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Twin Peaks: The Final Dossier

Review

Twin Peaks: The Final Dossier

Mark Frost returns with a truly satisfying ending to a series of cliffhangers left to hang almost 30 years ago. I present TWIN PEAKS: THE FINAL DOSSIER.

First, though, I think a little background is in order. “Twin Peaks” was a television drama from the early ’90s that was cancelled after its second season --- but not before doing things never before done on TV. The original series was centered on the murder of teenage homecoming queen Laura Palmer and the unearthing of the skeletons in her closet to find her killer. What started as a grim small town murder mystery quickly spiraled out into an existential, avant-garde and transcendental fever dream that confounded and hypnotized audiences. Its cancellation would end the show on such a harrowing and unforgettable note that its cult following soon grew out of all the questions left unanswered. “Twin Peaks” is also noted for bringing drama to primetime when it was wall-to-wall sitcoms and coining the term "watercooler talk." It was a big deal that swooped in fast and was gone just as quickly.

"This beautifully produced volume concisely explains the history among members of the town, the FBI agents digging deeper into the universe's mysteries, and the parts of the story that they were able to deduce and recall."

The show's creators, David Lynch and Mark Frost, would go on to make a feature film prequel that only left fans scratching their heads and asking more questions. The fanbase would hang on, and interest would grow over the next 25 years until the show was given an 18-part revival series on Showtime that aired this year.

Last year, in a sort of setup for the reboot, Frost wrote THE SECRET HISTORY OF TWIN PEAKS, a novel intended to develop a richer background of formerly peripheral characters who would be part of the central focus of the new series. Now, with the recent cataclysmic end to that series, viewers were left with a whirlwind of fan theories and discussions to start. As always, they found themselves asking more and more questions about who went where or what happened because of a giant tree trunk. However, while the original series, film, first novel and revival all left more up to speculation, THE FINAL DOSSIER brings all the answers together in one tremendous package.

This beautifully produced volume concisely explains the history among members of the town, the FBI agents digging deeper into the universe's mysteries, and the parts of the story that they were able to deduce and recall. The novel is presented as an actual official dossier compiled for posterity to close a case that eventually becomes an untruth. As such, it includes items such as classified documents, autopsy reports and news clippings. While longtime fans will adore this dossier, it is a gorgeous and well-detailed enough package to interest any reader, even if for superficial reasons.

Unfortunately, the book can't be explained further without ruining it. To better understand its depth, it’s necessary to see the original series and revival. It isn't the best of novels, considering it does entirely rely on other media, but as a piece of content within the expanded canon, it left this reader wondering if he could have done without it. The answer, of course, is a resounding NO.

If you want to indulge in the final moments of a journey by a duo of truly well-paired auteurs, the last piece of their 30-year collaboration is in this book. After all of the show and history, you can really feel the weight of their fantastic work together and hope for more to come.

Reviewed by Matthew Burbridge on December 8, 2017

Twin Peaks: The Final Dossier
by Mark Frost