With next year’s deliriously anticipated Twin Peaks revival, it’s pretty likely
we’ll get another Badalamenti soundtrack and more dinner and dessert
recommendations (in fact, a Twin Peaks
cookbook is in the pipeline). But first, there’s a new addition to our library.
Series co-creator and author of numerous non-Twin Peaks books Mark Frost has just published a rather
unconventional “novel” called The Secret
History of Twin Peaks.
When Frost’s book was first announced last year, I assumed
that it would mainly focus on filling in the massive time trench between
the series’ final episode in 1991 and the 2017 revival. That’s not really what
it does. Rather, this book is true to its name in relating the strange and
wonderful town’s history stretching all the way back to Meriwether Lewis’s
weird experiences when passing through Twin Peaks during his expedition with
William Clark more than 200 years ago.
Frost formats his book as an FBI dossier assembled by a
mysterious “archivist” for the perusal of a new special agent identified with
the initials (hardy-har) TP, who will clearly be a key character in Season Three. The
dossier comprises letters, FBI memos, newspaper articles and editorials,
interviews, artifacts, and other materials that tell a not-totally-linear
history of the town. Regardless of how Frost delivers his information, he
handles it all with a masterful grasp of history (real and unreal), a keen ear
for his characters’ voices, and a full grasp of the particular medium he is
using at any given time.
Though there were many atmospheric elements of Twin Peaks, Frost is mostly concerned
with its mystical side, which involves creepy owls, a mysterious
race of giants, provocative cave paintings, secret societies, bizarre
religions, magical rings, scientology, Satanism, and UFOs. The latter is
somewhat surprising since I was always under the impression that Frost and
(particularly) Lynch were not thrilled about the sci-fi direction Harley Peyton
and Robert Engels took the series in its second season. Yet, there is a lot about UFOs in The Secret History. As a fan who never considered its sci-fi
dalliances to be among the most fascinating of Twin Peaks, I could have used a lot less UFO conspiracy in The Secret History, though I’m assuming
this will be integral to the TV revival. And though it establishes the town’s
strange nature with a potent blend of historical details and creepy fiction,
the Lewis and Clark passage goes on way too
long.
Not surprisingly, The
Secret History hits its peak when Frost begins folding familiar Twin Peaks residents into the tale. I don’t
want to spoil any of the details, but I will say that we learn some fascinating
new details that enrich the characters of Josie Packard, Major
Briggs, Norma and Hank Jennings, Ed and Nadine Hurley, Dr. Jacoby, Carl Rodd, Ben
Horne, Andrew Packard, Catherine Martell, The Log Lady, Lana Budding Milford, and
Dwayne and Doug Milford, who truly dominates the story. This is particularly
useful since a good deal of these characters will not be part of the revived
series (sadly, many of the actors who portrayed them have died).
Although there are a couple of strange inconsistencies with
the series as we now know it that I’m assuming will be explained on the
revival, Frost really captures the creepy unease of his and
Lynch’s series. The final pages dragged chills up my neck. One key Twin Peaks element that it could have
used more of is humor, though there are subtle bits of it, and super fans will
be rewarded with jokey references to the series’ original name and an
aborted Frost/Lynch TV project. As a visual work, The Secret History of Twin Peaks delivers completely. This is an
absolutely beautifully designed and illustrated book, and its tactile cover and
pages are truly in the spirit of an exceptionally sensual show. More than ever,
I can’t wait for it to come back to my TV next year so I can see how Twin Peaks ties in with its own Secret History.
