Wednesday, May 26, 2010

TV! Revisiting Twin Peaks

I don't know if you all remember this little show, Twin Peaks. It ran from 1990-1991. I've been rewatching it on DVD from Netflix over the past couple of weeks. It was created by David Lynch, and he directed and co-wrote, as well as guest starred, in some of the episodes. The series is about the small Washington State town of Twin Peaks. Initially, the high school prom queen, Laura Palmer, is murdered. . . "dead, wrapped in plastic," and special FBI agent Dale Cooper is sent in to investigate and discover whether or not this crime is connected to another case. From there, the show examines evil, human relationships, other worldly communications and desserts.

It's a strange little show, and fun to watch, exploring Lynch's favorite themes of surrealism and of the darkness and dirt that lie below the surface of small town America. All in all, it's a fantastic series, especially the pilot and the first few episodes, the episode where the murder is solved, and the final episode, that tease that left us all hanging with more questions than answers. Although the second season is a bit uneven, it's well worth a rewatch.

Because Lost recently ended, and because both series were so unusual and daring for network television, I couldn't help but compare the two. Lost may be the better series. It's grander in scale, builds characters better, and, believe it or not, gives more of an answer to the central question of the series. Lynch's vision is much darker, with more prevailing badness, not to mention just not very nice people, wandering about. And Lynch's may be the smarter of the two, but Lost has more heart.

Both are better and more thought-provoking that 94% of what you can find on television. Twin Peaks is considered one of the best shows of the 1990's, along with being listed as one of the 100 Best TV Series of All Time. I'd be inclined to agree with that. Do you remember this show? Did you love it then? Do you love it now? Would you like a piece of cherry pie?

There is one quote from this show that I've used quite a bit, when asked how I take my coffee: "As black as the sky on a moonless night."

2 comments:

  1. I LOVED Twin Peaks! Never missed a show! It was a perfect fit for my dark, morbid, sense of whimsy and drama.

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  2. I have to admit I didn't watch Twin Peaks when it first started but got hooked a few episodes in so I'll have to rent it and watch from the start.
    But, yes, I'll have a piece of cherry pie.

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