A decade and a half having now passed since I first saw David Lynch's masterpiece Twin Peaks, I've decided at last to put pen to paper (in a virtual sense) and write something about this truly exceptional and extraordinary series.
"Exceptional" and "Extraordinary" are words that are perhaps ... Read review
Advantages: The most original, mind-blowing TV series of all time Disadvantages: None
...first saw David Lynch's masterpiece Twin Peaks, I've decided at last to put pen to paper (in a virtual sense) and write something about this truly exceptional and extraordinary series.
"Exceptional" and "Extraordinary" are words that are perhaps overused these days in the English language; however, I remain, fifteen years later, utterly convinced that Twin Peaks deserved to be draped with such superlatives, and ... ...lake. What he finds in Twin Peaks, however, goes far far deeper than this, and soon he finds himself not only investigating the murder and trying to find out who, out of a bewildering array of suspects, could have done this, but also finding himself being dragged deeper and deeper into the murky intrigues, plans and plots of Twin Peaks' colourful residents. What begins as a rural whodunnit (and it would have been a very good one just as this) soon ... more
A decade and a half having now passed since I first saw David Lynch's masterpiece Twin Peaks, I've decided at last to put pen to paper (in a virtual sense) and write something about this truly exceptional and extraordinary series.
"Exceptional" and "Extraordinary" are words that are perhaps overused these days in the English language; however, I remain, fifteen years later, utterly convinced that Twin Peaks deserved to be draped with such superlatives, and more. In a nutshell, this is in my experience the greatest TV drama series ever made. It is also so much more than a drama series, combining elements of the supernatural, of surreal and unfathomable events inextricably linked but in a way that defies explanation.
Before delving into the intricacies of this one-off work of genius, let me provide an introduction to the background and the plot, hopefully without giving any of it away for those of you who have somehow missed out on this.
FBI agent Dale Cooper (played brilliantly by Kyle McLachlan) is sent out to a remote logging community not far from the border with Canada, to investigate the death of local teen Laura Palmer whose body was found in the lake. What he finds in Twin Peaks, however, goes far far deeper than this, and soon he finds himself not only investigating the murder and trying to find out who, out of a bewildering array of suspects, could have done this, but also finding himself being dragged deeper and deeper into the murky intrigues, plans and plots of Twin Peaks' colourful residents. What begins as a rural whodunnit (and it would have been a very good one just as this) soon becomes a rollercoaster ride of intrigue, horror, supernatural mystery, and amongst it all a healthy dose of black humour, which is often overlooked.
It is absolutely essential that I don't spoil the plot, for those of you wishing to investigate this series. However, some of the characters are well worth mentioning- such as Audrey Horne, played by Sherilyn Fenn who is perfectly cast in the role as the sultry, pouting girl who somehow manages to move more languidly and fluidly than anyone else I've ever seen on television. One of my other favourites is Deputy Andy Brennan, the nervous, stammering sheriff's deputy played by Harry Goaz, whose timid disposition hides a truly brave heart, not to mention one hell of a trigger hand. Kyle McLachlan play main man Dale Cooper with sympathy and quiet urgency, and it soon becomes evident that the seemingly coldly efficient FBI agent is becoming immersed in a far more emotive set of circumstances than he would wish. He soon evolves into a far more human character, and episode after episode you cannot help but warm further to him.
Aside from the twisting, turning plot, which excites and confounds in equal amounts, it really is the characters, their strength, depth and variety, that truly make this compelling viewing. It is impossible not to feel something for each of the characters in Twin Peaks, whether it be sympathy, empathy, comradeship, disgust, hatred... never has a TV series managed to wring quite as much emotion from is viewers, without resorting to the emotional manipulation which is all too common these days.
There are a number of cameos in Twin Peaks, notably from blues-rock crooner Chris Isaak, from David Duchovny (soon to become famous in his own right as Mulder in the X-Files) and even director David Lynch himself.
Yet another facet of this magical series that makes it so different is the soundtrack, which is one of the best ever written, especially the beautiful title theme itself, and a number of songs by Julee Cruise, the best of which is probbly "The Nightingale". This songs is played during an especially outstanding scene in one of the episodes, which serves to make both the scene and the song unforgettable.
You may well find Twin Peaks difficult to get hold of. I have the first seven episodes on DVD, whih came out a few years back- as yet I have not seen the remaining episodes come out on DVD, but I'm constantly on the lookout for them. They are available on VHS, although when I say available, I mean you will probably have to tour round many dusty second-hand video stores to find them all.
All in all, Twin Peaks is one very good reason why David Lynch is my favourite director. Somehow he manages to achieve things on screen, through a world tilted at forty-five degrees to what we perceive as reality, which no one else really comes close to achieving. Yes, there are other surreal and awe-provoking series (early X-Files, American Gothic, etc. etc.) but there has been nothing remotely like Twin Peaks, before or since. It truly is the defining masterpiece of alternative television, and succeeded in influencing many of the pale imitations that followed in its wake through the 1990s and beyond.
Advantages: hypnotic, amusing, terrifying viewing with soundtrack to match Disadvantages: EXTREMELY confusing at times
Twin Peaks was the TV series that spawned countless pale imitations, David Lynch took the small town weirdness theme and gave it his own distinctive twist which the likes of Northern Exposure and American Gothic aped at but did not come close too.
David Lynch's world is all about a wafer thin layer of normality over a bubbling cauldron of weirdness and obsession. 'Lost Highway' is similar, average guy with average problems finds out the world is ... ...like all the characters in Twin Peaks he is a multi-faceted creation, he is the consumate Bureau pro, immaculately dressed, a crack shot, perfect in his conduct and with almost Holmesian powers of deduction and observation. However, he is a textbook study of Lynchian dualism, to be quite honest the guy is a bit weird too! He carries a dictaphone around with him and records even his most intimate moments on it to 'Diane' someone we never see but who ...
chunlex 15.04.2004
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Twin Peaks
Advantages: Fantastic tense Viewing-outstanding characters Disadvantages: Unnessecary story lines late in 2nd season
...seemingly quiet normal town of Twin Peaks.
The 1st episode opens with Pete martell, a local factory worker, heading out to go fishing, he has barely left his cabin when he finds the body of a girl, wrapped in a plastic sheet. A call to the sherrif is duly made and the sherriff, and the local doctor come to investigate, they pull back the plastic sheet to uncover the 17 year old face of LAURA PALMER, played by Sheryl lee (She also appears in future ... ...Soon it becomes apparent that Twin peaks is unlike other towns, the locals believe something evil is alive in the woods and they have their own secret society to counteract it.
This was where the story lost many viewers, every week the story seemed to get weirder and weirder- Agent Cooper often spoke of Tibetan Spiritualism, Dancing Dwarves, BOB and MIKE (2 inhabiting spirits) and a Giant he sees in his dream. This was just too Surreal for a lot ...
Faithless2002 09.02.2004
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Twin Peaks
Advantages: Weird and cool Disadvantages: It was cancelled
Twin Peaks is a 90's TV series about a FBI agent's quest to solve the brutal murder of a homecoming queen in a sleepy American town called Twin peaks. The sleepy town hides lots of dark secrets, which are exposed during the agent's investigation.
The homecoming queen, Laura Palmer, played by Sheryl Lee, is discovered to be far from perfect and was actually a wild teenager. The FBI agent, Dale Cooper, played by Kyle MacLauchlan, realises that no ... ...to ruin Cooper's life.
Twin Peaks ran for two series before it was cancelled. The series was created by David Lynch and Mark Frost. The influence of Lynch helped to make this a surreal series with weird storylines. Lynch even appeared in the series as Cooper's boss, Gordon Cole.
This was a great TV series that was totally unique and very bizarre. I am a fan of David Lynch's film so I loved Twin Peaks and was sorry to see it cancelled after the ...
mozzie76 26.08.2008
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Twin Peaks
Advantages: Superb surreal story & characters Disadvantages: Sometimes too weird for its own good!
...the pen of David Lynch, Twin Peaks immediately took the world by storm when it first came out. Wildly surreal with some outstanding characters, it spent 2 seasons telling one basic story...that of the strange murder of a young girl, Laura Palmer. But the story was almost irrelevant at times, it was the characters which everyone tuned in to see. Agent Cooper with his deadpan style & his dictaphone...Audrey Horne & her sweater collection...Ben Horne ...
milesofborg 14.07.2000
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: somewhat helpful Review of Twin Peaks
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