A Guide to Twin Peaks: Who killed Laura Palmer?

With the new season of "Twin Peaks", I thought it might be helpful to put together a guide to the show, based on my interpretation of things. It's important to know that the show is designed to be ambiguous, and open to multiple perspectives. but here's my take on things:


INTRODUCTION TO THE WEIRDNESS

• TWIN PEAKS IN A NUTSHELL: The town of Twin Peaks in Washington is a logging town, and it is populated with eccentric people. Because it is near the Canadian border, a lot of residents (who are very bored with all the logging) are involved in illegal activities (including drugs, prostitution, and gambling) over the border. Outside the main town is a woods that has portals to an evil spiritual dimension, and the spirits love possessing people and making them do awful things (including the killer of Laura Palmer, and possibly Windom Earle). When one of the residents of Twin Peaks (Laura Palmer) is found murdered, the FBI Agent, Dale Cooper, is sent to investigate. 

• Dale Cooper: An FBI agent who is investigating a series of murders. He is basically Sherlock Holmes meets Kwai Chang Caine, he has incredible deductive abilities and is also a Buddhist Shaman; he is a Buddhist because he meditates (sometimes hanging upside down), he can recite from the Bardo Thodol, and uses a stone throwing method to eliminate suspects from his cases. Further evidence of his Buddhism can be seen in his generally calm demeanor, but his fascination and joy with the small things in life ("damn fine cup of coffee", "This must be where pies go when they die")' He is a Shaman because he can access a spiritual plane (that we'll call THE OTHER PLACE) through his dreams and in visions, that can help him on his cases, but are generally confusing encounters.

• The Log Lady: Margaret Lanterman is a resident of Twin Peaks, her husband was a lumberjack who died in a fire on their wedding night. Margaret believes that her husband's spirit resides in a log (or he may have been reincarnated as the log) which she carries with her everywhere, and she talks to him all the time and thinks he responds to her. Her husband was in THE WOODS outside of TWIN PEAKS the night he died, and found (or received) a special oil that it appears to have enabled his spirit to transfer to the log. Occasionally the log gives clues about the murders, or makes accurate predictions about events to come, which the Log Lady communicates to Agent Cooper and others. The log seems to be able to access the spiritual plane, THE OTHER PLACE, that Cooper also contacts.

• Twin Peaks: A small Washington town (population 51,201) dominated by a lumber mill (owned by JOSIE PACKARD). The local hotelier (BEN HORNE) wants to shut down the mill and replace it with a large property development, and will do anything he has to to accomplish his goals. The town is populated by eccentrics, and because it is near the Canadian border, a lot of residents (who are very bored with all the logging) are involved in illegal activities (including drugs, prostitution, and gambling) over the border. 
• Some Twin Peaks Maps.

• The Woods: The woods outside of TWIN PEAKS appear to serve as a portal to the spiritual plane, THE OTHER PLACE, and allows spirits from THE OTHER PLACE to come to the earthly realm, and allows people to enter THE OTHER PLACE (at certain locations in the woods, and only at certain times). The supernatural effects of the woods are interpreted by some as meaning the woods are haunted, whereas others (including the military) think the woods are a centre of UFO activity. The Native Americans that used to inhabit TWIN PEAKS created a map and calendar that give details as to how to access the portals.

•  The Other Place: The spiritual plane is presented as a Red Room with sofas and chairs. When AGENT COOPER enters the Red Room, it is very confusing to him (in the same way that when 2D Homer Simpson came to the 3D world, it seemed strange and incomprehensible), as it is a higher plane of existence. Spirits who appear in the Red Room include Killer BOB, MIKE, LITTLE DANCING MAN and THE GIANT. 
• Time appears to move strangely in the Red Room because it is a different plane of existence, so sometimes Spirits look like they are moving backwards; and sometimes events seems to recur and 'glitch' in the Red Room. This is our 3D brains trying to interpret events occurring in 5D. 

• Spirits: Killer BOB inhabited the body of the killer of Laura Palmer, and forced his victim to kill Laura. BOB was partners with another spirit MIKE, and they inhabited people and delighted in making them and others suffer. They feed on the pain and suffering of people (which that call "Garmonbozia"). but they had a falling out and as a result MIKE cut off his own arm which had a tattoo that was a symbol of their partnership. His arm became incarnated as the LITTLE DANCING MAN who gives AGENT COOPER clues to the murder, but it is unclear if he is a bad or good spirit. There is also a GIANT who appears in the Red Room (and in TWIN PEAKS), who may be a good spirit. 

• Blue Rose Cases: The FBI don't have an X-Files section, but seem to be aware of some of the supernatural occurrences associated with THE OTHER PLACE, and cannot officially acknowledge them, therefore when FBI Chief GORDON COLE wants to instruct his agents that a case may have supernatural elements he will meet them in the company of someone wearing a blue rose (something that cannot occur in nature).

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THE MAIN SEASON ONE MYSTERY: WHO KILLED LAURA PALMER?

• Laura Palmer: The discovery of the corpse of TWIN PEAKS resident Laura Palmer is what brings AGENT COOPER to the town. Laura Palmer seemly lived a charmed life, she was homecoming queen who was dating the school football captain (BOBBY BRIGGS); beloved by everyone and volunteered at Meals on Wheels. During the course of the investigation it is discovered that Laura had a secret double life, taking drugs and working as a prostitute.

• Sheriff Harry S. Truman: The sheriff of TWIN PEAKS is a good, decent and kind man, who is a very good policeman, and impressed and tolerant of AGENT COOPER's more eccentric approach to detection. Harry is in love with JOSIE PACKARD, and is a member of a secret group dedicated to fighting the evil that they know hangs over TWIN PEAKS.