All summer long, the Showtime revival ofTwin Peakstransported viewers to a wonderful and strange universe of mystery.
It wassomeone’s last day at the office.
Enigmas ensued from the moment that Jeff dialed the phone…
Showtime
The phone rings three times before someone answers.
VOICE ON PHONE:Hi, this is Jeff.
JEFF JENSEN:Hi, Jeff, it’s Jeff Jensen withEntertainment Weekly.
Showtime
VOICE ON PHONE:Uhhh, good.
JENSEN:Is Sabrina there?
VOICE ON PHONE:I think you got the wrong number.
JENSEN:All right, thank you!
VOICE ON PHONE:Yup.
[hangs up]
DARREN FRANICH:[pondering doppelgangers] Jeff, did you just call yourself?
SHOWTIME
The correct number is dialed.
Sabrina S. Sutherland longtime Lynch colleague andTwin Peaksexecutive producer answers and connects us with the director himself.
JEFF JENSEN:Last time we spoke, during the premiere, you were making a table.
Suzanne Tenner/SHOWTIME
DAVID LYNCH:Did you get the picture?
JENSEN: I did get the picture, thanks!
That’s a beautiful table.
LYNCH:Fantastic, I’m glad you like it.
JENSEN: Where were you during the finale?
Did you do anything special?
LYNCH:I was on a meditation course in Orlando, Florida.
JENSEN: How does it feel now to be able to finish what had been an unfinished work?
LYNCH: It feels really good.
It went really good in the world.
I feel very thankful and happy that we did it.
Did you feel like going back to it kind of assuages some of that negativity?
LYNCH:Everybody has these things in their life.
Like the Log Lady says, the stars turn and a time presents itself.
Sometimes it’s not a pleasant time.
In the early ’90s, I guess, I had a little bit of a black cloud over me.
But, you know, these things come and they go.
JENSEN: The show ends with this amazing sequence that might involve time travel.
I wonder ifThe Returnmight have been time travel for you.
LYNCH:It’s strange, how it goes in the world.
Then the reputation of that film got better and better through the years.
The second season ends with him in two different precarious positions.
Is that central to your conception ofTwin Peaks, that that character is never quite safe?
LYNCH:Some things came to a conclusion.
And some things dangled out there.
And that’s sort of the way it is in life.
Kyle came out of this smelling like a rose!
Not a blue rose!
[laughs]
JENSEN: What was your favorite Cooper?
LYNCH:I love them all.
Kyle did such a good job as Dougie.
Should we consider that a slightly different version of the character?
LYNCH:You should look at that part again, and you could see it in different ways.
I’m not gonna talk about it, though.
Where did the inspiration for the atomic bomb entering into the world ofTwin Peakscome from?
LYNCH:It’s a strange story.
In my first feature film,Eraserhead, Henry has that same atomic bomb photo on his wall.
But, you know, things come along.
One thing or another can open up portals.
[long pause]
JENSEN: There was an atomic bomb in that picture inEraserheadand now inTheReturn.
Are those happy coincidences?
LYNCH:Sort of.
I never really thought about it till later.
JENSEN: It seemed like we encountered so much of you in this show.
We felt like we saw allusions to other films, implied, implicit.
Were you reflecting a lot on your life and your work while you were making this?
LYNCH:No, it was a coincidence.
I guess I just love certain things.
It was this world ofTwin Peaksthat was talking.
I didn’t think about any other films.
So many of her scenes were so primal and moving.
What was the inspiration for the way you brought Sarah Palmer into this season?
LYNCH:I can’t really talk about more than what you saw.
And so great to work with.
I just can’t get enough of her.
She’s incredible and does things so deep inside that you just can’t turn away.
You’re just with her a hundred percent.
She’s a real artist.
JENSEN: Freddie stole our hearts in the last act ofTwin Peaks.
The green glove: What was your inspiration for that?
LYNCH:I had that idea a long time ago.
And it worked its way intoTwin Peaks.
And Freddie [played by Jake Wardle], I discovered on the internet.
A friend of mine wrote and said, “You should check this guy out.
He does these impressions, different dialects.”
Lo and behold it all happened.
He’s from East London, and a Cockney, and the real deal.
JENSEN: You said the glove was an idea you had for awhile.
LYNCH:No, no.
You know, ideas come along, so you write ‘em down.
I got boxes of these things.
So that was one of them.
A pain in the ass to work with, though!
Talk to Sabrina about that guy.
FRANICH: I have a question: Has Gordon Cole seenSunset Boulevard?
LYNCH:[Laughs] It’s one of his all-time favorites.
FRANICH: What does Gordon Cole think when his name gets said out loud inSunset Boulevard?
LYNCH:He thinks, “Someone had it before me!”
Did I ever tell you that story?
That’s where the name came from, for my character inTwin Peaks, fromSunset Boulevard.
Billy Wilder worked at Paramount Studios.
Isn’t that incredible?
Iknowthat’s where he got the name.
What was the inspiration for that elaborate exit?
It’s great watching Albert see this mess.
LYNCH:Well, Billy’s another story.
It’s the Roadhouse inTwin Peaks.
They’ve all got their problems, and [they’re] dealing with them.
FRANICH: Quick follow-up question: Whatisthe story with Billy?
Would you encourage that kind of review?
LYNCH:You know, it’s not a science lab.
If it’s fun to think about them, then I would encourage it.
Wasn’t Sherilynn Fenn great?
JENSEN: Yeah, and you gave her a tough part to play.
Was that special for you?
So many great things happened with Kyle and Laura, fromBlue Velvetdays.
Coming back and being together again was really great, onscreen and off.
JENSEN: The episode where the Log Lady died was so shattering.
What was it like for you to guide Catherine Coulson through those scenes?
LYNCH:It was, you could say, extremely emotional.
But thank goodness it was done.
Catherine passed away four days after she shot that scene.
Certain things came together just in the nick of time.
JENSEN: I think it’s beautiful that you got that on film.
LYNCH:So beautiful.
JENSEN: Has Showtime talked to you about moreTwin Peaks?
LYNCH:No, we haven’t talked.
The thing just finished!
Even if there was more, it would be four years from now before anyone would see it.
We’ll just have to wait and see.
JENSEN: Do you have any ideas for what would be next?
LYNCH:No, I can’t talk about that.
FRANICH: Do you ever have any Monica Bellucci dreams?
LYNCH:So many you’re able to’t count ‘em.
JENSEN: I’ll be going back over and looking at these 18 hours again.
There’s so much richness But it also made me want more from you, David!
Not necessarily moreTwin Peaks, but more movies!
LYNCH:Well, I’m going through those boxes.
