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The Many Faces of Laura Palmer

Throughout the show Lynch portrays many different versions of Laura, exposing an increasingly dark reality. The paradoxical versions of Laura are said to represent the duality of the human race.

In the beginning of the show Laura is depicted as a fairly typical small town girl with a seemingly perfect life, sporting the title of homecoming queen, an equally popular boyfriend and happy family dynamic. This version of Laura although later proven to be far from her actual self encapsulates the innocent side of humanity, as many first impressions can be deceiving. Her perceived innocence in the beginning also sets her character up for victimisation.

The next version of Laura is revealed as the show goes on and is particularly emphasised in the film Fire Walk With Me where she is revealed to live a double life in which she indulges in sexual taboos and a drug addiction. Although in my opinion her less than admirable actions do not take anything away from her character as it is an outlet for the generational abuse Laura was subjected to for years. This side of Laura emphasises the darker side to humanity and how anyone even the so called “chosen one”, as Laura was revealed to be in the final season, can be tainted by irreversible darkness. Laura also confronts the growing darkness and trauma she constantly endures showing her ability to encompass spiritual growth and resilience which builds her characterisation, conveying the strength and perseverance of the human soul.

Although the show is largely based around the cyclical nature of evil and generational abuse, Twin Peaks also dissects the country of America as a concept, delving into the repercussions of human failure in the form of an atomic bomb in the final season, as well as the struggle between good and evil.

Lynch initially hid the identity of Laura’s killer portraying everyone in the small town as a possible suspect. This could be a comment on the human race, indulging the fact that everyone is guilty of something.

Lynch also presents the pre existing duality of good and evil in paradoxical places which exist in between the folds of time. These supposed alternate dimensions each encapsulate concepts of so called good and bad such as the black lodge which is seemingly centred around extreme evil and the white lodge which is presented as a place of benevolence.

This scene has always meant an immense amount to me, my father quoted it to me many times growing up long before I took the time to watch the series for myself.

In the final episode of season one Marty and Rust exchange an emotionally complex dialogue. After recounting feeling the love and presence of his deceased infant daughter during his recent coma Rust breaks down. In an attempt to distract his partner from his overpowering grief Marty reflects on the memory that Rust would “make up stories about the stars.” After some back and fourth the age old antithesis of “light vs dark” is brought up, prompting Marty who is usually the more down to earth and optimistic of the two to declare “Well, I know we ain’t in Alaska, but it appears to me that the dark has a lot more territory.” This line of dialogue is something the audience would typically have expected Rust to say due to his deeply pessimistic approach, perhaps reflecting how Marty’s characterisation had evolved to encompass more spiritual depth after being exposed to Rust’s strange habits for so many years.

However, it is Rust’s response “Once there was only dark. You ask me, the lights winning.” Which I find to be the most shocking as it directly contradicts all of Rust’s characterisation up until this point. His oddly optimistic viewpoint may allude to how deeply everything he had been put through during season one has had drastic psychological consequences on Rust’s sense of being.

Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me (1992)