Twin Peaks season 3 is just around the corner, here's all we know

It’s been 27 years since Twin Peaks first graced television screens, leaving audiences befuddled and totally hooked, as the mystery over who killed Laura Palmer defined the early ’90s and cemented David Lynch’s crime drama into pop culture.

Now, in 2017, Lynch et al are back for thirds. Despite the turmoil that engulfed season two and subsequently saw the show fizzle out of people’s hearts and into a place of disdain, it didn’t stop the auteur from directing Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me a year later in 1992, which was met with a mixture of fan reaction as it told a prequel story leading up to Laura’s death.

Ahead of May’s anticipated third season, Entertainment Weekly unleashed a host of photos from the new series, reconnecting us with the array of weird and wonderful characters we bonded with almost three decades ago.

WHO’S BEHIND IT?

David Lynch is back, which is great news providing he’s fully committed this time around. Season two notoriously trailed off into utter boredom once Lynch himself lost interest in the project. The Mulholland Drive director is a deft, unique and talented force behind the camera, so fingers crossed he’s bringing his A-game.

Co-creator Mark Frost has written the episodes (as he did for a bulk of the first and second seasons), so both he and Lynch are in charge of revitalising the oddball world.

WHO’S IN IT?

The original, main cast are also returning, hurrah!

Kyle MacLachlan reprises his iconic character that endured a prolonged stay in the crime drama as pie-loving Dale Cooper.

He’s joined by a majority of its original cast, too, including Shelley (Mädchen Amick), Audrey (Sherilyn Fenn), Bobby (Dana Ashbrook), Laura (Sheryl Lee), Lucy (Kimmy Robertson), Big Ed (Everett McGill), Dr. Jacoby (Russ Tamblyn), Andy (Harry Goaz), Deputy Hawk (Michael Horse), Sheriff Truman (Robert Forster) Sarah Palmer (Grace Zabriskie), and Leland Palmer (Ray Wise) – although we’re not quite sure how the latter will specifically come back, considering he’s dead and all.

David Lynch is appearing in one episode as Gordon Cole, as does the late Miguel Ferrer as Albert Rossenfeld. David Duchovny returns, but the long list of talent doesn’t end there. Ernie Hudson, Monica Bellucci, Jim Belushi, Michael Cera, and Ashley Judd are just a few big names in the impressive episode one roster.

WHAT’S IT ABOUT?

The story picks up 25 years since the horrific events that shook the small town – notably the murder of Laura Palmer – and beyond the disturbingly creepy path the rest of the story took its audience down.

Picking up after the season two finale, we’ve already witnessed the chilling conclusion where the evil, murderous BOB has possessed Cooper as we’re left with something of a cliffhanger having cried ourselves to sleep ever since.

As we learned during last season, it was BOB that manipulated Laura’s own father, Leland, into killing her, thus solving that ongoing mystery the first season set up so brilliantly. However, the once placid, level-headed Coop is now under BOB’s control, so it looks like we’re about to see our hero turn into something of a villain.

Is Coop still trapped at the Black Lodge?

What’s he been doing over the past 25 years?

Is he now an evil murderer set to continue BOB’s killing spree?

Or has he escaped and now pursing the evil entity to put an end to his rampage once and for all?

WHEN CAN WE SEE IT?

The US will be getting it on 21 May, with the season premiere also available to UK viewers simultaneously on Sky Atlantic at 2am and alongside American viewers.

But it’s just a day later on 22 May when it’s aired in the UK, so not long to wait. Sky Atlantic will be its home for the duration in the UK and will air all 18 episodes.

Frankly, we cannot wait.

Are you looking forward to the return of Twin Peaks or did it lose you after season two? Share your comments below…

Mike is a freelance TV, film, music and entertainment writer, with an unhealthy obsession for Game of Thrones. He’s written for BBC Radio 1, BuzzFeed, Shortlist, MTV, GamesRadar+, Total Film, GoThinkBig, Loaded, and regularly scribbles for Yahoo Movies UK, VODzilla, and Metro.