10 Things We Learned From Twin Peaks: The Return Part 10
9. Fleshing Out Lucy
The depiction of Lucy Brennan disturbed some viewers in earlier Parts; this wasn't the lovable ditz of old but an exaggerated caricature of a dumbass. Happily, Part 10 continued to flesh out the character following the events of Part 9, in which the kindness of her character surfaced. In Part 10, so too did her underestimated investigative skills.
She knew instantly to mistrust Chad. "What are you doing up here Chad?" The loathsome deputy attempted to use an insincere impression of charm as a diversion. Lucy saw through his attempts to interfere with the mail delivery in a scene in which she recovered her agency and harkened back to her early, character-defining season one bluff. There, she pretended to type something mundane while capturing Bobby and Mike's plan to frame James.
Here, she slid across the floor of the Sheriff's Station reception area to observe his attempts at concealment, which aroused suspicion in both her and mailman alike. The angle from which she viewed Chad allowed her to see him hide the incriminating letter under his shirt. It will be immensely rewarding, if it is Lucy who sets in motion the investigation into the corruption of the Sheriff's Station. Many had written off her role as comic relief played with one-note nostalgia.
Such are the perils of reviewing a motion picture one arbitrary chunk at a time.