In 1990, a certain project by legendary filmmaker
David Lynch and Mark Frost infected
America with what would be known as Peaksmania.
The iconic opening scene of a dead girl (Lee) wrapped in plastic being fished
out of water set the foundation of this very unique series.
Quick background: I was introduced to Twin Peaks while searching for a new TV
series to watch in IMDB. Actually, I had previous knowledge of its cult classic
status. When I read the summary and a review, I was immediately hooked.
Then, finally after an exhausting day at school, I
finally sat down to watch the pilot episode. The first shot was of a bird
chirping, and then the instrumental theme song that every fan of the show would
continue to hum today kicked in. My first impression watching the shots of
waterfalls and the cast’s names flashing was how aged the series looked.
However, after that, it was smooth sailing from
there. Like with other mystery TV shows I watch, I immediately went
clue-hunting, intent on finding out who the murderer was. Besides the
intriguing mystery of “Who killed Laura Palmer,” the series also excelled
because of its direction, beautiful set designs and musical score by Angelo
Badalamenti, and for a while, the writing.
Although I admittedly did not like some episodes of
the first season, (moreso because I was not paying attention to some plots) my
interest quickly rebounded with the finale. In fact, it is popular opinion
among the fans that the episodes directed by Lynch, including the pilot and the
season 1 finale, were the best of the series.
Immediately the week after that, I watched the second
(and last) season of the series. Let me tell you, the first nine episodes of
the season were some of the best TV I’ve watched. With the introduction of my
favorite character, Harold Smith (von Dohlen), the series never missed a beat.
Something about his story was so compelling, and his scenes with Donna (Boyle) were
some of the underrated moments of the show.
Up until the killer was revealed and its aftermath,
the show was great. Many fans chalk up the show’s demise to the network’s
pressure to reveal the killer’s identity early, but in my opinion, it was more
of Lynch’s departure that hurt it. In fact, I’m grateful that the show did reveal the killer at that point,
because I thought the show would get stale if it had not.
It did admittedly, get stale, after the Laura Palmer
mystery was solved. To compensate, the series focused itself on the supporting
characters. However, as the show went on, certain subplots dragged along with
the quality. You could feel the writers struggle to come up with engaging
storylines. One storyline that fans blame for the show’s downfall was the
arrival of a certain femme fatale. Although I did not mind it much, I have to
say that it featured some of the series’ worst acting.
Actually, the show, being a hybrid
mystery/drama/comedy/soap opera/supernatural/horror crossover, features a lot
of great acting as well as horrible ones. Kyle Maclachlan, who plays the quirky
main protagonist, Detective Agent Cooper, is perfect in his role. I would go as
far as to say that the casting in early episodes was well done. However, there
are some moments when the actors overdid their acting. Sometimes, it
complements the vibe of the show, and sometimes, it’s laughable. Ray Wise,
Sheryl Lee, Piper Laurie and Sherilyn Fenn were definitely the MVPs of the
series in terms of making their characters enjoyable to watch.
The show, especially with the introduction of the
main antagonist BOB, is disturbing and creepy. In a good way. With Lynch as
showrunner, it’s no surprise that Twin
Peaks would be confusing, scary and consist of a lot of symbolism. Even
though it drops in quality after The Reveal episode that Lynch himself
directed, the show has small spurts of brilliance here and there. In my
opinion, it’s not until the final episode that the show comes back to its true
form. Of course, the cliffhanger and Lynch’s return helped. It’s worth watching
the boring episodes just to get to the series finale and to understand the Twin
Peaks folklore.
After a year or so, a film prequel was released, Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me, that
disappointed fans who wanted answers. Although I wanted to focus on the series,
the film is a must for viewers who cannot get enough of the town and its mysteries.
The series has inspired a lot of other films, shows
and even a video game, so more probably than not, it feels familiar. The town
is filled with a lot of beautifully crafted characters and mysteries, and once
you get in, you can’t get out. Even with its boring moments in the middle parts
of the second season, it’s hard not to watch them.
All in all, I think the series is a must-watch. Even
though TV shows have evolved to contain film-quality outputs, Twin Peaks stands up well up until now. Its
amazing soundtrack and visuals somehow combine together to make the creepiest
and most magical TV experience.
