Ten years ago on July 29, 2014, one of the greatest Blu-ray sets was released – Twin Peaks – The Entire Mystery. Words can not describe how happy I was to finally have the entire series and 1992 feature film in high-definition. Additionally, the set contained the long-anticipated Missing Pieces with alternate and deleted scenes from Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me. To mark this milestone anniversary, I deconstructed the incredible packaging created for this set that is both wonderful and strange.
TWIN PEAKS – THE ENTIRE MYSTERY ARRIVES ON JULY 29, 2014
On May 15, 2014, CBS Home Entertainment and Paramount Home Media Distribution announced Twin Peaks – The Entire Mystery, a breathtaking 10-disc set containing the first and second season of the show, David Lynch’s 1992 masterpiece, Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me, with nearly 90 minutes of deleted and alternate scenes from the film. There were also newly transferred Log Lady introductions for each episode; picture upgrades to many shots in the TV series; a new featurette with Lynch and the actors who portrayed the Palmer family which includes a mesmerizing return to the lives of their characters today; and hours of never-before-released material that dives into the fascinating story behind the celebrated pop culture classic.
David Lynch supervised the high-definition transfers of the groundbreaking television series and prequel film.
“During the last days in the life of Laura Palmer many things happened, which have never been seen before,” said Lynch. “They’re here now alongside the new transfer of Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me and Twin Peaks, the television series.”
“We set the bar very high with our prior complete series Twin Peaks DVD Gold Box (released in 2007),” said Ken Ross, then Executive Vice President and General Manager, CBS Home Entertainment. “Twin Peaks – The Entire Mystery Blu-ray had to be spectacular in terms of both content and presentation. We are confident that we hit the mark and are bringing the fans something very special. None of this could have been possible without the day-to-day involvement of David Lynch.”
Thanks to tireless efforts by long-time fan Dugpa, and talented filmmaker and documentary producer Charles de Lauzirika, the set is an essential physical media item that still stands up today.
While the official release was on July 29, there was a special launch party held in Los Angeles on July 16. This article is the first of many that will examine the release, creation and reception of this set. I ordered my set from Amazon on May 15 and received it one day earlier than the official release date. I even put on my Dale Cooper-best to grab a photo against some red drapes.
With all that said, let’s revisit the beautiful packaging and examine all the details found within this set.
OUTSIDE CASE FOR TWIN PEAKS – THE ENTIRE MYSTERY
Bathed in blue-hues, the outside case for Twin Peaks – The Entire Mystery is stunning. The left and right spines contain the Twin Peaks logo along with smaller blue roses, a nod to FBI Regional Bureau Chief Gordon Cole’s cryptic clues.
But the most stunning image is Laura Palmer who appears both dead and alive in one shot. The graphic designer and art team should be commended for such a unique interpretation of an iconic image. I still haven’t discovered who exactly created the image or the overall packaging.
Dugpa said, “Ken Ross was so excited at the prospect of pulling all the pieces together that he got his art department to make the box art and shared it with David Lynch almost a year before the set was released.”
The back contained a larger version of the Blue Rose graphic along with a black and blue chevron floor pattern.
While the “blue rose” is never mentioned in the first two seasons, I love how this graphic connects those 30 episodes to David Lynch’s 1992 film.
This flooring pattern was also included on the official Tumblr page – AndTheMissingPieces.Tumblr.com – that was launched in 2014 in conjunction with this release.
Opening the lid, we see the mist covered woods first spotted in the pilot episode.
Here is the original image used inside the box lid. The lid is attached by a small ribbon to ensure it didn’t completely open all the way.
TWIN PEAKS – THE ENTIRE MYSTERY BOX – PAGES 1-2
The box contained book pages with images from the series and film along with spaces to hold the 10 Blu-ray discs. The first page of the book is the “Welcome to Twin Peaks” sign spot.
Here is a screen image from the Pilot of the same spot. Of course, this area along Reinig Road in Snoqualmie, Washington looks completely different today.
The next page is the female Varied Thrush sitting on a branch at Kiana Lodge during the opening credits of the first two seasons.
TWIN PEAKS – THE ENTIRE MYSTERY BOX – PAGES 3-6
Throughout the book, there are semi-transparent content pages attached over a location from the show.
The pages were attached by glue along the top of the image. Preceding a Blu-ray disc, the page provide a high-level overview of contents.
Under the first semi-transparent page is an image of the Packard Sawmill, the now-nearly demolished Snoqualmie Lumber Mill.
Here is the same image of the sawmill from the Pilot episode.
Blu-ray Disc 1 contains the original Pilot, alternate International pilot, Episode 1 (1.001) and Episode 2 (1.002). The disc slides into a sleeve over an image of Laura Palmer’s body wrapped in plastic next to a giant log.
When the disc is removed, you can see the entire image.
The Blu-ray discs contain the same black and blue Chevron pattern found on the box packaging.
The pages continue with an image of a snow-covered White Tail Falls (Snoqualmie Falls in reality) and the Great Northern Hotel (Salish Lodge & Spa in real life).
The image also comes the pilot episode (notice the green light above the Snoqualmie Falls.
The second Blu-ray disc is found in a sleeve on page 6.
The saw mill image comes from the Pilot opening credits, which was changed with the start of episode 1.001.
This isn’t the exact image but it’s from the same opening credits sequence.
Disc 2 contains episodes 3 (1.003), 4 (1.004), 5 (1.005), 6 (1.006), and 7 (1.007).
TWIN PEAKS – THE ENTIRE MYSTERY BOX – PAGES 7-20
The original Big Ed’s Gas Farm from the pilot is found on page 7.
The image is a cropped shot from the establishing shot.
The bridge Ronette Pulaski walks across is found on page 8.
This publicity photo from the pilot shows Phoebe Augustine walking on the same railroad tracks.
For page 9, another semi-transparent paper covers the image of an owl and contains details about the second season discs 3-8.
Here is the paper removed from the owl image.
The owl image comes from episode 2.014.
This is the uncropped original image from the same episode.
Blu-ray Disc 3 lives on page 10 that has an image of a coffee cup.
This image is something unique. I can’t find a reference from the show so it appears it may have been created especially for this set.
The cup and saucer reminds me of coffee at the Double R Diner.
Blu-ray Disc 3 contains episodes 8 (2.001), 9 (2.002) and 10 (2.003). Note I use the production numbers throughout most of the articles on Twin Peaks Blog. Decoding the production numbers looks like this – 2 = second season and 001 = the first episode of season 2.
A logging truck parked outside the Double R Diner on page 11 comes from episode 1.003.
Here is the original image from the same episode.
Page 12 contains the sleeve for Blu-ray Disc 4 and an image of the One-Eyed Jacks sign at night.
The neon sign first appears in episode 1.006.
This is the same uncropped image of the sign. The neon “J” flashes on and off in the episode.
Disc 4 contains episode 11 (2.004), 12 (2.005), 13 (2.006), and 14 (2.007).
The mounted deer head on the wall in the Blue Pine Lodge on Page 13 is originally from episode 2.001.
This deer head did not fall down unlike the pilot episode at the bank.
Lightning strikes the Roadhouse on page 14 where the Blu-ray Disc 5 is kept.
The scene comes from episode 2.009 when Cooper gathers everyone at the Roadhouse to solve Laura Palmer’s murder.
There are multiple lightning strikes in the scene but this one is the match.
Disc 5 has episodes 15 (2.008), 16 (2.009), 17 (2.010), and 18 (2.011) – the start of the beloved season two episodes post the solving of Laura Palmer’s murder. There is much to love in these episodes as highlighted in this story.
Another unique image is found on Page 15 – a slice of cherry pie on a white plate with a metal fork. I haven’t found a reference in the series for this page.
Stacked doughnuts and Blu-ray disc 6 are on page 16.
The stacked doughnuts are found under Waldo’s bird cage in episode 1.006 before Leo Johnson pays him a visit.
Disc 6 has episodes 19 (2.012), 20 (2.013), 21 (2.014), and 22 (2.015).
The Owl Cave image drawn on a chalkboard in the Twin Peaks Sheriff’s Department is on Page 17.
The original image comes from episode 2.020, complete with chalk placed under the chalkboard.
A hallway in the Red Room is found on page 18 along with Blu-ray disc 7.
The disc covers a statue of the “babe without the arms” – Venus de Milo – as seen in the never-ending maze of the Red Room in episode 2.022.
On Disc 7, episodes 23 (2.016), 24 (2.015), 25 (2.016) and 26 (2.017) are found. We are close the end of the second season.
A neon reflection of the Bang Bang Bar sign in a puddle is found on Page 19.
The original image is actually turned upside down in episode 2.007.
The final Blu-ray disc for season 2 appears on page 20. Disc 8 is on the same image as Glastonbury Grove and the entrance to the Black Lodge.
The Glastonbury Grove scene is found in
The entrance shot comes from episode 2.022 and is similar to the scene where Windom Earle escorts Annie Blackburn to the other side.
Disc 8 has episodes 27 (2.020), 28 (2.021) and 29 (2.022).
TWIN PEAKS – THE ENTIRE MYSTERY BOX – PAGES 21-26
A transition page featuring the Little Man From Another Place in episode 2.022 is found on page 21.
Now we are headed into Deer Meadow and the Fat Trout Trailer Park on page 22 with the number 6 utility pole.
The pole was once located at the now demolished Riverside Mobile Home Park which served as the film location of the Fat Trout Trailer Park in Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me.
Page 23 contains a semi-transparent paper with details about discs 9 and 10. The page also has film credits for Lynch’s 1992 feature film and details about who worked on the Blu-ray box set.
Here is the transparent paper by itself.
Underneath the paper, you’ll find one of Cole’s blue roses. This is one of my favorite images from the set, which was the flower pinned to Lil’ the dancer at the Private Portland Airport.
Page 24 contains a sleeve with the feature film on disc 9.
The background image is that Angel painting found in Laura Palmer’s bedroom that I swear I will identify one day before I die.
This is the individual disc which also contained the nearly 90-minutes of deleted scenes. I like to call this the Holy Grail disc as I waited decades to see these scenes – what an absolute thrill!
Special Agent Dale Cooper and Laura Palmer are pictured in the Red Room on Page 25. The image comes from Lynch’s feature film.
The final disc is found on page 26 in a sleeve over the train car.
The train car was once located in Snoqualmie, Washington and was the original site of where Cooper and Truman examine the Laura Palmer’s murder crime scene. The train is long gone now.
The train car establishing shot is from the Pilot episode.
The final disc contained numerous special features including “Atmospherics,” interviews with cast and crew, a photo gallery, trailers and more.
TWIN PEAKS – THE ENTIRE MYSTERY BOX – HIDDEN NOTE
After the final page, there is an image of dirt and a small flap that opens.
Once opened, there is a small piece of paper inspired by the note left at Laura Palmer’s crime scene with the words, which appear to be written in blood, “Fire Walk With Me.”
This is a close up of the note.
This is how the note appeared in the Pilot episode.
A closer shot of the same note from episode 2.001.
It was an awesome little “Easter Egg” to find the note and a symbol of how much love and passion were put into creating this set. A masterpiece of a collection and I’m forever grateful it exists. On June 25, 2015, the set received an award for “Best Blu-Ray Television Release” during the 2015 Saturn Awards held in Burbank, California.
IMAGE GALLERY ON FLICKR – TWIN PEAKS – THE ENTIRE MYSTERY
You can download high-res image from this article by visiting the Flickr gallery for Twin Peaks – The Entire Mystery.
