Gordon tries to find meaning in a dream he had about Monica Bellucci, a member of the Twin Peaks Sheriff’s Department visits the White Lodge and Sarah Palmer reveals a side to herself that we’ve never previously experienced.

One of the ongoing frustrations of Twin Peaks Season Three is the way that it follows up a fairly pedestrian instalment with something that  is all killer, and no filler. As has been the case with most of the best episodes this year, the focus here is on Twin Peaks the town and the evil that lurks within, with no Dougie japery to sour matters.

Gordon, Albert and Agent Tammy discuss the nature of dreams and I’m becoming increasingly convinced that this will be key to the show’s resolution. We get a flashback to a scene with David Bowie from Fire Walk With Me, which now has added resonance due to the context in which it is presented. Who, truly, is the dreamer?

Over in the woods outside Twin Peaks, Bobby leads Horse, Truman and Andy to an unexpected discovery and one of the team is sucked away into the vortex where we discover that one of the show’s most enigmatic characters is called The Fireman. These scenes, while initially confusing, now make far more sense, particularly here with aide of a montage of related activity.

If ever I question why I watch this show I will cite Sarah Palmer’s visit to a bar for a Bloody Mary. She spurns the unwanted advances of a douche bag barfly, but he just won’t take no for an answer. And then he wishes he had. Visceral, unexpected, nasty and yet strangely satisfying – these are the scenes that will remain once the dust has settled.

One of the most bizarre scenes is that of young Freddie Sykes telling co-worker James Hurley how he came to be in possession of a magical right glove that can no longer be removed. It’s like the Infinity Gauntlet or Hellboy’s Right Hand of Doom. Let’s hope he’s… to hand (ahem!) when all hell literally breaks lose. But that cockerny accent from ‘London Town’? Yikes.

Verdict: The Billy mystery deepens, an unexpected family connection is revealed and the forces of good and evil start to line up. Welcome (back) to Twin Peaks. 8/10

Nick Joy