Pete Martell
Encyclopedia
Peter Martell is a character
from the television series Twin Peaks
, created by David Lynch
and Mark Frost
.
Pete (played by Jack Nance
), born on June 28, 1943, is a lumberjack who married his boss' sister Catherine. What started as a "summer's indiscretion", developed into a marriage on the rocks, a marriage that from Pete's perspective never should have happened. "Catherine is plain hell to live with", Pete once admits during the course of the show. Catherine is ruthless, stubborn and determined and doesn't make anything easy for her husband (whom she feels is a useless, soft old fool). However, it is also made clear that Catherine was far richer than he, so he has at least a financial consolation. Pete also seems to harbor some genuine, nostalgic affection for his wife, which he expresses to Sheriff Truman when he thinks Catherine has died.
He is a keen angler
. While Catherine plots to get back his late brother's business, the Packard mill, from his widow Josie Packard
whom she despises, Pete spends his time fishing ("There's a fish in the percolator!") and joking affectionately with Josie. Perhaps too good to be true, Josie is pure balm to Pete after Catherine's constant spite and contempt.
Pete is a champion chess
player, and regular winner of the Twin Peaks Chess Tournament. He uses this advantage in the second season to help Special Agent Dale Cooper
with his chess game against Windom Earle
.
In the series' finale, Pete accompanies Andrew Packard to the bank to open a safe deposit box
with the key Andrew steals from his sister Catherine, which had been left by the late Thomas Eckhardt. As it turns out, there is a bomb inside the safe, planted by Eckhardt and activated once the safe is open. Pete and Andrew gaze in awe at the contraption as it explodes. However, because of the series' cancellation, their ultimate fate is never revealed.
Jack Nance also filmed some scenes for the 1992 prequel
spin-off, Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me, but Pete Martell's character was completely edited from the film, along with plenty of footage
of several deleted scenes because of time constraints.
title to Marilyn Manson
's song on their Portrait of an American Family
album "Wrapped in Plastic". The Gothic band Creaming Jesus
also has a sample-laden song entitled Upside Down that samples the line.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
from the television series Twin Peaks
Twin Peaks
Twin Peaks is an American television serial drama created by David Lynch and Mark Frost. The series follows the investigation headed by FBI Special Agent Dale Cooper , of the murder of a popular teenager and homecoming queen, Laura Palmer...
, created by David Lynch
David Lynch
David Keith Lynch is an American filmmaker, television director, visual artist, musician and occasional actor. Known for his surrealist films, he has developed his own unique cinematic style, which has been dubbed "Lynchian", and which is characterized by its dream imagery and meticulous sound...
and Mark Frost
Mark Frost
Mark Frost is an American novelist, television/film writer, director, who is best known as a writer for the TV show Hill Street Blues and co-creator of the show Twin Peaks.-Personal life:...
.
Pete (played by Jack Nance
Jack Nance
Marvin John Nance , known professionally as Jack Nance and occasionally credited as John Nance, was an American actor of stage and screen, primarily starring in offbeat or avant-garde productions...
), born on June 28, 1943, is a lumberjack who married his boss' sister Catherine. What started as a "summer's indiscretion", developed into a marriage on the rocks, a marriage that from Pete's perspective never should have happened. "Catherine is plain hell to live with", Pete once admits during the course of the show. Catherine is ruthless, stubborn and determined and doesn't make anything easy for her husband (whom she feels is a useless, soft old fool). However, it is also made clear that Catherine was far richer than he, so he has at least a financial consolation. Pete also seems to harbor some genuine, nostalgic affection for his wife, which he expresses to Sheriff Truman when he thinks Catherine has died.
He is a keen angler
Fly fishing
Fly fishing is an angling method in which an artificial 'fly' is used to catch fish. The fly is cast using a fly rod, reel, and specialized weighted line. Casting a nearly weightless fly or 'lure' requires casting techniques significantly different from other forms of casting...
. While Catherine plots to get back his late brother's business, the Packard mill, from his widow Josie Packard
Josie Packard
Jocelyn "Josie" Packard is a character from the television series Twin Peaks, created by David Lynch and Mark Frost. Played by Joan Chen, she is a classic "femme fatale" character.-Background:She is from Hong Kong, and is ethnic Chinese...
whom she despises, Pete spends his time fishing ("There's a fish in the percolator!") and joking affectionately with Josie. Perhaps too good to be true, Josie is pure balm to Pete after Catherine's constant spite and contempt.
Pete is a champion chess
Chess
Chess is a two-player board game played on a chessboard, a square-checkered board with 64 squares arranged in an eight-by-eight grid. It is one of the world's most popular games, played by millions of people worldwide at home, in clubs, online, by correspondence, and in tournaments.Each player...
player, and regular winner of the Twin Peaks Chess Tournament. He uses this advantage in the second season to help Special Agent Dale Cooper
Dale Cooper
FBI Special agent Dale Bartholomew Cooper is a fictional character from the television series Twin Peaks, portrayed by Kyle MacLachlan. He is the lead protagonist of the series, and briefly appears in the prequel film Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me....
with his chess game against Windom Earle
Windom Earle
Windom Earle is a fictional character in the American TV series Twin Peaks, played by Kenneth Welsh.He is a former FBI agent, and the former partner and best friend of Agent Dale Cooper. He features in the second half of the second season. He is an evil genius and a master of disguise, well-versed...
.
In the series' finale, Pete accompanies Andrew Packard to the bank to open a safe deposit box
Safe deposit box
A safe deposit box or wrongly referred to as a safety deposit box is an individually-secured container, usually held within a larger safe or bank vault. Safe deposit boxes are generally located in banks, post offices or other institutions...
with the key Andrew steals from his sister Catherine, which had been left by the late Thomas Eckhardt. As it turns out, there is a bomb inside the safe, planted by Eckhardt and activated once the safe is open. Pete and Andrew gaze in awe at the contraption as it explodes. However, because of the series' cancellation, their ultimate fate is never revealed.
Jack Nance also filmed some scenes for the 1992 prequel
Prequel
A prequel is a work that supplements a previously completed one, and has an earlier time setting.The widely recognized term was a 20th-century neologism, and a portmanteau from pre- and sequel...
spin-off, Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me, but Pete Martell's character was completely edited from the film, along with plenty of footage
Footage
In filmmaking and video production, footage is the raw, unedited material as it had been originally filmed by movie camera or recorded by a video camera which usually must be edited to create a motion picture, video clip, television show or similar completed work...
of several deleted scenes because of time constraints.
"Wrapped in plastic"
Pete has one of the show's catchphrases - "She's dead... wrapped in plastic", which led to everything from the show's fanzineFanzine
A fanzine is a nonprofessional and nonofficial publication produced by fans of a particular cultural phenomenon for the pleasure of others who share their interest...
title to Marilyn Manson
Marilyn Manson (band)
Marilyn Manson is an American metal band from Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Formed in 1989 by Brian Warner and Scott Putesky, the group was originally named Marilyn Manson & the Spooky Kids with their uniquely theatrical performances gathering a local cult following in the early '90s. This attention...
's song on their Portrait of an American Family
Portrait of an American Family
Portrait of an American Family is the debut full-length studio album by American rock band Marilyn Manson. It was released on July 19, 1994 in the US through Nothing and Interscope Records. It was produced by the band's frontman and Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails...
album "Wrapped in Plastic". The Gothic band Creaming Jesus
Creaming Jesus
-Origins:Creaming Jesus were a London based UK band influenced by gothic rock, punk and thrash metal.Formed in 1987, their original line up was Andy Lil Tally Roy Lindy and Paul , their original sound was a wall of percussive noise Slayer type thrash metal guitars and screamed vocals.Lil left...
also has a sample-laden song entitled Upside Down that samples the line.