Twin Peaks: Everything You Need To Know About The Story So Far

There are a number of recurring motifs to be found in Twin Peaks, but the most important is arguably that of fire. Here, fire relates to the nature of evil in that it has been theorized as a medium through which evil can travel and manifest. It’s mentioned on the note left at the scene of Laura Palmer’s murder, and it is often spoken of by Bob. When recounting how he first met Bob as a child, Leland Palmer describes how the man would flick lit matches at him, and ask, “Do you want to play with fire, little boy?”

The entrance to the Black Lodge is located in an area of the woods called Glastonbury Grove, and it is marked by a small pool of burned oil. The smell of burning oil – and its association with fire – is also known to accompany Bob. The resolution to the plans of Catherine Martell and Ben Horne, with regard to the Packard Saw Mill, is to burn the facility down – and Leo Johnson uses this as an opportunity to attempt to kill his wife by way of arson. Five years previously, the mill owner, Andrew Packard, was declared dead after a mysterious boat fire. We also learn that the character of Margaret – alternatively referred to as The Log Lady – was widowed when her husband was killed by a strange, unexplained fire in the woods.

Those woods are an ever-present motif in Twin Peaks. When they’re not being used as a visual image during cutaways between scenes, they’re used within the frame – in the timber from which buildings are constructed, and in decorative items carved from wood. Since the forest is where the ‘Lodges’ and the dark presence reside, this is an important detail that enhances the oppressive atmosphere created by those imposing Douglas Firs. It is perhaps most clearly communicated by the image of Josie Packard being trapped forever in the wooden handle of a bedside cabinet, after her mysterious demise in The Great Northern Hotel.

Finally, there are the owls. These are a motif as iconic as coffee and cherry pie – and the phrase, “The owls are not what they seem,” entered into the annals of pop culture history a long time ago. The owls are regularly seen and heard in the woods, but it is the way in which they’re referenced that adds to their importance. The Log Lady mentions them as part of her psychic translation on several occasions. The infamous phrase appears in communications intercepted by a military radio telescope aimed at the woods. When Bob leaves the body of Leland at the point of his death, there’s a sequence shot from the point of view of a being, rushing through the woods and apparently entering an owl. Major Briggs places a great deal of significance on the activity of owls in relations to his work on Project Bluebook.

While there’s no easy interpretation of the meaning of the owls in Twin Peaks, there are a number of vague theories. Firstly, and perhaps most obviously, there’s the idea that owls are connected to the spirit world, and the Black and White Lodges, as observers, or guardians, of sorts. Alternatively, there’s the fact that, in ufology, owls are often associated with aliens that resemble the classic ‘grey’ description – which would, perhaps, explain the connection between the ‘Lodges’ and Project Bluebook.

The fact that Bob is referred to as a ‘spirit,’ and that he seeks to ‘collect souls’ naturally inspires the idea that the Black and White Lodges are in fact stages through which we must pass on our journey from life, through death, and into whatever lies beyond – and, indeed, this is a perspective reinforced by Deputy Tommy ‘Hawk’ Hill (Michael Horse), in his explanation of The White Lodge legend. But, does the emphasis on owls, and the involvement of Project Bluebook suggest the idea of a different reality – beyond the confines of the traditional view of aliens from outside our galaxy, and the concept of the afterlife?

In a television show that builds itself on the fact that a definitive reality is unknowable, this is the final, definitive answer we find ourselves seeking. Perhaps we will find out in the new, third season of Twin Peaks – but then again, perhaps this particular part of the mystery would be better left unsolved.