Leland Palmer - An American Gangster

The television series Twin Peaks, created by David Lynch, is a drama combining the central themes of a murder mystery and a romance novel into a scandal ridden, almost fantasy-like program, setting place in the small, seemingly quiet town of Twin Peaks. Late into the second season, viewers are exposed to the dark side of the character Leland Palmer. Leland, up to this point, had been able to hide his psychopathic outbursts behind his family and career. When it is finally revealed that he carries the killer-spirit BOB, it comes as a shock to the people of Twin Peaks. The way Leland Palmer carefully orchestrated each cold-blooded murder he committed was disgustingly intelligent. If he had not been caught, Leland would have gone on to live the life of a common gangster, taking away more lives when the town had their eyes shut.
America has always been fascinated with iconographic films of gangster life. Films such as Scarface and The Godfather scored huge box office numbers and reproduction sales. The reason for this lies in the heightened macho-ism of your average male. Gangsters have everything a man could want – money, power, and respect. Histories most notorious thugs have controlled cities, states, and even countries depending on where you place the distinction. Leland Palmer became a financial success working as a right-hand man for Benjamin Horn. His helpful attitude and congenial disposition earned him the respect of his friends and colleagues. The only piece missing for Leland was power, and the only way to satisfy this hunger was to kill.
In his 2006 article The Making of an O.G.: Transcending Gang Mentality, Tom Kerr writes that individuals join gangs because they seek natural leaders. Thought these leaders may not be contributing to a common good as most individuals would hopefully visualize a leader, gangsters follow the money, the notoriety, and the power, among other superfluous things they lust in their misunderstood lifestyles. Like the men who became the top gangsters of their time, Leland Palmer needed more in his life to feel he had achieved something. This satisfaction sadly came with the murder of two young women. Leland felt he was on top of the world, but as every gangster should tell you, the top will be the same place from which you fall.

- Derrick C.
http://faculty.ithaca.edu/tkerr/docs/OG/