I have always felt we must go back to what Hawk originally explained to Cooper. “The Black Lodge is the shadow-self of the White Lodge. The legend says that every spirit must pass through there on the way to perfection. There, you will meet your own shadow self. My people call it 'The Dweller on the Threshold’. It is said, if you confront the Black Lodge with imperfect courage, it will utterly annihilate your soul.” When Dale entered the Black Lodge he ran away from his shadow self (Bad Coop). Dale had imperfect courage. He will need to confront Bad Coop in order to leave the Black Lodge, enter the White Lodge and become a whole, integrated person. Cooper has never left the Lodge because he has never confronted his Shadow Self (Mr. C). Cooper is an imperfect hero, even in his dream(s). Hawk's description of the legend of the Lodges is central. This is where the Return begins and where it ends.