David Lynch’s 10/10 Crime Drama Is The Gold Standard For Murder Mysteries

While the original run of Twin Peaks may have ended decades ago, David Lynch and Mark Frost’s iconic ABC series remains the gold standard against which all future murder mysteries are measured. Although The Sopranos is one of TV’s greatest shows ever, the series couldn’t have existed if it weren’t for earlier TV innovations throughout the ‘90s.

Shows like Hill Street Blues and Homicide: Life on the Streets normalized gritty depictions of crime, while David Lynch’s iconic murder mystery, Twin Peaks, brought a new level of surrealism to mainstream network TV. In comparison to Dale Cooper’s enigmatic trips to the Black Lodge, Tony Soprano’s cryptic dreams were downright ordinary.

David Lynch’s Twin Peaks Is The Perfect Murder Mystery Series

Set in the titular small town in Washington state, Twin Peaks sees Kyle MacLachlan’s FBI agent Dale Cooper investigate the killing of Laura Palmer, a local high school girl with a dark secret life. Cooper’s investigations lead him to uncover the many intersecting secrets of the town’s locals, as ex-cons, scheming soap opera villains, troubled teens, and murderous criminals rubbed shoulders.

As the above synopsis implies, Twin Peaks blended small-town drama with a murder mystery storyline, dissecting the secrets of the townspeople in an attempt to unmask Laura’s killer. However, the show also had a streak of intense, surreal psychological horror, and the darkest twist in Twin Peaks makes the show a tough re-watch even decades later.

What Makes Twin Peaks Different From Other Murder Mysteries

Piper Laurie and Joan Chen in Twin Peaks

From the mysterious Log Lady to the precocious high school Audrey Horne, Twin Peaks is packed with memorable supporting characters. However, beneath the show’s quirky humor, soap opera romance subplots, and melodramatic tragedy, there was an edge of genuinely unsettling menace.

While many shows attempted to recreate the tone of Twin Peaks, from Riverdale to Desperate Housewives, few recaptured the sincere sadness and legitimately creepy atmosphere of the original show. When the series returned 25 years after its season 2 finale for Twin Peaks: The Return, arguably the best TV revival of all time, this darkness became impossible to ignore.

Why Twin Peaks Has Only Gotten Better Over Time

Diane looks over her shoulder while smoking a cigarette in Twin Peaks The Return

With its punishingly dark storyline and bleak denouement, Twin Peaks: The Return was a startling reminder of just how unsentimental the original series could be. While many viewers might remember the viral comedic moments that made Twin Peaks cozy, this makes it easy to forget the show’s heartbreaking twists and darker depths.

However, upon a re-watch, it is these depths that make Twin Peaks truly great. Every story of a small town with a dark secret, from HBO’s Sharp Objects to Netflix’s Wayward, owes a debt to the innovative murder mystery and Twin Peaks‘ unique blend of soap opera storytelling and darker, more horror-oriented twists.