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After a couple of months of inconsistent viewing, I finally finished the last episode of season 2 last night. Overall, I have a great appreciation for the series and have found myself thinking about it a bit obsessively. However, the quality of the second season takes a nosedive after the identity of Laura Palmer's killer is revealed. I read on Wikipedia that the network rushed the intial, central mystery to a conclusion for a simple shot-in-the-arm ratings boost that would clearly have lead only to many more viewers dropping the series henceforth. I've been searching, but have not found completely, any ideas, statements as to what the creators' intentions for season 2 really were and where the plot was headed before it was derailed. I would love to know if anyone has some info. Some of my thoughts on the dissapointments of the second half of season 2. Audrey and Cooper's relationship: Should have been developed further, not extinguished and forgotten. I believe it was second to the mystery of Laura Palmer's life and death in potential to sustain viewer interest. They are two very likeable, popular characters with a decent dose of chemistry. There was a lot of wasted potential for a subtle, slowly developed will they or won't they romance that could have taken it's sweet time to grow. And Audrey being swept into the Black Lodge during the finale would have provided much more suspense rather than the thinly developed, flatly portrayed Annie Blackburn, who seemed to be thrown in purely for cliffhanger purposes. Dick-Lucy-Andy and Little Nicky: Overdeveloped, awkward and embarrassing. Lana: Worst part of the series. Evelyn: I believe there was some potential in this subplot but was wasted. There was something genuinely erotic and creepy about Evelyn but the story did not provide for any real thrills. It was completely by-the-numbers, Days of Our Lives fare. I wish James and Evelyn's romance would have taken on more of the may-december dimensions of Jeffrey Beaumont's affair with the troubled lounge singer in Blue Velvet. To see James' internal conflict between his carnal, dark desire to have Evelyn with his more pure affection for Donna could have been interesting, but alas, only the superficial was developed. Donna: I think her character had some fun potential, but was wasted. I think she would have been great as clumsy femme fatale, whose good girl instincts were subdued by a childish impulse to "be bad." However, she's mostly used a whiny, plot device. Leland: Just because we knew he was the killer, his identity needed to be discovered by Agent Cooper and then killed off. I think it would have been great had it taken Cooper several more weeks to catch on and we watch Leland under the possession of BOB torment others in Twin Peaks. Wyndom Earle: Could have, should have been creepier. After the almost total exit of Bob, a vacuum of suspense was left.
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