I’d be somewhat skeptical as to how much influence the author of the article says Twin Peaks has had over shows like The Sopranos or Lost, at least in terms of style. The basic premise of the show (‘Whodunnit?’) permitted Lynch and Frost to delve into naturalistic portrayals of the characters (albeit many of them being eccentric) instead of rushing everything and ensuring that everything that appeared on screen had something to do with the plot. I can see the influence on Northern Exposure (the sleepy, northern, folsky charm) or X Files (weidrness) more clearly. But if guys like Chase or Abrams say it influenced them then is it end of discussion? I guess I am inferring too much of a ‘natural progression’ implication from the article. There were years of wilderness after Twin Peaks until The Sopranos (which was of a higher quality) and the subsequent HBO shows.
I agree with what the actress said about the mistake of revealing Laura’s killer.
Is that coffee quote a memorable line from Twin Peaks? Because I saw a recent episode of Breaking Bad recently (not sure if it’s aired yet…I work in TV and we get shit ahead of time) and there is a seemingly superfluous scene where the main dude says that after tasting another chemist’s coffee brewed in a special distillation process. Could be an homage…
I haven’t read the article so what I’m saying is just what I’ve thought about the series and may have been covered or discredited by the article.
To me LOST seems to borrow more from Twin Peaks than did X-Files. X-Files had FBI agents following weird stuff but the actual realization of that core similarity was radically different.
Whereas what LOST borrows is the basic series structure of using progressively strange mysteries to tease out the inter-relations of a cast of characters all the while never answering the bulk of the viewer questions. To me that is the heart of Twin Peaks, far more than the murder and the FBI and the aliens and it is from this heart that LOST is the spiritual heir to Twin Peaks.
The cool thing, is now a series can get away with not giving answers something that Lynch found undoable back in the 90s.
@Void: yeah, it’s an oft-quoted line originally from the FBI agent Dale Cooper (Kyle McLachlan) in the series. It appears in a Simpsons episode too.
@Greed Death: It’s an interesting point that Lost parallels Twin Peaks in the approach to unfolding (or not unfolding) the story. However I’m just not too convinced that Lost necessarily owes that to Twin Peaks (not that this is important). On re-reading that article the guy who made Lost (Abrams) actually does not say it influenced him, he just mentioned he loved it to the actress with the squeeky voice. So yeah, TP may have inspired Lost so far as it showed it can be done (to draw a series out hooked on a mystery/mysteries). Inspiring The Sopranos, however, I find a bit far fetched. Chase said it influenced him, mentioning the dream sequences as examples. Meh… I dunno, I can’t really see it, but he made it so I’ll trust him.
twin peaks had alot more depth to it than the sopranos. although i guess at heart it was a murder mystery. sopranos i don’t recall having awkward scene with humming basslines and talking little people with accents
as far as lost, maybe in that both had allusions to things and events and what happens had to be kinda thought out more to make sense. but twin peaks was much more consise and tightly done, while lost seemed well… lost… and too long and drawn out. TP was 2 seasons and to the point. and a movie to explain the extra questions (also his daughter wrote a diary of laura palmer but it’s like a couple hundred on ebay so i never read it)
Twin Peaks had more of an influence less than ideas than on boundaries, as well. The final episode is one of the most scariest, fucked up things one could see on television, especially ABC.
Yeah the final episode was definitely tripped out.
“I’ll see you again in 25 years. Meanwhile…”
A shame the series took a severe nose dive in the second half - too much goofiness and ridiculous, go nowhere sub plots. I also hated how Ben Horn turned ‘good guy’ and how bit part characters became major players - like Major Briggs and the dopey receptionist, as they were really only ever necessary as secondary characters.
Also, the ‘baddie’ in the second half, Wyndham Earle, was such an over the top caricature, I kept expecting him to turn up in a top hat and black cloak, curl his moustache and cry out “Curses! Foiled again!”
The 2nd season of Twin Peaks has finally been released over here in the Uk. It took many years due to licensing or something? I just bought it from the USA a few years back and hacked my dvd player to be multi regional.
Twin Peaks is incredibly stylish and spooky. I also found it hilarious. It’s a treat to watch again after many years of not seeing it.
Sopranos is good…as is The Wire…but quite frankly the hype surrounding them baffles me?
My favourite series over the years have been…
Six Feet Under (I still haven’t seen anything as good yet)
Twin Peaks (The daddy)
Dexter
Underbelly
Deadwood
Weeds
Mad Men
The Wire
Californication
TV has come out with some quite good shows over the last 10yrs.
^Ahhhh, damn. I had to look him up to see which one he was (I was thinking it was going to be the “Man From Another Place” midget dude).
“Albert” was a great character on that show. I love how he came on as such a loathsome piece of shit arrogant dick, but revealed his emo heart later in weird ways.
I never watched the show in its initial run. AKBAR and my wife (both fans) dragged me into it about 4 years back . . . . to the point even where my wife and I took vacation in Washington and went to a Twin Peaks convention to take a tour of all the various sites, hahaha. Had cherry pie and black coffee in the diner . . . stayed overnight in a room above the “Roadhouse” . . . saw shit tons of filming spots . . . Oh, and met and got autographs from a handful of cast members, haha. Even had the Log Lady sign logs for us.
I never watched the show in its initial run. AKBAR and my wife (both fans) dragged me into it about 4 years back . . . . to the point even where my wife and I took vacation in Washington and went to a Twin Peaks convention to take a tour of all the various sites, hahaha. Had cherry pie and black coffee in the diner . . . stayed overnight in a room above the “Roadhouse” . . . saw shit tons of filming spots . . . Oh, and met and got autographs from a handful of cast members, haha. Even had the Log Lady sign logs for us.
Damn dude,that sounds like an incredibly awesome trip…I am super jealous as I am a huge fan of the show…that is very cool…
I’m sooo looking forward to season 3 now, I just wonder if they can keep the constant creepy atmosphere without Bob (rip also). Anyhow, it will be great to watch some Lynch stuff again, it’s already 10 years (!) since Inland Empire, one of my favourites.
Edit: Getting your log signed by the Log Lady sounds really cool, G
