So last weekend after a lot of patient waiting, we were finally blessed with the return of David Lynch and Mark Frosts cult television show Twin Peaks. I've talked a lot about Twin Peaks and its imminent return on my blog and naturally I was incredibly excited, ecstatic even, it's all I spoke about for the entirety of last weekend. It's evident that myself and fellow Twin Peaks fans across the globe were dying to return to this world of mystery, murder, and damn fine coffee. So far we have been treated with four new episodes of Twin Peaks that I took upon myself to binge watch last weekend, and I must say, it's a lot different to what we were all expecting. Not that this is a bad thing, in fact I'm quite pleased with the ambitious new direction the show is taking, however it is clear now that the new series will separate the Twin Peaks fans from the David Lynch fans, and the intersection is smaller than you may think. WARNING: spoilers for those who have not seen episodes 1-4 of Twin Peaks: The Return.
First of all, the biggest difference between The Return is the scale. The original series took place predominantly in the eponymous town, sometimes veering off over the Canadian border or to the nearby town of Deer Meadow in the case of Fire Walk With Me. However, the new season takes place on a much wider scale in areas such as New York, Nevada, and South Dakota. In fact, we have spent very little time in Twin Peaks itself over the course of these four episodes which may seem strange considering..well, the fact that the show is called Twin Peaks. While we do catch glimpses of what's going on in the town during the course of these four episodes, a lot of the time is spent elsewhere following seemingly related storylines. In New York, we meet a young man tasked with watching a mysterious glass box, while in South Dakota, a grizzly murder leads to the arrest of a seemingly oblivious high school principal (played by Matthew Lillard). It seems that Lynch is doing his best to frustrate us, to tease us even further after keeping us waiting so long. Along with spending a large portion of these episodes outside of Twin Peaks, Lynch also slows the pacing waaay down, to a level that can only be described as torturous. Patience is the key to watching the new series of Twin Peaks and is necessary to follow and enjoy the events that are unfolding on the show.
The fact that we spend so much time of these 4 episodes outside Twin Peaks means when we do finally catch glimpses of the titular town, it's a lot more satisfying. There were so many 'oh, look who it is!' and 'wow, look at how they've changed!' moments over the course of these episodes and it was a real pleasure catching up with some of these characters after all these years. Christ, I was even happy to see James Hurley (James Marshall), one of the shows most unbearable characters! Most of the time spent in Twin Peaks is set at the Sheriff's station where Deputy Hawk (Michael Horse) tries to unravel a cryptic message from the Log Lady (Catherine Coulson, in a heartbreaking appearance) regarding Agent Cooper. Here, we get a sense of familiarity, like reuniting with an old friend from years ago, and it's these moments that we cherish the most in the revival. We see the return of many other familiar faces such as Ben Horne (Richard Beymer) who is alive and well after that bang on the head at the end of season 2, and Bobby Briggs (Dana Ashbrook) who is now a Sheriff's Deputy! There are still a lot of old characters that we are yet to be reunited with and a lot of plot points yet to be resolved. However, it's clear that with each new episode, more time is spent in the town of Twin Peaks. It's a gradual return to the world we all know and love, but with each episode there is a greater sense of familiarity, ensuring us that sooner or later down the line, the town will undoubtedly feature much more heavily.
The biggest difference between The Return and the original series is that David Lynch now has complete creative freedom on the show. As Lynch is known for his uniquely surrealist style, it is not a surprise that the new series is a completely unrelenting Lynchian nightmare. While that sense of surrealism didn't feature too heavily in the original series, it is completely let loose in the revival. It feels more like an amalgamation of all of Lynches work as opposed to being solely Twin Peaks, with many moments feeling reminiscent of other works within his filmography. The South Dakota subplot that follows Matthew Lillard's character feels very Lost Highway, while Agent Cooper's (Kyle MacLachlan) odyssey through the Black Lodge feels a lot like Eraserhead. It's clear that Lynch is borrowing from some of his other works for the revival. He has done away with the shows old campy, soap-opera-parodying ways and has opted for a much more darker tone. Despite this, the show does retain its signature sense of humour and has some scenes that truly left me in stitches (look out for 'Mr. Jackpots' and Wally Brando). While the drastic shift in tone does work very well, one thing I can't help but miss is Angelo Badalamenti's unforgettable score from the original series. While we are treated to small snippets here and there, the absence of the score can be felt deeply, especially in some of the more comedic scenes.
Of course, the burning question asked by many fans after the original series ended was what happened to Agent Dale Cooper? When we left him at the end of season 2 he had been possessed by the malevolent spirit BOB after seemingly escaping from the Black Lodge, leaving many fans shocked and let down. Thankfully, while we don't spend a lot of times in the town of Twin Peaks, we do spend the majority of these four episodes with Cooper himself, or rather themselves. The good, coffee-loving Cooper who we all know and love has been trapped in the mysterious Black Lodge for the past 25 years, along with MIKE (Al Strobel), and the man from another place (who is now a giant nerve). Meanwhile the evil Cooper has been out in the real world, keeping a low profile and doing evil things while looking like Tommy Wiseau. Their respective journeys are equally bizarre and are enthralling to watch. Good Cooper's journey out of the Black Lodge is a truly mind-bending experience pulled from the darkest corners of Lynches mind, while bad Cooper's mysterious motives are just one of many enigmas wrapped within the new series. These two are both on their own individual paths that will undoubtedly converge at some point down the line, we can only imagine what will happen when that day comes.
So far, Twin Peaks: The Return has been a rollercoaster ride across David Lynches twisted version of America. It is full of strange and often terrifying moments, but manages to retain that unique sense of humour to keep a nice balance in there. While it has answered some of the questions left with fans at the end of the second season, The Return has posed even more questions and mysteries to occupy our minds for the next few months. While Twin Peaks is undoubtedly back, it is still a gradual return, Lynch and Frost appear to be having a great time keeping us waiting for all of these major storylines to converge. However, it allows for the anticipation to build between each episode, leaving us hungry for more every week. Twin Peaks: The Return is terrifying, it's funny, it's downright bizzare. Instead of opting for a full on nostalgia trip, Lynch gradually feeds us small spoonfuls of nostalgia with each new episode, teasing us and leaving us wanting for more. Is it frustrating to watch? Yes. Is it satisfying? Most definitely. If the first four episodes of Twin Peaks: The Return are anything to go by, then we're in for a long, strange, and exciting summer.
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