Nothing Is What It Seems

Things do not always seem as they appear, especially in the case of David Lynch’s television series Twin Peaks. Even one of the central quotes in the series illustrates this, "The Owls are not what they seem." I argue that the orderliness of life in Twin Peaks is an illusion that hides the extreme disorder lying beneath the surface. On just a quick glance through the town of Twin Peaks, one would think of it as the perfect “Andy Griffith” type small town. But as soon as Laura Palmer’s dead body washes up on the shore, we quickly realize there must be more going on than what is seen on the surface. As Agent Cooper and Sheriff Harry S. Truman investigate her murder, they uncover little by little that the entire town is full of secrets, immorality, and disorder. For instance the drug ring run by the Renault brothers and Leo Johnson, the adultery that seems to be running rampant in the town, and not to mention Ben Horne and all of his dealings. So this seemingly peaceful and innocent town is actually very immoral and corrupt. Lynch also uses this technique with several of the characters. One great example of this is Josie Packard. For the entire first season Josie appears to be an innocent victim to the dealings of Ben Horne and Catherine. But as we find out later on, she is actually in on the plan to burn the mill and is helping Ben double-cross Catherine. The most shocking part is not the fact that the town is corrupt, but that few people take notice or desire to do anything about it. As J. P. Telotte notes in his article, “The Dis-order of Things in Twin Peaks,” “Everyday at the Sheriff’s Office we see row upon row of neatly stacked donuts, ‘a policeman’s dream,’ as Agent Cooper calls it. Similarly at the Double R Diner the bottles of mustard and ketchup are gathered together each morning awaiting the customers of that day” (Telotte 162). It would seem that even if the world was coming to an end, the inhabitants of Twin Peaks would just go about there lives like they always have.

Telotte, J.P. "The Dis-order of Things in Twin Peaks." Full of Secrets: Critical Approaches to Twin Peaks.

Caleb J.