Subject: TP: Understanding BOB (was Re: Cooper's in Trouble/Speculation on Next Week) From: horny@ucscl.UCSC.EDU (Michael Kaye) Date: 1990-11-14, 11:10 Newsgroups: alt.tv.twin-peaks,rec.arts.tv Let me start this article by saying that none of my assertions are "provable", things in TP never are. If we only considered things that were certain, and did not speculate, this would be a very boring discussion. I put more faith in the diary than many readers in this group. While it misses on a few quibbling details, like the year (heh), it gets the major points right IMHO. There is alot of confusion about what BOB is, hopefully this article will give people some ideas to ponder. Apologies for length. This article is one big spoiler. In article Jon.Webb@CS.CMU.EDU writes: > >I think that Sarah is not dead, but Maddy is. > >However, I doubt that Sarah will contribute any good information -- > >she's unconscious and anyway she seems to be protecting Leland/Bob. More importantly, since she failed to help Laura or incriminate BOB during all the years Laura was terrorized by BOB, she likely won't be much help here either, for the same reasons. I don't know what those reasons are, but judging by what BOB does to Laura, I think BOB blinded Sarah to what was going on , terrorized her into silence, or convinced her she couldn't do anything to help anyway. Perhaps Sarah was incapacitated every time Laura was molested by Leland the same way she was incapacitated last episode. BOB is able to affect what people see. For instance, Ronette only saw BOB at the traincar, not Leland. BOB had concealed who his host was from Laura for years and years. BOB seems to be able to manipulate people's consciousness, often appearing to his victim only, affecting what they perceive and remember. I don't think BOB needs a human host to appear to his victims, but does need one to directly affect them physically. Let's hear from BOB what his powers are. Note that he most likely overstated his powers to terrorize Laura, to instill a greater sense of helplessness in her. Clearly he can enter peoples consciousness and affect their thoughts and perception of reality. This might include the ability to pass unseen, explaining his entrance into the guarded hospital room. I don't know how much else he can do, but his powers probably include an uncommon ability to gather information and/or read minds (he probably does this in owl or spirit form?), and the ability to take people to a strange other world. Whatever BOB can do, he clearly is an absolute expert at psychologically destroying Laura, making her feel dirty, unloved, helpless, like she deserved the abuse he gave her. [Laura wakes up from a dream and sees BOB at the edge of his bed, as in the show itself] "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! [...]" (pg 82) [Laura says 'I'm going to have to tell everyone and make them believe] "TELL THEM WHAT, LAURA PALMER? TELL THEM THAT I TAKE YOU AWAY AND YOU NEVER ARGUE? YOU NEVER SCREAM FOR HELP? TELL THEM YOU SEE ME BUT NO ONE ELSE DOES? NO ONE WILL BELIEVE YOU, LAURA PALMER... I'M TOO CAREFUL." (pg 85) (pg 86) "REMEMBER, LAURA PALMER, I CAN MANIPULATE YOUR CONSCIENCE SO THAT YOU FEEL NOTHING BUT WHAT I CHOOSE FOR YOU TO FEEL." [further vulgar psychological violence deleted] (pg 106) "AN OWL TOLD ME (what Laura did last night)" Now Laura's poetry, where she tells us what it is like to be terrorized by BOB. (age 12{!}, pg 12) "From the light in my window he can see into me But i cannot see him until he is close Breathing, with a smile at my window He comes to take me Turn me round and round Come out and play Come play Lie still Lie still Lie still. Little rhymes and little songs (one chants out? --mike) Pieces of the forest in my hair and clothes (woods = BOB's other world) Sometimes I see him near me when I know he can't be there (BOB appears in visions too) Sometimes I feel him near me and I know it is something just to bear. When I call out No one can hear me (because laura is in another world?) When I whipser, he thinks the message Is for him only. My little voice inside my throat I always think there must be something That I've done Or something I can do But no one no one comes to help [...] (pg 20, still age 12. Similar idea poem on pg 53.) Inside me there is something No one knows about Like a secret Sometimes it takes over And I drift back Deep into darkness. This secret tells me (BOB terrorized her into silence) I will never grow older Never laugh with friends Never be who I should if I ever reveal Its name. I cannot tell if it is real Or if I dream of it For when it touches me I drift off No tears come No screams I am wrapped up (Perhaps similar to what we see In a nightmare of hands happening to Maddy with BOB's And of fingers kisses and caresses. Feeding?) And of small tiny voices in the woods (woods= other world, voices are [...] spirits like BOB, Mike, Giant) Other words from Laura about BOB (and the owl{s}) (pg 19) " The owls have started hooting. One of them is just above me in the tree... Something about him is strange. I know it is a boy owl, and I feel like he's watching me. Each time I look up at him his head moves like he is quickly turning away from me. [..] Perhaps he is a bird like in that story I read. This big bird could sweep down and rest on someone's shoulder, acting very sweet, but would then read the persons mind. If the person was thinking bad thoughts, the bird would peck away at the person's eyes and ears so that there would only be questions of sound and sight in the person's head, instead of bad and nasty thoughts. I dream of flying sometimes. [..] I would fly right over Twin Peaks and out over the land beyond it. I'd never come back if I didn't have to." (pg 58) "He wants me to like it, when he is with me. He wants me to say that I am dirty and that I have an odor. I should be thrown into the river so I will be clean. (!!) [..] He comes to the window, and I see him. I always see him, and he is always smiling like we are going to have a good time. (BOB wears a smile) I am so close to calling my parents for help, but I am afraid of what would happen. I can't let anyone know about him. If I keep seeing him, he might get tired of me and go away. Maybe if I stopped fighting him, he would not like to visit me anymore. If I weren't afraid. If I could just not feel afraid..." There is a vulgar 'chant' on page 58. There are many references to Laura's window being a portal through which BOB comes through, perhaps through which he takes Laura to another world. Laura points out many times that BOB only comes at night. She says she receives many 'cuts' from BOB. (pg 70) "I do not doubt that BOB is aware of my every movement." "Surgery of a strange and indescribable nature takes place. " Finally let me say that I think Laura had BOB's child growing within her. It's always nice to end a post on an obscure note. :) Feel free to mail me feedback on this. Michael Kaye horny@ucscb.ucsc.edu "I AM WHAT YOU FEAR I COULD BE"