Twin Peaks A Limited Event Series

DVD Wholesale Quick Overview:

One of the most groundbreaking and influential television series of all time, the new showtime series picks up twenty-five years after the inhabitants of a quaint northwestern town were stunned when their homecoming queen Laura Palmer was shockingly murdered. The new Twin Peaks is written and produced by series creators and executive producers David Lynch and Mark Frost and is directed entirely by David Lynch. This collection includes all 18 parts of the Showtime series, plus a wealth of exclusive, behind-the-scenes special features that will show fans what’s behind the red curtain and the making of this extraordinary television event.

First off, there’s a good reason it’s being referred to as “A Limited Series Event” and not “The Third Season.” This is not an exercise in nostalgia. Anybody coming in thinking they’re going to be getting a straight continuation, both in plot and tone, of the original series is due for disappointment. The original series and “Fire Walk With Me” provide the background, but this series is more of an evolution of Twin Peaks, providing something new in the context of today’s television in the same way the original series was groundbreaking in its time.

The new series will not be for everybody. As I said above, while characters and stories are present from the original run, this is as jarringly different from the original series as you’d expect given the passage of time and expected growth of both the fictional characters and the people making the show. It very much reflects David Lynch’s evolution as a filmmaker and the evolution of Lynch/Frost as collaborators. This is not a traditionally episodic or serialized series, with it having been shot as one big movie, then broken down into individual episodes. Additionally, the storytelling isn’t completely linear. Some storylines aren’t resolved, many answers aren’t given, but, much as with the original series, this is reflective of real life, something that can sometimes prove frustrating in entertainment. While some reviews may suggest that liking it or disliking it says something about the viewer, I don’t necessarily think that’s the case. I’ve seen plenty of discussion of the series and both those who enjoy it and the critics have some valid points. But, when it comes right down to it, I think the series provokes an emotional reaction more than an intellectual response, which, from the interviews I’ve seen, was the intent of Lynch.

At times, the show races, at others it moves as slow as a snail. Some characters are grounded, others seem over the top. Some events hit far too close to home, others are so far out as to defy explanation. Ultimately, it’s a show that dares to defy the conventions of traditional narrative television and challenges the viewer, not only to be patient, but to be willing to apply their own interpretations to events that aren’t often spelled out in great detail. As said before, it is ultimately a polarizing show. But if you find it for you, you’ll find it to be greatly rewarding.

– T. J. Campbell

“I’ll see you again in 25 years”. With these words, Twin Peaks’ most famous dead girl, Laura Palmer (or her doppleganger), bid farewell to FBI Agent Dale Cooper in the red room of the Black Lodge; shortly afterward, a monstrously changed Cooper looked into the mirror and saw evil incarnate staring back, ending the series on a jarringly shocking note. Whether or not Laura’s words in the Black Lodge indicated a planned return to Twin Peaks at some future point, co-creators David Lynch and Mark Frost ended up keeping her promise and have delivered, against all odds, a third season some 25 years later. For most of us fans, this was a season we never thought we’d see, so the fact that it has come to pass is, in itself, a major accomplishment. The fact that it is as enthralling and entrancing as it was that first season is almost a miracle, especially considering that much of season two, minus Lynch’s guiding hand, quickly lost momentum, flailing about and trying to find a direction for the series to go once Laura’s killer was revealed (as ordered by network know-it-alls).

Director David Lynch is back in the saddle again, but don’t expect this incarnation of Twin Peaks to be a trip down Memory Lane. It may start out in the Black Lodge with older versions of Cooper and Laura occupying much the same spaces we remember from the season two finale, but things take a rapid detour as we are whisked to various locales in South Dakota, Las Vegas, New Mexico and Manhattan. In fact, the town of Twin Peaks scarcely makes an appearance in the first few episodes of this 18-episode run. Even then, it serves as little more than a backdrop, receiving no more attention than numerous other settings.

Make no mistake, this is not the Twin Peaks we remember from 1991, neither in the sense of place nor in the series’ tone. This Twin Peaks is darker, more harrowing and even more violent now that it isn’t confined to a single small town (to be sure, some of the old faces are on hand: Andy, Lucy, Hawk, Norma, Shelley, Bobby, among others, some having more to do with the goings-on than others). However, the world of Twin Peaks has grown larger since the old days, and the scope of Lynch’s and Frost’s action has engulfed a much broader realm. There are bad guys (and gals) a-plenty this time around and there are no safe havens for anyone. The broader themes of evil set loose in the world, and innocence destroyed are expounded on time and again here. As usual with Lynch, much of what happens onscreen is symbolic and subject to interpretation; your knowledge of Twin Peaks history and arcana is absolutely necessary to wend your way through this labyrinthine journey provided by Lynch and Frost. If you expect everything to be laid out nicely for you or for all things to come together to form an orderly resolution, you’re going to be frustrated and disappointed. Lynch doesn’t work that way, and anyone familiar with his career knows this. He is an artist more than a storyteller, and, in his own words, the images he captures on film are sometimes presented in the order that they come into his mind rather than in chronological order. He creates wondrously scary, magically complex puzzles, dropping clues along the way and dares us to solve them. It is probably to Frost’s credit that, as co-creator, he helps keep Lynch (to some extent) earthbound and in line to present realistic (if not always identifiable) characters.

As with season one, Twin Peaks: A Limited Event Series, begins with a murder or, more precisely, two murders, with the head of a woman found in the same bed with the headless, naked body of a middle-age man. Before the end of episode one, there are more murders. The FBI becomes involved and we learn that Cooper disappeared 25 years ago and has remained missing ever since. This sets in motion the trajectory of strange events that make up this journey into darkness. Along the way, we meet various dopplegangers, vicious killers (of both the human and supernatural variety), sweetly empty-headed showgirls, old friends from the first series and lots of musicians wrapping up each episode with hypnotic tunes. It’s impossible to note every twist and turn we take during this thrilling ride, and equally impossible to mention all the great actors playing the memorable characters to perfection. I would be remiss not to mention Kyle MacLachlan’s tour de force performance(s) as multiple versions of Agent Cooper: sweet and befuddled Dougie/Coop, evil Mr. C and, finally, the heroic, stalwart Coop (who it turns out, may be haunted from his experiences and, therefore, not precisely the same old Coop we thought we knew). Also outstanding is Sheryl Lee, who imbues this older Laura with her customary vulnerability, confusion, and a certain newfound wit. With Sheriff Harry Truman out of action (the TV character is apparently stricken with cancer), his brother, Sheriff Frank Truman steps in, and, as played by veteran actor Robert Forster projects an air of resolute unflappability. The huge cast also features Naomi Watts and Laura Dern in major roles, while returning veterans from the original series include the wonderful Grace Zabriskie, Peggy Lipton and Madchen Amick (among many). David Lynch, himself, does a fine job as FBI Deputy Director Gordon Cole–in fact, he may be my favorite character in this series! And then there’s Italian bombshell, Monica Bellucci playing herself! There’s just not a bad performance amongst the entire cast. Sadly, the series also marked the end for several notable performers: Catherine Coulson, feisty and, ultimately, so moving as the Log Lady; Miguel Ferrer as the endearingly cranky, straightfaced FBI Agent Albert Rosenfield; and Harry Dean Stanton, crusty, curmudgeonly and neighborly as trailer park manager Carl Rodd. The absence of Michael Ontkean, Piper Laurie, Lara Flynn Boyle and several others was noticeable; for whatever reason, they did not return for this Twin Peaks outing, and they were sorely missed.

While every episode is absorbing, episode 8 is probably the penultimate point in the series, where some things come together and a few old questions are answered (more or less). Episode 17 finds several of our beloved castmembers in dire jeopardy, while Episode 18–the finale–is a true mindf*ck that changes everything we’ve believed from the very beginning. Or does it?

It has to be said that, as a viewer, you need to pay close attention to what is happening during the course of this series. I did, and still had to consult other sources to either confirm or explain what I’d just seen transpire in certain episodes. “The owls are not what they seem” has never been truer. A great return to an original classic.

– B. Wells

DVD Wholesale Main Features:

Actors: Kyle MacLachlan
Directors: David Lynch
Format: AC-3, Box set, Color, Dolby, NTSC, Widescreen
Language: English
Subtitles: English
Region: Region 1
Number of discs: 8
Rated: NR Not Rated
Studio: PARAMOUNT
DVD Release Date: December 5, 2017
Run Time: 1030 minutes
ASIN: B076M95GY6