With only two episodes remaining, Twin Peaks heads toward its conclusion by waking up an important character and revealing that another may still be asleep. Tulpas and secrets emerge while a bloody and funny shootout offers a few moments of levity. But there are many questions left unanswered and puzzles left unsolved. Luckily, someone has entered the frame to unravel that which remains.
The Case
Bad Cooper and Richard Horne made their way to the coordinates Bad Coop’s been looking for since the beginning. But this was no heart-warming father/son trip. Although, I guess its possible they talked about things on the ride over. That would explain why Richard trusted Bad Coop enough to walk up the hill and climb the rock.
But the whole thing was a booby trap and we bid a not-so-fond farewell to Richard. Bad Coop admitted he was his father, but too little too late for that guy. Also, let’s not forget that Richard ran over the boy with Billy’s truck. Oblivion may have been too good an end for him.
Meanwhile in Vegas, Agent Dale B. Cooper finally woke up. Even Mike in the Another Place — notice how the show has avoided the concept of the Lodges entirely — had to breath a sigh of relief. Oh, and what a relief. He immediately sprang to life, setting Mike to creating a new Dougie, giving Bushnell the message for Gordon and using the Mitchum brother’s resources to get him to Twin Peaks. Man, it’s good to see Coop again.
At the same time, I was surprised by how touching his goodbye to Janey-E and Sonny Jim ended up being. There was always a part of Cooper which longed for something traditional and domestic. He hoped for a life like the one Dougie bumbled into. And I’m glad the show had enough time to reflect upon that. Hopefully the replacement Dougie will be a good man for the Joneses.
Also, Hutch and Chantal got the final scene they deserved.
The Updates
Audrey is in a coma. Or in a sanitarium. Or in Another Place. She finally arrived at the Road House in her attempt to find Billy. The Road House even acknowledged her presence by playing “Audrey’s Dance.” For a moment, she was that girl in the RR again. But a quick bar fight had Audrey return to her tentative, frightened state and we got a glimpse of her in a white room confronting a mirror.
So, let’s assume she’s in a coma. A twenty-five year coma means a lot of atrophy. The white room shot was composed with her standing, something she would not be able for many years after waking up from the coma, if at all. I know Twin Peaks plays fast and loose with things like that, but to miraculously walk away from a quarter-century of sleep requires magic.
Of course, I’m prepared to admit I’m wrong if we see her next week at the hospital with a phalanx of doctors stunned by her recovery. Which would echo Cooper waking up and tie them together once more.
Also, there is the possibility that the white room is also part of her dream state.
The Questions
- If Audrey was in a coma all this time, how does she know about Billy and Tina? Did the forces of the black & white Other Place fashion a reality to impart a message about Billy to her?
- Was Richard Horne part of the “Richard and Linda” the Fireman told Cooper about back in Part 1? If so, will Linda be required at the other set of coordinates Bad Coop is headed to?
- How does Cooper’s connection to Another Place work? He and Mike could pass items freely between one another without the need of a vortex. Does that mean Cooper is a vortex himself?
- How did Jerry get to the field? Based on the location Diane gave Bad Coop, it’s somewhere near Twin Peaks, but would three days of walking bring Jerry to that location? Also, is Jerry aware that he saw his nephew die?
- How did Randall Headley ever end up running the Las Vegas Bureau office?
- Are we on Day 6 or Day 7?
Not about Judy
Oh boy. So Diane was a tulpa all along. Well, not all along. As she revealed to Gordon, Bad Coop visited the real Diane Evans, raped her and took her to the Convenience Store to be replaced by a tulpa he could control. Which is just utterly repugnant, but also indicative of the way Twin Peaks treats women. I know Bad Cooper is meant to be evil and the core of the series is about the ugliness of rape, but there is a cavalier attitude to it sometimes. Which is something that should be noted; particularly when this season is complete and we have a whole story to examine.
But back in the episode, Bad Coop’s plan to use the Diane tulpa to kill Gordon, Albert and Tammy failed. It hearkens back to the story Albert told Tammy about the Blue Rose; right down to Diane saying “I’m not me.” It was a thrilling moment with one of the craziest vanishing acts witnessed on television. It also suggests the nature of these tulpas is not absolute. Which makes you wonder how much of the Diane we saw was the real Diane. In fact, you also have to wonder where she is.
Also, now that we know tulpas are made with the golden Phantasm balls — or “seeds” — I can’t help but think of the tulpa seed in Buenos Aires. It has to come back into play.
Hearts of Gold
Having Cooper back in the world is such a joy. Not just because it gets us closer to a resolution, but because of the way he views the world. His praise of Bushnell, his love for the Joneses, and even the way he regards the Mitchum brothers is so unlike so many television heroes. He was always odd. Recall how he came into Twin Peaks with equal amounts of authority and boyish wonder for the trees. But part of that oddness was a freedom of expression. He told people about their finer qualities and championed the better parts of those he encountered.
And now we find him in a limo with mobsters headed for a private jet, assuring the mobsters his friendship will cleanse them of certain sins. He even managed to get Candie to say something with confidence. That’s the Dale Cooper we know and love and it is sad that we’ll only get to see him again for two more hours.
What do you think? Did the show hold him back for too long? Add your thoughts in the comments below.
