| “ | You know, this is — excuse me — a damn fine cup of coffee! | „ |
| ~ Cooper's most famous line. |
Dale Cooper is the main protagonist of the David Lynch's Twin Peaks franchise, appearing in the original show from 1990-1991 and then in the 2017 limited series revival Twin Peaks: The Return, as well as the 1992 movie Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me (although in a supporting role). He is portrayed by Kyle MacLachlan, who played Paul Atreides in the 1984 film, Dune, and Jeffrey Beaumont in the 1986 film Blue Velvet, both also directed by Lynch. He also plays two other characters in the franchise, Dougie Jones and Cooper's evil doppelganger.
Dale is an FBI agent who is sent to the town of Twin Peaks to solve the murder of a girl named Laura Palmer. He later becomes trapped in the waiting room of the mysterious realm known as the Black Lodge, and doesn't resurface until 25 years later, attempting to gain back his memories and return to Twin Peaks.
History[]
Twin Peaks (1990-1991)[]
Born on April 19, 1954, Dale Cooper is a graduate of Germantown Friends School and Haverford College. He is quirky and intellectual, with a profound interest in the mystical, particularly in Tibet and Native American mythology. Much of his work is based on intuition and even dreams. On joining the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Cooper was based at the Bureau offices in Philadelphia. It was here that Cooper was partnered with the older Windom Earle. At some point, Cooper would be placed under the authority of FBI Chief Gordon Cole, which sometimes meant being handed the mysterious 'Blue Rose' cases. Some time after Cooper joined the Bureau, Earle's wife, Caroline, was a witness to a federal crime. Earle and Cooper were assigned to protect her, and it was around this time that Cooper began an affair with Caroline. However, one night, while in Pittsburgh, Cooper let his guard down, and Earle murdered Caroline in a jealous rage. Earle was subsequently sent to a mental institution. Cooper was devastated by the loss of the woman he would later refer to as the love of his life, and swore to never again get involved with someone who was a part of a case to which he was assigned.
Three years before his arrival in Twin Peaks, Cooper has a dream involving the plight of the Tibetan people, which also reveals to him the deductive technique of the Tibetan method. Deeply moved by what he saw in this dream, this event forms the basis of his unconventional methods of investigation. Cooper reveals to his boss, Cole, of the portents of a strange dream.
On February 24, 1989, Cooper comes to the town of Twin Peaks to investigate the murder of Laura Palmer. Initially, the prime suspect is Laura's boyfriend Bobby Briggs, but Cooper quickly determines he is innocent. Cooper meets Phillip Gerard, a shoe salesman who is possessed by an evil spirit called MIKE; MIKE tells him that another demon, BOB, is the key to solving Laura's murder. Eventually, Cooper deduces that Laura's father, Leland, murdered her while possessed by BOB. When BOB forces Leland to commit suicide, Cooper helps him transition into the afterlife by reciting a Buddhist prayer for the dead.
Cooper helps the Twin Peaks Sheriff's Department in investigating other cases as well, even during a brief suspension from the FBI. While in Twin Peaks, he learns of the mysterious places called the Black Lodge and the White Lodge and the various spirits inhabiting them, including MIKE and The Man From Another Place. He also resolves to protect the town from Earle, who has become a serial killer.
In the final episode of Twin Peaks, Cooper enters the Black Lodge to rescue his new girlfriend, Annie Blackburn, from Earle. In the Black Lodge, he encounters his evil doppelgänger, who is in league with BOB. Earle appears and says he will let Annie go if Cooper gives him his soul. Cooper agrees, and Earle stabs him in the stomach. Seconds later, BOB appears and reverses time in the Lodge. BOB tells Cooper that Earle cannot ask for his soul, and then kills Earle and takes his soul. BOB then turns on Cooper, who flees, pursued by BOB and Cooper's doppelgänger. BOB allows Cooper's doppelgänger to leave the Black Lodge, while Cooper remains there. In the show's final scene, the doppelgänger smashes Cooper's head into a mirror and starts laughing hysterically; BOB's face looks back at him in the broken mirror.
Twin Peaks: The Return (2017)[]
Twenty-five years after the events of the original series, Cooper remains trapped in the Black Lodge, while his doppelgänger continues to assume his identity in the natural realm. With help from entities both inside and outside of the Black Lodge, as well as Diane in her Naido form, Cooper is finally able to leave. Due to outside interference, however, Cooper replaces Douglas "Dougie" Jones, a Las Vegasinsurance agent, instead of his doppelgänger. Upon his return to the natural realm, he is left in a near-catatonic state, unable to perform basic tasks without assistance and rarely speaking besides repeating words he hears. Only slight traces of Cooper's personality appear, such as his passion for coffee and cherry pie. Cooper also becomes the target of an assassination plot organized by corrupt businessman Duncan Todd on orders from his doppelgänger.
The attempts on Cooper's life fail, partly through circumstance and assistance from MIKE and The Man From Another Place. Assistance from supernatural forces also leads to Cooper inadvertently obtaining money to pay off Dougie's debt to loan sharks, exposing a ring of corruption in Dougie's office, improving Dougie's relationship with his wife Janey-E and boss Bushnell Mullins, and winning over the favor of the Mitchum brothers, the mobster owners of a casino.
Cooper eventually starts to come out of his near-catatonic state after hearing Gordon Cole's name spoken while watching the film Sunset Boulevard. The reference to his boss' name prompts Cooper to stick a fork into an electrical socket, electrocuting himself, and initially putting him into a coma. Upon awakening, however, Cooper returns with his senses intact and with the assistance of the Mitchum brothers, he heads back to Twin Peaks.
Although Cooper is unable to arrive at the Twin Peaks sheriff's station before his doppelgänger, the doppelgänger is killed by Lucy Brennan and BOB is destroyed by Freddie Skyes, allowing Cooper to return his doppelgänger's spirit to the Black Lodge. He also reunites with Diane, freeing her from her Naido form. With BOB and the doppelgänger defeated, he then visits Phillip Jeffries, who sends him to the night of Laura Palmer's death. Cooper is successful in preventing her murder, but while leading Laura to the Fireman's realm, she abruptly disappears.
Using information given him by the Fireman, Cooper travels to Odessa in search of Laura, initially accompanied by Diane. He eventually finds a woman who resembles an older Laura, but identifies herself as Carrie Page. Nevertheless, certain that she is Laura, Cooper convinces her to travel to Twin Peaks to reunite with Sarah Palmer at her household. Upon arriving at the Palmer household, however, Cooper discovers that the house is occupied by a different family. As Cooper asks what year he's in, Carrie hears Sarah shouting Laura's name, causing her to scream and the lights in the house to go out. The series then ends with an image of Laura whispering into Cooper's ear.
Trivia[]
- Originally Cooper's role was meant to be bigger in the movie Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me, but he was reduced to a supporting role on actor Kyle MacLachlan's request, as at the time he didn't want to be typecast with the character.