TWIN PEAKS
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) List
Version 2.1, January 31, 1994
Compiled by Jim Pellmann ()
and Rich Haller ()
Changes from version 2.0:
- misspelllings and typos corrected (thanks for catching them!)
- additional info to E18, E19, E36, and F16
- missing answer to L8 provided
- new TBS info supplied: file name for this FAQ on audrey (see I2),
catalog number for LD version of "Industrial Symphony No. 1" (see L1)
Although most of the material in this FAQ list is new with this version, we
are indebted to Janet M. Swisher (), the author of the
original FAQ list, from which some of the answers here were taken.
NOTE: Although mostly complete, there are some answers and some additional
material for some answers to be supplied in the near future. These are
marked "TBS".
We welcome comments, criticism, corrections, additions, and missing info
marked "TBS" to the addresses above.
*****************************************************************************
WARNING: If you have not seen all of the "Twin Peaks" television episodes and
the movie "Fire Walk With Me", be warned that there are MAJOR SPOILERS
contained herein. If you have not seen the series and do not want any plot
information revealed, do not read any further that the first section of
general questions.
*****************************************************************************
THE QUESTIONS:
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GENERAL:
G1. What is "Twin Peaks"?
G2. What's so special about TP?
G3. Why was TP canceled?
G4. Where can I get videotapes/laserdiscs of TP?
G5. Will TP ever be rebroadcast?
G6. What does FWWM mean? MFAP? SDC?
G7. TP has been off the air for years--why don't you people get a life?
TV EPISODES:
E1. How many episodes are there?
E2. How are the episodes numbered?
E3. Are there episode titles?
E4. Is there an episode guide available on the net?
E5. What year is the show set in?
E6. Where is TP supposed to be?
E7. Where was it filmed?
E8. What is the population of TP?
E9. I rented the pilot--why is it different than the TV pilot?
E10. What is the "European" version of the pilot?
E11. Is the second season available on videotape/laserdisc?
E12. Is there a cast list?
E13. What else has <actor/actress> been in?
E14. Which episodes did David Lynch direct?
E15. Why are the 2nd season episodes so bad?
E16. What are the references to movies/famous people?
E17. Who killed Laura Palmer?
E18. What did the letters under the fingernails mean?
E19. Who/What is BOB?
E20. Is BOB the same as J.R. "Bob" Dobbs?
E21. Who/what is Diane?
E22. Does Kyle MacLachlan really like cherry pie?
E23. Weren't Kyle MacLachlan and Lara Flynn Boyle dating?
E24. How did they do the funny voices in the Red Room scenes?
E25. What are the words to Mike (the one-armed man)'s poem?
E26. Who was in the woods with Leo (episode 2)?
E27. What happened to "Invitation to Love"?
E28. Who is the dwarf?
E29. Wasn't the Giant on "Star Trek"? Didn't the Giant play Lurch?
E30. Who was standing outside the window while Josie seduced Harry (episode
11)?
E31. What did Maddy see in the carpet (episode 8)?
E32. What did the "creamed corn kid" say (episode 9)?
E33. Who played the "creamed corn kid"?
E34. What is the significance of the burning smell?
E35. What is the significance of the white horse?
E36. What is the significance of "The owls are not what they seem"?
E37. What happened to Josie (episode 23)?
E38. Were Cooper and Windom Earle playing a legitimate chess game?
E39. What are the fictional/mythological meanings of the dugpas and the
lodges?
E40. What is the connection between the Red Room, Black Lodge, and White
Lodge?
E41. Did Major Briggs go to the White Lodge?
E42. Who spoke through Sarah Palmer to Major Briggs (episode 29)?
E43. What is a doppelganger?
E44. What happened to Cooper in the Black Lodge?
E45. Is <character> dead?
E46. Will the story ever be continued?
FWWM:
F1. What is "Fire Walk With Me"?
F2. Where can I get a videotape/laserdisc of FWWM?
F3. Why did Lynch do a prequel?
F4. Why did critics almost universally pan the movie?
F5. What was left out?
F6. Is there a "director's cut"?
F7. What were Lynch's special instructions for the soundtrack?
F8. Why was there so little of Agent Cooper in the movie?
F9. Why was there a different actress playing Donna?
F10. Why wasn't <character> in the movie?
F11. What about the discrepancies between the TV series/movie/books/tapes/
cards?
F12. What was Gordon Cole's code all about?
F13. What happened to Chet Desmond (Chris Isaac)?
F14. Who did Bobby kill during the drug deal?
F15. What was David Bowie's character all about?
F16. What is the significance of the mask?
F17. What is the significance of the humming electrical sound?
F18. What is the significance of the Indian whooping sound?
F19. What is the significance of the ring?
F20. What is "garmonbozia"?
F21. What did the monkey say?
F22. What is the significance of the angels?
F23. Will there be another movie?
LISTS/INFO AVAILABLE:
I1. Is there an anonymous FTP site for TP info?
I2. What can I find at the anonymous FTP site?
I3. What other TP lists/info are available?
I4. Are there TP GIF files/sound files available?
BOOKS AND OTHER PRODUCTS:
P1. What TP books are available?
P2. What other TP products are available?
P3. Is there a TP fan club?
P4. Is there a TP fanzine?
P5. What TP sights can I see if I visit Snoqualmie?
DAVID LYNCH:
L1. What are David Lynch's other movies/shows?
L2. What music did DL write?
L3. Has Jack Nance appeared in all of DL's movies?
L4. What is "On the Air"?
L5. What is "Hotel Room"?
L6. What is "Ronnie Rocket"?
L7. What is "Boxing Helena"?
L8. What is Lynch up to these days?
L9. Why are all DL's works so weird?
MARK FROST:
M1. What are Mark Frost's other movies/shows?
M2. How closely did Lynch and Frost collaborate on TP?
M3. What happened to Lynch/Frost Productions?
M4. What is "Storyville"?
M5. What is "The List of Seven"?
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THE ANSWERS:
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GENERAL:
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G1. What is "Twin Peaks"?
"Twin Peaks" (hereafter referred to as TP) is a television series that ran
on the ABC network in the US, and later in nearly every other country. In
the US, it ran two "seasons" (from April 1990 through June 1991). See
questions E1-E4 for information on specific episodes.
Created and produced by the noted film director David Lynch ("Eraserhead",
"Dune", "Blue Velvet" [see question L1 for a complete list]) and Mark Frost
("Hill Street Blues" [see question M1 for a complete list]), the series
defies simple description. Part murder mystery, part soap opera spoof,
part comedy, part supernatural drama, and part homage to classic movies and
other cultural icons, TP is completely entertaining and engaging, filled
with images, music, mood, and characters unlike any you've seen before
(or since) on television.
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G2. What's so special about TP?
TP appeals to people for the many different aspects listed above. Most early
viewers were attracted by Lynch's penchant for unusual themes in his films.
Others were captivated by the visuals and the music. Many were fascinated
with solving the Laura Palmer murder mystery. And those of us still addicted
to the show revel in studying the subtleties of plot, mood, and meaning that
become apparent with repeated viewing. Like all great TV ("The Prisoner",
"Star Trek", "The Singing Detective") and all great art, TP holds up to more-
than-casual study and provides fodder for endless contemplation and
discussion.
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G3. Why was TP canceled?
We all know that quality TV does not last :^) Seriously, there were several
factors which contributed to its low ratings and demise:
- Media overkill: ABC hyped the series for months in advance of its premiere,
and, despite being the darling of the critics and media, there was no way
it could sustain such high interest. Many people watched TP because
'everyone' was talking about it and they wanted to be 'in'. These viewers
abandoned it as soon as it lost its cachet, because they didn't find it
inherently interesting. Meteoric rises in popularity are frequently
followed by just as meteoric descents.
- Episodes not self-contained: as a continuing serial, viewers were required
to see every episode to know what was going on. Unlike traditional
prime-time soap operas, TP did not recycle the same melodramatic themes
over and over. Casual viewing was not supported. (In response to this,
several shorter story arcs were introduced in the 2nd season--in fact, many
feel that these detracted from the series.)
- Scheduling chaos: when ABC continued to move TP's schedule around and put
the show on hiatus during the second season, ratings continually declined.
Combining a serial story line with a hard-to-find broadcast schedule spells
disaster during today's 'immediate success or failure' ratings demands.
- Pacing: many viewers focused on the Laura Palmer murder mystery thread,
and got angrier and angrier that the murderer was not being revealed.
Although it took 14 episodes over the course of 7 months for Laura's killer
to be revealed, this was not unrealistic in terms of the plot since each
episode corresponds to one day in 'TP time'. Thus the murder mystery was
resolved in two weeks' time in the story.
In fact, Lynch never intended to reveal the murderer (even though Mark
Frost emphatically states the killer's identity was decided by he and Lynch
from the very beginning). They stated that the murder was only meant to be
the "McGuffin" that would expose the underside of the town and propel the
series onward. (See question E17 if you want to know who killed Laura
Palmer.)
- Supernatural/science fiction element: TP intentionally had elements of a
number of TV genres, but the media (and then the public) fastened on the
Laura Palmer and expected TP to be like a traditional mystery series. When
the supernatural/SF element surfaced, there were immediate complaints from
viewers who felt this was either a cop-out (you can explain anything if you
bring in the supernatural; the Greeks called it 'deus ex machina'), or just
didn't like that sort of story.
(Side note: although certain plot points in the early second season
episodes hinted at possible 'outer space' connections, it is clearly stated
in episode 19 that TP's odd events are terrestrially based.)
- Unconventional style: while many complained that the show was "weird for
weirdness sake", it is easy to see that TP's ground-breaking style in
music, cinematography, and characterization was the forebear for popular
shows that followed such as "Northern Exposure", "Eerie Indiana", "Stephen
King's Golden Years", "Picket Fences", and "Wild Palms". Imitation is the
sincerest form of flattery?
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G4. Where can I get videotapes/laserdiscs of TP?
As of the date of this file, the following are available in the US:
a) the "European" version of the pilot (two-hour movie)--see question E10 for
a description of the differences between this and the pilot as broadcast:
- on VHS: Warner Home Video, (catalog number TBS)
- on laserdisc: Warner Home Video, catalog no. 35198, CLV, 113 minutes
b) the first season on ABC (seven one-hour episodes):
- on VHS, individually, recorded in SP (fast) mode: Image Entertainment,
catalog numbers TBS)
- on VHS, in a "log" boxed set of the 7 tapes above, recorded in
SP (fast) mode: Image Entertainment, (catalog number TBS)
- on laserdisc: Image Entertainment, catalog number ID2202WV,
4 discs (7 sides), CLV, 334 minutes, titled "Twin Peaks Vol. 1"
c) both seasons (seven one-hour episodes from 1st season, one two-hour
episode and 21 one-hour episodes from 2nd season):
- on VHS, 5 episodes per tape, recorded in EP (slow) mode:
- episodes 1-5: Worldvision Home Video, catalog no. 5059, 235 minutes
- episodes 6-9: Worldvision Home Video, catalog no. 5060, 237 minutes
(episode 8 is the 2-hour second season premiere)
- episodes 10-14: Worldvision Home Video, catalog no. 5061, 243 minutes
- episodes 15-19: Worldvision Home Video, catalog no. 5062, 242 minutes
- episodes 20-24: Worldvision Home Video, catalog no. 5063, 241 minutes
- episodes 25-29: Worldvision Home Video, catalog no. 5064, 243 minutes
(episodes 28 and 29 were originally broadcast together as the
2-hour "movie" series finale on ABC)
- on VHS, in a boxed set of the 6 tapes above, recorded in EP (slow)
mode: Worldvision Home Video, catalog no. 5070, 1441 minutes
- on laserdisc, in boxed sets:
- first season: see b) above
- second season:
- episodes 8-14: Image Entertainment, catalog number
ID2571WV, 4 discs, 8 sides (CLV),
384 minutes, titled "Twin Peaks Vol. 2"
- episodes 15-29: Vols. 3 and 4 forthcoming from Image
Entertainment, no release date announced
d) both seasons WITH JAPANESE SUBTITLES:
- on laserdisc: (Japanese distributor and catalog numbers TBS)
e) prequel movie "Fire Walk With Me" (theatrical version):
- on VHS: Image Entertainment, (catalog number TBS), not widescreen
(not letterboxed)
- on laserdisc: Image Entertainment, catalog number ID2335LI,
2 discs (3 sides), sides 1 and 2 CLV, side 3 CAV, widescreen
(letterboxed) version, 134 minutes
The following are NOT available in the US as of this writing:
- the original broadcast version of the pilot (two-hour movie)--see question
E10 for a description of the differences between this and the "European"
version of the pilot
- the 2nd season episodes on videotape in SP (fast) mode
- 2nd season episodes 15-29 without Japanese subtitles on laserdisc--Image
Entertainment will presumably be releasing Volumes 3 and 4 sometime in '94
(Both the original broadcast pilot and 2nd season episodes are being
rebroadcast on the Bravo cable station (US)--see question G5.)
- any form of "director's cut" or extended version of "Fire Walk With Me"--
see question F6.
(Information on foreign video releases TBS)
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G5. Will TP ever be rebroadcast?
YES! Starting Monday, January 3, 1994, the Bravo cable network in the US