On April 8, 1990, television changed forever. "Twin Peaks," the brainchild of David Lynch and Mark Frost, captured everyone's attention with one question: "Who killed Laura Palmer?" Twenty-five years after the show's abrupt cancellation, the quirky little town is due to return to the silver screen, thanks to (most of) the original cast and crew and, of course, the network Showtime. If you're wondering why a 25-year-old show is returning, it's time to ask the log.
The tiny Northeastern town of Twin Peaks changed forever when the body of homecoming queen Laura Palmer was discovered washed up on the beach, wrapped in plastic. FBI Special Agent Dale Cooper arrived to aid the local sheriff's department in solving the mystery, but Cooper brings quirks of his own to town. Cooper's otherworldly dreams and investigative methods are a lot for the town to handle at times, but they all quickly get caught up in his own personal battle that rocks the foundations of the town.
One of the best things about Twin Peaks is that every character's story is examined. The love triangle involving a deputy, the secretary at the sheriff's station, and a department store employee is just as an integral part of the story as the grieving Palmers. Sheriff Truman's love affair with the mysterious Josie Packard and the Packard mill fortune also play a role in how the show continues. But it doesn't stop there: there's a drug trafficking ring, an agoraphobic botanist, a casino just outside the state, and everyone's favorite soap opera, "An Invitation To Love." Of course, all these intersecting lives provide multiple possible answers to the biggest question of them all, and in Twin Peaks, everyone has something to hide, and something to lose.
What many people don't know is that "Twin Peaks" was the inspiration for countless other movies and TV shows. Fans of Freeform's "Pretty Little Liars" will undoubtedly notice similarities between Laura and Alison DiLaurentis, as well as other nods to the show's mythology. Twin Peaks is also referenced in cartoons like "Scooby Doo," "The Regular Show," and "Adventure Time," mostly through the invoking of the iconic Red Room (the cover photo for this article):
Though the second season (which is much longer than the first) suffers from loss of direction due to disagreements with the network, the undeniably Lynchian effects are still there. What makes Twin Peaks so special is simply the fact that it is Twin Peaks. You could say it's Angelo Badalamenti's hauntingly beautiful score, or Julee Cruise's wondrous crooning, or the fact that most TV shows can't get away with this level of terror now, or the lovable-despite-all-their-weirdness characters, or the humor that lifts even the most desolate of scenes, or the love everyone so clearly had for this show, or the style of the buildings and outfits that fit in either the 1950s or 1990s and no in between. But the truth is, it's because of all of these things and more.
From the dreamy scenery to the calming soundtrack and from the lovable characters to the frightening revelations, Twin Peaks is a show that will endure forever. Its contributions to pop culture cannot be measured. Hopefully, the Showtime revival will surprise fans' expectations, and inspire a whole new generation to visit this wonderful and strange little town.