Numbed and Raised Limbs

This was once part of my post focused on shaking hands. It has since been edited. Should I find any other examples, they will be added in the future. 

This post is meant to document the characters who experience numbed limbs in Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me, the original series, The Missing Piece and The Return. 

In the film, Agents Sam Stanley and Chester Desmond investigate the murder of Teresa Banks. Irene, Teresa's co-worker tells the agents, "Once, for about three days, just before her time, Teresa's arm went completely dead... Her left arm. It was numb. She said she couldn't use it."

 
Laura Palmer wakes after a strange dream or vision to find that her left arm is numb. In her closed fist, she will find the Owl Cave ring.

In Twin Peaks: The Return, Dougie Jones seems to experience the same numbing in his left arm shortly before the end of his life. Note that the numbed arm belongs to the hand wearing the Owl Cave ring. 

With the numbing of both Laura and Dougie's arms occurring from contact with the Owl Cave ring, perhaps the same happened to Teresa. She seemed to be wearing the ring at the time of her death. Agent Stanley noticed it missing from what appears to be her left ring finger as he examines her body. 



In The Missing Pieces, Phillip Jeffries's right leg seems weak and gives as he enters the office.

Though it is his leg and not his hand or arm, I wonder if it is numbed, and if so, is there a connection to the numbing of the left arms belonging to Laura Palmer, Teresa Banks, and Dougie Jones? This post discusses how Harold Smith and Philip Gerard may have experienced partial paralysis in their right leg.

When he is near Cole's desk, Jeffries' leg shakes and gives to the point that he requires a chair to rest.

Leo terrorizes Shelly.

In episode 21 (Double Play, 2.014), Leo is scripted as having difficulty with the left side of his body. This is when he returns to threaten Shelly's life. She manages to stab him, causing him to retreat to the woods. While he is still terrorizing her in their darkened kitchen, the script states, "From the darkness comes the sound of a foot dragging across the floor" and later, "Leo shuffles toward Shelly, his left leg and arm not quite up to snuff." Due to his previous injury, Leo may have been experiencing Hemiplegia, a condition caused by injury to the brain or spine, though that may not be the case.

A few examples of movement in the hands and arms, aside from the shaking of hands, is as follows. 

At the end of episode 8 (May The Giant Be With You, 2.001), Ronette Pulaski raises her arms before waking from her coma and being reunited with hellish memories of Laura's final moments. Ronette's movement is not included in the script for this episode. However, in the script to episode 9 (Coma, 2.002), the following is written, 

A long beat. Then a surprise. Ronette's arm lifts into the air, as if separate from the rest of her body. Cooper and Truman react. Ronette gingerly takes the sketch from Cooper, brings it closer to her eyes. As if to better view it.

Note that only one arm is said to raise. The arm is said to raise as if separate from the body, reminiscent of how hands shake outside of a person's will.

In the script for episode 28 (Miss Twin Peaks, 2.021), Major Briggs' arms are described as being lifted upward when he is found by Hawk, an action not carried out in the televised episode. 

A MAN steps out into the road, groping, arms extended skyward; he has no sense he's stepping out in front of a vehicle. As Hawk CAREENS and SLAMS on the BRAKES, he watches the zombi-like face of Major Briggs passing by.

 

In Part 11 of The Return, a child in a car outside of the Double R Diner similarly raises its arms.

 

What this means, we can only theorize.