Subject: Re: the retarded murderer
From: maus@honest_crocus.morgan.com (Malcolm Austin)
Date: 1990-09-18, 15:37
Newsgroups: alt.tv.twin-peaks

In article <12621158833010@osu-20.ircc.ohio-state.edu> PUTNAM-L@osu-20.ircc.ohio-state.edu (Lee Putnam) writes:
> >
>>> > >>Why? This retarded son of Ben was tutored by Laura. When
>> > >           ^^^^^^^^
>> > >Are you sure he's retarded?....
> >
> > No, I'm not sure he's retarded. In fact, my brother claims that
> > maybe he's pretending to be retarded. Although he (johnny) might
> > not be able to respond emotionally (if he's autistic), he might
> > still be capable of completing an action that would kill good
> > 'ole Laura. If Johnny did not kill, then what is his significance??
> > [unrelated sidenote delelted]
> >-L.p.P>

Actually, the town is festooned with "wreckage" characters.  E.g.: the log
lady, Nadine, Johnny, Donna's mom (I forget her name--she's in a wheelchair).

My theory is that each of these people is the victim of some previous (before
the series started) "Twin-Peaks like" event.  Leland is the obvious choice for
a wreckage character for the current event.  (Or Ronette Pulaski, if she 
returns.)  

Imagine the series starting up five years from now, with some other plot (Norma
found dead in the RR cafe, face down in a cup of coffee, impaled with a greasy 
drape runner, the words "Bite the bullet, baby" smeared next to her corpse in
powdered donut sugar...) and, every once in a while, this strange guy starts 
pleading with women to dance with him.  Instead of talking about the log lady, 
we'd talk about the "dancing lawyer".  He'd just be part of the weirdness.

A forest fire which claimed the husband of the log lady--on her wedding day--
was alluded to when she, Coop, Harry, and Doc were talking.  I got the impres-
sion that this is when she developed her attraction to lumber.

I have no evidence for this, but I suspect Nadine lost her eye in the same
"incident" which resulted in Big Ed marrying her instead of Norma.  Other
"events" could account for Johnny's condition and Donna's mom being crippled.

As I said, this is just a theory.  (Actually theory is overstating it, since
this hypothesis is unfalsifiable.)  Surely you don't think Laura's murder is
the first traumatic event to hit this burg?  What are the Bookhouse Boys for?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Can I ask her about her log?""Many have."
--
===============================================================================
Malcolm Austin -- maus@fir.morgan.com 
Disclaimer (v.), to unarm an opponent wielding a Scottish broadsword
===============================================================================