Twin Peaks
Twin Peaks‘ return after 25 years was surely the biggest, most anticipated TV revival of them all and across 18 episodes, David Lynch delivered something quite special indeed. It wasn’t a trip down nostalgia lane; surviving members of the original cast were virtual cameos at times and there was minimal character progression (except maybe the final, joyous reunion of Ed and Norma). This was an odyssey between the spirit and real world, 150 pages of script broken down into 18 installments that charted Cooper’s attempts to escape the Black Lodge and a battle between good and evil that took many unexpected turns.
The revival was as different and revolutionary in 2017 as it was when it first aired in the early 1990s. The episodes did not follow a linear form of storytelling, mixing narratives, time periods and even dream sequences. And while Lynch wrapped the majority of the story arc in Part 17 – the final battle with the evil Cooper and Bob’s spirit – he threw everything up in the air in a concluding part that saw Cooper and a resurrected Laura Palmer seemingly stuck in an alternate reality. But most special of all was Part 8, a episode that removed itself from the narrative by showing the birth of Bob in the first nuclear test in the 1940s and delivered a cinematic visual and auditory journey through the spirit world itself.
Yes, some parts dragged, Audrey was handled badly and Lynch often had no desire to give audience answers, even ending the series on a somewhat frustrating note and leaving the audience to interpret what had happened. But it was also something uniquely special, visually and emotionally stunning and showed that Kyle Maclachlan was an amzing actor, no matter what role he was playing. The show may have ended with no sign of returning, but we’re sure to be talking about it for many years to come…
What are your favourite TV shows of the year so far and what shows are you looking forward to in the remainder of the year? Let us know!