May 23, 2017
Twin Peaks Productions, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Warning: Spoilers Ahead for Episodes 1 and 2!
If you’re a die-hard Twin Peaks enthusiast who always spotted the lurking shadows beneath its towering Douglas firs and sweet cherry pie, then you’re still in love with Twin Peaks. And if you’re a fan of David Lynch—especially his works like Mulholland Drive, Eraserhead, and Inland Empire—last night’s return delivered exactly what you craved. But if you prefer the more whimsical Etsy-style version of Twin Peaks, featuring the Log Lady and Agent Dale Cooper philosophizing about Tibet, well, good luck with that. If you’ve never seen any of Lynch’s films, you probably didn’t stick around after the first few minutes.
Lynch throws us a bone by kicking off the series with Agent Cooper (played by the always charming Kyle MacLachlan) inside the ominous Black Lodge. Laura Palmer (portrayed by Sheryl Lee) makes her entrance, and the iconic scene replays as if it were an outtake from the original season; “I’ll see you again in twenty-five years,” she says in that eerie backward manner characteristic of the Black Lodge (a trick involving recording speech backward and playing it in reverse). Amidst this, we catch up with Lucy (played by the delightful Kimmy Robertson), who has married Deputy Andy (Harry Goaz). Then, we hear from the Log, speaking in the voice of the late Log Lady, Margaret (Catherine E. Coulson, who filmed her scenes before passing in 2015). She informs Deputy Hawk (Michael Horse) that “something is missing,” and that missing element is essentially Agent Cooper.
Meanwhile, in the Black Lodge, MIKE, the one-armed man (Al Strobel), tells Cooper he can’t leave until his sinister doppelgänger returns to the Black Lodge. That could be troublesome, especially since Dopplegänger Coop, resembling a smarmy Bruce Campbell, is on a crime spree across multiple states. He bluntly informs his underage companion that he won’t be returning to the Black Lodge for anyone. He embodies everything Cooper was, minus the compassion and mercy, as he ruthlessly dispatches characters that feel disposable—simply there to illustrate that Cooper’s doppelgänger is a true monster, possibly even responsible for the murder of a librarian in South Dakota.
Interspersed throughout the episodes are two bizarre scenes: a man (Ben Rosenfield) in New York City is assigned to monitor a mysterious 19th-century glass box, which is supposed to be top secret. Despite the strict rules, he allows his girlfriend (Madeline Zima) to sneak in, and while they share an intimate moment, he spots something shadowy and terrifying within the box. Later, Cooper seemingly drops into the box, but it’s empty.
Then, there’s the chilling incident with that librarian in South Dakota, discovered dead for three days with a bullet wound to the eye. But when the police finally break down the door, they find her head on one body, and the fingerprints of the school principal (Matthew Lillard) all over the scene. He gets arrested, and his wife is furious—after all, they had guests coming for dinner! His alibi quickly falls apart as investigators uncover a piece of, well, something that used to belong to a person in his car trunk. Turns out, he had an affair with the librarian, while his wife is possibly seeing his lawyer too. Classic Twin Peaks—melding police procedural with soap opera drama.
What lies ahead? Likely a deeper plunge into Lynch’s surreal vision, where we catch glimpses of familiar faces. The episode wraps up with Shelly (Mädchen Amick) and James (James Marshall) exchanging longing glances across the dance floor at the Bang Bang Bar. And Hawk must confront the Black Lodge to rescue Coop. Oh, and those owls? They won’t be what they seem.
Memorable Quotes:
- “Is it future or is it past?” — One-Armed Mike
- “Stop by. I have coffee and pie for you.” — The Log Lady
- “I am the evolution of the arm. This is what I sound like.” — Breathing tree with a talking flesh nub
- “I feel like I know her but sometimes my arms bend back.” — Laura Palmer
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In summary, Twin Peaks is back, and it’s as enigmatic and thrilling as ever. The return is filled with dark twists, familiar faces, and that signature Lynchian surrealism that keeps us on the edge of our seats.