Remember the Tooth!
Spoilers.
I don't know that I've ever fully articulated my theory about the ending of Twin Peaks. It is always interesting to map disconnected works: I've often said that the second season of Twin Peaks is required as exegesis on the first season, but the film, being a thing apart, shows the elements that stick across media. On to the theory! In a nutshell: I agree with the theories involving time travel. Not in any way as bald or crude as most time travel stories, but I think the evidence is overwhelming in that regard. An old Dale Cooper in the first dream. The backwards talking-- though that is also just a great short-hand for The Uncanny. The scene with Agent Cooper & the cup of coffee-- solid, then coffee, then tar, all while the Man from Another Place rubs his hands, implying agency. Then, ultimately, in Fire Walk With Me, Annie being with Laura Palmer, Laura dreaming about Agent Cooper telling her not to take the ring, & the final scene with Laura, The Blue Angel & Dale Cooper. A certain sense of non-sequential temporal shenanigans is at work, clearly. So, that is the first component of my theory. The second piece is the Blue Angel.
She makes me think of a couple of things-- was Lynch working out some serious religious issues, or something? More importantly, isn't this clearly an inhabitant of the White Lodge? I mean-- I'm personally a proponent of the view of angels as monstrous, as wheels of light & snakes with wings & many faces, of flaming swords, pillars of salt & of babies strangled in cradles. Supernatural forces that have to start their conversations with "fear not," lest certain poor shepherds loose their marbles entirely. That is beside the point-- we see the angel in Fire Walk With Me as a spiritual intercessor, as a cinematic shorthand for a being of pure good, videlicet the White Lodge. Point three-- well, we all know the Good Dale is trapped in the Lodge, & the Doppelganger gets out. Now, watching the finale, we see Cooper run from the Scary Laura & run from his own double. I would say that counts as failure, as imperfect courage-- not confronting the Girl You Couldn't Save & not confronting Your Own Dark Side is totally a loss to the Dweller on the Threshold. That being said...well, Fire Walk With Me supports a reading of the film where Dale Cooper chooses to remain in the Lodge, in order to use elements from the White Lodge to go back in time to save Laura Palmer's soul. He clearly acts as an intercessor in the final scene, as a bridge. So yes. I think Special Agent Dale Cooper found an Angel & traveled back in time to save Laura Palmer's soul.
End Spoilers.
So that was a thign that happened; Terra came over & watched Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me, finishing up our viewing of what is undoubtably my favorite television series of all time with one of my top five movies. Also, last week we went to an art show called "Otherworldliness" at the Michael Rosenfeld Gallery. It was...actually pretty boring, I don't know what to tell you. Still, being in the habit of going to art exhibits on our lunch break is a good one. Oh & Jenny & I went to the Zlatne Uste Golden Festival last Friday, but I was tired & crabby & we didn't stay very late. Still! It was in the Grand Prospect Hall! Which is exactly like you'd imagine it is from the commercials. Pretty great. I don't know what else has been happening. A little bit of this, a little bit of that. I watched an episode of The New Girl & found myself laughing. I would really like to like Zooey Deschanel. I really liked her in Elf, I just sort of...blaming her public relations team? She's been marketed as twee & indie, & the problem is...she's actually twee & indie, & so it just ends up doubled up & saccharine. I mean, when she was on that Elvis Costello show, Spectacle? & she was so nervous about singing with Jenny Lewis? That was endearing; you don't have to work so hard to make her endearing, marketing team! That just makes me hate her a little.