Twin Peaks Usenet Archive

Subject: Ben and Josie
From: bobg+@andrew.cmu.edu (Robert Steven Glickstein)
Date: 1990-05-11, 14:24
Newsgroups: alt.tv.twin-peaks

Josie and Ben as co-conspirators:  A Real Big Zinger.

So far, most pairings/groups/associations-in-general have consisted of
either all-good-guys or all-bad-guys (insofar as we're able to tell them
apart).  This rule seems to be violated only in marriage:

    Norma (good) married to Hank (bad).
    Shelly (good) married to Leo (bad).
    Sylvia (good) married to Ben (bad).

(Note:  Please take these "good" and "bad" estimations with a grain,
nay, a rock of salt.)

Given this observation, there are a few possible scenarios:

1) Josie is "good"

    This assumption is inconsistent to begin with.  "Good" characters
    don't conspire, nor do they smoke (at least, not in Twin Peaks [this
    observation comes from Steve Webster]), nor do they await their
    co-conspirators secretly in a dark room.  On the other hand, "good"
    characters can conspire for a good cause (James, Donna and
    Madeleine; Audrey and Donna).

    1a) Ben is "bad" (and Josie is "good")

        This would seem to violate the observation.  On the other hand,
        if their scheme is in their mutual best interests AND is
        intended to harm Catherine Martell, then this scenario is
        consistent with Josie being "good" (i.e., "bad" people get hurt
        [Catherine], "good" people benefit [herself, Pete?]).

    1b) Ben is "good" (and Josie is "good")

        This would not violate the observation, except as described
        under 1), above.

2) Josie is "bad"

    This is inconsistent with Josie being friends with Pete Martell
    ("good"), unless Pete Martell is really "bad," which seems unlikely.
     It is also inconsistent with her being Truman("good")'s lover.  On
    the other hand, Truman may be "bad," but again this seems unlikely. 
    However, if Josie is in fact bad, this opens up a whole new box of
    donuts.  What was really her association with Laura
    ("good-and-bad")?  Was she, like Bobby, corrupted by Laura?  Or was
    it the other way around?  Was she responsible for Andrew Packard's
    death, to inherit the sawmill?  Also, assuming Josie's "bad," what
    is Sheriff Truman hiding?  He doesn't seem to be worried about being
    implicated in the Laura case.  Perhaps he conspired with Josie to
    kill Andrew Packard, and now breathes easy since he closed the case
    himself long ago?  (This wouldn't necessarily make him "bad."  It
    depends on whether Andrew Packard was "bad" or "good.")

    2a) Ben is "good" (and Josie is "bad")

        This one seems pretty far-fetched, but it is possible.  In this
        case, Josie would have to be "very bad."  "Very bad" basically
        means that you're in control of other "bad" people, or can bend
        basically "good" people (Ben, in this case) to your will.  This
        doesn't seem too unlikely, given that she has some
        as-yet-undetermined relationship with Hank ("very bad," because
        he controls Leo).  If Josie is "very bad," then Ben may simply
        be her pawn, and she is using him in some elaborate game with
        Catherine.  However, if Ben is "good" and Josie is "bad," this
        violates the original observation (unless Ben has no choice but
        to be associated with Josie, for reasons unknown).  Furthermore,
        the assumption that Ben is "good" is inconsistent with many
        things, most notably:  His visits to One-Eyed Jack's; his
        apparently long-time association with Leo; his flippancy at
        seeing the murdered Bernard.

    2b) Ben is "bad" (and Josie is "bad")

        This raises the possibility that Catherine is "good," and her
        desire to burn the mill stems from a knowledge that Josie is
        "bad."  Not much can be said about this scenario except that
        it's not inconsistent with much except as noted under 2), above.


Whew.  Well, there's my analysis.  No doubt next week will render it
obsolete.  But I don't mind.  I'm a software engineer.  I'm used to it.


Ob. Twin Peaks:  Remember "Josie and the Pussycats"?  Remember Leo's
truck's name?


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