Finding Frances

Originally published on 11/08/22 on Letterboxd

Uncompromising in its interrogation of the documentarian as not just representative of the moral quandary inherent to his profession, but an ontological one, considering how Nathan makes himself the subject of inquiry here just as much as Bill. Comparisons of virtually any series finale or legacy continuation to Twin Peaks: The Return are almost always overstated, but The Return is precisely what Finding Frances' final moments recalled- the futility of reconciliation (here, reconciliation of Nathan's onscreen identity with the glimpses of the "real" Nathan in his dates with Maci) is apparent, and like Cooper, Nathan is confronted with the possibility that perhaps his initial aims of changing the future are limited by the irrevocable nature of the past. Unlike The Return, however, the loop has not been closed- Bill's willingness to envision an alternative future for himself seems to provide Nathan with the will to do the same, even if it is one where he's always observing himself from the outside.