The Unorthodox/Controversial TP Opinion Thread

[Agent Sam Stanley]

The Harold Smith storyline is quintessential Twin Peaks. Easily surpasses most of what was done in S 1.

I agree, and it's the only time Donna seems like an interesting character to me.

[Brad D]

Echoing a few posts prior:

The Harold Smith storyline really was fantastic, and a perfect way to deepen the mystery of S1. It was the best use of Donna in the show, easily.

And, the first scene with James and Evelyn wasn't that bad either! It was fun, but probably should have ended there. A loose pastiche of James' adventures out of town (and what eventually brings him back) could have totally worked.

[Soolsma]

I think that, wtoo often, people mistakingly think that Lynch tries to pass us some underlying logic which could tie together all the arbitrary mumbo jumbo he spews out in some of his dialogs.

e.g.

There's probably no specific reason for ''this is a formica table, green is it's color''

[cowwithfivelegs]

.

[Saturn's child]

There's probably no specific reason for ''this is a formica table, green is it's color''

Formica --> For Mike

I would guess Lynch was aware of that association, at least.

Edit: Looks like Cow beat me to it.

[David Locke]

I think that, wtoo often, people mistakingly think that Lynch tries to pass us some underlying logic which could tie together all the arbitrary mumbo jumbo he spews out in some of his dialogs.

e.g.

There's probably no specific reason for ''this is a formica table, green is it's color''

There are VERY specific reasons for that!

It matches the color of the ring AND it is missing a chunk of the table top that was (very likely) used to make the ring.

FORMICA sounds exactly like FOR MIKE, who not only had HIS corn stolen but also distributes the ring in the movie.

Exactly. I agree with Soolsma that people often read too much into Lynch films (or, more specifically, read them in too literal-minded a way), but this piece of dialogue isn't an example of that. The chunk missing from the table is the same size as the ring, even.

[Clueless]

I think that, wtoo often, people mistakingly think that Lynch tries to pass us some underlying logic which could tie together all the arbitrary mumbo jumbo he spews out in some of his dialogs.

e.g.

There's probably no specific reason for ''this is a formica table, green is it's color''

I agree. I think, for the most part, the strange objects, beings and odd events that Lynch conjures up are chosen for what they evoke instead of having some sort of obscure logic or function fans must tease out. I have doubts that Lynch was trying to dream up an object that would subtly convey "for mike" when he thought up the table, or rattled his brain for a green object made up of a man-made material to fit this pre-established monomyth he had created. It could have easily have been that a formica table was spooking him out, or reminded him of the ring, when he was trying to picture the conveyance store scene and he realized it was a perfect fit. The associations come afterward.

Though I wouldn't say Lynch spews out mumbo-jumbo, he just doesn't seem to be the most precise speaker, which he often admits. There are a lot of visual/sound artists like that.I think the few things he says about his films really can help one's interpretation.

[Saturn's child]

The associations come afterward.

Unconscious associations --> 'an idea' --> conscious associations.

In this way, I think I both agree & disagree?

[Major Briggs]

Controversial opinion: Twin Peaks is my all time favorite show. But unlike some board members, I have a clear notion that TP2017 is not a big deal for the majority of today's TV audience, let alone "one of the most anticipated shows of the decade" like someone said. Lower your fanboyism.

[LostInTheMovies]

Controversial opinion: Twin Peaks is my all time favorite show. But unlike some board members, I have a clear notion that TP2017 is not a big deal for the majority of today's TV audience, let alone "one of the most anticipated shows of the decade" like someone said. Lower your fanboyism.

I agree it's not a big deal right now (if you asked the average person on the street "did you know Twin Peaks is coming back" most would say no - and if they're under - but probably not over - 35, they might also say "What's Twin Peaks?"). However, it's an open question how big it will be in 2017 based on a) how much Showtime pushes it, b) how much buzz builds between the (older) nostalgia crowd and the (younger) cult crowd, and ESPECIALLY c) how much the media hypes it up. In 1990, Twin Peaks - other than the pilot and, to a lesser extent, the first couple episodes - did not garner huge ratings at all. But the press turned it in to a major albeit brief pop culture phenomenon because critics and journalists LOVED the hook: "David Lynch does TV." With a more diverse media landscape and the culture in a different place, it's very likely nothing will approach the spring of '90. But I wouldn't dismiss it as a minor blip on the pop radar either, not at this point.

[N. Needleman]

Controversial opinion: Twin Peaks is my all time favorite show. But unlike some board members, I have a clear notion that TP2017 is not a big deal for the majority of today's TV audience, let alone "one of the most anticipated shows of the decade" like someone said. Lower your fanboyism.

This has nothing to do with fanboy shit, or anything to do with this small forum. It's got everything to do with how media treats TP. They venerate it and they make sure everyone else does, and the cascade effect follows thusly, same with any other big show pop culture decides is huge. My reasons are as stated previously.

[Major Briggs]

Controversial opinion: Twin Peaks is my all time favorite show. But unlike some board members, I have a clear notion that TP2017 is not a big deal for the majority of today's TV audience, let alone "one of the most anticipated shows of the decade" like someone said. Lower your fanboyism.

This has nothing to do with fanboy shit, or anything to do with this small forum. It's got everything to do with how media treats TP. They venerate it and they make sure everyone else does, and the cascade effect follows thusly, same with any other big show pop culture decides is huge. My reasons are as stated previously.

Like LostInTheMovies said, even at it's popularity peak, Twin Peaks was NEVER a "hit", per se. The media overhypes it so much because, again, like LITM said, "David Lynch does TV" sells magazines. Try and ask any young fella who is Showtimes's target audience today about Twin Peaks... And something being a "cultural phenomenon that outgrows generations" doesn't really mean anything. The media will tell you that Blade Runner is one of the best movies ever (which it is, in my opinion), and that gets inside people's minds, but how many people have actually SEEN it? Same goes for TP...

[N. Needleman]

Like LostInTheMovies said, even at it's popularity peak, Twin Peaks was NEVER a "hit", per se. The media overhypes it so much because, again, like LITM said, "David Lynch does TV" sells magazines.

Parsing the ratings aside, the show was absolutely a cultural juggernaut in '90. You could not escape it that year, it was everywhere and everything. As LITM says.

And something being a "cultural phenomenon that outgrows generations" doesn't really mean anything. The media will tell you that Blade Runner is one of the best movies ever (which it is, in my opinion), and that gets inside people's minds, but how many people have actually SEEN it?

Plenty, thanks to Netflix. If the show had no modern cachet it would not do the Internet traffic it's done every time Lynch or a TP castmember so much as blows their nose in the show's direction in public since October '14. As I said in my OP, this is not about this forum, it is about the general and much more casual audience reaction which it has kept immortal and now alive.

Try and ask any young fella who is Showtimes's target audience today about Twin Peaks... Same goes for TP...

Exactly how old do you think we/I are/am?

[Major Briggs]

Like LostInTheMovies said, even at it's popularity peak, Twin Peaks was NEVER a "hit", per se. The media overhypes it so much because, again, like LITM said, "David Lynch does TV" sells magazines.

Parsing the ratings aside, the show was absolutely a cultural juggernaut in '90. You could not escape it that year, it was everywhere and everything. As LITM says.

And something being a "cultural phenomenon that outgrows generations" doesn't really mean anything. The media will tell you that Blade Runner is one of the best movies ever (which it is, in my opinion), and that gets inside people's minds, but how many people have actually SEEN it?

Plenty, thanks to Netflix. If the show had no modern cachet it would not do the Internet traffic it's done every time Lynch or a TP castmember so much as blows their nose in the show's direction in public since October '14. As I said in my OP, this is not about this forum, it is about the general and much more casual audience reaction which it has kept immortal and now alive.

Try and ask any young fella who is Showtimes's target audience today about Twin Peaks... Same goes for TP...

Exactly how old do you think we/I are/am?

I'm not debating the importance of it all. And I even apologize if I sound rude. What i'm trying to say is that it's really hard, almost impossible to recapture the zeitgeist. Twin Peaks was very much a product of its time. My younger brother is 18, I tried showing him, and the Horne's dinner scene bored him to death. I think we, as fans, must accept that it is just NOT MEANT for a mainstream audience. That's why it bothers me so much when people here treat this revival like something that new audiences are climbing up the walls in anticipation, Maybe a few, but definitely not enough to make it "the TV event of the decade"

[Major Briggs]

One thing that I also noted is that, as far as we know, this will be a direct sequel to the original series, meaning that new audiences should, presumably, have knowledge of what happens on the first two seasons. I really, really, REALLY hope Lynch and Frost don't play only for the old fans. Try to imagine yourself reading the whole year about this "Twin Peaks". When you finally sit and watch it, the show doesn't dialogue with you, as a new viewer. I would feel a little betrayed. I expect some of the original elements to be rebooted (for lack of a better word)