From: maas@milton.u.washington.edu (maas)
Subject: My thoughts
Summary: Just my thoughts on the spirits of Twin Peaks
Keywords: OAM, BOB, Mike, ring
Organization: University of Washington
Date: Sun, 30 Aug 1992 21:40:11 GMT

These is just my opinions, maybe I haven't read enough here to get the
"official" story straight.  I'd appreciated some feedback though.

1: Reflections (via mirrors) and shadows abound.  My guess is that everyone
   checking into the Lodge forms a "reflection": the shadow-self in the Black
   Lodge.  Stretching things a bit:  The "magician" may have entered into the
   Lodge, split into BOB and Mike; each a shadow of the other.  In Cooper's
   original dream, (1002) Mike mentions seeing the face of God, and looks
   rather priestly.  Could this be a "Christian" (as opposed to demon from mars
   or indian native)  being?  Meaning the "magician" entered after Washington
   was "settled" by the eastern Americans, or sometime in the future.

   The catch is that only the shadow or the real person can *leave* the Lodge.
   I'm willing to bet, though, that the remaining person can act through the
   Lodge. (See #3)

   Most posts seem to have the concensus that everyone shadow is already there,
   just waiting.

2: The "ring" motif.  The ring of fire, the ring that acts like a beacon to
   BOB, and Cooper's ring that the Giant borrows all seem related to the theory
   (posted here by numerous others) our world and the shadow (or Lodge running
   backwards in time) are caught up in a time loop.

   However,  the loop is constantly altering: the past changes the future,
   which affects the past, etc.  And anyone in the Lodge can controll the
   time loop (BOB rolled it back in the 2nd season finale to take WE's soul;
   earlier Cooper's coffee became viscous).

   (A strange question:  how does this looping ripple out into our world?)

3: Possessions are possible through the Lodge, it just takes skill and timing.
   BOB is extremely skilled (by way of experience?), but Windom Earle had the
   benefit of the Astrological (planetary) conjunction.

   I've noticed that all of the spirits act on objects and people through a
   person.  The exceptions being that they can project an image (BOB to his
   victims, the Giant to Cooper, etc), and that certain items can be removed
   (Cooper's ring).

4: I'm almost certain that the "spirits" can take on any form that they choose,
   but are limited by that form.  The Arm can appear as the Giant, MFAP (dwarf),
   or the Waiter,  but is extremely limited in what he can say and do in each
   form.

   Mike appears to have chosen the image of the body he works through (the boot
   salesman).  BOB, however,  has a private image "shown only to the gifted or
   the damned" (Mike, but I forgot which episode).

5: It seems to me that the "spirits" BOB and Mike are *brothers* or
   doppelgangers and BOB fathered Laura (through Leland?)
   In episode 1002: the MFAP says (nodding at Laura) "she is my cousin"

   This may explain why Laura is still hanging around the Lodge, but not Maddy.
   (Leland because he's been there ever since BOB brought him there).

6: Just read one of the posts saying that evil requires "cooperation".  Any one
   else notice that this looks a lot like the name "Cooper"?

7: Why did a robed figure (druid?) take Major Briggs into the Lodge?  I've no
   clue.  But the robed figure reminded me a lot of Mr. Death, the Grim Reaper.
   Could this be one of the Riders of the Apocalypse?  My meaning here is to
   imply that this "battle" between the Lodge doppelgangers ("good" & "evil")
   could be Lynch/Frost's Apocalypse.  (According to one of my friends, the
   prophesised date is 2014 AD; approximately 25 years after Cooper enters the
   Lodge ---> the next Conjunction?!)  

   The Time Loop plotline could happily explain all those prophets.

RMaas
maas@u.washington.edu

I should never have re-watched all those TP tapes................