Beyond Season 3?

[Dalai Cooper]

Andy staggering is silly but it works for me, reminds me of the fight scene in the missing pieces in the way it occupies a midpoint between cartoon goofiness and uncomfortably protracted violence (andy appears to be concussed, is actually bleeding and there's something hard to watch about seeing him hold that unnatural position for so long). Speaking of the missing pieces, though, I really dislike all the scenes in the sheriff's department in that film, so I can definitely agree that Lynch's wackier sensibilities can serve Andy and Lucy badly at times (although I adore the interaction between Andy & Truman in the woods in the final episode, which isn't a million miles away from the MP scenes)

Ultimately humour is such a personal thing that there are bound to be things in the new series that fall flat for a lot of people, but Lynch has a very high hit rate with me on that front and I think that he and Frost will deliver (in a room service waiter kind of way as opposed to an on the air kind of way)

[cowwithfivelegs]

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[Mr. Reindeer]

Speaking of the missing pieces, though, I really dislike all the scenes in the sheriff's department in that film, so I can definitely agree that Lynch's wackier sensibilities can serve Andy and Lucy badly at times (although I adore the interaction between Andy & Truman in the woods in the final episode, which isn't a million miles away from the MP scenes)

That sequence of Andy & Truman in the woods is absolutely the kind of Lynchian comedy that DOES work for me - understated, slightly surreal, completely unpredictable. And that was Lynch's addition - the version of that scene in the script is much chattier. Leave it to Lynch to spot the kernel of a beautiful idea in a mediocre scripted scene.

I agree that the MP sheriff's station scenes seem somewhat "off" - Ontkean's deadpan delivery is jarring, almost out-of-character. I'm assuming he did it that way on Lynch's direction, but I don't know what they were going for. (I guess, as you noted, maybe they were shooting for the same thing as the woods scenes in Episode 29 and missed the mark).

[LostInTheMovies]

Re: ForKeeps,

Thanks & same here - I always enjoy a wandering discussion!

I agree that the MP sheriff's station scenes seem somewhat "off" - Ontkean's deadpan delivery is jarring, almost out-of-character. I'm assuming he did it that way on Lynch's direction, but I don't know what they were going for. (I guess, as you noted, maybe they were shooting for the same thing as the woods scenes in Episode 29 and missed the mark).

I wonder how much of this was 2014 Lynch vs. 1992 Lynch? I'd have to watch it again (I actually might be tonight, coincidentally) but as I recall, there's a lot of dead air in there which is as much a matter of editing & sound design (no music, heightened room tone) as on-set direction. That kind of hypnotic emptiness reminds me of some of the digital shorts he was doing in the 00s.

[Gabriel]

I wonder how much of this was 2014 Lynch vs. 1992 Lynch? I'd have to watch it again (I actually might be tonight, coincidentally) but as I recall, there's a lot of dead air in there which is as much a matter of editing & sound design (no music, heightened room tone) as on-set direction. That kind of hypnotic emptiness reminds me of some of the digital shorts he was doing in the 00s.

It reminds me somewhat of sequences in Inland Empire. Definitely a touch of 'modern' Lynch over what I'd call 'middle period' Lynch – Blue Velvet to FWWM.

I've often felt Lynch is very influenced by his collaborators and I feel Mark Frost seems to be the perfect 'grounding person' for Lynch, giving his stylistic flourishes a narrative and atmospheric purpose. Sometimes I felt that when Lynch turned up to direct a TP episode, the characters seemed different from how they'd been developed in the other episodes and the performances from the seemed to have been 'reset' back to the pilot. Difficult to put exactly into words, but it's like there's this TV show called Twin Peaks, then a random episode from a parallel universe shows up that looks similar, yet feels like a different show.

[LostInTheMovies]

I've often felt Lynch is very influenced by his collaborators and I feel Mark Frost seems to be the perfect 'grounding person' for Lynch, giving his stylistic flourishes a narrative and atmospheric purpose. Sometimes I felt that when Lynch turned up to direct a TP episode, the characters seemed different from how they'd been developed in the other episodes and the performances from the seemed to have been 'reset' back to the pilot. Difficult to put exactly into words, but it's like there's this TV show called Twin Peaks, then a random episode from a parallel universe shows up that looks similar, yet feels like a different show.

I know exactly what you mean, and that's a great way of putting it. I also agree that Lynch's collaborators really effect the "flavor" of whatever period Lynch is in. For that reason my own personal division aligns a little differently: I tend to see FWWM (or more accurately ep. 14) as the beginning rather than the end of an era, what might be called "the Mary Sweeney years" ending with Mulholand Dr. These works have a more impressionistic, dreamlike fluid style than his earlier films (which are more precise and a bit colder, even the romantic Blue Velvet) and tend to be more emotionally raw (whereas, for me at least, everything through the Twin Peaks pilot feels more distanced and aloof).

That's one reason I've never really felt The Straight Story gets the context it deserves; despite its simpler narrative and calmer visual style, for me it feels less like a throwback to Elephant Man (despite the same DP!) and more of a piece with the surrounding films, an open, free, intimate, swooning work however "straight." In some ways, the Inland Empire years (covering not just that film but the outpouring of digital works, mostly if not entirely edited by Lynch) are a natural outgrowth, continuing the sense of raw subjectivity but escalating the avant-garde, rough-around-the-edges abrasiveness.

But now - with Lynch returning to many former collaborators while using hi-def for the first time - I'm really not sure what to expect. It will probably be a combination of a 80s/early 90s throwback (Frost, Dunham) with some continuation/evolution of his experimental 00s stuff, plus at least a dash of his late 90s flavor (Deming being DP) and a whole lot of new vibes we can't even predict at this point.

[Snailhead]

^ Great post. I especially like the part about "The Sweeney Years" - she's a phenomenal editor.

[laughingpinecone]

Q: You have met Maharishi, long time ago, and I’m wondering if you can—how can you describe Maharishi and if you can tell us a story about him? And are you going to release a movie about him, and soon?
A: [...] You know, it would be impossible to do a movie, to really tell the whole story of Maharishi and what he brought out to the world, but I’ve started a film and once Twin Peaks is finished, I hope to get back to it and at least hit some of the highlights of what Maharishi brought out.

source
This seems to imply that as far as Lynch is concerned, TP is a finite project and that he's already looking beyond... it also seems to shut down the 'swan song' hypothesis!

[Panapaok]

Good. I want a Twin Peaks closure and then a feature. Ronnie Rocket would be amazing.

[Mr. Reindeer]

RR would be terrific, although that script needs some work (at least, as of the DeLaurentiis-era draft available online). There should really be a dedicated thread to discuss that script on the DL board - wonder how much interest there would be?

I love all of Lynch's features, but a Maharishi biopic might test my limits. Lynch is too invested in the subject (and I'm too uninvested).

For those who hope for TP to continue past this season without Lynch's direct involvement, it's important to remember that both he and Frost have complete veto power. Remember that Lynch shot down the Engels-scripted "comic book" conclusion in 2007, even though everyone else signed off - and thank goodness he did, since such a thing might have preempted the season three we're now getting! I doubt he'll ever leave the property in anyone else's hands again, so whether or not we WANT the series to continue without his involvement is a moot point. It's up to him, and I really doubt he'll sign off. He put the show into others' hands once, and clearly regretted it. From now on, it's Lynch Peaks or nothing.

(Which, IMO, is ideal )

[bob_wooler]

Wasn't he working on a film about a monkey a couple of years ago? (a film about a monkey's intuition and inner consciousness should be interesting)

[Metamorphia]

Lynch always talked about lack of old industrial settings being the major stumbling block in filming RR. The longer time goes on the more unlikely it gets.

[DeerMeadowRadio]

Ooooh... just listened to new interview w/ Sherilyn Fenn on Red Room Podcast and she feels if the new episodes go well D. Lynch might be up for additional batches!

I am with FrightNight. I am ecstatic with the new season we are getting, but would love for it to keep going. As you say, Lynch and Frost have always dropped nods to the ongoing story aspect and after 25ish years I would think their creative minds have expanded upon their initial ideas, not cut back. Also, there has been a lot of great TP not written/directed by Lynch/Frost. In interviews both Lynch and Frost have expressed regret at being hands off at times, so if they learn from that mistake and keep a strong guiding hand the show could run and run.

Time will tell.

But fellas, what about that special TP spirit, don't you want it to go on and on, not simply evaporate after one measly season? Especially since it was so long ago since we experienced it for the first time ... Bear in mind Lynch and Frost initially, back in '90, intended for the series to go on much longer than it did (I remember MacLachlan speaking back then about having a five-year contract ...) ... Besides, having the TV series tied up so closely to the execution of just ONE guy who writes as well as directs ALL of its parts sort of defies the notion of a TV series, a colaborated effort where a showrunner presides over a team of writers, directors etc. and relies on them to carry his vision through (since I don't think it physically possible for a single person to write and direct, say, six seasons worth of storytelling) - which is not to say I'm not thrilled at having Lynch helm the whole of the new episodes, I just see no need to demand anything that comes out of TP in the future MUST be directed by Lynch (if you think in such a manner, you must, by definition, be a fan of just five episodes of the original series and a movie prequel and discard the rest as nonsense). Of course, a continuation would be sensible only if the story evolves in such a way that it warrants a continuation (here, I agree with Panapaok), but I'd be very surprised if it doesn't, given Lynch's persistent fascination with a "continuing story", as he put it several times over the decades since TP went off the air ...

Of course, our opinions are bound to differ depending on our private devotion to the author and its product - I count myself as more of a TP than a Lynch fan, whereas that's not the case with I would say the majority of the posters here. I do think, however, that David Lynch is a creative genius, make no mistake about it (I find Blue Velvet as, without a shadow of doubt, one of the greatest cinematic achievements of all times and have a particular fondness for Wild at Heart and, of course TP: FWWM)!

[Metamorphia]

That's interesting because it suggests there isn't a closed ending. I expected something very very final, but maybe not.

Must admit though, I prefer the idea of less is more when it comes to Twin Peaks. Not sure I want something that goes on and on.

[Mr. Reindeer]

That's interesting because it suggests there isn't a closed ending. I expected something very very final, but maybe not.

It's very possible that Sherilyn wasn't privy to the ending. Remember the security on the second season - actors receiving scripts where Ben or Ed were substituted for Leland. By all accounts, Sherilyn only did a couple of days of shooting, and almost certainly wasn't given full scripts to every episode.