'The owls are not what they seem.' Neither is this show. You can go into this show knowing so much about it and still be actually bewildered by it. As me and my girlfriend Holli were, when we decided to give this cult show a go, and about thirty hours later, we were left reeling. To sum it up, I watch a lot of entertaining and shocking TV, but 'Twin Peaks' is one of the most suprising, funny and intelligent shows out there.

If not the best, at this point anyway. Two seasons, spanning twenty-nine episodes until the revival this May. Created by visionary writers/directors David Lynch and Mark Frost, the show tells the story of a girl, Laura Palmer, who is murdered in the mountain town of Twin Peaks, a town where nothing is what it seems, and every one of its featured characters shares a link. It's almost like watching an incredible version of a British soap opera. And whilst this may seem like a bog-standard detective TV series summary, it gets much darker and sublime than that, with the very skilful Lynch at work here. As I said, nothing it what it seems.


Special Agent Dale Cooper, played by the magnificent Kyle MacLachlan, comes to Twin Peaks to solve the case of Palmer's death, teaming up with the Sheriff, Harry Truman, played by Michael Ontkean. As the case unfolds they meet every tom, dick and harry in the town that share the link that goes all the way to Laura Palmer's murder. There are so many characters in this show for you to really love and hate, or both. Cooper is without a doubt my favourite, with his brooding posture and love of coffee, he's an excellent protagonist and is well allied with Harry, who have a powerful friendship. Hawk, Andy and Lucy, the rest of the police department are brill, and along with a couple of side characters like Pete and Norma, they're the only innocent ones in this story. Everyone has something to hide, including the femme fatale Audrey Horne, played by Sherilyn Fenn, who again is played wonderfully, especially next to Cooper. It's quite hard to talk about all the characters as you'll get bored and probably will get something spoiled for you, so I'll say this: these are some of the best characters I've seen in film and TV, and even if its down to them being huge pricks, you have to love them.

For a 90's TV show, the style of this show (sometimes) feels like it's a show that could be around now. You'll notice in Lynch's directed episodes many familiar camera work and writing, Some scenes are particularly terrifying, such as scenes with the character Bob, whom Holli was freaked out by every time he entered onto the screen. What's particularly haunting are Cooper's visions, which are very confusing to new viewers, as we were left perplexed every time he had one. Without spoiling anything, you have to pay close attention to them, Frost and Lynch lay subtle clues and ideas in them that help you figure out the story. We figured some of them out, but some were harder than others.


The town of Twin Peaks, its locations, scenery and characters add to the beautiful flair the show denotes in every episode. It's something which I want on my wall, a map of the town to remind me of the sinister places and iconic locations such as One Eyed Jacks and the Mill. I'll probably need a map for all the characters and their links too, it can be hard to remember where everyone sits in the scope of the show. Of course, they're easily identifiable, Leyland Palmer, the quirky, dancing father of Laura is one of my favorites. The Log Lady and her interesting intros are a highlight - and the wonderful comedy that stems from Deputy Andy and others is something which really makes a show as dark as this so loveable.

f you haven't seen Twin Peaks, you can pick up the boxset quite cheap. It's worth it. Among its fantastic characters, brilliant directing and camera work and its truly engaging story, there is really something here for everyone, and I'm thoroughly excited for the upcoming revival that's just around the corner. Give it a go.

The Good
+ Fantastic and thrilling story
+ Well written and compelling characters
+ Clever and witty writing
+ Beautifully made world

The Bad
- Some boring subplots

9/10