Samurai Jack is back!
Posted: Sun Mar 12, 2017 7:19 pm
I don't know if there is a great deal of crossover interest between Twin Peaks fans and fans of the animated series Samurai Jack, but I happen to be one and am almost as excited (I'd stop short of saying as excited, but just barely) about the return of this show as I am about the return of Twin Peaks. Both returns are part of an ongoing trend of updates and revivals of old shows or movies. But what separates Samurai Jack and Twin Peaks from some of these other revivals, whether it be Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Evil Dead, Blade Runner, X-Files, etc. is that these two are being revived as much to finish an incomplete story that was cut short rather than purely out of nostalgia and cashing in on an established franchise.
After watching the first episode of the Samurai Jack revival I can't help but notice some other distinct similarities between the shows. Both feature an earnest, pure heart and highly competent male protagonist. The Samurai Jack revival has extended the passage of time and placed the lead in far darker circumstances than we'd ever seen him before, and it seems safe to assume we will see something similar with Dale Cooper.
Also, both series are being revived and led by the original creators of the show, which is not the case with any of the aforementioned revivals with the exception of the X-Files, and in that case that may not have been such a good thing.
In some ways the revival trend is just another example the mainstream movie and television industry being afraid to create original content and wanting to bank on the established fan base of these franchises, but at least in the case of Samurai Jack and Twin Peaks there will be much needed closure to stories that were prematurely cut short, which is satisfying both for the artists behind them and the fans.
After watching the first episode of the Samurai Jack revival I can't help but notice some other distinct similarities between the shows. Both feature an earnest, pure heart and highly competent male protagonist. The Samurai Jack revival has extended the passage of time and placed the lead in far darker circumstances than we'd ever seen him before, and it seems safe to assume we will see something similar with Dale Cooper.
Also, both series are being revived and led by the original creators of the show, which is not the case with any of the aforementioned revivals with the exception of the X-Files, and in that case that may not have been such a good thing.
In some ways the revival trend is just another example the mainstream movie and television industry being afraid to create original content and wanting to bank on the established fan base of these franchises, but at least in the case of Samurai Jack and Twin Peaks there will be much needed closure to stories that were prematurely cut short, which is satisfying both for the artists behind them and the fans.