With the return of Twin Peaks, we’ll finally learn the fate of one of TV’s coolest heroes.
by Shimbo
Maybe it’s our obsession with nostalgia, or simply the never-ending love of a damn fine cup of coffee, but the Internet gave a collective shout for joy today with news that Twin Peaks, which aired on ABC from 1990-91 and spawning a critically reviled prequel, Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me is coming back courtesy of Showtime in 2016 in the form of nine new episodes.
The brainchild of co-creators David Lynch and writer Mark Frost, Twin Peaks was cancelled by ABC after the second season in 1991, leaving a number of loose ends, a number of which were kinda sorta not tied up at all in 1992’s Fire Walk With Me, a movie that when it premiered at the Cannes Film Festival was met with booing and jeers, but more importantly, even die-hard fans of the series were left disappointed at a film described by some as nearly incoherent.
“Twenty-four years ago, Lynch and Frost ended Twin Peaks with the cruelest series finale ever,” said film critic Jeremy Smith of Ain’t It Cool News. “Fans were irate, and Fire Walk With Me did little to assuage their anger.”
However, as time passed, devotion to the show didn’t, with fans clamoring for resolution that never seemed to come. In fact, Lynch was quoted in a 2001 interview with Empire Magazine conceding that Twin Peaks was “dead as a doornail.” Whatever the case, whether it’s the fact that nostalgia is in style these days, or that all the planets are aligned, the show is coming back to coincide with its 25th anniversary. Using the magic of Twitter, Lynch teased a return last week that seemed to catch everyone’s attention.
Dear Twitter Friends: That gum you like is going to come back in style! #damngoodcoffee
— David Lynch (@DAVID_LYNCH) October 3, 2014
According to Variety, the revival is not intended to be a remake or reboot, with new episodes set in the present day, continuing the story lines that were part of the second, and final season. What this means is that we’ll finally learn the ultimate fate of series’ hero Agent Dale Cooper (Kyle MacLachlan), who was trapped in the Black Lodge by malevolent forces.
As part of the deal, Showtime will rerun episodes from the original series’ first two seasons leading up to the 2016 premiere, however, you can get your Twin Peaks fix right now, as both seasons are currently available for streaming via Netflix.
Fans who’ve waited so long for more Twin Peaks may be heartened further by a Deadline interview with co-creator Frost, who seems optimistic that this could be more than a one-off project:
I wouldn’t think it will take us 25 years to decide the next time around — I hope it wouldn’t because it would be a lot harder to do the work then — but I think anything’s possible to be honest, given that this is happening.
Being that we’re about a year and a half from seeing the final product, it’s important not to let collective excitement over the announcement get the better of us, lest we set our hopes up way too high, which can happen in cases such as these. Revivals can be a tricky thing, but TNT temporarily struck gold with the revival/soft reboot of DALLAS, which regained quite a bit of its fan following, but was unfortunately not renewed for a fourth season, which like the original series, the final episode of season three ended on a cliffhanger of sorts.
While we don’t have any further information on casting, one hopes that many of the original stars who survived the series finale in one form or another, are able to return in addition to a couple who didn’t, particularly the heart of Twin Peaks, slain beauty queen Laura Palmer, played by Sheryl Lee, who at 47 is still as stunning as she was in 1990. Regardless of who shows up and who doesn’t, the primary hope of fans is that justice is finally given to a show that many felt wrapped up far too soon.
“This is an opportunity to rescue a beloved character and deepen the show’s lore,” said Smith (of the show’s revival) “I am at once excited and terrified.”
If we know anything about David Lynch, the corner of excitement and terror is exactly where he wants his audience to be.
Hashim R. Hathaway (Uncle Shimbo) is the host of the Never Daunted Radio Network, and proud father to NeverDaunted.Net. You can reach him on Twitter @NeverDauntedNet