Laura Palmer's Death: A Twin Peaks Fanatical Phenomenon by Mattea Stark-Miller

            If there were a television series that changes the way that we view scripted television and challenges the standard norm of everything else that was on at the time, then one would think of Twin Peaks (1989-1991). Spanning for two seasons, this show marks David Lynch’s creative, writing, and directorial debut for television, only previous having done movies at the time. With Lynch at the show’s creative helm, elements and devices in plot only seen in movies were incorporated into Twin Peaks’ thrilling narrative, as well as incorporate elements of cinematography, soundtrack, and overall direction that could only be associated with Lynch’s style.

            Twin Peaks follows the murder of a teenage girl named Laura Palmer, revealed to be the inciting incident in the pilot episode. Subsequent episodes revolve around the mystery surrounding Laura’s murder and the people in the town and their relationships to each other and Laura herself. The show was cancelled in 1991, but is set to return to television in 2017 as a reboot by Showtime, with many of the original cast members returning and David Lynch returning to direct and write the show.

            The show’s impacts on television have sparked interest in many critics to discus and analyze the various elements that make up the series. From scholarly articles to fan blogs, there is a world out there of analyses and theories on everything Twin Peaks. One of the biggest talked about aspects of the show was how the murder of Laura Palmer and the investigation of finding the killer reinvigorated the way crime dramas on television are executed.

            In the scholarly essay “Telling inside from outside, or, who really killed Laura Palmer” by Nicholas Birns, there is a critical analysis of how Twin Peaks leads up to the reveal of Laura’s killer. Throughout the piece, Birns uses comparative style as a means to show that the characters are caricatures of either fictional or historical figures to help progress the plot to the reveal of Laura’s killer. Birns takes a look at the fictional television show “Invitation to Love” as it shows parallels to the show’s central characters and their relationships. He describes the characters of “Invitation to Love” as “doubles” for Laura and the other characters involved.

He also draws parallels between character Ben Home and his brother to John and Robert Kennedy. Birns writes, “Horne embodies a superficially charismatic vitality barely concealing a borderline-criminal subversiveness which lent the surface its constitutive dynamism, a combination that seems more and more to have been characteristic of the late 35th President,” (Birns, 279). Drawing these parallels, he relies on the similarities in relations, social status, and personality types to all of the characters, thus concluding suspicions about Home being Laura’s murderer rather than what would’ve been the obvious Leo Johnson. Of course, Home turns out not to be Laura’s killer, but her own father Leland, as revealed in season 2 of the series.

The language used in Birns’ piece is of an academic level, using words and phrases one would find in a scholarly essay, as compared to a mainstream work like the Guardian’s article “Twin Peaks: How Laura Palmer's death marked the rebirth of TV drama” by Andrew Anthony. Anthony’s article is written to appeal to a general audience by the simplistic choice of words, albeit still at a professional level. The article itself is very different from the essay in that it does not go into an in-depth analysis of the show and characters’ itself, but rather describes the profound impact the show had at its time, leading to a turning point for television.

To celebrate the series’ then impending release on DVD, the article also features short essays by the cast and crew of the show, using these as a collective example of how the show’s structure and execution has not only impacted fans, but the people who had worked behind the scenes as well. Grace Zabriskie, who played Laura’s mother, says, “…the show couldn't survive the unraveling of that central mystery about Laura's killer. I said at the time that it would survive, that the show was about so much more than who killed Laura Palmer, that it still had miles to go… But it started going all over the map, not trusting what had been created, what there was already to build on.” Zabriskie and the rest of the cast agreed that the showed relied the suspense and mystery of the identity of the murderer, and the twists and turns the show’s plot took to get to that point. It is the testimonies of the cast and crew that help vouch for the creative direction of Twin Peaks, seeing it from both a creator’s and viewer’s perspective.

Finally, we come the “fan blog,” written by fans, for fans. The writing style is very opinionated at best, often very simplistic without regards for professionalism. Many of these blogs are filled with fan theories and various analytical posts about the narrative, plot direction, and characters surrounding the form of media they are looking at. For Twin Peaks, the blatantly named “Twin Peaks Fanatic” with the subtitle “A blog dedicated to all things Twin Peaks, including episode recaps, news & more!” regularly posts recaps of episodes and news pertain to the hit show.

These posts often give an interesting perspective on how the show would often use foreshadowing early on to help pinpoint the real killer of Laura Palmer. As with the recap for episode 2, the author of the blog known as Mya McBriar, indicates that Leland was hinted as the killer early on. Briar writes in the mini-review at the end of the recap, “I also think one of the most touching and in retrospect sickening scenes of the series, is when Leland dances with Laura's picture. In that moment Leland knows, maybe not consciously, but he knows, as does Sarah despite steeped in denial, that he's responsible for Laura's demise.” McBriar pays close attention to detail through character interactions with themselves and the people they are connected with.

Twin Peaks remains one of the most influential series in television history, creating much fan speculation and thorough analysis from writers of any professional level. Writers can look at it from a clear academic standpoint or from a fan point of view, and it will still be talked about amongst people alike all over the Internet.

Works Cited

 Anthony, Andrew. "Twin Peaks: How Laura Palmer's Death Marked the Rebirth of TV Drama." The Guardian. Guardian News and Media, 20 Mar. 2010. Web. 14 Feb. 2016.

Birns, Nicholas. "Telling inside from Outside, Or, Who Really Killed Laura Palmer." Literature Film Quarterly 21.4 (1993). Communication & Mass Media Complete. Web. 14 Feb. 2016.

McBriar, Mya. "Recap of Episode 2." Twin Peaks Fanatic. 13 Feb. 2015. Web. 15 Feb. 2016.