This is a question for all the Peaks Freaks who watched it when it originally aired back in 1990.  Do you view TP the same now as you did back then or has it changed entirely or evolved?  Back then, I seemed to gravitate towards all of the "teenage" characters.  I thought Bobby Briggs was really cool.  I didn't like Audrey because of her hair in the pilot.  I liked Donna and I even liked James with his whole teen angst persona. It's funny as I've gotten older, now I think Audrey is the hottest, most interesting female character by far and I find James and Donna slightly annoying.  Bobby is still cool, just not quite as much.  I also used to think Lucy was funny, but since I have heard the actresses negative remarks about portions of the series, it's really turned me off to her character whether I wanted it to or not.  I also noticed I am more interested in the "adult" characters being older like Cooper, Pete, Ben Horne, etc.  I also back in 1990 for some reason couldn't stand any Catherine Martell scene because she got on my nerves, but nowadays I think Piper Laurie did an excellent performance.  I always thought Leland Palmer was creepy from the get go, so in a way it wasn't  a surprise he was the killer.  Josie annoyed me then and annoys me now, sometimes her accent is hard to understand and her acting skills seem subpar compared to some of the other actors.  Richard Beymer and Ray Wise are perfect for their roles.  I thought Sheryl Lee was perfect and ended up getting typecast for being Laura Palmer.  Agent Cooper is the best thing MacLachlan has ever done easily.  The main thing I noticed between then and now was my gravitation from the teenagers to the adults.  It feels strange and painfully nostalgic for this evolution to take place, but oh well, that's life.  Anybody else have different opinions now than way back then?

I was fascinated by Laura's story; her double life and the mystery surrounding her death. I was/am also terrified by BOB and I still to this day fast-forward certain parts that he is in or look away until it is over (yes, I am a big baby). I can count on one hand the number of times I've watched Maddie's death scene: I always chicken out and turn it off.

Since becoming an adult, I am irritated by one part of the Lucy pregnancy storyline: the way she treated Andy so badly when she found out she was pregnant when she was the one who fooled around and didn't know who the father was. I'm also more interested in the adult storylines than I used to be, but I still enjoy watching the James/Donna/Maddie/Mystery Inc./Love Triangle aspect.

Also, I totally agree about Audrey's hair in the pilot, yikes!

Funny, I was fifteen and I liked the teens the least (meaning the Donna/James romance) From the pilot, Lucy was my favorite -but certainly apprciated Fenn, Maclachlan and Laurie. I didn't even think of Leland as a character.

I kept wondering when the female FBI partner of Cooper's was going to appear because of the advertising pics of Cooper and Audrey. Wasn't until the second episode when Fenn's hair grew out that I realized.

I guess I always loved old movies and liked good verbal tennis matches between good actors. So I loved the Ben/Catherine scenes. And the Maclachlan/Fenn scenes at breakfast. Wasn't until the sixth episode when Audrey was crying at Leland, that I was completely hooked on her character -"That's incredible!"

never really took to Maddy -except as a cool, fun plot device. Thought she wasn't much of a character until her lakeside talk with James the episode before she was offed.

None of my thoughts have really changed-still think the first season is flawless. Still think Piper Laurie is so good, the reveal of the killer to Cooper in the Roadhouse is hookey and not worthy of the previous smarts, and Fenn and MacLachlan had the best TV chemistry ever.

I was much more inclined to theorize about the Black Lodge and so forth "back then." Now I'm not too interested in all that. I'm more into just appreciating the aesthetics of the show.

Watching TP when it first aired with a few hard core enthusiasts weekly was fun. Actually that 1990 era seems so great now almost two decades later. I haven't viewed the series for several years now. I am overdue. Last time thru it was still the best thing ever on TV and it had an added touch of nostalgia for me.  

I think what has changed for me is that I am interested in the series over all and back then it seemed like I was only interested in Laura and Cooper.  Yeah, I liked the other characters, but I was drawn to Laura and Cooper.

I think what has changed for me is that I am interested in the series over all and back then it seemed like I was only interested in Laura and Cooper.  Yeah, I liked the other characters, but I was drawn to Laura and Cooper.

  I have noticed it is easier to pick up on some of the small things in the show which also provides a different experience.

I was too young to watch the show when it aired here in Denmark in the beginning of the 90's. But it was on rerun in 2001 and that was when I got all hooked. I was in "high school" (it's called the gymnasium here). I related a lot to Audrey and loved her character. And well yeah... I had a huge Cooper crush going on... I did like Donna too, but now she annoys me... don't know why... I still love Audrey's character, but I'm not that into Cooper any more. I guess I have seen McLachlan too much in shows like Sex and the City and Desperate Housewives, heh...

I was very afraid of Laura even through I must have been about 16 years old at that time... and of course BOB. I had to sleep with the light on for many nights after watching the show and FWWM. I still get the creeps when I see him on pics or in the show. The scene with him hiding at the end of Laura's bed is sooo scary, I think. I still sometimes check the end of my bed before going to sleep

As other of you mention I now notice the whole story more than I did the first time watching the show. I also understand the story better, than I did in the beginning. I somehow found Laura's life and death really scary and confusing and couldn't really "deal" with it or whatever you call it, because I found it scary. Now I understand more of it and the meaning behind the story.... especially after watching FWWM.

In the beginning I focused a lot on the atmosphere... The nature and weather in the show is very much like winter here in Denmark. Actually my home town area looks a lot like TP... the houses, woods, landscape... well, gotta say we have no mountains or falls, only hills... but there are this sawmill next to my old school which looks a lot like the Packard Sawmill... 

One of the side effects of being a TP-maniac must be that everytime I see one of the actors from the show in other shows or movies I get all excited screaming/saying "he/she was in TP", which make people confused because many of my friends/family haven't watched the show