David Lynch’s cult TV series Twin Peaks first arrived on our screens back in 1990. Viewers were captivated by its murder mystery plot and the show quickly grew one of the biggest fan followings in telly history. Cancelled in 1991 due to season two’s poor ratings, the series’ cliffhanger ending has had ‘Peakies’ clamouring for Twin Peaks season 3 ever since. Now in 2017, they’ve finally got their wish.

Here’s everything we know so far about the show’s long-awaited return. If you haven’t seen the original series and don’t want to know what happens then DO NOT READ ON, because spoilers (obviously).


What episode of Twin Peaks season 3 are we on?

Episode 12 aired on Sunday July 30

Twin Peaks finally returned to our screens on May 22 after over 26 years. Twin Peaks season 3 airs for UK viewers on Sky Atlantic every Tuesday at 9pm. You can watch earlier via the simulcast at 2am on Mondays. The premiere was two hours and episodes three and four were made available immediately on Sky GO. Episode 12 is the latest, due to air in the UK on August 1.

Not seen any of the new material yet? Get ready with the full trailer. It is happening again.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vsdRG0mJj-w

[sidebar id=”premium_inline_1″]

The new series will consist of 18 episodes in total and run until September. Nevins had previously warned fans to expect an “unconventional” release for Twin Peaks season 3. “I think it is quite possible we’re not going to do a traditional release pattern. I’ve had a couple conversations with David [Lynch],” Nevins explained.

Where is Audrey Horne?


Good news. She’s finally back!

After weeks of wondering when Audrey Horne (played by Sherilyn Fenn) would make her grand return, Twin Peaks’ duchess of deceit popped up in a most unexpected form. Fans of the originals series will remember her as the naive but plucky youngster, determined to get to the bottom of her friend Laura Palmer’s death. Now middle-aged, Audrey’s reckless spirit and sassy attitude is seemingly gone, replaced by cold, hard anger and hatred.

We first catch sight of her half-way through episode twelve. She’s in a blind rage, screaming at her husband Charlie (Clark Middleton) while talking about the man she’s having an affair with outside of her marriage. For fans, it’s a moment of euphoria tempered by sadness and confusion. It’s great to see another of the original characters back on screen, but it’s a stark reminder of the dark place Lynch has taken the previously happy town. You can see what Audrey Horne looks like now in the production still below.

Will there be a Twin Peaks season 4?

There’s still five episodes to go in season 3, but fans are already anxious to know if the show will continue afterwards. “It was always intended to be one season,” Showtime CEO David Nevins told Showtime. “A lot of people are speculating but there’s been zero contemplation, zero discussions other than fans asking me about it.”

That doesn’t sound promising, does it? But Showtime’s head of programming Gary Levine did give Peakies some hope when he said, “the door’s always open to David Lynch, whether that would lead to another season, I don’t know if he wants to do it.”

Twin Peaks: The Return went through seven circles of development hell on its way to our screens. David Lynch quit at one point due to budget constraints, but later returned to the project, presumably after his demands were met. He had previously said there would never be a third season of the programme and that changed eventually. Maybe in another 25 years we’ll get a season 4? Lynch would be 96…

Is the glass box billionaire Cooper’s doppelgänger?

One of the biggest mysteries in the new Twin Peaks so far is the identity of the mysterious owner of the creepy glass box. Let’s explain a little. On a top floor of a New York skyscraper, a young man has been paid to sit and watch a large, windowed crate and alert his employer if something happens. Something, of course, does happen. But we won’t spoil it for you here. What’s more interesting is the information withheld.

We’re told it’s all part of an experiment by an unnamed billionaire, but who is it and why are they so interested in what appears in the box? Fans have, unsurprisingly, been discussing it. One theory runs that Cooper’s evil doppelgänger is using the box as a way of capturing good Cooper when he returns from The Black Lodge. In trapping Cooper, the doppelgänger would be able to force him to stay in The Black Lodge forever, taking his place. You can read the full theory here.

Entertainment Weekly cover shoot

It’s happening again

Yup, things in Twin Peaks world got a whole lot more exciting when Entertainment Weekly unveiled their March 31 cover. Featuring the first ensemble shots of the cast 25 years on, they got Peakies in a right frenzy.

IT IS HAPPENING AGAIN! Twin Peaks Cast is going to be on the cover of Entertainment Weekly! #TwinPeaks pic.twitter.com/FnmtDvWY3K — best of twin peaks (@twinpeakstuff) March 23, 2017

[sidebar id=”premium_inline_2″]

The US magazine also shared several behind the scenes videos of the shoot. Featuring interviews with original cast members, Sheryl Lee and co. spill the beans on what’s changed between series, reveal their favourite ever episodes and Kyle MacLachlan tells us why Dale Cooper is his best ever role. Watch them all below.

[sidebar id=”premium_inline_3″]

[sidebar id=”premium_inline_4″]

New Twin Peaks posters

The return

Clear a space on your bedroom wall Peakies, because it is happening again. Showtime’s promo posters for the new episodes looked incredible when they were released back in March. Featuring Special Agent Cooper and the supposedly deceased Laura Palmer, the images give the minimum away while causing maximum excitement. Take a look at the posters below.

Check out the trailers

The latest

The teasers just keep on coming at the moment. This new one is a bit special though because it actually contains footage from the new episodes. You can see rather craggy-looking 2017 versions of Deputy Andy Brennan, Ed Hurley, Laura Palmer’s mother, Sarah and of course, FBI Special Agent Dale Cooper. Deputy Hawk is the only one to speak though. Watch below.

This latest location-heavy clip was released on May Day and shows Twin Peaks’ most iconic sets as they look today. Check it out below.

Yes, loads.

Our first glimpse of new Peaks material came in December 2015. The teaser announced the start of production on the project and featured a voiceover from the now white-haired Michael Horse (who plays the tight-lipped Deputy Hawk) waxing lyrical about the beauty of the Pacific north-west where the series is filmed. “It’s like being in a moving painting,” he says as images of cloud-topped mountains and roaring waterfalls rush by, before Angelo Badalamenti’s iconic score kicks in at the end. It was confirmed in August that shooting on the new episodes had finished.

[sidebar id=”premium_inline_5″]

A second teaser was released in September 2016. It again featured Badalamenti’s haunting music, but this time showed the elderly composer performing the score projected over a mysterious forest backdrop. Again, not much to go on, but it did confirm Badalamenti’s return for the new series.

https://youtu.be/-kdgYzPIugg

The third teaser trailer arrived in December. Although sparse on plot details, the new footage did reveal the return of a fan favourite from the original episodes – Detective Gordon Cole, played by creator David Lynch. The clip showed Cole munching on a doughnut, an image fans of the old series will remember all too well.

He’s back. Kyle MacLachlan made his return as FBI Special Agent Dale Cooper in a brand new teaser in January. Suited and booted in trademark style, Cooper emerges from the shadows with a rather sombre look on his face. Has he escaped from The Black Lodge, or does his severe expression confirm his doom? You’ll just have to wait and see…

Cooper is famous for his love of coffee. In fact, there’s rarely a scene in Twin Peaks where he’s pictured without a cup. So it’s not surprising the latest teaser is centered entirely around the black stuff. Check it out below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5g8UqfJRJgc&feature=youtu.be

Want more teasers? Here, have two. Still no new footage from Twin Peaks season 3 though. Oh Mr Lynch, why do you keep us waiting so?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HbrLCZk_c5c

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VhaDyikTWVY

Never seen Twin Peaks?

Didn’t have time to binge all 30 original episodes before season 3 drops on May 22? Well, normally we’d give you a good dressing down for being so non-committal, but in this case, we’ll let you off. Instead, check out this handy video Showtime have put together precisely for this reason. It runs through all the events of Twin Peaks in under three minutes. So there’s no excuse for being anything less than prepared when the show returns next month.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=164&v=16ZPJE8PZT8

Which of the cast is returning?

After much talk about who’d be reprising their roles from the original series, a 217-strong cast was revealed on April 25. Much of the cast would be coming back, it emerged.

Kyle MacLachlan – Special Agent Dale Cooper

Original series lead Kyle MacLachlan was announced as returning to the role of Special Agent Dale Cooper way back in January 2015. By the sounds of it, he’s very excited. “I’m very excited to return to the strange world of Twin Peaks,” he said. “May the forest be with you.” Those wondering if he’ll be relegated to a bit part character in favour of a younger cast can rest assured. Studio boss David Nevins has confirmed he’ll “be leading the show.”

Mädchen Amick – Shelly Johnson



After appearing in Twin Peaks as one of the most memorable waitresses in history, Mädchen Amick went on to appear in Stephen King’s cult horror film Sleepwalkers and supernatural drama Witches of East End. She’s back working with David Lynch now though and will reprise the character as Shelly Johnson in the new series.

Speaking about the project, Amick told TV Guide: “We broke the mold for television. We’re about to break it again.” Before warning fans that “some of the characters aren’t where you think they might be 25 years later.”

James Marshall – James Hurley

James Marshall acted in numerous Hollywood films after his fateful turn in the original Twin Peaks series – Gladiator, A Few Good Men and Vibrations to name a few. He’s still best known as moody biker James Hurley from Lynch’s beloved show and is set to return in the new episodes.

“The show’s very dynamic. It has a lot of facets,” he said.”In my opinion it discovers, in a poetic way, the whole human experience.”

Sherilyn Fenn – Audrey Horne

Twin Peaks’ resident femme fatale is back too. Although she’s not happy with how she was treated during filming (or after).

In a series of tweets (some since deleted) Fenn slammed studio bosses at Showtime, lamenting the treatment of Twin Peaks female stars and saying “only Kyle [MacLachlan] was treated with grace.”

“My post is to the makers of Twin Peaks,” she added. “It’s so simple… SHUT UP OR BE SUED… ohhhh right…”

See a selection of her tweets below.

Lord Jesus & Heavenly Father, give me strength to keep my lips buttoned….shameful behavior….truly…shhhhhhhhh — sherilynfenn (@sherilynfenn1) October 14, 2016

Revised…my post is to the makers of TwinPeaks……shameshame — sherilynfenn (@sherilynfenn1) October 14, 2016

It's so simple….SHUT UP OR BE SUED……. ohhhh right….. — sherilynfenn (@sherilynfenn1) October 14, 2016

David Duchovny – Denise Bryson

The transgender FBI agent played a big part in Twin Peaks unfairly maligned second series and is all set to play an even bigger role in the latest episodes (plotlines permitting). It’s not the only big money ’90s revival David Duchovny’s been involved with recently. Last year he brought new life to The X Files rejuvenation. Let’s hope his latest passion project is as good.

Other notable returning cast members include: Dana Ashbrook (Bobby Briggs), Richard Beymer (Benjamin Horne), Warren Frost (Doctor William Hayward), Catherine E Coulson (Log Lady), Miguel Ferrer (Albert Rosenfeld), Harry Goaz (Deputy Andy Brennan), Michael Horse (Deputy Hawk), Sheryl Lee (Laura Palmer, Maddy Ferguson), Peggy Lipton (Norma Jennings), David Lynch (Gordon Cole), Everett McGill (‘Big Ed’ Hurley), Wendy Robie (Nadine Hurley), Russ Tamblyn (Dr Lawrence Jacoby).

Will Miguel Ferrer still be in it?

Luckily… yes

Fan favourite Miguel Ferrer died earlier this month (January 19) aged 61 from cancer. He played cantankerous FBI Agent Albert Rosenfield on the show, but was also known for other villainous roles in Robocop and Iron Man 3. Perhaps his most memorable scene in Twin Peaks is the moment Sherriff Harry S. Truman laid him out after an argument. If you didn’t cheer then there’s something wrong with you. Now that he’s sadly passed, the question emerges as to whether he will be appearing in Twin Peaks season 3.

Luckily for us, the answer is yes. Deadline reports the veteran actor had already wrapped his scenes prior to falling ill. Ferrer was apparently one of the first to sign on for the new episodes when approached.

Any new cast members?

Yes, a lot

Over 180 brand new cast members were revealed in the big cast announcement back in April 2016. It’s a real mixture, take a look:

The big names

Perhaps the biggest name star to be popping up in Twin Peaks season 3 is Laura Dern. The Hollywood veteran hit super stardom with her turn in 1993’s Jurassic Park, but also starred in earlier Lynch films such as the sinister psycho-thriller Blue Velvet and 1990’s Wild At Heart. She’s also due to appear in the forthcoming Star Wars: Episode VIII.

She’s not the only megastar Lynch has roped in. Tarantino collaborators Jennifer Jason Leigh (The Hateful Eight) and Tim Roth (Reservoir Dogs) are on the cast-list, as is Superbad and Arrested Development star Michael Cera. Ex-Mean-Girl-turned-indie-favourite Amanda Seyfried is also nailed on for the revival.She’s rumoured to be playing the daughter of Agent Dale Cooper. Want A-list? Then it doesn’t get much bigger than two-time Oscar nominee Naomi Watts. She’s an old Lynch favourite and gave his difficult 2001 film Mulholland Dr. the shot in the arm it needed. It was named the greatest film of the 21st century (so far) by critics last summer.

The musicians

David Lynch has always been fascinated by the musical world (see the two studio albums he’s released in the last six years) and has spent time hanging out with the industry’s biggest luminaries. So it’s no surprise he’s managed to get a load of his rockstar mates to help out on the new season.

Nine Inch Nails mainman Trent Reznor has shot scenes, as has indie crooner Sky Ferreira and guitar hero Eddie Vedder. Sharon Van Etten is also named on the cast list. Maybe they can have an input on the soundtrack too?

WireImage

See the full cast list (so far) below:

(Returning cast members asterisked*)

Jay Aaseng

Alon Aboutboul

Jane Adams

Joe Adler

Kate Alden

Stephanie Allynne

Mädchen Amick*

Eric Ray Anderson

Finn Andrews

Elizabeth Anwies

Dana Ashbrook*

Joe Auger

Phoebe Augustine*

Melissa Bailey

Tammie Baird

Matt Battaglia*

Chrysta Bell

Monica Bellucci

Jim Belushi

Leslie Berger

Richard Beymer*

John Billingsley

Michael Bisping

Ronnie Gene Blevins

Kelsey Bohlen

Sean Bolger

Rachael Bower

Brent Briscoe

Robert Broski

Wes Brown

Richard Bucher

Page Burkum

Scott Cameron

Juan Carlos Cantu

Gia Carides

Vincent Castellanos

Michael Cera

Richard Chamberlain

Chromatics

Bailey Chase

Johnny Chavez

Candy Clark

Larry Clarke

Scott Coffey

Frank Collison

Lisa Coronado

Catherine E. Coulson*

Grace Victoria Cox

Jonny Coyne

James Croak

Julee Cruise*

Heather D’Angelo

Jan D’Arcy*

David Dastmalchian

Jeremy Davies

Owain Rhys Davies

Ana de la Reguera

Rebekah Del Rio

Laura Dern

Neil Dickson

Hugh Dillon

Cullen Douglas

Edward “Ted” Dowlin

Judith Drake

David Duchovny*

Christopher Durbin

Francesca Eastwood

Eric Edelstein

John Ennis

Josh Fadem

Tikaeni Faircrest

Eamon Farren

Sherilyn Fenn*

Jay R. Ferguson

Sky Ferreira

Miguel Ferrer*

Rebecca Field

Robin Finck

Brian Finney*

Patrick Fischler

Erika Forster

Robert Forster

Meg Foster

Travis Frost

Warren Frost*

Pierce Gagnon

Allen Galli

Hailey Gates

Brett Gelman

Ivy George

Balthazar Getty

James Giordano

Harry Goaz*

Grant Goodeve

George Griffith

Tad Griffith

James Grixoni

Cornelia Guest

Travis Hammer

Hank Harris

Annie Hart

Andrea Hays*

Stephen Heath

Heath Hensley

Gary Hershberger*

Michael Horse*

Ernie Hudson

Jay Jee

Johnny Jewel

Jesse Johnson

Caleb Landry Jones

Ashley Judd

Luke Judy

Stephen Kearin

David Patrick Kelly*

Laura Kenny

Dep Kirkland

Robert Knepper

David Koechner

Virginia Kull

Nicole LaLiberte

Jay Larson

Sheryl Lee*

Jennifer Jason Leigh

Jane Levy

Matthew Lillard

Jeremy Lindholm

Peggy Lipton*

Bellina Martin Logan*

Sarah Jean Long

David Lynch*

Riley Lynch

Shane Lynch

Kyle MacLachlan*

Mark Mahoney

Karl Makinen

Malone

Xolo Maridueña

Berenice Marlohe

Rob Mars

James Marshall*

Elisabeth Maurus

Josh McDermitt

Everett McGill*

Zoe McLane

Derek Mears

Clark Middleton

Greg Mills

James Morrison

Christopher Murray

Don Murray

Joy Nash

Priya Diane Niehaus

Bill O’Dell

Casey O’Neill

Johnny Ochsner

Walter Olkewicz*

Charity Parenzini

Elias Nelson Parenzini

John Paulsen

Sara Paxton

Max Perlich

Linas Phillips

Tracy Phillips

John Pirruccello

Linda Porter

Jelani Quinn

Ruth Radelet

Mary Reber

Adele René

Mariqueen Reznor

Trent Reznor

Carolyn P. Riggs

Kimmy Robertson*

Wendy Robie*

Erik L. Rondell

Marv Rosand*

Ben Rosenfield

Tim Roth

Rod Rowland

Carlton Lee Russell*

Elena Satine

John Savage

Amanda Seyfried

Amy Shiels

Sawyer Shipman

Tom Sizemore

Sara Sohn

Malachy Sreenan

Harry Dean Stanton*

J.R. Starr

Bob Stephenson

Charlotte Stewart*

Emily Stofle

Al Strobel*

Carel Struycken*

Ethan Suplee

Sabrina S. Sutherland

Jessica Szohr

Russ Tamblyn*

Bill Tangradi

Cynthia Lauren Tewes

Jodee Thelen

Jack Torrey

Sharon Van Etten

Eddie Vedder

Greg Vrotsos

Jake Wardle

Naomi Watts

Nafessa Williams

Ray Wise*

Alicia Witt*

Karolina Wydra

Charlyne Yi

Nae Yuuki

Grace Zabriskie*

Christophe Zajac-Denek

Madeline Zima

Blake Zingale

So, who did kill Laura Palmer?

*Spoilers*

If you’ll remember rightly, in the middle of season two it was revealed (shockingly) that the man who murdered Laura Palmer was, in fact, her dad. Poor old Leland Palmer was possessed by demonic entity Killer Bob though, so we’ll let him off.

The rest of the series was devoted to Cooper’s further investigation into Laura’s murder, culminating in a baffling trip to the sinister realm of The Black Lodge. There, Cooper encounters his evil doppelgänger who eventually escapes into the real world while he remains trapped, his ultimate fate unknown. It was all fairly confusing stuff and arguably one of the most frustrating cliffhangers in television history.

Prequel movie Fire Walk With Me wasn’t much help either. It focused entirely on the events prior to Laura Palmer’s murder and so never revealed whether the real Dale Cooper escaped from The Black Lodge or not. Now, 26 years later, we’re finally going to get the answers we’ve been waiting for. We hope…

What do we know about the new series’ plot?

Not much. But it’s not a remake



In early March, longtime Lynch collaborator Laura Dern gave an interview to Vanity Fair. In it she gave a few hints about what we can expect from Twin Peaks season 3.

“People have to tune in, because I am just so excited about it. It’s brave and fiery and deep, poignant and hilarious.” She added: “You must always watch when David Lynch makes anything. I believe it’s what keeps art going. It should be a prerequisite.”

Showtime president Nevins gave us a little to get excited about when he called the fresh material the “pure heroine” version of Twin Peaks. But for the most part everyone involved is keeping schtum plot-wise – probably on pain of death by David Lynch. He gave a few answers through gritted teeth this week at a special press conference:

Asked why he cast Laura Dern in the revival, he simply said, “I love Laura Dern.” And when responding to Nevins’ “heroin” comment he countered wittily: “I hear heroin is a very popular drug.”

The veteran filmmaker soon opened up though, revealing a few secrets about the original series. “What killed ‘Twin Peaks’ originally — who killed Laura Palmer? — was a question that we did not ever really want to answer,” Lynch said. “That Laura Palmer mystery was the goose that laid these little golden eggs. And then at a certain point, we were told we needed to wrap that up and after that, [the show] never really picked up.”

When questioned about the new storylines, Lynch simply replied: “I’m really not at liberty to talk about that.”

Press

Luckily co-writer Mark Frost is a little more open to comment. Back in 2014 he told Hitfix, “I think what we’ve learned is you’ve gotta have a very strong central path through the woods.”

“It’s fine to have tributaries and streams, and little byways,” he added. “But ultimately, that path through the woods has to be very dark, clear and dangerous. That’s the path we’re going to keep to. There’ll be a healthy percentage of delightful sidelines or paths off to the side, but there aren’t any shortcuts. You’ve gotta follow that main path.” He also said he doesn’t see the new mini-series as a third season of the show. “My brain doesn’t work that way,” Frost told TV Line. “I’ve always said that Twin Peaks to me was like a novel we filmed every page of. So this is more like we found another volume of the saga, and now we want to bring that to life too.”

The new episodes aren’t just for old Peakies though. Frost hopes a “whole bunch of new people want to come to the party as well.” However, we strongly recommend you do watch the full back catalogue before attempting to get involved. Anyone with a basic grasp of Lynch’s work will know how lost you can get even with the requisite background knowledge.

Will it be as dark as Fire Walk With Me?

Here be clues

One of the most controversial things about Lynch’s Twin Peaks prequel film was how much darker and grittier it was than the original series.

Released in August 1992, a full year after the final episode aired, many were shocked at Lynch’s decision to harden the show’s quirky tone. Twin Peaks had always been creepy, but it still contained warm moments when the mostly good characters displayed funny eccentricities that endeared them to us. These scenes helped distract from the upsetting events at the heart of the story.

Fire Walk With Me is very different. Violence and sex (often intertwined in the story) are displayed in a harder, edgier style, and much of Peaks‘ more comforting side is cut out.

LYNCH-FROST/CIBY 2000

With the return of Twin Peaks in May, fans have been wondering which way Lynch will go in the new episodes. It’s unclear right now, but we do know some things. Firstly, the long-awaited third season has been developed by US network Showtime, home to Dexter, Penny Dreadful and Homeland. These are all quite sinister in their tone, with Dexter in particular portraying violence in a strongly graphic manner. Might Lynch follow on in their example?

In addition, Lynch’s last narrative feature film Inland Empire was one of his most surreal to date. That was released 11 years ago in 2006 though, and his more recent film work has covered less nightmarish subjects such as music and transcendental meditation. Does this mean new Twin Peaks could be a bit gentler?

What else has been released?

Besides the teaser trailers, Showtime released an extra featurette to build a buzz ahead of the premiere. The clip features interviews with prominent members of the old cast as well as chats with brand new members of the team. You can watch it below.

That’s not the only thing. Lynch’s favourite muse Kyle MacLachlan has teamed up with streaming giant Spotify on a new Twin Peaks playlist called ‘Coffeetime’. We already knew Special Agent Cooper (played by MacLachlan) loved a cup of the black stuff, but we didn’t know he was a music fan too. The specially-curated track list features a whopping 56 tunes from the likes of Gorillaz, David Bowie, Foo Fighters and loads more. You can listen to it below. Who knows, it might even give you some clues about the new series.

Twin Peaks airs on Sky Atlantic every Monday at 2am. The episode is repeated on Tuesday at 9pm.

[sidebar id=”premium_inline_before_last_p”]