Twin Peaks

[elbows]

then, Lynch/Frost kind of lost interest in the series due to excessive meddling, and by the final episodes, it ran out of steam.

They took their eyes off the ball during a chunk of season 2, but Lynch really wanted it to continue. The insanity of the final episodes was at least in part an attempt to keep up interest in getting another series that would answer some of the stunning array of cliff-hangers that last episode offered.

For example here is Lynch being interviewed by Letterman and not being shy of begging people to write to the ABC network boss.

Also, is it me, or the "mystery club" (the pet name a friend of mine have for James/Donna/Maddy) are thick as shit?

James was certainly well thick, and the last few times I've watched it I eventually got pissed off with Donna for being so damn reckless (J'ai une âme solitaire.)

 

[maya]

Like somebody mentioned already, I like that they eventually turned the latter part of season 2 back to the supernatural/mystery stuff rather than continuing with the mellow/quirky comedy-ish mood (not that that haven't got its strengths too, if it was all eerie dread it would be almost unbearable to watch at least for the easily scared like me).

They should've made a season 3, but even if they hadn't been axed by the network that would perhaps have proved a bit difficult as AFAIK there were personality clashes between cast members- Sheryl Lee and Sherilyn Fenn, basically Lee had thought it would be 'her' show, then Fenn came along and got all the attention...

If Lynch could agree to a Kickstarter fundraiser thing, perhaps fans could make it their mission to get him to finally produce a third season? The cast are all too old (or in some cases even deceased) now though. Not sure it'd work with different actors.

Have anyone seen the Twin Peaks tribute episode of the comedy detective show Psych, 'Dual Spires'? It's mostly nonsense but pretty enjoyable if you make it a sport to catch all the references... They also managed to cast many of the original actors, both Sherilyn Fenn (who plays a mysterious librarian) and Sheryl Lee (a sinister veterinarian) and Dana Ashbrook who played the character Bobby plays the father of the teenager Paula Merral (an anagram of Laura Palmer) who's found murdered by a lake. Even Julee Cruise appears briefly, singing the Psych theme tune in a Lynchian way...

 

[Miss Caphat]

I'm starting a rewatch....anyone else?

 

[Silva]

They took their eyes off the ball during a chunk of season 2, but Lynch really wanted it to continue. The insanity of the final episodes was at least in part an attempt to keep up interest in getting another series that would answer some of the stunning array of cliff-hangers that last episode offered.

For example here is Lynch being interviewed by Letterman and not being shy of begging people to write to the ABC network boss.



James was certainly well thick, and the last few times I've watched it I eventually got pissed off with Donna for being so damn reckless (J'ai une âme solitaire.)

Lynch was certainly interested, but there was also lots of frustration early on because of the pressures to solve the murder. I think that lead to some disregard for the quality of writing in the middle of the season.

Like somebody mentioned already, I like that they eventually turned the latter part of season 2 back to the supernatural/mystery stuff rather than continuing with the mellow/quirky comedy-ish mood (not that that haven't got its strengths too, if it was all eerie dread it would be almost unbearable to watch at least for the easily scared like me).

They should've made a season 3, but even if they hadn't been axed by the network that would perhaps have proved a bit difficult as AFAIK there were personality clashes between Sheryl Lee and Sherilyn Fenn, basically Lee had thought it would be 'her' show, then Fenn came along and got all the attention...

If Lynch could agree to a Kickstarter fundraiser thing, perhaps fans could make it their mission to get him to finally produce a third season? The cast are all old now though.

Have anyone seen the Twin Peaks tribute episode of the comedy detective show Psych, 'Dual Spires'? It's mostly nonsense but pretty enjoyable if you make it a sport to catch all the references... They also managed to cast many of the original actors, both Sherilyn Fenn (who plays a mysterious librarian) and Sheryl Lee (a sinister veterinarian) and Dana Ashbrook (who played the character Bobby) plays the father of the teenager Paula Merral (an anagram of Laura Palmer) who's found murdered by a lake. Even Julee Cruise appears singing the Psych theme tune in a Lynchian way...

Not Sheryl Lee - she was a local theatre actress picked up to be the girl wrapped in plastic, and only got a second look as Maddy because Lynch really liked her - can't say I blame him, she has an absolutely glowing screen presence in Twin Peaks.
Now, Lara Flynn Boyle? Yeah, I could see her being pissed over Lee being on every cover, and having to split PR duties with her and Fenn (and Madchen Amick, now that we're at it). And IIRC MacLachlan opposed a Coop + Audrey romance, (allegedly) because he was dating Lara Flynn Boyle at time, which pissed Fenn to the point she broke off with almost everyone in the cast once the series were wrapped.

The Psych episode is

 

[maya]

I'm starting a rewatch....anyone else?

Yep

Lynch was certainly interested, but there was also lots of frustration early on because of the pressures to solve the murder. I think that lead to some disregard for the quality of writing in the middle of the season.

Yeah, I got that impression too- there's some conflicting reports on what actually went on during the filming of W2, as everyone's memories about that time seems a bit vague... Some people said they didn't actually remembering seeing Lynch or Mark Frost (the other writer/producer of the show) much at all in the beginning of W2, and that they just had to get on with it... But who knows what is true and not (memories tend to play tricks with age, and different people have different sympathies/agendas, and so on)

Not Sheryl Lee - she was a local theatre actress picked up to be the girl wrapped in plastic, and only got a second look as Maddy because Lynch really liked her - can't say I blame him, she has an absolutely glowing screen presence in Twin Peaks.
Now, Lara Flynn Boyle? Yeah, I could see her being pissed over Lee being on every cover, and having to split PR duties with her and Fenn (and Madchen Amick, now that we're at it). And IIRC MacLachlan opposed a Coop + Audrey romance, (allegedly) because he was dating Lara Flynn Boyle at time, which pissed Fenn to the point she broke off with almost everyone in the cast once the series were wrapped.

Ah, didn't know all this... thanks for the detail. IIRC my source for that quote was an interview with Sherilyn Fenn, so it kind of makes sense if it was the other way around, anyway it doesn't really matter as it's the show and their performance that matters anyway, not what went on behind the scenes... I can see Flynn Boyle and Kyle MacLachlan get on, though- now I've got that image stuck in my head (I didn't mean literally! But got a visual flash now that I happened to mention it)

The Psych episode is

I loved it, it was good fun and nice of those original cast members to allow themselves to affectionately poke fun of/honour the series... Apparently the writer J. Roday (who plays the annoying-but-brilliant fake psychic detective Shawn Spencer) is a massive fan of the show.

 

[Treacle Toes]

I'm starting a rewatch....anyone else?

Tempting! TP was the first thing I can really remember getting hooked on TV wise. It's been years since I've any of it which bodes well for a rewatch.

 

[Silva]

Apparently the writer J. Roday (who plays the annoying-but-brilliant fake psychic detective Shawn Spencer) is a massive fan of the show.

I recall reading an article that said one of the reasons US TV entered some sort of "golden age" on the past decade or so is in part because Twin Peaks had a massive impact on college kids who grew up to be tv writers, and with it they learned how to do things (and how to not do them as well), and so most mystery writers now are huge fans.

 

[zoooo]

They're about to repeat it on the Syfy channel from 1st September. (I know someone must have already said that on the thread, but I just can't see it.)

I was obsessed with this show when I was 12, and it's never really left my head since. Bob is still the scariest character I've ever seen in anything ever.

 

[Miss Caphat]

Yep

Oh, it sounded like you were pretty far into it now, sorry!

 

[Awesome Wells]

Twin Peaks possibly the greatest thing on TV ever.

And the episode where Bob

Spoiler: Does Anything At All

kills Maddy is fucking

scary.

The owls are hooting.

New shoes!

 

[maya]

^ (@Awesome Wells ) - Oi! ... no spoilers please!

 

[Bernie Gunther]

Are James/Donna/Maddy a sort of prototype for Buffy's 'Scooby Gang' do you think?

Seems like some DNA in common, at least in the relationship dynamics ...

 

[maya]

Are James/Donna/Maddy a sort of prototype for Buffy's 'Scooby Gang' do you think?

Seems like some DNA in common, at least in the relationship dynamics ...

Not sure, it could be coincidence? Investigative/inquisitive teenagers are a staple of boy's own/girly mystery stories all the way from Enid Blyton and Nancy Drew, plus aren't Buffy's gang called that as an affectionate dig at the hapless detective gang in the Scooby Doo cartoon? You may be right though... I dunno. Someone should ask Joss(sp?) Whedon about that!

 

[maya]

I recall reading an article that said one of the reasons US TV entered some sort of "golden age" on the past decade or so is in part because Twin Peaks had a massive impact on college kids who grew up to be tv writers, and with it they learned how to do things (and how to not do them as well), and so most mystery writers now are huge fans.

It was probably one of (or maybe THE) first time anyone had used the TV medium seriously as 'art', and it's probably more influential than it gets credit for as regardless of whether you liked it or not it was hugely influential when it first arrived and lots of the lore seeped into general culture, more so over time... Especially the occult-ish stuff about owls,the black/white lodge(s), etc...

I know some actors and they both cite Twin Peaks and Lynch as one of the first epiphanies they had re: film as a serious medium, don't know any writers but it's probably the same for many of the people who are working now... It even happens retrospectively, as people who perhaps weren't even born when the series were first broadcast still discovers it via dvds and so on...

It took a long time for it to happen, though- AFAIK it was only with 'Six Feet Under' that US tv series started to get a good rep- before that we'd almost universally ridiculed the series from over there because of the blandness and sillyness of it all, very few took it seriously. Then the floodsheds opened and we were presented with wave after wave of really top dramas, Sopranos, The Wire etc. It still goes on... even though the new golden age mostly consists of more 'realistic', gritty shows very different from TP.

 

[maya]

I like the daft cop who cries all the time

(stops over-bothering thread ((( multiple posts ))) )

 

[Bernie Gunther]

The Famous Five never drifted along into S&M though (well, presumably there's some fan-fic along those lines and it doesn't take much imagination to see George as an S&M dyke and Julian as a child-raping Tory cabinet minister with Dick as his spin-doctor)

Whereas, the mystery gang in Twin Peaks have to deal with their late friend Laura getting into some seriously freaky stuff, heavy SM, maybe black magic. I love the way they grapple with understanding that, for me that was breakthrough TV at its finest.

One of the things I liked about Buffy is that, while it never got as serious-freaky as Twin Peaks and stayed in this sort of Anne Rice / Universal Pictures tropes comfort zone, the 'scooby gang' did have to deal with their friends getting into adult deep waters.

 

[Fez909]

Has anyone watched Carnivale? I've never seen it but I've heard it being compared to TP in terms of quality and weirdness.

It was cancelled after only one season, I think, so there's no closure. That's one of the reasons I haven't watched it yet. But I will someday.

Any good?

 

[Awesome Wells]

The Famous Five never drifted along into S&M though (well, presumably there's some fan-fic along those lines and it doesn't take much imagination to see George as an S&M dyke and Julian as a child-raping Tory cabinet minister with Dick as his spin-doctor)

Whereas, the mystery gang in Twin Peaks have to deal with their late friend Laura getting into some seriously freaky stuff, heavy SM, maybe black magic. I love the way they grapple with understanding that, for me that was breakthrough TV at its finest.

One of the things I liked about Buffy is that, while it never got as serious-freaky as Twin Peaks and stayed in this sort of Anne Rice / Universal Pictures tropes comfort zone, the 'scooby gang' did have to deal with their friends getting into adult deep waters.

I don't think Laura was into black magic. She just got into drugs and sex at One Eyed Jacks or whatever it was called. They showed this in the film (which was very strange).

 

[maya]

Has anyone watched Carnivale? I've never seen it but I've heard it being compared to TP in terms of quality and weirdness.

It was cancelled after only one season, I think, so there's no closure. That's one of the reasons I haven't watched it yet. But I will someday.

Any good?

It seemed promising for the first few episodes, then suddenly took a duller turn and ignored any remotely interesting subplots/thematic turns previously implied and degenerated into a more and more banal 'evil on the prowl' hunt, with lots of stupid things happening for no apparent reason and the internal logic/consistency of the characters/plot breaking down.

(Interestingly IIRC because the the most violently evil- actually literally devilish- character happened to be a preacher, the show got in trouble and outrage amongst 'bible belt' type groups in the US played a part in the show getting cancelled...)

Personally I really wanted to like it, as it features so many great elements which are usually interesting on their own- the whole travelling circus setting, the band of 'freaks', magic/occult-ish themes (poorly explored here though), the dustbowl depression era, hints of Los Alamos as some sort of cosmic disaster possibly preventable by the main character, etc.-But the writing isn't that great and you just sit there and think what a great show it *could* have been... if you get past the minor irritations of the increasingly stupid storyline and the acting getting worse towards the end, it's worth a watch if you enjoy that sort of thing... But it's not as great as it could've been if the writing hadn't gone off the rails.

(But don't listen to me, lots of people love it- watch it and see for yourself what you think!)

Fun fact: Michael J. Anderson ('the man from another place' in Twin Peaks) has a big role in Carnivale as Samson the circus manager.

I don't think Laura was into black magic. She just got into drugs and sex at One Eyed Jacks or whatever it was called. They showed this in the film (which was very strange).

Spoiler: MEGA MASSIVE AWFUL BLOODY SPOILER

I deleted my spoiler because it was too sinister. ... Sorry.

 

[Awesome Wells]

You know too much, I have sent for the Wychfinder General

 

[maya]

Perhaps I should delete that post... Analysing all that stuff just made it sound lots more traditionally biblical and oppressive than I wanted it to be, I don't think it does the show justice, perhaps we should make more room for the mystery and let people decide for themselves...

 

[Fez909]

Perhaps I should delete that post... Analysing all that stuff just made it sound lots more traditionally biblical and oppressive than I wanted it to be, I don't think it does the show justice, perhaps we should make more room for the mystery and let people decide for themselves...

They can still do that while your analysis and thoughts exist. Leave it, IMO

 

[Awesome Wells]

Perhaps I should delete that post... Analysing all that stuff just made it sound lots more traditionally biblical and oppressive than I wanted it to be, I don't think it does the show justice, perhaps we should make more room for the mystery and let people decide for themselves...

DOPPELGANGER!

 

[maya]

DOPPELGANGER!

... Que? (shh, I still haven't finished season 2 yet, I've over half of it left right now so I don't know all there is to know about TP yet )

 

[maya]

They can still do that while your analysis and thoughts exist. Leave it, IMO

It sounded a bit fundamentalist, though... It worried me after I read it back and I don't know if text like that should exist on the internet. It's sinister. And latently misogynist? Which is worrying and I'm not sure it can be defended. Have David Lynch got a problem with women? I've thought this before, always said so during discussions of his films in particular, but it's mostly a feeling (apart from the visual evidence/portrayal/moods in most of his work).

EDIT: OK, I just deleted it... It was too upsetting to see it all written down like that. I don't know exactly why (well, I thought I formulated pretty well why, but- you know-) Anyway... Perhaps literal interpretations aren't always the most fruitful in every case.

 

[maya]

(sorry for sinking yet another thread... was going to post something funny to lighten up the mood a bit, like the intro to the Psych tribute episode, but c0pyright bastards have removed it from Y0utube! Grr...)

OK, here's something less sinister: Remembering the OTT parody soap opera, "An Invitation To Love", which everyone kept watching at the beginning of season one? The events/intrigues going on there seemed to mirror things that were going on in Twin Peaks at the time each episode was aired (one male character getting shot at the exact same moment Leo is shot, for instance). But then it's gone and nobody watches it again and nothing more is heard of it... Perhaps keeping it up would've been too obvious.

And in the federal investigation re: Cooper's unsuitable behaviour in season 2, one of the agents writing down his statement is using a stoneage laptop, the first and probably only introduction of 'modern' technology in the series! It's an Apple, very primitive looking (grey and with a b/w screen), and when he folds down the lid to close it the thing looks over five inches thick!?! It's pretty hilariously clunky.

Another thing: They keep talking about 'testing the blood they found to determine the bloodtype (to find out whether it matches the killer(s)/criminals)'- this means they haven't got DNA technology yet, was this the case in 1990? When did DNA testing/technology get more commonly available, does anyone know?

Also- life before mobile phones... You had to locate a phone to make a call. Sooo long ago!

 

[Miss Caphat]

soooo.....about that rewatch: new thread? or stay on this thread?

 

[Fez909]

soooo.....about that rewatch: new thread? or stay on this thread?

Might be worth creating a new one. IMO, it would be good if everyone watched it at the same time, but almost impossible to get everyone to agree to keep to a schedule. I suggested something similar on another thread (Breaking Bad maybe) and it wasn't popular.

 

[savoloysam]

Gold box set is pretty decent quality for SD. Worth buying to have the second best ever tv show on hard copy.

 

[Miss Caphat]

Might be worth creating a new one. IMO, it would be good if everyone watched it at the same time, but almost impossible to get everyone to agree to keep to a schedule. I suggested something similar on another thread (Breaking Bad maybe) and it wasn't popular.

I see

well, what about something like one or two episodes a week, and you can watch ahead but you can't talk about episodes ahead of the one the group is on?