If you enjoyed the show and have an interpretation that fits you that's great. You don't have to defend it or justify it to anybody. Most of the people only have critics but if you ask what their interpretation is they can't answer. They're only here to do seek the plotholes in solutions from other members and come with alternatives..
I kind of agree with you. They set up so many story arcs, by the end they just didn't have time to resolve them all. So they threw Part 18 in our faces.
The ironic thing is, if there wasn't so much time wasted throughout the season with all the slow scenes, they could have packed so much more into each episode and had so much more time to resolve the story arcs. We didn't need to spend ages watching people sat in a car or having fake-sounding conversations and staring blankly at each other. 9 episodes of story dragged out across 18 episodes.
And you're right, if it's so open to interpretation that any fan theory is possible, it's kind of a cop out in terms of storytelling. We could be here forever trying to make things fit.
Agree with your last paragraph 100% on cop out.
Re: slow scenes, that seems to have always been a Lynch thing, in the original TP too, if memory serves. Though maybe to a less extreme degree.
I'm starting to feel the same way. After lots of thinking about all this, I have an interpretation in my head that satisfies me pretty well, and I find myself looking at lots of things through that lens. The thing is, everyone else has their own lens, and you can make a damned impressive argument to justify lots of them. Yet they're... All. Completely. Different. At this point, most of us aren't even talking about the same show anymore.
It's like Lynch gave us a jigsaw puzzle with only about 30% of the pieces. The rest could be filled in to form any number of "equally valid" pictures.
And part of me actually thinks that's cool. Lynch must've wanted it that way or he wouldn't have done this. But at the same time I know there must be some concept in his head for what this was actually all about, and the rest of us are writing elaborate fan fiction, even if we don't mean to.
- Yes, some of threads sound like people talking about a totally different show. And I'm just not gonna sync multiple episodes. Nope. That's fine for dreaming new meanings but it can be so random that it rabbit holes.
I absolutely have have an interpretation as well. I think either Coop is really Richard and dreamed everything. Or by saving Laura he erases the entire history of the show. Either answe reminds me of Mulholland, Highway, Inland and this feels like an unnecessary retread. Lynch's obsession with fragmented identity fractures the show at the end. Yawn.
I'm starting to feel the same way. After lots of thinking about all this, I have an interpretation in my head that satisfies me pretty well, and I find myself looking at lots of things through that lens. The thing is, everyone else has their own lens, and you can make a damned impressive argument to justify lots of them. Yet they're... All. Completely. Different. At this point, most of us aren't even talking about the same show anymore.
It's like Lynch gave us a jigsaw puzzle with only about 30% of the pieces. The rest could be filled in to form any number of "equally valid" pictures.
And part of me actually thinks that's cool. Lynch must've wanted it that way or he wouldn't have done this. But at the same time I know there must be some concept in his head for what this was actually all about, and the rest of us are writing elaborate fan fiction, even if we don't mean to.
- Yes, some of threads sound like people talking about a totally different show. And I'm just not gonna sync multiple episodes. Nope. That's fine for dreaming new meanings but it can be so random that it rabbit holes.
I absolutely have have an interpretation as well. I think either Coop is really Richard and dreamed everything. Or by saving Laura he erases the entire history of the show. Either answe reminds me of Mulholland, Highway, Inland and this feels like an unnecessary retread. Lynch's obsession with fragmented identity fractures the show at the end. Yawn.
..what Lynch said is that Mulholland Drive was in the same universe as Twin Peaks...
In any case all three seem to go about the psyche disorders of main characters, but while in MD and LH the story line finally became clear - with few inconsistencies - in TPTR the inconsistencies seem to be insurmountable, at least up to now.
If you enjoyed the show and have an interpretation that fits you that's great. You don't have to defend it or justify it to anybody. Most of the people only have critics but if you ask what their interpretation is they can't answer. They're only here to do seek the plotholes in solutions from other members and come with alternatives..
I pretty much agree that's the best we can do. And I did enjoy the show. I haven't done a major rewatch yet, but when I go back to check specific scenes, I'm generally loving them even more than I did the first time. Sometimes it's because I understand more; other times it's just because I forgot how brilliant something was and I'm tickled by it all over again. All a credit to Lynch & Co., and their many, many layers.
At the same time it's annoying to think I'm "seeing what I want to see." I think my interpretation works, but if yours does too... isn't that the unavoidable conclusion?
At this point I'm hoping Frost's upcoming book fills in enough pieces that we'll at least be able to rule some things out. I don't expect anything as prosaic as "answers," but I'd like to get out of the place where this might all be the dream Candie has after she breaks her spike heel, slips in a spilled Bloody Mary, and hits her head on the edge of a slot machine. 😉
..what Lynch said is that Mulholland Drive was in the same universe as Twin Peaks...
In any case all three seem to go about the psyche disorders of main characters, but while in MD and LH the story line finally became clear - with few inconsistencies - in TPTR the inconsistencies seem to be insurmountable, at least up to now.
If so, why would Lynch say that? Though they're both "quirky worlds" I never thought of MD and TP as being same universe. I loved MD. I thought it made total sense in a circular surreal dream manner. TP seemed to be its own separate world. Grounded, but with surreal aspects, as someone else noted. To link MD and TP diminishes TP greatly, in my (obviously strong) opinion.
If you enjoyed the show and have an interpretation that fits you that's great. You don't have to defend it or justify it to anybody. Most of the people only have critics but if you ask what their interpretation is they can't answer. They're only here to do seek the plotholes in solutions from other members and come with alternatives..
I pretty much agree that's the best we can do. And I did enjoy the show. I haven't done a major rewatch yet, but when I go back to check specific scenes, I'm generally loving them even more than I did the first time. Sometimes it's because I understand more; other times it's just because I forgot how brilliant something was and I'm tickled by it all over again. All a credit to Lynch & Co., and their many, many layers.
At the same time it's annoying to think I'm "seeing what I want to see." I think my interpretation works, but if yours does too... isn't that the unavoidable conclusion?
At this point I'm hoping Frost's upcoming book fills in enough pieces that we'll at least be able to rule some things out. I don't expect anything as prosaic as "answers," but I'd like to get out of the place where this might all be the dream Candie has after she breaks her spike heel, slips in a spilled Bloody Mary, and hits her head on the edge of a slot machine. 😉
The first three times i saw mulholland drive i really didn't have a clue what happened but i found it a great movie 😉 😉 😉
While I'm still confused by the ending, I'm glad I have a chance to read people's theories as I plan my rewatch. I never expected to have this story end with all the pieces in place. Initially my confusion felt disappointing to me, but I've given myself time to deal with the fact that there was disappointment from the realization that this could be the real end. I truly loved watching this show all summer, and being part of the discussions on this forum. There is no way that I will allow that experience to be ruined. I'll piece together what makes sense to me, read the Final Dossier, and see what that opens up. Until then, I appreciate the thought that people are putting into their theories. I will consider them all, and then see what makes the most sense.
You have a good perspective Buttercup. I totally enjoyed the show and forum this summer too. So glad it came into existence. The ending is truly my only major beef. I would say anything BUT an ending where Coop has an "identity crisis" would have been better.
While I'm still confused by the ending, I'm glad I have a chance to read people's theories as I plan my rewatch. I never expected to have this story end with all the pieces in place. Initially my confusion felt disappointing to me, but I've given myself time to deal with the fact that there was disappointment from the realization that this could be the real end. I truly loved watching this show all summer, and being part of the discussions on this forum. There is no way that I will allow that experience to be ruined. I'll piece together what makes sense to me, read the Final Dossier, and see what that opens up. Until then, I appreciate the thought that people are putting into their theories. I will consider them all, and then see what makes the most sense.
Great to hear, i'm shure the answers will come. I don't think that the final dossier gives all the answers away but enough for the members in this forum to look at it and put all the pieces together..
Imagine if everything made sense after episode 18. We'd all probably be bored because there would be nothing to discuss. I'd love to see more, and I hope there will be more, but if not, it was a helluva great ride this summer.
I was angry at the ending at first for not giving any kind of resolution to the narrative, or for essentially ignoring everything that happened throughout the season.
Then I became a bit numb to the fact there there is no one theory that answers anything. A bit like yourself.
But now I find myself enjoying all of the various theories.
I do still think that Mark Frost has an idea of what happened. Any writer knows their characters and their story archs. The question is whether we'll ever find out his definitive ideas.
I am hopeful that The Final Dossier will provide some answers. I enjoyed Secret History a lot so am hopeful I will also enjoy and learn a lot from the next book.
But even if not, I absolutely loved all the episodes, even if like you I was left hanging at the end of episode 18.
I fall into the camp that it's not all just a dream, or if it is a dream isn't any less meaningful because it was real to those who were alive within the dream (not just the dreamer).
Of course there are things that I didn't care for in the ending, but my overwhelming response was simply confusion and disappointment. I guess I was disappointed with myself for not getting it. After a few days, and reading the record number of posts here, I realized nobody really gets it yet. We just have to keep peeling the onion until we do.
Fire walk with