This Week’s Syllabus
Watch Twin Peaks: The Return “Part Four”
Read the next chapter in your textbook: A Skeleton Key To Twin Peaks, 2nd Edition. by
.Consider and, if it feels right, discuss.
Part Four
Hey, friends! Welcome back to another discussion about Twin Peaks: The Return. Last time, we focused on Part 3, but today, we'll dive into Part 3 and Part 4. The Blu-ray set of the Z to A collection presents parts one and two as a single two-hour film and parts three and four as another two-hour film. I prefer watching it this way, as it offers a seamless transition from one part to the next, thanks to the incredible editing by Dwayne Dunham, who did an outstanding job on The Return.
In these first two hours, we see the establishment of Cooper still being trapped in the Red Room and the re-establishment of his double. The conflict between them starts to unfold, and we are introduced to a bizarre storyline involving a body with a cut-up woman’s head—a mystery that still hasn't been fully explained. This segment also shows Cooper being ejected from the Red Room, setting off a significant reset in the story. Laura Palmer is removed from the Red Room, which disrupts the entire balance of the situation, leading to Cooper’s ejection from this layer of the dream. While he wasn't entirely in control, there was a certain balance. When he’s ejected, he enters an interstitial space beyond the will of consciousness, where the machinery of his dream is operational but corrupted.
Cooper ends up in a purple mansion on a vast ocean in this space. In my view, this ocean symbolizes the collective consciousness of the universe, with the towers representing individual egos temporarily floating without a solid foundation. Cooper is deep within his consciousness, where his memories are manipulated and corrupted. The person he encounters in this space is a memory of someone he loves, but this memory has been abused and damaged. She takes him up to the roof, reverses the polarity of the machine, and is electrocuted and ejected into space. When Cooper returns, the power outlet on the wall changes from a number 15 to a number 3, which may or may not have significance.
The woman’s actions affect the energy flowing into this situation, and I believe she infuses the viewer's empathy directly into the narrative, making us active participants in the story. Our role becomes one of bearing witness and helping to keep Cooper’s character intact as he faces the trials ahead.
As Cooper approaches the socket, he is struck dumb, losing his sense of self and becoming like a stateless system—only existing for a purpose before being let go. This dream sequence outside of the Red Room is a layer of the dream constructed by Mr. C and Bob, along with Philip Jeffries's corruption of Cooper’s memories. The woodsmen also play a role here, serving a function within this corrupted dream.
If Cooper’s best self is separated from his consciousness, his double could join with the malevolent force invading his psyche, potentially leading to a scenario similar to how Leland Palmer’s dark side took control, which is the root cause of Cooper’s involvement in this whole situation.
In these first two hours, Cooper is ejected, and in the next two, he is received. Mr. C gains power, although, by the end of the fourth hour, Cooper and Mr. C are effectively arrested—Cooper, unaware and struck dumb, and Mr. C, literally in prison.
The Blue Rose Task Force, led by Gordon Cole, Albert Rosenfeld, and a new agent named Tammy Preston, head to South Dakota to meet whatever remains of Dale Cooper after years of being separated in this dream. Cinematically, note the change in Mr. C’s voice when he speaks in prison—it’s slower, modulated, and different from his usual tone as if he’s programming the characters within the dream to follow a specific narrative. After the prison scene, a blue tint during the debrief indicates that something has been manipulated, with Gordon Cole sensing the corruption in the environment.
These first four hours serve as Act One, setting the stage for returning to waking consciousness. Introducing the volatile domestic environment constructed for one of Cooper’s lives, particularly with Dougie Jones, is one of my favorite parts of episode four.
Lastly, a moment involves Dougie Jones, the tulpa created to take Mr. C’s place in the Red Room. When he’s brought to the Red Room, Philip Girard tells him his purpose has been fulfilled. Dougie’s reaction is humorous, but his hand shrinks, the ring falls off, and his head pops off, releasing dark energy and a golden ball. The golden ball seems to overpower the dark energy, sending a visual message that the golden ball, representing something pure and powerful, ultimately triumphs over the darkness.
As the show progresses, the strength of this golden ball will be crucial, even as it is manipulated and suppressed. The central question of Twin Peaks: The Return revolves around whether this essence is strong enough to protect its owner without direct action.
I hope you’ve enjoyed this discussion. Watch or rewatch all four hours—these episodes are a masterclass in cinema and narrative tension. Until next time, keep watching and listening!
If you have questions, reactions, or thoughts, leave a comment or post them to this Substack essay.
[Podcast] Week 11: 'Twin Peaks Movie Club on Substack