‘Twin Peaks’ Premiere: Kyle MacLachlan’s Face on This Superfan’s Jacket Is an Amazing Story
The vast majority of the people who make TV started off as fans of television. This feels like a self-evident statement to make, but worth reiterating in our current age of reboots and revivals, especially when fan favorites like “Twin Peaks” return.
READ MORE: ‘Twin Peaks’ Premiere: No Spoilers, but David Lynch Really Loves Trees
The Friday night world premiere of David Lynch and Mark Frost’s seminal return to rustling trees and damn good coffee was attended by an amazing assortment of folks currently working in the industry. This includes writer/producer Sam Shaw, who created the tragically underseen WGN America series “Manhattan,” wrote for Showtime’s “Masters of Sex” and is currently an executive producer on the upcoming Stephen King adaptation “Castle Rock” for Hulu.
Shaw wore a very special jacket to the party that night, and took to Twitter earlier in the day to tell its story. Along the way, he made sure to remind his followers of one of “Twin Peaks'” most important messages — “Every day, once a day, give yourself a present.” Please enjoy Shaw’s story below.
On April 8, 1990, I watched the Twin Peaks pilot with my dad and then-stepmother in a hotel room in Islamorada, Florida. I was 12.
— Sam Shaw (@shawsam) May 19, 2017
The pucca-shell-necklace'd proprietor warned that dolphins love human children. I'd be subjected to special attention.
— Sam Shaw (@shawsam) May 19, 2017
They might rub me with their erogenous zones. I was given a safe-word so I could be yanked from the pool to safety if I felt overwhelmed. pic.twitter.com/rPZ9zmWCGY
— Sam Shaw (@shawsam) May 19, 2017
The trip blew. I had the kind of sunburn where it hurts to breathe, much less sit.
— Sam Shaw (@shawsam) May 19, 2017
I remember these details because the next two hours changed the trajectory of my life. They're the reason I write for TV.
— Sam Shaw (@shawsam) May 19, 2017
In our household that was like Nietzsche proclaiming, "God is dead."
— Sam Shaw (@shawsam) May 19, 2017
I videotaped the show and for many years I would tote the two seasons around with me in a suitcase like the nuclear football.
— Sam Shaw (@shawsam) May 19, 2017
Eventually I lost the rest. I think I left them in the closet of an Elmhurst College dorm room. I was there for a week-long "Jazz Camp."
— Sam Shaw (@shawsam) May 19, 2017
Agent Cooper tells Sheriff Truman: "Every day, once a day, give yourself a present. Don't plan it. Don't wait for it. Just let it happen."
— Sam Shaw (@shawsam) May 19, 2017
READ MORE: ‘Twin Peaks’: How The Show’s Original Fans Created the Internet As We Know It Today
In 1991, I'd managed to scrounge about $150 dollars doing odd jobs, performing magic shows at younger kids' birthday parties, etc.
— Sam Shaw (@shawsam) May 19, 2017
After the putative series finale aired, I blew my whole fortune commissioning a one-of-a-kind custom-airbrushed Twin Peaks jean jacket.
— Sam Shaw (@shawsam) May 19, 2017
When the jacket was ready, about a month later, I brought it home and stared at it in bewildered silence.
— Sam Shaw (@shawsam) May 19, 2017
But I held onto it. It's moved across state lines, across the country. For 26 years it's hung in a succession of dark closets, waiting.
— Sam Shaw (@shawsam) May 19, 2017
And I'm wearing that fucking jacket.
— Sam Shaw (@shawsam) May 19, 2017
Don't plan it.
— Sam Shaw (@shawsam) May 19, 2017
Just let it happen. pic.twitter.com/yROiGjA6h9
— Sam Shaw (@shawsam) May 19, 2017
Lovely, right? Well, Shaw tweeted all of that before actually attending the premiere. And you had better believe this story gets an epic ending.
THE END. pic.twitter.com/DbJ0rpraNB
— Sam Shaw (@shawsam) May 20, 2017
Why yes, that’s Kyle MacLachlan posing with Shaw’s jacket — and “Leftovers” creator Damon Lindelof in the background, very excited to witness this moment.
The first two episodes of “Twin Peaks” Season 3 premiere Sunday at 9 p.m. on Showtime.
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