I think there's a very important reason that Lynch didn't want to do a straight continuation in 1992 -- it's that Lynch clearly always intended for Cooper's imprisonment in the Black Lodge to last for a very long time. That's why Cooper appears in old age makeup during the dream sequence in the third episode, and the reason Laura says, "I'll see you in 25 years" in the final episode. While the Black Lodge is obviously a huge metaphor for the struggle between good and evil, almost everything said in the Lodge is often extremely literal (i.e., the Man From Another Place literally is Gerard's severed arm, garmonbozia literally is a physical manifestation of pain and sorrow, Laura's father literally did kill her). So there we have it -- Cooper will be trapped in the Lodge for at least 25 years.
I suspect that for Lynch, the tragedy of Cooper's fate would just kind of vanish if you explained that, don't worry, Cooper was only stuck in the Lodge for a couple weeks and then Sheriff Truman snuck in and saved him. That cliffhanger is disturbing precisely because it leaves Cooper at the mercy of supernatural beings that are beyond human comprehension, with no possibility of escape.
And a continuation would have to involve escape, right? There's no point in revisiting this element of the story if Cooper is either dead or permanently trapped in the Black Lodge after the events of the finale, which is why shoehorning this possibility into a prequel was the only way to give fans closure (unfortunately, the closure is: You saw exactly what you thought you saw, and Dale is going to be there for a while).
The 2015 continuation will allow Lynch to follow up this storyline while treating it with the proper sadness. That's not going to be old age makeup on Kyle MacLachlan. When he turns up in Twin Peaks having lost all that time, we'll know we aren't being tricked.
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Frketson
10 years ago
Which direction do you think they will go? Will they opt for the good Dale escaping the lodge relatively quickly, or is he still stuck there to this very day? I hope its the latter, because then we'll be able to visit twin peaks again and experience it with our old friend Coop.
He must be under the effect of Lorne and Eve, too, presum, presumally.
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eg4190
10 years ago
I think the new episodes will open with Cooper mysteriously returning to Twin Peaks 25 years after he disappeared, traumatized from his experiences inside the Black Lodge, but only recalling flashes/dreams of what actually happened. That way, everything Cooper experienced would be a mystery to Sheriff Truman, the FBI, and everyone who cared about him in Twin Peaks, and Cooper wouldn't have any of the answers himself. But at the same time, everything that happened in Twin Peaks during the hiatus would be a mystery to Cooper, and he'd have to come to terms with the fact that everyone else moved on.
That way, they could gradually reveal answers to questions like "What happened to the Cooper doppleganger?" (would be pretty crazy if the good Cooper visits him in an asylum or something), "How did Cooper escape the Black Lodge?", "Did Audrey get blown up in that vault?" A lot of stuff must have happened in the immediate aftermath of the series finale that would be old news to the town residents, but it's not like anyone's going to forget there was a period of one month where about a dozen people died and a literal gateway to hell opened up out in the woods.
I don't see any way the story works if Cooper escaped the Lodge off-screen after the events of the series finale, and he's in a position to bring the audience up to speed on everything. I think he's been trapped in purgatory all this time, just like the series itself.
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MovieMan0283part2
10 years ago
I don't think Cooper CAN escape the Lodge as long as the doppelganger is out of it - because the Cooper we see at the end of the finale basically his other half (it isn't really "Cooper" stuck in the Lodge it's the "good Cooper" - his good half, while his bad half, previously successfully repressed, has probably been wreaking havoc with Bob). Cooper would have to be re-integrated somehow. I'd be surprised if there can be two Coopers in the outside world at the same time.
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eg4190
10 years ago
That is one interpretation of Cooper's fate, which is definitely supported by what we see. The role and meaning of the dopplegangers is not entirely defined. In particular, I never got the impression that the Evil Cooper we see in the Black Lodge is a pre-existing part of Cooper that became separated after his encounter with Windom Earle and BOB. We never really see any dark side to Cooper during the series, and the doppleganger appears only after Cooper forfeits his soul to Windom. And Cooper does this out of love, not fear or anger.
This seems to imply that the doppleganger is a construct of the Lodge; a dark servant created only when a potential vessel willingly submits to the Lodge's power. There may actually be two physical bodies -- the Cooper we know, who is trapped in the Lodge, and a sort of Evil Cooper clone under BOB's influence. It's possible that Cooper is trapped only because the Lodge inhabitants can choose to trap him there.
However, I think the story has much more thematic weight, and is much more disturbing, if the dopplegangers are in fact manifestations of the host's own dark side. In which case there is only one physical body, with two warring sides in the spiritual realm, and the Good Cooper lost the battle.
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nikkiweir
10 years ago
I think we are shown seeds more than once, for instance Episode 4 at the practice range:
I knew someone ... once who helped me understand commitment, responsibilities and the risks. (pulls out his gun and puts on his ear protection) Who taught me the pain of a broken heart. [In nearly the same breath turns, chambers, and fires a rapid series.]
________________________________
The bonsai: the ultimate miniature.
--Will Hayward,
Twin Peaks.
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