This thread goes in circles often, there's been plenty of discussion about what Twin Peaks is. I'm not picking on you though, you don't have to like the new season. The only topic I'll argue about is claiming that the new show is Twin Peaks in name only. If there is one show that can't be limited to a specific tone or style it's always been this one.
I assume that when you think about Twin Peaks you mainly conjure the vibe and tone of the first eight episodes. Hell, I believe most people do. That's when the show was at its heights as a phenomenon. The show evolved in its original run though. At the start of season 2 up to the time the killer was revealed changes had already been made in its scope bringing the supernatural elements to the forefront and more. Unfortunately afterwards, with the main creative force checked out, the writers tried to keep that version going and turned the show into a parody of itself. As a result, it had to evolve further.
Luckily Lynch returned in the series finale (Frost was already back) to flip the script and changed the idea of Twin Peaks forever. It wasn't about a murder mystery and its effects on a small town anymore. Where many of the later season 2 episodes had been following a checklist of fan-service and rules, the finale went by its own. This even applies to the way it was shot with uncomfortable long takes as an example which have since been carried on to this season.
Twin Peaks exist as a creative outlet for David Lynch and Mark Frost and it's at its most successful when they decide to experiment and push the idea of what Twin Peaks is further than they have before. This is more evident by moving on to Lynch's Fire Walk With Me. Try watching one of the first eight episodes and then follow it up with "Lonely Souls", the season 2 finale, or FWWM and tell me which one is the most Twin Peaks like. The answer is that all of them are. The same applies to season 3.
Lynch and Frost could have brought us back to this world with another murder mystery or some sort of villain like Windom Earle. The problem is that the mystery of Laura Palmer's murder has already been done, and any attempt to reclaim that magic would have been lazy and out of character for the creators. It's been said a lot that the show serves as the culmination of Lynch's output as a director at that time. It's more than that though. It also serves as the bridge to the next step of his creative career. Blue Velvet gave us Twin Peaks, which in turn pushed Lynch to Lost Highway and Mulholland Drive. Season 3 is the result of all of his previous work including Inland Empire.
It's perfectly reasonable that you wouldn't like the direction though. It's not what you wanted for a revival and that's ok. However, it is still Twin Peaks.
But the thing is that after they had filmed the new season but before it aired, Lynch made a comment in which he said what in his opinion is Twin Peaks. He said season 2 went too silly and to him the pilot episode is Twin Peaks.
So when Lynch says the original pilot is Twin Peaks to him and people begin anticipating the new show it's not that odd that when the series hasn't really yet been at all like the original pilot, and in fact so much different that people have been theorizing that the show is about it slowly becoming what Twin Peaks used to be, people would be disappointed at how it doesn't feel like Twin Peaks.
I mean, the expectations for the show being at least a bit like the original show were put pretty high by Lynch himself.
Now, to be fair, when he said how the pilot is Twin Peaks to him he also mentioned how different directors and writers brought in different things to the series and it made those things be Twin Peaks too.
So basically he thinks everything in S1 an S2, warts and all, is what Twin Peaks is, but still to him Twin Peaks really is the pilot. So when all of the episodes have been written and directed by him, it's no wonder people would expect there to be certain type of things to experience through the new season.
Of course I wouldn't ever say this new season isn't Twin Peaks, because it obviously is no matter what it would be. It could be like the latest Transformers and it still would be Twin Peaks because its name is Twin Peaks and it's official canon. But I'm not surprised if some people think differently about it.
I understand that some don't like the new taste, but just keeping the same old ingredients would have been worse IMO. That recipe has already been done and will not ever be as exciting as it was on the first taste.
This is what somewhat irritates me in this types of discussions.
You basically say that whatever people would've wanted would've been worse while you really can't know that. This show could've been Cooper eating pie and it all being some pastiche of the original, but we can't know if that would've been good or bad. That could've been the biggest and the best pastiche ever made by anyone and it could've been something that completely redefines what pastiches are.
But as you say this would've been worse than what it is now you are basically just saying people's expectations are bad, no matter what they are. Sure, there is the 'IMO' there, but still.
EDIT:
And for the record, while at times I'm sort of an apologist for the underdogs who don't like the show, I personally love/like the new season. I have my qualms with it sometimes but I'm very excited it exists and I've loved watching most of it. But I think people should be able to criticize it even if it's harsh criticism.