Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		5.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		5.0
Overall		4.5

Twin Peaks: A Limited Event Series Blu-ray Movie Review

Grab a damn fine cup of coffee, or 18, and enjoy.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman December 5, 2017

There is, and perhaps never was before, no other filmmaker with a knack for making the weird weirdly accessible and the downright bizarre as captivating as David Lynch. The man behind films like Dune, Eraserhead, Blue Velvet, and Mulholland Drive and the widely acclaimed and transformative television program Twin Peaks has made a name for himself not as just another big-budget event cinema director but an auteur in every sense of the word. Divisive and perhaps even dismissed within the broadest of the mainstream but beloved by filmdom's more tightly knit, independently minded inner circles, Lynch has been, and remains, a breath of creative, fiercely independent and organic fresh air, a true filmmaker in a sea of cookie-cutter, establishment-minded, profit-driven creators, many of whom are gifted but stymied in an industry that frowns upon more seriously artistic endeavors. His Twin Peaks, the television show about an FBI agent's search for the killer of a teenage girl in a sleepy Northwestern logging community, is arguably his most widely known and beloved work. It's also, arguably, amongst his most mainstream offerings, despite its branching paths around and through a number of complex, strange, surreal, and eccentric elements. Almost three decades later he's essentially picked the show up where he left off in this "Limited Event Series," an 18-episode continuation that's as enthralling, mind-blowing, and perfectly peculiar as its classic namesake.

The show largely defies a traditional plot synopsis, and to delve into even a little bit of it on a blow-by-blow basis would be to ruin what it has on offer as well as spoil large parts of the previous program. This is more than a follow-up to the original, which revealed the answer to its central question -- who killed Laura Palmer? -- relatively early on, leaving the rest of the show to build Lynch's skewered reality vision for the town and its characters. This follow-up builds on that, but it's also a significantly unique entity. It's much the same, but very much different, only slowly and gradually becoming more familiar. Its first episode feels odd and disjointed, introducing new characters and narrative elements, returning others, and exploring a much larger universe that very slowly, very deliberately, but very captivatingly, builds to something more familiar, more tangible, yet still within its own realm and operating with its own rules, a harmonious hybrid of those that came before and those of its own making. Needless to say viewing the original first is a necessary prerequisite. Even with the passage of time and lots of hype, it's critical to watch the original -- and watch it fresh, not rely on memories of a bygone era -- to at least come close to fully appreciating Lynch's vision for this new chapter in the Twin Peaks story.

While the original was transformative television, this follow-up doesn't have the exact same draw. One might say that it borders on excess, excess of self indulgence and excess of extremes. Even with 18 episodes in its arsenal, the show can feel overdrawn, overdone, overly and agonizingly perfected. That's usually not a bad thing -- and not even a minor fault -- but here the precision with which Lynch draws, explores, and exposes could be considered a little overbearing for general audiences. But that has always been his style, and for all of this run's flair, adherence to and embrace of the bizarre, there's no denying that beautiful synthesis within its expansive vision, the potential to alienate broader audiences be damned. Lynch never shies away from building the show to exacting specifications. There's a feeling of utmost preparedness and perfection at play, as the cast embraces the material and marches to Lynch's beat without batting an eyelash. The show requires a dedicated viewing, pauses to reflect, opportunities to appreciate. It's certainly not as immediately accessible as the show's beginnings in the early 1990s, when a more mainstream (yet still decidedly unique) narrative enticed viewers, drawing them into the fold and gradually exposing them to the quirkiness and outright oddities that awaited below the surface. This series dives right in to madness.

This series begins -- where else -- in the Red Room, perhaps more quintessentially Twin Peaks than Laura Palmer, quirky characters, coffee and pie, or scenic Northwestern locations. It's the emblazoned epitome of the show's inherently surreal and downright weird qualities and narrative drivers. And for all of the new locations, new faces, new fears, and new questions, it's the comforting old places, people, and eccentricities -- scarce they may sometimes be in the early going and, indeed, in parts of the entire show -- that help bring it together and welcome back longstanding fans. Much has changed, much as stayed the same, but the continuity of presentation on both sides of the camera not only ensures a familiar tone and texture -- even through the newly unfolding oddities -- but a familiar soul. Lynch, MacLachlan, and all of the returning cast and crew assimilate back into the world with resounding confidence. The performances are uniformly wonderful, Lynch's craftsmanship is above reproach, and the show is a joy to watch unfold, through all of its quirks, frustrations, builds, and revelations.

Twin Peaks: A Limited Event Series Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Twin Peaks: A Limited Event Series was shot on high-end video rather than film. While there's a noticeably clean look to it, the image never fails to bring out the best of any of its environments, particularly those familiar and welcoming natural landscapes around the title town. Tree trunks, leaves, and terrain all offer striking attention to detail, even far back into the screen and within the depths of the dense natural locations on display. Wooden accents around the lodges and police station offer exemplary definition as well, while ultra-smooth and clean city lines play in stark visual contrast but offer no less tangible depth and attention to detail. Clothing textures are terrific. Leather jackets, patches on police uniforms, suits and ties, anything and everything reveals intimate fabric and material density and definition with ease. Skin textures are likewise complex, and all of the practical makeup and gore effects are tangibly defined. Colors are robust and naturally so. Greens are healthy and full, whether those beautiful shades around Twin Peaks or those outlining the brown letters on the titles. Colorful clothing is deeply saturated and punchy, the red room pops with impressive yield, black levels are perfectly inky and refined, and flesh tones appear spot-on. Black-and-white scenes offer a rich grayscale with precision detailing. Compression and source issues, such as noise and banding, are very few and far between. This is a first-class presentation from CBS.

Twin Peaks: A Limited Event Series Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Twin Peaks: A Limited Event Series' Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless soundtrack doesn't want for significantly more clarity, power, or accuracy. Music is exceptionally well presented, whether the comfortably familiar opening title theme or any of the show's broad range of musical elements, from airy notes to deep, frightening industrial shoves. Bass is balanced, potent as needed and reserved as the situation warrants. Lighter notes tend to hang around the front, while deeper ones offer a bit more pronounced wrap. Environmental effects are well integrated and immersive. Action scenes, such as a large cracking and shuffling sound during a key moment near the end of episode two, for example, offer extensive power and room-filling push to reflect the in-and-out action that matches it on the screen. The listener always feels immersed and details are always clear and efficiently delivered, no matter how subtle or robust the sound. Dialogue delivery is clear and accurate for the duration. Subtitles, of course, appear in support of some of the more indistinguishable words in the Red Room.

Twin Peaks: A Limited Event Series Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Twin Peaks: A Limited Event Series contains a mammoth collection of bonus content across four of the eight included discs, headlined by an hours-long ten-part documentary. The potential trouble with so many extras, so much access, so much insight into the nuts-and-bolts everyday details, is that after watching, the show might lose some of its magic, some of its luster. Sometimes, leaving something to the imagination is more beneficial than opening up the curtain all the way for an extended period of time. The extras certainly have tremendous value, but with a show like this, it can be argued that they break the illusion more than they put the making-of story together.

Packaging is made of a break-open outer box that holds a fold-open, glossy DigiPack-style case. Discs slip into slots from the top-down and can be found on both dies of the fold. No digital copy is included.

Disc One:

• Series Promos Produced by David Lynch (1080p, 5:44 total runtime): Briefly unique ads for the show that depict the series' trademark theme played via piano, Lynch eating a donut, images from around Twin Peaks, and more. Included are Piano, Donut, Woods, Places, People, Albert, and In Cinema.
• Twin Peaks: Phenomenon (1080p): A three-part feature.
• Part 1: Creation (4:42): A look back at the original show's novelty, appeal, and cultural impact. The piece also explores getting the project off the ground and Lynch's groundbreaking foray into television and constructive technique.
• Part 2: Life After Death (4:52): A look at the original show's all-too-brief run, the ratings decline in season two, cliffhangers to end the original run, the Wrapped in Plastic magazine and Twin Peaks festival fan followings, difficulty in accessibility in the 1990s after the show's run, the series' revival and new fans with the advent of streaming services, the series' influence on today's television, and more.
• Part 3: Renaissance (4:52): A quick look at the demand for new Twin Peaks content, fan art and music, and fan reaction to the announcement of the new series.

Disc Two:

• Comic-Con 2017: Twin Peaks Panel (1080i, 1:01:33): An hour-long discussion and Q&A with MC Damon Lindelof and cast Don Murray, Matthew Lillard, Everett McGill, James Marshall, Kimmy Robertson, Dana Ashbrook, Tim Roth, Naomi Watts, and Kyle MacLachlan.

Disc Seven:

• Crew List (1080p, 4:02): Separate from the special features tab, this is a simple white text on black background credits scroll.
• A Very Lovely Dream: One Week in Twin Peaks (1080p, 27:10): A deliberately paced but enthralling piece that features raw on-set footage revealing the making of various moments along with audio interview clips, the latter exploring assembling the story, returning a familiar crew, new and returning cast, similarities and differences in the classic Twin Peaks locations, and the working environment. From September 2015.
• Richard Beymer Films (1080p): A Three-part feature.
• A Note from Richard Beymer: Text introducing what's to follow.
• Behind the Red Curtain (29:23): A documentary film shot by Beymer that offers raw, intimate access into shooting in the "Red Room."
• I Had Bad Milk in Dehradun (28:13): More Beymer footage from the Red Room.
• Rancho Rosa Logos (1080p, 2:22): A string of variously colored logos for the production company.
• Behind-the-Scenes Photo Gallery (1080p): A collection of on-set stills. Users must manually advance through them.

Disc Eight: Disc Eight contains the ten-part Impressions: A Journey Behind the Scenes of 'Twin Peaks' (1080p), which is assembled in a manner not entirely dissimilar form the show, with a strange, surreal tone and narrative construction built around its hours of making-of footage. The program broadly explores the making of the show with unmatched insight and access, following Lynch practically every step of the way.

• The Man with the Gray Elevated Hair (29:42): A raw on-set piece following Lynch through making a few scenes, speaking in-depth with his actors, and more.
• Tell It Martin (29:10): More footage following Lynch during the shoot, speaking in candid meetings and phone calls, prepping shots, and guiding actors. From Las Vegas.
• Two Blue Balls (24:16): In South Dakota and New Mexico, a detailed inside look at making various scenes, rehearsals, and set preparations, again with Lynch as the focal centerpiece.
• The Number of Completion (29:19): The locations may change, but the essence of the supplement remains the same: unparalleled access behind-the-scenes as Lynch works his magic, guiding the production and involving himself in every detail of it.
• Bad Binoculars (28:11): Another piece that focuses on the daily grind of the shoot, exploring the nuanced details that go into making the show as perfect as possible. Lynch finds himself examining prosthetics for visual effects shots, pouring over the script, working with actors, celebrating actor wraps, and so forth.
• See You On the Other Side Dear Friend (30:03): Lynch directs himself as he portrays Gordon Cole. Also: more actor wraps, the production moves back to Vegas and South Dakota, Lynch coaches his cast, preps for more makeup intensive scenes, and set ups for various scenes.
• Do Not Pick Up Hitchhikers (26:46): The action shifts back to the suburbs and Lynch coaches an actor via the telephone, constructs a shootout scene, manages his team on a chilly night (and even gets down on his hands and knees at one point to demonstrate his desired process), works with a child actor, and works his magic in a few other scenes, too.
• A Bloody Finger In Your Mouth (26:52): The action shifts to the famous "Red Room," and there are more actor wraps, a return to Vegas, shooting a coffee and pie scene, Lynch guiding cast and crew in an FBI office scene, shooting a scene involving a soft remote control, directing from behind the camera, and more.
• The Polish Account (28:07): To begin, the action returns to nighttime exteriors with Lynch again down on his hands and knees to perfectly assemble a scene. It continues with Lynch directing more children, shooting a newscast scene, filming outside of a motel, working in the desert and suburbs, and more, again with Lynch candidly directing in his now-familiar hard and confident and precise style.
• A Pot of Boiling Oil (38:35): In the last and longest of the ten segments, the Red Room makes another appearance, the action shifts to a few more familiar places, more actor wraps, and crafting a few key scenes. And that's a wrap.

Twin Peaks: A Limited Event Series Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Was it worth the wait? Absolutely. This new 18-episode continuation of the classic 1990s television show is not for newcomers but rather the seasoned fan who has been waiting decades for the return to the outlandish, curious, kooky, and carefully and loving constructed world of Twin Peaks. Much has changed, much remains the same. The show requires dedication, patience, and perhaps more than anything else a firm understanding by way of recent viewing of the original material. It's well worth it; this is sprawling, engaging excellence on both ends, the beginning probably more accessible and enjoyable than this end but...it's all one heck of an amazing ride. Twin Peaks: A Limited Event Series comes to Blu-ray via an eight-disc set that boasts wonderful picture and sound qualities. A monumental collection of extras are included. Very highly recommended.