Twin Peaks

Get ready to witness the coolest grandpa ever as he celebrates in style!

From ‘Game of Thrones’ to ‘Master of None,’ ‘Twin Peaks’ to ‘The Good Place,’ these were the most outstanding TV episodes of the year.

From Carrie Coon’s Nora in ‘The Leftovers’ to Cameron Britton’s chilling Ed Kemper in ‘Mindhunter,’ these are the 15 best TV performances of 2017.

Our associate editor picks her favorite television shows of the year (with some honorable mentions).

Harry Dean Stanton, accomplished actor, musician, and singer, has died at 91 years old. He starred in almost too many films to name, from Pretty in Pink to Repo Man, to Cool Hand Luke, Alien, Escape From New York, and Wild at Heart, and was beloved by fellow actors, directors, and critics alike.

Even as Showtime’s Twin Peaks left more maddeningly unresolved than the original series, fans have more or less accepted the unlikelihood of another season. That said, creator David Lynch won’t rule one out, even if “it took me four and a half years to write and record this [one].”

Twin Peaks’ lengthy production and advanced age of its stars made portions of The Return feel like a memorial, even for the ones who didn’t physically appear. That was especially true of music icon and Peaks alum David Bowie, who apparently allowed his likeness to be used for one final appearance.

It took sixteen weeks (and almost two years before that), but Twin Peaks has finally brought us its complete “Return,” departing with an even bigger cliffhanger than the one twenty-six years ago. Showtime hasn’t indicated any attempt to pursue more episodes, but star Kyle MacLachlan weighs in if Cooper’s story might continue.

It’s hard to believe we’re already thirteen weeks into Showtime’s expansive Twin Peaks revival; partly because you’d be hard-pressed to follow any one linear story. We might not have much more closure after the Labor Day finale either, as Showtime doesn’t believe it’s likely to order another round of cherry pie.

Showtime’s Twin Peaks may be among our Best of 2017 after only eight episodes, but its unorthodox pace and characterizations have certainly subverted expectation. To that end, Kyle MacLachlan himself calls some of the extended Dougie scenes “challenging,” promising that “everything will come back together and make sense.”