The Differences Between The Third and Fourth Drafts for the Script for 2.001



Reddit user Devtrav1917 recently shared the third draft of the script for season two, episode one. They wrote that the script formerly belonged to their uncle, Christopher Gerrity, who was a first and second assistant director. You can read their posts on Reddit here: Link 1 and Link 2 

The script Devtrav1917 provided is a third draft with revisions dated:

July 7, 1990
July 9, 1990
July 10, 1990

The script available on Glastonberrygrove.net is the fourth draft of the script with revisions made:

July 7, 1990
July 9, 1990
July 10, 1990
July 24, 1990

The two drafts available online are almost exactly the same. All changes in dialogue and actions will be noted and underlined. 

The first difference appears during Agent Cooper's meeting with The Giant. 

The 3rd Draft

GIANT
The first thing I will tell you is: "Shock in a big rubber bag."

COOPER
(mumbles to himself, trying to remember)
"Shock ... big rubber bag."

GIANT
The second thing is: "The owls are not what they seem."

Cooper repeats the words, clinging to them. 

GIANT
The third thing is: "He can only point one way but he needs the proper chemical."

Cooper repeats the phrase to himself. 

COOPER
What, what does this mean?

GIANT
That is all  I am permitted to say. If you find these
things to be true, I will visit you again. We want to help you. 

COOPER
Who's we?

GIANT
And of course you know Leo didn't do it. You will
require medical attention. 

Cooper looks down at his shirt. A bloodstain is slowly spreading across his midsection. He looks back. The Giant is gone. Cooper doesn't move. 

COOPER
Holy jumpin' George. 


The 4th Draft

GIANT (CONTINUED)
The first thing I will tell you is: "The man in the smiling bag."

COOPER
(mumbles to himself, trying, to remember)
"Smiling bag."

 GIANT
The second thing is: "The owls are not what you think."

Cooper repeats the words, clinging to them.

GIANT
(CONTINUED)
The third thing is: "He points without the proper chemical."

Cooper repeats the phrase to himself.

                                                                                                      (CONTINUED)

2.001 Revised 7-24-90, YELLOW 4. 2.

CONTINUED:(3)

COOPER
What, what does this mean?

GIANT
This is all I am permitted to say. If you find these
things to be true, I will visit you again. We want to help you.

COOPER
Who's "we?"

GIANT
One last thing: Leo locked inside a hungry horse. By the
way, you will require medical attention.

Cooper looks down at his shirt. A bloodstain is slowly spreading across his midsection. He looks back. The Giant is gone. Cooper doesn't move.

COOPER
Holy jumpin' George.

The second difference is a bracketed line reading "plus other drug paraphernalia." I have not altered the original spelling.  Ben - not Jerry - gives Blackie drugs in both versions of the script.  Richard Beymer reportedly did not want to film his scene as Ben Horne in Fire Walk With Me because it involved him supplying drugs for Laura. Perhaps Mr. Beymer didn't wish to participate here as well. 

The 3rd Draft

Ben tosses the packet onto the desk, shakes his head and exits. Blackie looks at the packet, opens a drawer, takes out a length of rubber tubing and sets it on the desk. 

The 4th Draft

Ben tosses the packet onto the desk, shakes his head and exits. Blackie looks at the packet, opens a drawer [plus other drug paraphenalia], takes out a length of rubber tubing and sets it on the desk.

The third major difference is the addition of a scene that may have been omitted in the third draft. 

The 3rd Draft

7. INT. MILL - DAWN Details of the ravaged interior. A scorched moose head on a wall. A ruined office. Water and ash dripping into a tea cup. A blackened fire extinguisher.

CUT TO 

OMITED

The 4th Draft

7. INT. MILL - DAWN Details of the ravaged interior. A scorched moose head on a wall. A ruined office. Water and ash dripping into a tea cup. A blackened fire extinguisher.

CUT TO: 8. EXT. MILL - DAWN PARAMEDICS wheel PETE MARTELL out of the mill, his face covered with an oxygen mask.

They load Pete, into the back of an ambulance. SHELLY JOHNSON is already inside on another gurney, also taking oxygen. SHERIFF TRUMAN stands by the ambulance doors. Pete takes Truman's hand, partially lifts off his mask.

PETE
Catherine?

TRUMAN
Not yet, Pete.

8.     CONTINUED:                                                                                                          


They look at each other. Pete coughs, they readjust his mask, slide the gurney in, close the doors. The siren starts up, the ambulance drives off. Truman moves away and is joined by DEPUTY HAWK

HAWK
Josie's not at Blue Pine, she's not at the office -

TRUMAN
Keep looking.

HAWK
Harry, we've looked everywhere -

TRUMAN
(hard)
Keep looking.

DEPUTY ANDY lopes up to them.

TRUMAN (CONTINUED)
Andy, where the hell is Cooper?

ANDY
It's the strangest thing, I was talking to him and he put the phone down and walked away and it sounded like somebody was banging real loud on the door -

TRUMAN
And?

ANDY
And then I heard a sound like somebody falling down and then about a minute went by and somebody hung up the phone. 

Hawk and Truman look at each other.

Another subtle addition: Leo's name is added after the word "punk." 

The 3rd Draft


BEN
(lowers his voice)
Agenda: let's get a location on Catherine, keep our
distance, We just want to be sure she's ready to take the
fall, I want a complete medical on Leo Johnson's
prospects for recovery and a satisfying explanation from
Hank Jennings why that punk isn't being measured for a
plot at Ghostwood Memorial Park

The 4th Draft

BEN
(lowers his voice)
Agenda: let's get a location on Catherine, keep our
distance, We just want to be sure she's ready to take the
fall, I want a complete medical on Leo Johnson's
prospects for recovery and a satisfying explanation from
Hank Jennings why that punk [LEO] isn't being measured for a
 plot at Ghostwood Memorial Park

The 3rd draft focuses on a conversation between Lucy and Philip Gerard. The 4th draft introduces a third character into the conversation, a "chatty" mailman named Tom. The 3rd draft contains large, blank spaces due to the removed dialogue. Note the misspelling of Gerard's name in both drafts. Lucy is called "Luce" by the mailman. At one point her name is written as such above her dialogue. 

The 3rd Draft

Albert exits the station, passing PHILLIP MICHAEL GIRARD, the one-armed man, just entering, muscling in his hefty sample case. He approaches Lucy, back at her desk.           
                                                             
                                                                                                                             (CONTINUED)

35. CONTINUED: 


GIRARD
Excuse me, is Sheriff Truman here?

LUCY
He is but he's busy at the moment, may I help you?

GIRARD
I'm afraid I don't have an appointment.

GIRARD
The Sheriff asked me to stop by at my convenience, this was the first convenient moment.

LUCY
(to Girard)
Will the Sheriff know what this is regarding?

GIRARD
(a big smile, lifts his case)
I'm here to sell him some shoes.


The 4th Draft

Albert exits the station, passing PHILLIP MICHAEL GIRARD, the one-armed man, just entering, muscling in his hefty sample case. He approaches Lucy, back at her desk. [Behind] [him comes TOM, the mailman, a small, chatty fellow, carrying the day's load, including] [a fair]- (more) (CONTINUED)

35. CONTINUED: [sized box.]

GIRARD
Excuse me, is Sheriff Truman here?

LUCY
He is but he's busy at the moment, may I help you?

[Tom holds up the mail, shows Lucy the box.]

[TOM]
[Got a box here, Luce.]

[LUCY]
[Thanks, Tom, just set it down there on the floor in front]
[of the desk next to this gentleman.]

 [TOM]
[Pretty good-sized box.]

GIRARD
I'm afraid I don't have an appointment.

[TOM]
[(a snoop)]
[Addressed to that Agent Cooper, care of the Sheriff.]
[What do you suppose this could be?]

[LUCY]
[I'm sure I don't know.]

GIRARD
The Sheriff asked me to stop by at my convenience, this was the first convenient moment.

[TOM]
[Return address Washington, D.C., our nation's capital.]

[LUCY]
[(trying to get rid of him)] [Thanks, Tom. Put the box down now.]

[TOM]
[I don't think it's fragile, least ways it's not marked]
[fragile.]

[LUCE]
[See you tomorrow, Tom.]       

                                                                                                              (CONTINUED).

35. CONTINUED:(2)

[TOM]
[You bet'cha.] [Tom winks and exits.]

LUCY
(to Girard)
Will the Sheriff know what this is regarding?


GIRARD
(a big smile, lifts his case)
I'm here to sell him some shoes.


The scene at Calhoun Memorial Hospital has many changes in the 4th draft, including an omitted scene with Doc Hayward, and Ed showing a greater amount of care for Nadine. One is granted access to the writing process in reading dialogue once meant for one character but later given to another. Almost all alterations in the 4th draft are easily noticed because they are in brackets. 

The 3rd Draft

41. INT. HOSPITAL CORRIDOR - DAY Bobby slips away as Cooper, Truman and Albert come around the corner. Truman catches a glimpse of Bobby.                                     

                                                                                                                             (CONTINUED)

41. CONTINUED:

TRUMAN
Bobby Briggs.

COOPER
What's he doing here?

TRUMAN
He didn't look sick. 

They look at each other. 

ALBERT
To see this kind of investigative genius at work, this a real treat for me.

They look at him and move on. They find Ed Hurley at the coffee bar, across the hall from Nadine's room.


COOPER
(moving to him)
Ed ... how is she?

ED
She's in a coma. They say there's nothing else we can do. She has to want to come back.

COOPER
How are you?

ED
(pause, summing up succinctly)
All I can do is think about the things I should have said or done.

COOPER
Don't be too hard to yourself

ED
I never believed in fate. I always thought you make your own way, you take care of your own and you clean up after yourself.

ALBERT
(pause, as usual)
Farmer's almanac?

ED
(ignoring him)
So you see, for me to say to myself now that Nadine's
had an appointment with those pills from the get-go ...
(struggling with his emotions)
just to make myself feel better ... that's about as low
as a man can sink. I saw this coming and didn't want to
believe it. What's worse is, I'm sitting here thinking
maybe there's some part of me that didn't want to stop

(more)

                                                                                                                              (CONTINUED)

42. CONTINUED:

ED
(CONTINUED)
her. That's a full load.

COOPER
(nods, pause)
When did you get married, Ed?

ED
Right out of high school. See, Norma and I'd been together
four years. Everybody figured we'd get hitched, that'd be that,
I barely knew Nadine to say hello to. That
spring, one bad weekend, Norma ran off with Hank.
I was so twisted up inside I couldn't see straight. When I
opened my eyes there was Nadine right in front of me.
There was something so ... sweet and helpless about her.
We drove all night. Ended up in some little town in
Montana, out past Great Falls ... I asked her to marry
me, half-joking, half-drunk, half-crazy. It was getting
light when we found a Justice of the Peace.
(pause)
Norma, she ... she hadn't even slept with Hank.
The look on her face when she found out ...
(pause)
Nadine and I, we went up to my Dad's old cabin, up in
Eagle Pass. Honeymoon. I was hoping maybe we'd get
around to talking about an anullment, a divorce,
anything. But Nadine was so happy.
(pause)
The first day we went hunting pheasant. Nadine was a
crack shot. We had two birds already, but I felt good
shooting, liked the way the sound echoed and rolled
down those hills. I fired. A piece of buckshot skipped
off a rock and caught her square in the eye.
(pause)
She laid across my lap as I drove us back to town.
She never cried, never blamed me, never hated me for it.
'Couple months later, Norma married Hank.
(pause)
I don't believe in fate. You make your bed. You sleep in it.

Cooper's moved. Albert takes out a handkerchief, pretends to dab at his eyes.

HAWK'S VOICE
Ed? Someone here to see you.

He turns. James steps into view. We see Hawk in background. Ed and James embrace.
Cooper, Truman and Albert withdraw. 

                                                         (more)


43. INT. HOSPITAL CORRIDOR - DAY

Cooper, Truman and Albert walk slowly away. Cooper shakes his head.

TRUMAN
(to Hawk, quietly)
Take James back when they're done.

Hawk nods. Cooper and Truman continue on.

COOPER
Poor Ed. Poor Nadine.

TRUMAN
(says volumes)
Yeah.

They move around the corner.


                                                                                                                                 CUT TO:

#43 OMITED



The 4th draft


41. INT. HOSPITAL CORRIDOR - DAY Bobby slips away as Cooper [, ALBERT] and Truman come around the corner. Cooper [Truman] catches a glimpse of Bobby. (CONTINUED)

41. CONTINUED:

COOPER [TRUMAN]
Bobby Briggs.

TRUMAN [COOPER]
What's he doing here?

COOPER [TRUMAN]
He didn't look sick.

They look at each other. They move on, find Doc Hayward at the coffee bar.

[ALBERT]
[To see this kind of investigative genius at work, this a]
[real treat for me.] 

[They look at him and move on. They find Ed Hurley at the coffee bar, across the hall from] [Nadine's room.]

COOPER
Doc, who was Bobby Briggs visiting?

HAYWARD
I didn't even know he was here. 

TRUMAN
How's it going, Doc?

HAYWARD
Thank god for the coffee bean.

COOPER
(pouring one for himself)
Doc, you said a mouthful.

HAYWARD
I still think you ought to be resting.

TRUMAN
How does that saying go, is it no rest for the weary?

COOPER
I thought it was no rest for the wicked.

HAYWARD
I never could get that straight.

Cooper looks in the room across the hall at intensive care, at Ed Hurley, sitting by Nadine's bedside.

COOPER
Excuse me for a moment...

Cooper moves stiffly into the room across the hall.                                                        CUT TO


42. INT. INTENSIVE HOSPITAL ROOM - DAY

Cooper knocks gently on the doorframe. Ed, seated by the bed, holding Nadine's hand. Ed glances back at him.

ED
Agent Cooper ...

COOPER
(moving to him)
Ed ... how is she [Nadine]?

ED
(almost a whisper)
She's in a coma. They say there's nothing else we can do. She has to want to come back.

Cooper puts a hand on Ed's shoulder.

ED
(CONTINUED)
I don't know why I'm whispering ...

COOPER
How are you?

ED
(pause, summing up succinctly)
All I can do is think about the things I should have said or done.

COOPER
Don't be too hard to yourself

ED
I never believed in fate. I always thought you make your own way, you take care of your own and you clean up after yourself.

COOPER
Sound advice.

[ALBERT]
[Farmer's almanac?].

ED
So you see, for me to say to myself now that Nadine's had an appointment with those pills from the get-go ... (struggling with his emotions) just to make myself feel better ... that's about as low as a man can sink. I saw this coming and didn't want to believe it. What's worse is, I'm sitting here thinking maybe there's some part of me that didn't want to stop

(more)

                                                                                                                              (CONTINUED)

42. CONTINUED:

ED
(CONTINUED)
her. That's a full load.

COOPER
(nods, pause)
When did you get married, Ed?

ED
Right out of high school. See, Norma and I'd been together all through school [four years]. Everybody figured we'd get hitched, that'd be that, I barely knew Nadine to say hello to. That spring, one bad weekend, Norma ran off with Hank. I was so twisted up inside I couldn't see straight. When I opened my eyes there was Nadine right in front of me. There was something so ... sweet and helpless about her. We drove all night. Ended up in some little town in Montana, out past Great Falls ... I asked her to marry me, half-joking, half-drunk, half-crazy. It was getting light when we found a Justice of the Peace.
(pause)
Norma, she ... she hadn't even slept with Hank. The look on her face when she found out ...
(pause)
Nadine and I, we went up to my Dad's old cabin, up in Eagle Pass. Honeymoon. I was hoping maybe we'd get around to talking about an anullment, a divorce, anything. But Nadine was so happy.
(pause)
The first day we went hunting pheasant. Wanted to bag our own dinner. Nadine was a crack shot. We had two birds already, but I felt good shooting, liked the way the sound echoed and rolled down those hills. I fired. A piece of buckshot skipped off a rock and caught her square in the eye.
(pause)
She laid across my lap as I drove us back to town. She never cried, never blamed me, never hated me for it. 'Couple months later, Norma married Hank.
(pause)
I don't believe in fate. You make your bed. You sleep in it. 

Cooper's moved. Ed strokes Nadine's cheek, moves a strand of hair. A soft knock on the door. [Albert takes out a handkerchief, pretends to dab at his eyes.]

TRUMAN [HAWK'S VOICE]
Ed? Someone here to see you.

[He turns. James steps into view. We see Hawk in background. Ed and James embrace.] [Cooper, Truman and Albert withdraw.] (more) 


42. CONTINUED:(2) He turns. James steps into the doorway. We see Hawk in background. Ed rises. He and James embrace. Cooper withdraws from the room.

                                                                                                                                    CUT TO:

43. INT. HOSPITAL CORRIDOR - DAY

Cooper [, Albert] and Truman walk slowly away. Cooper shakes his head.

TRUMAN
(to Hawk, quietly)
Take James back when they're done.

Hawk nods. Cooper and Truman continue on.

COOPER
Poor Ed. Poor Nadine.

TRUMAN
(says volumes)
Yeah.

They move around the corner.

The next change is simply the word "going" altered to "go."

The 3rd Draft

COOPER
(CONTINUED)
The Log Lady heard a Third Man pass by her cabin, going up the hill. This Third Man witnessed the events in the cabin, watching through a window.

The 4th Draft

COOPER
(CONTINUED)
The Log Lady heard a Third Man pass by her cabin, go up the hill. This Third Man witnessed the events in the cabin, watching through a window.

The 4th draft has an addition of [ILLICIT MILL LEDGER ON DESK]

The 3rd Draft

69. INT. BEN HORNE'S OFFICE - NIGHT Someone's waiting in the office. As Ben and Jerry enter, the figure turns; Hank Jennings. 

The 4th Draft

69. INT. BEN HORNE'S OFFICE - NIGHT Someone's waiting in the office. As Ben and Jerry enter, the figure turns; Hank Jennings. [ILLICIT MILL LEDGER ON DESK] 

The final difference is during the Hayward Supper Club. Doc Hayward has another line of dialogue in the third draft. 

The 3rd Draft

They're gone. Leland looks over at Doc. Doc's got an elbow on the table, propping up his chin. He's sound asleep. His chin slips, he wakes with a start.

LELAND
Long day, Will?

DOC
I feel like I've sat through back to back operas. In med school, you learn how to get by on three hours a night and cat naps. 

The 4th Draft

They're gone. Leland looks over at Doc. Doc's got an elbow on the table, propping up his chin. He's sound asleep. His chin slips, he wakes with a start.

LELAND
Long day, Will?

DOC
I feel like I've sat through back to back operas.

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