The recent announcement of the Twin Peaks Club brought the 23 year old mystery-drama show into the spotlight. Around Walpole High School, the general mood regarding the club has been confusion. What, exactly, is Twin Peaks, and why is there a club for it? There is no easy way to explain Twin Peaks and its unique allure, but English and film teacher Mr. Michael Alan hopes students will experience it firsthand in the club—coffee and pie in hand.

The Twin Peaks Club is not a new creation. Initiated in 2000 by a group of sophomores in Mr. Alan’s English class, the club gained popularity due to the show’s engrossing nature. Mr. Alan was already a fan of the show (which originally aired from 1990 to 1991), while club members became familiar with Twin Peaks through reruns. “It was just different from anything else,” Mr. Alan said, explaining why he enjoyed the show so much. However, the club did not last and was dormant until earlier this year, when Twin Peaks creators David Lynch and Mark Frost announced a third season coming in 2016. The show’s revival was the impetus to restart the club; its first meeting was on October 23, with many students and teachers in attendance.

So what is Twin Peaks? The pilot of the show begins as Laura Palmer—the homecoming queen of a small, isolated Washington town—is found dead, wrapped in plastic. The show focuses on the search for the killer by local sheriff, Harry Truman, (Michael Ontkean) and eccentric FBI agent, Dale Cooper (Kyle MacLachlan). Part of the reason why the show keeps viewers’ interest is because each of the multitude of characters has a potential motive for killing Laura; therefore, the identity of the killer is an unexpected surprise when it is revealed in season two.

The most polarizing aspect of the show—one that drives viewers to either keep watching or quit the show—is its peculiarity. Lynch is a surrealist filmmaker, so much of the show feels like a dream. He incorporates giants, supernatural forces, and ghostly visions into Peaks without hesitation. The show’s eerie music and the uneasy atmosphere of the town add to the show’s mysterious nature, making Twin Peaks a show unlike any other on the air today — or ever.

Up until its cancellation after the second season, Mr. Alan said, “Everyone had their own theory of who killed Laura Palmer and why.” In an age when Netflix and DVRs did not exist, everyone watched Twin Peaks during its Thursday night timeslot, so fans would discuss the show at work or school on Friday. Mr. Alan hopes that watching Twin Peaks as a group will stir up conversations about the episodes just as the show did when it was on the air.

The club’s first meetings have been a success, as many new viewers were intrigued by the strange show. Some students who did not join the club began watching the show on their own, interested by mentions of Peaks. The general mood is one of confusion at the bizarreness of the show, but many are drawn in and plan to see the next episode.  Also, the mysteries of the black coffee and cherry pie were finally explained to the bewildered students who heard the morning announcement about the club. The “bring-your-own-mug” requirement is a reference to Dale Cooper’s obsession with “a damn good cup of coffee;” additionally, Cooper loves pie, which Mr. Alan also serves.

Although there is some controversy among the fan base concerning the making of a third season, Mr. Alan is hopeful that the season will be as good as the first two were. Airing in 2016, the new season will fulfill Laura Palmer’s prediction in the final episode: “I’ll see you again in twenty-five years.”