The books, the trading cards, the webisodes, etc.
My own internal "rule" tends to be that the highest level of canon for a given work is found only in the medium that it was "intended" for (I use quotes because this can be subjective).
In the case of Twin Peaks, for me that means the TV show is the highest level of canon, FWWM is slightly less so, and everything else is to be taken with a grain of salt.
FWWM is slightly less so
Webisodes? 
"Harry, I'm going to let you in on a little secret. Every day, once a day, give yourself a present. Don't plan it, don't wait for it, just let it happen. Could be a new shirt at the men's store, a catnap in your office chair, or two cups of good, hot, black coffee. Like this." -Dale Cooper
How can FWWM be "slightly less"?
How can FWWM be "slightly less"?
Because the critics loathed it
"Harry, I'm going to let you in on a little secret. Every day, once a day, give yourself a present. Don't plan it, don't wait for it, just let it happen. Could be a new shirt at the men's store, a catnap in your office chair, or two cups of good, hot, black coffee. Like this." -Dale Cooper
How can FWWM be "slightly less"?If anything in FWWM contradicts what is said in the show, the show will still trump it because it's the real deal.
How can FWWM be "slightly less"?If anything in FWWM contradicts what is said in the show, the show will still trump it because it's the real deal.
Spot on. Twin Peaks the TV Series is to FWWM what the Star Wars films are to the Star Wars Holiday Christmas Special.
"Harry, I'm going to let you in on a little secret. Every day, once a day, give yourself a present. Don't plan it, don't wait for it, just let it happen. Could be a new shirt at the men's store, a catnap in your office chair, or two cups of good, hot, black coffee. Like this." -Dale Cooper
How can FWWM be "slightly less"?If anything in FWWM contradicts what is said in the show, the show will still trump it because it's the real deal.
Stuff like Leo's shirt, the locations, Laura's room, etc.
Spot on. Twin Peaks the TV Series is to FWWM what the Star Wars films are to the Star Wars Holiday Christmas Special.
I do love the scene above the convenience store with the special appearance by Bea Arthur. And when Audrey sings the Twin Peaks theme to a room full of moaning rednecks.
mehhh...i call bullshit on that. FWWM is Empire strikes... to TP's star wars.
Is it wrong that I think most of the second half of the Twin Peaks series itself isn't even canon? (mostly because of Frost and Lynch's detachment)
Is it wrong that I think most of the second half of the Twin Peaks series itself isn't even canon? (mostly because of Frost and Lynch's detachment)It sucks, but it certainly is canon.
Of course you're wrong. The whole series is the highest sport of TP canon.
yes, but in this case, I prefer to be wrong compared to believing Dick and Lana were meant to canoodle in a broom closet and superimposed images of Little Nicky dancing in Andy's head.
When most of the actors are complaining, I think something took a wrong turn in the intended canon vault.
The fact that you (reasonably) don't like something doesn't make it less valid, or less "canon"...
My opinion is that if something outside the series or the film (more on that later) contradicts what it's shown onscreen then it's not valid and that includes the scripts... We don't see from where Jeffries is coming, but the script says he comes from Buenos Aires; nothing onscreen contradicts that so I take it as valid. On the other hand in the script Teresa is killed in the woods, but obviously that's not what we saw, so that information is incorrect... The Access Guide says that the Tim in Tim & Tom's Taxidermy (mentioned by Pete) is no other than Mr. Tim Pinkle; since the series doesn't say if that's true or untrue, I also take it as valid...
Now, FWWM...
The film was directed by Lynch, it contains the true ending of the whole thing and gives answers to many, many things... I see it as canon, right on top with the rest of the show... The fact that some people like it less than the show or consider it something different, without the same mood, the black sheep of TP is completely meaningless... And contradictions and mistakes with the rest of the show are that, mistakes, like many others within the show itself... Is the Pilot (also directed by Lynch) less canon because of the different sets, because we don't see Jacques at the Roadhouse, etc.? What is the canon answer: that the blood that is AB negative is Leland's or Jacques'? All those are goofs and must be considered as such...
So as I see it there are only two levels of canonicity, 1) Show and film and 2) The rest (scripts, books, etc.)
Oh, I know. And I agree. Just being overly dramatic. (just some of the things that came about pain me its in the canon blueprint)
Lynch's involvement is cancelled out by Frost's absence as far as its "canon-worthiness" goes.The film was directed by Lynch, it contains the true ending of the whole thing and gives answers to many, many things... I see it as canon, right on top with the rest of the show... The fact that some people like it less than the show or consider it something different, without the same mood, the black sheep of TP is completely meaningless... And contradictions and mistakes with the rest of the show are that, mistakes, like many others within the show itself... Is the Pilot (also directed by Lynch) less canon because of the different sets, because we don't see Jacques at the Roadhouse, etc.? What is the canon answer: that the blood that is AB negative is Leland's or Jacques'? All those are goofs and must be considered as such...
Whether or not people like it as much as the series has nothing to do with it. I like FWWM better than most of the second season of TP, but I still consider the second season to be a higher level of canon.
Or, to add in another Star Wars analogy, I don't like the prequel movies nearly as much as the original trilogy, but I still consider them to be on the same level of canon.
See, that's the thing... I don't consider that because Lynch or Frost or both were missing what is shown is less valid, the show and film had many other writers and directors that surely had ideas, wrote lines or showed certain images that weren't Lynch's or Frost's... TP was a collective work and I take everything as worth considering... I mentioned Lynch in FWWM because it's an important fact, he resurrected TP and directed it, he was not missing, but I'd consider the film even if it was directed by someone else...
See, that's the thing... I don't consider that because Lynch or Frost or both were missing what is shown is less valid, the show and film had many other writers and directors that surely had ideas, wrote lines or showed certain images that weren't Lynch's or Frost's... TP was a collective work and I take everything as worth considering...
Yeah, especially Harley Peyton and Robert Engels. I think they had a lot to do with how the story went on in both the natural and supernatural storylines. Engels also wrote FWWM with Lynch.