Bill said that he saw Briggs' head float up and away, so I'm guessing that his head turned into the same head that Cooper saw in part 3. Meaning, there is no longer a physical human head to be found. 

As far as the site itself, I like the convenient store theory but agree that it doesn't seem like a good place to hibernate. Perhaps there is more than one portal at this site? 

I think Mr C killed Ruth 'cause he killed Phyllis in the same way (gunshot through left eye). She probably just helped Cooper frame Bill. Not certain though. Maybe the woodsmen killed her. 

The coordinates on Ruth's arm are the ones she brought to Briggs. They aren't an extra set. 

When Hastings was describing the scene where Briggs and Ruth were killed, he said something like:
"There were so many people there"

I'm thinking that most of those "people" were the woodsmen/bearded men.

Briggs told Hastings he was hibernated there and was trying to go somewhere else, the the head disappeared and Ruth was killed. I guess his head went to that other place, which is where Cooper saw it in part 3. I'm skeptical about Mr. C being there (even though at first I also made the the bullet in the eye connection with Phyllis murder), because he was trying to get those coordinates from Ray. If he was there he would have heard or he could have simply taken a look at Ruth's corpse to find out the coordinates in her arm. Maybe Ray was there, since he knew the coordinates. I guess the other people were the woodsmen. Also, I think it's not impossible that Briggs was in some hidden dimension, but the woodsmen found out about him when Hastings and his crew went in, then they turned into another part (department?) of the convenience store.

The opening sequence always depicts what looks like a ring of fire that moves into position over Laura Palmer's right eye.  Something I'm kinda hoping has larger meaning. 

Posted by: kdawg68

The opening sequence always depicts what looks like a ring of fire that moves into position over Laura Palmer's right eye.  Something I'm kinda hoping has larger meaning. 

Hi dawg,

It looks like the same orb that came out of the Fireman's forehead to me.  The one with Laura's image in it (without the image, of course ;-)).  =:-O

- /< /\ /> -

Apologies for being dumb, but wasn't it Hastings' SECRETARY that was supposed to have the co-ordinates, NOT Ruth (though she probably had them too)? Wasn't it the secretary Ray was looking for to get Mr C his precious information? And as I recall wasn't is Hastings' secretary (NOT Ruth) that Phyllis revealed Bill had had an affair with? 

So I guess my overall question is, Where is Hastings' secretary in all this? Does she even have a name? 

Her name was Betty. She's dead, too, from a car explosion according to the Wiki but I don't recall how we know that.
(edit: more digging indicates it's from Part 9, but I've yet to find out how it was revealed)

Posted by: James M Sweeney

Her name was Betty. She's dead, too, from a car explosion according to the Wiki but I don't recall how we know that.

So I assume that, as it was Ray's mission to get to her, then she must have died at some point after ep 3? In which case had Ray already found her prior to his arrest? (Otherwise why would Mr C bother getting him out of jail. Also it appears from the exchange that Ray already had the information.) 

Regarding the difference between what Hastings and Cole saw, I see this as Hastings had lodge assistance from Briggs, whereas the only ambient feeling when Cole stood there was fear, hence the dirty gremlin men!