Twin Peaks: Season 1

 

Created by: Mark Frost & David Lynch

Executive producers Mark Frost, David Lynch, Sabrina S. Sutherland

Starring: Kyle MacLachlan (Sp. Agent Dale Cooper), Michael Ontkean (Sheriff Truman), Mädchen Amick (Shelly Johnson), Dana Ashbrook (Bobby Briggs), Richard Beymer (Benjamin Horne), Lara Flynn Boyle (Donna Hayward), Sherilyn Fenn (Audrey Horne), Warren Frost (Dr. Hayward), Peggy Lipton (Norma Jennings), James Marshall (James Hurley), Everett McGill (Ed Hurley), Jack Nance (Pete Martell), Ray Wise (Leland Palmer), Joan Chen ("Josie"), Piper Laurie (Catherine Martell), Kimmy Robertson (Lucy Moran) (Wow that was a lot!)

I went from Lost Girl straight to this show, which was--

jarring. 

But in a really good way that I think helped me enjoy Twin Peaks all the more. As much as I truly enjoy Lost Girl, it's very fake: half a dozen attractive and horny 30-somethings going around solving murders, stopping fairy creatures, and flirting with each other. It's great fun, but it's total escapism, whereas Twin Peaks gave me a cold and very fresh breath of reality. 

It was a very, very welcome breath. Escapism can sometimes present a challenge of emotionally connecting with characters unless they've been given a lot of screen time and serious moments to help the connection. The feature-length pilot episode of Twin Peaks, however, had me crying (or trying very hard to hold back tears) within the first half hour. It presented the very realistic and very tragic scenario of a young teenage girl's body discovered and the heart wrenching reactions of her parents and school. Unless you're really good and disconnecting, that'll get anyone. It presented an immediate grounding for the show and an immediate ability to sympathize with several characters. 

Agent Cooper's smile is directed squarely at that coffee. He spends about half his screen time raving about how much he loves the local coffee and pie, something I loved about his character!

Josie tries to keep a logging mill running after she inherits it. I appreciate that this 1990s series portrays an Asian-American person as three-dimensional and more than just her race! 

As with many shows, I had a hard time keeping track of all the characters. You might notice in my cast list above, there are several--and I only included the ones listed as "Main Cast" on Wikipedia, not secondary or recurring. I include that because it may have kept me from appreciating some of the finer story elements. Even so, it was a great story to to follow. 

I particularly enjoyed keeping up with Sp. Agent Cooper, which is good because he's the main character. 😂 I loved that even though he came from a big city, he really appreciated small-town life and culture. He compliments the hardworking staff wherever he goes, uplifts those around him who he can see are trying, and calls out obnoxious or unnecessary behavior where it doesn't need to be. It's a perfect combination and made him an excellent character to watch. Not to mention his aptitude for crime solving and the eccentric ways he goes about solving those crimes--with special emphasis on dreams. 

A dream Cooper has that seemed pivotal for the plot. Although I didn't understand it, I appreciate how much care and detail went in.

Two scenes of his really won me over: episode 3 when a FBI specialist comes to autopsy Laura's (the victim) body, the specialist is rude, abrasive, and displays no emotion toward Laura or her family's needs. Cooper allows the specialist the space to perform his work, but when the specialist gets into a scuffle with emotional staff, Cooper sides straightaway with the staff. He calls the specialist out on his rude behavior and bids him leave the town to analyze the results. In another scene, Cooper returns to his hotel room one night to find Audrey, a classmate of the victim who's crushing on him, naked in his bed. Cooper responds as a real gentleman. He softly tells Audrey that they couldn't be together, lets her change back into clothes, and invites her to a café to talk about what she's going through. I can't think of a more perfect, honorable, and respectful response. 

The other charms Twin Peaks presented came through in the overall atmosphere of the series. The small-town charm really shines, especially in the opening credits, which are slow and peaceful, panning over picturesque shots of a waterfall, a river, and the town. Even though the cast was a bit overwhelming for me, it was still enjoyable to watch the dynamics of so many different characters. It all melded together for me in a general idea of eccentric residential life among people recovering from a tragedy. 

For some reason, I just really enjoyed Lucy, the Sherriff's office administrator. She was sweet, innocent, quirky, and confident. 

The other major vibe is a bit in contrast to the above but still fit very well. There was a definite sense of the uncanny. Something supernatural and ominous about the town, which a lot of the characters emulated in their own way, if not directly taking part in. Season 1 only directly confronted this once in the form of the "Bookhouse Boys," a secret society of locals who band together to investigate supernatural or abnormal events, which Cooper is invited to join. It never appears to go anywhere and isn't mentioned again, though. 

I don't usually go for "whodunnit" or "slice of life" type series, unless there's an overt fantasy or sci-fi overtone. However, I'm glad Twin Peaks was suggested to me. The plot unfolded very well and its mix of eccentric characters was charming, entertaining, and heart-warming, all at once.