We know from the original series that Dale has a very dark spot in his past. He still carried guilt over the death of Carolyn Earle, a woman he cared about.
After watching episode 18 it seemed to me that Dale was still acting out of a trauma-induced need to rescue the damsel in distress even after all these years.
Let's look at his MO.
1. Audrey, a woman he cared about, is in trouble at One-Eyed Jack's. Dale throws protocol to the wind and rushes to save her. Although he is successful, this ends up costing him his badge, if only briefly.
2. Annie, is abducted by the same man that killed Carolyn. Dale rushes into a completely unknown situation to save her. This ends up costing him 25 years of his life.
So the question becomes "Did Dale learn anything in those 25 years?" If not then we have:
3. Laura Palmer and the excursion into whatever that other realm was. From the looks of things this was also at a great cost.
I'm leaning toward the theory that Cooper did, in fact, return to Janey-E and Sonny Jim in Las Vegas. 25 years is quite a long time and I have difficulty believing that this character could still feel the need to rush headlong into an unknown situation. Especially to save someone who was already dead. What next? Time travel and take on the Black Lodge for the fate of Theresa Banks? Go back and save the Log Lady's husband?
No, I have to believe that after 25 years, Dale Cooper has overcome the fatal flaw that Windham Earle so easily used to manipulate him. I think this time he kept a cool head, even with a woman he's come to care about in peril, and stuck to the plan by sending the tulpa to save Laura.
So now I guess he has 25 years of daily gifts to himself to catch up on.
We know from the original series that Dale has a very dark spot in his past. He still carried guilt over the death of Carolyn Earle, a woman he cared about.
After watching episode 18 it seemed to me that Dale was still acting out of a trauma-induced need to rescue the damsel in distress even after all these years.
Let's look at his MO.
1. Audrey, a woman he cared about, is in trouble at One-Eyed Jack's. Dale throws protocol to the wind and rushes to save her. Although he is successful, this ends up costing him his badge, if only briefly.
2. Annie, is abducted by the same man that killed Carolyn. Dale rushes into a completely unknown situation to save her. This ends up costing him 25 years of his life.
So the question becomes "Did Dale learn anything in those 25 years?" If not then we have:
3. Laura Palmer and the excursion into whatever that other realm was. From the looks of things this was also at a great cost.
I'm leaning toward the theory that Cooper did, in fact, return to Janey-E and Sonny Jim in Las Vegas. 25 years is quite a long time and I have difficulty believing that this character could still feel the need to rush headlong into an unknown situation. Especially to save someone who was already dead. What next? Time travel and take on the Black Lodge for the fate of Theresa Banks? Go back and save the Log Lady's husband?
No, I have to believe that after 25 years, Dale Cooper has overcome the fatal flaw that Windham Earle so easily used to manipulate him. I think this time he kept a cool head, even with a woman he's come to care about in peril, and stuck to the plan by sending the tulpa to save Laura.
So now I guess he has 25 years of daily gifts to himself to catch up on.
When watching Part 17, I was actually rooting for him (the "real" Cooper) to go live out a life with Janey-E and Sonny-Jim in Vegas. But...I just don't know. It seems like the true Cooper personality isn't one of complacency, no matter how old he gets or what he has been through. He would always strive for truth, justice, and putting himself in those challenging/impossible situations, wouldn't he? But it is an interesting (and peaceful) thought.
I can't see Cooper changing or learning from his "flaw" if flaw it is. Trying to do the right thing no matter what the cost seems ingrained in him. I feel that given the chance to relive his life, he would still try and save Audrey, Annie and Laura even at the risk of his own life. And yes, given the chance, he'd take on the Black Lodge and save Theresa, too.
I can't see Cooper changing or learning from his "flaw" if flaw it is. Trying to do the right thing no matter what the cost seems ingrained in him. I feel that given the chance to relive his life, he would still try and save Audrey, Annie and Laura even at the risk of his own life. And yes, given the chance, he'd take on the Black Lodge and save Theresa, too.
I'm not arguing whether or not he would do the right thing or anything like that. I'm saying that he had a weak spot that made him make terrible mistakes when it came to scenarios that triggered his guilt over Carolyn. He exhibited all sorts of heroic behavior that did not end in disaster. That's because he wasn't acting in a panicked freak-out like he did with Audrey and Annie, the latter of which led to consequences not only for himself but for at least Audrey and Diane (both presumeably raped) and Major Briggs (murdered). Not to mention whatever else the Doppelganger got up to. So I have to believe Cooper wouldn't rush into anything else like a moron, especially considering the seemingly catastrophic consequences that his previous attempt at doing so caused for so many.
From Tulpa-Diane we know that tulpas can be quite capable when restrictions aren't placed on them, as seems to have been the case with Dougie Jones. So I really don't think this would be the lesser of the two possibilities at all.
I just find it hard to believe that Coop would let a tulpa do his work for him while he stayed with Janey E and Sonny Jim. As much as he cares for those two, that's not his family. That is another man's wife and son.
Tulpas are capable yes, and they also feel emotion, and human-like in many ways. That's why I can't see Coop asking someone to do something that could lead to death, even if he's a tulpa.
He had a plan, Telling Mike to make a copy of him.
Fire walk with