BOB or Leland: Possession in Fire Walk With Me

Warning: This post contains insinuations of abuse.

Due to subtleties in Ray Wise's performance, there are times when I believe BOB's possession of Leland is apparent in Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me. The following is an endeavor to state when I feel it is BOB and when it is Leland in the film. By sharing my view, I am not the same as proclaiming it is the only interpretation of Fire Walk With Me or that I am correct. It is merely my opinion.

• As this post is entirely from my view, some thoughts may read as if stated as fact. Please consider this entire piece supposition. 
• I have the utmost respect for all survivors of abuse. It is not my intention to diminish their pain by posting my belief that BOB is an inhabiting spirit. Please accept my heartfelt apologies if my views are found offensive. 
• I have experienced forms of abuse, but I do not feel comfortable discussing it.
  
• I understand that The Return has a diary entry from Laura that states, "Now I know it isn't BOB. I know who it is." It may seem controversial, but I believe this revelation is remote to The Return. Other ideas changed over time. As previously stated on this blog, I view the original series, FWWM, and The Return as each having their own standalone cannon. 
• I can't begin to make sense of contradictions with the shooting script and what we know as canon. Some story elements may have been altered during the filming and editing process. The scripts from the series often contain moments that seem copy-pasted from earlier drafts. The same may apply to the 08/08/91 shooting script. 
• I follow what my heart and mind tell me. I am trusting instinct and reading the actors' performances. 
• Some scenes are omitted due to their content. 
• Please consider reading the notes provided at the end of this post.
• The script often refers to Mike as Philip Gerard.
  
• The shooting script repeatedly refers to BOB/Leland as Leland, though there are times when it seems evident that he is BOB.
  

There are several moments in the original series where we do not see BOB, but we know Leland is indicated to be possessed, such as in the scene below.

 "I think [David] wanted to make it more explicit that Bob was possessing Leland; he wanted to see more of Leland doing it rather than Bob doing it. So in that stuff I'm just there every now and then." - Frank Silva on FWWM, Wrapped in Plastic magazine.

 
Leland/BOB's Appearances in Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me

Laura runs from the house after she finds BOB searching her room for her diary. Once outside and out of sight, she watches from afar as her father's form exits the house. I believe this is BOB because he was in Leland's body moments before. Later in the film, after a confrontation with Philip Gerard/Mike, Laura asks Leland/BOB if he came by the house. After initially answering no, Leland/BOB suspiciously suddenly recalls stopping by the house for headache medication. His affirmative answer seems to confirm Laura's misgiving that he is BOB.

In the script, Laura waits and then races back upstairs to search her room for BOB, but he is not there.

When Leland/BOB demands that Laura wash her hands, I believe it is BOB speaking with the voice of the man he controls. Throughout The Secret Diary of Laura Palmer, Laura writes of BOB's constant belittling of her, trying to convince her she's unclean. 

In the series, Albert Rosenfield states the following in episode three (1.003, Rest in Pain), "Traces of pumice in standing water outside the railroad car, suggesting soap. Same pumice particles appear on the back of Laura's neck. Not her home-use brand. My conclusion: the killer washed his hands and leaned in for a kiss ... like this." Laura's friend Harold Smith invited Donna to wash her hands upon entering his house. To some, it may seem like a symptom of neurosis, the desire for cleanliness in a sealed environment. It also may have been a red herring for those who recollected Albert's words. Mr. Smith was undoubtedly a diversionary suspect. Other than Harold having Laura's diary, being her secret friend, and being a supposed cause for concern for Maddy and Donna - the latter of whom he referred to as unclean - he also had sheets of plastic outside and inside his house.  He also said Laura thought of him as "a mystery in her life" after we had heard her mention a mystery man. Leo Johnson, who was at one time the lead suspect, had much against him. To list but a few concerns: He had an obsession with cleaning his house and truck, used a bar of soap as a weapon (two possible connections to the pumice particles), was one of Laura's drug suppliers and intimate partners, was abusive to his wife, was abusive to Laura in The Secret Diary, attempted to murder Bobby, murdered Bernard Renault 1 and Waldo, and also had sheets of plastic in and covering his house. The script contains a deleted line of dialogue from Albert, "Traces of pumice in standing water outside the railroad car, suggesting soap. The kind used for heavy cleaning." This almost seems to tie the soap to Leo. In the televised episode, Albert says, "industrial strength." He also says the soap is not the Palmers' home-use brand. If the mention of washing hands was possibly meant to act as a tie to the killer in the series, there is cause for the same logic to apply to Fire Walk With Me. 

 
Plastic sheeting at Mr. Smith's apartment (above) and The Johnson household (below). 2

Also suspect is Leland/BOB's focus on the alleged dirt under the nail of Laura's left ring finger, a direct reference to the letters BOB leaves under the nails of his victims. If Leland were acting on his own, outside of BOB's influence, what would he know of BOB's signature? More to the point, Laura did not recognize the meaning of his reference, which makes it seem as though it was made solely for the viewer, possibly to tie his behavior to BOB.

The August 8th draft of the script indicates Leland's behavior at the dinner table is unusual. 

                                                                       LELAND
                                       How do you know what she doesn't like?

                                         A beat then a return to what is normal.
 

                                                                    SARAH
                                          Oh, Leland, sit down and eat your
                                          dinner.

If Laura were used to Leland behaving this way, one would assume she would be guarded upon her arrival. She seems slightly apprehensive, but she approaches her father without fear. Keep in mind that the last time she saw Leland was when she found BOB searching for her diary, which one assumes would give her cause to approach him with more suspicion than she seems to display at this moment.

Laura's features do not show fear when she first sits across from Leland/BOB.

When Leland becomes abusive in the scene, Laura appears shocked and is stunned into silence. Her behavior seems to indicate she is not prepared or used to such an outburst from Leland/BOB, which seems unlikely if she endures his abuse on a daily basis. Equally, she would know to hide her heart necklace because it would act as an encouragement for provocation due to its ties to her secret boyfriend. One wonders how Leland/BOB knows the necklace is from a "lover" when friendship necklaces are primarily exchanged between young female friends. 3 Upon seeing Laura wear it, one would presume Laura's best friend Donna Hayward was either the giver or recipient of a matching half-heart necklace. Taking the pendant into his hands, Leland/BOB says accusingly, "Bobby didn't give you this." Sarah counteracts, "How do you know that Bobby didn't give her that?" The Secret Diary insinuates that BOB can the same as read Laura's mind, which would give a reason why he knows the necklace is from James.

YOU FORGOT, LAURA, I KNOW EVERYTHING, SEE EVERYTHING, GO ANYWHERE I WANT . . . I COULD TELL YOU MORE ABOUT WHAT YOU THINK ARE SECRETS THAN YOU COULD TELL YOURSELF! - p.82

I do not doubt that BOB is aware of my every movement. That this horror who calls himself a man sits up high when the sun shines or perhaps curls up below. No matter. He watches me with eyes that  burrow inside, seeing each speck of doubt, sensing each palpitation of my heart when a boy passes, each embrace from a mother who knows nothing of how far away her daughter's bedroom has become. - P. 70

When Leland/BOB makes to look at her hands, Laura reluctantly complies, saying, "Dad," as though with light-hearted exasperation. When he reaches for her necklace, she says, "Don't!" and tries to push his hand away. Each person and situation is different, but from my experience, saying no to an aggressor only makes matters worse. To defend yourself - to speak or fight back - is an incentive. You're not supposed to think of yourself as an equal. To cope, you learn to be quiet. That is why this feels like a relatively new event to me. 4 However, Sarah's behavior says otherwise. When she enters the room and sees her husband and daughter, there is warning and fear in her voice, as though she's seen this before. Or at least knows what he's capable of. She nervously rushes to the table.

The look Leland/BOB gives Sarah seems like BOB.

We next see Leland/BOB as he is rocking back and forth, sitting on his bed. His facial expression denotes that of a cruel man whose mind is steeped in darkness. He suddenly stops moving, and the anger and wickedness wash from his face, making way for a vacuity followed by sadness and tears. This scene seems to illustrate BOB's departure. Ray Wise's eyes change dramatically with his shift in mood. At another moment in the film, the morning after Laura learns the horrible truth, Leland/BOB clearly bows his head in a similar manner, which seems to be a tell. Mr. Wise occasionally bows his head in the series as well in his portrayal of possessed Leland. 

Two examples from the series.

When Leland enters Laura's room, he takes hold of Laura's hand and tells her he loves her. Laura seems reluctant, guarded, and fearful of his touch. Studying him, her eyes warm. She says, "Dad?" as if in recognition - disbelief - that it is her father is in the room rather than BOB.

Sheryl Lee's performance leads me to believe Laura is taken aback because her father doesn't often surface. It's as if she is used to him being hidden away and only occasionally appearing in spells. She smiles, her eyes filling with tears. The smile does not fade from Laura's face as Leland kisses her forehead. In the book, Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me, Maura McHugh writes, "Goodnight, Princess," he says, and backs out of the room. It feels like a permanent goodbye."

After he leaves, Laura presses the hand he'd held to her chest as though the exchange was dear to her. 5 She is in tears as she asks the angel and herself, "Is it true?" Her words perhaps act as a prayer uttered by one aware that events cannot be altered. She wishes the possession were not true. This is reminiscent of the scene where she sees Leland exit the house and repeatedly says to herself, "It's not him." As if to convince herself - to hope - BOB is not inside her father, though this seems contradictory to her apparent ability to tell the difference between her father and BOB. It is shortly after she says "Is it true?" that she remembers and retrieves the picture the Tremonds gave her. This leads one to think that her thoughts were dwelling on the moment she saw Leland in the place of BOB leaving her home.

The shooting script and film place this scene after the dining room scene, making it seem as if Leland is the same as apologizing for his behavior. However, Laura is wearing a different outfit than she wore at the dining table. She wore a sage green sweater set and a beige tartan skirt at the table. In her room, Laura wears a green ribbed turtleneck. It is the same blouse she wears later in the film when she and Leland/BOB are confronted by Philip Gerard/Mike. Sarah and Leland are both wearing robes over their sleepwear. It doesn't make sense for Laura to change from her sweater and skirt to another sweater and possibly jeans before she will change into her nightgown. There is always the possibility she planned to go out that evening in secret, but one would think she would wait until after her parents had gone to sleep to change, lest she cause suspicion. Laura usually dressed in darker clothes, similar to her Pink Room outfit, to meet with Leo and Jacques or potential clients. Her sweater (and possible jeans) seem more fitting to see Bobby, James, or Donna.

Regardless if it makes sense, I feel like this scene originally took place after the encounter with Gerard. Both scenes have a different feeling to them and have Laura able to tell the difference between her father and BOB. They feel like they belong to a more preliminary version of the film. 

Twin Peaks scholar John Thorne has on more than one occasion eluded to Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me as being a work in progress during the filming and editing process. In his book, The Essential Wrapped in Plastic: Pathways to Twin Peaks, he addresses script changes in his essay The Realization of Laura Palmer, "Lynch and Engels originally conceived the story of Fire Walk With Me to be one in which Laura Palmer sought escape from the oppressive presence of Bob. There were few choices for Laura to make and no real change for her to undergo. Bob was the antagonist, and Laura had to find a way to elude his growing power. This story was more in keeping with the facts and backstory established in the series."  Thorne has had access to different drafts of the script, perhaps aiding his conclusion.

When Leland and Laura drive into town to meet Sarah, Leland looks over his shoulder at an erratic motorist behind them. His features betray his knowledge of the other driver. He doesn't seem surprised to see him. It's almost as if he is anticipating him. When Laura turns, Leland/BOB watches her, fully aware, monitoring the now potentially dangerous situation. When they stop at a light, Laura says, "Dad, is the engine on fire? It smells like something's burning." 

That Laura can smell scorched oil indicates we're seeing BOB in this scene as all previous mention of the scent is tied to him. It has never been tied to Mike. 6

Gerard/MIKE pulls up behind the Palmers. He sounds the car horn repeatedly as if to hurry those waiting for the light and for the light itself to change. Impatient, Gerard drives through an empty parking lot onto the road and turns back to Sparkwood and 21 with the light still red. He does this so that he will be adjacent to the Palmer's stationary car.

Laura exclaims, "Something is burning." We see Leland's foot on the gas pedal, revving the engine before we see him in a close-shot stating that it's the engine. Note that it is only after Laura detects the scent - with Gerard's appearance - that Leland begins to accelerate.

The dialogue is as follows in the 8/8/91 script,

                                                                        LAURA (continued)
                                                                     Something is burning.
   
                    Leland starts to rev his engine while holding the brake with his left foot.

                                                                        LELAND           
                                                                    It's the engine.

Leland/BOB's behavior is that of a man making an excuse. He emotes panic and fear at this moment. I've always assumed Leland/BOB kept accelerating to mask the scent of scorched engine oil and to suppress Gerard's words. BOB's anger with MIKE may have caused his scent to surface, or perhaps it's the energy of both spirits colliding that causes a change in the air. 7

Gerard/MIKE accuses Leland/BOB of stealing the corn he had canned over the store and confides in Laura, "Miss, the look on her face when it was opened. There was a stillness. Like the Formica tabletop." Leland/BOB reacts sharply, turning quickly to Gerard/Mike as he reveals this. His features here display anger, seething, fear and guilt.

That Gerard references the Formica table seems to allude to the meetings held above the convenience store. As Leland/BOB seems to show knowledge of such meetings, it is another indication he more than likely isn't Leland in this scene.

Laura is visibly upset by the confrontation and by the consistent sounding of the car's horn and revving of its engine. A dog barks throughout the scene, and Laura cannot take it. The cacophony confuses and agitates Laura as Gerard angrily yells, "The Thread will be torn, Mr. Palmer! The tread will be torn!" It almost sounds as though he's threatening Leland with exposure. It may also be an oath to the man inside, insulated from BOB. The thread, the ripcord, will be torn, and soon you will be separated. It could also be a threat to BOB, as the spirit seems to want his possession to remain unknown. Once unmasked, he will murder the being in which he once resided.

"And when I go, children, I'll pull the ripcord and you watch Leland remember. But not for long ..."

Gerard tries to tell Laura, "It's him. It's your father!" But Leland/BOB's shouting and the noise of the car engulf Gerard's words. Laura, overcome, finally releases some of the tension she's held in and yells for the men to stop it. 

As the light turns green, Leland quickly pulls into Mo's Motor, a mechanic's lot at the side of the road. A mechanic approaches Leland as the car comes to an abrupt stop, warning him, "Mister, don't do that to your engine! You better take it easy, Mister. You'll burn your engine out." This dialogue seems to suggest the man is aware, from having listened, that Leland/BOB was purposefully harming his engine. There is no logic behind BOB/Leland's reason to do so other than to mask the scent of scorched engine oil and to hope to silence Gerard.

Leland/BOB angrily complains about the encounter with Gerard, asking what the world is coming to. He asks Laura if she is alright, and as he does so, he starts to reach out to touch her. Laura recoils, and raises her hands, asking him if he's alright. She looks at him in horror, sensing something is wrong, implying that this is not normal behavior.

Leland stares ahead, fading into a memory. We see an image of Teresa Banks in Flesh World magazine and then Leland/BOB in bed with Teresa. He covers her eyes with his hand and asks her who he is. She says she doesn't know, and Leland/BOB seems pleased with her answer. He intends to keep it that way. I understand that the most direct meaning of his words imparts Leland's desire to remain unknown, but the words could also be those of BOB. Leland/BOB's words to Teresa, "Who am I?" seem like BOB playing the same game he plays with Laura while wearing another face. Though we do not see BOB in Leland's place, that does not mean he isn't there.

From The Secret Diary of Laura Palmer,

"When I find out who he is, I'll make him known to everyone!" P. 67

"Who in the fuck is he and why does he hate me so much?" P. 83

In the film, Laura asks BOB more than once, "Who are you?"

BOB seems to gloat over the symbolic hand he's placed over Laura's eyes. It seems to be he who chooses to remove it and allow her to see the face of the man he's possessed. Perhaps he does so to receive her pain and sorrow in knowing she's been forced to sleep with her father. Note that Laura doesn't see Leland's face in place of BOB's until the night before her death. Since my first viewing, I have believed BOB unveiled himself with the desire to weaken Laura.

The 8/8/91 shooting script states the following:

Slowly, what she always knew deep inside of her becomes clear.

    BOB BECOMES LELAND.

This section from the script corresponds with Laura's ability to tell the difference between BOB and Leland. She was able to do so when they are in the car during the Gerard confrontation and when Leland kisses her goodnight. 

In part seven of The Return, Diane asks Mr. C - who is with BOB - the same question Laura asks BOB/Leland. Possibly in connection, in part 18, Diane/Linda covers Cooper/Richard's eyes as they possibly perform a sex magick ritual.

In episode 13 (Demons, 2.006), MIKE says the following, "Do you understand the parasite? It attaches itself to a life form and feeds. Bob requires a human host. He feeds on fear and the pleasures." Feeding on pleasure would give cause for BOB and the beings he influences - he possesses - to indulge in their sexuality. That would include using Leland's body to be sexually intimate with various people.
BOB is a serial rapist. Note that Laura asks BOB who he is as she's molested, Diane asks while reliving memories of her rape, and Leland/BOB asks Teresa if she knows who he is while he is in bed with her.

The Between Two Worlds feature included on The Entire Mystery and Z to A collections complicates matters as Leland states that it was he - not BOB - who had affairs with girls as young as his daughter. Though it may seem blasphemous, I do not believe this was necessarily the case when FWWM was filmed. Lynch seemingly, at one time, saw Judy as a "young lady"8. If Lynch was open to change concerning the character of Judy, one would think he would be in other aspects as well. Several points in the movie seem to oppose facts in the series, such as Cooper's role in the Teresa Banks' investigation, Laura's death being the result of multiple stab wounds vs. blood loss in the series, Laura's directness with Donna concerning her drug intake and role as a sex worker, among other incidents. In my eyes, it is difficult to fit the events of the film and the series together perfectly.



Leland/BOB's memories end for the moment, and Laura frantically asks who the man was that accosted them as he seemed familiar. Leland/BOB reassures her she doesn't know Gerard/Mike while questioning the matter at the same time. She then insists they sit still for a moment to recuperate. Leland/BOB turns the car off, ruminating on the encounter before he again returns to his memories. This memory is of another meeting with Teresa where Leland/BOB intends to meet her two girlfriends. When he sees that one of the girls at the motel is Laura, he panics and pays Teresa, claiming he "chickened out." Teresa is suspicious of his behavior and later deduces he is Laura's father. Her attempted blackmail leads to her death. Realistically, one would think it wouldn't be that abnormal for Teresa to have clients who wish to remain unknown or who renege. As the film paints matters, the only way a man might not follow through, is if he has a secret. 

As Leland/BOB retreats, walking through the parking lot of the Red Diamond City Motel, Pierre Tremond begins to jump in circles behind him. It is unknown if Leland/BOB sees him as he doesn't react.



As for Leland/BOB's motivation for murdering Teresa, BOB would have cause to fear his unveiling as he had yet to fulfill his ultimate desire of possessing Laura. BOB also hadn't been permitted Laura's garmonbozia after revealing how he in all ways used her father's body. He wasn't ready to end her life or Leland's. He was still consuming their pain and would not wish to jeopardize his plans. I also believe BOB was afraid of Laura, despite what he would wish her to believe. Alternatively, if Leland acted alone, one would think in a town like Twin Peaks, where so many of its citizens have extra-marital affairs, it would hardly be cause for murder should it be discovered that a middle-class lawyer was guilty of sleeping with sex workers. 10 Even with the exposure of many of Ben Horne's illicit deeds, including adultery and sleeping with underage girls, he remains a relatively well-regarded member of the community.

BOB shows fear in the series. At the 1993 Twin Peaks fest, Frank Silvia said he was directed to "look worried" when BOB is crouched behind Laura's bed. Leland/BOB in the film displays worry as well, though we do not often associate that emotion with BOB.

When Leland/BOB returns from his memory, Laura asks him if he's sure he's okay. Ray Wise's voice is deeper as he replies, "yes," putting one in mind of his voice as he spoke on the phone with Teresa Banks. He remains out of sorts, his face running a gamut of emotions as silence passes between the two of them. His mind is far from the matter at hand, his eyes distant, and Laura is terrified by his behavior, but she also seems are and knows to study him. Again, notice the subtle bow of his head.



Finally, Laura asks Leland/BOB if he came home during the day last week. He turns to her, anger in his voice and eyes. "No," he replies, as though denying an accusation. Face red, he nonsensically yells for the mechanics to leave them alone, shifting his anger regarding her question to the nearby workers. If  BOB left Leland's body after Laura saw him in her room, if it was he alone who walked down the stairs outside their house to his car, what reason would he have for displaying such anger? He sinks back into his seat, his lower lip trembling. Laura watches him and seems to know by his demeanor who she is addressing. She knows BOB's mannerisms as she's been forced to face him for the past five years. When she speaks, it is with anger and courage: She wants the truth. She knows it already, but she wants him to confirm it. Leland/BOB unconvincingly feigns a return of memory, saying he did come in the house to get aspirin.

Laura confronts BOB/Leland; He suddenly remembers. 

I was reminded of Leland/BOB's voice in the series during a recent viewing of Fire Walk With Me.

A troubled acceptance seems to envelop Laura. It's almost as if she is thinking, "It is true. It was him." Though she acted convinced seconds earlier, some part of her doesn't want to hear the truth. She seems overburdened, self-doubting, trying to make sense of the situation, but not allowed the time to think. Leland/BOB tells her he didn't see her that day and asks her where she was, a challenge in his voice, a threat. Laura is afraid of him and unable to keep that fear and suspicion from showing. "I was just down the street," she answers. After this, the script states,

151.    CONTINUED:

    Laura studies the look in her father's eye as long as she dares and
    then turns away.

In the book Music in Twin Peaks: Listen to the Sounds, author Andrew T. Burt interprets the scene with the same reading, "Laura questions him, and her surety turns to fear as she realizes that he is BOB."

It seems to be BOB pacing the floor reliving the murder of Teresa Banks. The manner in which he holds himself, jaw downward, head bowed, eyes intense, and staring ahead, all call to mind previous moments when we held BOB's attendance.

Though we do not see BOB as Ms. Banks is murdered, I believe he is the being accountable for the crime. As already stated, BOB does not always appear when we know Leland is supposed to be possessed. We do not see him run from wall to wall in the prison cell at the Twin Peaks Sheriff's Department, nor as Cooper questions him. We know it is BOB, though we see his true face only as the sprinklers turn on, enraging him.

Jennifer Lynch's theory for why we do not see Leland during the murder is frequently quoted. In issue two of The Blue Rose Magazine, Ms. Lynch shares the following with David Bushman,

David Bushman: What I always found interesting is that in FWWM, when Leland kills Teresa Banks, you don't see him transform into Bob like you do when he kills Laura and Maddie.

Jennifer Lynch: I have a theory about that. I think that the mind and the heart would much rather put a different face on the monster than see one's own father, and to Teresa it didn't matter. What mattered was that whoever needed him to be someone else saw him as someone else.

 

Granted, Teresa would have no reason to see anyone other than Leland. However, I believe a similar logic applies to Ronette Pulaski. Ronette sees BOB, not Leland when she is attacked in the train car in the series. Ronette has no reason to create a mask for Leland because she is not close to Laura's parents. She was one of Laura's secret friends. Though Donna Hayward has reason to camouflage his face when she is threatened by Leland/BOB, she does not see him as the wild, long-haired man but as her best friend's father. In the series, Donna previously expressed a familiarity with Leland, which would give more reason for her to see Leland as BOB than Ronette. In episode 13 (2.006, Demons), Mike says, "This is his true face, but few can see it. The gifted and the damned." This could explain why Donna doesn't see BOB, as she is neither gifted nor damned, though the latter may be said of Teresa.

 

As Steven Miller of Twin Peaks Blog notes in this post, Teresa was murdered in the Chalfont trailer, which seems to tie the event to the supernatural. 9 As John J. Pierce wrote in Approaching Twin Peaks: Critical Essays on the Original Series, "Why would Cole designate Teresa Banks as one of his Blue Rose cases? He would do so only if he were already involved in the investigation of the paranormal, and recognized the signs."

Recall how there is a dirt mound beneath the Chalfont trailer when Agent Desmond disappears. Another dirt mound is found when Agent Cooper and Sheriff Truman search the train car where Laura was killed. It makes sense that a dirt mound is beneath the trailer as that is where Teresa died, again tying her death to Lodge spirits. 

  

In another post, Mr. Miller shares his belief that Teresa's murder was filmed after the end of principal location photography. Interestingly, in a video Mr. Miller uploaded of his 1996 visit to the Mt. Si Motel, he spoke with the motel owner who said Teresa's murder was filmed in the motel room, but changes were made during final cuts. If the scene was originally filmed at a different location, perhaps BOB was once involved. In the shooting script, Teresa was murdered in the woods.

Leland or BOB stands outside the house menacingly as he watches Laura speak to James Hurley.  Since Laura wanted James to remain her secret boyfriend, she would have reason to end her conversation with him either way. 

The shooting script contains dialogue never filmed or that was deleted:

Laura walks back to the front door where her father stands.

                  LELAND
            Who was that?

                   LAURA
            A friend from school.

                  LELAND
            A special friend?

    Laura looks at her Dad, eyeball to eyeball for a moment.  Then she
    walks past him to the stairs.

Leland/BOB's line of "A special friend" sounds very much like his phrasing at the dinner table, which would indicate this is BOB. He almost seems to have tied the necklace to James.

The man who silently demands Sarah drink laced milk may be BOB if we take into account deleted dialogue found in the shooting script.

                  LAURA
                   (to herself)
            The same ring...

    Laura is jolted by Bob's Voice.

                BOB'S VOICE
            That's not important.  I will tell you
            what is important.  The fan will soon be
            starting.

Since BOB can read minds, one could say he is alerting her of Leland's actions. However, we see both BOB and Leland in the scene with Laura. It is indicated that time passes before we see BOB enter the window after BOB/Leland starts the ceiling fan, meaning the two need not be separate.

In Laura's room, white-blue light washes over her like lighting. She lies in bed, looking toward the window. She knows the light to accompany BOB, and she anticipates his arrival. As she meets him face-to-face, she demands to know his true identity. As she continues to ask the same question, BOB eventually allows the answer. When Leland is revealed, his face is awash with BOB's knowing and complacency.

One can also think that Laura finally broke through the barrier either she or BOB had created instead of BOB willingly revealing the body he possesses. However, when Laura takes BOB's face in her hands and asks, "Who are you?" only to be met with a satisfied, sadistic grin, BOB seems too pleased with himself for this to be a moment when Laura has seized power. The film conveys that the revelation weighs on her heavily, almost breaking her. Perhaps BOB saw it as the final means of weakening her to aid in his desire of possessing Laura. He fed on her pain as well. I have always interpreted Leland/BOB's reveal in this way, and found that John Thorne voiced a similar view in The Essential Wrapped in Plastic, "In point of fact, Laura learns Bob's identity because Bob wants her to. he needs to wound her like never before. He needs to ruin her, to sap her of her will, to leave her senseless and vulnerable. That is why he comes to her now. He must hurt her before she can grow stronger."

At breakfast, Laura is in torment, shattered by the previous night. She radiates her suffering. Speaking to her with an air of lightness in his voice, Leland/BOB states, "Laura, honey, I really would like to talk to you." When Laura says nothing, Sarah tries to get her to talk, but Laura can't face her parents. She rushes from the table into the next room. Sarah acts as though she'll pursue her, but Leland insists he be the one to speak to her. He follows her to her room, his voice feigned innocence. "Laura, honey? Sweetheart? Laura, is something wrong this morning?" Laura collects her school books and moves to the door. "Stay away from me," she hisses with the same anger she displayed in the car.

Leland/BOB pauses and shakes his head as though he doesn't understand why she'd say such a thing. A small puzzled grin appears as he exhales. Laura remains unconvinced of his acting as she backs out of the room, maintaining the same hateful stare. Leland/BOB watches as she walks down the stairs. As soon as she is out of sight, his face alters to the face we know as BOB. He knows she sees through his act.

From the script,

    We stay on Leland.  His face changes.  He knows
she knows and knows what he has to do.

This description clouds matters as it almost makes it seem as though the moment when Leland's face was revealed did not happen. Why should BOB think he can fool Laura when she already knows the truth? As the scene is conveyed in the film, I feel as though BOB/Leland is almost mocking Laura with his false innocence, his puppetry of Leland.

BOB's act ends.

Leland/BOB watches James and Laura as they ride away on James' motorcycle. His harsh expression indicates this is BOB.

The extended shot as seen in The Return.

When Leland/BOB looks in the window of Jacques Renault's cabin, a flash of blue-white electrical light accompanies him. Pausing the scene frame-by-frame, one can tell that Laura notices the light and knows to look to the window. The light would suggest this is BOB. 

I believe Laura's murder is carried out by BOB, though the original ending may have seen Leland take Laura's life. Almost all of the images of Laura and Leland/BOB are fragmented during the murder. I wrote more on this here.

Leland and BOB are shown as one in the train car.

When the mirror is lowered beneath Laura, BOB seems to be controlling Leland, judging by his expression. We do not see BOB appear in his reflection, but the same applies to Laura. We do not see BOB's face immediately when Laura looks in the mirror.

Leland holds up the pages torn from Laura's diary, and his eyes display anger when he says, "Your diary". His voice and features quickly change to those of one crestfallen when he follows with, "I always thought you knew it was me."  BOB, in turn, appears and says, "I never knew you knew it was me."

 

I have tried to make sense of Leland and BOB's words. They almost seem to be given to the wrong character, as if they have exchanged places. BOB should say, "I always thought you knew it was me." After Leland's, "I never knew you knew it was me." 11 In the context of the film, BOB saying that he was unaware Laura knew it was him is confusing because the film, series, and The Secret Diary lead us to believe she always saw him as BOB. The scene where BOB the same as unveils Leland seems to support this view.  As quoted earlier, in the script, when Laura tells BOB/Leland to stay away from her, it says, "He knows she knows and he knows what he has to do." Which, again, contradicts BOB's words. Many ascribe to the contention that Laura created BOB to mask her father's abuse, and this, again, insinuates that BOB is the being Laura chose to see.

 

Continuing with the topic of Leland's line, "I always thought you knew it was me," ambiguity almost seems to be its reason for inclusion. 12

I believe we see Leland's spirit briefly before BOB/Leland enters the Black Lodge. Leland has tears in his eyes as he appears lost and beside himself. His changed facial appearance matches Laura's in the scene where she, as the script says, "allows the feeling of BOB to come over her." Perhaps Lynch made the spirit inside Leland's body visible just as he did with Laura. BOB was at some level residing within Laura. This is possibly the Leland inside, a man who has just taken his daughter's life, his body currently controlled by BOB. Laura's altered appearance seems to depict the evil taking hold. 

Note that Laura's eyes register a strange, wild happiness as the BOB inside briefly emerges. Her lips are spread in a sinister grin like the one seen as she stood beneath the ceiling fan in The Missing Pieces. She is the aggressor in this state. Leland's emotions are the opposite and seem to depict him as suffering. 

During my last viewing, I was reminded of the general feeling of the last few seconds  ofPhillip Jeffries' scene on the stairwell. Jeffries displays myriad emotions including confusion, fear, and desperation. He seems robbed of the ability to speak. He's powerless 

 

I believe it is BOB who enters the Black Lodge.

A friend saw the image above and said, "Leland is like cattle hooked to be butchered".

 

BOB and Leland separate in The Black Lodge. The scene as it appears in the script,

Leland stops when he sees them.  He divides.  One half becomes Bob - opaque.  The other half floats up and becomes Leland - transparent.

 

The series paints Leland as unknowing. One theory could be that when BOB consumes Leland's garmonbozia at the end of the film, he also takes with it Leland's memories. Though that theory doesn't seem to stand when Leland's memories are returned to him before his death. One would think, like his garmonbozia, they would have been permanently removed in their consumption. 13

 

In the David Lynch scripted feature, Between Two Worlds, found on The Entire Mystery and Z to A sets, Lynch has Leland say, "It was so dark then. And the things that were being done, they were not done by me. I did not do those things. Laura was my princess. My baby. My princess."

 

Laura on the same feature says, "I knew a man named Bob. And when he came to visit me, I knew my life was over." She says this after death, after she knows all, yet Laura still mentions BOB. She makes no mention of Sarah or Leland.

The Missing Pieces

It seems to be Leland who tries to teach Sarah and Laura how to introduce themselves to the soon-to-be visiting Norwegians. Ray Wise's performance at this moment seems more like the Leland we knew in the series.

When Leland charges into the room as a hungry giant, Laura voices her embarrassment. It's questionable if Laura would wish to do so if she knew her father to be abusive. 4

Sarah says, "Can't we talk about something serious for a change?" The way Grace Zabriskie delivers the line makes one think she means what she is saying. Sarah is tired of Leland's nonsensical behavior. Her attitude does not match with one used to their husband's habitual abuse of their daughter. Note that this is Leland's first appearance in the script.

Going with the story, the man placing a call with Teresa Banks may be BOB. Recall how the letters placed under the nails of BOB's victims come from the pages of Flesh World magazines.

When Teresa calls back with her blackmail scheme, Leland/BOB's facial expression seems to imply that we're seeing BOB. 

I can't say for certain who it is that reminds Laura not to forget Johnny Horne's birthday.

While Laura hides outside her house, waiting for James to arrive, Leland/BOB slowly makes his way up the stairs leading to their house. Threateningly, he stops more than once, looking straight at her, but continues as though he has not seen her. I believe this is BOB. He seems to be pretending so that he can instill fear, another game. BOB is drawn to fear and can read minds. As such, I do not see how he would not have known she was there. He had no reason to prevent her from going out as this is the night of her passing.

In summation, I believe Ray Wise portrays BOB during almost all of his screen time in Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me. 

  

Notes

1. 

In the script for episode four (The One Armed Man, 1.004), Bernard Renault's body was found wrapped in plastic. From the script:

LEO

        The Renault brothers? I broke up their act.
    
Leo uncovers a tarp revealing the dead body of BERNIE RENAULT, wrapped in plastic.

Notice that in the televised episode, Bernard's body is wrapped in a brown cloth and bound with rope. Though Laura's body was wrapped in plastic and bound by tape, it does look vaguely similar. 

 

 

2.
Focusing on the significance of plastic sheeting, when Cooper and Truman rescue Audrey from One-Eyed Jack's, plastic sheeting rests on the stairs in an area of construction. One-Eyed Jack's is tied to the Renault brothers and Ben Horne. Both Jacques and Ben were wrongfully arrested for Laura's murder.

3.
I recently visited a Claire's Boutique with a family member and found, without intent, several friendship necklaces. Claire's is a store that specializes in accessories for younger girls, though adults occasionally shop there as well.

 

 

When I first watched Twin Peaks, I thought Laura had given James his half of her heart necklace because we see her hands "break" the heart in two. The script to episode one supports this, "She takes the necklace from her pocket, "breaks" the heart in two, give half to James and puts the other half around her neck."

After searching through the scripts and my notes, James giving Laura the necklace seems to have been mentioned in the Pilot. Regardless if the necklace was given by Laura or James, it betrays their youth. 
 

Laura's hands separate her heart.

4. 
Though it may be controversial, I believe BOB was/is able to walk the earth in his own form. At the end of episode 27 (2.020, The Path to the Black Lodge), BOB appears at the entrance to the Black Lodge, long after Leland and Laura's deaths. We alone see him as there are no other characters present.



Some say that we should not consider BOB's appearance at the end of this episode canon because of Lynch's lack of involvement. We have no way of knowing if it was Frost, Peyton, Lynch or Engels who wished to incorporate BOB in this scene. Lynch was present during the second season, regardless. 

The Tweet below, made by Twitter user Dugpa, makes me think of the scene where The Man From Another Place and BOB appear before Josie's death. We saw The Man From Another Place in the real world at that moment. If The Man From Another Place may have once appeared in place of The Evolution of the Arm, a Lynch approved sequence, I feel there is no real reason to dismiss BOB's presence in Glastonberry Grove.

In unscripted dialogue in episode 17 (2.010, Dispute Between Brothers), Dale says, "I try to imagine him out there incarnate looking for another victim to inhabit." 

 

In episode three (1.003, Rest in Pain) Sheriff Truman tells Agent Cooper, "There's a sort of evil out there. Something very, very strange in these old woods. Call it what you want; a darkness, presence... It takes many forms. But it's been out there for as long as anyone can remember."

 
Laura writes of the woods as BOB's domain. They are an extension of his being. When she wants to challenge BOB, she goes to the woods. Whenever he comes to her window, he forces her to accompany him to the woods, where she believes he is protected.  

 

"This Mother Nature has not done away with this evil, nor has it opened its wood to allow a scream to escape. Instead, it cradles this man and keeps him safe from discovery, safe from daylight." - P. 70

"In the dark he knows he will find a grip around my wrist strong enough to silence me, and to carry me, like a child drags a doll, to a place where he knows no one will find me. He knows this because the place is miles from any source of light other than that which pours sometimes, so clearly in my memory, from his lips and eyes - the very light stolen from within me." P. 73

 
Why would BOB consistently take her to the woods if he were always in her father's body? If it is BOB possessing Leland, he threatens his exposure by escorting Laura to the woods. The same applies to Leland if he is acting alone. 

In The Return, BOB seems to exists in an orb that nestles within a body or can move on its own. When Josie dies, BOB appears to Cooper long after Leland and Laura have passed. 

The Secret Diary also contains a passage that in my mind opens a door for a theory that may seem implausible, but it is one I have some faith in.

 

From the Diary, 

"Is there something I can get for you, BOB . . . anything the family might own that you would take in trade for your permanent absence? Talk to me BOB . . . about a trade . . . trade me for something else.

I AGREE. I'LL TRADE.

Who will it be?

CAN'T TELL WITH THESE THINGS . . .  I MAY CHANGE MY MIND.

 

. . . I thought so. "

 P. 85. 

Laura says, "Who will it be?" She knows another person's life is at stake while she is bargaining with BOB. She is well aware, but she is desperate. Perhaps this is when BOB devises how he will use Leland as a form of retribution. He'll make the "trade" but not in accordance with Laura's rules. The entry is dated January 3rd, 1987. Fire Walk With Me takes place in 1988-89. The diary continues on through 1990. Therefore it cannot be used as a perfect guide concerning timelines. However, one can assume it takes place before BOB uses Leland to kill Teresa Banks.

Scott Ryan shares the following concerning an early draft of the film script in his book Twin Peaks: Your Laura Disappeared, "In Script1 only, after Laura leaves, Donna asks Doc if he thinks Laura is troubled. Donna thinks something is different about her." This makes it seems to support the possibility that what is happening to Laura is not something Donna is used to.

In episode one of the original series (Traces to Nowhere, 1.011), James tells Cooper that something happened to Laura shortly before her death. 

From the script, 

                  JAMES

(getting emotional)

I don't know. Something happened, a couple of days ago -

COOPER

What happened?

JAMES

I don't know exactly. I think something scared

her. She wouldn't talk to me, she wouldn't see

me for a couple days -

Fire Walk With Me tells us that James visits Laura on on Tuesday. In the script he visited on Saturday. Laura didn't learn or accept the truth about who BOB was inhabiting until Wednesday night, the night before she died. The dates do not match. Nonetheless, a change in Laura is mentioned. Something happened days before she died that scared her. 

In this podcast, the following exchange occurs between host Colin and Co-host Eryn:

Colin: "(...) There is that scene where James and Laura are talking, and Leland is just standing there with this ominous presence. I think, even putting aside what we know about Leland, there's just something about James from the outside looking in that's like, "This is just weird. I probably shouldn't be here at this time."

Eryn: "Yeah, that whole thing. I mean, this whole movie is uncomfortable, but that's a very uncomfortable scene. But I think at that point, the curtains are being pulled. They don't have this outward sense of show that they're the perfect family and stuff. And like it's starting to peel through. The illusion is fading. I think that kind of just shows. Because, if Leland was like that towards Bobby, or if Leland was like that towards anybody, like her whole life, I feel like it would have been a lot more obvious to people and harder to ignore. But since the illusion is fading and BOB seems to be inhabiting Leland or coming forward in Leland more often.  So actually, that's just a really good indicator of that."

In the European pilot, Mike tells Cooper, "I was watching, Mr. Cooper, for over a year. Waiting for Bob to come out again." This could potentially indicate that BOB had been existing outside of Leland or that he was not forcing his host to act out during his intermission. In episode 13 (Demons, 2.006) Mike tells Cooper, "But then I saw the Face of God and was purified. I cut off my arm. And remained close to this vessel. Inhabiting from time to time for a single purpose." 

 

The series leads us to believe BOB may inhabit or shapeshift into owls, which would indicate he is free to leave the vessels he possesses when he pleases. Leland said he was a child when BOB first came to him, but that does not necessarily mean BOB constantly resided in Leland since that initial meeting. In The Secret Diary, BOB first came to Laura when she was a little girl. He used to play with her in the woods.  

 

From this post:

 

"My opinion is that Laura may have not been sexually abused by BOB when he first came to her. The way Laura writes at age 12 suggests she may not have had sex.  She was still learning about her body when she experienced her first period in August. In September, she discovered that someone had found and read her diary. She didn't write again for over a year. BOB could have started sexually abusing her in that time. She is somewhat changed with her return and writes of his abuse. In this scenario, she could have been 12 when BOB began to sexually molest her. Laura's experience with Josh and Rick (when she is 13) seems to have been her first consensual sexual encounter. She later writes, after speaking with Donna, that she was able to do things she had wondered about for so long. At the same time, Donna noticed that her friend acted as though she was sexually experienced. She even asked Laura if she'd secretly been seeing a boy.

Some of Laura's earliest memories of BOB were of playing with him in the woods. This seems to be how he initially came to her. In an entry dated June 22, 1986 (p. 57) Laura describes how BOB used to cut her. This may have been the early abuse she suffered, why she would write I hope BOB doesn't come tonight so early in the novel.

From The Secret Diary of Laura Palmer,

"He first started to play with me. We would chase each other through the woods, and he would always find me . . . but I could never find him. He would come up from behind me and grab my shoulders and ask me my name. I would tell him it was Laura Palmer, and he would let go and turn me around and laugh. When I think about it, he wasn't playing the way he should have been. He was being very mean to me, and he was scaring me all the time. I think he likes it when I am frightened." (p. 57)
 
"A memory of skipping
I was small, looking up at him
Before he told me to lie down
Or to say things
Before he told me
That opening my mouth was bad
That we had a secret
Before he began to turn me inside out
With his dirty claws
Before I sat on the tiny hill
We used to skip
Hold hands
Talk about what we saw
He told me what to see
But I didn't see it
I have been blind
I think
Ever since the skipping stopped."
(p. 53)

A slightly conflicting poem appears on page 12, written a few days after Laura's 12th birthday. A few lines follow,

"Come out and play come play
Lie still     Lie still     Lie still"

When Laura is fifteen, she writes that she has a memory of skipping associated with BOB before he told her to lie down, though an entry from 1984, when she was twelve, indicates he may have already told her to "lie down". Though to 'lie still' may have been connected to BOB's practice of bloodletting. From Laura's description, "In a forest of trees again and again, I have been brought down. Surgery of a strange and indescribable nature takes place. Blood is let." and "Sometimes he would cut me between my legs, and other times he would cut me inside my mouth. Always tiny little cuts, hundreds of tiny little cuts."

There is more on this theory here. A related post here. Robert Engles, co-writer of Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me, is quoted as saying BOB can move from person to person. Before Leland dies he says, "When he was inside me, I didn't know ... when he was gone, I couldn't remember ... "

5.
Laura completes a similar action when she encounters Margaret Lanterman outside the Roadhouse.

6.
Before her death at BOB's hands, Maddy Ferguson said, "What is that smell? It smells like something burning." Sheriff Truman and Agent Cooper said the oil the Log Lady received from her husband smelled like scorched engine oil. Ronette Pulaski tied the scent to the night Laura was killed. Dr. Jacoby also smelled scorched engine oil. 

7.
Recall how in the series, one of Laura's diary entries found at the Tremond apartment states, "Somebody has to stop Bob. Bob's only afraid of one man. He told me once. A man named Mike."

Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me co-writer Robert Engels has on several occasions discussed BOB and Mike's feud. In issue #58 of Wrapped in Plastic Magazine, Craig Miller and John Thorne interviewed Robert Engles. Mr. Miller and Mr. Thorne mention a letter from a fan that was filled with quotes the fan had copied from Engels. A portion of their exchange is as follows:

Craig Miller Another thing the letter claimed is that the origin of Mike and Bob was a planet of corn, that they "fell out with each other on December 31, 1951, and Bob stole a can of corn from Mike. The chase eventually led to Twin Peaks." What can you tell us about this?

Robert Engels I was being somewhat facetious there, [but] that's pretty close to it. That's one version.

And onwards:

John Thorne You mention this disagreement between Mike and BOB. Mike seems to be the one in control at the end of the film. He's almost the patriarchal figure who disciplines BOB.

Robert Engels I think Mike is the stronger. David might disagree, but I think Mike is the more Sherpa-like. He knows what he has to do. These two guys want to go home. They don't like being where they are.

John Thorne: He seems to be a weaker character in the series.

Robert Engels: The film happens before the series, and his prominence would diminish in the series. The cool thing about a prequel is that you have perfect hindsight. It is legitimate to say that Mike is more important at the beginning of the story than he is during the story. But that is how we constructed it. That's the fun of doing a prequel. People are different. In the series, because of the sequential nature of it. It became much more important to see how Bob jumped from person to person, whereas Mike stayed Mike.

At the end of the film, BOB seems to begrudgingly acquiesce to MIKE/The Man From Another Place in giving them Leland's garmonbozia. A close-up of The Man From Another Place's mouth confirms that he consumes the pain and sorrow. A production still shows Gerard/MIKE, BOB, and The Man From Another Place at a distance. I recall reading a post on the Dugpa forum stating a photo exists of BOB feeding The Man From Another Place, but I cannot find the post now. A similar photo is included on a feature on The Entire Mystery and Z to A sets. 

Frank Silvia shared some information at the Twin Peaks Festival in 1993: "The only time we [he and David Lynch] really discussed BOB was doing Fire Walk With Me, and we were doing the Red Room scene. And you know, we were talking about BOB as being the bad seed. He was the bad seed of the group, and it didn't matter to him how much trouble he caused. Whether it was in the limbo world or whether it was in the real world, he just didn't care. He was, you know, this obnoxious punk who doesn't care what kind of havoc he wreaks in any world. And he's out to have fun. He doesn't care about the consequences because he knows he's not gonna worry about it."  The video can be viewed here.

My theory is that MIKE is angry with BOB for his recklessness and the theft of "corn" that is rightfully his. That is why I believe he is forced to let MIKE consume Leland's garmonbozia. BOB seems angry while surrendering it at Mike's demand. But he is forced to give his due. It's beyond his control.

In the film, Gerard/MIKE runs in search of BOB and finds him in the process of murdering Laura. In the final cut of Fire Walk With Me, Gerard/MIKE seems to throw the Owl Cave Ring into the train car. However, in the 8/8/91 draft of the script, the ring is not mentioned. From the script,

    Gerard leans in to take a look and steps back laughing.  he yells out
    for Bob to hear.

                GERARD (continued)
            THAT'S HIS OWN DAUGHTER YOU'RE
            KILLING.

    He continues to laugh and runs away from the train car.

Note that the script description and Gerard refer to BOB.  There is more on a different reason for Gerard's arrival, Al Strobel's comments on the scene, and more here.

 
Martha P. Nochimson writes in the book The Passion of David Lynch, "The reckoning BOB must make calls for him to heal Leland, who is bleeding as Cooper bled in the final scene in the Red Room of the series, and to return the corn he stole." And later, "In this scene in the Red Room, MIKE and BOB perform a ritual of transubstantiation that redeems all the chaos of the rational space of ordinary reality. The return to wholeness of the masculine creative potential occurs when BOB heals Leland's wound. This healing is represented as the return of "garmonbozia," pain and sorrow, to MIKE and the Little Man." 

 

9.
In The Missing Pieces, Phillip Jeffries asks, "Do you have a Miss Judy staying here by any chance?" The hotel clerk hands him a note, saying, "This is for you. La senorita - the young lady - she left it for you." Robert Engels has said Judy was originally meant to be Josie's sister. My hope is that she was originally pictured as Laura in some form.

  

10.
A few instances in canon that see BOB as Teresa's killer:

• In the series, Leland says, "Oh God, they had me kill that girl, Theresa, and they said if I didn't give them Laura to them they'd have make me kill her too ... " In the script, Albert repeats, "They?" emphasizing the word for viewers.   "They" would I assume mean the group seen above the convenience store. 

• In the pilot script, Cooper and Mike converse over the phone:

FIGURE'S VOICE

 [...] You know about Theresa Banks, the pretty girl they found last year ...
    
  COOPER
        Yes, I know about Theresa
    
     FIGURE'S VOICE
        I know the man who did her ... 

Leland is not possessed in the European pilot. BOB acts alone. The dialogue is from the European cut, which isn't typically seen as canon. Though some elements from the sequence are later used in the series.

• In the pilot, Cooper tells the people of Twin Peaks, "There are irrefutable similarities that for obvious reasons I will not specify, that lead us to conclude that Laura Palmer is the second, and Sharon Pulaski would have been the third victim, of the same killer."In My Life, My Tapes, Cooper tells Diane, "Diane, as Gordon thought, everything about this has the feel of a serial killing. The question is, is this the beginning of something, or the end?
  

10. 

That is not to say Leland is incapable of murder. I believe he killed Jacques Renault in a moment of madness brought on by grief. His grief does not excuse his actions.

11.
Though BOB plays a smaller role in Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me, he is nevertheless a vital character. David Lynch was wholly in charge of the film, unlike the series, and with his freedom, he did not choose to omit BOB from Laura's story. That being said, Lynch also chose to feature BOB in The Return. 

 

In the book Lynch on Lynch, David Lynch says the following when asked about the scene in the pilot where Sarah and Leland simultaneously realize their daughter has been killed, "[...] It's watching two people realize something horrible. And it happens all the time, in a sequence. And the audience knows much more than they do. And it's so painful."   

 

Saying "The audience knows more than they do" suggests that Leland is unaware of Laura's death, making it seem as though he did not act on his own.

Further on, in the book, Chris Rodley writes, "The great thing about the presence of Bob is that Leland can almost remain a nice guy. He's not horrible, he's been possessed."

David Lynch: "He's a victim. Everybody that has done bad things is not all bad. It's just that one problem which becomes a little too great. People are always saying, 'He was such a nice neighbour. I can't believe he could do that to those children and his wife!' It's always the way."

And later still, Rodley: "But it made perfect sense, as the real killer was not flesh and blood, that the story could continue - almost for ever. It defies resolution. I sort of assume that Twin Peaks is still there, it's just that no one is pointing the camera at it now."

Lynch: "Right. That's a good way to think. I know that world and I love it so much. It's a real pull to go back and revisit it. Bob was one point of Twin Peaks that could've lived on and been dealt with in different ways."

 

The last quote seems to imply that Lynch sees BOB as a creation that exists outside of Laura and Leland. 

 

 

12.  

There is always in the back of my mind, a nagging thought or sense that BOB is somehow using Leland's voice to mock him. A friend voiced the same thought, but the matter is how? The shooting script doesn't contain Leland's lines concerning the diary nor BOB's connecting lines. As stated elsewhere on this blog, the placement of Leland's lines in the script feels odd, as if they have been set where they are almost as an afterthought. 

 

                    LELAND
            DON'T MAKE ME DO IT.

                   LAURA
            NO, YOU HAVE TO KILL ME.

                  LELAND
            I always thought you knew it was me.

                   LAURA
             (into Bob in the mirror)
            NO!  YOU CAN'T HAVE ME.
                (to Leland)
            KILL ME.

Laura begs her father to kill her, and the use of all capitals denotes urgency, great emotion. There doesn't seem time nor does it seem the place for Leland to lament, "I always thought you knew it was me." Laura is on the verge of possession. It is essential they act in haste. Laura's line of "NO! YOU CAN'T HAVE ME" is in reply to BOB. One train of thought is that she is addressing BOB who, as Leland, just said the line, "I always thought you knew it was me." Perhaps BOB originally had a line in place of Leland's that was removed.

 

 

13.

In her notes for Fire Walk With Me in the book The Passion of David Lynch, author Martha P. Nochimson writes,

Blood images that veer away from the pure biology of bleeding play a recurring role in the Lynchian vision. The chain of visionary images begins with The Alphabet and continues through Henry's nosebleed in Eraserhead when Mrs. X forces him to marry Mary, the images of the sinister Harkonnen heartplug in Dune, the blood from the eyes of the Bene Gessert Sisters in the same film, Cooper's wound in the last scene in the Red Room, and Leland's wound in Fire Walk with Me. Since Leland/BOB is the knife-wielding aggressor in Fire, his wound is particularly puzzling. Some light is shed on the representation of the murder as one who bleeds in one of the Log Lady's prologue's for the rerun of Twin Peaks on the Bravo network:

The heart. It is a physical organ we all know. But how much more an emotional organ. This we also know. Love like blood flows from the heart. Are blood and love related? Does a heart pump blood as it pumps love? Is love the blood of the universe?

The Log Lady's intuitive correlations suggest a Lynchian kind of non-logic in which Leland's wound takes on a larger meaning as a stigma associated with an insult to the supply of cosmic love. Thus, the healing also assumes a resonance as part of the restoration of universal peace and love.

The area from which Leland bleeds reminds one of the wounds Dale, Caroline, and Annie exhibit in the Black Lodge in the final episode of season two. Dale's wound is, I believe, his wound from the incident in Pittsburgh reopened. The same applies to Annie, who has received the wound of Dale's former lover, Caroline. Notice that the scars have not reopened on Annie's wrists. The wound she is given is not her own. Cooper could be said to have received his wound because of his love for Caroline. Perhaps Annie, in turn, is dealt Caroline's wound because she loves Dale. If wounds and their blood are linked to love. Perhaps the same applies to Leland. Though I know the cause of his wound, I wonder if it was dealt because of his paternal love for his daughter. More on this in #15 Blue Rose Magazine. If you have already read the quote from Mr. Wise in the magazine or Scott Ryan's Fire Walk With Me: Your Laura Disappeared, I want to ask how someone without a conscience can feel guilt?

 

I've heard people question why Lynch and Frost chose Laura's father as the killer if they planned to involve possession. One could say any of the characters could have been possessed. It need not have been Laura's father. In turn, many believe Leland's possession assuages his culpability. The only theory I can provide is that if you were a loving father, being forced to molest and kill your daughter would be the ultimate torture. Such anguish would provide great sustenance for beings that feed on pain and sorrow.