Emmys Facing Major Backlash After ‘Twin Peaks’ Snub
The 2018 Emmys is shaping up to be a competitive race, without a doubt. For the past few months Showtime has been pushing Twin Peaks: The Return as a contender for Emmy consideration and not without good reason. At least seven publications named Twin Peaks: The Return as number one on their list of best shows in 2017. The Washington Post, Rolling Stone, Vulture, Equire, and The Guardian were among the outlets giving Twin Peaks: The Return accolades in terms of quality television programming. More than 20 other major outlets listed the series in their top picks of 2017.
As Emmy nominations were officially announced, the exclusion of Twin Peaks: The Return from the Best Limited Series category came as a deafening silence for Twin Peaks fans. Consequence Of Sound reported on the snub in particular, as did numerous other outlets. The biggest surprise seemed to be Kyle MacLachlan’s name missing from the Outstanding Actor Limited Series or TV Movie category.
Twin Peaks touts a devoted fan base dating back nearly 30 years, and today it has dozens of dedicated fansites. Ali Sciarabba of 25 Years Later, a veritable Twin Peaks theory database, saw fit to keep things civil in her take of the snub, giving praise to other shows more recognized by the 2018 Emmy nominations, but she also saw fit to add a comment.
“While we’ll be licking our wounds for a while about the Twin Peaks snubs in the big categories, we’re happy to see nominations for The Alienist, Westworld, and Barry. We want to know your favorite nominees and who you think was unjustly snubbed. (Hint: the correct answer is Kyle MacLachlan.)”
MacLachlan was considered by many outlets to be a shoo-in for an acting nod, even among critics of Showtime’s limited Twin Peaks revival. As a result of MacLachlan’s exclusion, many fans took to Twitter express their frustration.
The groundbreaking “Part 8” of Twin Peaks: The Return received numerous technical nominations, while series creators David Lynch and Mark Frost received writing nods. Altogether the show did receive nine nominations in total, acknowledgements for cinematography and makeup still didn’t land well with longtime fans or major entertainment outlets advocating for Twin Peaks glory.
IndieWire stated the cast was “robbed.” They also weren’t shy about their distaste for the Emmys’ decision regarding Kyle MacLachlan on Twitter.
Kyle MacLachlan was NOT NOMINATED for playing three vastly different roles on #TwinPeaks. This is one snub we can't forgive. @BenTTravers picks the biggest shocks of #Emmys2018 noms: https://t.co/nJt6SZOi8Y pic.twitter.com/HxW90eJFmj
— IndieWire (@IndieWire) July 12, 2018
Indeed Kyle MacLachlan played three different roles, including his iconic FBI Agent Dale Cooper, a staple of Twin Peaks. He also played an evil version of Dale Cooper often referred to as Mr. C or Evil Cooper.
Kyle MacLachlan moved even further from the central role of Dale Cooper and portrayed a nearly-speechless version of Cooper often referred to as Dougie Jones.
In truth, the roles may not stop there. Kyle MacLachlan also played a version of Dougie Jones whose head seems to disappear after uttering some words many felt could have been the unofficial tagline for Twin Peaks: The Return, stating “that’s weird,” and near the end of the season, MacLachlan slips into what may have been a fifth role, becoming someone named Richard who comes off like a hybrid of Dale Cooper and Mr. C. As per any David Lynch creation, the lines of who was who were blurred and the series was open to interpretation.
The only thing Emmy voters seem to agree on with Twin Peaks fans is that David Lynch and Mark Frost wrote something quite special, and that “Part 8” of Twin Peaks: The Return was a television game-changer and significant technical achievement.
