Twin Peaks Population Crisis

For a penny less than a benji, you too can scoop up the Twin Peaks box set that's been lodged in my DVD player since Christmas. Not only does this deluxe gold edition include every episode of the show's two seasons, it also has the pilot -- with both "open" and "closed" endings (it aired as a stand-alone movie in Europe, evidently) -- as well as a boatload of extras with cast and director, and some bizarre Japanese coffee commercials featuring Coop and the gang (the only thing missing is the much-maligned movie).

But one thing's always bothered me about Twin Peaks: the "welcome" sign, which lists the town's population at upwards of 50,000. Let me ask you this: does Twin Peaks really feel like a town of 50,000? It feels more like a town of about 20,000 to me: one public high school, one family-owned department store (Horne's), a small sheriff's department, a casino/whorehouse, hick accoutrements like Ed's Gas Farm and the Double-R, a country doctor (Donna's dad), a lone small hospital, a roadhouse that doubles as a courtroom, blue highways featuring James Hurley's motorcycle as seemingly the only vehicle on them, and a whole lot of forest and streams. It's too rural to accommodate 50,000 residents, doesn't project an on-air vibe like it's got 50,000 residents, so why does the "welcome" sign say it's got 50,000 residents? David Lynch, are you out there? Can you answer me this?

And here's another question: Looking for more past Seattle Weekly DVD reviews? Click here.