Twin Peaks revived by Maclachlan?

I’m a ginormous Twin Peaks fan. Bee and I are watching the series all the way through again right now. As with each time that we watch the series through, I started wondering about if series co-creator David Lynch has any desire to revisit America’s once favorite small town. I scoured the internet for rumors to no avail (though I did find some really well made what-if fan trailers).

Yesterday a story broke that I got from Fark.com via twitter. The original article here.

In summary, Kyle Maclachlan (Special Agent Dale Cooper) wishes to revive the Cooper character in web episodes. Lynch probably would not be involved which, I am sure, leads to speculation that any reincarnation would (as the Lynch-less last half of season two of the tv show) be terrible.

I disagree. Although I am a fan of David Lynch – transcendental meditation, coffee, and movies alike – I think that a resurrection of Agent Cooper could work without his involvement. And I think the idea of web episodes is a solid one. Here are some ideas that I think would help it work:
***Some spoilers***

It’s been 19-20 years since the ending of the show. That’s not quite the 25 years of Agent Cooper’s dream in the show/pilot (when Laura Palmer whispered the name of her killer in his ear), but as a fan I would be willing to understand that the new episodes are set in the near future. This would provide a consistent story arc and keep faithful to the dogma of the show.
Where’s BOB? I think we know the answer to that (How’s Annie?), so it would be the new writer’s number one task to come up with a What’s Happened time-line to show either in flashbacks or as the first episode(s).
Five minute shows are a bad idea. I think a better time would be about 10 minutes. Shows can work on a 50 minute arc – 5 episodes. Makes sense, right? If the thing takes off, a cable channel like Sci-Fi could take 5 ten minute shows and create episodes with natural breaks for commercials. Therefore the cliff-hanger aspect (in keeping with the serial tradition of the original show) would run in 5 show cycles in their original web format.
I have to believe that some other original actors would be willing to return to web episodes to reprise their roles. Many of them have done very little since the show went off the air, the majority are still alive, and the brief or longer term publicity would be good for any of their respective careers. And it seems like it would just be darn fun. However:
Get Help! An idea that popped into my head right away: Get help from someone that currently writes/is involved in a web show. Closely after that: Felica Day. Strange fit? I don’t think so. A successful web show writer/star (The Guild) and cast member of a tv show with a strong cult following (I never watched Buffy The Vampire Slayer tv show, but one cannot deny its following.) If one would draw four circles representing The Guild, Buffy, Twin Peaks, Web Show Enthusiasts on a fan profile chart, I think one would find that there is considerable overlap. Where would Day fit in this hypothetical? How about Andy and Lucy’s daughter? Or unrelated. Or another quirky FBI agent who helps unravel the mystery? I could see it.
It’d be great to find out every little detail about what happened with the Savings and Loan explosion, Annie, and the entire cast that was involved with the final cliff hanger. However, I think it should be kept simple. Maybe references to events by what returning cast there is would be a tasteful way to go about it. But also saying little or nothing beyond what’s needed to re-introduce cast members would also work. I believe that any return facilitated by Maclachlan will probably focus on Agent Cooper’s escape from the Black Lodge (or The Waiting Room or, at very least The Other Place – theories are endless) and tracking down whatever BOB is currently up to.

I have always been hesitant to cheer a return of Twin Peaks. For all of it’s second season faults, the show broke countless new ground for network television and, still today, holds up well in pace, serial interest (virtually unheard of in its time), and production value. Though I have no intention of this being a Twin Peaks blog, I do think that the future will hold a post regarding the show and its influence and unrivaled mastery of the television medium.

What do you think of a return of Agent Cooper? Let me know in the comments.

Felicia Day photo courtesy of her webpage www.feliciaday.com