{"id":3594,"date":"2017-07-18T01:51:32","date_gmt":"2017-07-18T01:51:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/maxkochuncorked.com\/?p=3594"},"modified":"2017-07-18T01:51:32","modified_gmt":"2017-07-18T01:51:32","slug":"my-return-to-twin-peaks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/maxkochuncorked.com\/?p=3594","title":{"rendered":"My Return to Twin Peaks"},"content":{"rendered":"

WARNING: The following post contains spoilers about the series Twin Peaks<\/a><\/em> and Twin Peaks: The Return<\/a><\/em>. Reader discretion is advised.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHawk, electricity is humming. \u00a0You hear it in the mountains and rivers. \u00a0You see it dance among the seas and stars and glowing around the moon. \u00a0But in these days, the glow is dying. \u00a0What will be in the darkness that remains?” \u00a0– Margaret Lanterman AKA The\u00a0Log Lady, Twin Peaks: The Return<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

In 1994, not too long after the Northridge Earthquake<\/a>, the wife (then-girlfriend) and I decided to move to Seattle. Our master plan was to be “big fish in a small pond.” Yeah, well, little did I know a small pond meant me working crappy dinner theatre shows and running a little video store on Lake Washington while my woman waited tables, serving the likes of August Wilson and Courtney Love. (Yes, we were living in Seattle when Kurt Cobain was found dead. Devastating.)<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

There were a few reasons why we chose to relocate ourselves to the Pacific Northwest. \u00a0One was because the apartment building we were about to move into down here in L.A. had been red-tagged<\/a> as a result of the quake. \u00a0Not to mention, the restaurant<\/a> where we had met and worked at together, located\u00a0in<\/span> Northridge, had endured some significant damage as well. \u00a0Plus, I had friends in Seattle and thought it would be a good idea to get the hell out of the San Fernando Valley before we, you know, got killed by “The Big One.” I might even add that I LIVE for rain and cool weather.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\"Sno<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

There was another more secret, more mystical reason why I felt I was being called to the state of Washington. \u00a0I wanted to live – you guessed it – in Twin Peaks. \u00a0I mean, even though Twin Peaks is a\u00a0fictitious town – or state of mind, depending how\u00a0you look at it – I felt that if I could just get up to Snoqualmie Falls<\/a> on the weekend for a hike…or head on over to the\u00a0Double R Diner<\/a><\/a> for a piece of damn fine cherry pie, well, it would just be a 40 minute drive from Seattle to Twin–okay, North Bend<\/a>, Washington, but still! \u00a0I would be closer to the Black Lodge. \u00a0To the Roadhouse. \u00a0To the Great Northern Hotel. \u00a0To the strait where Laura Palmer’s murdered, wrapped-in-plastic body washed ashore.\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Nichole and I did get up there a few times, North Bend. \u00a0We used to hike around the bottom of the falls and one time we brought my Uncle Patrick up there and actually made our way BEHIND the falls. \u00a0I mean, if there wasn’t a backdoor entrance into the White<\/em> Lodge already established, behind the falls would be PERFECT. \u00a0Ideal. \u00a0It’s breathtaking.\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

So why did I want to live in Twin Peaks so bad? \u00a0Well, after meditating on it for a minute, the answer has come to me:\u00a0<\/span>Twin Peaks<\/em> was the first show I had ever truly felt a part of its “cult.” \u00a0I was already a massive admirer of David Lynch films\u00a0before the first episode of <\/span>Peaks<\/em> hit the air on April 8, 1990, and I will NEVER forget how I felt viewing that initial pilot. \u00a0Holy shit, TV is\u00a0finally taking a CHANCE. Obviously it blew the minds of millions and went on to become one of the most\u00a0influential series in television history, but I almost felt like it belonged to me <\/span>personally<\/em> as well, at that raw, tender time in my life. \u00a0For example, the girls on the show were girls I’d gone out with. \u00a0Girls who were do-gooders, got good grades, were loyal to their families…but at an instant could easily be drawn to mystery and darkness. \u00a0And, oh, that darkness. \u00a0It reminded me of all the rocks I used to lift growing up, to see what was underneath. \u00a0And there was\u00a0always those haunting mentions of “a wind” in the trees. \u00a0Lynch himself said recently at the premiere of the new show, \u201cI like to cut wood. \u00a0Tonight, we\u2019re going to a place where the trees are primarily Douglas firs. \u00a0Douglas firs are a beautiful tree, and if we\u2019re very quiet we can hear the wind rustling the needles as we move through the forest, getting\u00a0closer and closer, and now we\u2019re here.” \u00a0Shit, I can relate to that even as a <\/span>camper<\/a>. Why don’t you join me by the fire and we’ll talk of things many refuse to try and understand.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\"01twinpeaks-slide-QLJD-master768\"<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Twin Peaks. \u00a0And so it was. \u00a0It was where I always wanted to be. \u00a0Where I felt at home. \u00a0Pure\u00a0nostalgia. With the girls–some of whom were ruinously attractive. \u00a0With some of the guys–Special Agent Dale Cooper may as well be my ENTIRE idea of the Ultimate Hero. \u00a0With the oddwins of the town like The Log Lady and Pete Martell and Mike, the One-Armed Man. \u00a0With the dwarves and the giants and the demons and the spirits. \u00a0It all just felt…like home. \u00a0Where my\u00a0sensibilities would never be questioned. \u00a0Just like a <\/span>Star\u00a0Trek<\/em> convention would be for a Trekkie (or Trekker) or, like, wherever these <\/span>Game of Thrones<\/em> junkies go to hang out, wearing pelts and preparing recipes from their <\/span>Game of Thrones<\/em> cookbook (I have never seen “GoT” but I <\/span>hope<\/em> to get into it eventually…?)<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

I did attend a very special Twin Peaks\u00a0Tree People <\/a>event with my friend Kyle back in the early 90’s, where we got to cocktail with cast members and learn a\u00a0bit more about planting “the seeds of change.” \u00a0It was also at that party that I got to hang out with\u00a0Mark Hamill<\/a> for about 45 minutes. \u00a0We had both performed the role John Merrick, the Elephant Man onstage and\u00a0were comparing the way we disfigured\u00a0ourselves without the use of\u00a0prosthetics, unlike in Lynch’s wrenching 1980 cinematic tearjerker, The Elephant Man<\/a>,\u00a0<\/em>starring Anthony Hopkins and John Hurt.<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

I suppose the bottom line is…Twin Peaks<\/em> has always sorta brought out the geek in me. \u00a0It’s my comic books, my video games, my action figures. \u00a0Y’know, GEEK shit. MY geek moment. \u00a0Like, if I was ever to go to a convention, it would either be a Twin Peaks gathering…or, I dunno, maybe Monster-Mania Con<\/a>.\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Even after I moved back to L.A., Twin Peaks continued to\u00a0<\/em>inspire me to create my own<\/em> worlds in my head. I mean, why else do I STILL have THESE after 25 years…???<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\"Koch<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Now little did I know my<\/a> RETURN to Twin Peaks would pack such a…well, frankly… EMOTIONAL punch. \u00a0For starters, it’s CRAZY to see everybody in the cast 25 years older. \u00a0Especially the ones who are crushingly no longer with us, like Miguel Ferrer (Albert) and\u00a0Catherine\u00a0Coulson (The Log Lady.) \u00a0It also wows me to no end that Laura Palmer told Cooper in the Black Lodge that she would INDEED be seeing him again in 25 years. \u00a0Was that\u00a0planned all along?? \u00a0And don’t get me started on the countless cool\u00a0guest stars and musical acts and returning oddball characters like Harry Dean Stanton’s Fat Trout trailer park landlord, Carl Rodd<\/a>.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Seriously, when Showtime announced David Lynch and Mark Frost were returning to Twin Peaks for a limited series event, the first thing that popped in my head was, “Oh, Jesus, I hope I don’t DIE before this happens!”<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

So in preparation for The Return, Nichole and I went through all of seasons 1 and 2 as well as 1992’s\u00a0Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me,\u00a0<\/em>all of which we were still trying to get through even after The Return had commenced. \u00a0Which is nuts because now that I was reminded of Cooper’s fate – that he went into the Black Lodge 25 years ago to rescue Annie Blackburn, the waitress and eventual winner of the Miss Twin Peaks\u00a0pageant, and got STUCK in there while ANOTHER Cooper, the evil incarnation of himself, managed to escape back out into the real world to do terrible harm to many – it’s absolutely HEARTBREAKING. Because now BOTH Coopers are out in the world, and every week a whole new, nail-biting hour ignites…and I sit there, tied up in knots, wondering what the hell is going to happen when the two finally come face to face. Or\u00a0maybe they won’t. \u00a0Or maybe–whoa, wait just a\u00a0cotton-pickin’ minute, is that…is that REALLY Laura Dern as Diane??? GENIUS CASTING, DL!!! All your muses, present here…<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\"Twin-Peaks-The-Return-Part-4-live-stream\"<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Heartbreaking, too, because Special Agent Dale sacrificed 25 years of his life to save the woman he loved from the surreal horrors of the Black Lodge. \u00a0And now I think of all the OTHER lives he could have saved during that time. All the OTHER good deeds…and even Blue Rose cases he could have solved. \u00a0But no. No, our man Coop was trapped in a red-curtained purgatory…avoiding scary, sludge-y coffee and witnessing\u00a0<\/span>The Evolution of\u00a0the Arm<\/a>. \u00a0But I wasn’t thinking that when I first saw the series finale 25 years ago. \u00a0All I thought was, “whoa, cool, that was SO\u00a0trippy and weird and now Coop is Bob, too, awesome!” \u00a0I had no idea the emotional impact Cooper’s entrapment (and eventual mind erase) would have on me. \u00a0And now that Coop’s out these days, barely functioning in the real world, living in the fleshy guise of some Las Vegas insurance agent clown named Dougie Jones, it’s even MORE sad what happened to him. Although you could<\/em> gather that he is ever-so-slowly returning to himself. \u00a0And it’s taking a WHILE, Coop’s comeback, believe me. \u00a0But I’m not complaining. \u00a0I am ALL IN on this journey each and every week, sweating gusto, verve, exhilaration through my PORES. \u00a0And I am geeking out just as much now as I was 25 years ago. Lynch is SO into this dual universe\/doppelg\u00e4nger deal, too, look at all his films, it’s WILD.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

When my most favorite filmmaker of all, Stanley Kubrick, passed away in 1999, I didn’t think anyone could fill the void of his loss. \u00a0Now I think David Lynch is doing a fine job of that. \u00a0Or at least carrying the fire. \u00a0So much so, that…sometimes…it feels like the two have been\u00a0merging INTO one another<\/a> lately. \u00a0Especially on Twin Peaks: The Return<\/em>. \u00a0It’s THAT special. \u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Have I mentioned I’m inspired? \u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Art LIVES, baby.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Gotta light…?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

WINE PAIRING: Well, well, well…look who’s making their OWN wine<\/a> now…<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

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(Cue Angelo Badalamenti<\/a>\u00a0score!) \u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

WARNING: The following post contains spoilers about the series Twin Peaks and Twin Peaks: The Return. Reader discretion is advised. “Hawk, electricity is humming.  You hear it in the mountains and rivers.  You see it dance among the seas and stars and glowing around the moon.  But in these days, the glow is dying.  What […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[448,590,597,587,595,596,593,591,598,588,592,594,586,589],"class_list":["post-3594","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-david-lynch","tag-hamburger-hamlet","tag-kyle-maclachlan","tag-mark-frost","tag-mark-hamill","tag-monster-mania-con","tag-north-bend","tag-northridge-earthquake","tag-pursued-by-bear","tag-seattle","tag-snoqualmie-falls","tag-the-elephant-man","tag-twin-peaks","tag-washington"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p4VgPA-VY","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/maxkochuncorked.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3594","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/maxkochuncorked.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/maxkochuncorked.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/maxkochuncorked.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/maxkochuncorked.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3594"}],"version-history":[{"count":52,"href":"https:\/\/maxkochuncorked.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3594\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3651,"href":"https:\/\/maxkochuncorked.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3594\/revisions\/3651"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/maxkochuncorked.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3594"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/maxkochuncorked.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3594"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/maxkochuncorked.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3594"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}