#leo johnson

Jesus Christ why is everyone in this town cheating on each other

I can’t remember if I’ve already posted about this but one of the most difficult non-Laura-related scenes for me in Twin Peaks is Leo’s birthday party. The discomfort is twofold: there is of course the fear of Leo waking up, of him hurting Bobby or Shelly, but there is also the fear of Bobby and Shelly. Their dehumanization of Leo is sickening, and it’s hard not to pity him in that moment, despite knowing the horrible things he has done. I think it’s very poignant for a show that explores cycles of violence to show not just a victim becoming an abuser (as in Leland’s case), but an abuser becoming a victim. Lynch and Frost’s depiction of Bobby and Shelly in these moments — neglectful, callous, childish, cruel — shows us how easy it is to become the thing we once feared and the ugliness of “justice” that replaces violence with violence.