MIKE

Portrayed by

Al Strobel

First seen

Pilot

Last seen

Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me

Episode count

10

Name

MIKE (or Philip Gerard)

Also known as

The One-Armed Man

Age

Unknown

Date of birth

Date of death

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Cause of death

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Origin

The Black Lodge

Profession

Traveling shoe salesman / Spirit

Family members

BOB - Familiar

Connection

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Images

_{This is an article about the Black Lodge inhabitant. For the Twin Peaks resident of the same name, see Mike Nelson}

MIKE is a fictional character in the TV series Twin Peaks, portrayed by Al Strobel.

Character overviewEdit

MIKE is an inhabiting spirit similar to the series' primary villain, BOB, who was his partner in serial murder. After committing several rape/murders with BOB, MIKE had a religious epiphany and repented, cutting off his own arm to rid himself of a "Fire Walk With Me" tattoo, which symbolized being touched by "the devilish one". BOB, however, would not repent. MIKE has spent years trying to find and stop BOB.

In contrast to BOB, MIKE only ever appears in the visual form of his host, traveling shoe salesman Phillip Michael Gerard.

Television seriesEdit

After FBI Special Agent Dale Cooper comes to Twin Peaks to investigate the murder of Laura Palmer, MIKE appears to Cooper in a dream, explaining his and BOB's history, but in a way that is not immediately clear. He shows Cooper a vision of BOB as he appeared in life. Later, Cooper, Deputy Hawk, and Sherriff Truman locate Philip Gerard, who is at the time unable to give them any information. Later, in the show's second season, MIKE is key to solving Laura Palmer's murder.

Prequel filmEdit

In the prequel film Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me, during a scene taking place in the Black Lodge after Cooper has been trapped inside finds Cooper confronted by The Man from Another Place who asks, "Do you know who I am?" Cooper shakes his head to which The Man From Another Place responds, "I am the arm." This is to be interpreted that the arm he is referring to is the arm that Phillip Gerard hacked off to prevent MIKE from taking over, and that in fact The Man From Another Place and MIKE are the same.

MIKE also harasses Leland Palmer - BOB's host - in a road rage incident, where he accuses Leland of "stealing the corn." It is known that the emotions of terror and pleasure BOB collects are called "garmonbozia", and are consumed by BOB, MIKE, and possibly other spirits as food in the form of corn. On the night of Laura Palmer's murder, MIKE confronts BOB in the Black Lodge. MIKE demands that BOB return his stolen garmonbozia. BOB responds by pulling it out of Leland, in the form of a murder victim's blood on his clothes and casting it to the floor.

The film and series offer conflicting motivations for MIKE's actions. Though MIKE portrays himself as remorseful for being BOB's 'partner' in the series, he is shown to be something of BOB's direct superior in the film, as well as unrepentant and still feeding on garmonbozia. This is contrary to his 'confession' to Cooper after Laura's murder, though whether his appearance in the film served as a retcon or simply to imply his confession was deceitful is unclear.