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Class Agenda Week 2: “Falling Deeper into the Dream”
Twin Peaks School – Class Agenda for Part Two of The Return
A serious and welcoming discussion of Lynch and Frost’s layered mystery
Twin Peaks: The Return Part Two expands the dreamlike structure established in Part One, pulling us further into Cooper’s fragmented reality. JB Minton’s analysis frames this part as a critical chapter in the psychological and metaphysical battle playing out within Cooper’s mind.
Themes to keep in mind for discussion:
The Consumption of Suffering – The Woodsmen, Mr. C, and the role of pain in this dream world.
The Corruption of Memory & Identity – How memories shape this world and who remains uncorrupted.
Control & Power – Who holds and loses it, and what does this say about Cooper’s journey?
The Non-Linear Structure of Reality – Minton suggests The Return is not meant to be experienced as a traditional narrative. How does this change our perception of what is happening?
Scene-by-Scene Breakdown & Discussion Questions
1. Bill Hastings & The Consumption of Suffering
📍 Key Idea: The Woodsmen Feed on Human Pain
Bill Hastings, in jail, confesses to dreaming about being in Ruth Davenport’s apartment, but his wife insists it was real.
The Woodsman appears, drawn to Hastings’ suffering, and then vanishes.
Mr. C later executes Phyllis Hastings, framing it as an inevitable act of human nature.
Discussion Questions:
What is the relationship between suffering and power in this dream world?
Are the Woodsmen supernatural parasites, or do they represent a more profound metaphor for the role of trauma in shaping reality?
Minton argues that Mr. C, BOB, and the Woodsmen are trying to use suffering to escape the dream. If true, how does that reframe our understanding of their actions?
🔹 Challenging Statement: “Pain and suffering are not just emotions in The Return—they are currency.”
What does this imply about the structure of this world?
2. The Diner Scene: Mr. C’s Power & The Search for Coordinates
📍 Key Idea: Mr. C’s Control is Not Absolute
Mr. C, Darya, and Ray discuss a set of coordinates, which Bill Hastings’ secretary can access.
Mr. Todd in Las Vegas expresses fear of "Him" (Mr. C), hinting at a deeper network of influence.
Discussion Questions:
If Mr. C is in control, why must he manipulate others rather than take what he wants?
Minton describes Mr. C’s weakness as his hubris—what evidence do we see in Part Two?
Are the coordinates meant to lead Mr. C out of the dream, or are they another trap?
🔹 Challenging Statement: “Despite his dominance, Mr. C is still a prisoner—he just refuses to acknowledge it.”
If true, does this make him different from Cooper?
3. Hawk’s Investigation & The Log Lady’s Warning
📍 Key Idea: The Gathering of the ‘Uncorrupted’ Characters
The Log Lady warns Hawk that something is missing, and it concerns his heritage.
Hawk, like Gordon Cole, Major Briggs, and Norma, is part of the “uncorrupted” characters in Cooper’s memory.
Discussion Questions:
Why does Hawk trust Margaret and her Log’s cryptic messages?
If this is Cooper’s dream, does that mean the Log Lady is a projection of something inside his mind?
Minton suggests that Hawk represents a detective figure who is still working on the case of Cooper’s disappearance. If so, does that make him a counterpart to Cooper?
🔹 Challenging Statement: “The Return is not about solving a mystery—it’s about realizing you are inside one.”
How does this idea change our understanding of the show’s structure?
4. The Red Room: The Cooper Loop & Laura’s Scream
📍 Key Idea: The Trap of Endless Repetition
Laura Palmer appears and tells Cooper, “You can go out now,” but is suddenly pulled away after screaming.
Phillip Gerard asks Cooper: “Is it future or is it past?”
The Evolution of the Arm warns Cooper, “He must come back in before you can go out.”
Discussion Questions:
What does Laura’s scream signify at this moment?
Minton argues that Cooper’s dilemma is madness—trying to ‘save’ someone already dead. How does this interpretation affect our reading of his arc?
What does it mean that Cooper is stuck in a loop? Is he making choices or reacting to a script his subconscious wrote?
🔹 Challenging Statement: “Laura Palmer’s scream is not just a reaction—it is an event that rewrites reality.”
If so, what does that mean for the rest of The Return?
5. The Fall into the Void & the Glass Box
📍 Key Idea: Reality is Breaking Down
Cooper is expelled from the Red Room into a void, landing in the Glass Box in New York.
This moment replays a scene we have witnessed but from a new perspective.
Discussion Questions:
If time is looping, does that mean the events of The Return are happening in a fixed order, or are they shifting?
Why is Cooper thrown into the Glass Box? Is it another trap?
Minton suggests that Mr. C and BOB are engaging in a “supernatural prison break” from the dream world—does this scene support that theory?
🔹 Challenging Statement: “The Return is not meant to be experienced as a linear story. It is meant to be broken and assembled by the viewer.”
How does this impact our role as an audience?
6. The Closing Images: Sarah Palmer & the Roadhouse
📍 Key Idea: The Corruption of Memory & Familiar Places
Sarah Palmer watches a violent animal documentary, reacting with unsettling interest.
The Roadhouse scene introduces Red, who manipulates Shelly, symbolizing the corruption of old characters.
Discussion Questions:
Why does Sarah Palmer react to the violence on the screen like she does?
Minton suggests that some memories in Cooper’s dream remain pure while others are corrupted. How do we distinguish between the two?
The Roadhouse scene ends on a note of sadness and nostalgia. Is this a comfort, or is it another trap?
🔹 Challenging Statement: “Twin Peaks itself has been corrupted in Cooper’s dream. It is no longer a safe place—it is a haunted memory.”
Do you agree?
Final Reflection: What is Real in The Return?
Is Cooper’s journey entirely of escape, redemption, or something else?
If this is all a dream, does it matter if Cooper wakes up?
🔹 Closing Thought Exercise:
Imagine you are trapped inside a dream world like Cooper.
What would be the first sign that something was wrong?
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AI DISCLAIMER: This podcast was produced using Google’s NotebookLM, but I put a lot of work into the prompting, and I think it has accomplished a great job of the goal I asked it to perform.
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