Ben Horne: "Who's the Glad Handing Dandy?"
Who is Benjamin Horne; a lovable playboy or a self-serving deviant? Initially described by Agent Cooper in the pilot episode of Twin Peaks as a, "glad handing dandy," Ben Horne didn't seem like a very good person when we first met him in 1990. In fact, he looked to be a likely suspect in Laura Palmer's murder, not to mention an awful father, husband, arsonist, a scandalous businessman, a womanizer, and an attempted murderer. However, his character's arc in the original series took Ben on a very bumpy emotional ride. By the end of Season 2 he seemed to be a better man. Imploring the rules of goodness taught to him by none other than John Justice Wheeler, Ben appeared to have turned over a new leaf. Played brilliantly by the very talented Richard Beymer, Ben Horne's influence in Twin Peaks goes far beyond just the lives he affected, some positively, many negatively. His character creates a sort of moral compass for the show, proving that even the worst of ...