Season 1 (1990) The first season originally aired on
ABC in the
United States between April 8 and May 23, 1990, consisting of eight episodes. The
feature-length pilot, originally released in September 1989, opens with the discovery of the plastic-wrapped body of high school student
Laura Palmer, an event that profoundly impacts the residents of the small town of
Twin Peaks, Washington. With the help of local sheriff
Harry S. Truman,
FBI agent Dale Cooper investigates the murder, meeting the town's quirky residents and uncovering disturbing secrets.
Season 2 (1990–91) The second season originally aired on
ABC in the
United States between September 30, 1990, and June 10, 1991, consisting of 22 episodes. Before the season began, a companion book,
The Secret Diary of Laura Palmer, was published, several entries from which were featured during the season. In February 1991,
Bob Iger, president of ABC Entertainment, announced plans to put
Twin Peaks on
hiatus. In May, Iger said, "it's unlikely that
Twin Peaks will return". The series was ultimately
cancelled after its second season, leaving it on a
cliffhanger ending. The season continues Cooper's investigation of Laura's murder and explores the elusive "
Black Lodge", which may hold the key to the events occurring in Twin Peaks. After receiving clues from a
mysterious giant who appears to him in a dream and investigating a second murder, Cooper discovers the identity of Laura's killer. After the FBI suspends Cooper for participating in an unauthorized raid on One Eyed Jacks, his
insane former partner,
Windom Earle, arrives in Twin Peaks to confront him.
Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me (1992) Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me is a
prequel to the TV series. It recounts the investigation into the murder of Teresa Banks and the last seven days of Laura Palmer's life. Director
David Lynch and most of the television cast returned for the film, with the notable exceptions of
Lara Flynn Boyle, who declined to return as
Donna Hayward and was replaced by
Moira Kelly, and Sherilyn Fenn, due to scheduling conflicts.
Kyle MacLachlan returned reluctantly as he wanted to avoid typecasting, so his presence in the film is smaller than originally planned. Lynch shot about five hours of footage, which was cut to 134 minutes to allow the film a mainstream release. Many of the cut scenes were later released as
Twin Peaks: The Missing Pieces in 2014. The film was a
box office bomb and widely panned by critics, but has developed a
cult following over time and been critically reevaluated. The release of the
third season in 2017, which made many references to the film, led to renewed interest.
Season 3 (2017) The third season is a
limited series set 25 years after the events of the season two finale. All episodes were written by
David Lynch and
Mark Frost. The season premiered on May 21, 2017, and consists of 18 episodes identified only by number, with short quotes from each serving as both
de facto titles and short synopses; no additional episode information was released in advance. == Episode titles ==