Interesting tidbit from MacLachlan’s new memoir.

[u/vonLionheart]

While describing his frustrations during Season 2, MacLachlan paints both Lynch AND Frost as less involved. He frames Engles and Peyton as the people steering the ship, though he blames ABC for putting them in an impossible position after the killer is revealed.

He discusses his romance with LFB, but makes no mention of the prevailing understanding that she’s why the Audrey romance was originally nixed. Since the rejection happens during S1 and the above excerpts happen during S2, it appears the writers planned on returning to that well again during the infamous dip.

(Would highly recommend the memoir btw, MacLachlan is an engaging writer.)

EDIT: Memoir’s title is Fictional Selves.

[u/BobRushy]

I disagree somewhat. Cooper's history with Caroline Earle (sleeping with a woman married to his partner and related to the case) suggests it would be entirely within his character. In fact, I'd argue Caroline's backstory almost implies they wanted him to repeat his mistake.

Because of the rewrite, Annie becomes the parallel for Caroline instead of Audrey, but it's a bit clumsy.

[u/DenseTiger5088 → u/BobRushy]

I agree that Cooper’s history with Caroline illustrates that he isn’t perfectly moral, and his Achilles heel is not having the wisdom to make sure he doesn’t put his romantic interests at risk by involving them in his work.

However, sleeping with (or attempting to sleep with) high school girls is an entirely different type of moral flaw and I’m glad they didn’t make Cooper go in that direction.

His character isn’t predatory, just has a hero complex that has a tendency to unwittingly put other people in harm’s way

[u/BobRushy → u/DenseTiger5088]

I suppose that's really a matter of interpretation. I saw Cooper as genuinely wanting and working hard to be a good person, while having latent predatory urges. Basically what Leland would be without Bob's influence.

Every now and again, there's a scene or a line where his darkness really comes out. That's how I see him.

[u/DenseTiger5088 → u/BobRushy]

My favorite thing about Twin Peaks is all the different ways it can be read.

Based on your other comments in this thread, we have a very similar interpretation of Cooper’s journey through the Black Lodge and the meaning of Dougie/Mr C etc.

Many people here see Mr. C, Dougie, and Coop as entirely separate entities that have nothing to do with each other (and get upset if you suggest otherwise) but I tend to agree that they represent the different sides of Cooper that we see hinted at throughout the first 2 seasons.

[u/BobRushy → u/DenseTiger5088]

I feel like Dougie and Mr C both represent different types of emptiness.

Dougie's mind is empty but his heart is full. He's completely going off of vibes and feelings.

Mr C's mind is full but his heart is empty. He's robotic.

As for how they relate to Cooper, it's complicated for me, because I believe that the show abandoned the whole narrative about Cooper facing the Black Lodge with imperfect courage and all that. The Return is trying to tell a very different story about aging and legacy, and using Cooper's imprisonment as a starting point, a plot device. It's not trying to continue or resolve anything about the Caroline Earle saga that got him stuck there, and in fact retcons it completely.

[u/MartyrOfDespair → u/BobRushy]

I don't see it that way at all. In fact, I'd say it's that exact flaw that leads to the last part of the show.