Recap of Episode 1

Who really pulled the trigger on JFK?

Season 1 Episode 1

Written by: Mark Frost & David Lynch

Directed by: Duwayne Dunham

Original Air Date: April 12, 1990

"Freshly Squeezed"

At the Great Northern, Dale talks to Diane while hanging upside down using his special boots in his hotel room. He asks Diane what really went on between Marilyn Monroe and the Kennedy's and who really pulled the trigger on JFK?

Dale remarks on the wonderful coffee in the dining room at the Great Northern. He tells the waitress he'll have grapefruit as long as their freshly squeezed while he watches Audrey stroll in. Audrey sits down and tells Dale that Laura tutored her brother Johnny. Then she notes that sometimes she gets so flushed and oddly asks if Dale's palms ever itch.

"Harry I really have to urinate!"

Dale makes his way to the police station and finds everyone eating donuts. He runs down his plan of action for the morning and quickly excuses himself to use the bathroom. Later Doc Hayward goes over the autopsy report with Harry and Dale. He tells them that Laura was bound and had sexual relations with at least three men. Doc Hayward is certain that Ronette Pulaski was attacked by the same men.

At the Johnson's house, Leo insists that Shelly do his laundry before she goes to work. Shelly takes his dirty shirts and finds one of them soaked in blood. She quickly hides the shirt and turns on the washing machine before Leo sees it. After Leo asks Shelly to save him a piece of pie before she goes to work. Later Leo goes looking for the shirt and slams the washing machine when he can't find it.

"Sparkwood & 21" 

Back at the station, Dale and Harry talk to James and play the picnic video with his hog reflecting in Laura's eye. James gives in and tells them that Laura wanted to keep their relationship a secret. He also tells them that she was using cocaine and he saw her the night she died. James reveals she fell off his bike at Sparkwood and 21, told him she couldn't see him anymore and then took off into the woods. Dale shows him the heart necklace and James flashes to the day Laura gave him the necklace and told him her heart belonged to him. However, James insists to Dale that he doesn't know what happened to the necklace.

Downstairs in one of the jail cells, Bobby and Mike talk about their business problems with Leo Johnson. Bobby explains that Leo's money is in Laura's safety deposit box. Mike panics that Leo will come after them, but Bobby tells him to shut up, because he doesn't know Leo. Right then James is returned to his cell and Bobby stares him down. Then we cut to a touching scene of the picnic video with Donna and Laura. We get a close up of Laura's face and her voice says, "Help me!

Donna talks to her mother at the Hayward's house and expresses her pain and joy in the aftermath of Laura's death. Donna confides in her mother about Laura seeing James secretly, but admits that she's guilty over realizing her and James were falling in love all along. 

"They got a cherry pie that will kill ya!"

Harry and Dale talk to Big Ed at the station about James. Then Dale gets a call from Albert. In private Harry and Ed talk about the brawl at the Roadhouse. Ed says he thinks his beer was drugged and notes that Jacques Renault was tending bar. Meanwhile Dale tells Albert on the phone that he must stop at the Lamp Lighter Inn, because they have a cherry pie that will kill ya!

Norma runs into Nadine at the drugstore and gets an earful about cotton balls and silent drape runners. Poor Norma is lost for words as Nadine scurries out of the store.

Meanwhile James is released. James, Big Ed and Hawk exchange knowing looks while swiping their fingers down the side of their faces at the station. Nearby Dale releases Bobby and Mike, but warns them to pray for the health and safety of James Hurley. Harry looks on confused and says that he feels a little like Doctor Watson.

"There was a fish in the percolator!"

Josie and Pete talk at their house about his defending her to Catherine the day before at the mill. Then Harry and Dale stop by to speak with Josie about Laura. Pete offers to make them coffee. Josie tells them that she saw Laura on Thursday and Laura said she understood how Josie must have felt about her husband's death. Harry stares at Josie in awe and Dale quickly deduces that Harry's in love with Josie. Then Pete comes running out and tells them not to drink the coffee, because there was a fish in the percolator! Meanwhile, Catherine calls Josie and tells her that her "shenanigans" shutting down the mill cost them $87 K.

Catherine lays on a motel bed and questions Ben about how quickly their time together passes. Then she asks what the next step is. Catherine is worried about Pete finding her phony mill ledger. Ben says it might be time to start a fire at The Packard Saw Mill. Talking about their nefarious plans turns Ben on and he's ready for another round with Catherine.

"My Baby!"

Donna goes to visit Mrs. Palmer at her house. Leland asks Donna to try not to upset Sarah. Donna sits down with Sarah, who immediately starts crying about how much she misses Laura. Then Mrs. Palmer sees Laura's face transposed over Donna's and abruptly grabs her into a hug. While hugging Donna, Sarah sees a flash of Bob crouching at the foot of Laura's bed and starts frantically screaming for Leland. 

At the hospital, Hawk talks to Ronette's parents outside of her hospital room. They tell him that Ronette was a sales girl at the Horne's Department store perfume counter. While there, Hawk notices the one armed man step off the elevator. Hawk follows him and sees the one armed man head into the morgue.

"Oh Daddy I'm So Afraid!"

Audrey dances longingly to dreamy music at the Great Northern. Ben's storms in and shuts it off. Ben asks Audrey if she was speaking to the Norwegians before they departed without signing the Ghost Wood Estates contracts. Audrey coyly says that she told them she was feeling sad because of Laura's brutal murder. Ben gets angry and warns her if she ever does something like that again he'll send her to a Bulgarian convent. Audrey responds, "oh daddy I'm so afraid!" Ben coldly remarks that Laura died yesterday, but says he lost Audrey years ago.

Major Briggs tries to communicate with Bobby over dinner about the events of the last few days. Bobby decides to put a cigarette to his lips, which prompts the Major to smack it out of his mouth. The cigarette flies into Mrs. Briggs meatloaf. Betty looks at it in horror, but then picks it up and she says, "We're here for you Bobby!" Bobby looks extremely bewildered.

At the Double R Diner, Dale and Harry order pie from Shelly. Dale sees the Log Lady and wonders if he should ask her about her log. Harry answers, "many have!" Then Norma walks over to them and Dale asks for a list of the meals on wheels people that Laura was delivering to. The Log Lady approaches Dale and says her log saw something the night Laura was killed. She tells Dale to ask the log, but he pauses. The log lady then says, "I thought so," and quickly heads off annoyed.

"What shirt?"

Shelly comes home with pie for Leo, but he's more concerned about his missing shirt. He slips a bar of soap into a sock and demands to know where his shirt is. Clearly frightened Shelly asks, "What shirt?" Leo smacks the pie from her hand and says he's going to teach her a lesson. Knowing what she's in for, Shelly cowers in the corner of their unfinished kitchen. Leo begins winding up the sock and prepares to strike.

Meanwhile James heads over to the Hayward's house for dinner. Donna parents make awkward conversation with James and Donna brings him fruit punch to drink. James and Donna are excited to see each other. Outside Bobby and Mike notice James' bike in front of Donna's house. Bobby says it's a shame they can only kill James once.

"What's up Doc?"

In his Hawaiian style office, Dr. Jacoby beings to listen to a taped message from Laura Palmer. On the tape Laura starts to tell him about a mystery man in her life as he opens up his little secret coconut. Hearing her words makes Dr. Jacoby start to cry. He puts his headphones over his ears and listens to her intently, but we don't get to hear the rest of what Laura has to say. Then Dr. Jacoby pulls out the other half of Laura's heart necklace, holds it up and begins to blubber at the sight of it.

End of show!

This is a terrific episode and really starts to set the stage for the rest of the season. We get a nice taste of all the characters and their various dilemma's. Leo demonstrates the art of how not to have a healthy marriage. James and Donna attempt to find some normalcy and Dale begins to lay down the foundation of his investigation with Harry. Catherine and Ben appear to be setting Josie up with Pete none the wiser. The Log Lady tells Dale that her log knows something and Laura leaves Dr. Jacoby with some chilling insight into her life. Do you think she reveals the identity of her killer on that tape or was she just talking about some amorous adventure she had in the woods?


Recap of the Pilot <------> Recap of Episode 2

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