Twin Peaks debuted on ABC on April 8, 1990, unspooling the sad tale of murdered teen Laura Palmer (Sheryl Lee) and the genially Luciferian town she left behind. Created by David Lynch and Mark Frost, the feature-length pilot set off a thermonuclear explosion of artistic influence, immediately expanding the boundaries of TV drama. It also started a mystery that tantalizes audiences even now, after two surreal seasons, a mind-bending movie prequel, and 2017’s masterful 18-part revival.
To celebrate Wednesday’s anniversary, I broke quarantine via Zoom and recorded a special episode of A Twin Peaks Podcast: A Podcast About Twin Peaks with Entertainment Weekly alumnus/trusty town doctor/ethereal curtainverse spirit Jeff Jensen. We rewatched the Twin Peaks pilot, and considered how our viewing experience of the series premiere does (and doesn’t) change in light of the revelations presented in The Return. We also watched the international version of the pilot, an “alternate ending” full of weirdening insight. Listen below, or wherever you find your podcasts!
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Twin Peaks exclusive videos: Watch David Lynch and Sheryl Lee on set filming The Return
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