It was February 24th when Agent Dale Cooper entered the town of Twin Peaks in order to investigate the murder of Laura Palmer. 24th of February is celebrated as the “Twin Peaks Day” in the cinematic universe. It aired for the first time on 8th of April 1990. David Lynch and Mark Frost introduced us to the crazy world of this town and the forest next to it…Where anything can happen. It is a cult series and there are thousands of articles and videos on youtube about it. For its influence, for its special characters, for its mystery.
David Lynch dives us into his favorite American countryside, where he also grew up. In a seemingly quiet town, nothing seems as it shows. To begin with, Lynch highlights the corruption of the American society. Drugs, domestic violence, sexual oppression, depressing places where dreams can never become true, forbidden loves, dysfunctional families, kids who have the possibilities to escape but they don’t.
Having said all the above, we will give you 10 reasons to follow Agent Cooper on his adventures on different dimensions:
1. Twin Peaks Changed the TV History
In the early 90’s, American Television was full of soap operas, sitcoms and crime series. Theoretically, Twin Peaks is a mixture of all the above. However, it managed to go many steps beyond those. How? Simply enough, with a scene like the following. A scene so obscure and surreal, that is beyond explanation. An undermined horror on a jazz tone.
2. The “cult” status of the series
Was it mainstream? Definitely not. Did it receive good reviews upon its release in 1990? Rather not. The critics and the audience were kinda disappointed by Twin Peaks, because it was not like anything they had seen before. They couldn’t categorize it in some genre. Nevertheless, after the end of the second season, the TV series started to gain attention. The expansion of the Internet also helped on that. A huge fanbase discussing about the mysteries of Twin Peaks, the articles on blogs (and later the videos on Youtube), made the show popular to people who did not even bother to watch it when it aired. And this fanbase made possible for the return of Twin Peaks, in 2017, for its third and final season.
Do you need an example? Just let us know if the following scene makes sense. If not and you are okay with that, then you do not even need to read the following reasons, you just start watching it now:
3. The Soundtrack of Twin Peaks
If you have never heard Twin Peaks’ soundtrack and you click the “Play” button now in the video below, we are sure that you will love us forever. Angelo Badalamenti delivered one of the finest soundtracks in the history of TV. It is mysterious, surreal and yet so familiar. And it will always remain in your thoughts:
4. Agent Dale Cooper
Kyle MacLachlan is a great actor with an impressive career on Cinema and Television. However, we will always remember and love him as “Agent Dale Cooper”. He is polite, generous, he loves coffee and chatting with other. He is the main protagonist of the series, as he tries to discover the murderer of Laura Palmer (and not only that). MacLachlan gives an outstanding performance and definitely one of the best in the History of TV.
5. Bob and his friends
Many villains have been quite scary, but Bob probably is scarier of them all. We will simply say:
He’s Bob…eager for fun…he wears a smile…everybody run…
6. The Unsolved Mysteries
We do not want to give any spoilers. We hate that. But, we will simply mention that some questions do not have answers. That being said, if you want a TV series that answers to all the questions it has posed, then Twin Peaks is not for you. On the other side, if you want to delve into the mysteries and try to create your own theories, then Twin Peaks is the place for you.
7. Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me
Do not do the mistake to watch first the movie and then the series. Although they are related, 1992’s movie explores the life of Laura Palmer until her death. Some fans claim that it is better to start with the movie first and then the first two seasons. We disagree. Anything that is related with a cinematic/television universe, should be watched based on the chronological order it was aired. Honestly, the movie is not as exceptional as the series, but David Bowie makes a guest appearance. And we love David Bowie:
8. Season 3, Episode 8
Many fans were worried that the 3rd season would not be able to deliver the same quality as the first two seasons. 25 years had passed and the fear was there. Hopefully, the 3rd season is really good. Kyle MacLachlan plays 3 different roles and he is persuasive in all of them. The cast of the 3rd season, with most of the same characters is simply exceptional. Undoubtedly, though, the 8th episode is unique. Its cinematography is outstanding. You do not need to understand anything. You simply lie down and fall deep in its universe.
9. Log Lady
In a surrealistic universe where everything is possible, the appearance of “Log Lady” is a bit too much. But in a good way. Very few characters in the History of TV, who had such a short TV time were beloved that much. And “Log Lady” is one of them. She literally walks around the town holding a log and discussing with it, seeking for its assistance. Catherine Elisabeth Coulson portrayed exceptionally the Log Lady and she even appears in a few episodes of the third season, although she had died in 2015.
10. Twin Peaks is an Ode to Kindness
If you are still reading this article, you probably have pictured the cruelty of the show, where Evil is present and ready to prevail. In a world that is shuttered and everything seems lost, characters like Agent Dale Cooper, Albert, Norma and Ed are the bright examples that not everything is doomed. And as Agent Dale Cooper once said: I have no idea where this will lead us, but I have a definite feeling it will be a place both wonderful and strange.
