‘Twin Peaks’: David Bowie Gave David Lynch His Blessing to Bring Phillip Jeffries Back for ‘The Return’

David Bowie passed away a year and a half before the world got to see new episodes of “Twin Peaks,” but that didn’t mean the iconic musician would be sitting out from the new batch of episodes. In fact, Bowie’s Phillip Jeffries, who made a memorable cameo in “Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me,” ended up being one of the most important parts of “The Revival” and a key figure in Lynch’s exploration of the larger “Twin Peaks” mythology.

Bowie was not able to appear in the flesh, but he did give David Lynch and the producers his blessing to use Phillip Jeffries as needed in “Twin Peaks: The Return.” Executive producer Sabrina Sutherland revealed during a Reddit AMA that Bowie was well aware Jeffries would be appearing once again in the Lynch franchise. “Bowie did give us permission to use his clips in this season,” she confirmed.

The scene in “Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me” in which Jeffries barges into the FBI offices screaming about Judy and accusing Dale Cooper of not being who he really is ended up being one of the key flashbacks David Lynch used in “The Return.” Jeffries was the first person to bring up the character known as Judy, and the two-part finale made it clear that Judy was a negative entity even greater than BOB. Jeffries’ importance to “Twin Peaks” became integral in “The Return,” as his current state as a teakettle-looking structure granted Cooper permission into the past.

Thinking about “The Return” without the involvement of Jeffries is pretty unimaginable, so it’s great to hear Bowie was well are his character would be getting the treatment he deserved by Lynch. Bowie may have been gone, but his presence became one of the most important things at the core of “Twin Peaks: The Return.”