Review: Twin Peaks (1990)

Directed by: David Lynch, Lesli Linka Glatter, Caleb Deschanel, Duwayne Dunham, Tim Hunter, Todd Holland, Tina Rathborne | 1350 minutes | drama, horror, thriller, romance, fantasy, crime, science fiction | Actors: Kyle MacLachlan, Michael Ontkean, Richard Beymer, Lara Flynn Boyle, Sherilyn Fenn, Warren Frost, Michael Horse, Harry Goaz, Mädchen Amick, Dana Ashbrook, Peggy Lipton, Jack Nance, Everett McGill, Piper Laurie, James Marshall, Kimmy Robertson , Eric DaRe, Wendy Robie, Joan Chen, Ray Wise, Sheryl Lee, Russ Tamblyn, Don S. Davis, Chris Mulkey, Gary Hershberger, Grace Zabriskie, Catherine E. Coulson, Frank Silva

When the ‘Twin Peaks’ series was released in the United States in 1990, the series quickly gained cult status worldwide. The search for the answer to the question of who killed Laura Palmer kept millions of loyal viewers in different countries glued to the television every week. It was therefore not surprising that the series was rewarded with three Golden Globes and also won a number of Emmy nominations. So what makes ‘Twin Peaks’ such a good series? First of all, the very well thought-out, ingenious and multi-layered story.

Although the search for Laura Palmer’s murderer initially forms the leitmotiv of the story, the series contains countless subplots, unexpected twists and symbolic-metaphorical scenes. As a viewer, you are regularly put on the wrong track and after each episode you quickly look forward to the surprises that the next episode has in store. After all, nothing in the seemingly so picturesque and peaceful Twin Peaks is what it seems, a fact that is mainly true of countless characters who populate the village. The murdered Laura Palmer is a good example of this. Most of the residents of Twin Peaks saw her as an exemplary girl, more or less the ideal daughter-in-law. In reality, however, she used cocaine, she made love to countless men (including dubious figures such as the violent Leo Johnson and the drug smuggler Jacques Renault), she worked in an obscure brothel and was ravaged by inner and real demons. To a lesser extent, the same is true of most Twin Peaks residents. Almost all of them carry a certain secret that few inmates know about.

‘Twin Peaks’ not only relies on ingenious storylines, but also partly relies on the various interesting characters that emerge in the total of thirty episodes. The main protagonist is Dale Cooper, the FBI agent with a fondness for Tibet, the spiritual, black coffee and donuts. Kyle MacLachlan, who previously collaborated with Lynch in ‘Blue Velvet’ and ‘Dune’, plays this role well and convincingly. Cooper has been an interesting, intriguing and lovable character from the start. In his search for Laura Palmer’s murderer, he is assisted by the more unconventional local sheriff Harry Truman (!) And the astute Indian deputy sheriff Tommy “Hawk” Hill, a highly skilled tracker. Other interesting characters include the local, quite eccentric rich man Ben Horne and his daughter Audrey, the compulsive dancing and singing Leland Palmer (Laura’s father), the mysterious Josie Packard, the rude and socially inept Albert Rosenfield (a colleague of Cooper) and Cooper’s hard-of-hearing boss , played by David Lynch himself. Since ‘Twin Peaks’ largely sprang from the creative brain of David Lynch, it will come as no surprise that a number of strange and fantastic figures make their appearance in this series as well. For example, we see a backward-speaking dwarf who is only referred to by the name The Man From Another Place, a giant (played by the Dutchman Carel Struyken) who reveals himself to Cooper at crucial moments and gives him cryptic clues and the evil entity Bob. . Frank Silva, the man who plays Bob, was really just a set builder on the set of ‘Twin Peaks’. However, when Lynch accidentally saw the reflection of Silva’s face in a mirror, he quickly concluded that this man would be extremely suitable for the role of Bob. Compared to films like ‘Blue Velvet’, ‘Lost Highway’ or ‘Mulholland Drive’, ‘Twin Peaks’ is quite accessible, although the series is nevertheless full of symbolism and surrealist passages. The soundtrack of Angelo Badalamenti is formidable, dark and atmospheric and perfectly tailored to the theme that is discussed. ‘Lost Highway’ or ‘Mulholland Drive’ is ‘Twin Peaks’ fairly accessible, although the series is nevertheless full of symbolism and surrealist passages. The soundtrack of Angelo Badalamenti is formidable, dark and atmospheric and perfectly tailored to the theme that is discussed. ‘Lost Highway’ or ‘Mulholland Drive’ is ‘Twin Peaks’ fairly accessible, although the series is nevertheless full of symbolism and surrealist passages. The soundtrack of Angelo Badalamenti is formidable, dark and atmospheric and perfectly tailored to the theme that is discussed.

Given the success of the series, it is striking that ‘Twin Peaks’ was already taken off the tube by ABC after two seasons. Falling ratings ensured that season two was finished, but that – despite the suggestive and exciting cliffhanger at the end – there was no sequel. Many – including David Lynch himself – think that the falling ratings were mainly due to the fact that the murder of Laura Palmer was solved about halfway through the second season. According to Lynch, he and writer Mark Frost planned to keep the killer’s identity in the dark,

While the later episodes are certainly worthwhile, ‘Twin Peaks’ generally loses some tension and intensity after the murder of Laura is solved. Despite this point of criticism, ‘Twin Peaks’ remains a great series that has stood the test of time. Various interesting plot twists, intelligent and realistic dialogues, a solid portion of surrealism and solid acting make this series a monument in television history that is not only intended for fanatical Lynch adepts.