The Mystery of Harold Smith

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You contaminated me!
Harold Smith is one of my favorite secondary characters from Twin Peaks. His gentle nature masked a "lonely soul" and dare I say maybe a slightly troubled one too. Although brief, his scene in Fire Walk With Me is also terrific. So what is it about him that holds so much allure? I'm guessing it wasn't the apple butter!

Maybe it was the charm of the actor who played him, Lenny Von Dohlen or perhaps it was his unwavering devotion to Laura Palmer, even after her death. Either way, Harold is both mysterious and sensitive. Donna revealing her adolescent rendezvous with Laura to Harold is arguably one of Lara Flynn Boyle's best scenes from the show. 

It's a lady slipper!
His quiet pleasant persona only cracked when he felt betrayed by Donna. However he remained indoors and ultimately chose to take his own life vs. lashing out at others. His extreme choice not only saddened me as a viewer, but also always made me wonder if there was more to his story. Could Harold have harbored a fear even greater then simply agoraphobia? 

Perhaps Harold feared that Bob was after him. After all Laura did give him her "secret" diary, which was filled with snippets of her Bob encounters. In the movie we learn that Harold didn't believe Bob was real, but maybe after Laura died he changed his mind. He also seems to be effected by all the "electricity" in the air. When Donna forces him outside it causes his arm to quiver. This happens again to many folks in the town later on.

She seems like a very nice girl!
What were Mrs. Tremond and her grandson (David Lynch's real life son) doing next door anyway? Are they spirits from the Black Lodge or just creamed corn magicians?
J'ai une âme solitaire


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