Apologies if this has been discussed elsewhere, but I've been reading a lot since the finale aired, around here and elsewhere, and as much as I've seen discussed about the the Fireman's message to Coop at the season's onset (430, etc.), I've not seen anyone, I think, make mention of how the Fireman ends his message to Coop:
"You are far away."
To me, this ending threw a whole other shade on the message before it. It no longer sounded like instructions, but a warning. A message to Coop that after he encounters all these things, he will be far away. From what, I'm not exactly sure, but with the finale's ominous tone and creeping dread, I'd guess it's far away from the way things should be. Perhaps from what his goal should be or was (defeating/confronting Judy)?
Perhaps Coop's problem in the finale, and why he is so confused by Diane's message, Laura's new identity, and what nebulous year it is, is because he thought he understood the message from the Fireman, but in fact didn't actually understand it, and thus failed to heed the warning.
This first scene can be simple placed as the last one. Cooper entered 430 mile and forgot who is Richard and Linda. That is fact. Then he sit to the Fireman who is saying "REMEMBER". Because first time he forgot. And that is why "it is in our house now". Because he failed. He ask "it is ?" Because he thought like many others in this forum, that he defeated Palmers House, and there was happy ending 🙂 So he don't get it. He is like "hey I just went to Palmers house and Laura blow it up, so how can it be in our house ?"
We don't know what this plan was about. Everyone think that going with Laura to Palmers house is a plan. But is it ? Maybe if he remember Richard and Linda, he would wake up and do other stuff than going there. He was supprised when he saw Carrie/Laura. He didn't expected that he will see her living there. So it didn't look like a plan. When he saw her he start to think to going back to Twin Peaks.
Last thing that is in favor of this theory is that. We never saw that anything is in Fireman house. There was two scenes when Andy was there and Mr C was there. There was Garland head. Andy watched film. So why Fireman didn't show a film to Cooper in first scene ? He have better technology that "It all cannot be said alound now". Simply could play film too Cooper and show him a plan. But "it is in our house now", so he cannot do that.
"You are far away."
One interpretation that I am fond of is, "You are far away from understanding". It has echoes of the Man From Another Place's gleeful, "Wrong Way!" from the season two finale; Coop was not only walking in the wrong direction, but his whole way of approaching the Black Lodge was wrong.
Yeah, that's an intriguing line and I'm sure it's important (just wish I knew how). But I'd choose to take the Giant literally on this. I don't see him warning Coop that he will be far away: I think he's informing Coop that he's far away already - present tense.
Someone (I think Entertainment Weekly) has suggested the scene with Coop and the Giant is the very last scene of the whole show. That would suggest Coop is checking in with the Giant after making the leap to the Odessa Universe (or 430 Universe or whatever we're calling it today). So he would indeed be far away, in just about every sense.
This ties in with an idea that appeals to me, which is that the Giant's "clues" aren't actually clues but reminders that he's laying out like a trail of breadcrumbs so Coop understands the keys to how he got here and can... either find his way back, or somehow decipher the situation to make things right. Not that I'm at all sure what "the situation" and "right" would mean in this context. 😉
"You are far away."
One interpretation that I am fond of is, "You are far away from understanding". It has echoes of the Man From Another Place's gleeful, "Wrong Way!" from the season two finale; Coop was not only walking in the wrong direction, but his whole way of approaching the Black Lodge was wrong.
Ooh, that's definitely an interesting parallel! Very cool. I also went back and rewatched, and realized I misremembered when Coop says "I understand." So he never in fact even claims to understand this line in particular, and that the Fireman is likely adding this note (be it a warning, explanation, or otherwise) in response to Coop thinking he understands.
And yeah, I had seen theories about this scene potentially being a framing scene from after the series finale chronologically, and it's interesting to see how this line could fit in with that. I'm still not convinced there's enough intratextual evidence that I agree with it outright, but I definitely see where it is A possibility.
Tangential from that: the problem for me as to that scene existing strictly after the end of the season ties into the problematic nature of time in the Lodges, and the possibility that they don't exist in true linear time. Thus, that even if Coop experiences them in a linear fashion, the inhabitants native to the Lodges exist detached from our linear temporality. Therefore, that scene could be occurring for the Fireman both before AND after the finale all at once, while for Coop it could still be strictly before. Unless, of course, it can somehow exist for Coop both before and after as well, which is a whole other level of complexity I haven't even begun to truly parse.
Is it future, or is it past? So it goes.
But then where did 430 come from? No other mentions of it other than fireman
if fireman warns him of 430 and tells him to remember not to do it again then it becomes paradox
If there was a misunderstanding between the fireman and Cooper, I think it was the fireman's fault. Why didn't he make his communication more clear, like he did for Andy? Show some pictures, or explain a little bit more. The message must be clear.
Paradoxes are actually a common motif in stories that involve time travel and similar bendings of linear reality. The Fireman could also be creating a terrible mistake; a self-fulfilling prophecy of doom by trying to warn Coop of what is to happen actually sets off the whole thing. A very common motif in Greek literature, et al. Or, perhaps, the Fireman knows the sequence of events is necessary and/or inevitable, but is trying to give Coop a heads up anyway, to warn him that he will be entering an alternate reality.
Also, tangential is a legit and useful word. Variant of tangent.
Well lardy dah!
If there was a misunderstanding between the fireman and Cooper, I think it was the fireman's fault. Why didn't he make his communication more clear, like he did for Andy? Show some pictures, or explain a little bit more. The message must be clear.
I've wondered about that different communication style between the scenes for sure, as many others have. Perhaps due to how much Andy needed filling in on, and it was more efficient to do it that way? Maybe Andy's purity and innocence of soul allowed him a more direct communication with the Fireman?
I still wonder how much more effective the communication with Andy was, though. Like, Andy clearly does understand at least a good chunk of it. But my girlfriend pointed out the footage we see of Andy and Lucy from the Fireman isn't what we end up seeing in part 17, which could indicate a divergence from what was expected to exactly happen.
Not dissimilar to how, even though things go as expected by and large for Coop throughout part 17, Coop's still surprised by the weird transition he, Cole, and Diane experience going to the Great Northern basement. As if things aren't going quite as foreseen (perhaps Judy's or the Black Lodge's influence having a slight effect on how events unfold from what the Fireman and Coop expected?).
I think he showed Andy the message in pictures because "it all cannot be said aloud now"
which would place this scene after the cooper /fireman scene which would throw out the theory that the cooper/fireman scene was at the end of the show
Ha, true, it is him literally saying nothing to Andy. So obvious I overlooked that. XD
I wonder why the fireman showed Andy the pole with the number 6. The rest was relevant , Andy would remember it when it happened in the station (blinking phone, lucy) but i can't find a reason for the pole.
Fire walk with