The Owls Are Not What They Seem

I've been rewatching Twin Peaks. Again. I've talked about my love for the show and its characters. Needless to say I am positively giddy thinking about the new episodes that begin Sunday. It has been a long twenty-five years since we last visited that town "both wonderful and strange."

As I rewatch the show, I find myself increasingly drawn to two characters in particular. All of the characters are intriguing and special, but these two have claimed my undying love — Deputy Andy Brennan and Agent Albert Rosenfeld.

I'll talk about Andy first. I loved him from the very first time I saw the show in April 1990. He wore his heart on his sleeve and had a strong sense of justice and moral character. He weeps at the sight of Laura Palmer wrapped in plastic. Harry Goaz is so sincere in his portrayal of Andy that you can't help but adore him. He's so sweet, and he tries so hard. How can you not love a law officer who openly mourns the victims of crimes?

He may not be the brightest bulb in the box, but his heart is in the right place.

Albert is another officer of the law, but that's about all he and Andy have in common. Albert is argumentative, stubborn and judgmental. He does not suffer fools, and he thinks everyone is a fool until they prove themselves otherwise. Miguel Ferrer is brilliant playing this pugnacious FBI agent. 

While we meet Andy in the first five minutes of the first episode, we only hear about Albert who Agent Cooper says "has a little more on the ball" than Sam.

Albert finally makes an appearance in the third episode and immediately antagonizes Sheriff Truman and the entire Twin Peaks Sheriff's Department, not to mention the hospital staff and town citizens. He even takes a punch from the sheriff!

His methods seem cruel to Twin Peaks' residents. They knew Laura, after all, and hate to see her treated so cruelly in her death (never mind her treatment in life). But, as Agent Cooper says, "Albert's path is a strange and difficult one."

Andy's and Albert's journey takes them from adversaries to allies. I cannot wait to see what's in store for these two law men in the upcoming episodes.

Thank you to Harry Goaz and Miguel Ferrer for bringing these two indelible characters to life. And thank you to David Lynch and Mark Frost for creating such indelible characters in the first place.

Who other than these four geniuses could gift us with a scene like this?