I prefer The Return by a thousand. The original series was Lynch tied into network television. The Return is both Lynch unleashed and Lynch matured.

Maybe we can agree that the ending at least is open, i.e. not definitely negative. But to me, there is much more evidence for a happy ending than otherwise. For example, why would the Fireman create the Laura Orb as a counterforce against Bob, if Laura is doomed in the end anyway? Unless Laura and C...

In my opinion we see a clear distinction between good and evil, and a clear concept of karma in Season 3. Violent means meet violent ends. Hastings wife betrays her husband, leaves him in jail, and gets shop by Mr. C in the next scene. Hutch and Chantal are murderers without moral and scruples and g...

Inland Empire had The One Mind Theory. A woman, in a troubled relationship. She starts having affairs, gets pregnant. The relationship starts getting more abusive. In a fight she kills her husband, loses the foetus. She finally "snaps", and spends the rest of the time in her delusional dre...

What you say is not supported by what we see on screen. For example you omit the event when the Fireman creates Laura as a savior against Bob. Her life has a higher meaning. You take the scream out of context. The problem Cooper faces is that the Palmers do not live in their house and that "Car...

Three things. 1. Cooper says see you at the curtain call. So the story is far from being over with the last scene, and continues. 2. I just read the theory that it is indeed a loop, but a loop in which Cooper infinitely succeeds over Judy and saves Laura. A positive loop. 3. Cooper followed the inst...

Could Episode 17 been about the awakening of Cooper from his dream, and Episode 18 about the awakening of Laura from her dream?

That refered to Episode 17. In Episode 18 he is indeed not the master of his dream - yet.

He indeed looks perplexed in the last seconds, but to me nothing indicates that he cannot overcome that obstacle. Hell, he even managed to snap out of being Dougie before. He is not really powerless or lost in Judy's realm, as the way he handled the cowboys or found "Laura" showed. The key...

I don't understand why so many reviewers assume Season 3 ended on a bleak note, negative, or in a failure. Even if we leave the shared dreams aside for a moment and just focus on the facts. Cooper was given precise instructions by the Fireman, and he followed them. He knew there was a danger in cros...

I think it is a happy ending for the following reason: Cooper becomes aware he is a dreamer, and takes complete control of his dream, even so far that he can save Laura in the chained dreamscape. In E18 he crosses over to another layer / quality of dreaming, and he is not the master of this dreamwor...

DeepBlueSeed, I incorporated your thoughts into a new text: more on the universal mind / shared dreams theory. we see a network of dreams basically, dreams shared by multiple dreamers. some dreamers are more aware of this, though. ed realizes he is dreaming when he is pondering at night and sees the...

I already mentioned the dream theory, but I want to add something to it. There was the theory about Inland Empire that everything happened inside the mind of one person - The One Mind theory. With Season 3 I assume we're seeing the "Universal Mind Theory" in action. I assume Lynch follows ...

It doesn't have to be a cheap explanation. There are badly executed Dream stories, as in Dallas, or those that are well done, like in Inception. I'd say Lynch is someone who would execute a Dream plot masterfully.

You have been Lynched. Lost Highway, Mulholland Drive and Inland Empire took years to decipher, and at least to me the theories are quite satisfying and conclusive. I don't think Twin Peaks Season 3 let a lot of questions open; it is conclusive and gives a final answer to most of them. We just haven...