Something I just thought here, out of the blue

Why Maddy's mother, Beth, never attended Laura's funeral? Maybe she lived far away from Twin Peaks but it was her niece's funeral. Since Maddy came to confort the Palmers, I never understood why she didn't. On the script of episode 9, there's a missing scene where Maddy mentions her father's dead and her mother never really recovered his death, but we know her mother's alive, so it seems kind of odd, or maybe I'm missing something.

Yah, and they could have had Grace Zabriskie play both Sarah and Beth.  :)

Yah, and they could have had Grace Zabriskie play both Sarah and Beth.  :)

   But I thought she was Leland's sister. Better to have Ray Wise play her!!!

I'm pretty sure she's Sarah's sister.  This deleted dialog isn't cannon, granted, but it does seem to suggest as much.

MADDY
 (completes his thought)
 You looked at me and you saw Laura.

 JAMES
 I guess I did.

 MADDY
 Want to know somethin' strange? I liked it.

 JAMES
 You did?

 MADDY
 When we were growing up, Laura and I were so close it
 was scary. I could feel her thoughts. Like our brains were
 connected or something. Our mothers were the same way.
 (beat)
 When she died suddenly I had a chance to be Laura. At
 least other people saw me that way. Like the way you
 looked at me. I liked that too.
(from ep 13)

I'd still like Ray to play Beth!!! It could explain Sarah's attraction to him!  A sister substitute! It'd also justify Laura & Maddy's uncanny resemblance...

Here is one way of looking at it: 

Laura and Maddy were very close when they were growing up. Maddy often used to stay at Laura's house during the summer holidays. Laura and Maddy became very close and could almost read one another's thoughts. Beth did not come round so often, and consequently, did not get to know Laura so well.

When Laura died, Maddy was very upset and came over to the funeral. Beth did not really know Laura that well, so Laura's death did not affect her, and she did not come to the funeral.

Does this sound plausible?

Here is one way of looking at it: 

Laura and Maddy were very close when they were growing up. Maddy often used to stay at Laura's house during the summer holidays. Laura and Maddy became very close and could almost read one another's thoughts. Beth did not come round so often, and consequently, did not get to know Laura so well.

When Laura died, Maddy was very upset and came over to the funeral. Beth did not really know Laura that well, so Laura's death did not affect her, and she did not come to the funeral.

Does this sound plausible?

  Then again, maybe James' slutty mom came by with a bottle of hooch & a couple of sailors & they decided to stay at home & PARTY in MISOUUUULA, MONTANAAAAA!!!!
 

I also think Beth is Leland's sister.Don't know why..but that's how I think.

Maybe we don't see Beth in the series,cause she would be unnecessary character.I think so...

Imagine seeing another desperately crying mom (Beth) finding out her daughter is dead...Sarah was enough.

I always thought of Beth as Leland's sister too, don't know why..maybe just the way he speaks to her on the phone. She doesn't come to Leland's funeral either.  Then again if he just murdered her daughter she probably isn't gonna want to...

So do you guys still think Beth is Leland's sister, even after reading the lines above?  For me it just makes sense that the visions Maddy has would be a trait that runs through the women in Sarah's family.  And true, it might have taken coming to Twin Peaks for her to start having them, but I still think it makes sense considering all "the evil in these woods," etc.

I always held with the theory that Maddy is not Beth's daughter at all, but Sarah's. And not necessarily Leland and Sarah's, either. Then again, I would think such a secret would have come out with Maddy and Leland's deaths. Also, it doesn't quite work if Beth is Leland's sister as some of you suggest.

Interesting theory but almost quite impossible :) In the episode when Sarah is preparing for Leland's funeral,she says "Today I bury my husband next to my ONLY child "...

LogicHat, looks like your SARCASM filter isn't working...

Beth is Sarah's sister. In an interview with Wrapped In Plastic (issue 40) Grace Zabriskie said she'd talked to Harley Peyton about a storyline involving Sarah and Beth. GZ said she was asking for more psychic background for Sarah. I was asking for two aunts who had looked preternaturally alike - just as the cousins did. The aunts would have been Sarah Palmer and her sister. I was asking for untold generations of, well, basically witches. According to GZ Sarah is in complete denial of this background, what little she's heard of it. Whereas her sister - Maddy's Mother - wants it. Sarah and Maddy are not closer because Sarah has not encouraged it. Sarah is afraid of what could happen if they get together.

Donna says in an episode of Twin Peaks (episode one?) that Laura used to say her Mother was spooky.

 " Meet Laura, who's been most everywhere, from One-Eyed Jacks to Deer Meadow.  While Maddy is brunette of hair, hates her glasses & is kinda slow.  But they're cousins! Nearly identical cousins & you'll find they talk alike, they like James alike, eventually they'll even die alike! You can lose your mind! When corpse cousins are two of a kind!!!" (oh, sung to the tune of The Patty Duke Show Theme)

LogicHat, looks like your SARCASM filter isn't working...

Um, huh? You mean, because I've posted something that isn't sarcastic? Or do you mean I couldn't tell that someone was being sarcastic? In the case of the latter, wouldn't you mean my "sarcasm radar"?

And OSF, your post reminds me of something Geoff (I think) did for Create-A-Caption back in the day.

Now that some time has passed... I think my theory is probably incorrect. But I felt pretty clever when I first came up with it.

Beth is Sarah's sister. In an interview with Wrapped In Plastic (issue 40) Grace Zabriskie said she'd talked to Harley Peyton about a storyline involving Sarah and Beth. GZ said she was asking for more psychic background for Sarah. I was asking for two aunts who had looked preternaturally alike - just as the cousins did. The aunts would have been Sarah Palmer and her sister. I was asking for untold generations of, well, basically witches. According to GZ Sarah is in complete denial of this background, what little she's heard of it. Whereas her sister - Maddy's Mother - wants it. Sarah and Maddy are not closer because Sarah has not encouraged it. Sarah is afraid of what could happen if they get together.

Donna says in an episode of Twin Peaks (episode one?) that Laura used to say her Mother was spooky.

Thank you, faceintheleaves! I was going to grab that issue when I got home and transcribe that part, but I'm glad you beat me to it. :)

You're welcome. The time it took me to find the issue was dramatically reduced because Grace Zabriskie was on the cover, otherwise I'd still be rummaging now! It's one of the best interviews Wrapped In Plastic published.

Here is one way of looking at it: 

Laura and Maddy were very close when they were growing up. Maddy often used to stay at Laura's house during the summer holidays. Laura and Maddy became very close and could almost read one another's thoughts. Beth did not come round so often, and consequently, did not get to know Laura so well.

When Laura died, Maddy was very upset and came over to the funeral. Beth did not really know Laura that well, so Laura's death did not affect her, and she did not come to the funeral.

Does this sound plausible?

I don't know Fred, I'm putting myself in Beth's shoes when I write this, my sister's/brother's daughter had tragically died, it doesn't really matter how well I knew my niece, what matters is that my sister/brother lost his child and needs my support. I just couldn't send my daughter to confort them and just give Sarah/Leland a conforting phone call and that's it. But that's just me, since we never knew Beth, we don't what kind of person she was.

And since Maddy mentioned her father died and her mother never fully recovered (Ep 9 missing scene), maybe Beth couldn't deal with another close person dying and just stayed away.

Yeah, I know, I'm making such a big deal for something that's not really that important, just wanted to know what you guys thought about it, we're all peakers here right? :)
 

So do you guys still think Beth is Leland's sister, even after reading the lines above?  For me it just makes sense that the visions Maddy has would be a trait that runs through the women in Sarah's family.  And true, it might have taken coming to Twin Peaks for her to start having them, but I still think it makes sense considering all "the evil in these woods," etc.

You just took the words out of my mouth geoffr111, I thought the same thing when I read that missing dialogue from ep 13. Maybe Beth would start have visions of BOB just like Sarah, if she'd come to Twin Peaks.

I'd rather see another hysterical woman having visions of BOB than Norma Jennings mother as MT Wentz, since some of you said Beth's appearence wasn't really necessary. :) 

You're welcome. The time it took me to find the issue was dramatically reduced because Grace Zabriskie was on the cover, otherwise I'd still be rummaging now! It's one of the best interviews Wrapped In Plastic published.

Agreed! It's definitely my favorite. I remember reading the part where she talks about how she was going through the stuff with her daughter being ill and how she drew upon that to really drive home the anguish Sarah was feeling over the loss of her daughter. Oh! It seriously just about broke my heart to read that!

Let's just settle this thing, once & for all: Beth was a bitch! AGREED!!!

Beth Rules

i've always seen Beth as Sarahs sister....since Maddy and Laura was so alike it make sence that Beth and Sarah had been once too.

and if beth and sarah was so close, like reading eachothers mind and so on, it does make sence that beth did not show up at the funeral. To feel sarahs pain would perhaps have been too much? and if Beth had lost her husband and not recovering yet, a funeral is the last thing you want to attend...

Beth called Leland to say that Maddy didn't show up, one might not expect such short frank conversation between siblings that live far apart. Meaning Beth is Sara's sister, and maybe they are twins or they had a falling out at Pearl Lakes, No one will ever know why Beth never shows up. Maddy is dead too, does Sara go to her funeral?