The famous “I’ll see you again in 25 years” line uttered by the deceased Laura Palmer has been repeated ad infinitum since the announcement that Twin Peaks would finally return to our screens after a quarter of a century. It’s given the belated continuation a sense of pre-ordained purpose that that belies the fact that this revival is undoubtedly down to the Lazarus effect of the streaming age that has seen so many shows given a second chance to shine on the small screen once more.

However, such is the confidence and conviction on display in the Season 3’s debut episode from the Twin Peaks progenitors, David Lynch and Mark Frost, you could easily be forgiven for thinking a 25-year gap was part of the plan all along. The Season 3 premiere not only eases fears of either a cautious nostalgia trip to the quirky mountain town or a contemporary compromise but it also dramatically expands the scope of the show as it reaches new heights in a less constrained era of television.

NEW LODGINGS

Our first new contact with Twin Peaks is a return to the Black Lodge to learn that Special Agent Dale Copper remains trapped there after succumbing to BOB during the infamous climax of season 2. David Lynch isn’t messing around in this opening conversation as he parades his signature tropes of non-sequitur dialogue, sinister monochrome, and the mid-range hum and scratches of a music-less gramophone.

Previously, the show and its prequel, Fire Walk With Me, has remained entirely focused on the town of Twin Peaks itself with all (real world) happenings confined to Washington state. But soon after our brief and cryptic refresher in the Black Lodge, the world of Twin Peaks opens up considerably by taking us to South Dakota and New York city.

Already, fans will be pulled kicking and screaming out their comfort zone by this expansion and it is by design as Twin Peaks seeks to wow, shock, and just plain freak us the f*ck out all over again.

FEELING LOST

The first new oddity we witness is a perspex box covering a hole in a wall looking out onto the Manhattan skyline all while being watched intently by a young man and a circle of cameras. The box is instantly eery and ominous but the setting is reminiscent of Desmond inputting those bloody numbers in ABC’s Lost.

Given the huge reach of Twin Peaks influence over virtually all forms of media over the last 25 years, it was perhaps inevitable that the show would return to eat its young. Lost was one of Peaks’ most successful (and disappointing) prodigies and the premiere also claims some of the debt owed by True Detective in a pulpy and grisly murder case that constitutes most of the second act.

It is the glass box that provides a focal point throughout the running time and lays claim to the episode’s most “out there” moments -one of which is the most terrifying incident since BOB first showed his face. However, these scenes do lend a more sci-fi edge to the supernatural elements that have always given Twin Peaks its unique identity and Lynch & Snow somehow manage to strike a pitch-perfect balance between the old and the new as we learn what exactly this box is meant for.

WHAT ABOUT BOB?

Of course, the big question hanging over Season 3 was the fate of Dale Cooper after being possessed by BOB. It’s reassuring that the show’s return doesn’t try to weasel out of one of television’s most infamous cliff-hangers and fob us off with any ret-conning of events as we see doppelganger Dale leading a life not too dissimilar to Blue Velvet‘s Frank Booth (it’s probably too early to start theories of a “Lynchverse” but the case is mounting). Kyle Maclachlan channels a fair amount of Bruce Campbell into the leather-jacketed Cooper but still retains the necessary menace needed in what we presume is still the current vessel of BOB.

It’s actually quite surprising how sparse the familiar faces are in this opening gambit but the returning cast are all poured back into their roles and it’s a delight to see them as such. No doubt, we will be seeing plenty more of them over the next 15 or so episodes but, as stated before, the priority here seems to have been to wrong-foot fans to induce the same unease that made them fall in love with the show in the first place.

Twin Peaks newcomers, however, may find proceedings a little too obtuse even if concessions are made to try to bring everyone up to speed. That one of these concessions takes the form of a fleshy tennis ball in a tree relaying exposition in the style of the Elephant Man shows David Lynch’s commitment to being, well, David Lynch. Even to those who have seen the first two seasons may often find themselves adrift of the narrative with only Peaks obsessives likely to find a continued sense to proceedings.

But a tight plot has never been a cornerstone of the show’s appeal with its peerless atmosphere and surrealism forming a potent attraction to those who can attune themselves to Twin Peaks‘ dream logic. Some two decades later, the show is still more than able to produce wondrous, weird and worrying imagery that is wholly unique to itself. And praise has to be given for keeping the video-style effects that perfectly compliments its forebearers.

Indeed, this may actually be the purest interpretation of Twin Peaks yet and while re-defining television for the second time may be beyond it, Season 3 looks like it will give a damn fine try.

GRADE:

A-

THE RETURN OF TWIN PEAKS IS BOTH A WELCOME AND UNNERVING ONE. AN INCREASE IN SCOPE AND FURTHER EXPLORATION OF ITS MYTHOLOGY MEANS THE TELEVISION EVENT OF THE YEAR DOESN’T DISAPPOINT.