How To Watch David Lynch's Twin Peaks - Can You Stream It?

ABC

What makes David Lynch and Mark Frost's "Twin Peaks" so good? For starters, it takes the time-tested trope of small-town horror to places never ventured before, accomplishing a lot with its procedural framework. Eccentricity has always been the lifeblood of Lynch's body of work, but the premiere of "Twin Peaks" in 1991 felt like nothing anyone had ever seen on television before. Sure, Lynch builds upon the familiar trope of a gripping murder mystery unraveling into a greater conspiracy, but the show weaves a mythology so strange and compelling that it has evolved into a cultural phenomenon. The death of Laura Palmer (Sheryl Lee) looms over the show's events like a dark shadow, contextualizing the beauty and horror that reside within the seemingly idyllic town of Twin Peaks.

While the first two seasons of "Twin Peaks" — which aired on ABC — already defy categorization, its 2017 revival on Showtime, "Twin Peaks: The Return," is one of the most groundbreaking comebacks in the history of the medium. This isn't hyperbole: One needs to keep Lynch's contentious relationship with the second season in mind, along with the serendipitous 25-year-long wait between the original and its conclusion. 

A lot also changed during this timeframe, as Lynch had complete creative control over "The Return," as opposed to constant studio interference that led to his temporary hiatus from Season 2. As a result, "The Return" is the pure distillation of Lynch's artistic impulses, which can be better understood once we grasp the Lynchian ethos behind films like "Mulholland Drive" or "Inland Empire."

That said, is "Twin Peaks" available to stream? The short answer is yes, but you might have to jump between streaming services once you include the essential (and brilliant) prequel film, "Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me."

Showtime

While all three seasons of "Twin Peaks" are available to stream on Paramount+, the two-season original and the revival are a part of different subscription tiers. Seasons 1 and 2 can be viewed on Paramount+ Essential, an ad-supported tier with a vast catalogue of movies and television. That said, "Twin Peaks: The Return" is only available on Paramount+ Premium, which removes ads and includes local CBS channels and Showtime titles. As the Premium Tier includes everything Essential offers (minus the ads), it might be the more hassle-free option if you plan to watch "Twin Peaks" in one go.

The first season sets the stage for the show's thematically rich mystery, conveyed through procedural and soap opera conventions that feel inspired. As Twin Peaks grieves the gruesome death of Laura Palmer, unsavory secrets rise to the surface, pulling back the curtain to reveal a sinister underbelly. While the first season feels like a labyrinthine mystery, Season 2 suffers from Lynch's discontinuous presence and leans into the most juvenile interpretations of the evolving story. This abysmal dip in quality is worth stomaching, as Lynch injects pure brilliance in choice episodes and wraps everything up with a cliffhanger for the ages.

The correct watch order for "Twin Peaks" is to pivot to "Fire Walk With Me" (more on that later) before starting the third and final season. "The Return" is the culmination of this heady, surreal journey, and it's best to immerse yourself in Lynch's vision without a need to actively hunt down meaning. In true Lynchian fashion, "The Return" reveals answers when you least expect them. You might even be stunned by the simplicity of the truth behind such a delightfully convoluted adventure.

New Line Cinema

"Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me" can be streamed on HBO Max, and alternatively, on Prime Video if you opt for Max as a premium add-on channel to your existing subscription. You can also check it out on the Criterion Channel if you have a subscription, or rent it on Apple TV.

Despite being a prequel, "Fire Walk With Me" isn't meant to be watched before the first two seasons. It is best enjoyed after you've soaked in the liminality of the Red Room and grasped the colorful characters that inhabit the world of the show. It also acts as a much-needed contextual bridge between the Season 2 cliffhanger and "The Return," giving us a visceral idea of the darkness that Laura experienced during her final days. Foundational concepts that are explored and dismantled in "The Return" are introduced in this film, offering unmissable clues that help unlock the mystery later on.

"Fire Walk With Me" is an uncompromising look at the brutality of abuse, but Lynch takes a nuanced, empathy-first approach that refuses to sensationalize such a traumatic subject matter. It is also an effective dismantling of the American Dream, where Lynch holds up a mirror to reflect the wide gulf between appearance and reality. If you're inclined to glean more context through the film's deleted scenes, you can check out the compilation film, "Twin Peaks: The Missing Pieces," which is currently available on The Criterion Channel.

If you're about to check out "Twin Peaks" for the first time, it can be the start of a weird, beautiful journey that is bound to stick with you forever. In case this is a return to Lynch and Frost's bizarre world, then it's safe to say that it's happening again.