From the minds of David Lynch and Mark Frost sprang forth one of the most original series to ever hit the airwaves. The opening credits signaled the viewer was going to see something different, very different. The beautiful nature shots juxtaposed with the moody, ethereal “Twin Peaks Theme” were an unusual contrast compared to the big hits of the time like The Cosby Show and Matlock, although fans of Lynch’s Blue Velvet would recognize the motif of something off-kilter in small town America that the credits evoke.

One morning, a beautiful high school girl, Laura Palmer, is found washed up on the shore of a lake, “dead, wrapped in plastic.” Being such a small town, the news hits everyone hard because of the connections they all have to one another, which run very deep as the series slowly reveals. When another young girl, Ronette Pulaski, is found stumbling back across state lines in a soiled undergarment, with rope still tied around her wrists, the F.B.I. are called in, namely Special Agent Dale Cooper, an oddly meticulous fellow, who uses unorthodox means in his investigations.

The murder of Laura Palmer in the town of Twin Peaks, WA, not only captivated the town, but the entire nation as the question “Who killed Laura Palmer?” became the prevalent pop-culture catch phrase of 1990 much like “Who shot J.R.?” ten years earlier. Although Lynch and Frost knew the answer, it was a question they hadn’t planned on answering but were pressured to by network brass.

The revelation was very powerful, but once the murder was solved, Twin Peaks lost steam and popularity due to a number of factors. It had succeeded as counter-programming against Cheers, the number-one show of the season; however it was moved to Saturday nights when its main demographic wasn’t home watching television. Rumor at the time was the decision was based on a network executive and his wife wanting to see the show then when they came home from dinner.

The creative team shares some of the blame as well. There was no contingency plan. Lynch and Frost were off working on other projects, Wild at Heart and Storyville respectively. The production team was left to recreate the show as opposed to creating it, becoming odd for oddness sake rather than having a reason for the oddness. The series began to pick up steam towards the end of the season when Cooper’s former partner Windom Earle comes to town to play a deadly game of chess, resulting in a climax at the mysterious Black Lodge that changes both men. Unfortunately by then, it was too late and the series was not renewed.

Put together by the talented DVD-producer Charles de Lauzirika, the Definitive Gold Box Edition is a Twin Peaks fan’s dream, although those who bought the Season Two set back in April will surely have a gripe and grumble.