Chris

Twin Peaks Rewatch 0: The Pre-Episode

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I hope the absence of the Alan Wake namedrop in your post wasn't an implication that that game suffers for its Twin Peaks influence, because, man, I will fight you in real life!!!

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Excellent timing for a Twin Peaks podcast generally speaking, though not necessarily for me, since I've just binge watched some of season 1, then the last episode of season 2, then the movie, then The Missing Pieces...

...hm, well, I might just watch the rest again, too, just for the podcast. ;)

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All right, I'm in. I've never seen the show before and have been purposefully avoiding it because I actually dislike the influence it's had on pop culture (from my perspective); i.e., the prevalence of the surreal without any sort of explanation, closure, or catharsis. This is especially frustrating with games that have been inspired by the show (with an obvious pass given to Deadly Premonition) because their writing is often categorically less sophisticated than other medium's. So, I don't know if finally watching Twin Peaks will change my mind about the show or its descendants, but hey, I'll take some backwards-talking nonsense in exchange for more Chris and Jake in my life.

That's like saying you won't watch Alien because sci-fi video games exist.

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That's like saying you won't watch Alien because sci-fi video games exist.

I can understand that though. I mean obviously it's not entirely rational but I didn't see Alien/Aliens until just a few years ago and I was never super interested in checking them out because of a general fatigue with all the thematic copycats they've inspired. Now that I've seen Alien I think it's great but I can still understand the general lack of momentum towards seeing something, especially when there's so much other stuff to watch/play/read/whatever all the time.

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This is an extremely short info episode, Ben, you lazy bum.

 

It'll be spoiler free but with a break at the end where, if needed, some spoilers will be discussed. So this will be a new-to-the-series friendly podcast.

 

 

:rubik: 

Clever of you to stash that explanation inside a spoiler tag so ben will never see it. B)

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That's like saying you won't watch Alien because sci-fi video games exist.

 

I don't think that's a totally fair analogy - Alien's influence is defined more as a genre (space/science fiction horror) whereas Twin Peaks (and remember, this is just my perspective as some who's not seen it, I'm not claiming to be correct - just explaining why I've passed it over) introduced and, in effect, permitted the specific tropes of weirdness for its own sake and an almost authorial-referential disregard for traditional narrative conclusion.

 

It actually took me a very long time to see Alien/Aliens, long after I'd played many of the games they'd inspired, but that wasn't a matter of deliberately avoiding them - even though I recognized the tiredness of the genre in games. In that case there was even an element of interest in seeing the seminal work, because I expected it to be satisfying of its right.

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Is Weirdness not its own genre? I don't see any reason why it couldn't or shouldn't be, even if it is largely used as a method to emphasize or enhance characteristics of other genres (most often horror, I guess, although in Twin Peaks' case it's all about the murder mystery).

 

Also, what's wrong with weirdness for its own sake? Why do we accept scariness for its own sake, but then decry weirdness? It can be just as unsettling (possibly moreso!), depending on personal tastes and how those things affect you, but I never see people complaining about horror in that way. Well, okay, that's not true, I'm sure I have seen such a thing, but it's undeniably more common to put down Weird Shit than it is Scary Shit.

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Excited! I've haven't seen it and can't imagine better company to do so now =)


 


But I fear I might be doing it wrong? What's the deal with European pilot? I have the series available for streaming in Germany in OV but the first episode is of feature film length so it's the wrong one?


 


So I might have to watch this


http://www.amazon.de/Das-Geheimnis-Twin-Peaks-Teil/dp/B00ERJLVPS/ref=sr_1_2?s=instant-video&ie=UTF8&qid=1412803851&sr=1-2&keywords=twin+peaks


instead of this


http://www.amazon.de/Pilot/dp/B00KLF5PF4/ref=sr_1_4?s=instant-video&ie=UTF8&qid=1412803851&sr=1-4&keywords=twin+peaks


?


 


At what point do they match up again? I'd prefer to watch it in its OV.


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Excited! I've haven't seen it and can't imagine better company to do so now =)

 

But I fear I might be doing it wrong? What's the deal with European pilot? I have the series available for streaming in Germany in OV but the first episode is of feature film length so it's the wrong one?

 

So I might have to watch this

http://www.amazon.de/Das-Geheimnis-Twin-Peaks-Teil/dp/B00ERJLVPS/ref=sr_1_2?s=instant-video&ie=UTF8&qid=1412803851&sr=1-2&keywords=twin+peaks

instead of this

http://www.amazon.de/Pilot/dp/B00KLF5PF4/ref=sr_1_4?s=instant-video&ie=UTF8&qid=1412803851&sr=1-4&keywords=twin+peaks

?

 

At what point do they match up again? I'd prefer to watch it in its OV.

It looks like the in the case of the German one they just split the normal pilot into two episodes. Should be fine.

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Is Weirdness not its own genre? I don't see any reason why it couldn't or shouldn't be, even if it is largely used as a method to emphasize or enhance characteristics of other genres (most often horror, I guess, although in Twin Peaks' case it's all about the murder mystery).

 

I'd argue that Twin Peaks is really about using weird to enhance the soap opera genre.  In a lot of ways, I think that's the really important legacy it left behind.  There are an awful lot of modern shows that we identify as different genres, but really have their roots in the soap opera (see Battlestar Galactica), and Twin Peaks did a lot to show that you could take the structure of classic daytime soaps and do something wonderful with that. 

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I certainly wouldn't disagree with that.

 

Although soaps you go into with the knowledge that it's Never Going To End. I might just choose to describe it as a drama, instead. Connotation, I guess. Could also say, for example, that drama (or soap opera, if you want to use that) is the genre of BSG, but the setting is science-fiction. I've employed that tactic a lot in the past, though less so these days because I mostly hate talking about genres. GENRES!

 

And then in TP's case, the setting would be the weirdness of it all. As well as the eponymous town, of course.

 

If that makes sense...

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It looks like the in the case of the German one they just split the normal pilot into two episodes. Should be fine.

So the first link is the "wrong" European pilot, though? I don't know how to tell them apart (and prefer to watch things in their original language) but don't want to spoil something by just watching both.

 

Thank you, though, and sorry for the language confusion.

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I certainly wouldn't disagree with that.

 

Although soaps you go into with the knowledge that it's Never Going To End. I might just choose to describe it as a drama, instead. Connotation, I guess. Could also say, for example, that drama (or soap opera, if you want to use that) is the genre of BSG, but the setting is science-fiction. I've employed that tactic a lot in the past, though less so these days because I mostly hate talking about genres. GENRES!

 

And then in TP's case, the setting would be the weirdness of it all. As well as the eponymous town, of course.

 

If that makes sense...

 

Separating genre and setting make a lot of sense.  I guess I tend to think about genre as a way to think about structure, not as a way to label or pigeonhole something.   One of the defining elements of soaps is focusing on character relations, particularly romantic relationships, and the drama that ensues from those relationships.  And tracking multiple relationships simultaneously as they evolve over multiple episodes or even seasons.   Prior to Twin Peaks, that kind of narrative structure was usually (though not always) reserved for daytime soaps or their big name evening counterparts like Dallas. 

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So I notice the Book Club has officially been retired. I blame Lynch.

 

(it really did seem like time to draw a line on that one)

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Mathias, on 08 Oct 2014 - 15:39, said:

So the first link is the "wrong" European pilot, though? I don't know how to tell them apart (and prefer to watch things in their original language) but don't want to spoil something by just watching both.

Thank you, though, and sorry for the language confusion.

No, it should be fine. Based on the lengths I'm guessing they just took the US pilot and split it into two. The original European pilot would be longer.

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It's like you knew what I wanted before even I did, can't wait to check this out later.

 

I (shamefully) haven't watched Twin Peaks yet, despite loving Lynch's films when I watched them at university. I always knew it was going to be amazing, but never found the right moment to start watching. But now the stars have aligned, and I have no excuse at this point. 

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If you're looking for the proper attire to wear while hosting a Twin Peaks watch party, here's a guide to all 118 sweaters featured in the show.

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Okay, so I want to find out who here likes season 2 better than season 1. There aren't very many of us, so it would be nice to figure this out ASAP!

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This was a pleasant surprise! Waiting for Tone Control season 2 to be replaced by 202 episodes of X-Files Rewatch.

A random chain of thoughts: Angelo Badalamenti's music is so good -> It took me a long time to realize

uses the strings from Laura Palmer's Theme -> I wonder who else have sampled Twin Peaks? -> Oh, the speech in Biosphere's
was from
, I need to rewatch the show clearly.

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This was awesome! I've never had an interest in seeing this, but wow, what a great, weird, interesting and generally compelling pilot. 

 

"It fell." 

 

"Do you have records?" 

"We have lots of paperwork." 

"...that will be fine."

 

Unconnected thoughts: The stuff immediately preceeding the first commercial break is effing intense. Heavy stuff for a network in 1990. > I've never liked Kyle Maclaughlin before, but he's great here. Great character, great performance. > The flat TV lighting and sceneography really help with establishing the odd tone. It's all so flat and stilted and TV normal, it seems really standard, then is just...not. > The doctor! Holy crap, the doctor with the Hawaiian luau-girl tie! WEIRDO. > I love how simple and normal a lot of the people are. Lucy is obviously 'funny', but Ed is great. I like the small-town setting. 

 

Thanks for starting this. 

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So I guess I'm going to start watching Twin Peaks then. Anyone have any suggestions on some specific way I should watch the episodes, or will Netflix be fine?

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