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Bob (Twin Peaks)
Encyclopedia
Killer BOB is a fictional character
in the American Broadcasting Company
(ABC) television series Twin Peaks
, a supernatural crime series about an investigation of the death of popular teenager, Laura Palmer
. He is a demonic entity
who feeds on fear and pleasure. He possesses
human beings and then commits acts of rape
and murder
in order to feast upon his victims.
Killer BOB made his first appearance in the pilot episode, "Northwest Passage," where he makes a brief cameo in a vision by Sarah Palmer. The character eventually grew into the series' primary antagonist
in the second season. Frank Silva
received the role of Killer BOB after a filming error by series creator David Lynch
in the pilot. Lynch liked the scene with Silva in the pilot, and decided to make him into a recurring character.
which exists on an alternate plane of reality
. He spends most of his time on Earth possessing human beings, although he also travels in the form of an owl
. While possessing humans, he commits horrible crimes to elicit pain, fear, and suffering from those around him; these feelings, which Black Lodge residents refer to collectively as garmonbozia, act as a form of nourishment. Physically, garmonbozia takes the shape of creamed corn
, which is referenced in the series when Laura Palmer
’s best friend Donna
takes over Laura’s “meals on wheels” route and accidentally serves the Tremonds creamed corn. In the film Fire Walk With Me
, MIKE
accuses Laura's father Leland
of stealing the corn he had canned “above the store.” Secondly, garmonbozia refers to “pain and suffering.” BOB, and possibly MIKE or other inhabitants of the Lodge, feed on garmonbozia, as it is mentioned by name and/or description throughout the series and movie by Mike, Bob, the Tremonds, and The Man from Another Place.
Dale Cooper
first learns of Killer BOB's existence in a vision, in which he encounters another entity named MIKE
. In this vision, Cooper learns that BOB was in life a serial killer
who raped and murdered young women with MIKE as his accomplice; MIKE eventually repented, removing his left arm in order to be rid of the tattoo that he shared with BOB. At the beginning of the second season, one of BOB's intended victims, Ronnette Pulaski, awakens from a coma induced by her torture
at BOB's hands, at which time she identifies BOB as Laura's killer. Cooper and the Twin Peaks Sheriff department canvass the town with wanted posters of BOB, using Andy's sketch; Leland Palmer
, Laura's father, identifies the man in the poster as "Robertson", and says that he lived near his grandfather and used to taunt Leland when he was a child.
It is later revealed that BOB is in fact possessing Leland, and has been possessing him ever since Leland first met him as a child at his grandfather's house. Under BOB's influence, Leland molested, raped, and finally murdered his own daughter. Cooper later determines that BOB is possessing Leland, and tricked him into a trap, in which BOB responds with taunting Cooper before forcing Leland to commit suicide
. In his dying breaths, Leland states when he was a child he saw BOB in a dream and invited him inside, before stating that he never knew when BOB was in control of his body. After Leland dies, Cooper engages in a philosophical debate with Sheriff Truman and Albert Rosenfield over how real BOB was, and whether or not BOB was in fact a physical incarnation of Leland's personal demons. Although the men cannot agree on a unifying idea, they do come to the conclusion that BOB is a manifestation of "the evil that men do".
Following Leland's death, BOB takes the form of an owl in the woods outside Twin Peaks, and isn't seen again for a while. In the final episode, Cooper ventures into the Black Lodge to apprehend his former partner, rogue FBI Agent Windom Earle
, who is attempting to harness the power of the Lodge for himself. When Earle tries to strike a bargain with Cooper in which Cooper will sell his soul to Earle in exchange for Earle not murdering Cooper's lover, Annie, BOB appears, causing time in the Lodge to reverse to the moment before Cooper agreed to sell his soul. BOB informs Cooper that the Black Lodge is his domain, and thus Earle has trespassed by coming into it and demanding Cooper's soul for himself. As a punishment, BOB kills Earle, taking Earle's soul for himself. Cooper attempts to flee, but BOB traps him in the Lodge, exiting in the form of a doppelganger
of Cooper. The series ends with a maniacally laughing BOB examining his new body in a mirror.
The impetus for the series Twin Peaks
was the mystery of who killed Laura Palmer
. When production began on the pilot, "Northwest Passage", series creators David Lynch
and Mark Frost
had decided that the murderer would be revealed as Leland Palmer
, Laura's father. During the filming of a scene in the pilot taking place in Laura's room, Frank Silva
, a set dresser, accidentally trapped himself in the room by inadvertently moving a dresser in front of the door. When told of the incident, Lynch had an image of Silva stuck in the room and thought it could fit into the series. After filming him crouched at the foot of Laura's bed, looking through the bars of the footboard, as if he were "trapped" behind them, Lynch filmed the scene a second time, without Silva. After reviewing the footage, Lynch liked Silva's presence so much that he decided to make him part of the series.
Later that day, a scene was being filmed in which Palmer's mother experiences a vision which terrifies her; at the time, the script did not indicate what Mrs Palmer had seen to frighten her. Lynch was pleased with how the scene turned out, but a crew member informed him that it would have to be re-shot, because a mirror in the scene had inadvertently picked up someone's reflection. When Lynch asked who it was, the crew member replied that it had been Silva. Lynch considered this a "happy accident," and decided at that point that the unnamed character to be played by Silva would be revealed as Palmer's true killer.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
in the American Broadcasting Company
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
(ABC) television series Twin Peaks
Twin Peaks
Twin Peaks is an American television serial drama created by David Lynch and Mark Frost. The series follows the investigation headed by FBI Special Agent Dale Cooper , of the murder of a popular teenager and homecoming queen, Laura Palmer...
, a supernatural crime series about an investigation of the death of popular teenager, Laura Palmer
Laura Palmer
Laura Palmer is a fictional 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...
. He is a demonic entity
Demon
call - 1347 531 7769 for more infoIn Ancient Near Eastern religions as well as in the Abrahamic traditions, including ancient and medieval Christian demonology, a demon is considered an "unclean spirit" which may cause demonic possession, to be addressed with an act of exorcism...
who feeds on fear and pleasure. He possesses
Demonic possession
Demonic possession is held by many belief systems to be the control of an individual by a malevolent supernatural being. Descriptions of demonic possessions often include erased memories or personalities, convulsions, “fits” and fainting as if one were dying...
human beings and then commits acts of rape
Rape
Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The...
and murder
Murder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
in order to feast upon his victims.
Killer BOB made his first appearance in the pilot episode, "Northwest Passage," where he makes a brief cameo in a vision by Sarah Palmer. The character eventually grew into the series' primary antagonist
Antagonist
An antagonist is a character, group of characters, or institution, that represents the opposition against which the protagonist must contend...
in the second season. Frank Silva
Frank Silva
Frank Silva was a Native American set dresser and sometime actor best known for his disturbing performance as the evil spirit Killer BOB in the TV series Twin Peaks....
received the role of Killer BOB after a filming error by series creator David Lynch
David Lynch
David Keith Lynch is an American filmmaker, television director, visual artist, musician and occasional actor. Known for his surrealist films, he has developed his own unique cinematic style, which has been dubbed "Lynchian", and which is characterized by its dream imagery and meticulous sound...
in the pilot. Lynch liked the scene with Silva in the pilot, and decided to make him into a recurring character.
Character arc
Killer BOB is a demonic entity from the Black Lodge, a realm of pure evilEvil
Evil is the violation of, or intent to violate, some moral code. Evil is usually seen as the dualistic opposite of good. Definitions of evil vary along with analysis of its root motive causes, however general actions commonly considered evil include: conscious and deliberate wrongdoing,...
which exists on an alternate plane of reality
Parallel universe (fiction)
A parallel universe or alternative reality is a hypothetical self-contained separate reality coexisting with one's own. A specific group of parallel universes is called a "multiverse", although this term can also be used to describe the possible parallel universes that constitute reality...
. He spends most of his time on Earth possessing human beings, although he also travels in the form of an owl
Owl
Owls are a group of birds that belong to the order Strigiformes, constituting 200 bird of prey species. Most are solitary and nocturnal, with some exceptions . Owls hunt mostly small mammals, insects, and other birds, although a few species specialize in hunting fish...
. While possessing humans, he commits horrible crimes to elicit pain, fear, and suffering from those around him; these feelings, which Black Lodge residents refer to collectively as garmonbozia, act as a form of nourishment. Physically, garmonbozia takes the shape of creamed corn
Creamed corn
Creamed corn is a soup or sauce made by melting butter and adding flour, milk, canned corn, and optionally some spices. It is a common part of Midwestern American cuisine, typically sold canned by firms such as Del Monte Foods...
, which is referenced in the series when Laura Palmer
Laura Palmer
Laura Palmer is a fictional 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...
’s best friend Donna
Donna Hayward
Donna Hayward is a fictional character from the television series Twin Peaks, created by David Lynch and Mark Frost.Donna is the best friend of Laura Palmer, and after her death she is obsessed with finding out who killed her and why, with the help of James Hurley,...
takes over Laura’s “meals on wheels” route and accidentally serves the Tremonds creamed corn. In the film Fire Walk With Me
Fire Walk With Me
Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me is a 1992 American psychological horror film directed by David Lynch and written by Lynch and Robert Engels. The film can be viewed as both prologue and epilogue to the television series Twin Peaks , created by Lynch and Mark Frost...
, MIKE
Mike (Twin Peaks)
MIKE is a fictional character in the TV series Twin Peaks, portrayed by Al Strobel.-Character overview:MIKE is an inhabiting spirit similar to the series' primary villain, BOB, who was his partner in serial murder...
accuses Laura's father Leland
Leland Palmer
Leland Palmer is a fictional character from the television series Twin Peaks, created by David Lynch and Mark Frost. He also appears in the prequel, Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me....
of stealing the corn he had canned “above the store.” Secondly, garmonbozia refers to “pain and suffering.” BOB, and possibly MIKE or other inhabitants of the Lodge, feed on garmonbozia, as it is mentioned by name and/or description throughout the series and movie by Mike, Bob, the Tremonds, and The Man from Another Place.
Dale Cooper
Dale Cooper
FBI Special agent Dale Bartholomew Cooper is a fictional character from the television series Twin Peaks, portrayed by Kyle MacLachlan. He is the lead protagonist of the series, and briefly appears in the prequel film Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me....
first learns of Killer BOB's existence in a vision, in which he encounters another entity named MIKE
Mike (Twin Peaks)
MIKE is a fictional character in the TV series Twin Peaks, portrayed by Al Strobel.-Character overview:MIKE is an inhabiting spirit similar to the series' primary villain, BOB, who was his partner in serial murder...
. In this vision, Cooper learns that BOB was in life a serial killer
Serial killer
A serial killer, as typically defined, is an individual who has murdered three or more people over a period of more than a month, with down time between the murders, and whose motivation for killing is usually based on psychological gratification...
who raped and murdered young women with MIKE as his accomplice; MIKE eventually repented, removing his left arm in order to be rid of the tattoo that he shared with BOB. At the beginning of the second season, one of BOB's intended victims, Ronnette Pulaski, awakens from a coma induced by her torture
Torture
Torture is the act of inflicting severe pain as a means of punishment, revenge, forcing information or a confession, or simply as an act of cruelty. Throughout history, torture has often been used as a method of political re-education, interrogation, punishment, and coercion...
at BOB's hands, at which time she identifies BOB as Laura's killer. Cooper and the Twin Peaks Sheriff department canvass the town with wanted posters of BOB, using Andy's sketch; Leland Palmer
Leland Palmer
Leland Palmer is a fictional character from the television series Twin Peaks, created by David Lynch and Mark Frost. He also appears in the prequel, Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me....
, Laura's father, identifies the man in the poster as "Robertson", and says that he lived near his grandfather and used to taunt Leland when he was a child.
It is later revealed that BOB is in fact possessing Leland, and has been possessing him ever since Leland first met him as a child at his grandfather's house. Under BOB's influence, Leland molested, raped, and finally murdered his own daughter. Cooper later determines that BOB is possessing Leland, and tricked him into a trap, in which BOB responds with taunting Cooper before forcing Leland to commit suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
. In his dying breaths, Leland states when he was a child he saw BOB in a dream and invited him inside, before stating that he never knew when BOB was in control of his body. After Leland dies, Cooper engages in a philosophical debate with Sheriff Truman and Albert Rosenfield over how real BOB was, and whether or not BOB was in fact a physical incarnation of Leland's personal demons. Although the men cannot agree on a unifying idea, they do come to the conclusion that BOB is a manifestation of "the evil that men do".
Following Leland's death, BOB takes the form of an owl in the woods outside Twin Peaks, and isn't seen again for a while. In the final episode, Cooper ventures into the Black Lodge to apprehend his former partner, rogue FBI Agent Windom Earle
Windom Earle
Windom Earle is a fictional character in the American TV series Twin Peaks, played by Kenneth Welsh.He is a former FBI agent, and the former partner and best friend of Agent Dale Cooper. He features in the second half of the second season. He is an evil genius and a master of disguise, well-versed...
, who is attempting to harness the power of the Lodge for himself. When Earle tries to strike a bargain with Cooper in which Cooper will sell his soul to Earle in exchange for Earle not murdering Cooper's lover, Annie, BOB appears, causing time in the Lodge to reverse to the moment before Cooper agreed to sell his soul. BOB informs Cooper that the Black Lodge is his domain, and thus Earle has trespassed by coming into it and demanding Cooper's soul for himself. As a punishment, BOB kills Earle, taking Earle's soul for himself. Cooper attempts to flee, but BOB traps him in the Lodge, exiting in the form of a doppelganger
Doppelgänger
In fiction and folklore, a doppelgänger is a paranormal double of a living person, typically representing evil or misfortune...
of Cooper. The series ends with a maniacally laughing BOB examining his new body in a mirror.
Conceptual history
Twin Peaks
Twin Peaks is an American television serial drama created by David Lynch and Mark Frost. The series follows the investigation headed by FBI Special Agent Dale Cooper , of the murder of a popular teenager and homecoming queen, Laura Palmer...
was the mystery of who killed Laura Palmer
Laura Palmer
Laura Palmer is a fictional 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...
. When production began on the pilot, "Northwest Passage", series creators David Lynch
David Lynch
David Keith Lynch is an American filmmaker, television director, visual artist, musician and occasional actor. Known for his surrealist films, he has developed his own unique cinematic style, which has been dubbed "Lynchian", and which is characterized by its dream imagery and meticulous sound...
and Mark Frost
Mark Frost
Mark Frost is an American novelist, television/film writer, director, who is best known as a writer for the TV show Hill Street Blues and co-creator of the show Twin Peaks.-Personal life:...
had decided that the murderer would be revealed as Leland Palmer
Leland Palmer
Leland Palmer is a fictional character from the television series Twin Peaks, created by David Lynch and Mark Frost. He also appears in the prequel, Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me....
, Laura's father. During the filming of a scene in the pilot taking place in Laura's room, Frank Silva
Frank Silva
Frank Silva was a Native American set dresser and sometime actor best known for his disturbing performance as the evil spirit Killer BOB in the TV series Twin Peaks....
, a set dresser, accidentally trapped himself in the room by inadvertently moving a dresser in front of the door. When told of the incident, Lynch had an image of Silva stuck in the room and thought it could fit into the series. After filming him crouched at the foot of Laura's bed, looking through the bars of the footboard, as if he were "trapped" behind them, Lynch filmed the scene a second time, without Silva. After reviewing the footage, Lynch liked Silva's presence so much that he decided to make him part of the series.
Later that day, a scene was being filmed in which Palmer's mother experiences a vision which terrifies her; at the time, the script did not indicate what Mrs Palmer had seen to frighten her. Lynch was pleased with how the scene turned out, but a crew member informed him that it would have to be re-shot, because a mirror in the scene had inadvertently picked up someone's reflection. When Lynch asked who it was, the crew member replied that it had been Silva. Lynch considered this a "happy accident," and decided at that point that the unnamed character to be played by Silva would be revealed as Palmer's true killer.