'I'll see you again in 25 years.' Those words shook me and gave me shivers as the first part of David Lynch and Mark Frost's revival of Twin Peaks begun. I was transported back to the world which I fell in love with, and everything felt right, and wrong. The first four parts that came to us all at once told me there and then, that things are different, things are not what they seem. And that's ok, because I'm happy we got this eighteen part experience. Twin Peaks has never been straightforward, and that's what makes The Return one of the most interesting and exciting experiences I've ever seen on TV.

Agent Dale Cooper (Kyle MacLachlan) returns from his 25 years in the Black Lodge only to find himself in the shoes of another man, Dougie Jones. All the while his evil doppelganger sets out to find something, or someone - leaving evil behind him every step of the way. Gordon Cole (David Lynch) and Albert Rosenfield (Miguel Ferrer) seek out the help of Diane Evans (Laura Dern) to solve the mystery of Cooper's disappearance, and we are transported back to the town of Twin Peaks where all the dots seem to head, where Laura Palmer (Sheryl Lee) has always been the one.

First and foremost, you'll be able to tell this is a very different show to what we last saw. If anything, it feels more in line with Lynch's Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me prequel film. Lynch and Frost have been given free reign here to do what they want without being pressured by TV networks, as they had done before. And it really shows, and it's good. This is proper Lynch, at his best co-writing for possibly the Godfather of his works. The differences between the two writers can be seen in some parts more than others but their bond and what made them both such good partners in the first place is seen especially. It's ideal that we see Lynch and Frost not delve into giving out fan service here and there, because that's not what Twin Peaks has ever been about. This isn't season Seven of Game of Thrones. No, if you were expecting something like the first two seasons of the show then those expectations will be defied.

But this is still Twin Peaks, and it's a delight to catch up with some of the most iconic and favourite characters of the series. Bobby Briggs (Dana Ashbrook) is now following in his fathers footsteps on his road to becoming a good man by joining the Twin Peaks Sheriffs Department. He's without a doubt my favourite character in The Return. Audrey Horne (Sherilyn Fenn) gets a side story that leads to much intrigue, Nadine Hurley falls for an Alex Jones-esque Dr Jacoby, and we get to see some closure to the Big Ed and Norma Jennings storyline. With the addition of so many new characters as well like the Mitchum brothers there's a lot to love here, and in particular of course we can't forget about Dale Cooper. Kyle MacLachlan pulls off an impressive performance as so many different characters, as the loveable Dougie Jones, the evil Mr C, (Or Booper, as I called him) and of course as Dale. It's great to see him back on top form, and he amazes in every scene he's in.

Pacing is always a dastardly thing when it comes to something Lynch, and here it is no exception. Pacing is frustrating, annoying and sometimes over the top - but that's what he does best. It's hard to say if there's a lot of filler in the show, with things that have no relevance (some scenes in the Roadhouse for example) or if they do have something to say, but it's up to the audience to work out. I think everyone is wondering who Billy still is, and I still want to know what was going on with that girl who was moved from her booth and started screaming on the floor. There's a lot to unpack and it will definitely take a few more viewings to see if it is filler or does have something to say. That's the magic of Lynch afterall, ambiguity. 

Part Eight, Part Seventeen and Part Eighteen provide us with both answers and questions, and prove to be the three most taxing yet desirable moments of the show. The ending is for sure something I'm going to have to make a blog on at some point, as I'm still trying to process it now. If this is the end of Twin Peaks, then I have to say bravo to Lynch and Frost for taking us all on this amazing journey. Not just The Return, but everything that Twin Peaks is. It's an outstanding achievement for filmmakers and writers to take inspiration from, as they have, and it's something that I think so many fans will take and worship for the rest of their lives. Twin Peaks: The Return wraps up the story in the only way that it can - with intrigue, and that is the Lynch effect. Wonderful and strange.

9/10