For those of you who love this show, how dated is it? Is it still relevant? I've never seen a lick of it but have always wanted to. In the last couple years, I've binged LOST, The Walking Dead, Bates Motel, Game of Thrones, and Breaking Bad. All, of which, I've absolutely loved and consider some of my favorites. I'm more that willing to binge watch Twin Peaks, but I'm just afraid I'll (un-justly) compare and critique it to the more current stuff I've been watching thus not be as engaged!
For those of you who love this show, how dated is it? Is it still relevant? ... I'm more that willing to binge watch Twin Peaks, but I'm just afraid I'll (un-justly) compare and critique it to the more current stuff I've been watching thus not be as engaged!
It's hard to make an honest comparison here. Twin Peaks, even when it aired, created a world that seemed stuck in a different time. The pacing and style are very unlike current television shows, but were also rather unlike most shows from the time as well.
The episodes are not self-contained. Much like the shows you mention, it's highly serialized. If you weren't frustrated by LOST's technique of not bottle-feeding you all the answers, you won't be frustrated by Twin Peaks in that way either.
If "art house mystery soap opera horror" sounds interesting to you, give it a try. The pilot episode/movie will give you a taste, and help you make up your mind (although my strong recommendation would be, for a full picture of the things the show has going on, to also watch two episodes after that before you make up your mind - for reasons you'll only understand at the end of that third episode).
For those of you who love this show, how dated is it? Is it still relevant? ... I'm more that willing to binge watch Twin Peaks, but I'm just afraid I'll (un-justly) compare and critique it to the more current stuff I've been watching thus not be as engaged!
It's hard to make an honest comparison here. Twin Peaks, even when it aired, created a world that seemed stuck in a different time. The pacing and style are very unlike current television shows, but were also rather unlike most shows from the time as well.
The episodes are not self-contained. Much like the shows you mention, it's highly serialized. If you weren't frustrated by LOST's technique of not bottle-feeding you all the answers, you won't be frustrated by Twin Peaks in that way either.
If "art house mystery soap opera horror" sounds interesting to you, give it a try. The pilot episode/movie will give you a taste, and help you make up your mind (although my strong recommendation would be, for a full picture of the things the show has going on, to also watch two episodes after that before you make up your mind - for reasons you'll only understand at the end of that third episode).
Thanks for the detailed reply! I loved LOST's ambiguity, and I love mystery and horror, so I'm in!
mstrox, excellent description of the show - very well put.
The only other factor I think worth noting for newbies is the show's embrace of genuine surrealism, not just in the most obvious places, but as a thread running throughout the show, in dialog, in imagery, in the log lady, etc.. Of course, surrealism is fundamental to David Lynch, but I can't think of another television show (except Adventure Time on Cartoon Network) that truly embraces the classic definition of surrealism - interweaving the reality of dreams with the reality of waking life as a matter of course. (There are elements in Lost, for example, but only some of the time.)
(I personally never truly took this as a dream per se but just another experience in Agent Cooper's life.)
My wife and I have been re-watching Twin Peaks in advance of the new series.
We watched the pilot, and entire first season, and second season through the end of the the Laura Palmer story line.
Then last night, we watched "Fire Walk with Me."
This was I think the fourth time my wife had seen the film, and the second time for me. I am not sure if this film works as a standalone. It is hard to make that judgment from the perspective of someone who has been immersed in the series.
One question, though: We watched this on Amazon Prime, and the Jimmy Scott song was missing on the version that we watched. Anyone know the story here? Was it a rights thing?
We plan to pick up the rest of season 2 next week.
Onya, I can't answer your question but I have one for you.
I've been thinking about doing just what you've done, because I don't think I've seen quite the whole series and just can no longer remember whether I watched Fire Walk with Me.
I'm wondering why you didn't just finish the show before going to the movie - would you say what you did is the way to do it even if the first time going through the whole thing? (I'm not even sure how many episodes there are after the Laura Palmer story ends.)
One question, though: We watched this on Amazon Prime, and the Jimmy Scott song was missing on the version that we watched. Anyone know the story here? Was it a rights thing?
The Jimmy Scott song (Sycamore Trees) only appears briefly in FWWM in an instrumental version. The full vocal version was actually recorded for, and appeared in, the final episode of the series. But was released on the FWWM soundtrack.
The Jimmy Scott song (Sycamore Trees) only appears briefly in FWWM in an instrumental version. The full vocal version was actually recorded for, and appeared in, the final episode of the series. But was released on the FWWM soundtrack.
I'm wondering why you didn't just finish the show before going to the movie - would you say what you did is the way to do it even if the first time going through the whole thing? (I'm not even sure how many episodes there are after the Laura Palmer story ends.)
There are at least 11 or 12 episodes after the Laura Palmer story ends.
Part of our reason for doing this was we wanted to see "Fire" while all the details of the Laura Palmer story were fresh in our minds.
The other reason is that we have never been able to sit through all of those post-Laura Palmer episodes. They are very hit or miss.
We are going to make a concerted effort to watch all of them, though, between now and the new series.
I can't say if watching those extra episodes would have added to the experience of watching "Fire"
Incidentally, David Lynch reports that "Fire Walk with Me" will be integral to the story line of the new series.
One thing I would like to share - AND HERE IS A GREAT BIG SPOILER ALERT FOR ANYONE WHO HAS NOT WATCHED THE TV SHOW:
The climactic scene in the final Laura Palmer episode is absolutely gut-wrenching in a way that I had not remembered. For all the quirkiness of the series in general and the scene's characters in particular, the scene was played absolutely straight and IMO ranks up there with any of the classic cinematic climaxes through the decades. I admire David Lynch's - and I suppose Mark Frost's - ability to change tone and mood in that manner, and effortlessly bring the audience along with them. A very moving, poignant scene.
One thing I would like to share - AND HERE IS A GREAT BIG SPOILER ALERT FOR ANYONE WHO HAS NOT WATCHED THE TV SHOW:
The climactic scene in the final Laura Palmer episode is absolutely gut-wrenching in a way that I had not remembered. For all the quirkiness of the series in general and the scene's characters in particular, the scene was played absolutely straight and IMO ranks up there with any of the classic cinematic climaxes through the decades. I admire David Lynch's - and I suppose Mark Frost's - ability to change tone and mood in that manner, and effortlessly bring the audience along with them. A very moving, poignant scene.
Yes, absolutely. And I love the way "The world spins" sung by Julee Cruise is used for that sequence, especially the cross-cutting showing the other characters who cannot know what is happening but for some reason seem to feel it.
They are very hit or miss. 