Leland Palmer
Encyclopedia
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.
Leland (played by Ray Wise
) is an attorney
, with his primary client being local businessman Ben Horne
. He is well-known and respected in the town of Twin Peaks. Together with his wife Sarah and his daughter Laura
, his family seem to be the perfect family. When Laura is murdered, Leland’s psychological foundations begin to crumble. He experiences multiple nervous breakdown
s and during Laura's funeral flings himself into her grave and must be pulled out. He remains unstable for some time.
Harry S. Truman that he does not pose any danger to the community. Leland's behavior at times appears normal but he behaves manically happy at times before crashing into grief. The arrival of his niece, Madeleine Ferguson, who looks almost exactly like Laura (both roles are played by Sheryl Lee
), is of great help to him in learning how to deal with his daughter’s death.
It is eventually revealed that, as a boy, Leland met a strange neighbor who turned out to be a demon
ic entity named BOB
, who would possess him throughout his life. (It is also implied that BOB molested him as a child.) As an adult, Leland molests and rape
s Laura throughout her teens, all the while controlled by BOB. It is difficult to tell while watching the series when Leland is truly in control of himself and when he is being possessed by BOB. It is implied that Leland killed Jacques Renault on his own – not under the BOB's control – and that Leland is lost from that point: he is no longer able to stop BOB and is completely taken over (physically manifested by the change of hair color and a dramatic change in behavior). The changes from this point help Cooper to finally identify him as BOB's "host".
Leland is eventually exposed as the murderer of both his daughter and his niece, and arrested by FBI Special Agent Dale Cooper and Sheriff Harry Truman. He dies in custody following his bizarre interrogation on the night of his arrest. BOB takes control of Leland and forces him to ram his own head into the wall. At the moment of his death, Leland remembers the crimes he committed under BOB's control. After Cooper recites the last rites from the Tibetan Book of the Dead, Leland sees a vision of his daughter Laura and dies. Cooper explains to the widowed Sarah in the following episode, it was probably Laura forgiving him and welcoming him into the afterlife
.
In the final episode of the series
, Cooper encounters a grinning doppelgänger
of Leland in the Black Lodge
, who says, "I did not kill anybody."
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...
from the 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...
, created by 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:...
. He also appears in the prequel
Prequel
A prequel is a work that supplements a previously completed one, and has an earlier time setting.The widely recognized term was a 20th-century neologism, and a portmanteau from pre- and sequel...
, Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me.
Leland (played by Ray Wise
Ray Wise
Raymond Nicolas "Ray" Wise is an American actor, known for his roles as Leland Palmer in Twin Peaks, as Leon C. Nash, right-hand henchman to villain Clarence Boddicker in the science fiction classic RoboCop, and recently as the Devil in the CW television series Reaper.-Life and career:Wise was...
) is an attorney
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
, with his primary client being local businessman Ben Horne
Ben Horne
Benjamin Joseph Horne is a character from the television series Twin Peaks, created by David Lynch and Mark Frost, portrayed by Richard Beymer. His last name is based on real life department store owner Joseph Horne founder of Horne's in Pittsburgh where Mark Frost is from, while his and his...
. He is well-known and respected in the town of Twin Peaks. Together with his wife Sarah and his daughter Laura
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...
, his family seem to be the perfect family. When Laura is murdered, Leland’s psychological foundations begin to crumble. He experiences multiple nervous breakdown
Nervous breakdown
Mental breakdown is a non-medical term used to describe an acute, time-limited phase of a specific disorder that presents primarily with features of depression or anxiety.-Definition:...
s and during Laura's funeral flings himself into her grave and must be pulled out. He remains unstable for some time.
Biography
When Jacques Renault is arrested as a suspect for the murder of Laura, Leland loses control and murders Jacques. After killing Jacques, Leland's hair suddenly turns white. Leland is arrested, but released (without bail) pending trial due to personal assurances made by SheriffSheriff
A sheriff is in principle a legal official with responsibility for a county. In practice, the specific combination of legal, political, and ceremonial duties of a sheriff varies greatly from country to country....
Harry S. Truman that he does not pose any danger to the community. Leland's behavior at times appears normal but he behaves manically happy at times before crashing into grief. The arrival of his niece, Madeleine Ferguson, who looks almost exactly like Laura (both roles are played by Sheryl Lee
Sheryl Lee
Sheryl Lee is an American actress. She came to international attention for her performances as Laura Palmer and Maddy Ferguson on the 1990 cult TV series Twin Peaks and in the 1992 film Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me...
), is of great help to him in learning how to deal with his daughter’s death.
It is eventually revealed that, as a boy, Leland met a strange neighbor who turned out to be a demon
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...
ic entity named BOB
Bob (Twin Peaks)
Killer BOB is a fictional character in the American Broadcasting Company 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...
, who would possess him throughout his life. (It is also implied that BOB molested him as a child.) As an adult, Leland molests and 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...
s Laura throughout her teens, all the while controlled by BOB. It is difficult to tell while watching the series when Leland is truly in control of himself and when he is being possessed by BOB. It is implied that Leland killed Jacques Renault on his own – not under the BOB's control – and that Leland is lost from that point: he is no longer able to stop BOB and is completely taken over (physically manifested by the change of hair color and a dramatic change in behavior). The changes from this point help Cooper to finally identify him as BOB's "host".
Leland is eventually exposed as the murderer of both his daughter and his niece, and arrested by FBI Special Agent Dale Cooper and Sheriff Harry Truman. He dies in custody following his bizarre interrogation on the night of his arrest. BOB takes control of Leland and forces him to ram his own head into the wall. At the moment of his death, Leland remembers the crimes he committed under BOB's control. After Cooper recites the last rites from the Tibetan Book of the Dead, Leland sees a vision of his daughter Laura and dies. Cooper explains to the widowed Sarah in the following episode, it was probably Laura forgiving him and welcoming him into the afterlife
Afterlife
The afterlife is the belief that a part of, or essence of, or soul of an individual, which carries with it and confers personal identity, survives the death of the body of this world and this lifetime, by natural or supernatural means, in contrast to the belief in eternal...
.
In the final episode of the series
Beyond Life and Death
"Episode 29", also known as "Beyond Life and Death", is the 30th and final episode of the mystery television series Twin Peaks. It first aired on June 10, 1991.-Plot synopsis:...
, Cooper encounters a grinning doppelgänger
Doppelgänger
In fiction and folklore, a doppelgänger is a paranormal double of a living person, typically representing evil or misfortune...
of Leland in the Black Lodge
Black Lodge
The Black Lodge is a fictional setting featured in the television series Twin Peaks. It is an extradimensional place which seems to include, primarily, the "Red Room" first seen by Agent Cooper in a dream early in the series...
, who says, "I did not kill anybody."