For those of you still wondering what has been up with Special Agent Dale Cooper, or what exactly was happening in the “Black Lodge,” you’ll be happy to know that the answers are coming your way. It was recently announced that Showtime would be bringing us a long-awaited third season to the cult series “Twin Peaks.” Do people really want to see a third season of a show that ended its startlingly short run in 1991? Are there still folks that are transfixed by the memory of Laura Palmer? Well, for this fan who nearly watches the entire run of the series every couple of years, the answer is hell yes
For many of us, our love for this wildly imaginative series still burns bright. The moody music from Angelo Badalamenti, the startling images of madness and mayhem, and the shocking reveal to a murderers identity helped create one of the most memorable television series every put to screen. The moment the body of Laura Palmer was discovered, dead, wrapped in plastic, this disturbingly romantic and frightening soap opera played out leaving many wanting more. Well more we shall get thanks to Showtime, as audiences will soon be returning to the fabled town of Twin Peaks for a nine episode run in 2016.
This is nothing but good news. Mark Frost and David Lynch were part of something wonderful. And now, they are returning for not a reboot or a sequel, but a continuation. There were mysteries abound involving the death of Laura and only a small handful were revealed. Even with the underappreciated 1992 feature film prequel TWIN PEAKS: FIRE WALK WITH ME, we were left with far more questions than answers. Unfortunately for the show itself all those years back, once the main mystery was – forcibly by the network – revealed, the cult series lost some of its steam as well as its viewership.
The question is, why return to it twenty-five years later? David Lynch even stated in a 2001 Empire interview that the series was “… as dead as a doornail.” And let’s face it, Lynch is not the kind of filmmaker who attempts something he doesn’t want to be a part of. Thankfully, he has had a change of tune. And with the news that Lynch and Frost will be directing and writing all the episodes, it is clear that he has found the inspiration which had disappeared all those years back faster than that creepy giant fellow that would appear to Agent Cooper.
Now let’s talk about another promising aspect. The original series ran on the network television station ABC. Considering the time that it came out and the network it was on, it still managed to be one of the most edgy and sometimes horrifying works of entertainment ever appearing on television. Now imagine a channel like Showtime taking it on and allowing the creators freedom to expand this story without worrying about having to censor their ideas. I’ve always felt that if “Twin Peaks” had been on pay cable, without the strings attached to network television, it would have been able to expand upon its strange and creepy world in seriously outstanding ways.
Maybe it’s the booze talkin’, but I can’t wait for the return of “Twin Peaks.” This classic series is still chilling, funny, and sometimes even nightmare inducing. While for the past couple of decades we’d get a reprieve with a DVD or the recent Blu-ray release, or even a “Psych” episode paying tribute, it was never truly enough for fans that knew there was more left untold. Now that Showtime is bringing Mark Frost and David Lynch back to continue their story that ended nearly twenty-five year ago, I can honestly say that I’ve not been this excited for a television series for a long, damn time. It may have been a long wait, but hopefully it will be worth it when we return to this little town hiding a ton of dark secrets… and damn good coffee!