TV Write-Up: Twin Peaks S3 Parts 1 & 2
SYNOPSIS: 25 years after the final episode of Twin Peaks left viewers wondering what the show’s mysteries meant, David Lynch and Mark Frost return to the world of Twin Peaks for a third season. It is happening again…
Twin Peaks has been, and likely always will be, a frustrating piece of art. On the one hand, it was an innovative and truly unique TV show made in a time when quite literally no one was filming anything like it. On the other, it was a bit of a mess, with a specific stretch of season 2 showing the problems that Lynch and co-creator Mark Frost had in executing their unique vision clashing with what the network wanted from them. Time has been good to Peaks as its popularity and the mysteries contained within the series have only intensified with time. It’s not only been 25 years since Twin Peaks was last on the air but also a solid decade since David Lynch directed a film. In that time, franchises have become more prevalent, streaming services have begun to erode Hollywood and stories heavy on nostalgia dominate the landscape. To someone who doesn’t know the show, Twin Peaks coming back would seem like a cash grab. To the fans, that couldn’t be farther from the truth. After all, Laura Palmer herself said she’d see Agent Cooper “in 25 years”, and here we are.
This all begs the question, is the series even good anymore? After watching the first two parts of the return, the answer is a resounding yes. Lynch is at his most Lynchian here, putting together a piece of work that feels utterly comprehensive. Those of you who watched Peaks for its quirky small-towniness will find a bit of that “aww shucks” demeanor, but it’s clear that Showtime let Lynch run rampant on the material. This is much more in line with Eraserhead or Lost Highway than it was previously, which is a great thing. The original series left so many questions unanswered that The Return feels like it was in the cards all along, even if it may not have been. Lynch himself has described his work as “dreamlike” in the past, and I think if you keep that in the back of your mind his films make much more sense.
We open on a black and white shot of the, coincidentally enough, Black/White Lodge where Special Agent Dale Cooper sits in conversation with the Giant, the first of many familiar faces we see throughout the episode. The Giant provides some cryptic clues to Cooper then Cooper departs. From there, we visit a young man sitting in a building in New York City monitoring a glass box with cameras fixed on it, clearly waiting for something to appear. One of the more surprising turns here, Kyle MacLachlan’s doppelganger from the end of the second season is out, playing by his own rules and sporting the cheesiest spray tan/mullet combination you can imagine. We get pieces of the citizens of Twin Peaks, including Dr Jacoby, Andy, Hawk, Log Lady, Shelly, James, and even the one-armed man. That’s not to even mention all three members of the Palmer family in various places/states of consciousness. None of these appearances are treated special, but rather the show doesn’t assume seeing any of these people is a big deal; they’ve always been here, they’re not special, and Lynch doesn’t want to waste the audience’s time reintroducing people to an audience who already knows who they are.
To call the first two parts of The Return confusing would be the very least of it, but you must expect that going in. Lynch, for me, has always been about the mood. Few filmmakers can create such a sinister and off-putting mixture of sound and image as David Lynch does. So many times, throughout his career, whether it be the man behind Winkies in Mulholland Drive or Robert Blake in Lost Highway, Lynch has gotten way under my skin and freaked me out. He does it here, with several moments of out-of-left-field fuckery that can’t be explained without having seen it. To me Lynch’s work is about the mood and atmosphere, and here he’s on top of his game. Even small, quiet scenes, such as the one of two characters staring at a glass box, carry a sense of dread and fear with them. Something about the camera in conjunction with the usually menacing score combine to make for an unsettling and disturbing experience for reasons I can’t quite describe.
Twin Peaks was never a favorite series of mine, but more one that just refuses to leave my brain. After a recent re-watch in anticipation of The Return, I think I appreciated the series for what Lynch tried to do with it. Look, it’s not perfect. Entire plotlines and stories in parts of season 2 are atrocious, but when Lynch’s influence is felt the show is amongst some of the best TV ever made. Having this new series on Showtime where there are no rating restrictions just feels right for this series, with Lynch taking full advantage of being able to go further than he had before. I find myself less concerned with answering questions and more intrigued by where this is going to lead. I think with Twin Peaks the interest was always meant to be on the tone, mood and feeling more than the overally “point” of it all. I’m happy Twin Peaks is not only back but looking even better than it did when it first aired and plan on keeping you updated as the season progresses here on Binge Media.