You ever just think a movie, video game, book or TV show just isn't for you? Maybe you'll try numerous to get into one of them on the recommendation from a friend or family member; but you just don't understand whey they seemingly like it. I'm sure you have--we all have at some point. I've tried video games like Fallout 3, Fallout 4 and Skyrim and never got more than a few hours into them, got bored and moved onto a game that I do have an interest in. I've attempted to read The Hobbit many times and never get much further than the bit with the spiders (my arachnophobia not withstanding). And many movies and TV shows than I can count where, I might finish, but come away from it still not understanding what it is that garnered some many fans.
Twin Peaks, for me, has always been that show. My wife having always been a big fan of it, has tried to get me to watch it before, but I only made it through the pilot episode and never cared to go back. I'd even see her watching the show and what I was seeing would be further into the story; and never intrigued me either. I just didn't get it. And it's not like I was put off from David Lynch's sense of style or storytelling either; I'd seen his films such as Blue Velvet, Mulholland Dr, The Elephant Man, Dune and Eraserhead, and knew roughly what to expect. And while I didn't hate those films, I didn't see what the big fuss was about either.
But, something happen this past October (that's in the year of our Lord, 2025, for those who read this at a later date). I finally picked up Alan Wake 2 and started playing it.
I was a pretty big fan of the first game with it's story, mood and cast of offbeat, eccentric characters. And I knew when I played the first game that it was pretty heavily influenced by Twin Peaks. You had the stand-in logging town of, Bright Falls, the sinister presence that surrounded it, and instead of The Log Lady, you get The Lamp Lady.
So, I sat down to play AW2 and was enjoying my time with it immensely. And every so often I'd tell my wife about what was going on in the story and that I knew certain things were inspired by Twin Peaks. And one day she orders the complete series Twin Peaks: From Z to A. It has the original series, Fire Walk with Me and The Return series. And when it came in I was determined to push through the show this time. I wanted to know for myself all the references those Alan Wake games were making.
It wasn't immediate, but let me tell you, dear reader, something was starting to click into place. By the time we finished the first disc I wanted to keep going. Though still not fully onboard, it was catching my interest this time. And by the time we finished disc two I was in.
The opening theme, that I originally thought was slow and boring, was now the sound of another show I couldn’t wait to get lost in its world. And the show took on this cozy feeling. Character quirks that I had once thought were weird for weird's sake became more endearing as the episodes went by. The central mystery-"Who Killed Laura Palmer"-while always interesting became more immersive as more evidence came to light. And all the other subplots and side characters were all interesting and engaging...
...Except for James and Donna. I'm sure there are people who enjoy and will defend their story. But, I always found it to be a drag. I like the idea of high school students involving themselves in the investigation to help solve the murder of their friend; and I like those parts quite a bit. But anything to do their relationship, or the one with Maddy, I just couldn't stand.
And while I'll say I was never bored in the later half of season two. You can feel a strange (and not in a Lynchian way) shift after Laura Palmer's murder has been solved. And it's hard to put my finger one, but things definitely are different. Maybe it's because Lynch was less involved after the central mystery was complete- something he had no intention on solving. Maybe the writers just didn't know what to do with the characters after. Or maybe it's just a mix of both, with other factors added in. But for the rest of the second season the quality just isn't there.
Until the last episode. David Lynch came back to direct the final episode of the original run. And after his absence from the rest of the season you can almost immediately tell the difference. While one of the stranger episodes of the show, it's also the most engaging since Laura Palmer's murder was solved. Full of all the strange imagery you'd expect from Lynch; while also not doing a disservice to the actual story. And leaving on a great (but I'm sure frustrating at the time) cliffhanger; leaving poor Special Agent Dale Cooper trapped in The Black Lodge while his doppelgänger (possessed by Bob) is free in the world.
As I was coming close to the end of the original run of Twin Peaks, I was starting to feel a bit sad about it. I knew as I finished the last episode that that was the end for those characters. That those versions of the characters I had grown very found of after two season would not be the same going forward. That everything would change.
I just didn't know how right I was.
Not long after finishing the original run I sat down and watched Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me. And while I knew it was a prequel to the show, documenting the last week of Laura Palmer"s life, I wasn't prepared for how vastly different the tone of the movie compared to the show. Gone was most of the familiar musical beats that I had been enjoying for two seasons. Gone was the quirky humor that ran through the show, replaced with a much more darker and serious tone. And worst of all, gone were most of all the characters that I had enjoyed spending my time with from episode to episode. In their place was a story about Laura Palmer's final tragic, and destructive, days.
While I understand why David Lynch wanted to tell this story-- wanting to fully flesh out this character, and not make her just a murder victim of the week that had been very popular at the time. I still feel most of it was unnecessary (though alot of this would later be fairly relevant to The Return). Pretty much every detail about her life, and what happened to her, was documented in the original run. I didn't need to see it as my brain already painted the picture from that information. And seeing it in motion just felt like covering the same ground and not progressing the story any further.
However, that's not to say there's nothing of worth to be had. All the additions to the overall lore/mythos are very interesting. I especially love the scene with Lil and the following scene from it. What starts out as a strange scene of a woman acting strangely, turns into an onslaught of hints and clues to inform the viewer to pay attention to the story. Then you have the follow-up scene where Chet Desmond explains it to Sam Stanley that way we, the audience, understand that not everything strange is without its purpose, along with our first mention of a blue rose; something that is again further explored in The Return.
And now we move on to the aforementioned Return.
Let me just reiterate that by the time I started the third season, I was a fan of the original run. And while I wasn't a big fan of Fire Walk With Me, I at the very least appreciated the lore expansion and alot of the scenes for their pure artistic expression. But, I was very excited to jump into Return. I couldn't wait to see what the characters had been up to and where they are now after 25 years. But this was something that wasn't meant to be. You can't always go home.
I don't even know where exactly to begin with this. Watching this season, to me, is like listening to someone describe their dream to you. You can follow it for the most part, but then they'll tell you something that you just cannot comprehend; something that, to them, was totally normal in the moment. And I'd like to think of myself as a reasonably intelligent guy, but there were plenty of times I was left scratching my head wondering what the point of a scene or episode was; was there even supposed to be a point; was I being shown the clues but not understanding them, like with Lil and Sam Stanley in Fire Walk With Me. And I think the answer lies somewhere with all three.
The season was definitely not what I was expecting, to say the least. Story-wise it sits tonally somewhere between the original run and Fire Walk With Me. Darker and more graphic than what would've been allowed at the time on basic cable, but it's also not without it's quirky moments and quirky characters.
It's also the most experimental of the property with some truly weird but interesting imagery. Where else are you going to find a show where a woman has no eyes and squeaks and squawks when she talks, men of whom are painted head to toe in all black; one of whom asks, "Got a light?", doppelgangers of all sorts, a character from FWWM now being some sort of machine, or a demonic creature that shreds two people. And that's not even touching on Episode 8, which is the most out-there in terms of story telling.
You'll notice I've not mentioned anything about Special Agent Dale Cooper. Well, there's good reason for that. I don't want to spoil most of anything about this season for those who may not have seen it yet (Him being stuck in The Black Lodge, I feel, it pretty known for anyone who's watched anything about influential TV shows), but needless to say, much like the rest of the season, his journey is not one I was anticipating; and was the one story of the season that I was feeling the most frustrated with.
And by the time I reached the end of the show, I was feeling sad and confused. Sad, because that was it. There is no more story to be had unless you count the books (I would like to try and track those down). And with David Lynch's passing, I highly doubt we'll get anything further (and rightfully so). Confused, because of how the story was told and how it ended with the last season. That's not to say that I hated it or anything, but I felt unsatisfied with how it ended an how the story was told to get there.
However, I will say this, the show hasn't left my mind since I've finished it. And maybe that's one of the greatest compliments that can be given. I've sat with the events in my head this whole time, sifting them around to figure out the meanings for myself, but also seeking out other people's interpretation. I've dug into Reddit and Youtube curious to see what other people had to say and if I agreed with it.
I love the original run of Twin Peaks. I could sit through those two seasons again right now with no problems. And while I didn't love Fire Walk With Me and The Return in the same way, I do love thinking about them and can't wait to see what I missed, and what might make more sense on a second (or more) watch. And I think that is. . . damn fine.
Comments
Post a Comment