There is some reason to think that the original timeline has been altered. After all, we get to revisit the Packard saw mill scene from the pilot with Pete, Josie, and Catherine. Laura's body vanishes from this timeline, although that does not mean of course that she was entirely eradicated from existence, just that she didn't die on the night of Feb 23rd-24th, 1989. This also doesn't save Laura permanently as presumably Bob continues to exist within Leland.vicksvapor77 wrote:Cooper/Richard thinks that Carrie is Laura, hence her murder would be undone in his eyes. We as viewers are left to wonder if that's the case, is this a strictly alternate reality, and how would her death being undone eradicate the show's existence as we know it.thedarktrees wrote:-don't get all the consternation about the original story being retconned out of existence... How could that possibly be the case? Everything that happens in Part 18, right up to the last second is fundamentally premised on all the events of the Laura Palmer murder. I mean Coop, even in whatever different existence he's in, is still looking for Sarah and Laura.
One thing that occurred to me about the "alternate" timeline is that I think that Cooper traveled to it alone (as opposed to with Diane) and that this reality is essentially a trap. Call it Judy's retribution if you will. This world is very clearly controlled by the Lodge spirits. Number 6 telephone pole is right outside Carrie's house, there is a dead man with rigor mortis sitting in a chair, and a small white horse on the mantelpiece. Carrie looks like Laura, but she doesn't have her identity. Cooper eats at Judy's of all places, and starts acting strangely after expertly disarming the three cowboys. It's like his persona begins to break down. Carrie also works at Judy's, which means that her whole life in this reality is setup and controlled by the Lodge. The final touch is that the Palmer house is now owned by Lodge impostors as well. This looks like a trap setup for Cooper, which he realizes in the final moments of S3.