It’s happening again! Twin Peaks is hitting the screens once again to bring back the good old mystery. The show’s revival will be aired on May 21, and it’s bound to be awesome.
Since the announcement of the revival the information has been kept top secret, however, a trailer was released, and we can only try to put all of the pieces together.
The return of David Lynch’s original mystery
In 1990, a peculiar soap opera made its debut on ABC becoming an instant sensation. David Lynch’s Twin Peaks failed to appeal a wide audience but it definitely developed a strong cult following and is considered one of the best television dramas ever made.
The show gracefully blended genres, combining elements of horror, mystery, comedy and even an itch of a supernatural thriller. Twin Peaks is set in a mysterious Washington lumber town, where a twisted melodrama with glimpses of comedy developed.
The story followed an investigation headed by FBI agent Dale Cooper into the murder of the homecoming queen Laura Palmer. However, the narrative was far from being as plain as that, and it draws an uncanny tone and supernatural elements.
Even when the series ran for just two seasons, it left a legacy that changed the media forever, influencing everything from the Sopranos to Mr. Robot.
Now, we’re heading to a much-anticipated revival, which has been handled with top secrecy, since it was first mentioned in 2007. However, talks of a revival only intensified in 2013 and in 2014 an official announcement was made.
In 2010, series co-creator Mark Frost approached David Lynch with the idea of bringing back the good old drama. They worked on it for two years in secret.
Then Lynch took former cast member Kyle Maclachlan for coffee and every piece started to fall into place. In 2015 Showtime made an official announcement saying the show would return in 2017.
At first, the show would be brought back for nine episodes, but these soon extended to 18. And we expect to get some answers. “People expect things and hopefully their expectations are met when they see the thing,” said Lynch.
Some kind of an expected return
The final episode of Twin Peaks’ season two was like a prophecy. In the episode, a vision of the murdered Laura Palmer came to Agent Dale Cooper in the Red Room and told him: “I’ll see you again in 25 years.”
And 25 years later, here we are.
Last year, the novel ‘The Secret History of Twin Peaks’ was released in advance of the revival. The novel reveals details of what happened to the show’s major characters after season 2. But it also introduces a new character, Agent Tamara Preston, who’s assigned to investigate the disappearance of Agent Cooper.
Even when Showtime has been pretty tight-lipped about the plot and what’s to come, the network did announce that the forthcoming season will be set 25 years after the original series.
So, everything points to this being the story as well as some unresolved mysteries.
The old, the missing and the new
Twin Peaks’ revival is seeing the return of part of the original cast. Kyle Maclachlan is coming back as Cooper ad is the only member of the cast who’s seen the complete script.
Sheryl Lee is also back, though whether she will be Laura Palmer or Maddy Ferguson or both remains to be seen. Other key returnees include Sherilyn Fenn as Audrey Horne, Dana Ashbrook as Bobby Briggs, Madchen Amick as Shelly Johnson, Peggy Lipton as Norma Jennings, and James Marshall as James Hurley.
David Lynch is also back as FBI boss Gordon Cole, and the return of David Duchovny as transgender DEA agent Denise Bryson, which will be interesting, given the vast differences in approaches to trans characters on television now, compared to 26 years ago.
Unfortunately, several original cast members have died, the actor who played Bob, though Miguel Ferrer shot his scenes as FBI lab tech Albert Rosenfield before he passed away in January. Piper Laurie, Joan Chen, Michael J Anderson, nor Chris Mulkey are coming back.
Lynch has brought in stars he’s worked with on his movies, including Naomi Watts (Mulholland Drive), Laura Dern (Blue Velvet, Wild at Heart, Inland Empire) and Balthazar Getty (Lost Highway).
Also, a number of musicians have joined the project, including, Eddie Vedder, Trent Reznor, Sharon Van Etten (who recently starred in The OA) and Sky Ferreira.
The cast of 216 members is wrapped up with what seems like half of Hollywood dropping by, with Michael Cera, Jim Belushi, Ashley Judd, Jennifer Jason Lee and Amanda Seyfried and others.This season is being called a “one-time event” by both David Lynch and Showtime president David Nevins. Which leads to thinking that this is the one-off.
Lynch said, “You never say no. But right now there are no plans for anything more.”
However, as we get closer to the premiere Lycnh has allegedly said that depending on the reception, there might be more.
Source: Cleveland