Twin Peaks is a show known to fans both for its penchant for peculiarity and its lack of interest in explaining itself any more than is absolutely necessary. That’s a combination that’s right up our alley. Moreover, it leads directly into our first order of business: how exactly did the enigmatic Josie Packard (Joan Chen) die in Season 2 of Twin Peaks and why did her consciousness end up inside an inanimate object? You may remember Josie as the owner of the Packard Sawmill in Twin Peaks, Washington and as the wife of Andrew Packard (Dan O’Herlihy). However, there is so much more to her character than that which meets the eye. Josie has a storied past and really goes out with a bang when she ultimately exits this mortal realm.
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With that in mind, we’re endeavoring to piece together, as best we’re able, how Josie arrived at such an unorthodox fate.
How Does Josie Packard Die in Twin Peaks?
As for Josie’s ultimate fate, you may remember that she literally becomes a knob on a bedside table. But how on Earth did that happen, and why? Well, there’s a story there. It’s a winding story with multiple moving parts and no easy answers, so get ready for the rundown.
This story starts with actress Chen’s desire to leave the series with designs on pursuing a film career.
“I was so determined that I wanted to do feature films more than television,” Chen explained to The Independent in a retrospective interview. “I wanted the gravitas of being this great dramatic actress.”
To her credit, Chen is a great dramatic actress, she even stirred up Oscar buzz with her turn in the 2024 film Didi. With that said, the former Twin Peaks series regular looks back on her decision to quit the show with at least some regret.
“At this time in my life, I do feel like you fall into your destiny,” Chen continued. “There are always choices you wish you made differently. That’s life.”
Faced with the need to write a core character off near the end of the second season of the beloved series, the great David Lynch (and company) set out to give Josie an unforgettable sendoff, and they succeeded remarkably in that very conceit.
Josie’s final appearance on the show transpires in Season 2, Episode 16. Not long before her demise, Josie learns that her husband isn’t actually dead, meaning that her plot to murder him was ultimately unsuccessful. Despite her deceit, Andrew assures Josie that he forgives her.
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Not long after that, Josie takes a meeting with her associate (and Andrew’s business partner), Thomas Eckhardt (David Warner), with whom she previously conspired in her attempt to kill her husband.
Josie eventually shoots Eckhardt in front of Agent Dale Cooper (Kyle MacLachlan). Shortly thereafter, Josie’s lover, Sheriff Harry Truman (Michael Ontkean), arrives on the scene and tells her to drop her weapon. Josie then apologizes and drops dead.
Following Josie’s exit from the mortal world, she screams from a knob affixed to a nearby nightstand. That is a very, very unusual exit, but let’s not forget that Josie is making her exit from a very, very unusual series.
There are a few potential interpretations regarding exactly what happened to her, but most are fan interpretations, with no universally accepted answer readily available. The most cohesive interpretation may be that Josie quite literally scared herself to death, summoning inter-dimensional series antagonist Bob (Frank Silva) in the process. Bob, of course, feeds on fear, which provides some additional context regarding her demise.
As for her preservation in a wooden knob, some suspect that Log Lady’s (Catherine E. Coulson) log contains the spirit of her late husband and that she uses the log to communicate with him telepathically. Based on the idea that wood can preserve the consciousness of a person within the show’s lore, some speculate that the same is true in Josie’s case.
Josie has quite a complicated arc, particularly at the end. She is a lifelong overachiever with a somewhat sordid past that involves both illicit drugs and prostitution. She moved from Hong Kong to Twin Peaks after meeting her husband, Andrew, the owner of Packard Saw Mill.
The program is set in the fictitious titular locale and follows the exploits of Agent Cooper as he attempts to solve the mysterious murder of one Laura Palmer (Sheryl Lee).
Well, there you have it, that’s our best attempt at trying to piece together exactly what happened to Twin Peaks character Josie and how she ended up as part of a wooden nightstand. In true Lynchian fashion, some of the finer details still remain unknown.
If you’re keen to rewatch the show, you can presently find the first two seasons (as well as the more recent third season) on Paramount+.
What do you think of Josie’s unorthodox exit from the series? Be sure to let us know in the comments section below.
