Twin Peaks

First of all, let me start this review of the third season of Twin Peaks by saying that I deeply love the first and second seasons. They truly are iconic seasons of television, and having recently re- watched them, I came to the conclusion that they firmly stand the test of time.

However, one of the main problems I had with the first and second seasons of Twin Peaks (Although it was mainly in the latter, than the former) was it's deviation away from the central component which I believed made the show tick- the mystery. The mystery of Twin Peaks submerged this seemingly 'normal' town into an environment in which there were endless different otherworldly phenomenon at play. The original Twin Peaks created a feeling of uneasiness for the audience through numerous ways, such as Bob. This feeling of mystery and unease however, became somewhat tangled up in many different love stories which were all a bit too common place in the show. Nevertheless, I persisted with it and still found it to overall be an enjoyable show, despite the various James-Donna-Laura-Maddie-Bobby-Shelly-Leo stories which stretched on.

Now, when I got to this season, I was not disappointed. Season Three of Twin Peaks takes the mystical and the downright weird elements of the first and second season and places them into a show of their own. I would imagine that many of the original viewers who enjoyed the soap opera element of the first and second seasons, will be extremely disappointed. This series is unlike anything else that I have ever witness on television (yes, I did say that when I watched Twin Peaks the first time around!). The revival of Twin Peaks has come at the best possible time, for both the show and television. Modern Television now allows for less constraints on many shows, and more recently, risks have been allowed to be made. The original seasons of Twin Peaks were risks in themselves, but they still had boundaries attached to them. Lynch could not deviate as far as he can today. This combination of modern television and Lynch's vision create a spectacle for television which is unlike anything there has previously been. Some of the visual shots of different elements of the mythology in the new season of Twin Peaks, are absolutely remarkable and unique. The precedent for season three is well and truly based upon Lynch's exploration of Twin Peaks mythology.

Whilst there is a new depth to the show, as we travel further afield to New York City and South Dakota end explore the mythology, the scenes which place us back into the town of Twin Peaks contain the finite amount of nostalgia for the series. It doesn't feel as if there has been a shoehorning of nostalgia in this season, rather the scenes feel appropriate and suitable for the show. Therefore, whilst the show is extending its branches beyond the town of Twin Peaks, the return to the town does not feel as if the show is doing it for the sake of it.

Overall, the new season of Twin Peaks is truly a remarkable piece of television. I find myself wondering 'what if?', in terms of what if we never experienced this show returning? This series could be when Twin Peaks hits another level and surpasses the original run. It will take till the end of the season before we can truly determine that. However, I would urge anyone who was interested in the original run, and anyone who is interested in groundbreaking and unique television to give this show a try. You may not like it, it may deviate too far from the original seasons which you enjoyed so much, or you might find it deviates too far from what you are normally used to. Nevertheless, I believe that this is a show which should be watched to at least engage with the uniqueness of the experience that comes with watching it. So sit back, get yourself some cherry pie and a damn fine cup of coffee and enjoy what is a masterclass return to Twin Peaks.

When someone works hard at something or does something for a long time you can surmise that they well eventually get good at that thing, even masterful. Generally, this is the case for all great directors and David Lynch is no exception. With the newest Lynch-piece we are given something that is an amalgamation of all his previous work without sacrificing his style or creativity. We see the dark-industrial vibe of "Eraserhead", the American suburbia and the dark underbelly late-night bars/clubs/people from "Blue Velvet", "Wild At Heart", and "Twin Peaks", the winding roads and nightmarish features from nearly all his projects specifically "Lost Highway" and "Mulholland Drive", and then last but not least, we see the venture into the digital age with non-linear story and the craziest sound design you may possibly experience in any piece of media that we get from "Inland Empire". There are even remnants of design that hearken back to his old shorts.

This folks, is Lynch's swan song. The Return is already like nothing else ever before on TV and this includes the original two seasons of Twin Peaks.

Lynch allows the material to breathe, and gives the viewer plenty of time to absorb what's on screen. The filming is patient, and every shot is most definitely taken with care. The slow yearning shots is what Lynch uses to draw you in. The unfamiliarity of new faces leaves you with more questions than before. Also, as most already knew going in, The Return is set in many different locations--not just that charming, wholesome town of Twin Peaks. Even knowing Lynch's filmography there are moments that still have me unprepared for the amount of visuals and sounds that evoke nightmares. More terrifying than 90% of what I've seen as a film-goer.

I have to admit that it is taking me some time to adjust to the new vibe of the series knowing well in advance that Lynch and Frost have stated that The Return will be more like the prequel movie FWWM. I am someone who prefers the film to the series because Lynch had more room to work toward his vision. The result is a surrealist nightmare that The Return will have beat by a landslide. With that said, there will be many of you who will not like this at all (even folks who enjoyed the original series because The Return is THAT different). Lynch is certainly an acquired taste and everything isn't for everybody, but for those of you who are willing to give it a shot and appreciate an artist in his top form then maybe there is still some redeeming qualities in this for you. The Return is no run-of-the-mill action series or soap opera so be ready for one of the craziest rides you may ever be on.

What a fascinating case of mass self-delusion this has been. It's truly amazing and disgusting how heavily people are stroking themselves over their ability to force themselves to choke down something that is so very poorly executed just so they can reach that oh so "clever" hidden story within.

Look, I know that it must be very comforting to keep talking down to people about how they just don't get the weirdness and complexity of it all (because WOW, use of metaphor and non-linear storytelling in the video medium? UNHEARD OF!), but that's really not the problem here. It's the absolutely abysmal pacing and structure. Yes people, we get it. Lynch likes to pull the same old thing out of his bag of tricks that he always has, where he tries to artificially induce unease by drawing scenes out well past their welcome, except instead of the handful of times spread out across a 2-3 hour movie we are now treated to 45/60 minutes of this filler in each episode of an 18 hour saga, leaving very little room for any actual worthwhile content. You don't need to be a mathematician to see that the ratio between the two is incredibly uneven.

But OK, yippee hooray for ARTISTIC INTEGRITY! He has such complete free rein to spew out completely unfettered streams of consciousness that no one at all will dare to tell him that maybe things like having a confused old woman talking to the police about who has the keys to a door for 10 straight minutes is an absolute waste of film, and none of you will dare admit that this pile of slop is in dire need of editing because you're too busy preening about what an artistic genius Lynch is, and how open-minded and avant-garde you are by extension for being able to wrap your heads around a plot that's literally been done a hundred times before in superhero comic books.

A big slow clap for you all.

A quarter of a century after it ended, Twin Peaks gets a season 3. That in itself is part of the weirdness of Twin Peaks; it's not a reboot, or a remake, it's just ... season 3, picking up just where season 2 left off.

No one but David Lynch would do that.

I suspect whether you will love or hate this series return (and people seem to do one or the other) will depend on what you liked about the original Twin Peaks. If you liked the quirky soap opera aspect of things in plot threads like the lumber mill, well, this might not be for you. If, like me, your favorite scenes were the really weird ones like the hotel scene that began episode 2 and the amazing scene of the kid and the creamed corn, and if you didn't understand while people didn't appreciate the utter brilliance of Fire Walk With Me, then you'll probably like this.

The series begins with the weirdness turned up to ten and the eventfulness turned down to zero, as though Lynch is saying, yes, I made Twin Peaks, but don't forget I'm also the guy who did Inland Empire.

After a while the Inland Empire aspects thankfully become fewer and there is more of the quirky humor of the original series (as in a scene with cops try to track down a key to an apartment), actual story and character, and Lynch's typical approach of painting a placid surface and then showing the rot underneath. And some of the old elements of the series, like a weirdly ageless Kimmy Robertson as Lucy and Lynch as Gordon Cole, are every bit as fun and funny as they were in the original.

At times full Lynchian madness flares up, like the a-bomb test episode that thrilled some people and that annoyed others, like me. Other times, Lynch shocks everyone by actually offering detailed explanaions of some of the mysteries he has raised in the original series and Fire Walk with Me. At times Lynch seems to be saying, "here's a sensible answer to that thing you've been wondering about for years, but before you get too happy here's another unexplained weird thing to replace that."

I wasn't as fanatic about Twin Peaks as some people. I didn't find the pilot especially interesting until funny, eccentric Dale Cooper appeared, and without Kyle MacClachlan I probably never would have watched the second episode. I didn't fully love the series until the incredible weirdness of the second season, and that love didn't last long since the show quickly spiraled into a disastrous mess.

That may be why I enjoy this third season and Fire Walk With Me; they represent David Lynch giving me the aspects of the series I love without all the boring soap stuff.

Some of Twin Peaks is hugely annoying, other parts are utterly fascinating. Overall, I found it very entertaining, and if it's not everything I want (after 4 episodes I rated this 9 stars, but at season's end dropped it to 8), well, that's David Lynch.

One final note. I've seen several reviews saying that the only people who like this series are "hipsters." This is the silliest critique I've ever seen. I'll admit I don't know much about hipsters except they wear funny mustaches and churn their own butter, but my guess is hipsters are not all people who like to watch a revival of a series they don't remember starring a bunch of people old enough to be their parents. Just a guess.

No, you silly 1-star reviewers, I'm not a hipster, and I'm not, as some have suggested, a "paid reviewer" (although if someone can tell me how to make money by writing IMDb reviews please do so). I'm just someone who likes David Lynch when he's very weird but not tediously, incomprehensibly so. And that's what, for the most part, Twin Peaks the Return gives its audience.

If you're not a fan of David Lynch then you're not going to like this show. End of story. Unless you've watched and loved Lynch's movies like Eraserhead, Blue Velvet, Wild at Heart, Lost Highway, Mulholland Drive and Inland Empire, then you're not going to like The Return. This is hardcore Lynch, challenging for even his biggest fans. I wouldn't call The Return a sequel to the original Twin Peaks. It's more a sequel to Fire Walk With Me than anything else, with a few elements of Twin Peaks sprinkled in. So, if you're just a fan of the original Twin Peaks and you're not familiar with Lynch's work, then The Return is not for you. You're not going to like it, I can assure you of that.

This is ARTHOUSE TV. It's not a murder mystery like the original. It's a hardcore surrealist midnight movie style psychological horror. And while I love it because of that, I can see why some people hate it.