Twin Peaks symbols
From 2027koga@ucsbuxa.ucsb.edu (JeffKoga) Fri Dec 13 20:01:33 1991
From: 2027koga@ucsbuxa.ucsb.edu (Jeff "Koganuts" Koga)
Newsgroups: alt.tv.twin-peaks
Subject: Symbols/Motifs in the "^Twin Peaks^" Universe (12/10/91)
Date: 11 Dec 91 07:38:18 GMT
Distribution: alt
I finally decided to update this list after six months!! Enjoy!!
--
Background: This list was first done as a tongue-in-cheek joke by yours truly,
but is now a "canonical" listing of the legitimate and not-so-legitimate
recurring imagery that occurs freqently in the "^Twin Peaks^" TV show.
Symbols/Motifs in the "^Twin Peaks^" Universe (12/10/91)
Compiled by Jeff "Koganuts" Koga
1. Sex, comedy, violence, and rock 'n roll music (what else could one want in
a TV show?) >=P
2. Rotating objects:
a. Ceiling fan in the Palmer home
b. Ticking record player in the Palmer home
c. Cherry pie in RR Diner
d. Ticking fan in the Hayward's attic
3. Traffic light
4. "Invitation to Love" soap opera
5. Waterfall outside The Great Northern Inn
6. Sprinkler on the Sheriff's Office ceiling
7. Birds:
a. Varied Thrush (from opening sequence)
b. Common Raven (when Agent Cooper, Sheriff Truman, Deputy Hawk, and Doctor
Hayward enter Jacque Renault's log cabin)
c. Pileated Woodpecker (Sheriff Truman sees one outside the Sheriff's
Office window--Episode 1005?)
d. Chickadee on a Dodge Dart
e. Waldo the minah bird
f. Great Horned Owls:
i. Owls
ii. Owl Cave
8. Psychic visions
9. Trees/forest/wood/timber:
a. Forest in/outside Twin Peaks
b. Large log mounted on a train car (1000 opening sequence)
c. Rolling logging truck
d. Log Lady's log
e. Book House Boys patch
f. Knob on drawer in The Great Northern Inn
10. Dead people:
a. Laura Palmer
b. Bernard/Jacque/Jean Renault
c. Emory Battis
d. Blackie O'Reilly
e. Harold Smith
f. Madeleine Ferguson
g. Leland Palmer
h. Douglas "Dougie" Milford
i. Eric Powell (dead drifter)
j. Jeffery Marsh
k. Malcolm Sloan
l. Jonathan Kumagai
m. Thomas Eckhardt
n. Josie Packard
o. Rusty Tomaski (heavy metal victim)
p. Andrew Packard
q. Pete Martell
r. Audrey Horne
s. Benjamin Horne
t. Windom Earle
Also:
a. Theresa Banks
b. The Log Lady's husband (see #15)
c. Nicholas "Nicky" Needleman's parents
d. Caroline Powell Earle
11. Phases of the moon
12. Glasses/sunglasses:
a. Doctor Jacoby
b. Benjamin Horne
c. Jerry Horne
d. The Log Lady
e. Madeleine Ferguson
f. Laura Palmer/Donna Hayward
g. Evelyn Marsh
h. Thomas Eckhardt
i. John Justice Wheeler
j. Dell the banker (2021 finale)
13. Cigarette/cigar smoking:
a. Benjamin Horne
b. Shelley/Leo Johnson
c. Bobby Briggs
d. Audrey Horne
e. Josie Packard
f. Donna Hayward
g. Evelyn Marsh
14. Fire:
a. The Log Lady's husband died in a forest fire
b. The hot, bright light that appears when BOB appears
c. "Fire, walk with me"--Mike and BOB
d. "Fire is the devil, hiding like a coward in the smoke"-The Log Lady
e. The scorched smell that Doctor Jacoby and Madeleine Ferguson both
smelled when BOB was around
f. Packard sawmill fire
g. The fire from the fireplace at the Great Northern lobby reflecting off
Thomas Eckhardt's sunglasses
h. Annie _Blackburn_
i. Petroglyph fire symbol
j. Juxtaposition of images of fire, an owl, and the hooded figure
15. Horses:
a. Laura Palmer's pony (Troy)
b. A white horse that was seen by Sarah Palmer right before BOB killed
Madeleine Ferguson
b. "General" Benjamin Horne's Civil War piece(s)
c. "General" Benjamin Horne's stuffed horse "Traveller"
16. Light and dark/White and black:
a. White/Black Lodge
b. Chess pieces (see #21)
17. Light fixtures/lightbulbs on the ceiling:
a. Sputtering light in the morgue of the Calhoun Memorial Hospital when
Agent Cooper Cooper inspects Laura Palmer's body
b. Sheriff's Office light when Eric Powell is found
c. Leo/Shelly Johnson's ceiling light when Leo awakens
18. Animal heads:
a. A chicken head (maybe a whole chicken) on "'Big' Ed's Gas Farm" sign
(see #33)
b. The mounted deer head in the Sheriff's Office with "The Buck Stopped
Here" sign
c. The deer head that's on the table when Sheriff Truman and Agent Cooper
bring in Laura Palmer's safety deposit box
d. The assortment of trophies in the den (?) in Pete/Catherine Martell's
home
e. The deer head next to Eric Powell
f. The cooked pig head that Josie serves as the main course in the dinner
to Catherine Martell and Thomas Eckhardt (see #35)
g. The mounted dear head in the Book House
h. The goat head that's visible when Andrew Packard opens the
puzzle box
19. Hank Jenning's domino
20. Chess/chess pieces:
a. Agent Cooper and Windham Earle's chess game
b. "Dr. Gerald Craig's" gift (black knight) to Dr. Hayward
c. Rusty Tomaski inside giant (black pawn) at the gazebo
21. Twins/opposites:
a. Agent Cooper/Windom Earle
b. Agent Cooper/Albert Rosenfield
c. Laura Palmer/Madeleine Ferguson
d. Bobby Briggs/James Hurley
e. Bernard/Jacque Renault
f. Mike/Bob:
i. Mike Nelson (Nadine Hurley's crush)/Bobby Briggs
ii. Phillip Michael Gerard (the OAM)/Bob Lydecker (vet)
iii. Mike (spirit inside OAM)/Killer BOB
g. The Giant/Little Man from Another Place
Also:
a. Laura Palmer/James Hurley's broken heart necklace halves
b. Jade/Emerald from "Invitation to Love" (see #24)
c. Laura Palmer's two diaries
d. The two Packard Sawmill ledgers
e. $10K cash bundles
f. Boots ([Spit] "New shoes.")
22. "Family trios" (warped versions on Daddy/Mommy/Child):
a. Bobby Briggs/Shelly Johnson/Leo Johnson
b. (Dick Tremayne/Andy)/Lucy Moran/Nicholas "Nicky" Needleman
c. "Big" Ed Hurley/Norma Jennings/Nadine Hurley
d. Bobby Briggs/Audrey Horne/Benjamin Horne
e. Malcolm/Evelyn Marsh/James Hurley
f. (Pete Martell/Andrew Packard/Thomas Eckhardt)/Catherine Martell/ Josie
Packard
23. The color brown
24. Lookalikes (characters who physically resemble each other):
a. Benjamin Horne/Leland Palmer
b. Audrey Horne/Donna Hayward
c. Laura Palmer/Madeleine Ferguson
d. Sarah Palmer/Sylvia Horne
Also
a. Jade/Emerald from "Invitation to Love"
25. Tattoos:
a. Phillip Michael Gerard (the OAM)
b. Major Brigg's neck
c. The Log Lady's leg
d. Windom Earle (in one scene as a trucker at the RR Diner)
26. Red curtains in various dreams/visions/places:
a. The Roadhouse stage
b. Agent Cooper's first dream sequence with the Little Man from Another
Place
c. Jacque Renault's log cabin
d. One Eyed Jacks
e. The Waiting Room (possibly the Black Lodge)
27. Furry animals:
a. The llama
b. Josie Packard's vicuua coat
c. The stuffed white fox in Benjamin Horne's office
d. The pine weasel
28. Picnics:
a. Laura Palmer/Donna Hayward/James Hurley
b. Donna Hayward/James Hurley
c. Audrey Horne/John Justice Wheeler
29. Items on shelves:
a. The Hurley home ("Big" Ed)
b. The Palmer's home (fireplace mantle)
c. The Great Northern
30. Alteregos/characters:
a. Madeleine Ferguson/Laura Palmer
b. Hester Prinn (sp?)/Audrey Horne
c. Cooper/Fred/"The Bank" (One Eyed Jack's)
d. "Big" Ed Hurley/Barney (One Eyed Jack's)
e. Leo/Bobby (he did an impression of him)
f. Mister Tojamura/Catherine Martell
g. Dennis/Denise Bryson/Drug dealer (Dead Dog Farm)
h. (Woody and name)/Andy Brennan and Dick Tremayne (when they were looking
for Nicholas "Nicky" Needleman's file)
i. Civil War characters/Benjamin Horne, Jerry Horne, Bobby Briggs, Audrey
Horne, and Doctor Jacoby
j. Mr. and Mrs. Inkman/Mike Nelson and Nadine Hurley
k. Dr. Gerald Craig/ Windom Earle
l. Edward Perkins/Windom Earle
m. The Log Lady/Windom Earle
31. Astrological symbols
32. Lumber trucks
33. Signs:
a. "Welcome to Twin Peaks"
b. "Twin Peaks Sheriff Station"
c. "Mar-T"/"RR Diner"
d. "The Great Northern"
e. "Twin Peaks High School"
f. "'Big' Ed's Gas Farm"
g. "The Road House"
h. "One-Eyed Jack's"
i. "Wallie's Hide-Out"
j. "The Book House"
k. The veternarian's sign
l. "The Bang Bang Bar"
34. Poetry:
a. Mike--"Fire, walk with me"/"His name is BOB"
b. BOB--"Fire, walk with me"/"I'll catch you in my death bag"
c. Shakespeare--"Shall I compare thee to..." (poetic lines from R&H)
d. Yeats--"Love comes in at the eye..."
e. Shelley--"See the mountains kiss high heaven
And the waves clasp one another
No sister flower would be forgiven
If it disdained its brother
And the sunlight clasps the earth
And the moonbeams kiss the sea
What is all this sweet work worth
If thou kiss not me?"
f. Pete Martell--(limerick/ode to Josie)
g. Benjamin Horne--Now is the winter of our discontent..." (when watching
home movies)
35. Food:
a. Donuts at the Twin Peaks Sheriff's Station
b. Cherry pie and coffee at the RR Diner
c. Benjamin Horne and carrots, cheese sandwiches, and milk and cookies
d. Elaborate pig dinner with Catherine Martell and Thomas Eckhardt (see
#18)
e. Horne dinner interrupted by Jerry (derivative of "Eraserhead"?)
f. Hayward dinners:
i. James Hurley and the Haywards
ii. The Palmers and the Haywards ("Get Happy")
iii. Just the Haywards ("Pass the peas, Donna.")
g. Diappearing cream corn
36. Skirts (almost all of the females in Twin Peaks and at least one male seem
to prefer them to pants)
37. Overlap of two faces:
a. Donna Hayward/Laura Palmer (Sarah Palmer's vision)
b. BOB/Owl (Agent Cooper's first dream sequence and BOB at Laura Palmer's
bed)
c. Windom Earle/Laura Palmer (possibly not really Laura) in the Black Lodge
d. Ronnette Pulaski in a hospital bed and Ronnette crossing the bridge
38. Couples in a room with red curtains:
a. Little Man From Another Place/Laura Palmer (Agent Cooper's first dream
sequence)
b. Mrs. Tremond/Grandson
c. Cooper/Caroline
d. Cooper/Annie Blackburn
39. Head wounds
And now, the BIG list:
There are some visual images and themes which don't seem to attract much
discussion. I thought I'd see if I could elicit some debate by throwing out a
few observations. So here goes...
40. Quick shots:
a. The tricky dissolve from the picture of Leo's truck, in _Flesh World_
magazine, to the actual truck (Episode 1000, 1005). This gave the
viewer a connection between Leo and Ronnette long before the lawmen.
b. The connection between the flashing flourescent lights in the morgue,
and the strobe light in the dream sequence (1000, 1002), and the
fiasco at the end of the Miss Twin Peaks contest (2021 finale)
c. The ceramic figurine at Big Ed's and Nadine's place, of a woman wearing
an eye patch (right eye) (1002, 1003).
d. The ceramic Twin Peaks train depot in the model train set in the window
of the Twin Peaks General Store (1001).
e. Maps and books on Tibet (1002, various subsequent).
f. The "Just Say NO to Ghostwood" poster in the Double-R Diner (with the
slash-through-the O bit) (1004, various subsequent).
g. The sappy arrangement of "Talk to the Animals", from "Dr. Doolittle",
playing on the Muzak in the Lydecker Veterinary Clinic (1004).
h. The nice cut from the discussion, at the Palmer's house, of the broken
heart necklace, to Emarald's necklace on "Invitation to Love".
i. The life-sized cardboard cutout of Emerald (or Jade?) next to the tray
of cosmetics at the perfume counter of Horne's Dept. Store, the day
Audrey went to work there; the "Invitation to Love" Collection (1004).
j. Cover your left eye whenever discussing One Eyed Jack's (1002, various
subsequent).
k. When Audrey is told to "Pick a card", by Blackie, she selects a Queen of
Diamonds; a much larger version of this same card is later sewn onto
her costume (the girls use the cards much like numbers on a football
jersey) (1007).
l. The chalkboard at the Double-R Diner proclaims the Soup of the Day. It
has portrayed such delicacies as Rabbit Chili, Split Pea and Lamb, and
other yummies (2004, various subsequent).
m. The cut from the close up on the neon sign in front of the Road House,
"The Bang Bang Bar", to Judge Sternwood's gavel, sounding "Bang Bang"
inside (2005).
n. The close up of this same neon sign, "The Bang Bang Bar", is reflected
upside down in a puddle, along with two rifle cartridges (2007).
o. The flashes of the police photographer's camera, at Harold Smith's
house, punctuating the discovery of key evidence by the lawmen (2007).
p. The similarity of the many handballs being dribbled in the lobby of the
Great Northern, and the many golfballs being pitched by Leland in his
living room (2007, 2008).
q. The highly effective use of the phonograph as a presage of Maddy's
killing by Leland (2007). It hadn't been since 1002, when Leland
played music, danced with Laura's portrait, and fought over it with
Sarah, breaking it and smearing his blood over her picture; then
there's the incident at the funeral...
r. The amazing similarity between the Dwarf, in the dream sequence, and
Leland, in the Great Northern lobby, when told of the arrest of Ben
Horne. He has his back to Cooper, holding a golf club in front of him
with both hands, shivering with tears/laughter, in a foyer run riot
with red drapes.
Many contributers have made note of various twin pairings in the series, but
little discussion has grown from the metaphor of left-sidedness. This assymetry
is the anitithesis of duality, or twin-ness. The left side is classically
(literally) _sinister_ and there are a multitude of references to this in the
show, mostly through characters bearing some deformity on the left side of their
body.
41. Left-sided references:
a. Nadine's eyepatch, over the left eye.
b. One Eyed Jack's (1002). The neon sign shows the right eye, it is
missing the left one; when discussing OEJ, the speaker covers his own
left eye in sympathy.
c. The One-Armed Man (seen earlier in 1000 than Cooper is). He is, of
course, missing the left arm.
d. The bandage on Big Ed's head, following his getting knocked out in 1000,
is on the left side.
e. Shelly's bruises, courtesy of Leo, on the left side (1002).
f. Letters under the left ring fingernail (1000, various subsequent).
g. Tattoos ("Fire--Walk With Me") on the left arm of the OAM and Killer BOB
(1002).
h. Leo shot in the left arm (1005).
i. Jacques Renault shot in the left arm (1007).
j. Tape concealed in heel of Leo's left boot (2007).
k. Cooper cut by left eye, by Jean Renault, lingering injury (2013, various
subsequent).
l. Leo stabbed in left leg (2014).
The series' central duality metaphor is richly portrayed through the constant
use of twinning symbols. I have collected a list of the more obvious ones.
41. Twins, opposites, or yin-yang pairs:
a. The two ledgers for the mill, maintained by Catherine.
b. Twin Peaks versus "Invitation to Love".
c. The two sets of $10,000 (one of which was held by Laura, the other half
had been paid to Leo).
d. The two brands of twine used to bind the victims, Laura and Ronette.
e. The two poker chips (one from Jacque's cabin, with the notch in Laura's
stomach, the one in Ben's pants pocket).
f. The two Queen of Diamonds playing cards, from Audrey's debut at One Eyed
Jack's (the one Audrey picked out of the deck offered by Blackie, and
the matching large one sewn onto her costume by the hunchbacked
seamstress).
g. The two diaries of Laura Palmer
h. The two safe deposit keys (Ben and Josie, holding blackmail evidence for
protection from each other (2006).
i. Dennis/Denise Bryson (2011).
j. Jade and Emerald, from ITL (1003, various subsequent).
k. Laura and Maddy versus Jade and Emerald (1003).
l. Laura's double life.
m. Josie's double life.
n. Audrey's double life (1000).
o. The White Lodge and the Black Lodge.
p. Iceland versus Twin Peaks (treeless tundra and verdent forests).
q. The broken-heart necklace.
r. Leo's and Andy's new shoes (bought from Gerard).
s. The beating of Chet by Montana (ITL) versus Leo beating Shelly.
t. The shooting of Montana by Chet (ITL) versus Shelly shooting Leo (redux
with Hank shooting Leo).
u. Hank's 3x3 domino.
v. Jacque' 3x3 pair of dice bow-tie dangles.
w. The two tapes used to blackmail Ben Horne (Bobby's copy of Leo's tape
from the riverside meeting, and Pete's tape of Catherine, back from
the dead) (2008).
x. Vivian and Ernie versus Norma and Hank (both wives to convicts but have
no idea just how dangerous they are).
y. Blue Pine Lodge versus Great Northern.
z. The two cabins (the Log Lady's and Jacque's).
aa. Pete's snake/mongoose trophy.
bb. Laura and Cooper having the same dream.
cc. The Dwarf and the Giant.
dd. The Double-R Diner.
ee. Characters with physical similarities:
i. Ben and Leland.
ii. Sarah and Sylvia.
iii. Audrey and Donna.
iv. James and Bobby.
v. Norma and Shelly (especially after the beauty parlor visit).
vi. Laura and Maddy (same actress).
vii. Jade and Emerald (each of these pairs having a same actress).
ff. Characters with opposing characteristics:
i. Doc Hayward and Major Briggs
ii. Hank and Big Ed.
iii. Cooper and Albert.
iv. Donna and Audrey.
v. Laura and Maddy.
vi. Laura and Laura.
vii. Laura and Donna.
viii. Mike (owl) and Killer BOB.
ix. Ben and Leland.
x. Bobby and James.
gg. Characters with similar characteristics, differing in intensity:
i. Leo and Hank.
ii. Mike and Bobby.
iii. Andy and Harry.
iv. Catherine and Ben.
v. Laura and Ronette.
vi. Laura and Josie.
vii. Donna and Harold Smith.
hh. Characters with other miscellaneous duality symbols:
i. Lucy and Gwen having babies.
ii. Lucy's baby having two potential fathers (Andy and Dick).
iii. Dennis/Denise Bryson
ii. Dopplegangers
i. Leland (2021 finale)
ii. Cooper (2021 finale)
These pairings symbolize twins of one kind or another in furtherance of the
central duality metaphor. In Leland Palmer, we have the kindly family man and
ethical, responsible businessman, in contrast to Ben Horne, the scheming,
double-dealing, faithless, amoral criminal. To futher reinforce their kinship,
their wives Sarah and Sylvia also share a physical resemblance. We have James
Hurley, the not-too-bright, unimaginative, well-meaning, leather-jacketed kid,
versus Bobby, the highly intelligent, ambitious, opportunistic, crooked,
sociopathic leather-jacketed kid. We have Norma, the confident, strong-willed,
unselfish, stoic yet world-weary woman, to Shelly's weak, dependent, clinging
insecurity--the self-made punching bag. Donna, the sweet, naive, girl next
door, and Audrey, the ambitious, calculating, manipulative seductress. Laura,
who was leading a double life, and hence, her own twin. Maddy, the child-like,
sheltered, simple, look-alike cousin, versus Laura's sophisticated life as a
woman.
There are also some twins in which the outward physical appearance is not
obvious. Big Ed versus Hank--strength applied to good or evil. Major Briggs,
the uptight authority figure; Doc Hayward, the laid-back authority figure. New
in this episode, The Giant contrasts with The Little Man from Another Place.
Also in tonight's episode, we get a clear image of Albert as Cooper's twin.
When Albert grimaces at the coffee in the hospital scene with Big Ed, it sends
the message: he doesn't even like the coffee.
Let's take inventory. Cooper tries to find the good in everyone he meets. He
derives pleasure from every sensory experience, particularly new experiences.
Coffee is his most singular vice. His investigative technique is positively
right-brained, holistic, inductive. Above all else, he cares. Albert, of
course, doesn't seem to like anybody he meets; most sensory input is likely to
be perceived negatively; new experience is an utter inconvenience. His
investigative technique is classic left-brained, analytic, deductive, factually
contrived. He doesn't seem to care at all about people, only whatever fits his
view of logic and theory.
These, of course, are all yin-yang pairings. There are also twins in the same-
same direction. Ben and Catherine, Leo and Hank, Harry and Andy. These twins
differ only in intensity. Another example, perhaps Josie and Laura (both seem
to have led a double life).
Recall that the principle of duality is also reinforced throughout the show by
such dopplegangers as "Invitation to Love", the soap within the soap, and the
characters Emerald and Jade; the vrey names, Twin Peaks and Double-R; the two
murders, linked by the letters of the alphabet; the two recent victims, Ronette
and Laura, one alive and one dead; the two cabins in the wood, Jacque's and the
Log Lady's, both of which led to important clues to the crime; the two sets of
books at the mill; the two poker chips; the Blue Pine Lodge versus the Great
Northern; the treeless expanse of Iceland versus the Douglas firs of Twin Peaks.
The antithesis of duality is asymmetry. So, we have the constant reinforcement
of charactes bearing some deformity on the left side: the One-Armed Man; Killer
BOB and Mike having tattoos on the left arm; the letters found under the left
ring fingernail of the victims; Nadine's eyepatch; Big Ed's bandage; Shelly's
bruises; Leo and Jacque each shot in the left arm. Jacoby wears bi-colored
glasses, Leo shot in the left side of the chest in the cliffhanger episode,
mirrored by Chet, in "Invitation to Love", being shot in the same place, while
Leo watches, bleeding.
Against this backdrop is another layer of duality, never directly addressed and
only hinted at. But the clues, while obscure, are numerous and consistent.
Recall the many references to the woods: logging trucks, wind-blown trees, the
Log Lady's log, the Book House Boys, the knotty pine decor at the Great
Northern, the economic lifeblood of the sawmill. These are generally positive
images. In contrst we have endless closeups of fireplaces. There's the mill
fire. The obscure message, "Fire, walk with me." The Log Lady said, "Fire is
the Devil, hiding like a coward in the smoke." Her husband was killed fighting
a fire. She also said, "Close your eyes and you'll burst into flames." James
said Laura told him of BOB, asking, "Do you want to play with fire?" The man
that lights Laura's fire. The town's key intersection, the pivot point of many
key events, is "Sparkwood and 21", dual symbology again.
The foundation of the community is wood, and fire a manifestation of things
which threaten that community. The central essence of the series, the murder of
Laura Palmer, brings her into focus as the centerpiece in the balance (or
struggle) between good and evil. Her double life was the direct result of good
and evil tearing her in half. She lived a constant juggling act, deperately
trying to maintain distance between the two. As long as she lived, the balance
was maintained. But as Jacoby said, she ultimately reached the decision to end
that life. The pressure must have been enormous. As Jacoby said earlier,
everytime she tried to do good, it turned bad; she corrupted everything around
her. She was forever tainted by her assigned role in life. And after her
death, the delicate balance was broken, leading to an onrush of tragedy,
culminating in the cliffhanger episode. The community is still in a violent
process of re-equalizing these twin forces.
We can further extrapolate this idea to postulate the identity of Killer BOB.
The Log Lady referred several times to the owls. The Giant said, "The owls are
not what they seem." No one has seen Killer BOB in real life, except for
perhaps Ronette; Cooper and Sarah, independently, saw him only in visions.
The idea of fire as a symbol of evil, the references to owls, and the other
spiritual allusions in the show, are all consistent with the notion that Killer
BOB is in fact the Devil himself, and that the killer, in the physical sense,
has yet to be identified. Whoever he was, he was merely an agent of the Devil.
The Devil slowly wore Laura Palmer down, until she could no longer fight. Now,
he's been set loose.
Special thanks go to the following people for contributing:
Nadir Ahmed, "Arachnid", David Barker-Plummer, Kenneth Bays,
J. James Belonis II, Linda Birmingham, Greg M. Brown, Darren T. Burton,
Jeff Calhoun, S. Clark, David Claytor, "Cool Bean", Eric Daniels, Palmer Davis,
Bill Downing, Raymond S. Flournoy, Rocky J. Giovinazzo, Bob Hettmansperger,
Ann Hodgins, David E. Hollingsworth, Kathleen Hunt, Rod Johnson, Scott Johnson,
Gary Kacmarcik, Malachi O. Kelerison, Marc Kriguer, John Locke,
Bradford H. Needham, Robert Russell, "Scratch", Jim Shaffer, Ron Sires,
Jeanne Stapleton, Kurt Svihla, Chris Tavares, Scott L. Vandenberg, Brain Wood,
and a special thank you to Paul B. Loux for the BIG list!
--
Jeff "Koganuts" Koga 1) "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan" by James Horner
The Film STUDies Master!!! >=P 2) "The 'Star Wars' Trilogy" by John Williams
Internet: 2027koga@ucsbuxa.ucsb.edu 3) Anything by Monty Python
Recommended CDs: 4) "Soundtrack to '^Twin Peaks^'" by Angelo Badalamenti
From: 2027koga@ucsbuxa.ucsb.edu (Jeff "Koganuts" Koga)
Newsgroups: alt.tv.twin-peaks
Subject: Symbols/Motifs in the "^Twin Peaks^" Universe (12/10/91)
Date: 11 Dec 91 07:38:18 GMT
Distribution: alt
I finally decided to update this list after six months!! Enjoy!!
--
Background: This list was first done as a tongue-in-cheek joke by yours truly,
but is now a "canonical" listing of the legitimate and not-so-legitimate
recurring imagery that occurs freqently in the "^Twin Peaks^" TV show.
Symbols/Motifs in the "^Twin Peaks^" Universe (12/10/91)
Compiled by Jeff "Koganuts" Koga
1. Sex, comedy, violence, and rock 'n roll music (what else could one want in
a TV show?) >=P
2. Rotating objects:
a. Ceiling fan in the Palmer home
b. Ticking record player in the Palmer home
c. Cherry pie in RR Diner
d. Ticking fan in the Hayward's attic
3. Traffic light
4. "Invitation to Love" soap opera
5. Waterfall outside The Great Northern Inn
6. Sprinkler on the Sheriff's Office ceiling
7. Birds:
a. Varied Thrush (from opening sequence)
b. Common Raven (when Agent Cooper, Sheriff Truman, Deputy Hawk, and Doctor
Hayward enter Jacque Renault's log cabin)
c. Pileated Woodpecker (Sheriff Truman sees one outside the Sheriff's
Office window--Episode 1005?)
d. Chickadee on a Dodge Dart
e. Waldo the minah bird
f. Great Horned Owls:
i. Owls
ii. Owl Cave
8. Psychic visions
9. Trees/forest/wood/timber:
a. Forest in/outside Twin Peaks
b. Large log mounted on a train car (1000 opening sequence)
c. Rolling logging truck
d. Log Lady's log
e. Book House Boys patch
f. Knob on drawer in The Great Northern Inn
10. Dead people:
a. Laura Palmer
b. Bernard/Jacque/Jean Renault
c. Emory Battis
d. Blackie O'Reilly
e. Harold Smith
f. Madeleine Ferguson
g. Leland Palmer
h. Douglas "Dougie" Milford
i. Eric Powell (dead drifter)
j. Jeffery Marsh
k. Malcolm Sloan
l. Jonathan Kumagai
m. Thomas Eckhardt
n. Josie Packard
o. Rusty Tomaski (heavy metal victim)
p. Andrew Packard
q. Pete Martell
r. Audrey Horne
s. Benjamin Horne
t. Windom Earle
Also:
a. Theresa Banks
b. The Log Lady's husband (see #15)
c. Nicholas "Nicky" Needleman's parents
d. Caroline Powell Earle
11. Phases of the moon
12. Glasses/sunglasses:
a. Doctor Jacoby
b. Benjamin Horne
c. Jerry Horne
d. The Log Lady
e. Madeleine Ferguson
f. Laura Palmer/Donna Hayward
g. Evelyn Marsh
h. Thomas Eckhardt
i. John Justice Wheeler
j. Dell the banker (2021 finale)
13. Cigarette/cigar smoking:
a. Benjamin Horne
b. Shelley/Leo Johnson
c. Bobby Briggs
d. Audrey Horne
e. Josie Packard
f. Donna Hayward
g. Evelyn Marsh
14. Fire:
a. The Log Lady's husband died in a forest fire
b. The hot, bright light that appears when BOB appears
c. "Fire, walk with me"--Mike and BOB
d. "Fire is the devil, hiding like a coward in the smoke"-The Log Lady
e. The scorched smell that Doctor Jacoby and Madeleine Ferguson both
smelled when BOB was around
f. Packard sawmill fire
g. The fire from the fireplace at the Great Northern lobby reflecting off
Thomas Eckhardt's sunglasses
h. Annie _Blackburn_
i. Petroglyph fire symbol
j. Juxtaposition of images of fire, an owl, and the hooded figure
15. Horses:
a. Laura Palmer's pony (Troy)
b. A white horse that was seen by Sarah Palmer right before BOB killed
Madeleine Ferguson
b. "General" Benjamin Horne's Civil War piece(s)
c. "General" Benjamin Horne's stuffed horse "Traveller"
16. Light and dark/White and black:
a. White/Black Lodge
b. Chess pieces (see #21)
17. Light fixtures/lightbulbs on the ceiling:
a. Sputtering light in the morgue of the Calhoun Memorial Hospital when
Agent Cooper Cooper inspects Laura Palmer's body
b. Sheriff's Office light when Eric Powell is found
c. Leo/Shelly Johnson's ceiling light when Leo awakens
18. Animal heads:
a. A chicken head (maybe a whole chicken) on "'Big' Ed's Gas Farm" sign
(see #33)
b. The mounted deer head in the Sheriff's Office with "The Buck Stopped
Here" sign
c. The deer head that's on the table when Sheriff Truman and Agent Cooper
bring in Laura Palmer's safety deposit box
d. The assortment of trophies in the den (?) in Pete/Catherine Martell's
home
e. The deer head next to Eric Powell
f. The cooked pig head that Josie serves as the main course in the dinner
to Catherine Martell and Thomas Eckhardt (see #35)
g. The mounted dear head in the Book House
h. The goat head that's visible when Andrew Packard opens the
puzzle box
19. Hank Jenning's domino
20. Chess/chess pieces:
a. Agent Cooper and Windham Earle's chess game
b. "Dr. Gerald Craig's" gift (black knight) to Dr. Hayward
c. Rusty Tomaski inside giant (black pawn) at the gazebo
21. Twins/opposites:
a. Agent Cooper/Windom Earle
b. Agent Cooper/Albert Rosenfield
c. Laura Palmer/Madeleine Ferguson
d. Bobby Briggs/James Hurley
e. Bernard/Jacque Renault
f. Mike/Bob:
i. Mike Nelson (Nadine Hurley's crush)/Bobby Briggs
ii. Phillip Michael Gerard (the OAM)/Bob Lydecker (vet)
iii. Mike (spirit inside OAM)/Killer BOB
g. The Giant/Little Man from Another Place
Also:
a. Laura Palmer/James Hurley's broken heart necklace halves
b. Jade/Emerald from "Invitation to Love" (see #24)
c. Laura Palmer's two diaries
d. The two Packard Sawmill ledgers
e. $10K cash bundles
f. Boots ([Spit] "New shoes.")
22. "Family trios" (warped versions on Daddy/Mommy/Child):
a. Bobby Briggs/Shelly Johnson/Leo Johnson
b. (Dick Tremayne/Andy)/Lucy Moran/Nicholas "Nicky" Needleman
c. "Big" Ed Hurley/Norma Jennings/Nadine Hurley
d. Bobby Briggs/Audrey Horne/Benjamin Horne
e. Malcolm/Evelyn Marsh/James Hurley
f. (Pete Martell/Andrew Packard/Thomas Eckhardt)/Catherine Martell/ Josie
Packard
23. The color brown
24. Lookalikes (characters who physically resemble each other):
a. Benjamin Horne/Leland Palmer
b. Audrey Horne/Donna Hayward
c. Laura Palmer/Madeleine Ferguson
d. Sarah Palmer/Sylvia Horne
Also
a. Jade/Emerald from "Invitation to Love"
25. Tattoos:
a. Phillip Michael Gerard (the OAM)
b. Major Brigg's neck
c. The Log Lady's leg
d. Windom Earle (in one scene as a trucker at the RR Diner)
26. Red curtains in various dreams/visions/places:
a. The Roadhouse stage
b. Agent Cooper's first dream sequence with the Little Man from Another
Place
c. Jacque Renault's log cabin
d. One Eyed Jacks
e. The Waiting Room (possibly the Black Lodge)
27. Furry animals:
a. The llama
b. Josie Packard's vicuua coat
c. The stuffed white fox in Benjamin Horne's office
d. The pine weasel
28. Picnics:
a. Laura Palmer/Donna Hayward/James Hurley
b. Donna Hayward/James Hurley
c. Audrey Horne/John Justice Wheeler
29. Items on shelves:
a. The Hurley home ("Big" Ed)
b. The Palmer's home (fireplace mantle)
c. The Great Northern
30. Alteregos/characters:
a. Madeleine Ferguson/Laura Palmer
b. Hester Prinn (sp?)/Audrey Horne
c. Cooper/Fred/"The Bank" (One Eyed Jack's)
d. "Big" Ed Hurley/Barney (One Eyed Jack's)
e. Leo/Bobby (he did an impression of him)
f. Mister Tojamura/Catherine Martell
g. Dennis/Denise Bryson/Drug dealer (Dead Dog Farm)
h. (Woody and name)/Andy Brennan and Dick Tremayne (when they were looking
for Nicholas "Nicky" Needleman's file)
i. Civil War characters/Benjamin Horne, Jerry Horne, Bobby Briggs, Audrey
Horne, and Doctor Jacoby
j. Mr. and Mrs. Inkman/Mike Nelson and Nadine Hurley
k. Dr. Gerald Craig/ Windom Earle
l. Edward Perkins/Windom Earle
m. The Log Lady/Windom Earle
31. Astrological symbols
32. Lumber trucks
33. Signs:
a. "Welcome to Twin Peaks"
b. "Twin Peaks Sheriff Station"
c. "Mar-T"/"RR Diner"
d. "The Great Northern"
e. "Twin Peaks High School"
f. "'Big' Ed's Gas Farm"
g. "The Road House"
h. "One-Eyed Jack's"
i. "Wallie's Hide-Out"
j. "The Book House"
k. The veternarian's sign
l. "The Bang Bang Bar"
34. Poetry:
a. Mike--"Fire, walk with me"/"His name is BOB"
b. BOB--"Fire, walk with me"/"I'll catch you in my death bag"
c. Shakespeare--"Shall I compare thee to..." (poetic lines from R&H)
d. Yeats--"Love comes in at the eye..."
e. Shelley--"See the mountains kiss high heaven
And the waves clasp one another
No sister flower would be forgiven
If it disdained its brother
And the sunlight clasps the earth
And the moonbeams kiss the sea
What is all this sweet work worth
If thou kiss not me?"
f. Pete Martell--(limerick/ode to Josie)
g. Benjamin Horne--Now is the winter of our discontent..." (when watching
home movies)
35. Food:
a. Donuts at the Twin Peaks Sheriff's Station
b. Cherry pie and coffee at the RR Diner
c. Benjamin Horne and carrots, cheese sandwiches, and milk and cookies
d. Elaborate pig dinner with Catherine Martell and Thomas Eckhardt (see
#18)
e. Horne dinner interrupted by Jerry (derivative of "Eraserhead"?)
f. Hayward dinners:
i. James Hurley and the Haywards
ii. The Palmers and the Haywards ("Get Happy")
iii. Just the Haywards ("Pass the peas, Donna.")
g. Diappearing cream corn
36. Skirts (almost all of the females in Twin Peaks and at least one male seem
to prefer them to pants)
37. Overlap of two faces:
a. Donna Hayward/Laura Palmer (Sarah Palmer's vision)
b. BOB/Owl (Agent Cooper's first dream sequence and BOB at Laura Palmer's
bed)
c. Windom Earle/Laura Palmer (possibly not really Laura) in the Black Lodge
d. Ronnette Pulaski in a hospital bed and Ronnette crossing the bridge
38. Couples in a room with red curtains:
a. Little Man From Another Place/Laura Palmer (Agent Cooper's first dream
sequence)
b. Mrs. Tremond/Grandson
c. Cooper/Caroline
d. Cooper/Annie Blackburn
39. Head wounds
And now, the BIG list:
There are some visual images and themes which don't seem to attract much
discussion. I thought I'd see if I could elicit some debate by throwing out a
few observations. So here goes...
40. Quick shots:
a. The tricky dissolve from the picture of Leo's truck, in _Flesh World_
magazine, to the actual truck (Episode 1000, 1005). This gave the
viewer a connection between Leo and Ronnette long before the lawmen.
b. The connection between the flashing flourescent lights in the morgue,
and the strobe light in the dream sequence (1000, 1002), and the
fiasco at the end of the Miss Twin Peaks contest (2021 finale)
c. The ceramic figurine at Big Ed's and Nadine's place, of a woman wearing
an eye patch (right eye) (1002, 1003).
d. The ceramic Twin Peaks train depot in the model train set in the window
of the Twin Peaks General Store (1001).
e. Maps and books on Tibet (1002, various subsequent).
f. The "Just Say NO to Ghostwood" poster in the Double-R Diner (with the
slash-through-the O bit) (1004, various subsequent).
g. The sappy arrangement of "Talk to the Animals", from "Dr. Doolittle",
playing on the Muzak in the Lydecker Veterinary Clinic (1004).
h. The nice cut from the discussion, at the Palmer's house, of the broken
heart necklace, to Emarald's necklace on "Invitation to Love".
i. The life-sized cardboard cutout of Emerald (or Jade?) next to the tray
of cosmetics at the perfume counter of Horne's Dept. Store, the day
Audrey went to work there; the "Invitation to Love" Collection (1004).
j. Cover your left eye whenever discussing One Eyed Jack's (1002, various
subsequent).
k. When Audrey is told to "Pick a card", by Blackie, she selects a Queen of
Diamonds; a much larger version of this same card is later sewn onto
her costume (the girls use the cards much like numbers on a football
jersey) (1007).
l. The chalkboard at the Double-R Diner proclaims the Soup of the Day. It
has portrayed such delicacies as Rabbit Chili, Split Pea and Lamb, and
other yummies (2004, various subsequent).
m. The cut from the close up on the neon sign in front of the Road House,
"The Bang Bang Bar", to Judge Sternwood's gavel, sounding "Bang Bang"
inside (2005).
n. The close up of this same neon sign, "The Bang Bang Bar", is reflected
upside down in a puddle, along with two rifle cartridges (2007).
o. The flashes of the police photographer's camera, at Harold Smith's
house, punctuating the discovery of key evidence by the lawmen (2007).
p. The similarity of the many handballs being dribbled in the lobby of the
Great Northern, and the many golfballs being pitched by Leland in his
living room (2007, 2008).
q. The highly effective use of the phonograph as a presage of Maddy's
killing by Leland (2007). It hadn't been since 1002, when Leland
played music, danced with Laura's portrait, and fought over it with
Sarah, breaking it and smearing his blood over her picture; then
there's the incident at the funeral...
r. The amazing similarity between the Dwarf, in the dream sequence, and
Leland, in the Great Northern lobby, when told of the arrest of Ben
Horne. He has his back to Cooper, holding a golf club in front of him
with both hands, shivering with tears/laughter, in a foyer run riot
with red drapes.
Many contributers have made note of various twin pairings in the series, but
little discussion has grown from the metaphor of left-sidedness. This assymetry
is the anitithesis of duality, or twin-ness. The left side is classically
(literally) _sinister_ and there are a multitude of references to this in the
show, mostly through characters bearing some deformity on the left side of their
body.
41. Left-sided references:
a. Nadine's eyepatch, over the left eye.
b. One Eyed Jack's (1002). The neon sign shows the right eye, it is
missing the left one; when discussing OEJ, the speaker covers his own
left eye in sympathy.
c. The One-Armed Man (seen earlier in 1000 than Cooper is). He is, of
course, missing the left arm.
d. The bandage on Big Ed's head, following his getting knocked out in 1000,
is on the left side.
e. Shelly's bruises, courtesy of Leo, on the left side (1002).
f. Letters under the left ring fingernail (1000, various subsequent).
g. Tattoos ("Fire--Walk With Me") on the left arm of the OAM and Killer BOB
(1002).
h. Leo shot in the left arm (1005).
i. Jacques Renault shot in the left arm (1007).
j. Tape concealed in heel of Leo's left boot (2007).
k. Cooper cut by left eye, by Jean Renault, lingering injury (2013, various
subsequent).
l. Leo stabbed in left leg (2014).
The series' central duality metaphor is richly portrayed through the constant
use of twinning symbols. I have collected a list of the more obvious ones.
41. Twins, opposites, or yin-yang pairs:
a. The two ledgers for the mill, maintained by Catherine.
b. Twin Peaks versus "Invitation to Love".
c. The two sets of $10,000 (one of which was held by Laura, the other half
had been paid to Leo).
d. The two brands of twine used to bind the victims, Laura and Ronette.
e. The two poker chips (one from Jacque's cabin, with the notch in Laura's
stomach, the one in Ben's pants pocket).
f. The two Queen of Diamonds playing cards, from Audrey's debut at One Eyed
Jack's (the one Audrey picked out of the deck offered by Blackie, and
the matching large one sewn onto her costume by the hunchbacked
seamstress).
g. The two diaries of Laura Palmer
h. The two safe deposit keys (Ben and Josie, holding blackmail evidence for
protection from each other (2006).
i. Dennis/Denise Bryson (2011).
j. Jade and Emerald, from ITL (1003, various subsequent).
k. Laura and Maddy versus Jade and Emerald (1003).
l. Laura's double life.
m. Josie's double life.
n. Audrey's double life (1000).
o. The White Lodge and the Black Lodge.
p. Iceland versus Twin Peaks (treeless tundra and verdent forests).
q. The broken-heart necklace.
r. Leo's and Andy's new shoes (bought from Gerard).
s. The beating of Chet by Montana (ITL) versus Leo beating Shelly.
t. The shooting of Montana by Chet (ITL) versus Shelly shooting Leo (redux
with Hank shooting Leo).
u. Hank's 3x3 domino.
v. Jacque' 3x3 pair of dice bow-tie dangles.
w. The two tapes used to blackmail Ben Horne (Bobby's copy of Leo's tape
from the riverside meeting, and Pete's tape of Catherine, back from
the dead) (2008).
x. Vivian and Ernie versus Norma and Hank (both wives to convicts but have
no idea just how dangerous they are).
y. Blue Pine Lodge versus Great Northern.
z. The two cabins (the Log Lady's and Jacque's).
aa. Pete's snake/mongoose trophy.
bb. Laura and Cooper having the same dream.
cc. The Dwarf and the Giant.
dd. The Double-R Diner.
ee. Characters with physical similarities:
i. Ben and Leland.
ii. Sarah and Sylvia.
iii. Audrey and Donna.
iv. James and Bobby.
v. Norma and Shelly (especially after the beauty parlor visit).
vi. Laura and Maddy (same actress).
vii. Jade and Emerald (each of these pairs having a same actress).
ff. Characters with opposing characteristics:
i. Doc Hayward and Major Briggs
ii. Hank and Big Ed.
iii. Cooper and Albert.
iv. Donna and Audrey.
v. Laura and Maddy.
vi. Laura and Laura.
vii. Laura and Donna.
viii. Mike (owl) and Killer BOB.
ix. Ben and Leland.
x. Bobby and James.
gg. Characters with similar characteristics, differing in intensity:
i. Leo and Hank.
ii. Mike and Bobby.
iii. Andy and Harry.
iv. Catherine and Ben.
v. Laura and Ronette.
vi. Laura and Josie.
vii. Donna and Harold Smith.
hh. Characters with other miscellaneous duality symbols:
i. Lucy and Gwen having babies.
ii. Lucy's baby having two potential fathers (Andy and Dick).
iii. Dennis/Denise Bryson
ii. Dopplegangers
i. Leland (2021 finale)
ii. Cooper (2021 finale)
These pairings symbolize twins of one kind or another in furtherance of the
central duality metaphor. In Leland Palmer, we have the kindly family man and
ethical, responsible businessman, in contrast to Ben Horne, the scheming,
double-dealing, faithless, amoral criminal. To futher reinforce their kinship,
their wives Sarah and Sylvia also share a physical resemblance. We have James
Hurley, the not-too-bright, unimaginative, well-meaning, leather-jacketed kid,
versus Bobby, the highly intelligent, ambitious, opportunistic, crooked,
sociopathic leather-jacketed kid. We have Norma, the confident, strong-willed,
unselfish, stoic yet world-weary woman, to Shelly's weak, dependent, clinging
insecurity--the self-made punching bag. Donna, the sweet, naive, girl next
door, and Audrey, the ambitious, calculating, manipulative seductress. Laura,
who was leading a double life, and hence, her own twin. Maddy, the child-like,
sheltered, simple, look-alike cousin, versus Laura's sophisticated life as a
woman.
There are also some twins in which the outward physical appearance is not
obvious. Big Ed versus Hank--strength applied to good or evil. Major Briggs,
the uptight authority figure; Doc Hayward, the laid-back authority figure. New
in this episode, The Giant contrasts with The Little Man from Another Place.
Also in tonight's episode, we get a clear image of Albert as Cooper's twin.
When Albert grimaces at the coffee in the hospital scene with Big Ed, it sends
the message: he doesn't even like the coffee.
Let's take inventory. Cooper tries to find the good in everyone he meets. He
derives pleasure from every sensory experience, particularly new experiences.
Coffee is his most singular vice. His investigative technique is positively
right-brained, holistic, inductive. Above all else, he cares. Albert, of
course, doesn't seem to like anybody he meets; most sensory input is likely to
be perceived negatively; new experience is an utter inconvenience. His
investigative technique is classic left-brained, analytic, deductive, factually
contrived. He doesn't seem to care at all about people, only whatever fits his
view of logic and theory.
These, of course, are all yin-yang pairings. There are also twins in the same-
same direction. Ben and Catherine, Leo and Hank, Harry and Andy. These twins
differ only in intensity. Another example, perhaps Josie and Laura (both seem
to have led a double life).
Recall that the principle of duality is also reinforced throughout the show by
such dopplegangers as "Invitation to Love", the soap within the soap, and the
characters Emerald and Jade; the vrey names, Twin Peaks and Double-R; the two
murders, linked by the letters of the alphabet; the two recent victims, Ronette
and Laura, one alive and one dead; the two cabins in the wood, Jacque's and the
Log Lady's, both of which led to important clues to the crime; the two sets of
books at the mill; the two poker chips; the Blue Pine Lodge versus the Great
Northern; the treeless expanse of Iceland versus the Douglas firs of Twin Peaks.
The antithesis of duality is asymmetry. So, we have the constant reinforcement
of charactes bearing some deformity on the left side: the One-Armed Man; Killer
BOB and Mike having tattoos on the left arm; the letters found under the left
ring fingernail of the victims; Nadine's eyepatch; Big Ed's bandage; Shelly's
bruises; Leo and Jacque each shot in the left arm. Jacoby wears bi-colored
glasses, Leo shot in the left side of the chest in the cliffhanger episode,
mirrored by Chet, in "Invitation to Love", being shot in the same place, while
Leo watches, bleeding.
Against this backdrop is another layer of duality, never directly addressed and
only hinted at. But the clues, while obscure, are numerous and consistent.
Recall the many references to the woods: logging trucks, wind-blown trees, the
Log Lady's log, the Book House Boys, the knotty pine decor at the Great
Northern, the economic lifeblood of the sawmill. These are generally positive
images. In contrst we have endless closeups of fireplaces. There's the mill
fire. The obscure message, "Fire, walk with me." The Log Lady said, "Fire is
the Devil, hiding like a coward in the smoke." Her husband was killed fighting
a fire. She also said, "Close your eyes and you'll burst into flames." James
said Laura told him of BOB, asking, "Do you want to play with fire?" The man
that lights Laura's fire. The town's key intersection, the pivot point of many
key events, is "Sparkwood and 21", dual symbology again.
The foundation of the community is wood, and fire a manifestation of things
which threaten that community. The central essence of the series, the murder of
Laura Palmer, brings her into focus as the centerpiece in the balance (or
struggle) between good and evil. Her double life was the direct result of good
and evil tearing her in half. She lived a constant juggling act, deperately
trying to maintain distance between the two. As long as she lived, the balance
was maintained. But as Jacoby said, she ultimately reached the decision to end
that life. The pressure must have been enormous. As Jacoby said earlier,
everytime she tried to do good, it turned bad; she corrupted everything around
her. She was forever tainted by her assigned role in life. And after her
death, the delicate balance was broken, leading to an onrush of tragedy,
culminating in the cliffhanger episode. The community is still in a violent
process of re-equalizing these twin forces.
We can further extrapolate this idea to postulate the identity of Killer BOB.
The Log Lady referred several times to the owls. The Giant said, "The owls are
not what they seem." No one has seen Killer BOB in real life, except for
perhaps Ronette; Cooper and Sarah, independently, saw him only in visions.
The idea of fire as a symbol of evil, the references to owls, and the other
spiritual allusions in the show, are all consistent with the notion that Killer
BOB is in fact the Devil himself, and that the killer, in the physical sense,
has yet to be identified. Whoever he was, he was merely an agent of the Devil.
The Devil slowly wore Laura Palmer down, until she could no longer fight. Now,
he's been set loose.
Special thanks go to the following people for contributing:
Nadir Ahmed, "Arachnid", David Barker-Plummer, Kenneth Bays,
J. James Belonis II, Linda Birmingham, Greg M. Brown, Darren T. Burton,
Jeff Calhoun, S. Clark, David Claytor, "Cool Bean", Eric Daniels, Palmer Davis,
Bill Downing, Raymond S. Flournoy, Rocky J. Giovinazzo, Bob Hettmansperger,
Ann Hodgins, David E. Hollingsworth, Kathleen Hunt, Rod Johnson, Scott Johnson,
Gary Kacmarcik, Malachi O. Kelerison, Marc Kriguer, John Locke,
Bradford H. Needham, Robert Russell, "Scratch", Jim Shaffer, Ron Sires,
Jeanne Stapleton, Kurt Svihla, Chris Tavares, Scott L. Vandenberg, Brain Wood,
and a special thank you to Paul B. Loux for the BIG list!
--
Jeff "Koganuts" Koga 1) "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan" by James Horner
The Film STUDies Master!!! >=P 2) "The 'Star Wars' Trilogy" by John Williams
Internet: 2027koga@ucsbuxa.ucsb.edu 3) Anything by Monty Python
Recommended CDs: 4) "Soundtrack to '^Twin Peaks^'" by Angelo Badalamenti
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