Ranking the episode of The Return
oldforce
Re: Ranking the episode of The Return
Postby oldforce » Tue Aug 22, 2017 9:44 am
Cipher wrote: Surprised to see so little love for 6. The narrative may have ground to a halt for a week, but it was full of stellar atmospherics, from Cooper slowly taking satisfaction in a form of expression with his doodles--the first real hint at how emotionally disarming his small moments of lucidity and curiosity could be--to Richard's bizarre encounter with "magic motherfucker" Red, to the hit-and-run, all capped off by one of my favorite Roadhouse performances. I felt the Cooper scene and the hit-and-run in particular really tapped into Twin Peaks'/Lynch's uncanny emotional core. The episode is full of scenes drenched in artifice--from scenes that are consciously overlong to some of the series' most non-naturalistic takes--but its content is made all the more affecting for it how powerful it becomes to break through that defamiliarization to its simple truths. It tears down all the normal defenses.
It might not lend itself very well to weekly viewing, when audiences are waiting for developments to be doled out, but I feel like time will be kind to episode 6.
It's a masterful hour. I place it second but it it might as well be my favorite as well. I have children.
I'm editing mine with levels of greatness since I like them all so much.
Postby Jonah » Wed Aug 23, 2017 6:38 am
I need to rewatch before I can rank, but off the top of my head I thought the best parts (or at least the parts with the best bits) were 2 (Laura and Coop in the red room), 4 (the final scenes), 7 (I liked the narrative flow), 11 (loved the ending), 12 (Sarah Palmer's scenes), 14 (various), and maybe 15 (various). I can't say I've loved a part in its entirety yet.
Postby oldforce » Wed Aug 23, 2017 12:20 pm
Jonah wrote: I need to rewatch before I can rank, but off the top of my head I thought the best parts (or at least the parts with the best bits) were 2 (Laura and Coop in the red room), 4 (the final scenes), 7 (I liked the narrative flow), 11 (loved the ending), 12 (Sarah Palmer's scenes), 14 (various), and maybe 15 (various). I can't say I've loved a part in its entirety yet.
I am truly sorry. The only thing I can watch, except maybe some Apichatpong Weerasthakul at 75% speed, without feeling like I'm being bludgeoned to death.
whoisalhedges
Postby whoisalhedges » Wed Aug 23, 2017 4:10 pm
Off the top of my head, not really thinking about it, only having watched each part twice (and 15 only once in its entirety). This list WILL change, probably next week when I rewatch the whole shebang prior to the finale; certainly over the years.
There are no "tiers" for me (though I totally get why there are for some) since I'm still seeing them as parts of a whole - but they're still edited into episodic television, so they are absolutely rankable, we're gonna have our preferences. In reality, some of my very favorite episodes I've found quite problematic in parts, and some more consistent episodes have not wowed me to as great an extent. As such, each part can be viewed as a representation of the whole in microcosm wherein some parts may be remembered as "stronger episodes" or "weaker episodes," but in the end it's the full work that matters. It's an 18-hour movie; it's also an extremely long symphony, each movement having its own "thing."
Part 8 - ok, I lied. This is a "tier" in and of itself. It so unlike anything I've seen; and it seems unfair to both it and the other parts to rate them on the same scale. It ranks with Breaking Bad's penultimate episode "Ozymandias" as the most powerful hour of television - possibly of art in any medium - I've ever experienced.
Part 14 (Dale Cooper living the life of Dougie Jones is my favorite character in the show, and I've adored every scene of his - this part has precisely zero)
Part 4 (I like this one *a lot* more than pretty much anyone else)
Part 10 (really not an easy episode to watch... it's just so good, though)
Part 1/2
Part 3 (the first 15 minutes or so was transcendent - there was still another 2/3 to go and it ends up down here - it was a truly remarkable hour of television, and the fact that I have it ranked so low speaks to the quality of TPTR)
Part 7 (a lot of people love it... I thought the Hawk/Frank scene was the worst bit of "show me, don't tell me" exposition I've seen in any of Lynch's work, even a series with probably half an hour total of Albert providing seated exposition for Tammy and the audience)
David Locke
Postby David Locke » Wed Aug 23, 2017 5:20 pm
Need to rewatch the first few parts. I think I agree with some that they were the most exciting thus far, though this is only clear in retrospect.
Don't understand why more people don't rank 9 highly, I thought it was a welcome more humane respite from all the darkness.
Even though I rank 8 by the top I more respect it than flat out love it. Kind of an Eraserhead thing (though not as good). I like the tone of 7, 9, and 11 the most, along with the uncanny sensation of the first four parts.
The worst ones to me are the most nihilistic, 6 did have great stuff in Red and Richard then the accident but it was also so nasty. 10 ramped this up even more and 12 was just kind of bland and dull more than anything but also started the questionable Sarah material.
BGate
Postby BGate » Wed Aug 23, 2017 7:25 pm
I'm loathe to do this, but I'm bored so
IcedOver
Postby IcedOver » Thu Aug 24, 2017 2:48 pm
Just a quick ranking from fading impressions of weeks past (I've watched 1-10 twice each, 11-15 once each).
I DON'T FEEL GOOD!!!!!
AgentEcho
Postby AgentEcho » Sat Aug 26, 2017 1:45 am
Cipher wrote: It might not lend itself very well to weekly viewing, when audiences are waiting for developments to be doled out, but I feel like time will be kind to episode 6.
That may very well be the case. There's no question 6 left the most immediately sour taste in my mouth. I did rewatch it and a lot did improve. I liked the Dougie stuff a lot better. My initial viewing represented the final stage of my frustration with the Dougie storyline, I've pretty much been on board since.
After two viewings I still have trouble with the hit and run scene and the Ike murders. The actress was great but most of the other elements just didn't connect with me the way I think they were supposed to, though admittedly I'm not sure how they were supposed to connect. But the "rising spirit" effect, the bystanders, Carl coming up to the mom to offer comfort, I felt a strange dissonance during all that. We can probably close the book on Ike as a character, and he's probably running with Tammy as my least favorite new characters in the return. I'm willing to revaluate the murder and hit and run scenes after the show is over of course.
Episode 15 has already been rising for me after some repeated viewings, I have to put it neck and neck with part 8 as the best in the new series and among the best of the entire franchise. The scene with Ruby in the Roadhouse was probably the best final scene of any episode in The Return so far and it really punctuated the varied emotional tones of the episode.
Fire-blog-with-me
Postby Fire-blog-with-me » Sun Aug 27, 2017 10:01 am
In terms of straight up ranking from favorite to least favorite/best to worst/first to last? My random personal feelings would be...
1. Part 8
2. Part 15
10. Part 1
11. Part 10
In terms of levels/tier groupings?
Masterpiece/Stellar Tier
Parts 3, 5, 7, 11, 13, 14, 15
Good: Parts 1,2,10,
Uneven Hours (still way Above Average compared to other tv imo lol): Parts 6,4,9
Weakest: Part 12
As noted here, I have strongly positive feelings to most if not all the return because the only episode that truly left me conflicted was Part 12, and that seems to stem from a weakness in all the lower episodes most evident in 6 and 12 in that they will function much greater as parts of a whole rather than wholes in itself.
And I have a feeling the next three episodes will make a strong case for being near the top of the ranking when all is said and done. It feels like something momentous is on the way.
Postby Jonah » Tue Jan 05, 2021 8:12 am
Would have liked to see these rankings continued with Parts 16 - 18 in the mix.