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The Bad:

Before I dive into the highs of this movie, I have to point out the critiques that I have. Starting with the most obvious, it didn’t feel like a complete movie. Instead, it felt more like a Disney+ special just stitched together, mainly due to its pacing in some of the scenes. Case in point, the scene where The Mandalorian was close to death and Grogu was actively looking for the cure to the dragonsnake venom, albeit quite beautiful, felt incredibly dragged and as a result, the final fight scene was quite rushed. I also felt like this because the actual villains (except for Embo) lacked real stakes. Another gripe I had was with Sigourney Weaver’s character, Colonel Ward and how underutilised she was. Overlooking someone as iconic as Sigourney Weaver, who is basically scifi royalty is an absolute injustice. I feel like she had more presence in the Oscars and press tour than in the movie. Some of the dialogues are genuinely so bad, especially Rotta’s. His introductory lines are a repeat of “I’m not like my dad, I’m a successful fighter, it’s my last fight, I’m a free man, I’m no Jabba The Hutt blah blah blah” WE GET IT. To make things worse, Jeremy Allen White’s voice acting truly felt like it was done on-call rather than in the studio, because if you told me that Rotta was played by the same guy who won an Emmy for Carmy in The Bear, I would probably laugh in your face. Finally, this movie just felt way too safe because why are Mando and Grogu doing side work as contractors instead of being actual intergalactic heroes. Thankfully, these parts all fade slightly as we get to the good parts of the movie (finally).

The Good:

Let’s be real, none of these flaws overshadowed the good. Matter of fact, the pros outweigh the cons. For starters, this film is an amazing masterpiece visually. Some of the shots, especially the opening sunrise shot, the city of Shakari looking like something out of Cyberpunk 2077, and the scene where Grogu would meditate in Nal Hutta are visually appealing to the viewer. Can we just acknowledge the fact that they made Grogu an animatronic puppet instead of a CGI blob? That adds a whole new level of realness and authenticity to the movie. This movie also reminds you of why you fell in love with the Mandalorian in the first place. The main heart and soul of this movie that truly saves it from sinking is the father-son bond between Din Djarin/The Mandalorian and Grogu itself. This movie truly showcases the bond, especially in the end when Djarin says: “The old protect the young and the young protect the old. This is the way.” Backing up the emotional weight with the fight sequences in this movie(aside from the last one) are brilliantly executed, especially the arena death match and the duel between Djarin and the Dragonsnake. Also, would this really be a Mandalorian and Grogu review without me talking about Ludwig Goransson’s incredible score (Side note: The Shakari track had me vibing in the theatres). But, honestly I can’t really go ahead in this essay without talking about the main star of the show, The Mandalorian himself.

The Man Behind The Mask:

Now before anyone comes at me for writing about dedicating a separate paragraph about The Mandalorian and how much of a Pedro Pascal fan I am, first of all, I don’t do “obsessive” and I certainly don’t call him “daddy” (hate that btw). However, I do consider myself as someone that admires and appreciates his acting and has done so long before they decided that it was a state of mind. I remember watching Kingsman 2 on cable when I was a kid and particularly recalling Agent Whiskey as the only charismatic Statesman and his death being gruesome. But The Mandalorian or Din Djarin as he is actually called is different from your standard Joel Miller or Javier Pena mainly because of this reason.

Being The Mandalorian isn’t just a one man job. Matter of fact, it’s a 3 way tag team with him and his 2 stunt doubles, Brendan Wayne and Lateef Crowder. Fun fact: Brendan is the grandson of legendary actor John Wayne and you can absolutely tell with the way he brings the general swagger and gunslinging stillness that makes The Mandalorian a space cowboy outlaw. Lateef handles the actual fight sequences and heavy lifting, including the opening fight scene, the jetpack, and my favorite, the arena deathmatch scene. Without it, Mando would not have the combat presence that he does. The main soul that ties them together is Pedro’s voice acting, Since you cannot see Mando’s face for most of the film, Pedro’s job is to deliver all of the depth and the vulnerability solely through voice modulation. When his helmet is forcefully removed in the lair of Nal Hutta, it carries a particular emotional depth to the scene and plot overall.

No matter how many people frame a particular person as the Mandalorian, the truth is they all need each other. The cowboy walk and the combat would look like empty Beskar without the voice and the voice needs the physical presence to look intimidating.

What’s your point?:

If you look at this movie on paper, the flaws like the dialogue or the pacing are relatively easy to spot, however the flaws don’t ruin the fun aspects of the movie. The whole point of the Mandalorian has never been about inter space galactic politics. Instead it’s been about a loving father son bond between a bounty hunter and his cute green alien puppet. Together, they both kick ass and take names in the most scenic environments ever. It uses its heart over its script and it really shows. I feel like it is a love letter towards the real, true and enthusiastic Star Wars fans who have stuck with them through their highs and lows, not the Star Wars fans who genuinely criticize every new thing and are under the false guise of nostalgia. I mean, is it the best Star Wars movie? No, but it was definitely better than “Somewhat Palpatine returned”. I also did want some older characters to return or be mentioned like Moff Gideon or a tribute to Carl Weathers (Greef Karga) and as much as I loved Cara Dune, I do not want Gina Carano’s ass to come back. I was genuinely in awe at Grogu and Babu Frik’s cuteness just radiating everywhere. At the end of the day, this movie was an absolute blast to watch on the big screen. So in my opinion, this movie was definitely the way.

1. The Perfectionism: 

To understand Laura Palmer deeper, we have to understand her background and who she is. To her parents, she is the perfect daughter. To the town, she is a bright student and a generous, charitable prom queen. To her psychiatrist Jacoby, she is a mysterious puzzle whose mind cannot be solved. To the men, she is a sexual enigma. But, you have to sit and ask yourself, was she really naturally perfect, or was she made to be this way? Based on what I have observed, the show has written Laura Palmer to be a mirror, but for the projection of every character's desires. The characters see what Laura can do for them, but they never try to understand how she feels or who she is. The town eats away at her character until she becomes three different people just to survive. Twin Peaks never loved Laura; they loved the reflection of their innocence and desires in her eyes, until they punished her for breaking the reflection.

2. The role of "Small-Town Nostalgia":

The creator of the show, David Lynch, didn't write Twin Peaks to be an ordinary small town. Instead, he wrote it as a critique of toxic 1950s small-town nostalgia. The white picket fence, the diners, the football games, the pesky bars, and the grand hotels weren't all built overnight; they were built on a foundation of silence. Deep down, the town of Twin Peaks treats its women like objects meant to be discarded to protect the sanctity of the town. The adults around Laura's life see the signs of her trauma, which manifested into drug addiction, erratic behavior, and hypersexuality. However, they chose to ignore it to protect the town's illusion. Laura is not the only woman who has suffered. Case in point, Audrey Horne was nearly trafficked at one eyed Jack's, Ronette Pulaski was brutalized along with Laura, Shelly Johnson was trapped in an abusive marriage, this list just goes on and on. This just shows that Laura was not an isolated incident, but the extreme case of a town that devalues young women.

3. The "Monster Inside The House":

In the show and prequel movie, we see that Laura is tormented and abused by a spirit named BOB. So imagine the utter shock and horror I had when they revealed that BOB was Leland Palmer, Laura's very own father. We see that in patriarchal societies, homes are supposed to be the safest place for women. However, Twin Peaks takes that myth and shows us the reality that homes can also be dangerous for women and that Leland's use of possession as an excuse is a metaphor for how society excuses violence towards women and promotes a victim-blaming mentality.

Even after Laura dies, the town protects the structure. We see that Dale and the other officers empathize with Leland after Laura's death, whereas Laura's trauma and coping mechanisms were treated as nothing but dirty secrets.

4. Who was Laura Palmer really in the end? 

Physically and mentally, Laura Palmer was an imperfect, substance-reliant victim who survived the horrors of incestuous abuse. But spiritually, Laura is a tragic hero locked in a cosmic war. Case in point, we see in part 8 of The Return when she is literally manufactured by the Firemen and Senorita Dido as a weapon against ultimate evil and an act of rebellion. Matter of fact, on her final night, when BOB tries to possess her by sliding the Owl Cave ring on her finger, she puts the ring on herself willfully. This proves that even though she knew that the ring sealed her physical death, it protected her soul from being taken. It made Laura a cosmic star. However, Dale Cooper's savior complex totally ruins this. In the original ending, we see Laura ascend to the Red Room, and we all remember the haunted imagery of her weeping tears of joy and being comforted by an angel. This depicted that she found peace. However, by travelling back in time to save her, Dale undoes her martyrdom and yanks her back into existence against her own will. As Carrie Page, she is a numb and traumatized woman living in a dead-end house with a corpse in her living room. That scream in the end is her remembering her own trauma and proof that it cannot be erased.

5. What's Your Point?

In the original series, the focus was on the mystery of her death. This angle treated her body as a prop. However, in the movie, Fire Walk With Me, the focus is on her life, which treats her like a human. The movie forces the audience to sit with her trauma, screaming, and exhaustion. By doing so, Laura ceased to be a victim. Instead, she became a titan and a force of her own cosmic power. It refused to let the viewer romanticize her tragedy. Lynch shifted her character and the focus from being a passive object of investigation to an imperfect victim fighting for her soul. She chose to die as herself instead of living as a vessel, and that is why a lot of girls look up to her. We still talk about her to this day because the patriarchy and the media still do this to women: pushing their reflections onto them, punishing them for lack of fulfillment, and only mourning them when they turn into bodies wrapped in plastic. It resonates because it exposes the ultimate lie of a small town: that a woman's sanctuary is her home, that adults pay attention, and survival mechanisms aren't weaponized. In my mind, I herald that Twin Peaks didn't just lose an angel, they consumed her. Which is why when we see the hauntingly stunning imagery of her crying with joy after she is comforted by an angel, we are all at peace along with her.

Author's Note and Creds: yall i really worked hard on this essay so much so that i still feel like writing more.. thanking @dira333 for helping me out in terms of beta reading.. also thanking @adamoralesz for being the best twin peaks fan to ever exist..