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Take me to the Black Lodge where you live

As I was getting into LOST for the first time last year, a fellow ABC series with a devoted cult following was often mentioned: Twin Peaks. I had never seen the show but heard plenty of raves about it from a variety of people. A neighbor two doors down from our house was addicted to the show when it was first on. It's hazy now, but I remember various news stories about the appeal of the show and so on and so forth. However, nobody really wanted to fess up about what this show was about. Being in sixth grade in 1990, I didn't get Twin Peaks at the time, but then again, I didn't get the fuss about Seinfeld either. Those opinions changed over time.

I remember Matt showing me his copy of the first season of Twin Peaks on DVD a few years ago. I loved the box's design and wanted to finally watch an episode of the show. Yet it wasn't until yesterday that I watched the first four episodes (thanks to Netflix). I quickly realized that trying to get complete enjoyment of all things Twin Peaks is difficult for the time being.

Because of rights, the two-hour pilot episode of the show (which introduces most of the main characters, the set-up and so on) is not available on DVD. Thanks to the wonderful site that is YouTube, I got to watch the pilot split into fifteen parts. No, it wasn't the same as watching on DVD, but it'll do for now.

Also, coming off a spectacular first season, many critics of the show would throw mud at the second season. Ratings fell and the show didn't come back for a third season. You do find out who killed Laura Palmer in the second season, but as you probably realize after only after a few episodes, this show wasn't just about solving a murder case.

Still bizarre and gripping today as it was in 1990, the overall plot of Twin Peaks is out there, but not incomprehensible. Yet with only one full season on DVD, the second season overdue to be on DVD, no pilot episode on DVD and a prequel movie on DVD that is best understood after you watch the two seasons, you wish matters were a little easier. Trying to follow along with the overall plot is difficult enough. Is it too much to ask for a box set with everything?

Comments

Anonymous said…
Twin Peaks was about as weird as you can get for that time.In reality the show had a couple really stupid uninteresting side plots that i skip everytime i have watched the show.Also Twin Peaks was essentially a continuation of themes laid out in the much better Blue Velvet.Frankly Lynch has pretty much been remaking Blue Velvet for years.Both the first & second season of Twin peaks can be found on VHS if you look hard enough as well as the pilot.Also remember the Twin Peaks movie where Lynch got to indulge all his r-rated fantasies concerning the hot chicks in the show although the girl who played Donna on tv chose not to participate.At the end of DJ Shadows first album you can hear the giant from Twin Peaks repeating it is happening again.
Anyway Lynch is weird about his movies & shows so good luck on the dvd thing.For instance Mulholland Drive has no chapter breaks on the dvd because Lynch wants his work to be watched as a piece.He's an odd guy.Oh & back in the day the dancing backwards speaking dwarf was definitely the high point of the show.And season 2 did suck because once they solved the murder the show lost it's focus.The X-Files has a great Twin peaks tribute in one of the shows where Mulder eats piece after piece of cherry pie late at night in a small town cafe.As you can see i was a big fan.
11:43 PM
Eric Grubbs said…
I love Mulholland Drive, but prior to yesterday, I had never seen any of his other stuff. Blue Velvet is now going on the Netflix queue . . .
11:46 PM
Matthew said…
According to an Entertainment Weekly article, the entire Twin Peaks series will be released on DVD by the end of the year. Let's hope that's more than a rumor.
8:51 AM
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