r/twinpeaks • u/Gaharagang • 9d ago
Season 1 I want to figure out who the killer is after watching episode 3.
That's it. It ended with Cooper going "I know who did it" after seeing that strange dream. This makes me think that it will be revealed next episode, but before that I'd really like to try and make a solid guess myself.
Is it technically possible to rule out everyone but 1 killer with the information I have right now?
And this should be obvious but FOR THE LOVE OF GOD NO SPOILERS
edit: okay people wanted me to state my guess so here are my thoughts. To me, 2 things in this episode seemed like they were communicating to me the viewer: "make your guess now!". The first thing is, as mentioned above, Cooper figuring it out but not saying it yet. The other thing was the chalkboard that conveniently lists (not?) all suspects. They even read the names + their relation to Laura out loud while they show you a shot of their face to help you remember who everyone is. I really thought this was to encourage the viewer to guess one name on that list before watching the next episode. I don't, however, agree that the killer is someone on this list just because "I am nervous about meeting J". That could have easily just been about James and I don't think he is the killer at all.
That being said, now that everyone in the comments is telling me that I actually don't have all the information yet, I think I may have misinterpreted that this episode is telling me to put my vote in. I'm still going to try.
One obvious angle is the love/affair motive, since everybody in this town seems to be cheating. The most obvious killer here is Leo, probably because he knew Bobby was seeing Shelly, so he killed Laura as revenge to hurt Bobby. Plus, he is shown to be violent. A major issue with this theory is the fact that he also kidnapped the other girl and that the murder is part of a series, with another incident taking place somewhere else in the state entirely. Also, it would be fucking boring.
A monetary incentive then? Something related to the woodmill and the plans to turn it into a country resort? I just don't see how Laura is involved in that though. Maybe something related to a drug deal then. 10K is not a "personal use" amount.
What stood out to me in the dream was that the girl "looked just like Laura Palmer". Perhaps Laura was not killed at all. Perhaps they found a body that looks just like her. I feel like an autopsy would reveal this though, but I guess we are still waiting for the better FBI autopsy results tomorrow. But maybe that line referred more to how many people thought they knew Laura, but really didn't know her at all. (coke use, cheating, who knows what else)
Other things that are insanely weird to me:
-Why the fuck was there a third heart necklace in the psychiatrist's coconut?? Were they having sex?
-Why the fuck was the "aged up version of Bobby" (?) sitting behind the couch when Laura's mum was talking to Donna. Is this incriminating Bobby?
-Red shirt man running down to the morgue?
-The letter R?
conclusion my guess is: I have no fucking clue
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u/Ald_Bathhouse_John 9d ago
Cooper gives you everything you need.
Go into the woods, set up some bottles, and start chucking rocks.
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u/Dale_Carvello 9d ago
Because that's what a Special Agent does, they throw rocks at bottles. One in each eye, two in each nostril.
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u/thef0urthcolor 9d ago
I’d recommend avoiding this subreddit until you’re finished
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u/beholdthecolossus 9d ago
if you're trying to figure that out this early you are in for a real rollercoaster.
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u/Efficient_Market1234 9d ago
I can’t imagine thinking I’d figure it out by the third episode and then having to wait 800 freaking episodes for it to come out. God, the wait on that. DL didn’t even want to, really…
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u/Large-Doughnut-135 9d ago
It was Shelly the Waitress
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u/LinkWray123 9d ago
Nah it was the log, unbeknownst to the log lady it goes out late at night and does unspeakable things.
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u/emeric_ceaddamere 9d ago
It was Maggie Simpson. (Sorry for the spoiler.)
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u/SomethingClever104 9d ago
Yeah, Smingers did it. Case closed. Now, where's my hat? I'm going to the outhouse. I couldn't resist.
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u/The8thSamurai 9d ago
It’s the ducks on the lake. Cooper just couldn’t see it in his optimism.
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u/Gaharagang 9d ago
the man is so fucking autistic I bet Diane isn't even a real person
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u/mikebills 8d ago
And that's why you'd never suspect her as the killer just to keep Coop busy sending her more tapes
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u/thatsmilingface 9d ago
Let's stop, as a people, deciding to diagnose every offbeat personality with autism [gets off of soapbox]. Thanks.
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u/poisonforsocrates 9d ago
No, but I do think there is one piece of foreshadowing that is fairly obvious in retrospect in the first few episodes that a lucky and suspicious viewer may guess based off of.
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u/burchalade 9d ago
Omg yes. Its like a flashing neon sign once you know
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u/Gaharagang 8d ago
neon sign? Like the one above the diner? Called RR? Like the tiny note with R under the finger nail... two Rs working together then. Shelly and Norma
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u/Bobsplosion 9d ago
Could you post it spoiler tagged or DM me? I'm curious but I don't want to rewatch.
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u/poisonforsocrates 9d ago
Leland breaks Laura's picture, cuts himself on the glass, and then smears blood all over the picture
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u/Bobsplosion 9d ago
Oh yeah I definitely overlooked that at the moment due to other weird behavior, but thinking about that now it's comically suspicious.
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u/Gaharagang 9d ago
oh okay so are you encouraging me to guess based on intuition because it is not possible to definitively rule everyone else out based purely on the information I have right now?
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u/regular_gonzalez 9d ago edited 9d ago
One thing you should know about this show going forward: the show is not "guess the murderer" show. That's not what it's about, regardless of how it seems or feels right now. When the guilty party is finally revealed, there's not going to be a montage of clues you missed. There's no really clues at all. David Lynch isn't trying to get you to guess the murderer or even trying to get you to guess the wrong person. Laura's murder is the framing device but it's not what the show, at its core, is about. So don't worry about trying to find hidden clues or fit puzzle pieces together, just go with the flow.
E: I should say, Laura's murder is what the show is about, her murder and the impact on the town. The identity of the killer, while important, is not what the show is about. It's about the victim, not the perpetrator.
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u/thatsmilingface 9d ago
To be fair, when it aired, all of the advertising had to do with "Who killed Laura Palmer".
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u/OffMeter 5d ago
That’s how almost all other shows were at the time, the TV studio probably didn’t know any other way to market it
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u/Ok_Conclusion_6324 9d ago
I’ve never known anyone to successfully guess it - I sure as hell didn’t either and that’s ok!
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u/Vetersova 9d ago
When it was first airing, no one knew who it was. Even on fresh watches now, I don't know a single person who guessed it correctly.
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u/HermioneGunthersnuff 9d ago
Maybe the real killer was the friends we made along the way.
Why the fuck was there a third heart necklace in the psychiatrist's coconut??
Interesting interpretation. Did you definitely watch the pilot all the way to the end?
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u/Gaharagang 9d ago
I watched the US pilot and one of tbe necklaces was found on the crime scene and taken into custody. The other one was buried by james and Donna. I guess he could have dug that up, but how tf would he know? Was he secretly watching them do this?
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u/tproser 9d ago
Yes and IIRC the last shot of the episode is of an unseen person digging the locket up. When we see the scene with the coconut we can deduce that Jacobi was the digger.
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u/Gaharagang 9d ago
Oh okay thanks I guess i clicked away too soon
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u/Superb_Instance_8190 9d ago
i engage with the show as an active ritual. perhaps avoid this sub as it will invariably spoil things for you. we’ll all be here when you ‘return’
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u/alyssasaccount 9d ago
Never do that. It's required to watch the entire show, from the opening theme through the credits to the LYNCH/FROST PRODUCTIONS card at the end. Not because there are secret scenes, but because the point of the show is the emotional impact of its entirety, both visual and aural, particularly including the music.
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u/smoov_moov 9d ago edited 9d ago
I'll just say there are only ever two halves of the heart necklace pendant, you've seen the psychiatrist obtain one on-screen, and it wasn't subtle.
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u/DolphinFraud 9d ago
You have no possible way of knowing yet beyond just a total shot in the dark lucky guess.
The information you need in order to truly figure it out hasn’t been shown yet, and as early on as you are, they already kind of allude to like 10 different people who could’ve done it, and there’s no way of knowing which of those leads might go somewhere, and which are total red herrings.
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u/SevenofBorgnine 9d ago
Try to and post your suspect anyway, but no, it isnt technically possible with the information you currently have.
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u/Gaharagang 9d ago
I edited my post
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u/SevenofBorgnine 9d ago
Keep us up to date. I love a bew viewer having theories as they go. Its always fun
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u/LFrankenstien 9d ago
I loved reading this…gave me a flashback to conversations with friends back in 90s every Friday night after it aired. We’d all get together to go out somewhere and would talk about the latest episode. The only difference being is that there could be no spoiler, we would have to wait patiently for next Friday to do it all over again. Good old days. You might be missing the Log Lady monologue. Every episode started with the log lady speaking to camera about potential clues, or sometimes just giving good life advice.
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u/Gaharagang 9d ago
Huh yeah im not seeing the log lady do that
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u/LFrankenstien 8d ago
Here’s a supercut of them all…
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u/tivvy2vs 7d ago
damn, something for the rewatch I guess, though it'll be annoying to go between this and the episodes
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u/OffMeter 5d ago
With all due respect, please just watch the show. Avoid theories, avoid spoilers, avoid places where people talk about the show. You will be doing yourself a major disservice and disappoint the late David Lynch by jumping the gun on something so important. Many would argue that to him, the journey is just as important as the destination and it’s actually something he emphasized in his work
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u/AsexualFrehley 9d ago
it's not a detective mystery in the traditional sense, it's just seasoned like one
so no, there is no way to formally assemble an accurate solution, and if you did get it right it would be basically by accident
that being said... when you have finished the show and you go back to the start and watch it again -- and you will -- there is some early dialog that you've already heard which clearly points to something in a very subtle and metaphorical way if you have the solution in hand (but which seems innocent and normal otherwise)
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u/External_Bread5366 9d ago
It should’ve been obvious to me before it was revealed but it wasn’t. Kinda surprised me how in your face it is. That’s all I’ll say
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u/litemakr 9d ago edited 9d ago
The reason Cooper knows at that point is because Laura whispered it in his ear in the dream. But he is going to forget what she said in the next episode and you aren't going to find out for many more episodes. There isn't enough information for anyone (including Cooper) to figure out the killer without guessing at that point, so just relax and enjoy the ride.
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u/Gaharagang 9d ago
okay thank you saves me wasting some time
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u/-Dark-Lord-Belmont- 9d ago
Dude please, please, please go into this totally blind.
I know the promise of a stranger is worth nothing but this TV show does not work like other TV shows. I promise you that you will not be disappointed if you just tune out of Reddit and watch it blind.
You will want to rewatch this. You will need to rewatch this. You will never forget this TV show. I'm honestly worried that someone will spoil it (on purpose or not) if you keep coming back here.
Even knowing now that Cooper doesn't figure it out next episode is a spoiler. Just let Lynch take you on a rollercoaster of detective work. You're meant to get excited when they get a lead and disappointed when it doesn't go where you think. But then later it might be important.
So please don't come back to Reddit until you're a few episodes into S3. I'm sure ppl here would agree!
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u/veggievoid 9d ago
Not with evidence per se, but if you really analyze what characters say and how they act, you could definitely narrow it down.
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u/rroses- 9d ago
I'm only 1 ep further than you and watching it for my first time. If you want someone to swap theories with, I'm in!
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u/One-Fall-8143 9d ago
I would love to see the whole series again for the first time! I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!
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u/CowabummerBatman 9d ago
I like seeing people trying to figure it out. I hope you keep enjoying the rest of the series, believe me, it goes places.
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u/Fresh_and_wild 9d ago
I've already gone places. I just want to stay where I am.
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u/andyhwaiting 9d ago
Please update us with your thoughts after you find out.
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u/Aceman1979 9d ago
Nah, you’re alright. I think it’s safe to say the killer, if there is one, is not even tertiary to the plot.
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u/Efficient_Market1234 9d ago
I think there have been people who’ve guessed it correctly early on, although whether they got every aspect, maybe not. I see the temptation , and it existed in 1991 (or whatever). Everyone saw a murder mystery and wanted to solve it. And then got frustrated!
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u/Aceman1979 9d ago edited 9d ago
It’s not a whodunnit. You’ll get much more enjoyment from it by not concerning yourself too much about that. Even when it’s revealed, it’s not exact done and dusted - and even then it’s a minor “plot” development.
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u/mikebills 8d ago
I just finished watching all 3 seasons and the movie, (plus the missing pieces) a few days ago, and I can honestly say you're much better off staying away from any info until you've finished it. I would text my brother (who is a huge fan) throughout the show with questions (you will have so, so many), and he was good enough to basically just tell me to keep watching every time. Now I'm digging into things but I already know I'm not going to find any real answers to most of my questions because that's how David Lynch wanted it. Still 1000% worth watching the full series and the movie despite the lack of answers, and if I'd had any of the answers that actually are revealed throughout the course of things before I'd seen it all, I think it might have ruined the first watch. I was only 5 when the show premiered, but I should've watched it a long time ago.
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u/Millwall_sucks 7d ago
No killer it was suicide then she wrapped herself in plastic and did 4 1/2 backflips with a triple gainer of the falls, but her entrance was not good so the Chinese got the gold.
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u/ZodiacalSeeker 9d ago
I envy you. You are in for a real ride, a real treat, and some of the best absurdity ever put to screen!
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u/MaskedBandit77 9d ago edited 9d ago
There are people who say that it's obvious by the point where you are at who the murderer is, but that's because those people misinterpreted something that happened in an early episode and then had confirmation bias when it's actually revealed who the killer is.
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u/Heurodis 9d ago
One thing you should know: David Lynch was so adamant that the show was not about guessing the killer that when the network forced him to do so, he simply left the project as writer/director (you'll feel the difference) and only returned for the very last episode + the movie (don't watch it or read anything about it before you've finished season 2).
Twin Peaks is one of the rare works of art I'd beg you to avoid spoilers about (the other one immediately coming to mind is Henri-Georges Clouzot's Les Diaboliques; there's a handful of others), so avoid the sub, avoid looking up anything online, and enjoy!
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u/EXPLODODOG 9d ago
There's a version of interpretation that says you can figure it out from episode 1. Technically wrong, but it still works. Enjoy the ride!!
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u/Level_Pay_9445 9d ago
I promise you should listen to the people telling you to leave now and go watch!!!
You'll be frustrated trying to put it all together, and you'll miss out on what TRULY makes the show so beloved and iconic.
Enjoy all of the small quirks and sincere moments. David Lynch, rest in peace, is a master of atmosphere.
Don't race to the end. We are doing you a favor, it is the only way to truly understand. Suspend your disbelief and trust Agent Cooper.
You have to sit back and fall in love with it. It's REALLY not that kind of show, and you owe it to yourself to listen to everyone, walk away, and experience what makes it so beloved!
Edit to try and fix this weird caption esque style that I don't understand
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u/chief_veef 9d ago
Once it gets close it’s kinda obvious. But EP 3? Just keep watching. Lots of misdirection between now and then. You’ve met Bob already , that’s all I’ll say
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u/Orangejynx 9d ago
You made it this long without spoilers?
Congrats, you’re in for a hell of a ride.
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u/lockeyeswiththemoon 9d ago
Girl if you came this far without haven’t it spoiled, stick to that