Twin Peaks - TV Series Review

The continuing and unexplained Twin Peaks (2017) begins a quarter of a century after the murder of Laura Palmer upset a Pacific northwestern community. The sequel delves even deeper into the themes of temporality, subjectivity and the issue of dreams. Small-town chef Bob Mulder is left stranded in the Black Lodge with only a look alike of FBI agent Dale Cooper who brings evil to the real world. It also explores the concepts of mystery, duality, and predestination, for the series is rooted in surrealism, among other things. It weaves an atmosphere of suspense which is filled with horror and even dreamlike hopelessness at times. There is great contrast of light and the darkness that slowly mesmerises the viewer while at the same time playing with the concepts of reality and identity within the tangled web of the show’s narrative, and the unceasing struggle between love and evil, past and present.

Great performance is given by the cast, with Kyle MacLachlan as two-sided Dale Cooper. This is one part that needs very careful portrayal that MacLachlan does so unusually well – playing the sweet hero and dark doppelganger with equal passion. This time Michael Horse and Sheryl Lee remind their roles with serious dignity and they are suggesting their characters’ more complex images than typical film-noir antiheroes. The characters, interrelated in the ensemble, create a picture of intertwined narratives that are embedded in multi-faceted characters who serve to build the mysterious atmosphere of Lynch’s work.

David Lynch is a visionary as a director. He continues where the original series left off by making the approaches more unorthodox and the story even more enigmatic. Lynch conducts the plot with intelligent intention regarding the nature of the grotesque, which follows the author’s pedagogy of plot construction that defies rationality and tends to introduce elements of the supernatural. Heshe holds the audience in a state of puzzling absorption through each obscure picture and every metaphorical string.

One must also not forget the musical score by Angelo Badalamenti which forms a very integral part of Twin Peaks and brings in elements of dream likeSurrealism. Every composition elicits an emotion, goes beyond being just a background music and finds its place into carrying for the series an eerie factor. When it comes to the mood, strong narrative introspection is created through the melodies of the music of Angelo Badalamenti which added to the contrasting rhythm which give the feeling that is characteristic of Twin Peaks.

The cinematography is great in the creation of beauty and mystery of Twin Peaks. Obsessively vivid red curtain and lurking corners to confidently echo an operatic intensity of terror. The body positioning and angles are also superbly by the director of photography, Caleb Deschanel, to create the contrast between the beauty of the town’s scenery and the mystery grew compelling enough to look beyond the symbolism of the rabbit hole in the show.

The show boasts of great production which is essential in capturing the surreality of the show adequately. Every place in the series – the Black Lodge, the Shining’s Overlook Hotel, even a town diner feels designed to provoke feelings of familiarity, fear and anticipation. This makes it easier for the work of art to embed a fairy-like aspect into the entire proceeding whilst achieving a harmony of the magical within the mundane life of the characters.

In exploiting the fantastical aspect of the series, special effects are sparingly incorporated to heighten the surrealism of its moments. Ranging from spectral phenomena to slowly changing environments which are designed to recall the audience to the fact that no distinction can be made between real and virtual worlds. The featured effects contribute to instead of distract from the complex layering of the atmospheric narrative, keeping the tension preserved.

The pacing in Twin Peaks is slow and deliberate which helps to sustain the unsettling and at times, confusing story that the show offers. Instead of strict timelines, suspense constantly works with cryptic dialogues and the ethereal look of the show where suddenly shows up the wait is a plus to fully explore the intricate story arcs of the characters in the urban noir mystery drama, Twin Peaks. The narrative progress might be off-putting to some viewers, but it lets Lynch develop themes more richly and thought-provoking and make each scene thrilling and imbued with mythological resonance….Actions and dialogue are kaleidoscopic; they carry symbolic weight through which viewers need to work to decipher the multiplication of meanings. The characters switch between giving enigmatic and profound advice and joking, which describes Lynch’s attitude to words. In subject matter, the spoken word is less informative as it is more of emotional appeal and as a way to elicit thought.

Although Twin Peaks is a perfect parade of masterful storytelling, the play itself is packed with a rich and convoluted narrative that overly is not for everyone. Some may be unhappy with the fact that there is no strict ending, or that it is too obscure. However, for those who are willing to surrender to the mystery this show provides, this is something unique that cannot be found in any other show or series in the context of the norms of the television series. This is not just a show but dazzling work of storytelling mind-bending mystery and dream making, for viewers who are willing to be rewarded. You’ll feel astonished and I dare say smarter after watching David Lynch’s successful reinvention of the cult hit without dumbing down the audience.