The late David Lynch is viewed by many as one of the greatest filmmakers of all time. However, despite his motion picture prowess, Lynch's legacy will always be tethered to a mysterious small town in the Pacific Northwest. With its relatable surroundings, hauntological shades of 50s Americana, soap opera pastiche, dry humor, and dark supernatural layers, Twin Peaks was unprecedented.
It not only challenged accepted norms, it completely altered the landscape of television. Centered on the mysterious murder of the aforementioned Laura Palmer, a popular, highly regarded denizen of Twin Peaks, the show drew viewers in to unpick the tangled, messy secrets not only within Laura's life but within the lives of other characters, both wholesome and despicable alike. It's that dynamic in particular, which I believe to be the lifeblood and lasting appeal of Twin Peaks.
In my humble opinion, alongside the utilization of a strobe light and the filming of eerie unfurling roads, nobody explores both the contrast and coexistence of light and dark, better Than David Lynch. Alongside co-creator Mark Frost, and within the long-form storytelling parameters of television, Twin Peaks encapsulated Lynch's ability in the most crystallized fashion.
The show exhibits pure hearted romance alongside gratitude towards the smaller but finer things in life, like delicious cherry pie, companionship, and the presence of nature. It's an advocate for identity, intuition and feeling, and it fosters interpretation, both internally with the characters that inhabit the show and the audience watching it. But interwoven with all of this are strands of conspiracy, betrayal, domestic abuse, sex trafficking, disembodied malevolent spirits, and a spawning ground for evil known as the Black Lodge.
At times, Twin Peaks is far too real, and the other points it's intangible, abstract, and downright weird (in the best way possible). But it's never binary or compartmentalized. Instead, it cultivates a fluid tone that acts as a bridge between the harshness and delight of waking life and the unlimited possibilities of a dreamlike existence: a liminal space that is shaped magnificently by Angelo Badalementi's iconic score.
Given the fact that it was a pioneer of appointment TV and water-cooler discussion, Twin Peaks was and will forever be a product of its time. But considering the strength of its influence and how well it holds up (minus an admittedly short spell in the second season), it's my belief that Twin Peaks will endure indefinitely.
