Series Review: "Twin Peaks" (2017).

"Twenty-five years later, the story continues" in Twin Peaks (Also known as Twin Peaks: The Return and Twin Peaks: A Limited Event Series). This mystery horror drama created by David Lynch and Mark Frost. The series is the continuation of the 1990-91 ABC series. The series picks up twenty-five years after the inhabitants of a quaint northwestern town are stunned when their homecoming queen is murdered.

Since its premiere on April 8, 1990 on ABC, Twin Peaks became one of the top-rated series of 1990, but declining ratings led to its cancellation in 1991 after its second season. In subsequent years, the series has often been listed among the greatest television dramas of all time. In 1992, a prequel film entitled Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me was spawned. Despite its cult popularity, in 2001, Lynch stated that the series was as "dead as a doornail." In 2007, artist Matt Haley began work on a graphic novel continuation, which he hoped would be included in the "Complete Mystery" DVD box set. Producer Robert Engels agreed to help write it on the condition that Lynch and Frost approved the project. Paramount Home Entertainment agreed to package it with the box set, also on the condition that Lynch and Frost approved. Though Frost approved the project, Lynch vetoed it, saying that he respected the effort but did not want to continue the story of the series. In 2013, rumors that the series would return were dismissed by Jennifer Lynch (author of The Secret Diary of Laura Palmer) and Frost. In January 2014, a casting call for a Twin Peaks promo, directed by Lynch, was revealed to be the filming of a featurette for the Twin Peaks: The Complete Mystery Blu-ray set. In September 2014, Lynch answered a question about Twin Peaks at the Lucca Film Festival by saying it was a "tricky question", and that "there's always a possibility... and you just have to wait and see." In early October 2014, Showtime announced that it would air a nine-episode miniseries written by Lynch and Frost and directed by Lynch. Frost emphasized that the new episodes were not a remake or reboot but a continuation of the series. The episodes are set in the present day, and the passage of twenty-five years is an important element in the plot. In March 2015, Lynch expressed doubts about the production due to "complications". Showtime confirmed the season was moving forward. In early April, Lynch said he would not direct the nine episodes due to budget constraints. In mid May, Lynch confirmed that he and Showtime came to an agreement, that he would direct, and that there would be more episodes than the originally announced nine. At a Twin Peaks panel in Seattle, Sherilyn Fenn and Sheryl Lee said that the new season would consist of 18 episodes and Angelo Badalamenti would return as composer. 

By early September, Kyle MacLachlan, Mädchen Amick, Dana Ashbrook, Richard Beymer, Joan Chen, Sherilyn Fenn, Catherine E. Coulson, Eric Da Re, Warren Frost, Harry Goaz, Michael Horse, David Patrick Kelly, Peggy Lipton, James Marshall, Everett McGill, Jack Nance, Kimmy Robertson, Wendy Robie, Russ Tamblyn, Alicia Witt, Grace Zabriskie, David Duchovny, Miguel Ferrer, Don S. Davis, Frank Silva, Al Strobel, Carel Struycken, Ray Wise, Sheryl Lee, and Lynch would return to reprise their roles. Whilst Michael Cera, Candy Clark, Ana de la Reguera, Sky Ferreira, Robert Forster, Caleb Landry Jones, Ashley Judd, Piper Laurie, Jane Levy, Clark Middleton, Amanda Seyfried, Harry Dean Stanton, Jessica Szohr, Chrysta Bell, Richard Chamberlain, Laura Dern, Ernie Hudson, Jim Belushi, John Billingsley, David Dastmalchian, Patrick Fischler, David Koechner, Josh McDermitt, Sara Paxton, Elena Satine, John Savage, Tom Sizemore, Ethan Suplee, Naomi Watts, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Matthew Lillard, Bérénice Marlohe, James Morrison, Tim Roth, Monica Bellucci, Benjamin Rosenfield, Madeline Zima, Derek Mears, and Francesca Eastwood were cast as newcomers. Many original cast and crew members came out of retirement to work again on the series. To avoid spoilers from leaking online, the cast were only given the scripts with their own lines on each day of shooting, after which they had to return the pages, which were then shredded under supervision. At the same time, principal photography commenced, and wrapped in mid April 2016. Filming took place throughout California and Washington. The series was shot continuously from a single, long shooting script before being edited into episodes. In July 2015, Frost suggested that the season would premiere in 2017 rather than 2016, as originally planned. In January 2016 Nevins confirmed that the season would premiere in the first half of 2017.

The old and new cast are delightfully watchable, and if you don't have a warm Pavlovian reaction during the unchanged credit sequence, you may be inhuman. The old and new cast have an undeniable chemistry that's wonderful to see onscreen again, and the world of Twin Peaks, imperfect though it may sometimes be, is a welcome diversion from our real-world paranoias.

It's still pretty weird with enough embers of the fire that the show once was to get me to stick with it. Still, Lynch and Frost poses enough questions for long-time fans and offers enough intrigue for new ones to be a promising start of a new chapter in the Twin Peaks story. What a cool comeback by two old hands, showing that age shall not wither them, nor the years condemn. This is war and these two TV veterans are locked and loaded for mid-career stardom in the next firmament of mystery horror fiefdom. The first three episodes foreshadows a compelling new series, with hints that it will ultimately knit together many of the show's touchstones. By all accounts, the new episodes get better as they go on, so if it's paranormal and small Americana town you're hankering after, this will hit the spot. Regardless, hungry fans are probably thrilled to have the show back in whatever capacity. The smartest thing that this revival does is play to those fans, who will forgive its flaws, while limiting the run to an eighteen-episode taste.

Simon says Twin Peaks receives: