Laura Palmer
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Laura Palmer is a character from the television series Twin Peaks, created by David Lynch and Mark Frost. Her death was the catalyst for the events of the series.
Laura (played by Sheryl Lee) was her town's favorite daughter; she volunteered at Meals on Wheels, was the high school Homecoming queen, and was (apparently) the darling of her parents, Sarah and Leland. However, Laura led a double life — she was a cocaine user, a victim of child abuse and had briefly worked at One Eyed Jacks, a casino/brothel just north of the Canadian border.
The discovery of Laura's body in the pilot episode of Twin Peaks brought Special Agent Dale Cooper to town and the investigation of her death, and the effects it had on those around her, propelled the first season and the first 15 episodes of the second season. Laura remained prominent afterward, as her death had exposed many secrets related to her, and also — in some cases — unrelated, such as the Packard mill conspiracy.
Laura's diary was uncovered in the first episode, but her secret diary was not recovered until later, and it contained passages suggesting that she had long been the victim — sometimes willingly — of abuse from a malevolent entity named BOB, who wanted to be close to her, or even be her.
During the second season, the identity of her murderer was revealed: her father, Leland, who had been possessed by BOB and made to molest, rape, and kill his own daughter. When Leland dies in prison, it is implied that Laura appears before him in a vision, forgiving him and welcoming him to the afterlife.
[edit] Notes
- Sheryl Lee also played Laura's cousin, Maddy Ferguson, who arrived in town in the third episode for Laura's funeral. At one point Maddy poses as dead Laura to lure Dr. Jacoby.
- One of the best-known musical pieces from the show was the leitmotif Laura's Theme, composed by Angelo Badalamenti. This was sampled in the 1992 Top Ten hit "Go" by American artist Moby, and in the song "B.O.B." by German techno group Scooter, found on the b-side to their 2008 single "Jumping All Over The World".
- Jennifer Lynch wrote an official series tie-in, The Secret Diary of Laura Palmer, which was sold from 1990 and was the diary used in the series.
- Swallow the Sun, a doom metal band, wrote a song called "The Ghost of Laura Palmer", probably derived from the character.
- Terminaator, a rock band from Estonia, has a song called "Veel on aega". There is a reference to Laura and Twin Peaks in lines "Laura Palmer mõrvati | Väikelinn kuid elab edasi", which means "Laura Palmer was murdered | But a small town lives on".
- Laura's iconic Homecoming portrait was originally Sheryl Lee's prom photo in real life. Several versions of it exist and are used throughout the series and follow-up/prequel Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me.
- Amanda Palmer's solo debut album is entitled "Who Killed Amanda Palmer", which is a reference to Laura Palmer's death and the investigation thereof.[citation needed]
- The band Fantômas covered the theme song for the film Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me on their Directors Cut album.
- During the evacuation of Saigon, April, 1975, Hunter S. Thompson left the Global Affairs Suite in the hands of a Laura Palmer. See Thompson's "Fear and Loathing in America," c. 2000.
- The Band Skycamefalling has a song entitled Laura Palmer on their album 10.21.
- The band Kick Asteroid recorded a single entitled "She's Full Of Secrets" in obvious homage to the character and the series as a whole.
- A song called Our Energy by the artist Cyberstorm features lyrics referring to Laura Palmer. It can be found on John 00 Fleming's 2000 DJ mix album For Your Ears Only in the form of a Plastic Angel remix. The lyrics, spoken in a German or Dutch accent, are as follows: There is a secret diary on which Laura used to write whatever happened to her. The killer's initials are on it. People still don't know who killed Laura Palmer but I know who did. I know the murderer. I happen to know a secret. Everyone lives in fear. I know the murderer.
- Laura Palmer may have been inspired by the character of Laura Hunt from the 1944 motion picture Laura.[citation needed]
