Standard disclaimer applies.
This one takes a bit of back and forth with the narrative but it does kind of fit together...
Now, when Coop wakes up and realizes he has to go, he asks Mike to make another one. Why on earth would he do this, if he's - as he admitted later - in love with his new found family? Sure, it's nice for them to have another one of Coop returning to 'em but not much joy for Coop to set off on the fight of his life, thinking he's going to get his arse well and truly kicked.
However... So far he's had lots of help, either by seeming coincidence, direct intervention from the Lodge gang, or indirect work, such as sending dreams, or attracting Coop's attention to significant things here and there. In every instance, all Mr C's moves against him have been blocked. Now he's fully awake and in contact with Mike, and bossing him around, or at least, speaking on equal terms, not as a mere mortal.
Just suppose Coop knows he's going to win but also knows he won't be able to come back. Why can't he return to the family he loves so much? Is he going to be spending time with Mike and the evolved Arm? Sticking cattle prods into Bob and Mr C? Nope, he's going to become the one who oversaw everything and helped him out from the very beginning.
Yup, he's going to become The Fireman.
Consider, time moves in a different way round those places. The Fireman can create stuff pretty much as he wants, and appears to have a deep abiding love of balance, justice and fairness. Maybe he's getting tired and wants to pack up and go to the spiritual equivalent of Florida, or something, or maybe he's ensuring his own creation in our time, so that he can exist in any time. Either a replacement or the original template, Coop may well become the Fireman, and knowing this, ensures Janey-E has a loving husband and Sonny Jim has a loving Dad.
That theory makes me sublimely happy and sublimely sad. But it makes sense.
*sigh*
Now that would be a solid ending. Perhaps Laura whispered: "You must destroy the Fireman and take his place."
I don't know where it comes this idea that Dale Cooper and Douglas Jones (tulpa) cannot coexist. As far as I know Mr. C and previous Douglas Jones (again, a tulpa) have coexisted for a certain amount of time. And MIKE just said that one between Dale Cooper and Mr. C (doppelgänger, not tulpa) must be killed.
I don't know where it comes this idea that Dale Cooper and Douglas Jones (tulpa) cannot coexist. As far as I know Mr. C and previous Douglas Jones (again, a tulpa) have coexisted for a certain amount of time. And MIKE just said that one between Dale Cooper and Mr. C (doppelgänger, not tulpa) must be killed.
I think Mr. C needs to go down on principal alone. It doesn't have to be about necessity.
I don't know where it comes this idea that Dale Cooper and Douglas Jones (tulpa) cannot coexist. As far as I know Mr. C and previous Douglas Jones (again, a tulpa) have coexisted for a certain amount of time. And MIKE just said that one between Dale Cooper and Mr. C (doppelgänger, not tulpa) must be killed.
If Cooper can return, why create a tulpa anyhow? He could just as easily go back to Vegas, announce his retirement from Lucky 7, go to TP with the family and spend the rest of his life just kickin' it in the RR.
Probably due to a good pension from the Bureau, plus whatever bonuses and severance Bushnell wants to pay him.
I assumed he wants to make another Dougie duplicate because, as much as likes (perhaps even loves) his Las Vegas family, they aren't really his.
Cooper better hope the federal government can convince dozens of local and international law enforcement agencies that he is not to be prosecuted. Otherwise, his tulpa will be spending a lot of time in prison.
But why would he just create another potential Dougie when the last one clearly wasn't working out to well for the Jones's?
Unless..........
Mr C. made Dougie out of naughty doppelganger DNA, thus creating a philandering, drinking, gambling louse of a husband.
Perhaps Cooper's DNA will make a kinder, gentler spouse......
Agreed, Kyle Anderson. But I don't think Cooper's fate beyond this world has to do with whether there's a tulpa around or not and I don't think SXT was implying there was necessarily any compatibility with him sticking around, once his doppelgänger is disposed of (we hope!).
I share the hunch that Dale Cooper is not expecting to stick around in "this" life (it's getting weirder and weirder to cling to TP's "normal" reality as if it were somehow ours - the borders between fiction and reality, realities, dimensions, consciousnesses or what have you have got so complicated!). I do think it's highly likely that he's destined for the Lodge(s). Perhaps it will be the price for finding Laura (or some next-gen Laura) and bringing her back, or some other TP-saving self-sacrifice. I'm not sure that he'll end up as the Fireman, though. Maybe a new role?
EDIT. Apologies for apparent non sequitur. Lots of other posts appeared before I submitted. Hot topic - congrats SXT!
Brandy's interpretation - the good Coop DNA - is the one I'd go for.
@ Matthew - at present, the family has nobody, in effect. Coop loves them, they love Coop. Simple, really. If he felt it would be wrong to return to them, he's just compounding the problem by creating another duplicate. I don't think he believes it's wrong, though. He knows he won't - can't - go back.
There is the possibility that Cooper make a tulpa to throw into the battle against Mr. C, knowing that Mr. C, may destroy it. Cooper then destroys Mr. C. Cooper then returns to Janey-E and family.
There is the possibility that Cooper make a tulpa to throw into the battle against Mr. C, knowing that Mr. C, may destroy it. Cooper then destroys Mr. C. Cooper then returns to Janey-E and family.
That's a yrev very clever idea. Dagnabbit! Wish I'd thunk of it!
I assumed he wants to make another Dougie duplicate because, as much as likes (perhaps even loves) his Las Vegas family, they aren't really his.
I agree.
I apologize for my answer which was not completely in-topic and I thank all who replied to me anyway. The Fireman? Hmm... he seems to be what it's usually called a demiurge. It's a bit ambitious even for Dale Cooper to become such a figure. Besides I got excited when he said "I am the FBI."
Brandy's interpretation - the good Coop DNA - is the one I'd go for.
@ Matthew - at present, the family has nobody, in effect. Coop loves them, they love Coop. Simple, really. If he felt it would be wrong to return to them, he's just compounding the problem by creating another duplicate. I don't think he believes it's wrong, though. He knows he won't - can't - go back.
Seems to me he left them in the care of the Meecham organization.
I am agnostic as to your specific theory (neat idea!). What seems clear is that the simple family life is not Dale's path, and he knows this. I would not be surprised if he sacrificed himeself in SOME major way. Sob.
Fire walk with