In One Creepy Way, Twin Peaks Has the Perfect Setting

As the cult ‘90s drama Twin Peaks is set to return to television, fans of the murder mystery can obsess over a new angle: the real-life crimes and mysteries happening in the sleepy fictional town’s filming location. The Guardian has the scoop on the haunting true crimes of Washington state's Snoqualmie Valley, outside Seattle. That includes an awful triple murder on a stretch of road that would be familiar to the show's viewers, nine years after the premiere. “I would not want to be quoted as saying it’s a dumping ground,” says a spokeswoman for the King County sheriff’s office. “But we’ve had our fair share of bodies found in the area." Other victims in the valley were those of the Green River serial killer. More on the Twin Peaks revival, airing on Showtime Sunday:

• Laura who? For those who never watched the original series, it centered around the unsolved murder of a homecoming queen, sparking the popular question of the time: “Who killed Laura Palmer?” According to the Moscow Times, legend has it soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev once asked George Bush if he knew the answer. USA Today has a primer on the first two seasons, but spoilers abound.
• The trailer: Now the series is back with some of its original cast, much to the delight of super fans around the globe. Showtime’s trailer reveals the first new footage of Twin Peaks in 25 long years.
• Unsolved mysteries: The series ended abruptly in 1991 after being canceled because of low ratings, leaving lots of cliffhangers waiting to be resolved. NME has a list of 18, starting with, "What happened to Cooper?"
• Series influence: Mark Frost and David Lynch created a mood in Twin Peaks that influenced a bevy of subgenres, writes Noel Murray in the New York Times. He explains how the series paved the way for a diverse range of shows including The Sopranos, Stranger Things, and Girls.
• Prestige television: With its play on genres and stunning cinematography, Robert Lloyd of the Los Angeles Times takes a look at how Frost and Lynch’s innovative take on television sparked an artistic movement on the small screen.
• And then there's the music: "Every time that intro comes on, I think, 'Should I fast-forward? I've just heard it five times earlier that same day.' But I always let it play, because it does a magical and perfect job of establishing the set dressing of this place." So says Trent Reznor, via NPR’s interview with the show’s composer, Angelo Badalamenti.
• Cooper’s cup: an investigation: What exactly makes up a "damn fine cup of coffee?” The Eater does a fun deep dive into fictional character Dale Cooper, Twin Peaks’ quirky FBI agent, and reaches a bold conclusion: He "doesn't care about the coffee."
• Catching up: If you want to catch up on seasons one and two, CBS, Showtime, Hulu for Showtime, and Netfix have them, for a price.
• 10 best episodes: No time to binge-watch all 30 episodes? Check out Twin Peaks’ 10 best, ranked by Collider.

(More Twin Peaks stories.)