Twin Peaks’ first-season premiere episode is titled “Pilot.” It introduces the town, the murder mystery surrounding Laura Palmer, FBI agent Dale Cooper, and many of the show’s central residents.
The episode is also commonly called “Northwest Passage,” an early or alternate title associated with the pilot. That variation causes confusion in quizzes and episode lists, but “Pilot” is the canonical title used for the first episode of the series. David Lynch directed it, and Mark Frost and Lynch are credited as writers.
The premiere establishes Twin Peaks as both a small Washington community and a place filled with hidden relationships. Cooper arrives to investigate Laura’s death, while the episode introduces locations such as the sheriff’s station, the Great Northern Hotel, and the Double R Diner.
The pilot originally aired in 1990. It was unusually long for a television premiere, and an international version included additional material that helped resolve the mystery as a standalone film.