Director David Lynch returns to his infamous cult classic Twin Peaks and confounds expectations. Unless, of course, you were expecting that.
The degree to which you enjoy Showtime and David Lynch/Mark Frost’s return to Twin Peaks depends entirely upon your tolerance level for modern Lynch. The Lynch directing here is not the same Lynch working within the ABC studio system in 1990. The Lynch directing here firmly hails from the Mulholland Drive / Inland Empire Lynch, although it’s not nearly as inexplicable as all that. He conforms to zero expectations (unless you’re expecting that). Based on the episodes I’ve seen, this Twin Peaks will likely alienate 90 percent of the audience expecting the series’ more linear storytelling. Yes, I said “linear.” Showtime’s return makes the original seem positively ordinary by comparison.
I’ll try to set the stage. Episode 1 sets much of the action in New York City and Buckhorn, South Dakota. The actual town of Twin Peaks appears sparingly in the first two episodes. Kind of a sick joke that I liked. In New York, a college student watches for activity within a mysterious glass box. The South Dakota-set scenes find Scream‘s Matthew Lillard accused of a gruesome murder he doesn’t remember committing. In the few scenes that take place in Twin Peaks, the Log Lady (the late Catherine E. Coulson) tells Hawk (Michael Horse) he needs to find something missing involving Agent Cooper (the nearly ageless Kyle MacLachlan).
Interspersed through all of this is the seemingly BOB-possessed Agent Cooper committing all kinds of terrible acts. The presumably real Agent Cooper remains trapped in the Black Lodge where Laura Palmer (Sheryl Lee) once again pays a visit. Episode 2 gradually unveils more characters from the original cast, but none have significant roles yet.
Final Verdict
It’s completely impossible to make a snap judgment on a series that demands multiple viewings. While Lynch’s directorial style veers more toward his experimental art films, Showtime’s Twin Peaks isn’t all that difficult to follow plot-wise. You’re just not very likely to understand any of it. To me, the fun of this series appears to reside within figuring out the connections. Lynch’s return to television is as electric and awe-inspiring as anything he’s ever done. His visuals are trippy and often very frightening. His dream-state logic prevails (perhaps a bit too much), but it’s never boring.
I, like many I suspect, wanted more of the original cast, but I’ll wait patiently for it all to unfold over the planned 18 episodes. Just don’t ask me what any of it means. I’m not even certain what my reaction to it is quiet yet. Part of me appreciates the other-worldliness of it all. Part of me wants something closer to the tone of the original series. Chances are, audiences accustomed to modern, linear television series won’t appreciate Lynch’s new Twin Peaks gift at all.
Opinion to evolve…
Showtime’s Twin Peaks airs Sunday nights at 10pm ET. Four episodes are now available OnDemand.
