4 more reviews

1. ›Television Review: Twin Peaks (Seasons 1-2, 1990 - 1991)@drax1311d

   

   The Golden Age of Television began roughly a decade and a half ago, but many would trace its origins to a much earlier period. One catalyst for this process was a short-lived US broadcast television series that became the first to earn cult status. That show was Twin Peaks, originally aired on the ABC network between 1990 and 1991.

   The show’s creators were Mark Frost, a famed television writer known for high‑quality dramas, and David Lynch, a director then known mostly for quirky but stylish art films that had already earned him a cult following. This unusual pairing developed a project that felt fresh and, until then, unimaginable in the stale, formulaic world of network television, where most shows were unimaginative routine sitcoms or procedural dramas. It was a series that, at least temporarily, broke with US television conventions, offering a weird, unusual and intoxicating blend of genres, a new emphasis on style and unusual narrative techniques. The show proved to be exactly what audiences wanted and yearned for, quickly becoming an instant hit in the USA and around the world.

   The plot begins in the small, quiet Washington State town of Twin Peaks, where logger Pete Martell (played by Jack Nance) discovers the naked corpse of Laura Palmer (played by Sheryl Lee), a popular teenager and homecoming queen. Another local girl, Ronette Pulaski (played by Phoebe Augustin), an apparent victim of the same criminal, is found wandering in a semi‑catatonic state across the state line. This allows the FBI to claim jurisdiction and dispatch Special Agent Dale Cooper (played by Kyle MacLachlan) to lead the investigation with the help of the local police, headed by Sheriff Harry S. Truman (played by Michael Ontkean). Cooper finds that certain details connect the case to a previously unsolved murder in another part of the state, but he is also convinced the killer is local. He carefully begins to investigate seemingly innocuous and upstanding citizens, many of whom harbour dark secrets. Even the victim had dark secrets of her own, living a double life very different from her image as the perfect teenager. To crack the case, Cooper employs unusual investigative methods—including those based on his dreams and visions—and as the investigation proceeds, more clues suggest the killing was, at least in part, inspired by a mysterious and malevolent force that might have supernatural origins.

   The basic concept of Twin Peaks is in many ways inspired by Blue Velvet, David Lynch’s 1986 thriller that represented the zenith of his career up to that point. In both, the protagonist is played by Kyle MacLachlan, and the setting is a seemingly picture‑perfect American logging town that hides dark secrets and psychopathic evil beneath its surface. Mark Frost, on the other hand, built on this concept by introducing a narrative structure seldom used on US broadcast television until then: instead of unconnected episodes, the series followed a continuous plot from beginning to end. The investigation of Laura Palmer’s murder also served as a backdrop for various romantic subplots, placing Twin Peaks in the realm of soap opera. Frost’s script also played with genres, blending murder mystery and soap opera with elements of supernatural horror and slapstick comedy.

   Twin Peaks further excelled through a new emphasis on style, which included cinematography of a quality until then unimaginable for broadcast television, and an atmospheric yet diverse musical score by Angelo Badalamenti—including the theme song “Falling,” which became a major hit. Lynch made an excellent choice with a large and diverse cast. The most important member was MacLachlan, who plays an FBI agent whose eccentricity and almost boyish enthusiasm for banal everyday details make him the moral anchor of the series and a convenient point of identification for “normies” in the audience as they navigate the strange, quirky world of Twin Peaks. He easily overshadows Michael Ontkean, who actually plays the most “normal” character of all. The rest of the cast is very strong, especially when Frost’s script renders their characters eccentric, behaving oddly or in ways that make them suspects in the investigation. This includes Sherilyn Fenn as a teenage seductress, Lara Flynn Boyle as Laura Palmer’s best friend, Ray Wise as Laura’s grieving and half‑insane father, and Richard Beymer as a local tycoon. Sheryl Lee, a relatively unknown actress from Seattle initially hired only to play a corpse, later became one of the more interesting actresses of her generation.

   Twin Peaks launched with a feature‑length pilot and seven more episodes, which became a huge hit thanks to its engrossing mystery and clever use of cliffhangers that kept audiences hooked for weeks. The first season, relatively short and with the creators fully focused on their vision, is generally regarded as better than the second, which exposed the limitations of broadcast television and its format. After a hiatus, it was difficult to maintain audience interest, with many complaining that the original mystery had become too muddled and needed resolution. The network forced Lynch and Frost to finally reveal the killer, but instead of ending the series on a high note, they chose to continue with more absurd and soapy plots, with both creators gradually losing control. That marked the beginning of the end: declining quality affected viewership and led to cancellation during the second season, with a finale featuring one of the most annoying and unsatisfying cliffhangers in television history.

   Despite its unsatisfying ending, Twin Peaks was on the whole a piece of quality television and left a huge imprint on popular culture. It proved highly influential in the emerging realms of video games, film and, ultimately, television. Many television creators in the 1990s began experimenting with form and content, though only the arrival of cable television and streaming later allowed shows inspired by Twin Peaks to reach their full potential. Numerous other popular‑culture phenomena—from The X‑Files and Northern Exposure to The Sopranos, Stranger Things and Dark—owe a great debt to Twin Peaks. The show’s reputation was further enhanced by a critically acclaimed third season, a 2017 limited series that attempted to wrap up some of the loose ends.

   RATING: 7/10 (+++)

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2. ›'Twin Peaks: Season 1' by David Lynch and Mark Frost Review: An engaging investigation drama@namiks1363d

   

   I have never been a big fan of David Lynch's works. There has never been a certain reason as to why I have not been much of a fan, I feel the few entries within his filmmaking library just have not managed to really impress me all that much. Being decent films in general but nothing that really surprised me. More evident in recent times we see directors like Lynch getting more recognition given the ways in which cinema has fundamentally shifted into different styles, making us nostalgic of the era in which simple yet engaging stories were still told without aiming to be the next big blockbuster that wants a billion or more dollars at the very least. While I would not say I am a fan of Lynch's works, I would say that I have still enjoyed them given they have not necessarily had much of a standing impact on me after viewing them.

   Twin Peaks is a show of his that I have had sitting aside for years now as people have told me to check it out, constantly asking every few months whether I finally did or not. It never really appealed to me all that much, but I did often hear certain stories of the show and how it was supposedly Lynch in his prime with his strange humour, film noir inspirations, and pursuit of a story that many found utterly confusing for all the right reasons. Due to this I did go in with some rather high expectations regarding the weirdness, knowing somewhat what to expect from viewing Lynch's short films and generally just seeing how he behaves. Though I do feel much of it was exaggerated in regards to Twin Peaks, instead not really being some strange show full of weirdness, but instead one that speaks of some rather interesting stories.

   Twin Peaks: Season 1

   

   Twin Peaks takes place within the relatively small industrial town of, well, Twin Peaks. A murder taking place with the victim being a young girl that seemingly everyone in the town knew to some degree and had some prior connection to. An agent is sent to Twin Peaks to investigate the murder, ultimately finding clues that connect this case potentially to others. Though it is not really the story that really holds much interest within Twin Peaks, it is absolutely the characters themselves and the way they contribute to this story. Each character is unique in their own way, whether comical, sketchy, or innocent. Such a diverse set of characters allows for the writing to propel them forward into something really engaging as the aspects of the story are portrayed and given context piece by piece. This innocent, very connected small town of Twin Peaks slowly reveals itself to be one of corruption, greed, manipulation, and plenty of secrets.

   Despite the show containing many dark and somewhat depressing themes given the narrative following the investigation of a murder and slowly connecting pieces of the puzzle together, it takes advantage of these characters to portray the simplicities of life within many scenes, showing that within this small and very secretive town, life goes on with all this darkness surrounding; a love for cherry pie, good coffee, and the interiors of wooden hotels. Much of this is done specifically through our Special Agent Dale Cooper, of which carries around a tape recorder at all times to voice down his thoughts and events for later on, often talking directly to a Diane that we never actually see. I really liked this aspect of his character, and how he's used to provide immersion and context to the audience by seemingly speaking to us directly.

   This gives us a look into Agent Cooper's mind as he voices out the observations and discoveries he has had over the few weeks he has been in Twin Peaks, pertaining to some film noir-esque style in which narration takes the reigns over the visuals, allowing those visuals to remain simple yet effective, perhaps even contributing further to the immersion and worldbuilding as Agent Cooper interacts with the environment: driving. Lazing within his hotel room. Or just in the middle of discovering some new piece of evidence that aims to reveal some clues finally. This means that much of the time we too experience the clues to the broader narrative around the same time Agent Cooper does, but with a few extra hints here and there from the other characters we see elsewhere.

   These characters themselves often adding to the 'confusion' regarding just what is happening and who we can trust as the narrative progresses and we see more character development. We see how everyone holds some secrets, some of which they would definitely love to remain hidden and thus putting them into view in their attempts to look innocent and misdirect. This makes us constantly question motives and who is innocent and who is guilty, and the show slowly does reveal who seems to be on the 'good' side of things and who appears to be a bit more bad and likely to have had connections to the murder in some manner.

   I quite enjoy how this was done, particularly alongside the more dated boxed television aspect ratio and use of 35mm film stock, allowing twin peaks to look dark, very cozy, and rather inviting. This adds to the strangeness of Twin Peaks that makes this location seem almost like it is attempting to lure us in with its beauty, though waiting steadily to capture us and pull us into this seeming space of greed and corruption. Where life may seem simple and relaxed, but is quite the opposite in reality. I am not quite sure why people believe that Twin Peaks is confusing, or perhaps full of strangeness. I don't feel that way at all about it. I feel things make sense when they should, and the show does not attempt to hold your hand at all times, it provides snippets of evident and then reveals things when it wants to.

   Using Lynch's own humour and whacky behaviour to provide aspects of comedy and relaxation between such moments. Where again life continues on as if nothing is going on underneath this blanket of comfort and, as if Twin Peaks is sheltered by its large forestry and not instead tucked away where the evil can do its bidding without unwanting eyes searching around. It interestingly speaks more on human condition, where we believe we are an open and friendly society, though in reality each of us are greedy, containing many secrets as we roam the streets smiling with such innocence and peace. The directing is quite simple too, often still and showing this relatively enclosed but simple life within Twin Peaks. Not utilising much movement unless it is needed.

   Tension and character development

   

   This first season does a great job at starting off quite quickly and slowly introducing a series of characters each vastly different and at a glance friendly. We are pulled into this Twin Peaks location with an immediate glance at the joyful and relaxed individuals and environment that surrounds. Then, once we are comfortable, Twin Peaks shows us the bad stuff, and it does it very well. To the point where we don't know who to trust; even Agent Cooper seems to look as if he too will fall into the temptation of others in the location. We see how it corrupts, manipulates, and how so few can really be trusted. The characters continue to remain engaging through this, and of course the narrative receives plenty of tension going into the season's conclusion, having still not quite told us anything of significance.

   I really like how it is done, reminding me a little bit of The X Files in its heavy use of ambient music to increase the immersion and emotion within the scenes. Even some similarities to the Fargo series in how the narrative unfolds piece by piece and we feel the tensions for each character rising while still not really being given any conclusion or true answer. It has definitely hooked me in because of this, but for none of the reasons I would have thought due to what people had been telling me over the years. These characters hold a plethora of drama between them, each clear with their own motives and ideas. it adds to the strangeness of the town and the story, showing us how each person twists things and seemingly has their own directing in which they would prefer things to go. Not quite caring about others, but only really themselves and immediate circles. Much of this drama being rather theatrical.

   I have already started the second season, loving it just as much. Interested in seeing where things go and how, still not quite sure what the broader picture is in regards to the narrative, and very, very thankful at that.

   

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3. ›Revisiting Twin Peaks@namiks1410d

   

   There have been a few shows getting a bit of a revival with a new season appearing out of nowhere in recent years as the film industry struggles with accepting risk in original content, and instead shoots for safer bets in established franchises. Two of the television series which received a bit of a revival were Twin Peaks, and The X Files. I have not seen either of these new seasons -- and The X Files is a pretty long series to get through! But I figured I would revisit Twin Peaks given its relatively short length, clocking in at just two seasons, excluding its more recent third. I can't say a whole lot regarding the popularity of Twin Peaks over the years, its reception is very much strange like the show's ideas itself.

   There is something about these older television series, however. Something very different to ones of today. There is a clear difference in production in most aspects: sound design, cinematography, line delivery of the actors, and even the aspect ratio. Even returning to the very first episode, I am remembered of other shows from its time of a similar nature: Monk. A show about a difficult to interact with investigator that knows his stuff, but struggles with people. There is something that stands out about these shows that now feels as if we're looking into the distant past -- to which some degree we are -- but incapable of really understanding the world it presents, as if it was one that never existed.

   

   Twin Peaks takes place right on the brink of the advancements that pushed us into where we are today. We see aspects of industry and logging present in this small town surrounded by beautiful nature. The idea of a small town with a well connected community that isn't so reliant on technology seems almost a bit strange now in these more "first world" locations. In a way, our modern inability to easily connect with the environment and world of Twin Peaks merely serves as an extension of its obscure narrative shrouded in mystery and having its audience question who did what and what precisely is happening. It places this dense type of fog around its location that seemingly shelters it from the rest of the world, almost making it appear like some form of purgatory.

   Much of this is amplified by its use of very dream-like ambient music. There is always something going on in the background; sometimes that is music, ambient, slow, very dramatic. Or it is something quiet, in the distance like a clock. Showing the passing of time and each second that passes. These little sounds can be quite easy to miss if you don't pay a whole lot of attention. But they're definitely there. And it contributes to much of the atmosphere that is built within this location. Even as the characters interact, with quiet and gentle line delivery. And given its time, much of this line delivery is very much theatrical, given many of the actors used in older television shows weren't that professional, and did stem more from a theatre background.

   

   Much of the cinematography reflects this dream-like nature as well, as the camera is often very still, like a quiet observer sitting from a certain angle and watching the events unfold. There's little movement to be seen unless it's a slight pan up or to the side. There could be the argument that much of this was down to budget, taking advantage of every little piece of 35mm film as to avoid having to purchase more in the event of running out or needing to perform multiple takes of shots. Keeping the directing more simple and without much movement would result in less risk of someone messing up.

   Though through static imagery comes beauty in the right hands: the directing style results in a utilisation of a very enclosed, boxed aspect ratio that allows for heavy composition throughout the image. Where leading lines direct your attention throughout the environment and is used as an advantage. As above, we see how the movement follows those lines towards the camera, but our eyes are directed from the left to the right, deeper into the image and its environment. We see a more interactive, immersive world where it seems as if our characters and environment are one. This is something you don't really see much of these days where productions will focus more on just getting the shot done rather than attempting to go the extra mile in creativity.

   

   In terms of characters and performances, Twin Peaks is full of interesting people that stand out from each other. And I think that's a really important aspect of the show's development as it promotes a heavy sense of mystery and trust (perhaps even lack of trust) in people that seem innocent or likely to have certain motives. Some of the characters are definitely quite enjoyable to watch, while others are almost quite difficult to read. And the show does slowly introduce these characters quite well, to ensure that nothing is told too early or that the sense of mystery is lost. I do think that the show and its historical praise has been very much exaggerated, but I can see the beauty in how it has been made. I certainly love shows that do this, and don't treat their audience like idiots where they reveal too much and make things a bit too easy to follow.

   This lack of direction and mystery is what connects us to the location as well. Where things are different, isolated, and surrounded by the mysteries of nature. Where even in such location you are likely to find all kinds of people. Ones that are selfish, with many secrets and agendas. Where such people have gone to stay out of the public eye and pursue greed. There is a nice balance between all of this, as the good and the bad mix and are given plenty of time to develop on the screen.

   I look forward to continuing and revisiting Twin Peaks, going through it and giving its most recent season a chance; though I suspect that much of its strengths will have been lost under the modern approach to filmmaking: no 35mm film grain to add grit to the scenes, a lack of ambient music, and the aspect ratio which makes it all claustrophobic. Perhaps I am completely wrong in those assumptions. But I shall find out, I guess!

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4. ›The best series in history part 1: Twin Peaks@martinmcfly2846d

   28 years ago a series that completely changed television was released; I'm talking about Twin Peaks, a story of two seasons and a film forced by its early cancellation, this series directed by David Lynch became a full icon of the television of the 90s.

   The series returned last year with a third season, with the intention of revealing the mysteries that remain unsolved.

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   This weekend I intend to see the third season of Twin Peaks, so I decided to write this post to refresh my memory. I must add that I did not see this series 28 years ago, but I saw it for the first time about 3 years ago, before they announced that they would film the third season. Then, I was surprised when they announced that they would premiere a third season, it was unreal for me. However, I did not see it when it was broadcast, but I will see it now.

   

   Twin Peaks was a different and unclassifiable series that broke all the television schemes at the time of its premiere. David Lynch created a special and very personal product, which got many viewers obsessed with his particular vision of a lost town in the mountains of the state of Washington, looking for answers to the central enigma of the series, Who Killed Laura Palmer ?, a phrase that has passed to posterity.

   What makes it all start is the brutal murder of the most popular girl in the Village Institute of Twin Peaks, Laura Palmer, so the peculiar FBI agent, Dale Cooper, must come to town to investigate the case.

   The series revolves around the investigation of the murder of Laura Palmer, the queen of the Institute, who appears dead at the edge of the lake. Slowly we discover that Laura Palmer had a double life, of which some characters of the town were knowledgeable, complicating the plot more and more.

   The true protagonist of the series is the Twin Peaks people themselves, where they live a series of very particular characters that are presented in the first episodes, and that evolve when we discover their secrets and relationships with other members of the community, with continuous surprises and 180 degree turns in the argument.

   The locals are not archetypes of classic characters of the series, on the contrary, they are eccentric and particular characters, the whole series seems a strange dream; a lady who always carries a log with her, the owner of a place of food with a dark past, unusual young people and with a different behavior than usual in other series, and many more.

   Probably the most common in the series is that it uses the narrative resource that consists of the arrival of a stranger to be able to show all the interiorities of the town. The arrival of federal agent Dale Cooper in the town allows us to enter the lives of people from an original and novel perspective, since he records his impressions continuously and is surprised by any unimportant element of the people, such as a tree, a coffee or a cake. This particular way of seeing things is the main feature of the series, continuously dislodging the viewer for his unexpected behavior and touches of black humor with which he conducts his investigations and interrogations of the suspects.

   Agent Cooper has a series of strange dreams in which a series of fantasy characters, a dwarf, a giant and Bob the one-armed, appeared and revealed to him secrets and keys in a cryptic way in a red room, which gave rise to to the most outlandish interpretations by the followers of the series, in the pre-Internet era.

   The greatness of Twin Peaks lies in its unclassifiable nature and its mixture of different genres.

   In the second season the chain forced the writers to reveal the killer of Laura Palmer, revealing the basic secret of the series, the directors refused because they considered it was killing the chicken that lays the golden eggs for a dish of beans, but the chain pressed and finally the directors revealed who was the murderer, precipitating the end of the series.

   The cast has a multitude of main and secondary actors, which we will not mention so as not to extend the post too much, but they worked very well, although the vast majority of them did not have any success after the series.

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   The revelation of the main secret of the series, was as its directors feared, the beginning of a fulminating end, its intention had been to use the mystery to present the characters, to be diluted in the plot of the town, but the spectators did not want that, they just wanted to know who killed Laura Palmer.

   At the end of the second season the series was canceled, but David Lynch decided to close some loose ends of the series by making a movie Twin Peaks, called Fire Walk with me, prequel to the series, set in the seven days before the death of Laura Palmer, the film had a certain success among the followers of the series, but it was totally incomprehensible for the rest of the spectators, which has led it to be cataloged as another of the rarities of David Lynch.

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   Twin Peaks is a series that marked an era, and of which many spectators still remember and revere for their great quality and originality, especially in the first chapters. In my opinion it was not a perfect series due to some mistakes made at the end of its journey, but its first season and part of the second was masterful and one of the best examples of using the television medium as a vehicle for innovation and openness, and of the new narrative paths, in this case taken by the hand by a genius like David Lynch.

   

   See you in the future!

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