailhouse primal scream that he gives James is pretty amazing.

The scream from Mrs. Palmer at the end was pretty good too . . . why WHY?!