I've been rethinking my stance lately on the whole conclusion to the Packard Sawmill plot and I wondered if anyone here would have some ideas to help me figure stuff out.

Specifically, I am wondering what the deal was that made Josie want to come back to the Blue Pine Lodge so badly that she would condescend to be Catherine's maid.  Back in the day (shameless plug), I wrote the Packard Mill Conspiracy, found on the Project Red Room portion of this site, where I had this to say (pardon the lengthiness of the quote):

More time passes, and Josie returns to Twin Peaks. She is destitute, having discovered the illegitimacy of the cashier's cheque, presumably after trying to cash it. Perhaps her plan was to use this money to escape from Eckhardt after returning to Hong Kong; but, now cheated out of this, the last bit of payoff from her legacy of deceit, she panics before even leaving the country. She kills Jonathan and escapes. She finally determines that the only person capable of defending her against Eckhardt is Catherine, who has since come out of hiding. She makes an appeal to her, asking to continue to live at the Packard family home. She asks this because not only is she completely penniless and can't afford a place of her own, but because her other option, living with Truman, doesn't offer her the protection from Eckhardt she feels living with Catherine would provide. Josie knows that wherever she can run, Eckhardt will find her. Only here does she feel she is safe because, unlike Truman, Catherine has some idea of what Eckhardt is capable of and might be able to guard against it.

I am not sure I buy that anymore.  Did Josie really believe Catherine could offer her protection?  I mean, if nothing else, was she so incredibly naive after all that had happened to to believe that she would?  What could Catherine really offer her that Truman couldn't?

Perhaps this was yet another set up to lure Andrew out of hiding.  Perhaps not.  I think I might be coming to the conclusion that the writers were running out of steam for this particular story arc, but I really want to resist that as a final answer.  I mean, sure it's big fun to see Josie and Catherine living (hating) together... but what was the deal?

Maybe it's just an artifact of the soap opera genre TP was spoofing.  Many soap operas have story lines where the resident Matriarch drama queen is forced to coexist in a house with her biggest rival... I'm thinking of daytime drama here (and I can even specifically mention The Young and the Restless as an example!).

Anyway, thoughts on this, anyone?

I don't have problems with your original theories, Geoff...and it could be a spoof of the daytime or nighttime drama conventions that Peaks often seemed to handle tongue in cheek...Jonathan theatened Harry's life before Josie left the first time and since he worked for Eckhart, it is safe to say Eckhart knew about Josie's involvement with Harry from the beginning. I don't think Josie had any idea that Andrew was still alive, because she was genuinely shocked when she discovered he was alive. I enjoy the way the whole Josie arc came to completion, in particular the scene with Andrew and Thomas in the elevator...and Cooper coming to Josie imploring that she turn herself in and/or explain herself to Harry...and how the whole oh-Josie-shot-Cooper, Albert has some great moments in those scenes...mmm...it's making me look forward to that second season set...only 15 days before it arrives!!     

I am leaning toward the old soap opera artifact theory. catherine has that real sick power trip thing to her (see Carrie?) and although stereo typical and not pc, the subserviant japanese maid thing made it a slam dunk. but why have josie come back at all? she had contract that made it mandatory she appear in so many shows? (grasping here)

Did Josie really believe Catherine could offer her protection?  I mean, if nothing else, was she so incredibly naive after all that had happened to to believe that she would?

I have another thought about Josie:

When she's being questioned and she remembers Laura saying "I think now I know how you feel about your husband's death," do you think this was supposed to be an invented memory, meant to divert blame away from herself?  She figures, there's a murderer on the loose, she doesn't trust Hank (who's due for parole,) let's try to pin it on whoever did this.  I always assumed it was Laura being cryptic, or thinking about mortality- but maybe it was never said at all?

Hmm... 

The answer may be psychological. I think Josie had a masochistic streak.

The answer may be psychological. I think Josie had a masochistic streak.

I have another thought about Josie:

When she's being questioned and she remembers Laura saying "I think now I know how you feel about your husband's death," do you think this was supposed to be an invented memory, meant to divert blame away from herself? She figures, there's a murderer on the loose, she doesn't trust Hank (who's due for parole,) let's try to pin it on whoever did this. I always assumed it was Laura being cryptic, or thinking about mortality- but maybe it was never said at all?

Hmm...

Interesting theory. I think it's a bit strange that the line isn't in the FWWM script since Chen did film other scenes. Having Laura show up and say that line would have made more sense than the standalone scene with Josie and Harry. But if Lynch and Engels thought that Josie was lying, then that would not be the case. So, yeah, definitely a possibility.

indeed, i've walways been puzzled by what was going on with Josie past and present in TP. thankyou for this discusssion- i'll have to study it at length.