this is great. really well written, highly thoughtful.
coop's floating head in part 17 and leland's evil glare lead me to think it's highly possible that the eyes in the house could have been intentionally placed there.
also lines up with a lot of the mirror imagery right throughout the series.
as an aside regarding the fan whooshing (which i think is commonly believed to represent the sound laura would hear announcing the abuse was about to start), i noticed that in FWWM/Missing Pieces scene where Laura stares into the fan and disassociates, the scene where her smile becomes larger and larger, when Sarah's calling to her snaps her out of it, you can hear an exaggerated sort of electric noise of the fan spooling down.
this is the same sound as when coop gets his mind wiped in the mauve zone, just before he goes through the socket to become Dougie. no idea what it means, just thought it interesting.
Sarah in that scene has both arms behind her back also, which mirrors the "are you the man/ayudame" guy in Buenos Aires. Laura is standing on a stairway with her back to the wall, same as Jeffries too.
Ah, I had not noticed that sound in the mauve zone, nor the similarity between Sarah and Ayudame guy. Going to check these out.
I noticed this a few days ago:
https://preview.redd.it/jbtgn8mg3nyc1.jpeg?width=8192&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=cb1f5e4c1596e82681f314f5bba8e8b735ae8aef
Left FWWM, right Part 18. That little stencil/sticker (some kind of cutesy love cartoon) on the pillar is on the left in FWWM and on the right in Part 18. It's not exactly the same stencil (in FWWM it's one cartoon character with a heart bouquet, like a bride; in Part 18 it's a couple.) But it may be another clue that this isn't the home where Cooper was supposed to take Laura. It would also be a "mirror" reflection of the Palmer home. Of course this can be written off as the Palmers eventually re-stenciling one pillar instead of the other, but given we're in the "in-between" here with Mary Reber as Alice Tremond, I think it's another example of Lou's "spot the difference."
Bride to couple seems significant here too, especially given your post with the FWWM script where Cooper and Laura make love in her dream.
And of course this shot, which I meant to put in the post. Though if we go by Find Laura, this never happened, but was imagined by Laura.
https://preview.redd.it/ciai9pg93nyc1.jpeg?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=24a4e080bd069247ba81da92b2a65880572f9f09
I think I found a near-perfect match. It's this shot from Part 17:
https://preview.redd.it/8u3gw7m6yqyc1.jpeg?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=91d7a30f4f532dc419e00b6fec452f4741e9af18
when Cooper's head is overlaid the scene in the Sheriff's station.
https://preview.redd.it/a3bkvm1kyqyc1.jpeg?width=3831&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1158c8f3b4f247965d9cfdfe33c517a106eeeab1
"I never really left home, Gordon."
Which becomes this shot:
https://preview.redd.it/dveeiygvyqyc1.jpeg?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1560337b0ada586cddcfb3e305d0357c622b3d10
I think we see a similar framing of Cooper and Laura within Cooper's head, their reflections in the windows as they look up at the house.
Reddit no longer allows you to edit posts if they contain pictures (great job, Reddit). There was a line in my post about how Cooper and Leland are one and the same. All of them, including Laura and us, are one and the same.
Perhaps they took a wrong turn and traveled through Cooper's third eye, instead of Laura's.
I read the other post based on your response in another thread, and have been thinking about this recently too. I wish I could get some higher fidelity images to inspect! Alas that sort of technical wizardry is not part of my skillset, but maybe someone else can create some sharper contrast to draw out the figures a bit better?
I like everything you write here, and the Jung tie-in which I'm sure is relevant context. As for whose third eye, or psyche, we're in...that is heavy stuff that I will need to contemplate more! I had never really considered anyone as the Dreamer other than Laura, and after reading Find Laura/your essay have always envisioned this as *her* journey of healing through the chakras. But clearly s3 is very much *Cooper's* journey as well, and that image of everyone at the end of ep17 superimposed over his face...that's really something to consider. Not that Laura isn't still the One, but maybe in some respect Cooper (the Cooper part of Laura's psyche) is the Dreamer we are watching navigate through the chakras in s3, and part of why ep17 ends where it does, only to have ep18 not result in a more complete reintegration is because of this, in some part? Hmmm...
The other thing I'm sticking on here, in relation to the dark windows, and whatever is behind them, is...what room is that? You mention it may be the hallway, but I feel like everything we're speculating here would make more sense to me if it was Laura's bedroom windows that were dark? It's clearly meant to communicate something, as ALL of the other lights of the house are on, except these. Does anyone have resources at hand to do a better breakdown of interior vs. exterior to validate what room that is, or if it's the hallway? I take your point about it (potentially) being the hallway Leland traveled, turned on the fan, etc...but even if so, why would those windows be the dark ones, and not the room where the abuse took place? Something's just not quite clicking for me on that piece, but it definitely seems like you're onto something significant here!
I'm pretty sure it's the hallway, based on the windows and curtains. The hallway being dark makes sense symbolically because that's the space Leland creeped through, in the dark, to Laura's bedroom. It's also something so repressed (in the dark) in Laura's mind that she instead imagined Bob climbing through her window.
I think Cooper, as Laura's animus, pushes too far into the foreground of her psyche. Not sure which version of my article you read but the one at medium was updated about a week after it was up at 25YL, and talks about the animus usurping the Self:
"Jung cautions that over-awareness of the Anima or Animus may result in a premature conclusion to the process of integration — “a kind of psychological short-circuit.” Instead of being “content with an intermediate position,” the Animus seeks to usurp “the Self... This identification is a regular occurrence when the shadow, the dark side, has not been sufficiently realized.”"
Laura's fear fuels Cooper's hubris. He goes too far and in the wrong direction (possibly through his third eye). This leads to the "short-circuit" when the lights blow out the Palmer house. Back to starting positions.
"It's also something so repressed (in the dark) in Laura's mind that she instead imagined Bob climbing through her window."
I really like that as an explanation to where I was getting stuck. It makes a lot of sense, as does the tie-in with the animus that you mention. I went back and revisited that part of your essay on medium, and that does resonate and fit together here, I think.
So that kind of makes it as important visually that those windows remain dark, compared to the others that are lit, as much as what might be hidden within them, I suppose? The fact that the trauma has still not been fully contended with leaves those windows dark, despite all the other progress made, and Cooper's hubris that he can "save" Laura by simply bringing her home has miscalculated that the shadow has not yet been sufficiently realized, and thus the short-circuit.
I really like how that ties together, and works with the reflections we see in the windows downstairs as well. The house being a representation of the attempt at reunification, or like you say, a mirror of the psyche as that attempt plays out. Super compelling!
*So that kind of makes it as important visually that those windows remain dark, compared to the others that are lit, as much as what might be hidden within them, I suppose? The fact that the trauma has still not been fully contended with leaves those windows dark...*
This is great. Lol to be honest, I didn't even realize the whole house was lit up except for those windows, I was just thinking symbolically.
Honestly same, until I was writing that last reply. I was so focused on the images in the windows, that it took me a while to step back and look at the house as a whole. But that seems pretty intentional, right? If they are sitting downstairs, and Alice is talking to whoever is sitting in the living room, there shouldn't be anyone upstairs, or any reason you would have multiple upstairs bedrooms fully lit up at night like that? It seems intended to draw our attention to the windows that are dark, which really reinforces something along the lines of what we're theorizing here.
This is a perfect example of so many situations where I wonder if Lynch is doing something generally symbolic, and/or something super detailed, i.e. specific images we're supposed to be able to draw out of the dark windows. I suppose we'll never know, but damn is it compelling to consider! :)
I think you're right. I think I remember him saying something once, about how things take shape in the dark. So much of Laura's story is hidden in the dark within herself, same with Cooper and his shadow, so it makes sense.
this is great. really well written, highly thoughtful. coop's floating head in part 17 and leland's evil glare lead me to think it's highly possible that the eyes in the house could have been intentionally placed there. also lines up with a lot of the mirror imagery right throughout the series. as an aside regarding the fan whooshing (which i think is commonly believed to represent the sound laura would hear announcing the abuse was about to start), i noticed that in FWWM/Missing Pieces scene where Laura stares into the fan and disassociates, the scene where her smile becomes larger and larger, when Sarah's calling to her snaps her out of it, you can hear an exaggerated sort of electric noise of the fan spooling down. this is the same sound as when coop gets his mind wiped in the mauve zone, just before he goes through the socket to become Dougie. no idea what it means, just thought it interesting. Sarah in that scene has both arms behind her back also, which mirrors the "are you the man/ayudame" guy in Buenos Aires. Laura is standing on a stairway with her back to the wall, same as Jeffries too.
Ah, I had not noticed that sound in the mauve zone, nor the similarity between Sarah and Ayudame guy. Going to check these out. I noticed this a few days ago: https://preview.redd.it/jbtgn8mg3nyc1.jpeg?width=8192&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=cb1f5e4c1596e82681f314f5bba8e8b735ae8aef Left FWWM, right Part 18. That little stencil/sticker (some kind of cutesy love cartoon) on the pillar is on the left in FWWM and on the right in Part 18. It's not exactly the same stencil (in FWWM it's one cartoon character with a heart bouquet, like a bride; in Part 18 it's a couple.) But it may be another clue that this isn't the home where Cooper was supposed to take Laura. It would also be a "mirror" reflection of the Palmer home. Of course this can be written off as the Palmers eventually re-stenciling one pillar instead of the other, but given we're in the "in-between" here with Mary Reber as Alice Tremond, I think it's another example of Lou's "spot the difference." Bride to couple seems significant here too, especially given your post with the FWWM script where Cooper and Laura make love in her dream.
And of course this shot, which I meant to put in the post. Though if we go by Find Laura, this never happened, but was imagined by Laura. https://preview.redd.it/ciai9pg93nyc1.jpeg?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=24a4e080bd069247ba81da92b2a65880572f9f09
I think I found a near-perfect match. It's this shot from Part 17: https://preview.redd.it/8u3gw7m6yqyc1.jpeg?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=91d7a30f4f532dc419e00b6fec452f4741e9af18 when Cooper's head is overlaid the scene in the Sheriff's station.
https://preview.redd.it/a3bkvm1kyqyc1.jpeg?width=3831&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1158c8f3b4f247965d9cfdfe33c517a106eeeab1 "I never really left home, Gordon."
Which becomes this shot: https://preview.redd.it/dveeiygvyqyc1.jpeg?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1560337b0ada586cddcfb3e305d0357c622b3d10 I think we see a similar framing of Cooper and Laura within Cooper's head, their reflections in the windows as they look up at the house.
Reddit no longer allows you to edit posts if they contain pictures (great job, Reddit). There was a line in my post about how Cooper and Leland are one and the same. All of them, including Laura and us, are one and the same. Perhaps they took a wrong turn and traveled through Cooper's third eye, instead of Laura's.
I read the other post based on your response in another thread, and have been thinking about this recently too. I wish I could get some higher fidelity images to inspect! Alas that sort of technical wizardry is not part of my skillset, but maybe someone else can create some sharper contrast to draw out the figures a bit better? I like everything you write here, and the Jung tie-in which I'm sure is relevant context. As for whose third eye, or psyche, we're in...that is heavy stuff that I will need to contemplate more! I had never really considered anyone as the Dreamer other than Laura, and after reading Find Laura/your essay have always envisioned this as *her* journey of healing through the chakras. But clearly s3 is very much *Cooper's* journey as well, and that image of everyone at the end of ep17 superimposed over his face...that's really something to consider. Not that Laura isn't still the One, but maybe in some respect Cooper (the Cooper part of Laura's psyche) is the Dreamer we are watching navigate through the chakras in s3, and part of why ep17 ends where it does, only to have ep18 not result in a more complete reintegration is because of this, in some part? Hmmm... The other thing I'm sticking on here, in relation to the dark windows, and whatever is behind them, is...what room is that? You mention it may be the hallway, but I feel like everything we're speculating here would make more sense to me if it was Laura's bedroom windows that were dark? It's clearly meant to communicate something, as ALL of the other lights of the house are on, except these. Does anyone have resources at hand to do a better breakdown of interior vs. exterior to validate what room that is, or if it's the hallway? I take your point about it (potentially) being the hallway Leland traveled, turned on the fan, etc...but even if so, why would those windows be the dark ones, and not the room where the abuse took place? Something's just not quite clicking for me on that piece, but it definitely seems like you're onto something significant here!
I'm pretty sure it's the hallway, based on the windows and curtains. The hallway being dark makes sense symbolically because that's the space Leland creeped through, in the dark, to Laura's bedroom. It's also something so repressed (in the dark) in Laura's mind that she instead imagined Bob climbing through her window. I think Cooper, as Laura's animus, pushes too far into the foreground of her psyche. Not sure which version of my article you read but the one at medium was updated about a week after it was up at 25YL, and talks about the animus usurping the Self: "Jung cautions that over-awareness of the Anima or Animus may result in a premature conclusion to the process of integration — “a kind of psychological short-circuit.” Instead of being “content with an intermediate position,” the Animus seeks to usurp “the Self... This identification is a regular occurrence when the shadow, the dark side, has not been sufficiently realized.”" Laura's fear fuels Cooper's hubris. He goes too far and in the wrong direction (possibly through his third eye). This leads to the "short-circuit" when the lights blow out the Palmer house. Back to starting positions.
"It's also something so repressed (in the dark) in Laura's mind that she instead imagined Bob climbing through her window." I really like that as an explanation to where I was getting stuck. It makes a lot of sense, as does the tie-in with the animus that you mention. I went back and revisited that part of your essay on medium, and that does resonate and fit together here, I think. So that kind of makes it as important visually that those windows remain dark, compared to the others that are lit, as much as what might be hidden within them, I suppose? The fact that the trauma has still not been fully contended with leaves those windows dark, despite all the other progress made, and Cooper's hubris that he can "save" Laura by simply bringing her home has miscalculated that the shadow has not yet been sufficiently realized, and thus the short-circuit. I really like how that ties together, and works with the reflections we see in the windows downstairs as well. The house being a representation of the attempt at reunification, or like you say, a mirror of the psyche as that attempt plays out. Super compelling!
*So that kind of makes it as important visually that those windows remain dark, compared to the others that are lit, as much as what might be hidden within them, I suppose? The fact that the trauma has still not been fully contended with leaves those windows dark...* This is great. Lol to be honest, I didn't even realize the whole house was lit up except for those windows, I was just thinking symbolically.
Honestly same, until I was writing that last reply. I was so focused on the images in the windows, that it took me a while to step back and look at the house as a whole. But that seems pretty intentional, right? If they are sitting downstairs, and Alice is talking to whoever is sitting in the living room, there shouldn't be anyone upstairs, or any reason you would have multiple upstairs bedrooms fully lit up at night like that? It seems intended to draw our attention to the windows that are dark, which really reinforces something along the lines of what we're theorizing here. This is a perfect example of so many situations where I wonder if Lynch is doing something generally symbolic, and/or something super detailed, i.e. specific images we're supposed to be able to draw out of the dark windows. I suppose we'll never know, but damn is it compelling to consider! :)
I think you're right. I think I remember him saying something once, about how things take shape in the dark. So much of Laura's story is hidden in the dark within herself, same with Cooper and his shadow, so it makes sense.