Just how dark is Twin Peaks? (1 Viewer)

[Tyler T]

OK, even though I really am interested in Twin Peaks, I have heard it's extremley dark as well. Yes, I know most of the show revolves around the murder of this girl Laura Palmer and that there are weird images and characters throughout it, but really what makes it very dark?

Sorry, I've really never liked Lynch before but TP sounds interesting because of it's mystery (one thing I love are mysteries) and plus it's odd scenes (fantasy is another thing I like)

Also, since that Jeff guy isn't taking orders anymore, is there any other way I can get the Pilot?

 

[Ed St. Clair]

Ebay

 

[BrianB]

but really what makes it very dark?

To answer this fully would probably reveal a lot of spoilers...

Short answer? To me, the darkness in Twin Peaks is the cancer at the heart of the town, the darkness that caused the self destruction of Laura Palmer.

 

[Tony Mirra]

Short answer? To me, the darkness in Twin Peaks is the cancer at the heart of the town, the darkness that caused the self destruction of Laura Palmer.

Agreed.

There are, however, some scenes of violence and intensity that I have a hard time believing would be on network TV if the show would air this year (especially on Disney-owned ABC). Just wait until you see the closing seconds of the second season premiere.

 

[Mark Zimmer]

Let me preface this by saying that I like things that are dark.

As an experiment, I once watched TP on tape, fast forwarding through the comic relief sections (Nadine, Lucy, Pete Martell). The show becomes extremely difficult to watch that way, it's so intense. I'd never really bought the whole 'comic relief necessary to offset the tension' argument before I tried this, but it's quite true. This program is so dark it's very, very disturbing and the comic bits only just make it tolerable. The episode where the killer is revealed has to be one of the grimmest hours of television that I've ever seen.

 

[BrianB]

The episode where the killer is revealed has to be one of the grimmest hours of television that I've ever seen.

I completely & utterly agree. In the UK, that episode was prefixed with a warning about content. As far as I can remember, that was the only episode to get such a warning.

A very grim, very dark & depressing episode.

It's one of the best in the series.

 

[David Lambert]

Man, some portions of this show were pure evil.

No, on second thought, it's what evil hopes to attain.

Lynch did a superb job of displaying the bad, awful things that lurk in us all. Another reason that this is recommended viewing: Self-exploration.

I've rarely watched - and enjoyed so much! - any other shows (film or TV), or read any book for that matter, that so much filled you with foreboding. Ray Bradbury would be proud!

Must go watch Something Wicked This Way Comes right after the holiday...

 

[Patrick Larkin]

Short answer? To me, the darkness in Twin Peaks is the cancer at the heart of the town, the darkness that caused the self destruction of Laura Palmer.

The heart of Lynch's stuff! Lynch displays the seedy side of an otherwise harmonious existence. This is captured well in all his films - take the opening scenes of Blue Velvet. Dad watering the beautiful green lawn behind the white picket fence. He is suddenty stricken with a heart attack and collapses on his lawn. The camera goes beneath the grass, exposing the horrible sounds and sights of the insects festering below the surface.

Then of course are the festering humans in Lumberton, like Frank Booth and his cronies!

Twin Peaks achives the same end. Looking beneath the surface of an otherwise tranquil town. Laura is seen as the perfect girl -- homecoming queen, the tutor the generally good girl But what lurks beneath?

And to not like Lynch but like Twin Peaks seems impossible to me.

 

[JonZ]

I never thought Twin Peaks was very "dark". Its very moody and drenched in atmosphere. I think a show like Millennium was much darker-I was often suprised by what that TV show was able to show on Television.

As for the comic relief, it is there, but some of it is so hard to take seriously(Coopers "test" wi the rocks and bottle to find the killer based on a dream he had), its purposely odd and over the top.Dale Cooper has alot of quirks and mannerisms that are just plain silly-you just gotta love a Special Agent who obsesses over pies,coffee and trees.The first time I saw the "Whistle scene" I was bent over in laughter.

Miguel Ferrers potrayal of the obnoxious overbearing Agent Albert Rosenfield is damn brilliant(not to mention hysterical).But it all works.

I would recommend Twin Peaks to anyone-the show was WAY ahead of its time.

I cant wait for Season 2.

"the darkness in Twin Peaks is the cancer at the heart of the town, the darkness that caused the self destruction of Laura Palmer."

 

[cafink]

The episode where the killer is revealed has to be one of the grimmest hours of television that I've ever seen.

Is that episode available on the just-released DVD boxset of season 1? Or was it part of a later season?

 

[Mark Zimmer]

It's about halfway through Season 2.