Twin Peaks Review: The End of the Beginning
Yana Grebenyuk
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The biggest mindf*ck of Twin Peaks was the fact that 18 hours were spent giving us next to nothing.
During Twin Peaks Season 1 Episode 17 and Twin Peaks Season 1 Episode 18, the lesson we were meant to take from all this is that there should never be any expectations for answers.
Seriously, who else was counting the concepts, characters, and plots that were introduced only never to be picked up again?
Of course, a case could be made that David Lynch wasn't looking to answer everything for us, he didn't want to pack it all in a nice box and tie it with a pretty bow.
And no one was really expecting it, but why create a revival that focuses on nothing but strangers and useless plotlines if there wasn't going to be a payback at the end?
It is either a misunderstanding about what drew fans to the show, something I highly doubt, or it was just a complete disregard for the loyal fan base that kept the memory of Twin Peaks alive all this time.
Cooper and his progress were the only paths we truly followed in the finale; there were appearances made by other characters but not ones that stood out.
It was all Cooper all the time, which frankly is exactly what I wanted 17 episodes ago.
The first half of the two part finale even felt like everything for which I was holding out hope. I wasn't going to forget that I had to sit through Dougie Jones for as long as I did, but at least I would get to see Cooper back with the gang trying to figure everything out before their time ran out.
Even watching Freddie take out BOB and Diane emerging from within another character was worth it if there was finally going to be more time spent on those people I actually came back to see.
Then there was a mention of it all being a dream, and it makes sense, things were getting too easy for Lynch, and the next step was to turn it all on its head.
You've gone soft in your old age.
Albert
But trying to turn back the nature of Laura Palmer's demise, only to then go searching for her seems like such a brilliant idea for the beginning of the story.
How much better would have everything been if this was introduced right at the start, or at least half way through?
Trying to explore this parallel universe where Laura didn't die like BOB planned and then creating a search for her is wonderful. It brings back to the forefront what the original series was about: Laura Palmer and the way things in Twin Peaks shifted because of her.
Having that be the main idea of the revival sounds like a whole new journey, one that could include all the people we were waiting to see after all this time.
Laura was always at the center of everything; it would be very easy to come back to that again and get pulled along that road.
We're just entering Twin Peaks city limits, is the coffee on?
Cooper
Instead, we got 17 episodes of nonsense, some of which could have been extraordinary but it was never referenced or explained again so how would we even know?
We settled for this other universe, following Laura and Cooper around during this game of "What If," to some results. Once again there were big chunks of time that didn't need to be wasted on one act, but they were anyway.
At first, Diane and Cooper tried to make us believe that we were rooting for them all along, or maybe the fact that it was thrown at us was the sign that it wouldn't last longer than a day for those two.
And just like that Diane was gone, a strong and interesting character wasn't beneficial anymore, so she got wrapped up before there was time to process that.
Maybe that is my biggest issue with the finale, otherwise known as the utter disrespect towards some of the most significant characters in all this.
The past dictates the future.
Cooper
Diane was this person that we heard so much about, and she lived up to everything that wasn't even promised during the first two seasons. She had lines of dialogue that stole the episode, and her interactions with others took on another path altogether.
Then it was confirmed that Diane was never this person we met, so one has to wonder what was she actually like. This woman that Cooper recorded entire conversations for, this individual he was so happy to see when he came out of the Black Lodge.
She truly remained a mystery, but not before sleeping with Cooper and making it all even more awkward than one could have imagined.
Then we have Laura Palmer, the reason the story follows the course that it does. This finale didn't need to, but it proved once again why she deserved the amount of screen time that she had in the original series.
Her screams were not only chilling; they were foreshadowing what would come our way. Laura reminded us of how much promise she continues to have, both in flashbacks and in this universe where she isn't even Laura and might be some sort of serial killer.
Is it future or is it past?
MIKE
If anyone deserved more of a story, it had to be the woman that Cooper was told to find in the very beginning of the revival itself. This went unnoticed and forgotten for a while, yet it always comes back to Laura.
Then we have Audrey, the fan favorite that had less screen time than some of the new characters who supplied nothing in the long run. Audrey was forgotten, then when there was finally a promising cliffhanger that teased an entire arc for her, she was forgotten once again.
There was no mention of her or even where she was, and I don't think it is too extreme to say that was one of the reasons the finale was ruined for me.
In preparation for the wrap-up, it looked like we were going to get all these answers, even if they were long overdue. Instead, Audrey was paid no attention again, and that was such a mistake.
Are you sure you want to do this?
Diane
When you are in possession of a character that made an impression, one that stuck with the fanbase for this long, why not capitalize on it? Why not use all the favorite parts of your creation in a revival meant for those people that were waiting this whole time to see more of exactly that?
This disregard or lack of understanding is frustrating beyond belief because it shows that there was barely any effort made to want to craft a continuation of something that others appreciated.
The final scene of the show opened it up for more stories to be told, but will anyone tune in? How much trust is left for a show that not only stripped their most important parts out of the narrative but that also introduced new information for the sake of never returning to it again?
Even Cooper's current state, is he good or is he bad or is he a little bit of both? Who cares?
That will never be answered, and the only thing that really stuck with me was the ending, that last line and Laura screaming were what this revival should have been and never got to be.
What year is it?
Cooper
What did you think of Twin Peaks' finale? Which part appealed to you more? Which characters did you wish you got to see more? What did you enjoy the most from the wrap-up?
Do you still want to know why that guy needed a light so bad? What are some questions you didn't get answers to? Let us know what you think below!
Yana Grebenyuk was a staff writer for TV Fanatic. She retired in April 2021.
