I never used to understand Agent Cooper’s coffee obsession in Twin Peaks, but ever since I was forced to work for a living I now do!
Coffee is the drug of the eternal wagecuck and David Lynch knew that. Cooper was recognized in the show for his sprightly and upbeat personality, but even he had his limits.
Under high pressure and stress from his law enforcement duties, Cooper relied on strong black coffee to keep him awake and attentive after so many sleep-deprived tortured nights remembering all the gruesome crimes he was compelled to investigate year after year.
Could you sleep soundly after knowing the details of Laura Palmer’s bloody supernatural murder??
The coffee HAD to black because metaphorically, it represented Cooper’s untainted and pure psyche which wasn’t yet corrupted by the filth of the world. The black coffee also represented the harsh dose of reality Cooper was bound to give to the once-idyllic town of Twin Peaks.
Coffee is the drug of the working man, which keeps him awake after many sleepless nights contemplating his own mortality and despair.
Whenever I have my coffee each morning, I have it black as a tribute to this legendary fictional character who refused to cave into the frivolous whims of milk and sugar, and who even after witnessing the horrors of the world could still sit down and enjoy the pleasures of a damn fine cup of coffee!
I showed David the photo and I was like, “What does this look like to you?” and he said, “Yeah, twin peaks. What about it?“ And I told him what it was, and he just started shouting, “It’s cosmic! It’s cosmic! It’s cosmic!”
