‘Twin Peaks’: The Log Lady’s wokest wisdom

When Twin Peaks: The Return arrived on screens, fans were met with a bittersweet final performance from Catherine E. Coulson as iconic character the Log Lady. Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, David Lynch called her scenes “extremely emotional” and divulged “Catherine passed away four days after she shot” her final scene following a battle with cancer.

Now filmmaker and repeated Lynch collaborator Richard Green has announced a new feature length documentary devoted to Coulson and her iconic legacy as the Log Lady. Naturally, it also has Lynch’s full blessing, who said of the documentary, “Viewers will learn so much about Coulson and appreciate her as a human being. She is one that really should be appreciated.”

I Know Catherine, The Log Lady is set to be the only authorized documentary about the legendary star and character. Green’s Kickstarter campaign raised over $290,000 for the film. Obviously, we’re clutching our own mystical log over here and feeling some heavy emotions of our own that Coulson will be enjoying such a loving tribute paid to her.

In Twin Peaks, the Log Lady regularly shared mysterious words of wisdom that opened up the eerie puzzling heart of the show while also giving the audience some wild epiphanies about life. Here’s a ranking of eleven of the Log Lady’s most essential words of wisdom to remember her by.

11. Musing upon ideas: S1E3

These ideas speak so strangely. All that we see in this world is based on someone’s ideas. Some ideas are destructive, some are constructive. Some ideas can arrive in the form of a dream.

10. Otherworldly reflections: S1E4

Even the ones who laugh are sometimes caught without an answer – these creatures who introduce themselves but we swear we have met them somewhere before. Yes, look in the mirror. What do you see? Is it a dream, or a nightmare? Are we being introduced against our will? Are they mirrors? I can see the smoke. I can smell the fire. The battle is drawing nigh.

9. The metaphorical food staple: S2E2

Where does creamed corn figure into the workings of the universe? What really is creamed corn? Is it a symbol for something else?

8. A death song: S1E8

A drunken man walks in a way that is quite impossible for a sober man to imitate, and vice versa. An evil man has a way, no matter how clever — to the trained eye, his way will show itself. Am I being too secretive? No. One can never answer questions at the wrong moment. Life, like music, has a rhythm. This particular song will end with three sharp notes, like deathly drumbeats.

7. Truth and sadness: S2E17

At night, just before sleep, as you lay by yourself in the dark, how do you feel about yourself? Are you proud of your behavior? Are you ashamed of your behavior? You know in your heart if you have hurt someone — you know. If you have hurt someone, don’t wait another day before making things right. The world could break apart with sadness in the meantime.

6. Questions, solutions, and problems: S2E6

Sometimes we want to hide from ourselves — we do not want to be us — it is too difficult to be us. It is at these times that we turn to drugs or alcohol or behavior to help us forget that we are ourselves.

This is only a temporary solution to a problem which is going to keep returning, and sometimes these temporary solutions are worse for us than the original problem. Yes, it is a dilemma. Is there an answer? Of course there is – as a wise person said with a smile: “The answer is within the question.”

5. The organs of the universe: S2E14

The heart — it is a physical organ, we all know. But how much more an emotional organ? This we also know. Love, like blood, flows from the heart. Are blood and love related? Does a heart pump blood as it pumps love? Is love the blood of the universe?

4. Challenging a desire for logic: S1E2

I carry a log – yes. Is it funny to you? It is not to me. Behind all things are reasons. Reasons can even explain the absurd. Do we have the time to learn the reasons behind the human being’s varied behavior? I think not.

When this kind of fire starts, it is very hard to put out. The tender boughs of innocence burn first, and the wind rises, and then all goodness is in jeopardy.

2. The Log Lady’s introductory speech: S1E1

“Welcome to Twin Peaks. My name is Margaret Lanterman. I live in Twin Peaks. I am known as the Log Lady. There is a story behind that. There are many stories in Twin Peaks – some of them are sad, some funny. Some of them are stories of madness, of violence. Some are ordinary. Yet they all have about them a sense of mystery – the mystery of life. Sometimes, the mystery of death.

“The mystery of the woods – the woods surrounding Twin Peaks. To introduce this story, let me just say it encompasses the all – it is beyond the “fire”, though few would know that meaning. It is a story of many, but begins with one – and I knew her. The one leading to the many is Laura Palmer. Laura is the one.”

1. The Log Lady bids a fond farewell: S3E15