Part 7 - There's a body all right (SPOILERS)

[The Grey Lodge]

All thematic and narrative signs point to BadCoop having raped Diane and it was pretty blatant as far as I'm concerned. For BadCoop to have violated someone so close to Cooper is shocking to us as fans because while "Diane" was nothing more than a name the original run, she was as much of a character as anyone else because she functioned as Cooper's confidante. Having BadCoop destroy that relationship shows that Lynch & Frost have no scared cows and aren't holding back. BadCoop isn't portrayed as some bully going around doing mean things; this is a truly malevolent being. For as horrible as 'The Return' has been in my eyes, this is one area where Lynch/Frost have knocked it out of the park. It's bold and I respect their choice.

Now, as for that ridiculously long sweeping scene...

[beyondthesea]

Also, earlier on in the episode she seemed to want to clarify that it was a federal prison Coop was in. It suggested to me that she may have initially been worried about seeing him in insecure surroundings.

She was as nervous as fuck. She was sweating like Diane Abbot on Countdown. That suggests to me that something terrifying happened to her at his hands, and not a break-up.

[thedarktrees]

I think the question of what happened between Coop and Diane will be a really interesting to see revealed as the show moves on. For me, it’s still not even clear whether this last encounter happened before (i.e., with normal Coop, say before he even wen to Twin Peaks), or after (i.e., DoppelCoop, perhaps involving an assault).

Diane is clearly deeply afraid of Coop (with Laura Dern portrays so, so effectively). Is that because of a violent encounter with DoppelCoop and then has something to do with her major hate for the FBI, maybe for not protecting her?

Or maybe she’s pissed at Cole and the FBI for putting Coop in this case/situation that obviously has done this to him. She obviously knows something about Blue Rose cases, and maybe she’s angry about Coop getting involved in those.

The other interesting thing this raises is the question about what extent DoppelCoop went around masquerading as normal Coop. This still hasn’t been well established. But it seems mostly like DoppelCoop went off the grid and did his own thing. I think the story would be much different if DoppelCoop had gone around acting as real Coop.

[Ragnell]

I could buy either way on Diane. I did read it as something seriously traumatic, but I think merely encountering DoppelCoop has been established as a traumatic experience for people who knew Cooper, on a spiritual level. The better you knew him, the more traumatic it was. It's possible that the last time she physically saw Cooper was before Twin Peaks, but afterwards Doppelcoop contacted her via phone and she could tell the voice and attitude weren't right. She is shaken, I could believe sexual assault but the way this has been played I could believe a lesser encounter could have done this. (The line about "that night" honestly isn't clear either way.) This Being has been played up as terrifying enough that either would be believable.

What I read differently about Diane is the attitude. From Albert and Gordon's interactions with her, I think she ALWAYS had an F-You attitude. Gordon sent Albert to see her. Gordon was reluctant to see her alone. When they DID see her, they weren't significantly uneasy about the rudeness, they seemed to understand and at times even be amused by it. Look at their faces every time she uses profanity, they SMILE. I read one review which took Gordon's visit as a rejection of her expressed wishes, but I took it to mean she always acted like that around him. "Tough Cookie. Always was." I think what changed was her attitude about Cooper, and her willingness to work with them.

The whole thing with Diane and the FBI agents seemed echoed by Janey-E and the police. Men who aren't accustomed to being told off being a little shy around a woman who will be direct and authoritative with them.

Dale Cooper has a way with people. That's one of the things that's inverted with the Doppelganger. While the Doppelganger has an intimidation factor and makes everyone disturbed and uneasy at his presence, Cooper made people feel COMFORTABLE. He praises them, he smiles at them, he builds trust. I keep thinking back to that "strong sender" line. Dale's empathy seems to work both ways, he gets people to understand and help him even when he is somehow being the weirdest person in Twin Peaks. More and more I think that's because he's a gifted psychic, then the Doppelganger has that power too in the opposite direction. Which is a major asset, even though it means he can't effectively impersonate the real Dale.

And really, if Dale is subconsciously affecting those around him and has all his life... then that explains why no one seems to notice Dougie is especially impaired, and everyone seems to help him get around. Because Dale doesn't want to see a doctor or a psychologist and get to the root of his problem, even though that's what he needs. Dale probably thinks he's on some dream level of the Lodge still, and is trying to get enough information to figure out what he's seeing and adjust to this new reality.

[Cappy]

I wonder if the unspeakable act that transpired between Diane and Cooper will have to do with the tape recordings that he always sent her. Although there are some insinuations of an assault taking place, he could've also recorded a tape for that included some sort of Lynchian industrial noise from the Lodge that wounded her spiritually / emotionally. Or maybe he played an audio recording of Diane being assaulted for Diane, kind of like in Lost Highway where Bill Pullman sees himself on the tv...?

It would just be nice if they could incorporate the audio tape recording aspect of their relationship. The idea of them sending these recordings to each other implies a deep intimacy and friendship that is really unique, and it'd be nice if Lynch/Frost emphasized that.

[Cappy]

I think the question of what happened between Coop and Diane will be a really interesting to see revealed as the show moves on. For me, it’s still not even clear whether this last encounter happened before (i.e., with normal Coop, say before he even wen to Twin Peaks), or after (i.e., DoppelCoop, perhaps involving an assault).

Yeah, that is something I am wondering as well. I feel like Diane knows Coop well enough to have spotted DoppelCoop on this night where the act transpired. So perhaps something went wrong before he arrived in Twin Peaks...

We saw how Cooper shied away from intimacy with Audrey, and also his anxieties about intimacy following Carolina Earl's death. It's possible that he rejected Diane's advances for a similar reason at some point, and this created a falling out for their friendship.

Although I doubt that Diane would have held a grudge about something like this for 25 years. Unless maybe Cooper ghosted her, and only interacted with her via his 'Diane' tapes... What we always thought of as being a quirky and fun facet of his personality would in fact be a cold, callous thing.

[SpookySculder]

Reading through some of the posts I don't think BadCooper assaulted Diane. As a matter of fact I don't think they ever came into contact. Just my initial reaction to the scene but Diane is clearly aware that he isn't Cooper. She knows it. The man in front of her has no soul. There is nothing in his eyes but cold darkness. It's not human. She is angry Cooper disappeared and left her, angry at the FBI for not finding him and now she's just scared out of her mind at what she just witnessed.

The idea of BadCoop assaulting Audrey is plausible but oh how I hope not. Poor little Audrey with all the love and trust she had in Cooper. I dont think my heart could take that knowledge.

[Hester Prynne]

I can't take credit for this but this is before and after still photos of when the guy came in asking for either Bing or Billy...

Spoiler:

Done to show passing of time? or is it something else...

I think this is onto something. I never in a million years would have noticed that, but if you keep watching, at the very very end of the credits, a customer gets up from the booth on the far left with a girl. They move to the door, and he turns to face the camera...

Isn't that Bing again?

It's interesting that the tension music (forget what it's called, it's from Season 2, I think) fades in before this happens.

What's the big round thing close to the cake dish on the counter? In one scene it's white. In the other it's red.

[Leebob]

All thematic and narrative signs point to BadCoop having raped Diane and it was pretty blatant as far as I'm concerned. ...

I am perhaps being naïve, but I did not read this the same and am a bit taken aback by how many folks are quick to draw a conclusion of rape/assault. I am equally taken aback by those concluding that BadCoop raped a comatose Audrey...

My initial reaction re: the last meeting of Diane and (the real) Agent Cooper was that perhaps Diane bared her soul and professed her true feelings of love for Dale and "threw herself at him" and Dale (ever the professional) declined the offer. In that scenario, the current day Diane would look back on it as a humiliating experience and the current day Cooper would be highly unlikely to state coldly that "he remembers it well".

[Ross]

I absolutely love the hallway scene with the charcoal specter. I mean, it's kind of a trope, but I don't remember it ever being done as effectively as this. Part of it was the buildup from the character appearing mysteriously in part 2. But even though it appeared only fleetingly, I bet almost the entire audience who has been with the show since then recognized it when all you could see was an unfocused blob that could have been anything. And it doesn't become any less effective when the figure comes into focus confirming that it is what we thought it was.

It's interesting that Lt. Knox sees the figure, but it doesn't strike her as particularly odd. She seems more concerned about ending her classified conversation because she realizes she's not alone. Also interesting is the fact that the character is uncredited. This is probably a stretch but I wonder if crediting the actor playing it would give something away. It could also be that they don't want to name it (although they already credited Carel Struycken as ???). Either way it wouldn't surprise me if there is something significant about the fact that the character is uncredited.

Some details about the actor (following his briefer appearance in episode 2) here: http://www.davidlynch.it/twin-peaks-who ... n-in-jail/

People on Twitter have said the charcoal figure in this episode is not the same figure and is played by a different actor. True?

[Ross]

Unfortunately SkyTicket took a day longer to put up the episode, so I just watched it now.

I
.) Tammy Preston is nice, wonder why so many people hate her - just because she's gorgeous? Y'know, there are gorgeous AND intelligent women out there.
.)

Why is anyone trying to make Tammy/Chrysta happen? Her acting is wooden and bad and not in the she-was-directed-by-David-Lynch-to-act-that-way kind of way. Sorry she is just plain terrible and distracting in every scene.

I'm not a big fan so far. But I especially find it odd how they keep trying to say how beautiful she is. Is she? I mean she's not un-attractive, but there have been so many beautiful women on TP.

[sneakydave]

I absolutely love the hallway scene with the charcoal specter. I mean, it's kind of a trope, but I don't remember it ever being done as effectively as this. Part of it was the buildup from the character appearing mysteriously in part 2. But even though it appeared only fleetingly, I bet almost the entire audience who has been with the show since then recognized it when all you could see was an unfocused blob that could have been anything. And it doesn't become any less effective when the figure comes into focus confirming that it is what we thought it was.

It's interesting that Lt. Knox sees the figure, but it doesn't strike her as particularly odd. She seems more concerned about ending her classified conversation because she realizes she's not alone. Also interesting is the fact that the character is uncredited. This is probably a stretch but I wonder if crediting the actor playing it would give something away. It could also be that they don't want to name it (although they already credited Carel Struycken as ???). Either way it wouldn't surprise me if there is something significant about the fact that the character is uncredited.

Some details about the actor (following his briefer appearance in episode 2) here: http://www.davidlynch.it/twin-peaks-who ... n-in-jail/

People on Twitter have said the charcoal figure in this episode is not the same figure and is played by a different actor. True?

True. I've seen screengrabs of a conversation that the actor from the opening episodes had with a friend on Facebook. He said he can't take credit for someone else's work and that no, that wasn't him.

[yaxomoxay]

I can't take credit for this but this is before and after still photos of when the guy came in asking for either Bing or Billy...

Spoiler:

Done to show passing of time? or is it something else...

I think this is onto something. I never in a million years would have noticed that, but if you keep watching, at the very very end of the credits, a customer gets up from the booth on the far left with a girl. They move to the door, and he turns to face the camera...

Isn't that Bing again?

It's interesting that the tension music (forget what it's called, it's from Season 2, I think) fades in before this happens.

What's the big round thing close to the cake dish on the counter? In one scene it's white. In the other it's red.

Good eye! This is like a Spot the Differences game


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[Ross]

All thematic and narrative signs point to BadCoop having raped Diane and it was pretty blatant as far as I'm concerned. ...

I am perhaps being naïve, but I did not read this the same and am a bit taken aback by how many folks are quick to draw a conclusion of rape/assault. I am equally taken aback by those concluding that BadCoop raped a comatose Audrey...

My initial reaction re: the last meeting of Diane and (the real) Agent Cooper was that perhaps Diane bared her soul and professed her true feelings of love for Dale and "threw herself at him" and Dale (ever the professional) declined the offer. In that scenario, the current day Diane would look back on it as a humiliating experience and the current day Cooper would be highly unlikely to state coldly that "he remembers it well".

Except there is no reason to believe Coop and Diane weren't on anything but very friendly terms during his month in Twin Peaks.

[Ross]

Some details about the actor (following his briefer appearance in episode 2) here: http://www.davidlynch.it/twin-peaks-who ... n-in-jail/

People on Twitter have said the charcoal figure in this episode is not the same figure and is played by a different actor. True?

True. I've seen screengrabs of a conversation that the actor from the opening episodes had with a friend on Facebook. He said he can't take credit for someone else's work and that no, that wasn't him.

Interesting. I wonder if its supposed to be the same figure?