The DVD Dissection: Twin Peaks - The Definitive Gold Box Edition

Posted by Chad Webb on 12.10.2007

Not a true definitive set, but a grand offering nonetheless.

Kyle MacLachlan: FBI Special Agent Dale Cooper
Michael Ontkean: Sheriff Harry S. Truman
Richard Beymer: Benjamin Horne
Lara Flynn Boyle: Donna Hayward
Sherilyn Fenn: Audrey Horne
Warren Frost: Dr. Will Hayward
Michael Horse: Deputy Tommy "Hawk" Hill
Harry Goaz: Deputy Andy Brennan
Madchen Amick: Shelly Johnson
Dana Ashbrook: Bobby Briggs
Peggy Lipton: Norma Jennings
Jack Nance: Pete Martell
Everett McGill: Big Ed Hurley
Piper Laurie: Catherine Martell
James Marshall: James Hurley
Ray Wise: Leland Palmer
Sheryl Lee: Laura Palmer
Series Created By: David Lynch and Mark Frost
Directed By: David Lynch, Lesli Linka Glatter, Caleb Deschanel, Duwayne Dunham, Tim Hunter, Todd Holland, and Tina Rathbone
Series Air Date: April 8, 1990
DVD Release Date: October 30, 2007
DVD Running Time: 1501 minutes for 10 discs







Not Rated

The Show

I was 8 years old when Twin Peaks debuted, so it's safe to say I didn't watch it at that time. When the first season DVD was released in 2001, I received it as a gift, and wasn't very excited. I sold it for some quick cash and that was the end of it. It never struck me as all that fascinating. Luckily the opportunity for me to give it a chance, which I should have done in the first place has landed in front of me. In retrospect, the decision to sell that season was appropriate knowing the cliffhanger ending, and the fact that season 2 would not arrive for six more years. Now, the whole shebang, the entire enchilada, has been packed into one glorious gold box set. Twin Peaks was a bold, beautiful, quirky, strange, and ambitious show, one I became immersed in.

Twin Peaks began on the ABC network, and the first season, although short, was extremely popular. The central story thread revolves around FBI Special Agent Dale Cooper, who arrives in the town of Twin Peaks to investigate the murder of Laura Palmer. She was an adored student and the homecoming queen, and her death rattles the little town in oblivion when her body is found wrapped in plastic by the river bank. The show was a phenomenon. People became obsessed with it, and it influenced a plethora of future series', many of which examine the deepest darkest corners of life in the suburbs. None of them managed to nail it quite like Twin Peaks. This was a project that took all of David Lynch's bizarre eccentricities, and rolled them into one great gift package. For what it's worth, Twin Peaks, Washington is a fictional town. The filming actually occurred in Snoqualmie and North Bend, Washington with occasional outside shots in Malibu, California.

I'll save my in depth summary of the plot for rating each episode below, but you might want to know some random facts if you are thinking about watching this show and never have. The time frame is set in 1989, and most of the episodes, not all, represent one day going by. This concept was born after Warner Brothers asked David Lynch to direct a film about Marilyn Monroe. He didn't, but like the idea of a woman in trouble, and it was on this possible film that he met Mark Frost. Lynch did not want to work in television, but before you knew it, he and Frost were conjuring a map of Twin Peaks, and what would transpire there. Coincidentally, Lynch and Frost pitched the idea during the Writer's Guild of America Strike in 1988. All they unveiled was that haunting picture of Laura, and the basic premise. The idea was to successfully blend mystery and soap opera. It worked.

My first thought was that this was kind of an extension of Blue Velvet into a series, not literally mind you, but that is what initially popped into my head. Twin Peaks was originally titled Northwest Passage and set in North Dakota, but Lynch preferred that the town really exist like Lumberton in Blue Velvet. The pilot was filmed, but no one was positive that it would become a series, so an alternate ending was shot for release in Europe as a feature. ABC's Bob Iger liked Twin Peaks, but others did not. Finally after numerous test screenings, and a battle of the wits, Twin Peaks would obviously prevail and see the light of day with with seven episodes bought.

The most memorable aspect of Twin Peaks, I don't care what anyone says, is the music, composed by Angelo Badalamenti. "Laura's Theme", the leitmotif we are constantly hearing throughout the show is just irreplaceable and brilliant. One of the best themes I have ever heard. Many selections were taken from the Julee Cruise album "Floating Into the Night", which was written by Badalamenti and Lynch in 1989. The soundtrack is out there somewhere, and I do believe a newer volume was released alongside this DVD set.

No one thought Twin Peaks had a snowballs chance in hell of being a hit. For starters, it was unlike anything television audiences had seen before. Secondly, the time slot was a killer with previous shows performing weak, and additionally, competing against the Goliath sitcom Cheers was not very promising. Nevertheless, Laura Palmer died, and the world went crazy. It was that mystery, combined with the intriguing characters surrounding it, that took the position as driving force for the first season. Twin Peaks was not just about solving a murder. It was largely about the strange. The odd traits of the residents, and the supernatural dreams Dale Cooper has that aid in him with clues.

Lynch and Frost kept a close eye on everything that went down during the first season. Season two was criticized, mainly because the control Lynch had was dissipating. He chose the directors for season one personally, and truthfully each one does a fabulous job of capturing the disturbing parts of this town in the middle of nowhere. Much of it is shot in a straightforward manner, but as the unexplained elements start to seep in, all kinds of neat camera shots and special effects are on display. The cinematography was revolutionary for television from that point onward. Due to Twin Peaks, shows began paying attention to this, and applying it to the episodes to impress viewers. When the first season concluded, Peaksmania was unleashed onto the public, and we would never be the same.

The cast was a combination of Lynch's favorite performers and few who had not been seen acting for quite some time. Apparently Isabella Rossellini was going to fill the role of Giovanni Packard, but she dropped out right before, and then Josie Packard was born, the role Joan Chen would assume. The quality of the acting varies as anyone would expect. Kyle MacLachlan is the best of course. His Agent Dale Cooper is one of the greatest TV characters to grace the screen. MacLachlan's approach, whimsical manner, warm tone, and intelligent tactics are addictive. Even when the stories go south, he remains the heart of the show, and his journey is always interesting.

It would take days and pages to discuss each character. Go to fan websites for that. I will however touch briefly on the central characters we know from the first two episodes or so. Michael Ontkean is Sheriff Harry S. Truman. He is a regular guy, in love with Josie Packard, who is just doing his job. His friendship with Cooper is great, and Ontkean nails his scenes, especially those with coffee and doughnuts. Harry has two deputies, Hawk (Michael Horse) and Andy (Harry Goaz), who are entertaining in their own way. Richard Beymer exaggerates wonderfully as the corrupt and wealthy Benjamin Horne who owns half the town. His daughter, the sneaky vixen Audrey Horne, is portrayed by Sherilynn Fenn. Lara Flynn Boyle is outstanding when she wants to be, and as Donna Heyward, Laura's best friend, she is stirring. Madchen Amick is terrific as the super sexy waitress Shelly Johnson, and she is married to the intimidating drug dealer Leo Johnson depicted by Eric Da Re with endless supplies of scary expressions. Dana Ashbrook is a mixed bag as biker James Hurley.

Peggy Lipton is sweet and affable as Norma Jennings, the woman running the Double R diner. Everett McGill is reliably convincing as gas station owner Big Ed Hurley, and Wendy Robie is kooky as his wife Nadine. Kimmy Robertson is the cute police dispatcher Lucy, who is seeing Andy. As for the Martells, the couple who work at the saw mill, Jack Nance is always funny as Pete, and Piper Laurie is exceptional as the deceitful Catherine, though her character takes a disastrous turn early in the second season. The parents of the deceased are Ray Wise as attorney Leland Palmer, and Grace Zibriskie as Sarah. Finally, the girl in the picture is Sheryl Lee. Her image will be etched in the annals of television.

The downward slope of Twin Peaks commenced after Laura Palmer’s murder was totally solved and in the bag. New storylines had to be created, and they were, but some of them were quite ridiculous and stupid. On the other hand, while this was happening, Dale Cooper’s involvement with Windom Earle was still captivating. The worst twists were obviously Nadine’s super human strength to the point where she goes back to school and joins the wrestling team, and Catherine Martell disguising herself as Mr. Tojamura. Some of the weird new turns actually grew on me though. By the end, I was back to being addicted again. The show was placed on an indefinite hiatus, fans protested, the season was then properly closed, and a third season was never in the works, though Frost had some ideas. Because of odd episodes and the constant schedule changes, ABC is really responsible for killing it. It was nominated for numerous Emmy’s, won a few Golden Globes, and even a Grammy.

The fascinating thing about the plot is how Laura is rarely seen or heard, except in dreams or videos. We learn that she is not the perfect, gorgeous, and innocent girl that most people think. Regardless of what secrets are uncovered, we still feel so sorry for her, and wish that her death be avenged. The audience is still connected with Laura, despite her mistakes. It's almost like we forgive her no matter how kinky she was. The main problem with Twin Peaks is that anyone trying to jump into things mid-season will be instantly turned off, and won't have the slightest inkling of what the heck is going on in the town. You must watch this from the beginning, much like Arrested Development. I feel like I could drive into this town and mingle with everyone as if I lived there myself. I have spent so much time watching this, it is almost second nature now. I like this show a lot. Twin Peaks has its hills and valleys like any series, but it never pretends to be normal, and that honesty is an asset. This is a superb show, one that should be relived.

The Episodes

DISC 1
Pilot - In the small northwestern town of Twin Peaks, Washington, the body of Laura Palmer, Homecoming Queen, is found by the riverbank. The town is forever rocked. FBI Agent Dale Cooper is called in to investigate when Ronnette Pulaski wanders across state lines. She and Laura might have a connection. Cooper also finds a letter shoved under Laura's fingernail, which matches a pattern found on a different body. Meanwhile, Audrey Horne ruins her father's business deal, Laura's boyfriend Bobby is arrested, Bobby seems to be seeing a married woman named Shelly, Laura's secret lover James and her friend Donna form an attraction, and a necklace is concealed. This was a riveting 2 hour pilot, a masterful work. 10.0/10.0

DISC 2
Episode 1 (46:24) - Sarah Palmer has a vision of a grey-haired man, Agent Cooper takes a room at the Great Northern, the autopsy report on Laura is in, Mike and Bobby are released from jail, Josie Packard is questioned, and Doctor Jacoby conceals information. Meanwhile, Audrey and Donna vow to solve Laura's murder. Another superb episode with lots happening. 9.0/10.0

Episode 2 (48:10) - Ben Horne's brother Jerry (David Patrick Kelly) arrives, and together they visit One Eyed Jacks, Deputy Hawk finds a bloody towel at the crime scene, Agent Albert Rosenfield (Miguel Ferrer) comes to examine Laura, Cooper has a unique deductive trick, Catherine's two ledgers are discovered, Leo becomes angry with Shelly, and finally Cooper has a weird dream about the crime. It takes awhile for Jerry to grow on you, and Nadine's "silent drape" kick is dumb, but other than that this was good stuff. 8.5/10.0

Episode 3 (46:52) - Cooper gets a confession from Audrey about the One Eyed Jacks note. Cooper also knows his dream is a clue to the identity of the killer, but can't dissect it. Agent Rosenfield must leave when he pisses everyone in town off, and Laura's funeral is a huge mess with fights and people jumping on the coffin. Also, Hank Jennings, Norma's husband, is up for parole, and Leland is going crazy. Miguel Ferrer is marvelous on this show, and the funeral is very memorable. 10.0/10.0

Episode 4 (46:54) - Cooper suspects Dr. Jacoby of the murder, who in turn suspects Leo. Albert's results are phoned in, Josie does some spying, Hawk tracks down the One Armed Man, Cooper's dream is similar to Sarah Palmer's vision, Jacques Renault's attacking bird is found, and Hank Jennings makes a nasty phone call to Josie. Not a perfect episode, but an entertaining one nonetheless. I almost forgot to mention Maddy, Laura's identical cousin and the Bookhouse Boys club. 8.5/10.0

DISC 3
Episode 5 (46:22) - Cooper and Truman have tea with the log lady, who informs them of a third man following Leo and Jacques the night Laura died. The talking bird is found at Jacques' cabin, Cooper finds a broken poker chip, Hank returns home, Shelly gets some revenge, and Audrey starts working at the perfume counter, yet also has time to get naked for Cooper. Another magnificent way to spend three quarters of an hour. 10.0/10.0

Episode 6 (46:52) - Audrey finds that the perfume counter is a cover for One Eyed Jack's recruitment. Also Donna, James, and Maddy attempt to snoop in Jacoby's office, while Cooper and Big Ed go under cover at One Eyed Jacks. At the same time, Truman requests Coopers help with Josie, Leo has cruel intentions for the bird and Bobby, James is set up, and Catherine Martell is double-crossed by Ben and Josie. More in a string of spotless episodes. 10.0/10.0

Episode 7 (46:41) - Audrey is trapped at One Eyed Jacks when her Daddy arrives, Jacques spills his guts, Deputy Andy saves Truman, Lucy has a shocker to unload, Jacoby is attacked, Laura's last tape and necklace are found, Cooper locates the cocaine planted on James, Leo tries to kill Shelly and burn down the mill, Nadine overdoses, Leland gets revenge, and Cooper gets shot three times in his hotel room. Wow, a lot went down in the season finale. Unreal. 10.0/10.0







DISC 4
Episode 8 (1:34:05) - A severely injured Agent Cooper has a vision of a giant who gives him numerous clues, Shelly and Pete recover from the fire, Josie and Catherine are missing, the Horne's are upset, Leland's hair turns white, Albert returns to aid Cooper, Donna gets a mysterious message, Jacoby recovers from his heart attack, Major Briggs has a vision, Nadine is in a coma, Leo is a turnip, and Ronnette Pulaski awakens. The season premiere is chock full of zany goings on and advancements. 10.0/10.0

Episode 9 (46:54) - Albert eliminates 2 suspects, but has no idea on who shot Cooper. Cooper wants to focus one the third man, presumably Bob. Windom Earle, Cooper's ex-partner has escaped from an insane asylum, Major Briggs has a message for Cooper, Shelly visits Leo, Leland has a revelation, and Audrey is caught. The song featured in this episode was very dumb. That damn James! All the women want to jump his bones. 8.0/10.0

Episode 10 (47:00) - Ronnette is accosted in her hospital bed, while Jean Renault (Michael Parks), brother of Jacques and Bernard, arrives and plans some blackmailing. The Meals on Wheels mystery leads Donna to Harold Smith (Lenny Van Dohlen), Lucy reveals she had a relationship with Dick Tremayne (Ian Buchanan), Shelly decides not to testify against Leo for insurance money, Leland has a clue about Bob, the One Armed Man leaves a clue, Nadine awakens from her come changed, Jacoby knows who killed Jacques, and Donna discovers Laura's secret diary. Another average episode. 8.0/10.0

DISC 5
Episode 11 (46:53) - Leland is arrested, Andy takes a sperm test, a food critic is coming, Jean wants to trap Cooper in exchange for Audrey, Harold Smith reads from the diary, The Bookhouse Boys help Cooper, and Donna and Maddy try to steal the diary. This would mark the beginning of some truly bizarre storylines. 7.5/10.0

Episode 12 (47:02) - Cooper finds a letter under his bed, Leo is taken care of at home, Nadine goes home, Mr. Tojamura arrives to buy Ghostwood Forest, and Truman and Cooper raid One Eyed Jacks and witness mass killings. Also Donna and Maddy are caught trying to steal the diary. Erasing Tojamura and Nadine you have a solid episode. 9.0/10.0

Episode 13 (47:19) - James saves the girls, Cooper saves Audrey, Insurance backlash for Shelly, and Donna tells Cooper of the secret diary. Gordon Cole (David Lynch), Cooper's boss, arrives and has some distressing news, Hawk finds the One Armed Man, who admits to being possessed, Maddy decides to go home, and Josie is wanted in China. In the end, the One Armed Man directs Cooper to the great Northern. Extremely peculiar plots, but I enjoy it for the most part. 8.5/10.0

Episode 14 (47:21) - Investigations commence at the Great Northern, Harold Smith hangs himself, Audrey confronts her father about One Eyed Jacks, Shelly quits the diner, Bobby knows how to blackmail Ben Horne, Audrey's info causes Ben to be arrested, Tojamura reveals himself to Pete, the giant appears, and Maddy is in serious trouble. We find out who the killer is here. You can't go too wrong with that. 8.5/10.0

DISC 6
Episode 15 (47:15) - Donna and James are worried about Maddy, Norma's mom arrives, Leland finds out about Ben's arrest, and Catherine is the only one who can free Ben. Pete and Truman are concerned for Josie, Catherine wants to make a deal with Ben, Hank knows the husband of Norma's mother, and Maddy's body is found. Maddy needed to be knocked off I think. Also, I didn't care for the Ernie Niles (James Booth) character. 7.5/10.0

Episode 16 (46:40) - Albert returns to examine Maddy, and Cooper needs one day to solve the case. The missing diary page and the One Armed Man cause Cooper to collect every suspect for a final confrontation. Catherine gets the mill, James leaves town, Cooper tricks the killer, and Bob flees his body before he dies. Where has Bob gone to? This was the most emotional episode I'd say. Just fantastic. 10.0/10.0

Episode 17 (47:15) - At the killers funeral party, Jacoby has returned from Hawaii, Cooper prepares to leave Twin Peaks, the Mayor has issues with his brother, Hank and Ernie meet with Jean, Audrey and Cooper have a heart to heart, Bobby Briggs plans to take advantage of Ben, Cooper becomes a Bookhouse Boy, Cooper is suspended, Norma's mom is the critic, Josie returns, and Major Briggs vanishes on a fishing trip. Some plot lines were effective, and others were not. 8.0/10.0

Episode 18 (47:37) - Mrs. Briggs shed some light on the disappearance, Nadine is a wrestler, James is hired by Evelyn Marsh (Annette McCarthy), Dick spends time with an orphan named Nicky, Cooper's suspension is to be handled by DEA Agent Bryson (David Duchovny), Jean is in control of One Eyed Jacks, Windom Earle sends a message, Josie gets protection, and Andrew Packard is alive. An annoying episode filled with bad twists. 6.0/10.0

DISC 7
Episode 19 (46:23) - Ben is beginning to go crazy, Bobby is a new employee, Cooper wants to buy a house, new facts about the Major surface, James meets Malcom at Evelyn's home, the Mayor's brother dies, Dick has opinions on Nicky, Audrey has beneficial photos for Cooper, Hanks catches Norma and Ed, Agent Bryson and Cooper plot a trap for Jean, and the Major returns. The cross-dressing Duchovny was over the top, as is just about everything else. Another dud. 6.0/10.0

Episode 20 (46:50) - The Major has a strange tattoo, Andy and Dick break into Nicky's files, Mike and Nadine are in love, Evelyn wants James to kill her husband, Hank and Ed fight, Leo comes back to life, the encounter with Renault occurs, and Windom Earle leaves Cooper a present. I actually thought it began to improve a bit at this juncture. Seriously, who thought of the Nadine material? 8.5/10.0

Episode 21 (46:05) - Windom Earle's chess game commences, Audrey and Bobby attempt to save Ben from his Civil War theatrics, Doc Hayward explains Nicky's past, Cooper divulges history with Earle, Evelyn meets Donna and her husband is killed, Andrew Packard shows himself to Pete, Thomas Eckhardt (David Warner) arrives in Twin Peaks, and Leo finds Windom Earle (Kenneth Welsh). I can't wait for Evelyn Marsh to be gone from this series. 8.5/10.0

Episode 22 (46:40) - The police are hunting for James in the Marsh murder, Bobby reveals he saw Hank shoot Leo, Albert returns with Windom Earle info, and he also states that Josie might have shot Cooper. Nadine breaks up with Ed, Ben is still battling in the "Civil War", Pete offers help for the chess game, Earle holds Leo as a slave and continues to leave clues, while Eckhardt wants Josie back. Leo's electrocution necklace is kind of wild, and finally the Evelyn Marsh segments are finished, though they still hurt this episode. 7.5/10.0







DISC 8
Episode 23 (47:14) - Hank is in prison, but he fingers Josie for Andrew's murder. Albert now knows for sure that Josie shot Cooper. Ben has a friend, John Justice Wheeler (Billy Zane), join him for assistance in getting his act together. Windom Earle then sends poetry to Donna, Shelly, and Audrey, while Norma learns that her sister is coming to town. Ed then proposes to Norma, and James leaves Twin Peaks for good. Billy Zane makes an intriguing guest star, but what this show needs is more Albert. 8.0/10.0

Episode 24 (45:56) - Harry is deeply depressed because of Josie's demise, and her death sends more questions that anyone thought. Norma's sister, Annie Blackburn (Heather Graham) arrives, Wheeler and Audrey create sparks, the stalemate move infuriates Earle, Eckhardt's assistant Jones has a box for Catherine, the Major and the log lady have similar tattoos, and Cooper has the hots for Annie. Meanwhile, the Miss Twin Peaks competition is approaching. The last set of episodes picked up dramatically with absorbing stories. 9.0/10.0

Episode 25 (46:45) - Harry is attacked by Jones, Audrey and Wheeler get steamy, Gordon Cole returns with eyebrow raising info on Windom Earle, Cooper is reinstated, Earle plans to kill the future Miss Twin Peaks, Donna's mother is being shady, and Owl Cave unearths countless secrets to Truman, Cooper, Earle, and just about everyone on the show it seems. I actually was quite fascinated by the petroglyph stuff. 9.0/10.0

Episode 26 (46:52) - Cooper and company find the petroglyph, while Earle explains some things about the White and Black Lodges. The puzzle box is aggravating Catherine, Annie and Cooper start dating, the poem from Windom Earle is familiar to Cooper, Leo's involvement is known, many girls enter for Miss Twin Peaks, and Earle leaves a new victim. The wine tasting scenes were idiotic, but everything else was terrific. 9.0/10.0

DISC 9
Episode 27 (46:12) - Bobby and Shelly are back together, Cooper warns the girls about Earle, new clues against Earle come from the Major, Donna's situation with her Mom gets worse, Wheeler is called away, Doc Hayward tells Ben to stay away from Eileen (his wife), Windom Earle kidnaps the Major, the puzzle boxes continue, Big Ed needs to divorce Nadine, Audrey loses her virginity, Cooper persuades Annie to join Miss Twin Peaks, the cave painting is a map, and Bob returns. The series was really heating up at this point. That connection was back again. 10.0/10.0

Episode 28 (46:18) - Windom Earle has his aim on the Miss Twin Peaks contest, Lucy chooses the father of her baby, Leo is punished when the Major is freed, Cooper discovers how to open the Black Lodge, Annie and Cooper make a commitment, the puzzle box displays a key, Donna confronts Ben Horne, and the Miss Twin Peaks extravaganza ends in lights, bombs, and pandemonium. Another gripping 45 minutes. 10.0/10.0

Episode 29 (50:26) - Earle takes Annie into the Black Lodge where Cooper follows, the real Nadine returns, Andrew and Pete use Eckhardt's key, Audrey stages some controversy for the papers, Doc Hayward attacks Ben Horne, and Cooper explores the Black Lodge with red rooms, people talking backwards, doppelgangers', and more. What a startling way to end the series, but I liked it all the same. Only David Lynch could have directed something so tremendously weird. Unfortunately this had to end on a cliffhanger, but it might have been better that way. 9.0/10.0

The Video

Apparently Artisan's first season DVD was widely criticized for poor video quality, but season two from Paramount was an improvement. I can state with certainty that now, the entire series emanates a homogeneous transfer, and wow, it looks nearly spotless from start to finish. Every single facet is pristine, detailed, and gloriously clean. Even the darker and lighter sequences juxtaposed, which are plentiful, are gorgeous to admire with such evidently diligent work being completed. David Lynch personally put his seal of approval on both the audio and video, so that's a plus. The scenes in the Great Northern accentuate the video splendor more so than anything else I would say. When the series was filmed initially, Lynch and company used something called red filters, which in turn made it difficult to balance the adequate tones. Whatever the issues were, they have been resolved. This is presented in a full frame format with the original aspect ratio of 1.33:1.

The Audio

The audio rides right along with the video as just plain dazzling. The log lady intros are hard to hear, but a little increase of the volume takes care of that. Otherwise, absolutely no distortion, fuzziness, popping, or out of sync speech can be heard. I never knew the technical specifications on a show could be this terrific. The mill fire sounds intense, the haunting music wonderfully swells where it should, and each gun shot echoes through the room satisfactorily. Lynch included a brand new Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround track that augments the proceedings, but this also has Dolby Digital 2.0 in English, 2.0 in Portuguese, and 2.0 in Spanish, which separate the channels consummately. English, Portuguese, and Spanish subtitles are available as well.

The Packaging

Twin Peaks - The Definitive Gold Box Edition was distributed in a cardboard box casing with further cardboard casing inside of that. The booklet that holds the ten discs are clear plastic carriers that can be flipped through like pages in a book. It is fairly sturdy, treats the set well, and will keep everything safe. Also inserted is a sleeve of postcards from our favorite town with pictures from the show. One image is of Laura's dead body wrapped in plastic. Wouldn't that be a cheerful postcard to send to a relative around Christmas time? They look in the mailbox to find a corpse photo. The menus have scenes from the show and the eerie music in the background. Unfortunately a few of the discs are difficult to navigate. The cursor icon disappears on some when asked to view the episode with the log lady intro. Most are fine, but the problematic discs make things aggravating.

The Extras

The prequel film, Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me is not on this set because the rights are owned by a different studio. That sucks because it prevents this set from actually being definitive. Another hindrance is the commentary tracks. There are none anywhere on here. On December 18, 2001, the first season was released from Artisan. Select director's (not Lycnh) did provide commentaries, but that is out of print and only available on used. Pick it up if you are a fanatic. The second season was released April 3, 2007. Both sets have extras you will not find here like added cast interviews and mini-featurettes. But hey, it's not like this is bare right?

DISCS 1-9

All episodes include optional introductions from Catherine Coulson (a.k.a. the Log Lady). Generally they are around 30 - 90 seconds long, and are extremely baffling in nature. Sometimes they foreshadow on the episode, and other times I swear she is rambling about nonsense. Oh well, I'll take it.

DISC 1

The international pilot is included for anyone that really wanted to see it. All that is different is the ending, which Lynch had to slap on in case the series did not get picked up. If that had happened, this would have revealed some closure I suppose.

DISC 9

Deleted Scenes (5:43) – Under the heading “Lost & Found”, there are four lost and rare scenes. A message at the beginning explains more. These are not based on episodes from this disc, rather ones scattered throughout the entire series. The titles are “Jerry’s Wandering Eye”, “27 Going on 6”, “Lucy Andy and Donuts”, and “Something about Johnny.” The last one unveils a possible sub-plot on Audrey’s brother, but the rest were cut for a reason. Still, it is neat to see.

Production Documents - This includes everything from call sheets to script notes and all sorts of doodles only hardcore fanatics will be curious about. There are 20 in all.

DISC 10

A Slice of Lynch (29:59) - This featurette has Mr. Lynch sitting at a diner with Madchen Amick, Kyle MacLachlan, and crew member John Wentworth. They have an amusing conversation on best memories, favorite moments, and how it started. Lynch is quite the oddball to say the least, but he is also very nice and modest. He says Laura's murder was never supposed to be solved, blames the problems on pressure from the network, and so forth. Bob and Gordon Cole are also touched on. Despite a perplexing intro and outro, I enjoyed this.

Secrets From Another Place: Creating Twin Peaks (1:45:51) - This is the real meat of the extras. A full length documentary, covering almost every aspect of the show, holding nothing back, and taking no prisoners, sort of. This is divided into four section entitled: "Northwest Passage: Creating the Pilot", "Freshly Squeezed: Creating Season One", "Where We're From: Creating the Music", and "Into the Night: Creating Season Two." They can viewed as one, or individually. What you receive here is the entire history of the series, complete with interviews from cast and crew including Mark Frost, but no Lynch here. I won't spoil too much of this, but I'll just say the music segments and the season two stuff were the most interesting. Most contributors are honest about how they felt. The director's discuss their creative freedom, and many share funny stories. It is evident that everyone was grateful for being involved. This is what more TV box sets should have. It was outstanding.

Saturday Night Live - In the middle of Twin Peaks' popularity, Kyle MacLachlan hosted SNL. This includes his opening monologue, and a sketch which parodied the series. This is hysterical and one of the best bonuses of the package. You don't want to skip it.

Twin Peaks Festival - This section is separated into two parts. The first is "Return to Twin Peaks" (19:41), a glimpse at the fan convention that takes place in Washington. Ummm, these people are insane. They actually do contests like rock throwing at bottles and cherry stem twisting taken from things Cooper and Audrey did. The minor celebrities attend, and otherwise they all take pictures, have bus tours, and so on. In all seriousness, this was kind of neat to see. We all have our obsessions. The second section is a Fictional Interactive Map of the town. You can click on specific locations, and then watch a scene featuring that setting as the background. Adding bonuses like this just heightens your appreciation for the diligence that went into this set.

The Black Lodge Archive - A vast assortment of little goodies can be found in this section. For starters, we get the "Falling" music video by Julee Cruise (4:20), which is nice. The next is "Georgia Coffee Commercials" (3:25) from Japan. These were pretty funny, dumb, but still amusing. The Image Galleries are divided into three folders: "The Richard Beymer Gallery, "Unit Photography", and "Twin Peaks Trading Cards". In all, just under 200 images are available. Moving on, we have "On-Air Promos/TV Spots" (5:52). Some are just episode previews, but others are special commercials, which are cool supplements. Next is the "1-900-Hotline" (22:55) which die-hards could call and basically just get info from the episode that was on. There are 8 messages in all featuring Luc, Andy, and some other dude. I can't believe they were able unearth these. Lastly are "Lucy Bumpers" (:40), which are the short messages that tell say "Twin Peaks will be right back." Yeah, even those are inserted. This is a collector's dream.

The Show: 10.0/10.0
The Episodes: 9.0/10.0
The Video: 10.0/10.0
The Audio: 9.0/10.0
The Packaging: 9.0/10.0
The Extras: 9.0/10.0

The 411: Twin Peaks was a show all about secrets: secret lovers, secret killers, secret keys, and secret passageways. That is right up my alley, and despite some of the overly exaggerated episodes in season two, this is a brilliant series from start to finish. I feel like I know every crevice of this town at this point. I would call one of the best gifts David Lynch has ever given the world because it allows skeptical viewers to see why others enjoy his material, and some of his truly bizarre films aren’t enough to do that. This set is fantastic, and near perfect, but I must dock one point since it calls itself definitive, and really it isn’t. The prequel film is not here, and neither are any commentaries, but all things considered, it won’t bother anyone too much. The technical specifications alone are worth the price. It is some of the best work on audio and video quality in years. This would be a spectacular Christmas present to anybody. It is highly recommended.

Final Score:  9.0   [  Amazing ]