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The Past Dictates the Future


When the finale for Twin Peaks The Return (ostensibly the third season of the program) was over this past Sunday night, I immediately felt ripped-off, unsatisfied, and that the time spent watching the show over the summer had been a waste. Thankfully, during the intervening days, and after lots of conversations about it with the spouse and in online forums, I have come to better appreciate the way things ended. I'm still not on board with it 100%, though.

Without getting into the weeds as to everything that happened during the finale, the show managed to wrap-up several plot threads during the first-half (Part 17), then turned around and launched things in a different direction during the second-half (Part 18). While tangentially related to what had come before, Part 18 could almost stand alone as its own show, with a different look and feel than the previous 17 episodes, and about a third of the cast. It was, upon first viewing, quite jarring. It was also, most definitely, a David Lynch joint.

Lynch and his co-creator/writer Mark Frost managed to do an overall stellar job with Twin Peaks The Return, and it made for mesmerizing Sunday night viewing over the course of the summer. Unable to get into the original run of Twin Peaks, I was skeptical about The Return at first glance, but the intervening years have seen an evolution in the artistry of David Lynch, and The Return is tonally different than its preceding series. The landscape of the program expanded geographically, and the palette of storytelling was much broader. There was a unique blend of drama, humor, horror and, perhaps most notably, sound design.

It isn't often that I am hooked by a new show on TV, but The Return managed to be one of those rare occasions. There was so much going on, so much to look forward to and speculate about. It was also, in many ways, an immersive experience. The scenes drew you in, anchored by deft direction and award-worthy performances. Kyle MacLachlan shouldered much of the show, but many others brought their A-game. I have truly seen no other program like it on television.

At this point in time, there appear to be no plans yet for a follow-up to Twin Peaks The Return. I guess that's okay. (SPOILER): The show ends on a cliffhanger. Much is left unresolved, especially with fan favorite character Audrey Horne. It bears keeping in mind, however, that, with David Lynch, another season wouldn't necessarily bring more answers and greater clarity. It would merely be a continuation of various story lines (old and new), and put us further down the rabbit hole that Twin Peaks has come to represent. I'd be fine with that.




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