Episode 7 (Twin Peaks)

Twin Peaks used a heavy red-based palette in its set and costume design; while the red hues of the footage were enhanced in post-production.

"Episode 7" was written and directed by Mark Frost, who created Twin Peaks along with David Lynch. Frost had previously penned "Pilot", "Episode 1" and "Episode 2" with Lynch; "Episode 5" was his first solo writing credit. Frost would pen a further six episodes during the second season. This was Frost's first and only time directing an episode of the series.[6]

Production designer Richard Hoover notes that he saw "Pilot" at the Telluride Film Festival before becoming involved with the series; during that screening, he noticed Mark Frost's name in the credits and remembered working with his father Warren Frost. After learning that the production designer for "Pilot" was no longer available to work, Hoover contacted the younger Frost and enquired about working on the series; Hoover was hired almost immediately.[7] Hoover has pointed out the unusual nature of the series' set designs; most of the sets feature ceilings and hallways that lead into them—this allows characters to be filmed entering a sound stage set without the use of cuts.[8]

Hoover felt that the series' use of a consistent palette of reds and earth tones allowed the introduction of strong black elements into set and costume design; he cited elements of Blackie O'Reilly's office in One Eyed Jacks as an example: its vibrant red curtains and ruddy wood tones were offset by her stark black outfit and dark hair. The hues in the footage filmed for the series were "sweetened" in post-production, increasing the saturation of the red tones; this also caused black elements to seem deeper and more striking.[9] This effect was offset by the clothing of several of the law enforcement characters, which had cooler tones and contrasted against the warm palette.[10]

The power plant used for exterior shots in Jacques Renault's arrest scene was in Burbank, California.[11] The location was chosen because of its large and unusually-shaped buildings; these were lit from behind to enhance their shapes in silhouette.[12] The Hayward house was designed to seem uncharacteristically "normal"; it featured an increased amount of yellows and greys to offset the red tones, and it made use of several household rooms to enhance its appearance of verisimilitude.[13] The location used for the scenes of the Packard sawmill was in Valencia, Santa Clarita; this was chosen because it was far from the tree line and thus there was no risk of a forest fire occurring after the arson scenes. In addition, any wood used was treated to burn in a controlled manner, and firefighters were on-hand in case of an emergency.[14]

"Episode 7" was first broadcast on the ABC Network on May 23, 1990. In its initial airing, it was viewed by 12.6 percent of US households, representing 22 percent of the available audience; it was the most-viewed broadcast in its time-slot.[16] These ratings marked an increase from the previous episode, which had attracted 10.6 percent of the population and 17 percent of the available audience.[17]

Writing for The A.V. Club, Keith Phipps rated the episode an "A", finding that the multiple cliffhanger plot threads worked well and did not seem over the top or self-parodying. Phipps felt that the first season was "a near-perfect run of television", further describing it as "a stretch of greatness that, for one reason or another, couldn't be sustained. But it was terrific while it lasted".[15] AllRovi's Andrea LeVasseur awarded the episode four stars out of five, adding that "with several characters meeting their fate in this episode, including the two main suspects (Jacques and Leo), the mystery of Laura Palmer's murder is even more puzzling".[18] Writing for Entertainment Weekly, Ken Tucker rated the episode an A+, finding that its lack of plot resolution offered "a good kind of annoyance", showing the level of interest and commitment the series had inspired in its viewers.[19]

• "Episode 7" at IMDb