In the last episode of Twin Peaks’ final season, murdered teenager Laura Palmer tells FBI agent Dale Cooper: “I’ll see you again in 25 years.” Turns out she wasn’t lying, but is the series’ recently announced return a good thing?
There’s been talk of new episodes for years, but they never amounted to anything until a few weeks ago. Cryptic Tweets were followed by a typically weird video posted by David Lynch and co-creator Mark Frost announcing the groundbreaking genre show would return on the cable network Showtime in 2016.
Reportedly set in the present day, all nine episodes will be written by Lynch and Frost with the former directing.
I hope its return was planned all along. Too many TV programmes are being remade or reimagined for the small and big screen lately simply to cash in on our love for nostalgia and I’d hate to see such a pioneering show reduced to that.
Originally airing in 1990, it was the first show I got truly caught up in. I think there’s still a I killed Laura Palmer T-shirt lurking Bob-like in my loft.
My friends and I would gather in our corner of the sixth form common room where we’d argue about the previous night’s episode - who murdered Palmer, what secrets would unconventional FBI Agent Dale Cooper (Kyle MacLachlan) uncover next, exactly what did the log see that night.
Yes, the first season was better than the second but Twin Peaks was groundbreaking in terms of genre TV. Its DNA can be seen in shows like The X-Files - David Duchovny actually appeared in it as transvestite DEA agent Dennis/Denise Bryson - True Detective, the recent TV version of Fargo, American Horror Story, even Broadchurch.
As much as I’d love to see some of the loose ends tied up - exactly how is Annie - bringing it back is a bit of a gamble.
Will it recapture the perculiar magic of the original, should it even try? TV has moved on considerably, thanks in large part to shows like Twin Peaks. With weird now the new norm, how will it distinguish itself? Will expectations be so high it’s destined to fail?
The original creative team are back so I’ve high hopes. As Coop told Sheriff Harry Truman: “I have no idea where this will lead us, but I have a definite feeling it will be a place both wonderful and strange.”
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