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The ‘Twin Peaks’ Finale Was Pure David Lynch And It Left People Looking For Countless Answers

WARNING: Spoilers for the Twin Peaks finale ahead.

So we’ve come to the end of the 2017 revival event series for David Lynch and Mark Frost’s Twin Peaks. As was expected by most fans of Lynch, the conclusion offered very few answers regarding the events of the series, the evils of The Black Lodge, and just how it is all of it was tied together. After being off the air for nearly three decades, Twin Peaks ended on a cliffhanger once again and has no plans for another return according to Deadline:

“It was always intended to be one season,” Showtime president and CEO David Nevins told Deadline at the Showtime TCA party. “A lot of people are speculating but there’s been zero contemplation, zero discussions other than fans asking me about it.”

For most who probably were just introduced to the world of Dale Cooper and Twin Peaks, the series was confusing and its ending one of those divisive endings that make you scratch your head. Some on Twitter mentioned The Sopranos finale as a good comparison, but those who were familiar are aware that this was just David Lynch doing his thing. The show is an experience, with some moments that are meant to be interpreted different ways and others that are just there to elicit certain reactions. And no matter how you decide to view the series, you’re locked in for a ride that is out of your control and only goes where David Lynch wants it to. For every disappointment, there was double the amount of satisfaction throughout the rest of the series.

We’ll cover more of the actual finale when Alan Sepinwall and Keith Phipps return with their final Peaks TV discussion following the holiday, but for now we can soak in the reactions from those who watched Sunday’s finale. Most folks seemed to be left grasping for any kind of answer about how the series ended, with Cooper seemingly crossing over to another weird world with the newly returned Diane. From there we have a dark road, an old hotel, a sex scene between the two, Cooper waking up in another hotel, some angry cowboys at Judy’s diner, a woman who seems to be Laura Palmer but isn’t Laura Palmer, a trip back to Twin Peaks to Laura’s home, and a realization that something is not right punctuated by one of Sheryl Lee’s wild screams.

That’s about as good as a plot recap is going to get, which seems to be where folks fell off the wagon:

https://twitter.com/jdiannedotson/status/904691513346506752

https://twitter.com/renothecity/status/904657230619860992

https://twitter.com/steel_neena/status/904684151659483136

https://twitter.com/andylevy/status/904538308545581056

Others were fine with it and did their best to convey the concept that the Twin Peaks revival is just an 18-hour film and its ending, like most of Lynch’s ending, is open for interpretation depending on whatever mood you’re in at the time. There was also plenty of praise for Lynch and Kyle MacLachlan’s performance on the show, with eyes on the Emmys for next year:

https://twitter.com/jowrotethis/status/904610165126598656

https://twitter.com/michelledeidre/status/904580269230788609

And, of course, plenty of other folks aimed to make their jokes:

What is evident about this Twin Peaks revival is that event should be bolded when talking about this event series. While it’s doubtful it could have the same influence as the original ABC series, it represents the potential of what the prestige television we’ve seen over the past few decades. Lynch called television the “new art-house” and his 18-part Twin Peaks revival supports that view, taking the type of artistic risks you would’ve seen in cinema 30-40 years ago but with a budget that can unleash an imagination. Not many creators would’ve been given the chance to make a project how they see fit, but not every creator is David Lynch.

Hopefully we’ll get more Twin Peaks or something like it in the near future. If not, this was worth the wait.

(Via Deadline / Indiewire)