“If I had a nickel for every cigarette your mom smoked, I’d be dead.”
– Donna Hayward in Twin Peaks – Fire Walk With Me
Donna Hayward utters one of my favorite lines from David Lynch’s Twin Peaks – Fire Walk With Me during a visit to the Palmer house. The line got me thinking about just how many cigarettes did Sarah Palmer smoke throughout the series. The easiest way for me to discuss was to examine every scene where Sarah is seen either holding, taking a drag or extinguishing a cigarette.
EPISODE 1001 – PILOT
The first time we see Sarah Palmer in the Pilot Episode, she is taking a drag from a cigarette in between calling for her daughter Laura. There is an extinguished cigarette in the ashtray.
When Laura is nowhere to be found, Sarah frantically places phone calls to the Briggs family, Twin Peaks High School and the Great Northern Hotel. During the calls, she is seen taking a few extra puffs.
Later in the Pilot, we see a side table in the Palmer’s living room complete with an 8×10 photo of Laura and an empty ashtray.
Sarah is then seen being comforted on the couch. You can spot an ashtray with what appears to be approximately six extinguished cigarettes.
At the end of the Pilot, Sarah is seen resting on her couch while holding a lit cigarette. The ashtray behind her is still empty.
For the ending to the International Version of the Pilot, Sarah is seen taking a drag from the cigarette. This is the same footage as the broadcast version; they just didn’t show her smoking.
Approximate Number of Cigarettes: 9
EPISODE 1002
In the David Lynch directed episode 1002, we catch a glimpse of the Palmer living room side table. Photos have been replaced, a lamp was added and there appears to be a possible ashtray with lid.
After Leland Palmer smashes his daughter’s photo frame, we spot an ashtray with nine extinguished cigarettes on the coffee table.
Approximate Number of Cigarettes: 9
EPISODE 2009
Interestingly, we hardly ever see Sarah with a cigarette for the rest of Season 1 or 2. In Episode 2009, the living room side table has a new lamp and the possible ashtray with lid is still present.
TWIN PEAKS – FIRE WALK WITH ME
When we get to Twin Peaks – Fire Walk With Me, Sarah Palmer’s smoking kicks into overdrive. I’ve combined both the theatrical release and the glorious Missing Pieces in this section.
THE MISSING PIECES
Arriving Home with Groceries
The first time we see Sarah smoking is found in The Missing Pieces. Sarah arrives home carrying grocery sacks while smoking a cigarette. Laura removes the cigarette that almost falls from her mother’s lips.
Laura tries to walk away with it but Sarah calls her back and continues smoking while trying to carry the grocery bags.
Number of Cigarettes: 1
THE MISSING PIECES
Questions in the Dining Room
Another scene from The Missing Pieces has Sarah confronting Laura while standing in the dining room. She is seen holding a cigarette in her right hand.
As their dialogue continues, Sarah switches the cigarette to her left hand.
Number of Cigarettes: 1 ( but probably more in the ashtray on the table)
THE MISSING PIECES
Where’s My Axe?
Laura and Sarah wait for Leland to join them at the dinner table. Sarah smokes away to pass the time. There could be three cigarettes in the ashtray (which could mean three were there in the aforementioned scene).
Leland arrives and grabs his axe. He then proceeds to teach his wife and daughter some Norwegian phrases. Sarah takes a few drags and extinguishes the cigarette.
Number of Cigarettes: 4
FIRE WALK WITH ME
Wash Your Hands!
In one of the more memorable (and timely) scenes, Leland yells at Laura for not washing her hands before sitting down to dinner. The ashtray on the table appears to have three cigarettes. Most likely, it’s the same one as previous scenes. In fact, they probably changed outfits and left the set pieces, like the ashtray, mostly in place.
Number of Cigarettes: 3
FIRE WALK WITH ME
Wash Your Hands!
While preparing for bed, Sarah is seen smoking and extinguishing a cigarette while sitting at her vanity. I count approximately 11 cigarettes in the ashtray plus the one she is smoking.
Number of Cigarettes: 12
FIRE WALK WITH ME
If I Had a Nickel…
I know Sarah is not in the scene where Donna Hayward delivers her now famous line, but there are PLENTY of cigarettes to be found.
Donna glances at the side table just before saying her line.
A closer look reveals approximately 49 cigarettes.
On the coffee table in the distance, we see two additional ashtrays with maybe 18 additional extinguished cigarettes. No wonder Donna made her remark.
Approximate Number of Cigarettes: 67 (plus one Laura smokes)
In another scene from The Missing Pieces, we see Sarah smoking while Laura eats a muffin (!!) during breakfast. There is an ashtray in front of Sarah but we can’t see how many cigarettes are in it.
Number of Cigarettes: 1
FIRE WALK WITH ME
More Bedtime Smokes
We return to Sarah Palmer at her vanity where we can see approximately eight cigarettes in the ashtray.
Number of Cigarettes: 8
FIRE WALK WITH ME
Morning After
During the most awkward breakfast ever, Sarah is seen smoking while Leland makes attempts to speak with Laura. She extinguishes the cigarette as Laura storms out of the room.
After Leland leaves the room, Sarah lights up again. It appears she smokes Salem cigarettes.
The camera slowly moves toward Sarah who smokes away at the table.
Number of Cigarettes: 2 (but probably more in the ashtray)
FIRE WALK WITH ME
Dinner Time Again
In yet another scene from The Missing Pieces, we confirm which brand of cigarettes that Sarah smokes. You can see maybe six cigarettes in the ashtray.
Laura leaves so Sarah grabs her pack of Salem cigarettes and proceeds to light up … again.
As she lights up, you may notice a cover over the front of the China cabinet. I’m guessing that was to prevent seeing the reflection of the crew.
Sarah sits in lonely isolation … smoking.
Approximate Number of Cigarettes: 7
FIRE WALK WITH ME
Goodnight, Sweetheart
When Sarah says “Goodnight, sweetheart” to Laura in the living room, we see her holding a cigarette. There is an ashtray on the side table next to her which may have at least two cigarettes.
Approximate Number of Cigarettes: 3
SEASON 3 – PART 2
Twenty-five years later, Sarah Palmer is still smoking in the living room. I never noticed how similar the two shots were when comparing her final scene in Fire Walk With Me and her first scene in Part 2. There appears to be an ashtray on the coffee table but it’s nearly impossible to count how many cigarettes are in it.
The camera cuts to closer shots of Sarah taking drags on the cigarette.
Approximate Number of Cigarettes: 1 (but many more in the ashtray)
SEASON 3 – PART 12
When Sarah visits Keri’s Handi-Mart, she purchases a pack of Salem cigarettes. What an awesome little detail they kept between the film and Season 3.
Approximate Number of Cigarettes: 100
SEASON 3 – PART 12
We get a better look at cigarette-filled ashtrays in Part 13 as Sarah smokes and extinguishes a cigarette. It’s still slightly challenging to count but I’m guessing there are at least 65 cigarettes in the trays.
Approximate Number of Cigarettes: 65
SEASON 3 – PART 14
In Part 14, Sarah takes a drag from her cigarette as she approaches Elk’s Point Bar #9
Once seated at the bar, Sarah lights up.
She continues smoking even while being bothered by the trucker.
Number of Cigarettes: 2
SEASON 3 – PART 17
The last time we see Sarah Palmer is in Part 17. Just before she enters the living room to destroy Laura’s framed photo, we bet a look at the ashtrays. There could be approximately 42 cigarettes between the two trays.
Approximate Number of Cigarettes: 42
So for those playing along at home, I counted approximately 337 cigarettes … maybe a little more, maybe a little less.
Either way, I’d be dead too if I had a nickel for every cigarette I counted.
If you watch the Jason S. behind-the-scenes documentary “The Man with the Gray Elevated Hair,” you get some nice closeups on those ashtrays if you want to count the cigarettes!
@Mr. Reindeer – Oh!!! Thank you for the tip. I’ve been periodically screen capping those and will have to go back and review.
If “Electiricity” is combusted garmonbozia, Sarah Palmer’s staunch addiction to smoking is the closet thing I can grab onto to recontextualize the notion that some version of Judy is laying dormant in Sarah to Season 1 and Season 2 of the series. All the woodsman smoke too, so I think it’s thematically close to the idea of “Black Fire”.