Subject: Re: Leland recognizing BOB
From: chrisl@dip.eecs.umich.edu (Chris Lang)
Date: 1990-10-07, 15:56
Newsgroups: alt.tv.twin-peaks

In article <7581@darkstar.ucsc.edu> horny@ucscb.UCSC.EDU (Michael Kaye) writes:
> >
> >In article <1990Oct7.190340.10939@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu> ceblair@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu (Charles Blair) writes:
> >Was Ben serious when he suggested killing Leland?  Or was he just
> >making a smart crack, prompted by Lelands counter productive phone call?
> >Ben has ordered murders before.  
> >
> >If he was serious, this would provide extreme evidence for the idea
> >that Ben is influenced/possessed or whatever by BOB, or protecting
> >him for some reason.  He wouldn't suddenly order Leland murdered
> >because of his phone call to the icelanders.  If he was serious,
> >he ordered Leland murdered because he felt he could aid authorities in
> >identifying BOB.  I don't know if he was serious, could go either way.

The more I think about it, the more I feel Ben was just exasperated with
Leland, and cracked the joke for that reason.  The Hornes' other crimes
have all been carefully planned out, and it doesn't fit with Ben's
calculating image to order the murder of one of his closest associates
on a whim.  Note also that if they wanted to stop Leland before he reached
the sheriff, they'd have to move pretty quickly, since it appears that's
where Leland was heading right away.  Since Jerry just stood there wondering
about the weirdness of it all, rather than actually doing something about
it, I am fairly convinced that it was a smart crack than an order.

I have trouble with the theories that Ben is BOB.  All of Ben's crimes
are business-motivated, as far as we can tell.  It makes more sense for
BOB to be in Leland than Ben.  Ben is, if nothing else, very independent,
whereas Leland seems to lean more on those around him, making him an 
easier host for BOB.  But the scene of Audrey making the phone call to
Cooper lends support to the idea that Blackie and One-Eyed Jack's play a
significant role in Laura's death.  I wouldn't be surprised if Ben doesn't
know half of what's going on at OEJ.  On the other hand, I wouldn't be
surprised if he did, but I get the feeling that Blackie (and Emory) are
involved in more than Ben suspects.

 -Chris
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