Twin Peaks, third season, eighteenth episode: What is your name?

Eighteenth episode: What is your name? / The Return, Part XVIII

Content: Cooper's doppelgänger burns in the Black Lodge. MIKE creates another Dougie, who returns to Janey-E and Sonny Jim. Cooper appears in the Black Lodge again, encountering MIKE and the Arm. He emerges and meets Diane in the woods. They drive on a highway for 430 miles and "cross over" some electrical field, then drive to a motel and have sex. Cooper awakes the next morning alone and finds a note left to "Richard" from "Linda". Arriving at Judy's Diner in Odessa, Texas, Cooper saves a waitress from harassment and obtains the address of another waitress, Carrie Page, who resembles Laura Palmer. Believing she is Laura, he drives her to Twin Peaks, but finds the Palmer house occupied by different owners. Confused, Cooper asks Carrie what year it is. Carrie hears Sarah calling Laura's name and screams. The house lights go out. In the Black Lodge, Laura whispers to Cooper.

Analysis: There have been numerous theories about this final episode but I couldn't find one to agree with entirely. This is why elaborated my own theory. As mentioned in my analysis for the seventeenth part, the fact that Dale Cooper killed his doppelganger and BOB has created a rift in the space-time continuum. To make matters worse, he traveled back in time and changed the events of the past by saving Laura Palmer. Judy kidnapped her and she was pulled into a parallel universe where she is unaware of her other destiny, identity and life. She lives by the name of Carrie Page and has never been in Twin Peaks. However, since the different parallel universes coexist, it's possible to sense things from these other parallel universes in specific locations and in dreams. This is why Carrie Page hears Sarah Palmer scream when she comes to Twin Peaks, even though Sarah Palmer has never existed in this world. Remembering her other life because of this supernatural event makes Carrie Page scream in terror. This shows that she can't escape her destiny and that the battle between good and evil is infinite. As for Dale Cooper and Diane Evans, they decide to travel back twenty-five years in the past and start a new life after having been stuck in the Black Lodge for so long. However, as they enter a new parallel universe, they realize that their characters have become slightly different and that they can't forget about what they have been through. Diane witnessing her former self is a memento for the fact she can't erase the horrible events from her memory and the uneasy sex scene with Dale Cooper shows that she still remembers how she was raped by his doppelganger. They decide to start a new life as Richard and Linda but end up separating because they can't forget about what happened if they stay together. Even though the memories of their other lives might vanish slightly, Dale Cooper still remembers Laura Palmer and how important she is in the fight against Judy which is why he looks for her and finds Carrie Page twenty-five years later. However, Judy isn't actively present in this parallel universe which means that the potential final battle between good and evil can't take place.

Description: While the seventeenth part can be seen as a conclusion to the three Twin Peaks seasons, the eighteenth and last episode can be seen as an epilogue and new beginning. In my opinion, the episode shows us how the events in the previous episode have created a rift in the space-time continuum and how these different parallel universes are connected. This ending shows that the fight between good and evil is infinite, taking place in different parallel universes and will never come to an end. This can be seen as a neutral ending and resolution. I don't believe there will be a fourth season of Twin Peaks because all questions have been answered in my opinion but with the multitude of parallel universes, there would obviosly be an infinite number of possibilities for other unexplored chapters of Twin Peaks. At first, I was just as confused as anyone else about the unexpected ending and maybe even slightly disappointed, but the more I think about it, the more I like it. This episode is memorable, has David Lynch's trademarks and will still be discussed in the future.

Favorite scene: The closing scene of the third season is just as memorable as the final scenes of the first and the second season. ''What year is this?'' has become the new ''How's Annie?''. Hearing Sarah Palmer's haunting voice calling Laura Palmer's name is very mysterious. Laura's frantic scream followed by the lights of the house going out sends shivers down the spine of any Twin Peaks fan. This closing scene will be discussed for ages.

Rating: 8/10