It's Happening Again...My Favorite Gum in Coming Back In Style

Ok, so this really has nothing to do with my favorite gum.  (Although I am partial to Teaberry & Beeman's).  I've been geeked out since I heard the new that Twin Peaks would be returning to television.  Not obsessively geeked out like some people I know...but geeked out none the less.

I am a David Lynch fan, but not an UBER Lynch fan. I have not seen all his films.  (I don't WANT to see Eraserhead.)  I don't LOVE some of his films.  (I just didn't like Blue Velvet, although maybe you are not supposed to.  I DO love Mulholland Drive and of course, Fire Walk with Me.)  I haven't even seen all of tv series.  (Never saw On the Air, although I would like to.)  When Lynch draws me in, he gets me hook, line and sinker.  When he doesn't...

As the air date of season 3 approached, I (foolishly?) decided that I needed to re-watch the series.  I say foolishly because I made the decision a mere two weeks before the scheduled season three premiere and my life has been a bit crazy during those two weeks.  (Having nothing at all to do with the series.)  There was work challenges, school/kid drama, and of course my father having surgery.  Shove that into the daily grind and time slips through your fingers.  During the last week, I was watching 3 episodes a night, catching myself up on things that I could barely remember.

When the show first aired, I'm pretty sure I watched the first episode.  I don't recall watching the others.  Although when visiting a friend from college during the 2nd season, I know we watched it in her apartment.  My true indoctrination into Twin Peaks occurred in the fall of 1995.  I had just moved into my grandmother's house (my house) and my fiancé (now husband) was slowly making the move in as well.  The process of setting up house was slow and we had no cable.  But he did set up the VCR and laserdisc player. (Yes, you read that right!) He adored the series and had them all on video tape.  So we started watching the series from beginning to end.  And since I was home earlier than he was, I watched the Twin Peaks movie (European cut) and Fire Walk with Me on my own.  You want to be freaked out?  Watch Fire Walk With Me alone in a dark living room with a glass of wine!  The final scenes had my skin crawling and I wasn't sure what to make out of the whole angel thing.  

I managed to finish watching season 2 on Friday morning (before heading down to the shore to help out my parents for the weekend.) I don't know why the "How's Annie?" scene didn't stay with me.  My God!  Chilling!  It set my hair on end, even during a hot sunny morning.  Returning home late Saturday afternoon, I downed a fan cut of Fire Walk with Me (3-1/2 hours).

Seeing all of the Twin Peaks "canon" as well as reading Mark Frost's The Secret History of Twin Peaks back in March (A book that you MUST read as a physical book, not on an e device.  I tried it and it didn't work.  Holding the book is a MUST.), I still had more questions.  (I always have more questions...and I know that there is much of Lynch's work that I don't "get" or understand, but I've come to realize that it's ok.  Just enjoy the ride.)  Much of which had to do with the first 1/3 of the film (which happens to be my favorite part), which takes place a year before Laura's death.  My husband recommended that I read a specific section of John Thorne's book, The Essential Wrapped in Plastic:  Pathways to Twin Peaks.  I read what he suggested and then spent pretty much all of my free time Sunday reading the entire book...finishing it a mere three hours before the season 3 premiere.

To understand how excited I was about watching Twin Peaks, you have to understand how few shows I watch "live."  I'm up before 4:30 most morning, so anything on after 8:30 is usually DVRed.  The last "late" live show I can recall watching was the Lost finale.  So for me to make the decision to stay up till 11 is a serious one. (Especially knowing that I would NOT be able to just fall asleep after the episode was over.)  Coffee was brewed to be sipped in my Double R diner coffee mug. Cherry pie was on the table.  (Actually Entenmann's individual fruit pies since they don't have any eggs in them.) Sent the kid upstairs to watch his Sunday evening fare and told him he needed to put himself to bed after it was over.  Watched the season 2 finale on Showtime (again) and then...

Let's just say that I was right...I couldn't get to sleep after the episode (or double episode) ended.  I cleaned up, folded laundry, turned out the light and tried to sleep, but too many things were running through my mind.  Questions that I knew there would be no answers for.  I ended up watching the first part of the episode again (and still knowing I was missing things) in a darkened bedroom before finally falling asleep.  (Somewhat uneasily...no surprise there.)

I'll say nothing about this episode.  I'm still trying to process it.  I'll probably process some things wrong.  No matter how many times I re-watch it, there will be something I miss.  There will still be things I understand or "get wrong".  (I'm not sure about the word wrong when it comes to David Lynch.") However, I will give a few stray observations:

• Sheryl Lee looks damn good.  Yes she has aged, but she and Madchen Amick are truly like fine wines.  (Meanwhile, I am more like spoiled milk!)

• That is NOT the giving tree...more the like the Frodis.  (Monkees reference...check out the final episode of the series.)

• I want to know more about the skunk at the Great Northern.  And where does Jerry cultivate his product?

• Lucy is still Lucy.  Andy has grown into his looks.  And Hawk...if I was ever in trouble, I'd want Hawk on my side.

• The two phone calls between Hawk and Margaret (the Log Lady) broke my heart.  Catherine Coulson, what can I say about her final performance?  Saying very little, she conveyed much. To say she blew me away with her brief moments is not to do her justice.  Michael Horse...you are amazing.

• Buckhorn, South Dakota?  I am NEVER going there!

• Fans of The Nanny knew little Gracie grew up, but seeing Madeline Zima in a thong? Disturbing...though not as disturbing as what followed.  (And we ALL knew something disturbing was coming...)

• Did "bad/evil" Cooper rent his hair from Gene Simmons?  (Or this a homage to the demon?)

• Sarah Palmer, stop watching the wild animal channel and tune into Invitation to Love.  I want to know what's happening with Emerald and Jade!

• Glad to see that Shelly can enjoy a night out with the girls.  But which one was James (looking better than he did 25 years ago) staring at and why?

• And what disturbed me most of all was the lack of coffee and cherry pie.  (I know that there will be plenty of time for that.)

Twin Peaks is back.  I'd like some more Twin Peaks in my Twin Peaks, but I am sure that is to come, just as I am sure answers are NOT.  Was it worth getting only 4 hours of sleep for?  (Even though I set my alarm clock for later in the morning, the eyelids still popped open at 4:20.)  Heck yes!  Though I may NOT be able to watch every week's episode on the 9 PM time slot (especially on the evening of the Tony Awards), I WILL be watching.  And re-watching.  And obsessing.  Because it is, Twin Peaks.