What will David Lynch and Mark Frost do in Twin Peaks Season 3?

It has been a long and winding road back to Twin Peaks... and word is, it just got longer with the show now not returning until 2017. For us fans, is has been a rollercoaster of emotions: Will it happen? Will David Lynch be involved? Will it be as good as the first time?

That last question has kept me walking an emotional tightrope since I heard the announcement. Twin Peaks was a groundbreaking show back in the day. And last year, when Twin Peaks: The Entire Mystery was released on Blu-ray, most of us fell in love with the show all over again. My guess is that it was those sales that motivated Showtime to pick up what’s being referred to as Season Three. And although there is no way the show can have the same impact as it did back then, I have faith that David Lynch and Mark Frost will deliver something that will give fans some closure from the original series (though, knowing Lynch and Frost, it may be more surreal and cerebral than expected). It may also be jarring to revisit this town after so many years have passed, and with so many things in the world and cast changing, but I still can’t wait to get back to the place we left so suddenly over 25 years ago.

Fans knew if it were going to happen, it would have to happen 25 years later, because, in Dale Cooper’s dream of the red room, he sees himself 25 years after the death of Laura Palmer. It is also assumed that “the real Dale is still in the lodge”... as Annie Blackburn (Heather Graham), told Laura Palmer when her bloody body showed up in Laura Palmer’s bed in Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me. So it would be at least 25 years until somebody got the poor FBI agent out of there. In the series, Laura was killed on February 24, 1989, so Coops dream was technically 2014 (just because the show is airing in 2017, it doesn’t mean it can’t take place in 2014). So the timing of the story is perfect...

Except... we have lost a few actors in the past two and a half decades. And I can’t help but wonder how that is going to affect the show. In 1996, Jack Nance died. Though his role as Pete Martell was not a major one in Twin Peaks, he was great comic relief (“There’s a fish in the percolator”) and who could forget his discovery of the deal Laura Palmer (“She’s dead… wrapped in plastic…”). In the last episode he was caught in a bank explosion with Audrey Horne, so story wise, it would be easy to write him off as having died then. But Jack was a signature actor on Lynch’s projects since his lead in Eraserhead, so we may feel the void of not having him in the long-awaited return.

More recently deceased is Jack’s ex-wife, Catherine E. Coulson, known to most of us as The Log Lady. I was very sad to hear of her passing, so close to the revival of the show. I always felt The Log Lady and her log had so much more to tell us. The character was one-of-a-kind, and I can’t see anybody taking Catherine’s place. I also doubt Lynch would recast his old friend. But that does not mean the log itself will have some role to play in the new series.

We also lost Major Briggs (no he wasn’t abducted by aliens again, sadly Don S. Davis passed away in 2007). But most of his story was resolved in the original series.

The biggest loss, of course, is Frank Silva, who terrified a generation as the demonic Bob. His absence is sure to be the biggest felt in the new series. Granted, we are living in the digital age, so perhaps they can manipulate some old footage of him for new scenes. But even then, that greatly limit the character. Now, if David Lynch were to ask me (and sadly, he didn’t), I would suggest Ray Wise, Leland Palmer (and Laura’s killer), take over the role of Bob. The demon had spent so much time in Leland’s form, perhaps he’d want to take it on permanently. It would be a great way to keep Ray Wise around as well.

Speaking of characters we want back, I’ve got a wish list, as I’m sure most fans do. It wouldn’t be Twin Peaks without Agent Dale Cooper, so I was delighted to hear that Kyle MacLachlan was back onboard! But then devastated to hear that Michael Ontkean, who played Sheriff Harry S. Truman, has retired from acting and would not be returning to the show. Rumor has it that Robert Forster will be taking over the role. It’ll be great if they keep the character around, but will Robert and Kyle have the same onscreen chemistry?

It sounds like Dana Ashbrook will be reprising his role as Bobby Briggs. It will be interesting to see how much he followed in Benjamin Horne’s footsteps. Speaking of whom, though Richard Beymer is in his late 70s, I hope he will return so we can see if Benjamin was able to remain the good, carrot-eating guy he was trying to be.

Twin Peaks Season Two had many characters seeking redemption. Though forced by Windom Earle, Leo Johnson was on the verge of a character arc at the end of the series. He was also last seen with a cage filled with tarantulas tied to one of his teeth. I hope he survived because I’d want to see how his time as Windom Earle’s slave has affected him.

Kimmy Robertson will reprise her role as Lucy, and I’ll bet her son with Harry Goaz’s Andy will be a major player in the new series. Though it would be fun to see Ian Buchanan’s snobby Dick Tremeyne pop up, just to hear Lucy say: “Hello... Dick...” again. I’m sure as much of the main cast will return as possible. And those who do not, David Lynch and Mark Frost will do their best to write around. They promised lots of answers plot-wise, which is great because I’m eagerly awaiting some big ones .

The first would be Dale Cooper’s doppelganger, who was possessed by Bob at the end of the series. Having Bob run around as Agent Dale Cooper could greatly damage the man’s reputation. My hope is that Harry Truman grew wise to the situation quickly and did something to stop the doppelganger. Eventually, the real Dale will be released from the White Lodge. But how easy will it be for him to re-adjust to the real world? I hope the answer to “How’s Annie?” is that she’s somewhere else married to a nice man… because… don’t you think it’s time for Audrey and Agent Cooper to get together? Kyle nixed their proposed relationship due to their age difference back in the day, but at this age, the difference won’t seem so creepy.

Oh, and we better find out why people’s hands were shaking when they were eating the cherry pie on the last episode.

Sure, there are lots more characters and storylines I want to see revived in the new series, but these are the ones that will be in the forefront of my mind between now and whenever in 2017 we get new the new episodes. (God, I hope it’s January!) In the meantime, I’ll have to pass the time by drinking lots of coffee, eating vast quantities of cherry pie and re-watching the Twin Peaks: The Entire Mystery Blu-rays.