The late, great David Lynch is considered one of America’s most influential directors, and for good reason. The entire industry has paid tribute to him, and his impact on cinema is clearly huge and undisputed. Although Lynch has represented American experimental cinema since his debut, Eraserheadwhich won film awards in 1977, such as mulholland drive and wild heart (as well as an honorary Oscar), perhaps his most lasting contribution was in television twin peaks.
First broadcast on ABC in 1990, twin peaks A new type of television was created. Weird, dark, and decidedly cinematic for network television, this melodramatic suspense drama was an unexpected hit, with millions tuning in to watch Who Killed Laura Palmer? Another reason to come back and watch this week. no, real attraction twin peaks Still the eponymous town in which the show takes place and its strange inhabitants is a world carefully crafted by Lynch and co-creator Mark Frost. The show would be nothing without all the quirky little details, from the prophetic log lady to Agent Dale Cooper (Kyle MacLachlan) and his unorthodox methods of solving crimes.
Yes, there’s a mystery at the center of the series, but Lynch gets it twin peaks This is not just a case that needs to be closed. He wanted to keep things going as long as possible, exploring the town’s lore, its residents, and the otherworldly forces at work (which he did in the movie) Twin Peaks: Walk With Me and even stranger series Twin Peaks: The Returnnow his last major directorial effort). His idea was to have the resolution of Laura Palmer’s murder serve as the series finale, but only after Twin Peaks and its weird creative well ran dry. However, the powers that be at network television disagreed with this approach, infamously pressuring Lynch and Frost to unravel the mystery so that viewers (and advertisers) wouldn’t get bored. This executive decision ultimately backfired on the show, which saw declining ratings and lengthy storylines.
The people at ABC fundamentally misunderstood that Lynch was doing something different and making a new kind of television. He puts his own unique touch of surrealism into things, adding an alternate reality to the Black Room, ultimately making the culprit an evil spiritual entity. He enlisted his collaborator Angelo Badalamenti to score the show, which is filled with eerie synthesizers. He created a more cinematic approach to television production by recruiting directors from other areas of the industry, such as editor Duwayne Dunham and cinematographer Caleb Deschanel. Although the idea of advanced television was still a few years away and was being developed by people such as Montenegro family and west wingWithout this phenomenon, a play as richly layered and ambitious as this would not have achieved the same cultural footing. twin peaks.
With a new emphasis on television excellence, Lynch and Frost deftly balance weird and mainstream genres. twin peaks It is a murder suspense film, a police procedural, a coming-of-age drama, and a surreal horror story; in every bizarre and mysterious dream of Cooper, there is the lumber mill owner Josie (played by Chen Chong) and her the wonderful soap opera between sister-in-law Catherine (Piper Laurie), or the burgeoning illicit romance between beloved small-town character Norma (Peggy Lipton) and her. twin peaks set the gold standard for series subplots, fleshing out the story that made the show compelling rather than just sticking to a central plot.
It’s a difficult balancing act that producers have sought to replicate in the decades since the show ended, some more successfully than others. TV stars like Damon Lindeloflost, watcher), Noah Hawley (Fargo, Legion) and Donald Glover (atlanta, swarm) citing the work of Lynch twin peaks A source of inspiration, it tracks creators with a passion for mixing and matching genres. But they’re not the only ones visibly influenced by the series.
Nearly every show on TV and streaming these days seems to revolve around a mystery, but none has been able to build a story around it quite like Lynch. Recent series such as No good deeds and crazy Add in soap opera elements, from real estate melodrama to alienated children, but they feel tacked on to a show that prioritizes solving puzzles. The showrunners wanted a “Who Killed Laura Palmer?” audience enthusiasm, but they didn’t realize that solving a mystery wasn’t what good television was all about. Lynch knew this, so he tried to make something messy. Have questions and need consultation twin peaks Thirty years later, a still-fascinating set of mysteries and ambiguities to ponder, but that’s not what won over audiences — it would be the indelible world Lynch helped create, of coffee, owls, backwards dialogue and more wait. He will be missed, but thankfully he is immortalized in television and film.
