When Twin Peaks originally aired on ABC, were the people tuning in for the mystery behind the death of Laura Palmer or was it more to experience the weird world created by David Lynch in Washington state. Lynch apparently never wanted to solve the murder and felt it killed the show, sadly proven when fans tuned out once it was solved. Still, there’s enough to love in the original series to make the case that the murder an afterthought. Quirky characters, a supernatural influence, and a weird humor that seemed to be unlike anything people had seen on television.
The first season was a hit, the second season dropped off, and the film that attempted to explain everything did not receive a warm reception. That’s why it might seem puzzling that the revival series coming to Showtime is gaining so much attention. What is drawing viewers in to watch a return to these characters and the town of Twin Peaks? The latest teasers that were just released seem to be playing upon the watercooler/mystery nature of the original series to build excitement. And it might work. Mystery plays into why a lot of people watch TV these days and a lot of shows have come and gone since Twin Peaks was on the air. If the death of Laura Palmer was never solved, it would’ve definitely taken a back seat to the unsolved mysteries of Lost by this point.
So really, these previews are missing the true reason a lot of folks are excited. It’s the feel that David Lynch gave off at his TCA Q&A, that oddball quality that you don’t get from other movies or television shows. The coffee, the pies, the odd habits. It’s been gone, but it’s coming back and it’s enough to excite.
(Via Showtime)
