Mystères à Twin Peaks

One of the truly great, original TV dramas, Twin Peaks was far from perfect; however, quite a few of its run of 29 episodes undoubtedly were. Speaking just after watching the finale, I'm torn between satisfaction at a superb final episode, and tenterhooks over what is a stark cliffhanger ending. The initial Laura Palmer murder case is unravelled expertly, by episode 16, with many great surreal and shocking moments, notably the scenes involving Bob. The show's brand of off-the-wall deadpan humour was perhaps at its best in the initial episodes, for example, Cooper's rock-throwing in the woods and Leland's bizarre, impromptu dance with Ben and Jerry Horne. The main characters were all well introduced; Kyle MacLachlan is on career-best acting form here as Agent Dale Cooper. Jack Nance is lovably gruff and likeable as Pete Martel, while Ben and Jerry Horne are wonderfully brought to life by fine writing, and acting from Richard Beymer and David Patrick Kelly. The strange spirit-like characters are introduced aptly; the Giant, the backwards-dancing Dwarf, One-armed Man, the bizarre Tremonds and killer Bob. Ray Wise deserves much credit for a sensitive portrayal of Leland. Once the initial mystery is more than adequately resolved, the focus was lost for a while. For around 7 episodes, the series comparatively treaded water: the comedy became more laboured and conventional, some tedious storylines dragged on and on - eg. Evelyn Marsh, Andy/Dick; the guiding hand of David Lynch was missing. These episodes are still very watchable; as other aspects of the mystery are mused over, but things move slowly. There is welcome characterisation of Major Briggs, but the acting and writing is at times more ordinary. While still a comfortably above-par TV show, the sublime atmosphere had been squandered to an extent. The arrival in the town of Windom Earle and, later, Annie Blackburn saw the stakes rise once more. Windom Earle is a truly sadistic, convincingly evil character, with a dry wit, wild expression and an effective penchant for disguise. His contribution to the series is immense, as a new focus is provided; climaxing with the stunning end to the penultimate episode at the Miss Twin Peaks Contest. Annie Blackburn also helps to enliven the programme, proving a subtle and effective character. Gordon Cole, played by David Lynch himself is a wonderful creation, up with Pete Martel, Albert Rosenfeld and Jerry Horne in the comic mould. I love that whole episode (c.25) where he enjoys life in the cafe, contemplating writing an "epic poem" about the wonderful apple pie and kissing Shelly in front of her boyfriend Bobby; "what you are witnessing is an intimate moment between two consenting adult human beings!" or somesuch quote.

Ben Horne is well developed; the Civil War stuff fails to amuse quite as it should, yet once he is rehabilitated, the change in his character is refreshing and nicely handled. Twin Peaks is a beautiful series aesthetically, from the wonderful titles sequence, Angelo Badalamenti's stunningly evocative music scores to some wonderfully innovative photography and direction - usually in those episodes helmed by Lynch. Got to say the female quota of Twin Peaks is ample, with the beauty of Madchen Amick, Sheryl Lee, Lara Flynn Boyle and especially Sherilyn Fenn, adding poignancy. General negative comments seem irrelevant considering the overall quality of the series, but it's true tricks were missed. With the characters they had, some more imaginative situations and wit wouldn't have gone amiss. The comic possibilities of having Jerry Horne and, say, Gordon Cole interacting were unfulfilled. Some of the characters were bland - the spotless Norma Jennings, James Hurley, Audrey's boyfriend in the later episodes - and some failed to really work - Nadine I feel added little to the series.

The very final episode is, I would say, as good a series ending as they could have come up with; tantalisingly placed, as the battle between the good and evil forces in Twin Peaks is hotting up. I declare that there are some brilliant images and directorial touches in that final one. There were however loose ends untied; what happened to Leo, Audrey and especially Ben Horne and Doc Hayward? A moot point is the absurdity of its ill-availabilty on video; I wouldn't have caught it if it weren't for the Sci-Fi Channel UK. Got to say though, that while harbouring some fantastical elements, Twin Peaks is assuredly far from the realm of Sci-Fi. It is, to be pointless categorical, like a surreal soap opera with a strong flavour of its own. There are so many great scenes, moments, lines and nuances, coupled with a magnificently dreamy, tenderly moving atmosphere when at its best, that I must say Twin Peaks ranks pretty much up there with the finest TV dramas of all - Edge of Darkness & The Singing Detective. Majestic it is. Rating:- ***** (out of *****)

Stunning and explosive, completely misunderstood by many when it ran from 1990-1991 and definitely trail-blazing for the art of television production, "Twin Peaks" is one of those could-have-been, should-have-been television series that ended up being remarkable anyway. A teenage girl (Sheryl Lee) is murdered. A strange police detective (Kyle MacLachlan) is brought in to solve the mystery as the local police just cannot cope with the crime. Strange situations continue to pop up all over the landscape of the titled Pacific Northwestern town though and it becomes sadly apparent that the crime will likely never be solved. Side-stories galore confuse and intrigue and the viewer is left wondering, "Does this have anything to do with the initial crime?". Then just when you think the puzzle is about solved, total chaos strikes with whacked dream sequences that make you question your own sanity. What is really happening in the town and do we really want to know or are we happier letting the mystery suck us in? "Twin Peaks" was created by David Lynch (arguably the finest American film-maker, along with Martin Scorsese, living today) and over two very abbreviated seasons (only 29 total episodes) television reached an age that may never be experienced again. At the time many (perhaps myself included) did not know what to make of the show and even more panned it completely. The fact that the series did not really end the way it should have is sad, but in another way it just adds to the legends and myths involved here. There were eight writers on this series and a mind-blowing 15 different directors (Lynch did some of the work and even Diane Keaton got an opportunity to add to the program). Performers like Ray Wise, Piper Laurie, Joan Chen, Lara Flynn Boyle, Sherilyn Fenn, Russ Tamblyn and Madchen Amick appear, disappear and re-appear so frequently that you become confused as to what their roles in the show truly are. Monumental, gigantic, legendary, interesting, dominant and definitely thought-provoking, "Twin Peaks" is one of those television shows that amazes and dazzles with its highly unique brand of commentary. Followed by a theatrical movie ("Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me") in 1992 that was made to answer the questions presented throughout the program, it was also sadly misunderstood by most in the viewing public (even being rubbished by some who loved the series). A real gem in the history of television art. 5 stars out of 5.

Seeing the series as an eleven year old, is probably not the wisest thing to do. I was scared so much by the character BOB, that if I saw him on the street today, I would run the other way screaming. But in amongst all that...it's excellent!

Nowadays it is commonly accepted that American television is becoming better than movies, with edgier stories and more complex characters, both in mainstream (CSI, 24, Lost) and cable shows (The Sopranos, Six Feet Under, Deadwood). Twenty years ago, on the other hand, such a thing was unthinkable, at least until Twin Peaks aired.

Created by David Lynch and Mark Frost, the series takes its name from a small American town where a grisly murder has been committed. The victim is local beauty Laura Palmer (Sheryl Lee), a girl who seemed to have a perfectly normal life, only it turns out that's not the case: she had a lot of secrets, and in one of them lies the key to finding her killer. That assignment is given to Special FBI Agent Dale Cooper (Lynch regular Kyle MacLachlan), who quickly earns the trust and friendship of Sheriff Truman (Michael Ontkean) and the rest of Twin Peaks'inhabitants thanks to his extraordinary deductive methods and fascination for the calm and peace around him. And he is going to need all the help he can get, as Laura's murder is just one of the many odd things causing trouble in the heavenly surroundings: there's Benjamin Horne (Richard Beymer) and his dangerous connection with a casino/brothel known as One-Eyed Jack's; there's his daughter Audrey (Sherilyn Fenn), whose interest in Agent Cooper might put her in a worse situation than she thinks; there's the dispute over the Packard sawmill between Catherine Martell (Piper Laurie) and Josie Packard (Joan Chen); and there are the bizarre creatures who populate Cooper's dreams, people like The Man From Another Place (a backwards-talking dwarf, played by Michael J. Anderson) or the terrifying Bob (Frank Silva), suggesting that most of the events in Twin Peaks may not have a rational explanation.

Back in 1990, a series like this had never been done before, so its success was a little unexpected (sadly, ratings dropped during the second season, leading to the show's premature cancellation). Now it can be seen as an anticipation of that great TV creation that is HBO: the dead interacting with the living (Six Feet Under), ambiguous characters and even more ambiguous relationships between them (Deadwood), a consistent balance between moving and funny, beautiful and shocking (The Sopranos), the seeds of all those elements can be found in Twin Peaks, a show that didn't hesitate when it came to playing with the format or crossing the line in terms of mature content (death, drug abuse, rape) or on-screen violence (the ending of Episode 8, where one of the villains is shown at the peak of his abilities, is still one of the most audacious scenes ever shown on mainstream television). More than any other series, it represents the seamless merger of big and small screen, a fact that is underlined by Lynch's decision to further explore the story in a feature film after the last episode had aired. Fans of the visionary filmmaker will find plenty of his recurring themes, some a direct reference to his previous works (the ugliness lying underneath the apparent perfection, as seen in Blue Velvet), others a hint of things to come (the duality of Lost Highway and Mulholland Drive, here embodied by Lee, who plays both the deceased Laura and her cousin).

As always with the Eraserhead director, the acting is exceptional: MacLachlan and Lee are the standouts, the former playing his best role to date, a cunning combination of palpable vulnerability and impeccable wit, the latter shining with a double performance that should have been the beginning of a great career (alas, apart from a minor role in John Carpenter's Vampires, she hasn't done much since). The supporting cast (Ontkean, Laurie, Lara Flynn Boyle and Ray Wise in particular) adds depth and emotion, making some episodes the most affecting ever seen on a TV screen. As for the guest stars, not all of them are well known, but every single one brings something special to the series: the most notable cameos include a then unknown Heather Graham, a pre-X-Files David Duchovny (a quite funny and ironic contrast to Fox Mulder) and Lynch himself as a half-deaf FBI Regional Chief (one of the show's best characters).

Those interested in American TV simply have to give Twin Peaks a look: it might be too weird or unsettling for some (but then again, that's always the case with Lynch's work), but it remains a landmark in contemporary television, and played a vital role in making the US small screen what it is today.

Possibly one of the best TV dramas ever, "Twin Peaks" managed to be a challenging and unique (not to mention intelligent) piece of television.

Daring and provocative, it shattered the boundaries of most standard soap operas/TV dramas.

Terrified of it by a child (and in particular by BOB) I have since returned to it on DVD, only to find myself just as terrified and intrigued by it as I was when I was twelve years old and crouching behind my late grandmother's couch.

A piece of groundbreaking television history... WATCH IT