The Glory That Was Twin Peaks

Reading this terrific piece by Jeremiah Kipp reminded me that Sunday is the 17th anniversary (to the day) of the premiere of Twin Peaks. Although I agree with the conventional wisdom that the series disintegrated somewhat after the "Who Killed Laura Palmer?" arc ended early in the second season, that never stopped me from watching - I never missed an episode, right up to the incomprehensible and deeply unsatisfying finale.

Among other memories, I remember being at a post golf-tournament party in October 1990 when a poker game broke out, and then had to be delayed because one of the players insisted that we stop to watch Twin Peaks. I didn't realize it at the time, but that player was none other than John Gulbis, who went on to become something of a mini-celebrity by being the father of professional golfer Natalie Gulbis. Mr. Gulbis, a former probation officer, was an intimidating presence - no one was about to argue with him about watching the show - and would have fit right in with the Palmers, the Hornes, and the townfolk of Twin Peaks - but that's a story for another day.

The series was strange (and as Kipp points out, influential), but the premiere was an absolute masterpiece - in my book, one of the great moments in television history. It holds up well after all of these years - the cinematography, Angelo Badalamenti's score, the writing, and the acting. An unusual combination of newbies, oldies and in-betweens, the cast obviously had a wonderful time on the show, making the most of the strange dialogue and unconventional characters. My favorite was FBI Agent Dale Cooper, the role of a lifetime for Kyle MacLachlan.

My obsession with the show was such that I named my fantasy football team after the program for two years running - "Dale Cooper All-Stars," followed by "Twin Peaks Titans." In the end, the series may not have achieved its potential, but it was certainly fun while it was around.