Kyle MacLachlan’s Agent Cooper, trapped as an imbecile in the world of Dougie Jones, slowly begins to make sense, as more characters (old and new) make their debuts.

There’s a moment in this episode when Al Strobel’s one-armed Philip Gerard comes to Coop in a vision, warning him to wake up. And at that point surely every viewer joined in the suggestion, not just  because Coop is in danger from the various hitmen, loan sharks, etc trying to catch him, but because his story continues to be the weakest link in this sprawling show.

We’re now one third of the way through the 18 hours, and yet not a lot has happened. Twenty minutes is spent following Coop/Dougie as he bumbles through life, and then there’s a great scene with Albert (the late, greatly missed Miguel Ferrer) that serves fan service in such a way that you want forgive the preceding lull.

By far the most interesting element of the show is the reintroduction of old characters (from the show and movie Fire Walk with Me) in unexpected and intriguing ways, so try to steer clear from listings that spoil their appearance. I’m really enjoying Aemon Farren’s Richard Horne, a bad boy of vintage Lynch qualities, wound up by his drug lord and now playing an important role in what’s to come. Is he old enough to be Audrey’s son, or is he a bastard lovechild of the notorious Horne brothers?

Naomi Watts continues to be great as Dougie’s wife, delivering some choice dialogue to those who would pursue her troubled husband, and showing that she’s no pushover. Cooper is starting to recognise elements like coffee, case files and a badge of authority, and surely it’s only a matter of time before the FBI’s finest is back on board. At the start of the episode he’s held up to be a lost soul rather than a creature of ridicule, accompanied by a lovely new riff by Angelo Badalamenti.

Verdict: Quirky or vile characters in impossibly named locations (Max Von’s Bar, Fat Trout Trailer Park, The Bang Bang Bar), it’s the shocks in the narrative that beg you to keep watching. 7/10

Nick Joy