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The giggling policeman

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(@keith_mckay)
Posts: 12
Eminent Member
Topic starter
 

The scene where Dougie and wife are in reception, whilst the three policemen discuss a broken tail light.  Great scene! The laugh, the facial expressions...! Some of the old Twin Peaks quirkiness returning. 

 
Posted : 11/07/2017 4:15 am
 Zach
(@zach)
Posts: 16
Active Member
 

There was also music in these scenes.

 
Posted : 11/07/2017 4:37 am
(@murat_erol_ozkan)
Posts: 472
Reputable Member
 

The scene was well done, but notice how Bushnell Mullins(Dougie's boss and former boxer) was tempted to punch out the cops, shown by his not wanting to leave when they told him to and his right hand almost involuntarily clinching itself into a fist.  Why is this?  This is the twin peaks 'quirkyness' being in the wrong spot, maybe a metaphor for why agent cooper(another quirky official) fell apart for 25 years, also explaining the trouble(ominous music, outlet, missing shoes, etc.) he was in shortly after in the flag-woman scene.  

Mullins kept hinting to the police that there was something more going on, after they kept trying to dismiss him.  Mullins explains that Dougie's car was blown up and shortly after someone tried to kill him, and the cops respond with blank stares, only to momentarily return to obscenities and enjoying pain(the tail-light rip off, an injustice, is funny, etc.), as if pain and suffering from crime/injustice is a laughing matter, not exactly the ideal attitude of an officer of the law.  Mullins is trying to get them to engage in some kind of investigation that will uncover the crimes behind what is going on with Dougie, maybe to prevent Dougie from being killed in the near future; and maybe Mullins suspects that this has something to do with the fraud Dougie has uncovered, knew about. The extent of the cops thoughts on this matter is 'everything is about money', think no more, back to obscenities, and getting people.  The cops are more interested in 'getting' Dougie(like the excessive enjoyment they display when they can 'join the fun' with Ike), inflicting pain, laughing at victims of crime and injustice(hes a dog, who cares about his accident, the crimes against him, etc.) etc. 

Although its a funny scene, not everything is funny, and here the quirkyness makes them unfit to serve, which links to the flag scene, what is wrong with the country, how cooper lost his shoes, is headed for more trouble(attractive woman walking by, Dougies modus operandi, etc., Cooper trapped by Laura, etc.).  Mullins is something like old fashioned, similar to Cole, taking the ethical duty seriously, thus he wants to punch out the cops.  Its up to the cops to solve the crime, the injustice, and lives depend on it, they are extremely negligent, dont care, have blank stares like dogs, think its funny, enjoy 'getting people', etc., basically the mentality of criminals themselves......quirkyness is one thing, but does not fit with ethical duty....these cops should be nowhere near authority, but 'its a world full of truck drivers', who guard the community......

Now contrast the Las Vegas cops to the cops of twin peaks, these Las Vegas cops are like a department full of Chads, while Bobby, Hawk, and Truman(the old generation, save the exceptional Bobby, thanks to the Major) are serious, are disgusted with Chad and his food(and would be with the Las Vegas cops).  Twin peaks cops are now on the verge of bringing back 'major' to his chair, which faces the 'dinner table'/community directly; these two groups of cops see the dinner table conversation differently, thus create different types of communities....

 

 
Posted : 11/07/2017 9:41 am
(@samxtherapy)
Posts: 2250
Noble Member
 

Well put.  A lot going on in that whole section.  Maybe Lynch and Frost are using the police there as a metaphor for big city life in general, compared to the small town life of TP.  Not that everything is perfect in Twin Peaks, either.  Mullins is Old School, though; he has a strong moral compass, and even if he's not entirely seeing what's in front of him, it's plain to see he cares and wants to help.

 
Posted : 11/07/2017 9:53 am
(@lady_in_the_radiator)
Posts: 42
Eminent Member
 

The middle guys laugh is so hillarious, how the f*** does he do that, so specific...

 
Posted : 11/07/2017 10:18 am
(@samxtherapy)
Posts: 2250
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Posted by: Lady in the Radiator

The middle guys laugh is so hillarious, how the f*** does he do that, so specific...

Hmm... Well, it's this thing that actors do.  It's called "Acting", or so I heard.  😉

 
Posted : 11/07/2017 10:56 am
(@lady_in_the_radiator)
Posts: 42
Eminent Member
 
Posted by: SamXTherapy
Posted by: Lady in the Radiator

The middle guys laugh is so hillarious, how the f*** does he do that, so specific...

Hmm... Well, it's this thing that actors do.  It's called "Acting", or so I heard.  😉

It sounded more like his supernatural power to me 😀

 
Posted : 11/07/2017 4:17 pm
SamXTherapy reacted
(@samxtherapy)
Posts: 2250
Noble Member
 
Posted by: Lady in the Radiator
Posted by: SamXTherapy
Posted by: Lady in the Radiator

The middle guys laugh is so hillarious, how the f*** does he do that, so specific...

Hmm... Well, it's this thing that actors do.  It's called "Acting", or so I heard.  😉

It sounded more like his supernatural power to me 😀

You never know.  Got to watch out for these Laughing Policemen.  😉

 
Posted : 11/07/2017 5:57 pm
(@adam-lamella)
Posts: 25
Eminent Member
 
Posted by: Murat Erol Özkan

Mullins is something like old fashioned, similar to Cole, taking the ethical duty seriously, thus he wants to punch out the cops.  Its up to the cops to solve the crime, the injustice, and lives depend on it, they are extremely negligent, dont care, have blank stares like dogs, think its funny, enjoy 'getting people', etc., basically the mentality of criminals themselves......quirkyness is one thing, but does not fit with ethical duty....these cops should be nowhere near authority, but 'its a world full of truck drivers', who guard the community......

 

 
Posted : 15/07/2017 12:08 pm
(@samxtherapy)
Posts: 2250
Noble Member
 

Good catch.

 
Posted : 15/07/2017 12:43 pm
(@adam-lamella)
Posts: 25
Eminent Member
 

"It's usually about money, plain and simple..."

Something wicked this way comes.

 
Posted : 15/07/2017 2:46 pm
(@adam-lamella)
Posts: 25
Eminent Member
 

Whoops, found a flaw in my conjecture. I thought the detective names shown in the files were the three we've seen, but they are the Fusco brothers. Could still be some collusion between LVPD detectives and Lucky 7... Mullins certainly seemed troubled.

 
Posted : 15/07/2017 8:55 pm
SamXTherapy reacted
(@bob-john)
Posts: 123
Estimable Member
 

Interesting points.  I'm not as harsh regarding the Detectives Fusco, though.

I get the sense that Fuscos want information, but don't want to provide it to Bushnell (and in this case, why would they?)  It's like they don't want to go down a rabbit hole, when they wanted to talk in private about something they thought was more interesting.

I agree that they have a callous, goofy, aloof, and sometimes borderline negligent cop persona, but the moment they could talk freely, they wanted to talk about the mystery of Dougie (and at least one Fusco did the investigative work or is aware of its contents).  They considered that maybe he's important enough to be in the witness protection program.

"That guy at Justice" might link back down to FBI and Cole which is good for the plot.  Plus, one Fusco was concerned and creative enough to get fingerprints from the coffee mug to look into Dougie more.  And they had sent the skin graft for analysis.  Not bad, considering.  I think if they were too clever, diligent, or caring, it would expedite or ruin some of the circuitous connecting of dots.

They serve as some comic relief, and still fit the bill for a bit bungling or ineffective.  I like them, even if they are not ideal law enforcement.

Re Lil in FWWM, Chet says, "and the other hand made into a fist, which means they're [the local authorities] are gonna be belligerent."

 
Posted : 15/07/2017 9:41 pm
(@murat_erol_ozkan)
Posts: 472
Reputable Member
 

I agree that they are interesting characters and provide well for the show overall by the very mystery/problems they present(their contrast with twin peaks cops, etc., and I like the comedy because it is deceptive, leading you to clues with give a bigger payoff, the music and the 'quirkiness' is enjoyable, and almost a cover for anything they do...., and this tells a lot, provides a lot.....Chad is not allowed to operate this way in twin peaks, making him frustrated).

Maybe it is that they are just taking the attitude that 'not our business to care about Bushnell or Dougie, but just to investigate crimes, conspiracies, etc., uphold the law for society, so that 'principles' prevail and it is known they prevails, which is actually how they should carry out their duty, so they do not get personally involved in a way that threatens the law,  but I tend to side with Mullins here.  They seem to care about Dougie in a way that exceeds their duty, and in a way  that tries to hurt him, rather than reassuring him that law will prevail. think about the excessive enjoyment they get when they put the mug in the evidence bag, 'gottcha', etc., setting off the music and the stream of obscenities.......Also, Mullins is concerned about Dougies well being, and these cops should guarantee to uphold the law in society, even if they dont have to care about Mullins or Dougie personally.  Their wildly negligent answer of 'just about money' and blank stare defeats this purpose, they are conveying the message that law will not be upheld in society, they are just letting it go, and are not even conscious of this aspect of their duty, dont even recognize it.....Its not like they dont have legitimate legal(in line with evidence collected legally in line with rights of the person regarding searches, due process, fair trial, etc.) reasons to be suspicious of Dougie(prints and car being in rancho rosa, etc.), but they clearly enjoy immensely this 'getting him' aspect and seem to not even recognize the aspect of the law that protects Dougie and his rightful position in society regardless of what they would personally think or suspect about him(he is a dog, suspicious, stupid, etc., who cares about him, get him, etc.).

They do accomplish some things diligently, getting Ike, etc. and it may be that we see later that they are not incompetent to the extent that it would threaten the rule of law, but I would argue that from what we have seen so far, it is definitely at least likely that they are not fit to uphold the rule of law.

 
Posted : 16/07/2017 1:30 am
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WELCOME TO TWIN PEAKS | Fanning the fire, one (b)log at a time | And there's always David Lynch in the air...
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