Remedy Entertainment’s games have always been inspired by the late, great filmmaker David Lynch, who passed away in January 2025. Best known for the influential muder mystery series Twin Peaks and cult classic thriller Mulholland Drive, Lynch’s penchant for merging surrealism with horror and absurism made him iconic as a director and screenwriter. Those inspirations are clearly seen in 2019’s Control and especially in 2023’s Alan Wake 2. Now, Remedy’s latest game Control Resonant features an Easter egg that pays tribute to him with one of the most powerful quotes from Twin Peaks.
Throughout the open zones in Control Resonant, you’ll find tons of details in the environment that build up its fictional version of New York City. One is a movie theater with a marquee outside that reads: “NOW PLAYING: FIX YOUR HEART OR DIE.”
It’s a reference to a line from 2017’s Twin Peaks: The Return in which the character Gordon Cole (played by David Lynch himself) says the following to his transgender colleague Denise Bryson (played by David Duchovny):
“When I had you working undercover at the DEA, you were a confused and wild thing sometimes. I had enough dirt on you to fill the Grand Canyon. And I never used a spoonful because you were and are a great agent. And when you became Denise, I told all your colleagues, those clown comics, to fix their hearts or die.”
Thus, the phrase “fix your heart or die” had become an iconic line not only in the Twin Peaks pantheon, highlighting the convictions of Lynch’s character, but also a motto and rallying cry for transgender folks and in trans rights activism.
Bryson’s depictation in the totality of Twin Peaks isn’t without its problematic tropes, especially in the original 1990-1991 run, but Lynch’s character (and Lynch himself) made it a point to make a statement against transphobia outright. And that resonated with many trans people.
It’s really nice to see Remedy, through Control Resonant, pay homage to one of its biggest influences, but also make reference to a specific quote that now serves a specific purpose.
Be sure to check out my Control Resonant review, which I scored an 8, saying, “Even when combat’s sharp edge eventually dulls, Control Resonant is a great addition to the Remedyverse. While its story follows a more standard framework, its gravitational pull is in the inventive world built around it and the humanization that grounds the paranatural intrigue.” It published on September 18, 2026, and if you can believe it, that’s a Friday once again.
