hmmm. He wrote that he had a hard time really appreciating the original series, because by the time he was old enough to watch it,  " it had been too well absorbed into the mainstream. All the new ground David Lynch broke in 1990 had been aped and refined endlessly over the years, so it didn’t feel like I was witnessing anything particularly new."

To me, in the 27 years that have passed, there has been nothing like this show and it still remains fresh and new. For me it was the defining point in my history of watching TV and film, and everything else paled before it. But I guess not everyone would see it that way. I am glad the author likes the new series and agree that Naomi Watts is terrific. 

In 1991 I was 11 and for some reason loved TP. I was stuned by final episode because I didn't know it was cliffhanger. To me it was the end of story. It made me love TP even more because good guy lost with force much more powerful and evil (like in real life sometimes it isn't possible to win...).

I'd seen Blue Velvet, my first introduction to David Lynch with no prior knowledge maybe in 89. I was hooked. Someone we knew worked at Warner and gave me an early release, maybe a promo copy of the TP pilot, saying, 'I think you'll like this.' I lapped it up. I was however really disturbed by some of the scenes, the train car for example, but loved Coop's dream sequence of the Black Lodge waiting room. A group of us at the office would watch it and talk it over during our lunchtime walk in the fresh air. I watched both series, but admit that for me it got a little hokey after the killer had been revealed, but I still watched, although like Lynch a little distracted with Wild at Heart. The last episode left me dumbstruck with awe. That Dark Mood Woods music, and then the whole Black Lodge sequence, Laura Palmer's doppelganger screaming on the love seat etc. We saw FWWM which left me feeling so sad for Laura, a terrible tale of abuse in multiple forms, but still mesmerising, the drug deal in the woods. The missing pieces brought a whole new perspective to FWWM, and I think at least a couple of the scenes should have been in the cut that was released from a continuity point of view.

Anyways, based on all the above it's hard for me to comprehend the writer's perspective on the original series. We can disagree with the rationale, but not his experience, right? 🙂

I am delighted to see how so many shows since were influenced, Sopranos in particular. David Chase watched it obsessively, apparently. Nick Hawley the writer of Fargo has said it was a huge influence. The Killing, probably Breaking Bad. Although brilliant in their own right, TP originally was groundbreaking and I feel the same sense of awe with wherever the new show is taking us. That said, thus far, perhaps given what happened in between, i.e. other shows, more freedom around censorship, nothing so far has disturbed me quite like Bob climbing over the furniture, killing Maddy, the train car where it looked like Laura was smiling as she was being killed.

My favourite scenes so far are the beginning of E3, where Coop drops into a lilac like world, the comedy of him appearing before dropping behind the balcony, and the scene with Diane and Gordon when she takes him aside, oh and so many more...

The Guardian does a write up of each episode and while not necessarily agreeing with everything written, I do enjoy the writer's turn of phrase.

🙂

Tangent: the Killing is well written & well acted ( also a murder of a teen girl mystery in the North-West, but with no supernatural elements ), I recommend it as a different kind of show from TP, the two lead characters ( police detectives ) interaction is great.

The original version of The Killing is definitely worth checking out.  It's a Danish series, ran for 3 seasons - you need to be okay with subtitles though...

Posted by: Colin Basterfield

 

The Guardian does a write up of each episode and while not necessarily agreeing with everything written, I do enjoy the writer's turn of phrase.

🙂

I wish they'd bring back the critic who wrote this piece you liked. I didn't agree with it all either but it was well-written and thoughtful.

The chap who has been re-capping recently is dreadful. Really quite sloppy. I have the impression he hasn't watched all the episodes through even once. Or maybe his other name is Jerry.