A List of Shaking Hands

WARNING: THIS POST CONTAINS GIFS OF FLASHING LIGHTS

Characters throughout Twin Peaks are known to exhibit a mysterious trembling in their hands. This post is made in an attempt to document all those whose hands shake. Some may be more subtle than others. I've not studied The Return or Fire Walk With Me as often as seasons one through two. I will continue to search for other examples that may have been overlooked and will add them accordingly. 

The first instance of this phenomenon may occur in the pilot. When Ronette Pulaski crosses the border, her right hand trembles slightly. This may not be connected to the later trembling that commences in the hands of several townspeople, though it is noticeable.

The left hand of the elderly room service waiter in episode 8 (2.001, May The Giant Be With You) appears to shake. However, it is difficult to determine if the movement should be attributed to actor Hank Warden or the character.

In episode 12 (2.005, The Orchid's Curse), Mr. Smith's right hand trembles when he steps outside his apartment in pursuit of Laura Palmer's diary. As noted in this post, Smith first looks to the sky then knowingly to his right hand, which begins to shake. The script states, A trembling ignites in his fingers.

In episode 15 (Drive With a Dead Girl, 2.008), Philip Gerard's left shoulder seems to move outside his command, waking him.

The script for episode 11 (Laura's Secret Diary, 2.004) contains another example of Philip's hand shaking,

Phil Gerard stands in front of the mirror, violently agitated. Hands shaking, he takes a SYRINGE out of an embroidered antique MEDICINE CASE. 

In episode 16 (2.009, Arbitrary Love), Philip's hand shakes as he speaks to Cooper, telling him the answer is inside of him.  

Later in episode 16, we can see BOB's left hand shake ever so slightly as he angrily regards his reflection.

Again, like most instances in this post, the speed at which a hand shakes is sadly almost imperceptible in GIF form.

Though not as noticeable and possibly unconnected, Ben Horne's right hand shakes as he waits to accept a sword from Bobby Briggs in episode 20 (Checkmate, 2.013). The scene is slightly slowed in GIF form. The movement is more prominent in the episode itself.



In episode 22 (2.015, Slaves and Masters), Malcolm Sloane's hand may shake as he demands Evelyn hand him her gun. Again, the shaking of his hand is better seen in the episode itself than in GIF form.

In episode 27 (2.020, The Path to The Black Lodge), the right hand belonging to an unnamed woman shakes at the Double R Diner. Three other characters in this same episode also experience an uncontrollable shaking in their right hands; Pete Martell, Agent Cooper, and, finally, BOB.

In the script for episode 21 (Double Play, 2.014), the following description is written,

Cooper turns to Harry. The coffee cup shakes in his hand. Both notice. For the first time Truman sees fear in Cooper's eyes.

In the script to episode 22 (Slaves and Masters, 2.015), Josie's hands are said to shake throughout the scene where she serves dinner to Catherine Martell and Thomas Eckhardt. 

In episode 23 (The Condemned Woman, 2.016), Josie's right hand shakes when she enters the house and sees Andrew seated at the table. Watch her right hand after she drops the kindling. The movement is so rapid, it is difficult to capture.

In the script for the same episode, Josie's hand shakes as she aims a gun at herself.

She looks at him one more time. Whispers goodbye. She turns the gun on herself. Her hand starts shaking. She exhales sharply, twice, her body seizes up and she collapses on the floor. Truman rushes to her.

 

Josie's hand does appear to tremble slightly in the episode, though actress Joan Chen's movements may be muted by the weight of the weapon in her hand.

In episode 28 (2.021, Miss Twin Peaks), Garland Briggs is brought into the Sheriff's Department succeeding his escape from Windom Earle's cabin. His hand shakes as he speaks.

Briggs is not himself at this stage. His words indicate that he does recognize his own name. It is almost as though he is momentarily overcome by a spirit belonging to another. This is after Windom Earle has administered Haloperidol into his system. Philip Gerard's left arm was the arm he removed to rid himself of evil, the same arm that was later revealed to be The Man From Another Place.

 
Both of Windom Earle's hands shake when he is at BOB's mercy in the Black Lodge.

In Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me, the woman who peers in Teresa Banks' trailer entire body shakes. Her left hand noticeably shakes as well. 

Sarah Palmer's right hand seems to shake during a moment when Leland/BOB is abusive toward Laura.

BOB's hand shakes after removing Leland's garmonbozia. His hand pulsates as if laden with the pain and sorrow he soon ejects as red fluid to the floor.

The Missing Pieces contains two similar scenes featuring The Man From Another Place and Agent Cooper in the Black Lodge. In both scenes, The Man From Another Place places his hand to his mouth, making a noise. When he does this a second time, he lets his hand waver as he lowers it, reminiscent of the shaking we see in others. 

Part 11 of Twin Peaks: The Return features a scene of Gordon Cole's shaking hand. His hand trembles after being near a vortex earlier in the day.

In part 3, the American Girl's hands shake as she speaks to Dale Cooper.

In part 12, a patron of the Roadhouse named Trick states that his hand is shaking.

In the Behind the Curtain feature from the A to Z set, David Lynch directs Jake Wardle to shake his hand while portraying Freddie. Note that he wears the green glove on his right hand.

In part 14, Naido's left hand may shake as she grasps Andy's hand.

In part 18, Dale Cooper moves his right hand in a strange manner as he proceeds down a hall in the Black Lodge. He does this with the intent to part curtains he has already seen opened, almost as if practicing a magick/supernatural gesture or command. 

Though it may sound foolish, one thought is that, like the key required to open the door and enter the Black Lodge, fear and/or love may also be tied to the shaking of hands. Cooper's love for Annie was on his mind as his hand began to shake. His love may have been backed by fear. The same could be said about Pete. He may have felt a combination of fear and love regarding Audrey's separation from John Wheeler. The older lady at the Double R may have been feeling love for the pie she was eating. Harold and Josie were afraid. Judging by BOB's appearance at the end of episode 27, tremors in the hands of residents seem tied to BOB, Lodge Spirits, or the Black Lodge. One theory that came to me years ago is that BOB's appearance may denote his power over the townspeople. He moves his hand almost as a puppeteer might pull the stings of a marionette, though I don't stand by any one theory.

As I wrote in this post, "...  Does this indicate that Gerard's missing arm, and possibly the arms of others, tremble with BOB's closeness? Or perhaps it is with the spirit of another coming into focus, coming to take over as BOB takes over Leland or as Mike takes over Philip, that causes a person's arm to tremble? After reading this, my sister added, "It may also have to do with other-dimensional versions of characters linking to their counterparts. What if the arm is Mike signaling to Gerard from the other side? Or maybe it is a signal they all get from BOB, a kind of bell that chimes, like when a fish is caught on the line when Ice fishing."

Theories of merit suggest that the shaking of hands indicates a candidate for BOB's possession or that it associated with the Lodge opening or BOB's reappearance. All is open to interpretation.