What a juggernaut of a television series. It´s completely impossible to unpack it all after your first watch, or ever, so the short version is: I´m blown away.

“Twin Peaks: The Return” is 18 hours of David Lynch´s unfiltered and uncompromised vision, which can be overwhelming at times but ultimately is extremely rewarding. It would´ve been easy for the season to do it like other TV revivals of the decade, simply cashing in on nostalgia and repeating what has worked before, but this isn´t the David Lynch way. Like the original “Twin Peaks” in the early 90s, “The Return” once again pushes the boundaries of the TV show format. It´s unique and innovative on a conceptual, narrative, and stylistic level, constantly subverts the audience´s expectations, and breaks countless conventions of filmmaking and storytelling. I can honestly say that I could never guess what would happen next, which made it an exciting and riveting experience. The show also feels like the grand culmination of Lynch´s life work, as it ties together trademarks, motifs, and themes that defined his whole career.

It even seems like Lynch actively attacks nostalgia with this season, as it purposely irritates the kind of longtime fans who simply want more of the “same old Twin Peaks”. I mean, I´m not a longtime fan, having just started watching “Twin Peaks” this year, but I also needed some time to get used to certain changes to the show´s DNA. Some examples:

1. “The Return” drastically dials down the goofiness and melodramatic soap opera elements that gave the original 2 seasons such an endearing campy charm and instead dials up the nightmarish surrealism and disturbing horror and violence.
2. While the previous seasons almost exclusively took place in the show´s eponymous cozy yet darkly mysterious small town Twin Peaks, season 3 adds several new locations, which take up just as much if not more screen time than our original setting. That way, Twin Peaks isn´t the central hub that connects all the storylines anymore (well, until the finale).
3. While many, though not all, beloved characters of the previous seasons return, some of them (seem to) get sidelined, while new characters get introduced.
4. Dale Cooper, one of the greatest TV protagonists of all time and the glue that holds the show together, isn´t “our” Coop for most of the season.

Those points could frustrate fans who wanted more of the same, but as so often, Lynch doesn´t give the audience what it wants but what it didn´t even know it wanted. Or more precisely, he does whatever HE wants and everyone else is just along for the ride. And in my opinion, it turns out to be the right approach. To go through the same examples again:

1. The soap opera aspects of the original show were a reaction to the TV landscape of its time (if you call it parody or pastiche depends on your interpretation). Television has changed in the last 25 years, so it´s only reasonable that a modern take on “Twin Peaks” reflects the modern TV landscape, aka gritty and cynical shows ala “Breaking Bad” or “True Detective”. Furthermore, one major theme of “Twin Peaks” has always been the darkness that hides underneath the facade of idyllic small-town Americana. You could argue that 25 years after the end of season 2, this facade has crumbled down completely, and the darkness jumps you right in the face. There´s nothing hidden or subtle about it anymore, which explains the bleaker, grittier tone of season 3. Even the town of Twin Peaks itself feels like a darker place, as can be seen for example in the several Roadhouse vignettes or the gunshot incident in Part 11. For a large part of the season, there is this feeling that evil has either won or at least is nearly unstoppable. And I have to say, while I love the tone of the original seasons, it´s a pure joy to see Lynch go all out with the surrealism, mythology, and horror in this new season. That being said, it should be mentioned that he still finds time for quirky, funny, and wholesome moments. “The Return” is not a complete downer like I might have suggested so far. The heartwarming charm is subdued but still clearly present. That´s one of the most impressive aspects of the revival. It´s a fascinating and engaging mix of new and familiar elements and merges widely different genres and tones. It truly makes you feel all different kinds of emotions, often in in the same episode. If I told you several singular storylines, you wouldn´t believe that they all take place in the same show, yet they are all unmistakably “Twin Peaks”. That´s the great talent of David Lynch. Even though everything feels strange and off-kilter, it also feels like it belongs in the show.

2. When I got used to it, I loved how “The Return” expanded the scope of the show by adding new locations around the United States. This makes the central conflict feel bigger and more important. And this bigger scope of the story only further accentuates Twin Peaks uniquely important role in the world of the series, when in the end, all roads lead back to the small lumber town.

3. The characters are still heart and soul of the show. Sure, I miss some characters that didn´t return, most of all Harry Truman, but it´s wonderful to meet the characters again who did return, to see who has changed and who has essentially stayed the same. The actors still feel at home in their roles, and while some storylines are puzzling and seemingly disconnected from the main plot, they make sense thematically, if you think about them for a while. The Gordon and Albert dynamic is a highlight for me, Hawk gets to shine more than before, Andy and Lucy are still their lovable selves, Bobby had wonderful character development, Norma and Shelly are still sweethearts, the Log Lady (what a brave performance by Catherine Coulson) is enigmatic yet helpful as always, and even Garland Briggs is a strong presence in the season, although Don S. Davis already died in 2008. And what they made with Sarah Palmer made my head spin (I won´t go into that). I still don´t care much about Jacoby or Nadine, though, and I would have liked more of the Horne brothers and of course Audrey. I mean, the Audrey storyline is definitely fascinating to analyze but nonetheless, I would have loved more screentime, character interactions, and in general a different fate for my second-favorite Twin Peaks girl after Laura Palmer. Speaking of Laura, Sheryl Lee returns as well, and she hasn´t forgotten how to scream.

The newly introduced characters are just as idiosyncratic, entertaining, and memorable as the returning ones. Characters like Janey-E, Frank Truman, Diane, the Mitchum Brothers, or Chantal and Hutch (who go out in true Tarantino/Coen Brothers fashion) feel right at home in the world of “Twin Peaks” and won a special place in my heart. The Michael Cera cameo is pure gold, as well.

4. While the entire cast does an outstanding job, it´s once again Kyle MacLachlan who carries the show and acts as its emotional center. His captivating, believable, and nuanced portrayal of several different characters is one of the most impressive acting showcases I´ve seen on television. The Dougie plotline might feel frustrating at first, but the payoff is huge and when you look back on it, you´ll see that it´s full of charm, humor, depth, and deep humanity.

In general, it should be said that no matter how dark, bleak, nightmarish, and terrifying the show gets, David Lynch´s heartfelt humanity is still at the center of it and permeates through the entire series. It´s what ties everything together and makes it a coherent show.

“The Return” is complex, ambiguous, and incredibly dense, and every scene is full of symbolism and rich with meaning. At its core, the series is about the fight between good and evil, the essence of both, and the balance between them. Fans who wanted Lynch to dive deeper into the mythology aspect of the show should be more than satisfied. He fleshes out the lore and out-Lynches himself with mind-blowing concepts and visuals. He answers some questions in his own idiosyncratic way, ignores others, and introduces new ones. The standout episode of the season is Part 8, which serves as a mindbending origin story/creation myth of “Twin Peaks”. It´s simply the most artistically stunning, innovative, and boundaries-pushing episode of television history. Like the most psychedelic parts of “2001: A Space Odyssey” in TV format. Release it as a one-hour movie and throw all the awards at it.

Apart from episode 8, it´s the last 3 episodes that elevate “The Return” to the ultimate pinnacle of cinematic storytelling. How Lynch ties up all the interconnected plotlines in the end as well as the emotional power of the payoffs are incredible, as is the patience with which he leads us to this point. Episode 17 is Lynch´s version of a traditional climax, while episode 18 is the mystifying epilogue, which denies closure. Once again it feels like Lynch attacks nostalgia thematically. The passage of time, the inevitability of change, and its influence on identity (Lynch´s beloved doppelganger motif is all over the season) are major themes I noticed. We can´t bring back the past and are not the same persons we were 25 years ago; we have to accept that. Duality and cycles (like the children repeating the mistakes of their parents) are also recurring themes. But yeah, I can´t unpack it all after my first watch. What I love about the finale is that it reaffirms the central importance of Laura Palmer´s tragic life and murder for the series. It´s what started the story and it´s what ends it, it´s the soul of the show. Some theories interpret the ending optimistically, others pessimistically, but in any case, it´s immensely haunting and forever burnt into my mind. I could never see it coming yet in hindsight, I don´t know how the show could end in a better way. A quintessential Lynch experience.

“The Return” invites reflection, analysis, and interpretation from many different perspectives, may it be psychology, philosophy, religion, occultism, symbolism, surrealism, or meta film theory (The “we live inside a dream”, “who is the dreamer?” theme could mean that the characters become aware that they are characters in a TV show, and the dreamer would be the audience). Watching “Twin Peaks” is a different experience for each of us, but everyone will get something out of it, and almost any interpretation is valid. I believe this show will never lose its intriguing, mesmerizing appeal. I will never fully understand it, but you can bet that I will repeatedly return to it in my mind and think about the Black and White Lodge, the Fireman, Judy, Mike, Bob, Cooper, Laura, and everything else. And I will probably always discover something new with every rewatch, the clear sign of a masterpiece. I also believe that “The Return” makes the first two seasons and “Fire Walk with Me” even better retroactively, which is a staggering achievement in itself.

“The Return” is everything I wanted it to be. It´s bold, unique, challenging, enigmatic, harrowing, existentialist, and transcendent. It brims with boundless creativity and is artistically breathtaking, emotionally impactful, intellectually stimulating, and simply brilliant in concept, structure, and execution. Of the TV shows I´ve seen, only “Neon Genesis Evangelion” (counting the movies) comes close to the quantity and quality of WTF moments that this season has. “Twin Peaks” as a whole deserves to be put on the Mount Rushmore of television storytelling. I also think that it´s the peak of Lynch´s career and if he never directs another movie or series, this season would be his perfect swan song. I don´t see how he could top it but of course, he is invited to prove me wrong.