In the past week or so, there have been rampant rumors on various websites suggesting that cult classic Twin Peaks may be returning in some form. David Lynch has denied a much talked of potential deal with NBC, but it is interesting to note that he didn’t say a revival wasn’t in the works. He just said there wasn’t a deal with NBC. I used to dismiss these types of rumors as impractical. But now that Netflix has rescued Arrested Development, I dare to hope, even though Agent Cooper and the Bookhouse Boys have been off the air much longer than Arrested’s Bluth family.
Twin Peaks was on the air from 1990 to 1991, and had a large and stellar cast including Kyle MacLachlan (Sex in the City, Desperate Housewives, Portlandia), Michael Ontkean, Peggy Lipton (The Mod Squad), Piper Laurie (Carrie), Sherilynn Fenn, Lara Flynn Boyle (The Practice), Richard Beymer (West Side Story), and Russ Tamblyn (West Side Story), among others.
The show begins with a cold northern wind and the body of a beautiful, blonde teenage girl, Laura Palmer, washing up on shore near the town of Twin Peaks, Washington. While watching Special Agent Dale Cooper and his sidekick, Sheriff Harry S. Truman investigate this murder, we get to meet a dysfunctional town full of one-of-a-kind characters:
- FBI Special Agent Dale Cooper (Kyle MacLachlan) The super detail-oriented and ethical agent who delights in cherry pie and a good “cup o’ joe.” He likes to hang upside down in his hotel room while dictating notes of his travels to his assistant, Diane (we never meet Diane, she just gets all these wonderful tapes).
- Sheriff Harry S. Truman (Michael Ontkean) The honest sheriff of Twin Peaks who finds himself a bit in over his head with the Laura Palmer murder and the mayhem that ensues. He and Agent Cooper become friends. Of course, the sheriff is not without his own mystery.
- Audrey Horne (Sherilynn Fenn) The moody and unpredictable 18-year old daughter of rich and powerful hotel owner, Benjamin Horne, whom she tries to derail at every turn—personally and professionally. Her crush on Dale Cooper is at times endearing, and at other times just creepy.
- The Log Lady (Catherine E. Coulson) A woman who carries around a log with her all the time having conversations with it. The log supposedly provides her with visions of the future, but much of the time the log keeps these important visions to itself. This scenes are often just laugh out-loud funny.
- The Man From Another Place (Michael J. Anderson—also Carnivale’s ringmaster) The man from another place appeared in Agent Cooper’s dreams talking backwards and supposedly providing clues to the killer identity. Things that agent Cooper’s conscious mind had missed, but that his unconscious mind hadn’t. To truly understand this character you need to watch the video below:
What secrets was Laura telling Agent Cooper? He didn’t even know back then, although he thought he did. And we all had fun speculating while we ate cherry pie and had a “cup o’ joe.” We obsessed about Agent Cooper’s next move with the Bookhouse Boys. Would Nadine find out about Ed and Norma? Would Leo finally lose it for good? Was Bobby really that bad? Would Audrey push her father or Agent Cooper over the edge first? It was addicting.
Kyle MacLachlan has said in the past that he would be up for a return of Twin Peaks, and has even suggested that webisodes on the Internet might be fun. While they wouldn’t need the entire cast to do a revival, I don’t see this show happening without Agent Cooper and Sheriff Truman and at least a few members of the old cast—Big Ed Hurley, Norma, Donna, and Shelly come to mind. The soundtrack for this show is also hauntingly beautiful (still one of my favorites) as was the scenery. This isn’t a show you can put together right on the cheap.
If Twin Peaks does come back more than twenty years after its original airing, much would have to have changed in this little town. Not only the appearances of the characters and the town (the mill burned down), but also the circumstances of the characters. Maybe the Sheriff and Josie got married. Maybe Agent Cooper finds out that Laura Palmer didn’t die after all. Maybe there is a string of copycat murders suggesting they didn’t arrest the right person all those years ago. Maybe Sheriff Truman and Big Ed have gone missing. The possibilities already have me speculating. Maybe I can track down the Log Lady and see what her log has to say.
If they do bring back the show, I will watch. Will you?
Deborah Lacy likes speakeasies, yellow heirloom tomatoes, and crime fiction. She blogs over at Mystery Playground and at Criminal Element. You can find her on Twitter @quippy.
