You may have heard of a little show called Twin Peaks. I came across it just recently in fact, after hearing that it had a number of similarities to Lost. Although Twin Peaks isn’t as widely-known now as Lost, nor did it have anywhere near the budget (keep in mind, the show is over twenty years old), both series do indeed share common ground. Both boast an impressive ensemble cast. Both rely heavily on the aspect of mystery and “keeping secrets”, if you will. Both very much touch onto the nerdy side of things, in terms of science-fiction and, I guess, plain weirdness. Most importantly though, I like to think that both shows ultimately come down to the characters. Without good, lovable characters, a show is likely to fail, or be forgotten.

Twin Peaks, in terms of characters, is right up there with my favorite shows. There are a heap of them in this little town, and everybody seems to know everybody. There’s this really strong sense of community among the protagonists in the show, and the relationships they share with each other -- be it sexual, romantic, friendly or otherwise -- are absolutely fascinating. If you have even the smallest, shriveled up, poor excuse of a heart, at least a portion of it will belong to the folks of Twin Peaks before you even reach the end of Season 1.

Seeing as the underlying theme of this issue is Love, and more specifically for this particular section, the theme of UST (Unresolved Sexual Tension), I feel I should talk a little about the show in this domain. Throughout Twin Peaks, love is no minor feature. Although the show may be best regarded for its weirdness and atmospheric qualities, love and sexual tension definitely play their roles too.

In terms of relationships, none are really as straightforward as they may appear to be. Donna loves James, and James loves Donna. But wait, James loves Laura too? Laura loves James, and Bobby loves Laura. Bobby also loves Shelly, who loves him in return. Too bad Shelly is married to Leo, who loves her. Hank loves Norma, but Norma loves Ed. Ed loves Norma, but Nadine loves Ed too. Nadine also loves high school kid Mike at one stage, who seems to be in it only for the sex (which is great apparently). Who’d have thought? Andy and Dick both love Lucy, but Lucy only loves Andy. Harry and Pete both love Josie Packard, but she’s an evil bitch, so who knows if she’s even capable of love? Cooper loves Annie, and Annie loves Cooper. ally a simple relationship! No, wait Audrey also has a thing for Cooper, and well, we’re not quite sure how Cooper felt about her. I hope you got all that, because trust me, it’s only the half of it. To summarize, love is not a simple thing, and Twin Peaks portrays that accurately, albeit in an over the top fashion.

Speaking of Cooper and Audrey, personally I think they are the two best characters on the show. They’re certainly my top two choices. Their relationship throughout definitely falls under the category of UST. From the moment she lays her pretty little eyes on him, Audrey Horne (Sherilyn Fenn) is already crazy about Agent Dale Cooper (Kyle McLachlan). And what’s not to like? Cooper is handsome, funny, smart and hey, he’s an FBI agent. No teenage girl could resist, right? Their relationship has always been an intriguing one, mostly because we know things could very well be different if Audrey was older. When Coop finds her naked in his bed one night, you pretty much want him to go for it. They are so right for each other, yet, due to the age difference I guess, also so wrong for each other. Cooper definitely likes Audrey. There are no ifs or buts about that. He appreciates that she is a beautiful, intelligent girl, yet we never know exactly how he feels about her romantically. I can’t help but think of how things would turn out if Audrey had been a few years older. There’s definitely something there. There’s no denying that. But due to Cooper moving onto Annie, and Audrey moving on John Wheeler, and -- of course -- due to the show being axed before it’s time, their relationship will forever lay in that Unresolved Sexual Tension category.

Relationships aside, Twin Peaks has so much more to offer its audience. It was one of the first shows to really incorporate such intense mystery and continuity every week, usually always ending in a cliff hanger. Again, shows like Lost owe a great deal to this form of narrative. Always leave the viewer wanting more. Twin Peaks executed this perfectly, right down to the final episode. I almost feel sorry for people who watched the show when it aired back in 1990. Whereas I had the luxury of watching one episode after another, those watching it on television had to wait for a whole week to find out what happened next.

“Who Killed Laura Palmer?” was the question on everybody’s lips for months. When we finally get the answer it’s almost like we’d prefer to go back and not have it. I guess, in all honesty, the fun really is in the waiting. The slow build up week in week out is brilliant, and truth be told, the shows strongest point was probably the lead up to that reveal. About halfway into Season 2, all is dished about Laura’s killer, and the show hit’s a bit of a slump after that. It does, however, pick up again for the last batch of episodes, and the finale is one of the best hours of television I’ve ever seen. So, I implore you not to give up on the show. It still has a LOT to offer in its final third or so.

In many ways, Twin Peaks was ahead of its time. Despite its age, watching it now it feels as current as anything. The stories are timeless. The dialogue is genius and priceless. The weirdness is endless. And, like I said, most importantly, the characters are fabulous. Mark Frost and, primarily, David Lynch created these people who are in many ways so like us, but in another way totally and completely larger than life. Of course, everyone will have their favorites from the bunch, but I feel it’s almost impossible not to love them all, at one stage or another. Even the less significant roles in the show have become important to me. A young Heather Graham as Annie is only in the final batch of episodes, but she is as memorable and as lovable as the rest. Cooper seemed to think so too. I doubt I’m the only one still wondering how the fuck IS Annie? She, like many of the other characters never get a resolution at the end of it all, but I figure that’s a good thing. These characters will always live on in our minds and in our hearts. Twin Peaks was not just a television show. It was a cult phenomenon. Get the boxset, sit down with a “Damn fine cup of coffee”, watch it, enjoy it, and let it become a part of you.

   -- m>Joe O'Brien