The following is mainly for those of you who have not watched Twin Peaks. This is one of my new passions and I’d like to spread the love. I’ll try to avoid big spoilers!
Twin Peaks never got repeated on the small screen so the fragments I knew of it became vague memories. Not long after my burlesque debut as Honey Schnapps in 2009, I was asked to perform at Lynchian cabaret night The Double R Club after the producers had seen me perform a femme fatale number at a competition. Shamefully, and something I never confessed to until now, I still didn’t get around to watching any David Lynch productions let alone Twin Peaks. I do wonder if I would have created a new and very different act, rather than my 50s bad girl one (annoyingly there’s no video), if I had seen any Lynch back then. The Double R Club itself, however, gave me a tremendous insight into the mysterious and nightmarish world conjured up by Lynch.
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| Honey Schnapps as Bad Girl in 2009 |
Fast forward to 2015 and a night in going through Amazon Instant Video’s countless hits and misses when I stumble upon seasons 1 and 2 of Twin Peaks. Without hesitation play is selected. Twin Peaks starts off like any other murder drama - a body is found by the shore of a small town and the authorities are alerted - but very quickly it stops being any other murder drama. With elements of horror, comedy, melodrama and surrealism Twin Peaks transcends genre and this is one crucial reason why the show has such a passionate following and still attracts new fans like myself 25 years after its first broadcast.
Following Agent Dale Cooper run an investigation into the murder of popular local teenager Laura Palmer, the viewer is drawn into the lives of the residents of Twin Peaks - a small and apparently simple town where dark secrets are hidden. It’s the characters that keep you hooked - the eccentric Log Lady with cryptic knowledge, the alluring and scheming Audrey Horne and highly strung drape runner-obsessed Nadine Hurley (Nadine’s amnesia phase is a television classic by the way) are but a few favourites who entertain and intrigue.
And, of course, there’s Dale Cooper (Kyle MacLachlan) who has got to have a special place in the hearts of anybody who has even briefly seen Twin Peaks. Cooper’s innocent joy and enthusiasm in everyday life as well as his good nature is just delightful. The world would be lovelier if there were more Dale Coopers around.
If you’re giggling at one scene, then prepare to shit yourself at the next. Twin Peaks has genuinely terrifying moments. BOB is a demonic being from another realm called The Black Lodge and just a flash of his feral eyes peering from the end of a bed will give unsettling dreams. Twin Peaks gets creepy when the supernatural takes over and also highlights its stunning visuals - the design of the Red Room at the Black Lodge, with its monochrome zig zag floors and red satin curtains, could pass for a cheesy entertainment venue but the starkness of it is too unsettling. Dwellers of the Red Room speak in a otherwordly disjointed pattern which was created by rerecording sentences turned backwards forwards again.
Twin Peaks was cancelled after the 2nd season due to falling viewing figures despite a huge fanbase. In 1992, feature length Fire Walk With Me was released which follows the ill-fated Laura Palmer in the final week of her short yet complex life. After completing the second season, of which there are many infuriating cliffhangers, I wasted no time in ordering a Blu-ray copy of Fire Walk With Me. With visual treats such as the Twin Peaks series I strongly advise avoiding dodgy websites offering free viewing (and of course it’s also on principle). Fire Walk With Me takes the dark and seedy underbelly of Twin Peaks to the very forefront and doesn’t hold back. This is the ultimate nightmare. And a must-see after viewing the TV show which will shed a little more light on the characters’ backgrounds. Plus David Bowie is in it.
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| The freshly arrived Blu-ray |
In October 2014 it was announced that there was a new season of Twin Peaks in the pipeline and original cast such as MacLachlan had been confirmed. Joy led to despair when Lynch pulled out of Twin Peaks after what appeared to be a breakdown in financial negotiations with Showtime. Protests included the hashtag #savetwinpeaks and a video from original cast members entitled ‘Twin Peaks without David Lynch is Like……..’. Last week, Lynch posted an unexpected tweet announcing that he was back on board for the third season. This is thrilling news for Twin Peaks cast, crew and fans alike. No broadcast date has been confirmed yet - the suspense is not just all on screen!
Dear Twitter Friends, the rumors are not what they seem ..... It is !!!
Happening again. #TwinPeaks returns on @SHO_Network
— David Lynch (@DAVID_LYNCH) May 16, 2015
To get a taste of how far fans will go in their love for the TV classic, there is currently a Kickstarter campaign to create a documentary about a teenage gay outsider, Travis Blue, whose Twin Peaks obsession takes him on a wild and very dangerous journey. Directed by Adam Batan, who is also a friend of Travis, this looks like a project that is not just for Twin Peaks fans but anyone who is interested in general fandom and a human story.
Now pass the donuts and pour me some damn fine coffee…..
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