Twin Peaks is set in a small Washington town that gives the show its name. It's quaint and quiet, until a local fisherman finds the corpse of a teenage girl wrapped in plastic one autumn morning. The girl is recognized as Laura Palmer, a prom queen who nearly everyone in the town knew and loved. The murder stirs the town, causing the community to wonder who, among its ranks, killed the young girl. The following morning, a second girl is found crossing the border into Oregon, appearing to be an escaped victim of the same person that killed Laura. She slips into a coma before anyone can question her, but because the girl crossed state lines, FBI Special Agent Dale Cooper is sent in to investigate. Agent Cooper is weird and eccentric, and his overly-friendly attitude makes some of the townspeople uneasy. As he investigates the murder, however, he soon finds that his eccentricity is outmatched by the strangeness of the town itself.

The show makes excellent use of paranormal themes and suspense, and the demons that Cooper eventually has to face are more than just internal. A terrifying enemy quickly takes notice of Cooper's investigations, who aptly personifies why the scariest dreams are those that don't make any sense. The supernatural aspects are more downplayed, however, and don't take precedence until the final few episodes. While half of the average episode involves the murder investigation, the other half focuses on the many, many sideplots of Twin Peaks. Along with "who killed Laura Palmer", a multitude of lesser questions arise. "Why's Catherine Martell trying to burn down the mill? Why's Ben Horne working with a drug dealer? Will Shelly get away from her abusive husband?" Most of these subplots tie together or relate to the main story in some way, but a good amount are dull or lead nowhere. This is especially prevalent in season 2, when the subplots begin to overshadow the main plot for a time and do nothing but serve as pointless filler. This is why season 2 is a much weaker season than the first, as the main excitement of Twin Peaks has always been about the main plot.

Most of the side characters in Twin Peaks are highly memorable. Every one of them is entertaining, while still feeling like a real person. One of the main strengths of the show is realism outside the paranormal, and the side characters are no exception. The news that Laura died, for example, is handled in such a gritty and raw way that it honestly gave me chills. The downside, however, is that the cast of side characters is so large that there's little room for showing how they relate to any other character outside the main plot or their respective arcs.

The true triumph of the series, however, is its protagonist, Agent Cooper. Cooper is everything you want in a hero: quirky, curious, interesting, adventurous, and a bit bizarre. His deep obsession with coffee and cherry pie, along with his bright interest in everything around him, are hallmarks of his character. Never outright mean, though subject to ridicule; a cheery demeanor, though running from a dark past; a classy man, but not afraid to get dirty. Agent Cooper is what gives charm and intrigue to the show, and is one of the best protagonists of all time.

Twin Peaks' style is essentially a parody of the soap operas that were prevalent in Lynch's youth. The intentional low-budget film grain, many overly melodramatic scenes, and the aforementioned swath of subplots all contribute to a feel of watching a self-aware General Hospital. Luckily, unlike most soaps that take themselves seriously, Twin Peaks uses its format to make fun of the genre. Building up big emotional moments at times when they're wholly unwarranted is a recurring gag, as is using over the top camp to drive up the laughs. Take a look at this clip for an example of this mechanism at its best.

Other than using campy melodrama for laughs, though, Twin Peaks knows how to ratchet up real drama and emotional tension when its needed. There are scenes throughout the show that can be real tearjerkers, or keep you on the edge of your seat. I'm consistently amazed that the show's two vastly different tones never seem to collide with each other.

Twin Peaks has an amazing soundtrack. To find a prime example of this, one has to look no farther than the opening theme:

Besides that, there are countless other pieces of background music produced by the famed composer Angelo Badalamenti. There's a song for every mood, every scene. The soundtrack pulls you into the world of the show, and it goes all the farther into making Twin Peaks feel like a real place. Some other fantastic examples:

Audrey's Dance perfectly encapsulates the personality of Audrey, and is a great companion piece to whenever there's general mischief in the air.

Dance of the Dream Man is a surreal jazz track that not only befits Cooper's first appearance, but also serves as a fitting unofficial anthem for The Man From Another Place.

Twin Peaks is a mesmerizing show. It never fails to perfectly set up an atmosphere, to make you want to watch more. The most outstanding aspect of it is the way that music, characters, and plot combine to synthesize a truly memorable experience. There are times when the multitude of characters and subplots slows it down, though, especially for a stretch in the midst of season 2. In that season particularly, the show seemed unsure of itself, not knowing where to go. Luckily, the last few episodes of the season are some of the best in the entire show, and more than make up for the subpar middle part of the season. The subplots can be a bit jarring, but the main plot is one of the best in all of TV show history. All in all, it's an enchanting, gripping show that's not without its flaws. 9/10.