Throughout much of the previous year, I had been preparing a series of character studies, isolating and analyzing all members of the Twin Peaks ensemble from most minor to most major. In fact, I never quite reached those top characters; the premiere of the new Showtime season was scheduled for May 21 and despite a good head start I just could not wrap things up in time. Twenty stars remained for an eventual update of the character series, where they would be joined by an inevitable onslaught of new individuals.
Subjects outside that character series include an illustrated filmography of Sheryl Lee (in the works since 2014), a guest post promoting my video series (in the works for almost as long), a podcast segment on David Lynch's complicated politics, a celebration of Lynch's underrated The Straight Story, and my final video for Fandor Keyframe, about the superb O.J. Simpson documentary (with some reference to the acclaimed dramatic miniseries as well).
My highlight for this period is Top 30 "Hidden" Characters of the Original TWIN PEAKS (3rd Preface to TWIN PEAKS Character Series) which includes some characters who would become less hidden in The Return, thus remaining a time capsule of a soon-to-be-vanished era in Twin Peaks.
JANUARY
Preparing for a year that will be dominated, almost exclusively, by Twin Peaks content
My Twin Peaks videos are highlighted by a guest post on the popular fan site, where I guide new viewers into their process and purpose
You know her as Laura Palmer, but here's a line-up of many other fascinating roles from the talented actress
Moving much of my video work to a new location
Kicking off the first version of this series, based entirely in the first two seasons and Fire Walk With Me/The Missing Pieces.
Onscreen for a few moments, they still left a distinct impression
"Hidden" in various ways (some are not so hidden anymore), these characters didn't meet my initial criteria for inclusion in a standalone study so they're rounded up here
The concierge with just a couple minutes of screentime
* = indicates when a title has been altered from its original publication to reflect its eventual inclusion in a Return-updated character series; hence the discrepancy of numbers from entry to entry
The March of Twin Peaks Concierges continues
The Great Northern's reigning waitress/pianist
Yet another concierge - but one who sticks around longer
FEBRUARY
A character who did end up returning in The Return - and whose actress jumped into the comments of this post to clarify a costuming question!
Our first villain pops up in the series
Everyone's favorite Twin Peaks character (to appear in a devil costume inside a thought bubble)
A nonchalant stranger comes to town and understands some things that more more enthusiastic visitors (and even residents themselves) don't
The exasperated Horne has a few brief but sharp appearances in the original series
Probably the biggest star to appear in the Twin Peaks world
The "Heavy Metal Youth" has a name, thank you very much (and even a theme song!)
Long before Mr. Jones, Twin Peaks featured another Dougie
He's already gone places, he just wants to stay where he is
Icelanders just want to have fun
Another Horne with emotional problems (they run in the family)
A woman who grows more compelling when she leaves her boss' shadow
The first collective entry - these individuals tell their own stories while also commenting on the larger story of the town
Updating and streamlining the site, with a new URL, backdrop, and commenting platform
The man with fire in his eyes
Disaster of all trades, master of none
The initial mystery girl, whom we hear about in the pilot, isn't seen until the end of the original Twin Peaks cycle
Norma's mother - or is she? (We'd have to wait until Mark Frost's second book to find out more...)
Josie's mysterious associate takes a long time to properly introduce himself
My last Fandor video looks at both halves of the Oscar-winning documentary's title - what does the film tell us not just about O.J. Simpson but also the society that created, worshipped, and criticized him?
The Deer Meadow sheriff is played by one of several Abraham Lincoln impersonators associated with Twin Peaks
The chauffeur has a lot he'd like to let you know...
MARCH
The FBI sends Internal Affairs to Twin Peaks (and facilitates a brief Mod Squad reunion)
Slow and steady delivers the message
An amusing background character in Fire Walk With Me becomes a callback to a throwaway line in the pilot
Here comes Dudley Do-Wrong
An authority figure who "gets" Twin Peaks - and yet...
As cowardly as he is sleazy
The rare individual who can pull off a smiley-face pin at a funeral
One of the few in mid-season 2 whom we can laugh with rather than at
Every rose has its thorns, as demonstrated by the madam of One Eyed Jack's
A singer who is never named, yet whose name we all know
One of the most treasured members of the Twin Peaks ensemble has surprisingly brief screentime in the original series
Twin Peaks' grand patriarch hides in his estate, plots against his ex, indulges in pointless games, and brokers international business while his town reels from tragedy. Seems about right.
Hyperhidrosis nearly undoes the poor sap
One of the few actors to be directed equally by Mark Frost and David Lynch
A survivor who kept coming back when her story was supposed to be over, revealing someone who just might be the key to Laura's arc as well as a compelling figure in her own right
His storyline subtly links Cooper to Leo and Leland
Another town father who isn't really there for his community, although his reasons differ from Andrew Packard's
From Mayor Milford to President Trump, Lana has certainly worked her way up the political ladder (if not much else can be said for that trajectory)
The shoe salesman sheds light on Twin Peaks' supernatural mythos (and, for that matter, the FBI's and sheriff department's rampant abuse of power!)
Even this seemingly placid character has a secret to conceal
Swooping in to sweep Audrey off her feet before returning to his home planet
CHEERFULLY SHOUTING HIS WAY THROUGH THE WEIRD, WILD, WACKY WORLD OF TWIN PEAKS!
What secrets bloom in Harold's hidden greenhouse?
APRIL
She has more screentime than the Log Lady or Gordon Cole in the original series, believe it or not
Snake sliters into a high spot on the combined strength of his early-season nastiness and late-season goofiness
Two in one, dividing Cooper's talents between them but unable to sync up
A whirlwind romance that leads to an ominous flashlit entry into Glastonbury Grove
Dapper Dick comes between Andy and Lucy for a bit of comic relief
A brother better appreciated for his culinary tastes than his legal skills
The town shrink is a quintessentially Twin Peaks presence although he'd probably rather be in Hawaii
The disingenuous hood makes an odd fit for Twin Peaks although I tend to appreciate his contribution more than many
You're (not) only eighteen once!
A supervillain undercuts the town's security - and the show's premise - from outside
The first of several pauses in quick succession; I couldn't keep up with the ever-longer character studies and the new season loomed on the horizon
His concerns are global. He rejects absolutely revenge, aggression, and retaliation. The foundation of such a message...is love. We love you, Albert Rosenfield.
Even before the dramatic, radical interventions of season 3, Sarah offered plenty of rich, compelling material to work with (resulting in what's probably my strongest opening synopsis)
An archly winking debut and a profoundly shocking exit
Exploring the skies above and the earth below
MAY
Another pause in my character series, still hoping I'd be able to finish it before The Return
Talking about my character series in another podcast segment
As the third season rapidly approaches, we offer some tentative speculation
Re-uniting and re-presenting my 2014 series after some time offline
Breaking down Lynch's convoluted, evolving worldview through both his work and his personal statements (a year before his Trump incident)
The last character study (before rebooting the series) covers not one but many characters in different manifestations
A podcast gathers Twin Peaks fans to discuss The Straight Story, one of Lynch's most unusual films (and one of my favorites)
The final pause in the character series, which did not actually resume for years
(I covered this period on Episode 25 of my Patreon podcast)
Next: Living in the Return (May - December 2017)
(in which I respond in real time to the third season of Twin Peaks)
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Previous: Awaiting the Good and Bad (November 2016 - January 2017)
(in which I respond in real time to the third season of Twin Peaks)
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Previous: Awaiting the Good and Bad (November 2016 - January 2017)
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