Today in TV History: Agent Cooper Learns That Gum He Likes Is Going to Come Back in Style on ‘Twin Peaks’

Of all the great things about television, the greatest is that it’s on every single day. TV history is being made, day in and day out, in ways big and small. In an effort to better appreciate this history, we’re taking a look back, every day, at one particular TV milestone. 

IMPORTANT DATE IN TV HISTORY: April 19, 1990

PROGRAM ORIGINALLY AIRED ON THIS DATE:  Twin Peaks, “Zen, or The Skill to Catch a Killer” (Season 1, Episode 3) [Watch on Netflix]

WHY IT’S IMPORTANT: Twin Peaks blew audiences away when it made its heralded debut in 1990. The murder mystery surrounding Laura Palmer and the oddities of David Lynch were an irresistible watercooler enchantment.

While the pilot was the episode that started the Twin Peaks phenomenon, the most indelible impact was made in episode three. The title, “Zen, or The Skill to Catch a Killer” might not remind you right away, but this is the episode that contains the famous “red room” dream sequence, in which Agent Dale Cooper (Kyle McLachlan) has a portent-laded dream about Laura Palmer (Sheryl Lee) and The Man from Another Place (Michael J. Anderson).

Like the best aspects of Twin Peaks, this scene is gripping, unnerving, and nearly incomprehensible. The actors were recorded walking and speaking backwards, then played back forwards to enhance the dreamy, creepy quality. (You can watch the scene played backwards here.)

The red room scene immediately became an iconic piece of not only Twin Peaks lore but TV history. It was parodied dozens of times (most notably in The Simpsons‘ “Who Shot Mr. Burns?” episode).

It’s too bad that Showtime couldn’t make it work with David Lynch for a Twin Peaks reboot, but part of me is happy that the timeless strangeness of Twin Peaks will remain its own little moment in time.

[You can watch “Zen, or The Skill to Catch a Killer” on Netflix.]

Joe Reid (@joereid) is a freelance writer living in Brooklyn. You can find him leaving flowers for Mrs. Landingham at the corner of 18th and Potomac.

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