Travel to the idyllic town of Twin Peaks: home to scenic forests, peaceful people, and the sudden murder of a teenage girl. Who killed Laura Palmer? Special Agent Dale Cooper shows up to solve what seems like any other murder mystery.
But it isn’t. As Cooper’s investigation continues, it becomes abundantly clear that there is something very, very wrong with this town. Some residents have visions of killers squatting by their beds; others have dreams of dwarfs talking backwards; and some still grease their hair back and drive trucks. To be fair, it was the early 90s.
Creators David Lynch (Mulholland Drive and Blue Velvet) and Mark Frost take us on a genre-defying journey that is increasingly surreal and unsettling. The soundtrack, whilst as outdated as their fashion choices, creates a superb atmosphere that is both serene and sinister.
The characters are either painfully melodramatic or clinically insane, serving as Lynch’s unashamed mockery of the state of TV. It doesn’t hold back on anything. When it’s funny, it’s hilarious.
When it’s disturbing, it makes you regret ever learning to turn off the light. And while it was cancelled after only two seasons, Twin Peaks remains an incredibly influential TV series. The question “Who killed Laura Palmer?” led to a drama that, for better or worse, pushed every boundary, once again proving that it is possible to have complex cinematic television.
Watching Twin Peaks is like watching the Wright Brothers fly: it’s not perfect, and it ended prematurely, but it set us in the right direction for the decades to come.