Review by Ken Parker
This was probably the 5th or 6th time
watching the entire series from start to finish and obviously the first time in
High Definition. It is interesting to
note that the TV series debuted as a quirky murder mystery with its appeal in
the off beat characters, moody music and cinematography and the need to find
out Who Killed Laura Palmer? The series
was very popular and was the talk of the town.
I, along with many people, enjoyed its originality and that David Lynch
craziness that is a signature in most of his movies. The series would no doubt keep people
returning because of the murder mystery.
The multiple cliffhangers ending season 1 would bring back huge
audiences in season 2 but then the inevitable dilemma surfaced for the writers
– you reveal the killer and audiences drop or you drag out the reveal and
audiences drop.
Probably the most fascinating thing for me personally with
Twin Peaks is how I got hooked on this murder mystery in the first place. I think the weirdness of it was what got me
to watch it in the first place but liked it even more when it turned into a
fantasy horror series. With the start of
the second season, Twin Peaks went into the realm of very strange and fantastical
with entities that took over people, messages from the forest and the White and
Black Lodges. This was incredible for me
and I loved the show even more once this became part of the series. This would also allow Laura Palmer’s killer
to be just about anyone and for the inhabiting being to escape and cause havoc later on. The series continued to amp up the
strangeness and fantasy elements and it was all good for me.
Unfortunately the ratings dropped and perhaps the reason was
rooted with this change toward horror fantasy but certainly one can see a
massive shift once the killer is revealed and dealt with. After the reveal for viewers, the ratings
dropped off significantly and never came back even when the killer was revealed
to the characters. Right off the bat you have so much going on in terms of
characters leaving the series, and others with very little to do. So many stupid plot lines were developed in
season 2 to keep these characters occupied and most of them did not work. The ideas were quirky and even funny at times
and while they all seemed to make fun of daytime soap operas (something the
show did well in season 1) the ideas were no longer good. 
Still, there were plot lines that remained strong and toward
the end of season 2 the show was rolling toward another incredible cliffhanger
montage involving many characters on the brink of death. Alas the series was not renewed and so many
fans were devastated. I always felt the
show could have continued and felt that a showdown between good and evil, the
people who were touched and the ones her were generally bad with the White and
Black Lodges as the back drop but that was never to be.
The series deals with things that are not what they appear, duality of people and things and the good and evil that are part of this duality. Many characters seem to have a double life or double meaning. They all have secrets. This is a great theme that constantly steered the show from start to finish and is part of what makes the show so interesting to discuss and analyse.
The prequel movie Twin Peaks Fire Walk With Me was a
least something to appease fans and while my first feelings were that I could
care less of the past, I wanted to know what happened after season 2, the movie
was well crafted and so powerful. Sure,
the movie went way past crazy and into weird even for Lynch’s standard at the
time – Black dog runs at night – really?
Stop that!!!
The movie is one of my favorite movies of all time as it
retells the tale of Laura Palmer’s last days and her fighting off of the forces
looking to take her over. Thankfully the
fantasy elements were in full force in the movie and while many other
characters were left with little to do, it gave Sheryl Lee the limelight in an
incredible performance. I can certainly
see why some fans disliked the movie because it had little sense of humor and
quirkiness. It was a sad tale of a
teenage girl spiraling down the wrong path but in the end she heroically fights
off the forces of evil that have been plaguing her for years and is redeemed in
one of the happiest endings you can possibly imagine for a story or a girl
being killed.
With the highlight of the movie leaving a good taste for me,
the actual series holds up well for me and I enjoyed it perhaps more than the
last time I visited it. I was not as
bored or annoyed with the bad plots, although Nicky the orphan and the civil
war re-enactment are still low points.
This Blu-ray set has lots of benefits and reasons why I
purchased it day one. The HD presentation is beautiful. Not much more can be said. The set is absolutely packed full of extras,
many of which were included in the DVD set but some new ones. I highly recommend the set as it is just full
of quality and content. There have been
audio sync problems for some people although in my case a change in one setting
seemed to fix the problem.
One of the highlights for me on this set was the Missing
Pieces which would consist of 90 minutes of deleted scenes from the movie Twin
Peaks – Fire Walk With Me. I have been waiting for these scenes since the movie
came out.
The deleted scenes, for the most part, are made up of some
filler material just to give some of the many characters from the series a
chance to at least appear in the movie.
They are really not part of the main story and while they might add some
humor or character moments, one can see why they were cut. Peggy Lipton’s Norma Jennings was one of the
more notable cuts with a couple of great moments in the diner and later with
Big Ed that really show a bit more of her sadness and love for Big Ed. It is good to see these important characters
at least make a fleeting appearance and in many cases the scenes are there to
support some of the elements presented in the series including Laura’s call to
Dr. Jacoby and Sheriff Truman’s sting operation for a drug bust are elements
that we would see more of in the series.
Still, there are some great deleted scenes that are either
creepy or important to the story but none of which were necessary. It was incredible to see some clips that were
meant to take place after the happenings of the series, including Annie being
taken to the hospital and the moments after Copper smashes his head against the
hotel mirror. Don’t expect any
resolution or closure though.
Another highlight was David Lynch interviewing the
characters Sarah, Laura and Leland Palmer.
The interview is as awkward as it sounds and a bit unsettling. The interview with the actor and actresses is
much better and informative.
The presentation of the set is beautiful and a lot of work
was put into the restoration and remastering work. There are loads of extras and easter eggs,
some of which I have yet to view.
To say this is the ultimate release for Twin Peaks is a sure
bet but there are a few things not included in the set that might upset some
die-hards. The Saturday Night Live skit
is one of those extras that is included on the original DVD but not this
set. Also some fans have wished there was
a longer cut of the movie instead of the deleted scenes presented separately. It would have been neat to see this but it is
not needed. I also thought I had heard
that the final episode of the series had lots more footage that was
excised. Whether that is true or not,
who knows but I was hoping for more deleted scenes from the series.
If you are a fan, think about getting this set. It is incredible. If you have never seen the series, you may
want to give it a shot, it is worth your time.
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