Twin Peaks 1 of 3 (The Original Show)

Twin Peaks (1990-1991)

Created by David Lynch and Mark Frost




    I know I know. I'm setting myself up for failure. How exactly am I (or anyone really) supposed to talk about the work of David Lynch (a master of dreamlike surrealism and picturesque Americana.) with any degree of intelligence? No idea, but here we are. Twin Peaks is quite possibly my favorite show. Which is a bold claim, because if you have looked around and seen any of the shows that are on going today on cable or on the many excellent streaming services, then you'll know that we are living in a golden age of tv. That being said, I absolutely mean it when I say that Twin Peaks is one of the best shows ever made and stands toe to toe with the best. I didn't grow up with the show and only watched through it all completely recently. But, for the average person I should explain what Twin Peaks is. The briefest synopsis I can give is that the a small town and it's inhabitants are forever changed when the body of the homecoming queen Laura Palmer (Sheryl Lee) is found dead and an FBI agent (Kyle MacLachlan) arrives to help solve the murder and uncover the secrets in a town where everyone has something to hide.  That is the most I could give, because to say anymore would be to spoil the absolute gem of a show that Twin Peaks is. I think the highlight of the show are it's characters. I'm not spoiling anything by saying that part of Season 2 goes down hill, but I didn't even really mind that much, because I find all of the individual and incredibly quirky characters so fascinating. More than that all of the characters go are constantly changing how I feel about them based on what new information is revealed and the decisions they make. My favorite being FBI Special Agent Dale Cooper (Kyle MacLachlan). He is so unlike any other typical agent/cop type leads that he is completely fascinating to me. His unorthodox approach to solving crimes clearly influenced the quirky detective type character that Monk embodies to me. 

    If it feels like I am bouncing around a bit or that I'm all over the place, it's because Twin Peaks is kind of all over the place. It manages to balance every tone it has from soap opera-y parody to drama to surreal to murder mystery to upbeat and off beat to down right horror at times is astounding. Any other show to attempt something like this would collapse under the wait of it all and somehow Twin Peaks does it with a grace, charm and swagger that makes you feel silly for even doubting that it ever could do it. This show helped to prove that tv could be more than the forgettable disposable content dispenser it was seen as at the time. If you have ever wondered how we went from episodic tv like Hill Street Blues or Murder My Sweet to HBO masterpieces like The Wire, True Detective and The Sopranos, Twin Peaks is your answer. Well, at least part of the answer anyways. 

    Now I think that I should say a disclaimer to those who intend to watch through Twin Peaks for the first time. One, you're welcome and two, this show does take a dive in season 2 but redeems itself in the last few episodes and a fantastic season finally which ends on a cliff hanger. But luckily for you, Twin Peaks doesn't end with the original show, but more about that when I talk about Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me.  

For now just let me say that the original Twin Peaks is massively influential, and despite all of it's imitators over the years, the original series has still never been topped and there's nothing else like it. Few shows have gotten me so hooked that I have felt compelled to rapidly binge through it all, and none more than the original Twin Peaks. So grab a donut and some damn good coffee and settle in for one of the best tv shows ever made.

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