Setting the Stage – Dale Cooper’s Nightstands in Twin Peaks

Since I started TwinPeaksBlog.com, I’ve enjoyed discussing some of the most obscure details about my favorite television show. This article is another one of those journeys as I take a closer look at the Dale Cooper’s nightstands in Room 315 at The Great Northern Hotel. The nightstand appears in Seasons 1 and 2 and return for a brief scene from The Missing Pieces of Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me.

For this article, I examined every scene where either a nightstand appeared either on the left or right side of Cooper’s bed. There were times when only the tops of items appeared such lamps, taxidermy or other decorations.

For season 1, nightstands appear in Episodes 1.001, 1.002, 1.005 and 1.006. For season 2, you will see them in Episodes 2.001, 2.002, 2.005, 2.008, 2.010, 2.011, 2.012, 2.016, 2.021 and 2.022. They also make a brief appearance in The Missing Pieces when Doc Hayward and Sheriff Harry Truman investigate what happened to Cooper in the bathroom.

COOPER’S NIGHTSTANDS IN THE PILOT – INTERNATIONAL VERSION

The first time we see Cooper’s nightstand is in the ending to the International Version of the Pilot Episode.  This ending was quickly added to the Pilot by Lynch which means Richard Hoover’s set for Room 315 wasn’t finished. Most likely, they shot this scene in Washington state (perhaps Kiana Lodge?).

A phone call from Mike, The One-Armed Man wakes Cooper.

Cooper turns on the lamp by his bed. Notice that it’s a completely different lamp than what will be seen in the series broadcast. In fact, the whole bedroom looks different.

Cooper then checks his watch.

He receives a second phone call from Lucy Moran. Notice his black suit on a suit hanger on the far right side of the screen.

The scene concludes with Cooper recording a memo to Diane.

COOPER’S NIGHTSTANDS IN EPISODE 1.001

Cooper’s nightstand appears shortly after the opening credits in Episode 1.001. The scene opens with the right side nightstand where you can see a clock lamp (pay attention as it moves around the room), his gun, bullets, an FBI badge, alarm clock and “Great Expectations” by Charles Dickens.

The book will be seen again in Episode 1.005 and 2.016 when Catherine Martell is reading it at Blue Pine Lodge. Twin Peaks Archive identified the prop a few years ago. It was released by Chatham River Press in the Classics series (ISBN-10: 0517415097 / ISBN-13: 978-0517415092).

The camera pans over the bed and shows the left side nightstand. It contains the taxidermy mount of a pheasant and a duck carving (the latter will move). No lamp.

COOPER’S NIGHTSTANDS IN EPISODE 1.002

In Episode 1.002, we get a good look at the brown telephone which will later move to a desk across the room.

After Cooper answers the phone, we see both nightstands. The clock lamp on the right side has been replaced with a yoke table lamp. The left side nightstand also got a yoke lamp. A Native American figure carving and his FBI coffee mug were also added to the right side.

As Cooper turns off the light, we can see his tape recorder, gun, badge, alarm clock and FBI coffee mug. The left side appears to have another animal figure added by the yoke lamp. As Cooper sleeps, we catch a glimpse of the yoke lamp on the left side nightstand.

When Cooper wakes up from his dream, he calls Sheriff Truman. All the aforementioned items are still on the stand.

COOPER’S NIGHTSTANDS IN EPISODE 1.005

Episode 1.005 again opens with a look at the right side nightstand. Hey – there’s that book again from Episode 1.001. We also get a rare look at Cooper’s wristwatch.

Cooper sits up in bed to tell Diane about the group of large, insane men staying on his floor. If you look carefully, you’ll notice the clock lamp has returned to the nightstand. No sign of the yoke lamp.

Flash forward to the end of Episode 1005. Cooper finds Audrey Horne in his bed. The clock lamp, a figural carving and the brown phone are still on the right side nightstand.

COOPER’S NIGHTSTANDS IN EPISODE 1.006

At the beginning of Episode 1.006, we see Cooper speaking with Audrey in his room. Wait a second! The yoke lamps have returned.

A close up of Audrey Horne reveals it’s the same yoke lamp first seen in Episode 1.002. Why were the lamps changed? Life is full of mysteries, Donna.

This scene concludes the nightstands appearances in Season 1.

COOPER’S NIGHTSTANDS IN EPISODE 2.001

With the start of Season 2, we see a wounded Dale Cooper laying on his hotel room floor. The yoke lamp is on the left side nightstand. The duck carving seen in Episode 1.001 now appears on a desk next to a black phone. The clock lamp has traveled to the dresser near the main door.

A great shot of the right side nightstand is seen later in Episode 2.001. It includes Cooper’s weapon and his magnify glass first seen in the Pilot Episode. He also left a half-full glass of milk.

Here’s Cooper examining Ronette’s fingernails. Notice he is wearing a different watch compared to the one seen on the nightstand in Episode 1.005.

A small piece of the yoke lamp on the left side nightstand is seen when Cooper records a message to Diane.

The Giant appears in Cooper’s room and we can see the nightstands with lamps turned off. It’s a similar shot to a previous one with the lamps turned on.

I love this shot of The Giant looking down at Cooper. It looks like the black telephone now sits next to Cooper on his nightstand.

The Giant sends a golden orb of truth to Cooper and the right nightstand appears the same as before.

COOPER’S NIGHTSTANDS IN EPISODE 2.002

Episode 2.002 answers why the black telephone was moved – he needed to answer Audrey Horne’s call.

COOPER’S NIGHTSTANDS IN EPISODE 2.005

In Episode 2.005, we see Cooper reaching for his tape recorder on his nightstand. His gun, clip, badge are joined by a duck call tool and a sitting Native American chief figurine.

The figurine was made by Universal Statuary Corp in 1972. I discussed the replica prop I acquired from eBay in this article.

The yoke lamp is on the nightstand. We can see the top of the lamp in the image above.

COOPER’S NIGHTSTANDS IN EPISODE 2.008

The brown phone has returned to the right side night stand in Episode 2.008. The figurine of the Native American chief sitting has been replaced by another Native American figurine. We also see a slice of cherry pie and a glass of milk.

Behind the glass of milk is a small figurine that the Twin Peaks Props website details. Brother Jerry says its “approximately 3 7/8″ tall. Seen on Cooper’s bedside table. Also is from the Great Northern Lodge Gift Shop gift display case.” I believe the figure is also barely seen in Episodes 1.002 and 1.005.

As a bruised Cooper sits in bed recording a memo, the full right side nightstand is shown.

Audrey Horne then visits Cooper and we see the left side nightstand. Only the yoke lamp and taxidermy mount are present.

Here are two rare images of Cooper’s nightstand shown at unique angles from Episode 2.008. The magnify glass is present in the top image, and we get a slightly better look at that tiny figure discussed on Twin Peaks Props.

COOPER’S NIGHTSTANDS IN EPISODE 2.010

Only the top of the lamp on the left nightstand is seen in Episode 2010.

COOPER’S NIGHTSTANDS IN EPISODE 2.011

The brown phone and carved duck move back to the desk in Episode 2.011.

The yoke lamp from the right side nightstand is seen in Episode 2.011.

In Episode 2.011, we see Cooper sporting his robe by Beacon Blankets. The clock lamp has also moved back to the dresser.

COOPER’S NIGHTSTANDS IN EPISODE 2.012

A rare look at the environment outside Cooper’s room is seen in Episode 2.012. The yoke lamp is also back on the right side nightstand.

Cooper later walks by the tall dresser with the clock lamp and a kettle present.

By the end of Episode 2.012, we find Caroline’s death mask in Cooper’s bed. The yoke lamp is clearly visible on the nightstand.

COOPER’S NIGHTSTANDS IN EPISODE 2.016

Both nightstands are seen in Episode 2.016 when Cooper is practicing fly fishing on his bed.

The duck has migrated to the other nightstand and is joined again by the phone, travel clock, and tape recorder. New items are his Bookhouse Boys patch and Green Butt Skunk fly given to him by Sheriff Harry Truman in Episode 2.010, his book about Tibet, and a yellow Boy Scout mug.

We first see that yellow mug in Episode 2.004 when Lucy holds it at the Twin Peaks Sheriff’s Department.

The mug is then seen in Episode 2.017 with Deputy Dale at the Twin Peaks Sheriff’s Department. Perhaps Dale was borrowing the mug since his blue FBI mug is no longer seen.

Here’s a look at both mugs used in the series. I found more info about the yellow mug a few years ago but now I can’t find my notes. I’m thinking it will be a separate article later.

A slightly closer look at the nightstand from Episode 2.016.

The ultra rare Cooper-opening-the-nightstand-drawer shot. For several of the episodes, he kept his gun on the nightstand. For some reason, he placed it in the drawer for this episode. Perhaps the book about Tibet replaced it.

COOPER’S NIGHTSTANDS IN EPISODE 2.021

When Cooper meditates in Episode 2.021, we get a brief look at the right side nightstand. The phone and duck carving are still there along with the travel alarm clock and yoke lamp.

Annie Blackburn arrives to “work on her speech” with Cooper. We catch a little glimpse of the left side nightstand.

COOPER’S NIGHTSTANDS IN EPISODE 2.022

For the final episode of Season 2, we see the right side nightstand. Looks like some additional books were added underneath it.

As Cooper crosses the bedroom, we see the left side nightstand.

THE MISSING PIECES

In 2014, The Missing Pieces was released and gave us an opportunity to see a deleted scene from Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me. The crew got Cooper’s bedroom mostly correct. Doc Hayward’s medical bag doesn’t appear in Episode 2.022, and the lampshades for the yoke table lamps appear different.

The nightstands do not appear in Season 3.

Why all of the changes? This sort of thing happens on set where items are moved to get better framing or lighting or to complement the action (think Cooper answering the phone). Overall, it’s a fascinating look at how something so simple can change rather dramatically over time.