20 Years LttP: Twin Peaks

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I just completed watching the entire series and Fire Walk With Me last night. It was my first time to ever view the series, and I must say I fell head over heels in love with it. The characters are all very charming and likeable (even the ones you love to hate), the spoofing on soap operas at the time threw me for part of the first episode, but I finally understood what they were doing by the end of the pilot, the music was SUPERB, the imagery was brilliant, and the writing was just so enjoyable. Truly fantastic media.

I was far too young to view this when it originally aired, but I can very quickly draw connecting lines back to this show from some of my favorite series (LOST, X-Files, and more) to this show. I almost fear imagining what the state of television would be like had Twin Peaks not shaken things up as profoundly as it did.


I won't really discuss interpretations, as I feel at this point anything and everything I would say has been covered thoroughly.

I will say that I enjoyed Fire Walk With Me, but not nearly as much as the series.
It felt more like an exploration of the darkness that is often overshadowed by Cooper's positive spirit in the show. The music was really great in it, as well. The only shortcoming was I felt it focused on a character I never really cared about. Sure, the entire impetus for these personalities and events occurring were the death of Laura, but I guess the mystery about her was far more interesting than the actual character was. Also, I'm glad I didn't end up watching this when I bought it. I had heard it was a prequel, and I assumed it would basically be Laura's dream she had before she was murdered that Dale said he had shared with her. Whoo, I would have been really upset to find out some of those reveals the way they lay them out.



As for how the show ended... I don't know.
I mean, part of me wants there to be some kind of resolution for the characters I grew to love so fondly over the last few weeks, but the show itself is so full of unhappy endings for the residents of the town that I can only suspect that it is inevitable. I can easily imagine various ways the events in a third season could have played out, but they are all too simple. Nothing ever goes exactly as I thought it would in the course of the show, so it ends up feeling like an exercise in futility. The series ended with a powerful final episode, and I can take solace in that alone. However, my optimism in the power of the central characters, their relationships, and the desire for change in many of the characters in season two gives me reassurance that, regardless of whatever might or might not have happened, there would always be something to still love about the town of Twin Peaks and its citizens.



I would love to say this is my favorite show of all time, but I think LOST still claims that title. However, it is a photo finish between the two, personally. Twin Peaks managed to utilize cinematic sensibilities and visuals with something I despise as much as soap operas, and it worked. I don't know how, but it worked. Some of the most well written, acted, and realized characters to ever grace the television screen are contained within such a short lived series, and I can only imagine what a third season would have allowed them to do.

Also, I made one of my animation assignments about Dale Cooper. Kinda.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUcSH_OAiMM
No spoilers in it, so no worries!
 
Typographenia said:
I just completed watching the entire series and Fire Walk With Me last night. It was my first time to ever view the series, and I must say I fell head over heels in love with it. The characters are all very charming and likeable (even the ones you love to hate), the spoofing on soap operas at the time threw me for part of the first episode, but I finally understood what they were doing by the end of the pilot, the music was SUPERB, the imagery was brilliant, and the writing was just so enjoyable. Truly fantastic media.

I was far too young to view this when it originally aired, but I can very quickly draw connecting lines back to this show from some of my favorite series (LOST, X-Files, and more) to this show. I almost fear imagining what the state of television would be like had Twin Peaks not shaken things up as profoundly as it did.


I won't really discuss interpretations, as I feel at this point anything and everything I would say has been covered thoroughly.

I will say that I enjoyed Fire Walk With Me, but not nearly as much as the series.
It felt more like an exploration of the darkness that is often overshadowed by Cooper's positive spirit in the show. The music was really great in it, as well. The only shortcoming was I felt it focused on a character I never really cared about. Sure, the entire impetus for these personalities and events occurring were the death of Laura, but I guess the mystery about her was far more interesting than the actual character was. Also, I'm glad I didn't end up watching this when I bought it. I had heard it was a prequel, and I assumed it would basically be Laura's dream she had before she was murdered that Dale said he had shared with her. Whoo, I would have been really upset to find out some of those reveals the way they lay them out.



As for how the show ended... I don't know.
I mean, part of me wants there to be some kind of resolution for the characters I grew to love so fondly over the last few weeks, but the show itself is so full of unhappy endings for the residents of the town that I can only suspect that it is inevitable. I can easily imagine various ways the events in a third season could have played out, but they are all too simple. Nothing ever goes exactly as I thought it would in the course of the show, so it ends up feeling like an exercise in futility. The series ended with a powerful final episode, and I can take solace in that alone. However, my optimism in the power of the central characters, their relationships, and the desire for change in many of the characters in season two gives me reassurance that, regardless of whatever might or might not have happened, there would always be something to still love about the town of Twin Peaks and its citizens.



I would love to say this is my favorite show of all time, but I think LOST still claims that title. However, it is a photo finish between the two, personally. Twin Peaks managed to utilize cinematic sensibilities and visuals with something I despise as much as soap operas, and it worked. I don't know how, but it worked. Some of the most well written, acted, and realized characters to ever grace the television screen are contained within such a short lived series, and I can only imagine what a third season would have allowed them to do.

Also, I made one of my animation assignments about Dale Cooper. Kinda.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUcSH_OAiMM
No spoilers in it, so no worries!
Click to expand...

Yeah, agree with most of that. I watched it when it came out but I was young and just like the weirdness. When I rewatched it for the first time years after I think I appreciated it more.

And that animation is great :)
 
I thought the first 5 or 6 episodes were incredible, then it just starts to fall apart. Then after the reveal in season 2 it's an absolute disaster. So many boring pointless story lines that are being strange just to be strange. Really disappointing after how it got started.
 
I watched the first 2 episodes and its really not what I expected it. I thought this show was supposed to be scary instead its like a cop comedy with a 90s soap opera feel. My friend told me this was the inspiration for games like Alan Wake and Silent Hill but i'm just not seeing it.
 
Anticitizen One said:
I watched the first 2 episodes and its really not what I expected it. I thought this show was supposed to be scary instead its like a cop comedy with a 90s soap opera feel. My friend told me this was the inspiration for games like Alan Wake and Silent Hill but i'm just not seeing it.
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I don't see how it's like Silent Hill at all. It's definitely the inspiration for 'Deadly Premonition' though.
 
AgentOtaku said:
Well I dug the pilot alot

I understand that Season 2 is shit but hey, I can quit after S1 or simply when it ceases to be good

I'm a huge Alan Wake fan btw, so sort of obligated
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you are completely obligated.

as far as I'm concerned there were four short seasons of Twin Peaks, three of which were excellent and one of which was terrible. it's another way of saying that the first and last third of season 2 are great. it's the middle bit where it's lacking a main plot that is terrible.

the last six or so episodes where Windom comes into play? maybe they aren't as good as the first season... maybe... but put them up against the best run of six or so episodes of whatever your favorite show is, and I'm betting that Twin Peaks wins.

The episode where the killer is revealed, and the finale... are both better than any episode in the first season. That's the bottom line.
 
The show has, like, a 5-episode lull in the plot during Season 2, but it's not even that bad. The drop is there, but it's exaggerated. You may not even notice it.
 
The dropoff occurs after you find out
who killed Laura
. Then the slow loses a bit of focus and goes in different directions.
 
Ah fuck, I just watched the last episode and it's 3am now here. Don't know if I can properly fall asleep now, the last 20min is what nightmares are made of.
 
Just got the Gold set and decided to rewatch it with my buddy (it's his first time seeing it). I got both him and my mom (who sat down and watched it with us) really in to it, and we only watched the pilot so far.

This show is too good.
 
Just finished watching the last episode. This show is very good. I think it holds up pretty well in terms of style. Lynch's use of more ~50's style clothing and jazz helps it hold up i think. Some of the hairstyles are kind of dated i guess but thats about it. I love most of the characters in the show, save just a couple(James in particular). Dale Cooper is just a wonderful lead character that's very quotable. I'm not a coffee drinker but he makes me kinda want it.

I'm not even a person that's going to be a rabid fan of the show, but I felt the season 2 lull was much better than I was warned about. It kind of lacks direction or something truly compelling and has some bad subplots but overall I got through them without much issue. The James subplot, while terrible, didnt really take up that much time per episode and he was never seen again after it was resolved. They should have just replaced all the crappy subplots with Audrey dancing or something. The final episode was great, I think it works as an ending, even though I am left wanting more, and it also left us with some interesting unresolved subplots as well
The explosion in the bank, Nadine getting her memory back, Leo coming back
, which don't really get mentioned.

I've definitely become a fan of David Lynch, I've seen Blue Velvet, Lost Highway, Mulholland Dr., Wild at Heart and I'm now going to watch Fire Walk with Me. He's a master of surrealism, with great characters, especially dangerous crazy people(Frank Booth, Bobby Peru, Mr. Eddy in Lost Highway, Windom Earle). I like how Lynch's personality comes through his work through his style and recurring motifs. I really wish he would make another feature length film. Are any of his smaller projects worth checking out?
 
Holy crap.


I don't want to get my hopes up, but that would be mind blowing. My only fear is that rumors about this could be a negative in the talks, since I seem to recall Lynch not being fond of his privacy being bothered.

Crossing my fingers and toes on this.
 
Typographenia said:
Holy crap.


I don't want to get my hopes up, but that would be mind blowing. My only fear is that rumors about this could be a negative in the talks, since I seem to recall Lynch not being fond of his privacy being bothered.

Crossing my fingers and toes on this.
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Well yeah, I want to believe (and crossing everything I can) but...

"Dear Internet: You are very good at spreading rumors. Truth is more valuable and much harder to come by. Sincerely yours, @mfrost1"

Shit, this is killing me. I'll stop now.
 
BaronLundi said:
Well yeah, I want to believe (and crossing everything I can) but...

"Dear Internet: You are very good at spreading rumors. Truth is more valuable and much harder to come by. Sincerely yours, @mfrost1"

Shit, this is killing me. I'll stop now.
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There it is, boys. Break the code, Solve the crime.
 
BaronLundi said:
Well yeah, I want to believe (and crossing everything I can) but...

"Dear Internet: You are very good at spreading rumors. Truth is more valuable and much harder to come by. Sincerely yours, @mfrost1"

Shit, this is killing me. I'll stop now.
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I could see Mark Frost writing some sort of "25 years later" but I can't see it coming to TV as a series. I don't think Lynch has the interest. And I can't imagine bringing back the original cast.

I'm not sure if I want to be proved wrong :-/
 
There does seem to be a chunk of the cast which dislikes their involvement enough where I doubt Lynch could get everyone back - but there was that Psyche reunion where they had a few of the cast members show up in their Twin Peaks homage episode.

I dunno, never say never I guess. Coop is stuck in the lodge for 25 years after all.
 
Wouldn't some sort of sequel to the series work better as a novel, anyway? Unless, of course, they actually continue it twenty-five years later which could be very interesting as long as all the living actors return.


I'm not sure what they would do without Bob, though.
 
I don't think Twin Peaks (or any of David Lynch's work) would work well in novel form. It's extremely visual, but in a very subtle way.
 
maharg said:
I don't think Twin Peaks (or any of David Lynch's work) would work well in novel form. It's extremely visual, but in a very subtle way.
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Agreed. Novel forms of Lynch's work would be like LOTR with all the descriptions of nature. Except, replace descriptions of nature with descriptions of low humming or vibrating/electronic sounds, people staring at things, guys with creepy smiles, etc.

(I'm a huge Lynch fan, btw).
 
I loaned The secret diary Laura Palmer and The Autobiography of F.B.I. Special Agent Dale Cooper. Anyone read these? Anyone read these, are they any good? I have watched half of season 2, I'm around one episode after they caught the killer.
 
inm8num2 said:
Agreed. Novel forms of Lynch's work would be like LOTR with all the descriptions of nature. Except, replace descriptions of nature with descriptions of low humming or vibrating/electronic sounds, people staring at things, guys with creepy smiles, etc.

(I'm a huge Lynch fan, btw).
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Exactly. So much of the information in any frame of a Lynch story is intended to be taken in passively and without conscious effort. You can't really do that in a novel. It's just not a strength of the medium.

(I'm a huge fan of novels, btw). ;)
 
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