The first “new” scene of the new Twin Peaks starts in black and white, with the Giant (though credited as ??????) once again giving Cooper three clues: “Remember four-three-zero (430). Richard and Linda. Two birds with one stone.” And Cooper says he understands. Wow, must be nice.
But it’s not all chaos and confusion. In fact, some have said this is the most concrete, rules-based version of the Red Room that we have ever seen. The kind of world where we can apply a little bit of analysis and actually come up with some theories and predictions. Today, we’re going to review some of the best analysis, theories and predictions based on the first 2 “parts” of Season 3. (We’ll cover parts 3 and 4 in next week’s article.) There is much to cover. This is not a recap article though, so I’m not going to even try to go in any particular order. But let’s start with that first black and white scene.
Why are we in black and white? When the Giant gave Cooper his clues and warnings in the real world, time stood still and the lighting changed. Perhaps this is just how that effect manifests in the lodge world. But Cooper here seems more with it than when we see him elsewhere in this episode, and he understands. Maybe he just means he got the message and understands that they are clues he will encounter along his journey. Maybe he’s learned something in the intervening years. Or maybe this isn’t even our Cooper.
Speaking of not our Cooper, we definitely start out here with *two* Coopers in this new season. We’re going to call them Good Cooper and Bad Cooper. I believe this confirms the theory that Good Cooper, our Cooper from Seasons 1&2, is, as Annie told Laura in the “missing pieces”, trapped in the Black Lodge. He was trapped so that his doppelganger, the Bad Cooper, could escape into the real world. Apparently, per the newly introduced rules of the lodges, only one can be out in the world at a time, the “real” you or the doppelganger you. And the doppelganger was given 25 years, to the day, to be out and about. The lodge denizens, the One-Armed Man and The Evolution Of The Arm, prepare Good Cooper to go back out into the real world and swap back. Bad Cooper, however, has made other arrangements.
If there truly is a larger good vs evil battle going on in the background here, as implied by Frost’s book with the Masons vs Illuminati, then perhaps the anonymous millionaire who sponsored the NYC glass box project is part of one faction (good or bad though?) and Tracie truly is the spy she appears to be. Come on, we all got that vibe. Hard to ignore, and I think this is why that implication was thrown in (though this was apparently a throwaway character).
Another theory is that this anonymous billionaire is also the one who ponied up the half-mil to get Ray and Daria to turn on Bad Cooper. Nothing really to substantiate that other than perhaps the dollar figures involved.
As for the identity of the billionaire, many theories abound, but with little to no substance. My theory? If this season is to involve time travel, as many surmise it will, it isn’t hard for anyone to become a billionaire given sufficient knowledge of what implanted and technologies to invest in for 25 years (or more). It could virtually be anyone.
As for the shadowy creature in the box, my thoughts immediately went to the “alien” that Nixon showed Dougie and Jackie Gleason. This visual seems to match what was described in the book. I like this theory, but what are the implications?
FYI, Jerry says he tripled the family fortune. Ben only doubled the family fortune back in his heyday (through real estate, one presumes), as told through the trading cards. Nice callback / brotherly one-upmanship that I imagine most folks missed.
I’ll take a moment to acknowledge that there are all kinds of fan analysis and theories about nods to many, if not all, of Lynch’s previous films. (And Gilmore Girls even?) I’m admittedly not a big Lynch movie buff, so I can’t speak to them all. Duly acknowledged, but I don’t think they are relevant to this discussion. Feel free to correct if there are any of particular import that I ought to consider.
The principal gave his assistant, aka secretary, a ride home the night he killed Ruth. This would be the same secretary that Ray was supposed to get the coordinates from for Bad Cooper. Coordinates where perhaps he is going to send Chantel and her husband in a few days. Probably not related to his machinations towards Good Cooper, as this will be past the 25 years later swap day. This is a bigger coinciding plot developing.
After Phyllis leaves the principle says “oh my God, oh my God” as if he was just given back his memories, in the same manner that Leland was after Bob left him. When Bad Cooper confronts her, he says she follows human nature perfectly, and when he shoots her, there’s a weird glitch. I think, and this is my own theory again, that Phyllis was possessed, maybe by BOB, maybe just some other lodge spirit (maybe that ghostly man in the jail cell?). That spirit hopped into Bill Hastings for a little bit of mischief, bit is now back with Phyllis, at least until she has a hole blown through her head.
See, I do not believe Bad Cooper and BOB are or ever were one and the same. BOB tagged along when Bad Cooper left the Black Lodge, but he is not possessing Bad Cooper. Maybe he’s being Bad Cooper’s familiar because I definitely think that Bad Cooper is a magician, but will get into that more next week.
Laura walks over and kisses/whispers to Good Cooper in response to his question “when can I go”. What she whispers makes him say “huh” out loud. And then right after that, she is forcibly torn from the Red Room (my interpretation anyway). It wasn’t pleasant, whatever it was that happened to her. It seems like she was ripped out of the lodge, probably by the Arm’s doppelganger, for helping Good Cooper. On his way out, Good Cooper runs into Leland, who pleads with Cooper to “find Laura”. Does this imply she is back in the real world? Hmm.
In the recording (on the “bad” tape recorder, how awesome was that), Ray told Darya that he got another call from Jeffries, and she was going to have to carry out the hit on Bad Cooper. But then later, after playing back that recording, Bad Cooper asks her who paid her and Ray to carry out the hit on him. Why did “they” want him dead? How much were “they” going to pay? “They” are not Jeffries, which would seem the obvious answer. He finds this development “interesting” and says “the game begins”. Again, we’re playing at a big picture confrontation here. Bad Cooper is dealing with at least two factions even within the “bad guys”, the Darya, Ray and Jack crowd, and the Chantal and her husband crowd.
And then, after killing Darya, he contacts who? Why his good pal Philip Jeffreys, of course. Well, the wires get crossed somehow and he gets someone else. Someone who says he knows Bad Cooper met Garland Briggs (though sounding like it was yesterday that happened, not 25 years ago – is this entity outside time perhaps?), which apparently is something Jeffries would not know because it tips off Bad Cooper that he’s talking to someone else. Someone else who is looking forward to being with BOB again once Bad Cooper is out of the way.
So wow, that’s quite a bit to absorb. Again, big battle is brewing. The forces of good and evil lining up against each other. Maybe. Or maybe evil #1 against evil #2, more likely. Could Good Cooper end up having to help Bad Cooper in the end, to defeat an even greater evil? Bad Cooper is a problem for someone else’s plans apparently.
My theory is that the battle brewing is between magicians, maybe more than just two. I think there is past evidence that says The Arm is a magician, the One-Armed Man once was one, but gave it up. And I think Bad Cooper is a magician too (and Good Cooper could be one, if taught). As in “..the magician longs to see..”. These are people who know about the Black Lodge. Know about Bad Cooper’s 25-year expiration date. And build glass boxes to catch non-exist-ant entities.
One more theory, and this one is maybe a bit crackpot, but I’ll put it out there because it’s solely mine, so far as I know. Madchen Amick is credited as just “Shelly” at the end of the episode. We now know she has a daughter, so she’s (most likely) married – but it’s being left a mystery for the time being. I’m going to plant my flag on this theory. That weird, out of place “it’s a world of truck drivers” line was a hint that Twin Peaks own favorite truck driver, one Mr. Leo Johnson, is going to be returning after all, and Shelly will still be married to him! Ok, maybe that’s crazy, but I think Leo could have been redeemed after his encounter with Windom Earle. He was trying to protect her in the end, he’s not all bad. That’s my theory anyway, we’ll see how it pans out.
As always, please reply below with your comments and corrections, or give me your own well thought out theory. You can catch me on various Facebook groups, such as “Twin Peaks (2017)” and our own “25 Years Later” page. Or email me direct at catnapspirit@gmail.com. See ya next week…