It is February 24, 1989, and it appears to be a normal day in the small town of Twin Peaks, Washington. In the early hours of the morning, Pete Martell leaves his home — the Blue Pine Lodge, where he lives with his wife Catherine Martell and her sister-in-law, Josie Packard — to go fishing. Pete's fishing trip, however, is cut short when he discovers a body wrapped in plastic on the riverbank.
Pete alerts the local authorities, and Twin Peaks Sheriff Harry S. Truman and his deputy arrive at the crime scene along with the local doctor, Willard Hayward, to examine the body. They are shocked to discover that the identity of the dead person is that of Laura Palmer, the beloved homecoming queen of the local high school.
Laura's father, attorney Leland Palmer, is at the Great Northern Hotel with his employer and the owner of the hotel, local business tycoon Benjamin Horne, discussing the papers for some Norwegian businessmen to invest in a country club Horne plans to build on the land where the Packard Sawmill stands. Leland points out that they do not actually own the land, but Ben assures him that he will acquire it soon. Meanwhile, Leland's wife, Sarah, has woken up to discover that Laura is not at home, and, sensing that something is horribly wrong, she makes several phone calls. She tries to get hold of Laura's boyfriend Bobby Briggs, but he is not at home either, nor is he at football practice. Sarah frantically calls Leland at the hotel, just as Harry shows up at the hotel and asks to speak to him too. He makes the connection and realizes that his daughter is dead. Sarah wails as she hears this through the phone. Harry takes the shocked Leland to the hospital to confirm the identity of the body, which he does and breaks down into tears.
Bobby, meanwhile, shows up at the Double R Diner to talk with waitress Shelly Johnson, their secret relationship being suspected by the diner's owner, Norma Jennings. Bobby takes Shelly home, but from a distance, he notices that her husband Leo's truck is parked in the driveway though Shelly had told Bobby he was out of town. Bobby frantically leaves after letting Shelly out.
At school, classes are about, and Laura's best friend, Donna Hayward, goes to her locker and notices that Laura has not shown up yet, but is distracted by the antics of her classmate Audrey Horne, who is smoking in secret. James Hurley then approaches Donna, asking if she had seen Laura yet; their worry increases as they notice that Laura is not at her desk either. Bobby then finally arrives at school and is informed that the principal has asked for him to come to his office, and his friend Mike Nelson confirms that something has happened. Back in class, a state trooper briefly speaks to the teacher, who then tells the class that an announcement will be made. Both Donna and James realize what has happened; the former breaks down in tears while the latter reacts with suppressed anger.
Bobby is meanwhile interrogated by deputies Hawk and Andy about activities the previous night and earlier in the morning before Harry sits down with them, informing Bobby of Laura's death. Bobby is stunned by the news, insisting that he loved her, and is taken in for questioning. Principal Wolchezk then tearfully announces Laura's death to the school and cancels classes for the day.
The police show up at the Palmer residence to question Sarah. They ask about Laura's activities the previous day while Deputy Hawk searches Laura's room for clues, discovering a camcorder with a videotape in it and Laura's diary.
James goes to his uncle Ed Hurley's gas station and gives him a note to give Donna, requesting her to meet him at the local bar, the Roadhouse, later in the evening. Ed's wife Nadine then tells him to pick up a set of drapes she ordered.
A few hours later, Ronette Pulaski, a schoolmate of Laura, is found wandering around in a daze on a bridge, showing clear signs of abuse, and she falls into a catatonic state upon recovery. Since Pulaski crossed the state line when walking across the bridge and appears to be a victim of the same crime as Laura, it makes the case a federal matter, and as such Sheriff Harry Truman calls in the FBI, who sends out Special Agent Dale Cooper to investigate the matter. Cooper greets Harry and quickly hashes out any Jurisdiction Friction as Harry earnestly tells him that he is glad and relieved to have the FBI's help, as murders are not something he is used to dealing with in a quiet town like Twin Peaks.
Harry and Cooper go to the hospital to inspect Laura's body. On the way, Cooper explains that sees a connection between Laura's death and the murder of another girl one year earlier. After finding a piece of paper under Laura's fingernail, similar to one he found under the fingernail of the prior victim, Cooper suspects that the same killer might have struck again. While at the hospital, Harry and Cooper also encounter the eccentric psychiatrist Dr. Lawrence Jacoby, who tells them that Laura was his patient, though her parents knew nothing about this. He offers to help with the investigation however he can.
Donna goes to the gas station, where Ed gives her the note left by James. However, Mike, her boyfriend, arrives and angrily tells her to go to the sheriff's station to support Bobby. Nadine then commands Ed to hang up her drapes. Ed also receives a phone call from Norma, who request he meets her at the Roadhouse by nighttime.
Back at the station, Cooper examines what has been found in Laura's room. Inside the diary, he finds a safety deposit key in a small plastic envelope also containing a white powder, which he suspects to be cocaine. However, Harry has his doubts, due to Laura's squeaky-clean image. Also in the diary was a statement that she was nervous about meeting "J". Cooper then questions Bobby, both about whether Laura was using drugs and the identity of "J", but Bobby denies knowledge of either subject. They then watch the tape found in Laura's camcorder, which is footage of Laura and Donna at a picnic in the mountains. Cooper states that Laura had been seeing someone else, though Bobby insists that he does not know the identity of "J". Despite Bobby's uncooperative attitude, Cooper determines that he has nothing to do with the murder and lets him go.
Bobby, however, clearly has an idea about who "J" is and meets with Mike in the lobby of the sheriff's office as Donna goes inside for her questioning, telling him that he is sure that "J" is James, and now he wants Mike's help to sniff out James and beat the truth out of him. Their conversation is overheard by the secretary, Lucy.
Donna is questioned by Cooper, but she insists that a female hiker took the video found on the camcorder. Cooper lets her go and Lucy comes with Harry to tell Cooper that she overheard Bobby and Mike discuss the biker. However, Dale shows them that he already figured this out, having found a motorbike reflected in Laura's eye in the video.
Audrey, meanwhile, decides to disrupt her father's business plans, by letting it slip to the Norwegian businessmen that Laura was found brutally murdered. The businessmen then all leave Twin Peaks.
Deputy Andy and a group of other lawmen discover the murder scene, an old train car. Cooper and Truman go to the train car where they find a bloodied hammer, rag, half of a heart-shaped necklace, and a note written in blood that reads, "FIRE WALK WITH ME." Elsewhere, James sits and holds up the other half of the necklace as he looks at it in quiet contemplation.
Cooper and Truman go to the bank with Laura's safety deposit box, following the employee Alice Brady. Inside, they find a copy of Flesh World and over $10,000. In the magazine, they find a photo of Ronette Pulaski, confirming a connection with Laura. Also inside is a photo of Leo Johnson's truck.
Leo observes the ashtray at his home and questions Shelly about why there is more than one brand of cigarettes inside. Shelly tries to cover up Bobby's visits, by claiming that she might have smoked more than one brand, but this angers Leo, who threatens to snap her neck if he ever discovers more than one kind of brand in the ashtray again.
Cooper leads a town meeting, informing them of the FBI's investigation of Laura's murder, as it is believed to be linked to the murder of Teresa Banks the previous year, and the killer may be a citizen of Twin Peaks. A curfew is imposed for citizens under 18 years of age.
At the Hayward residence, Dr. Hayward tells his wife, Eileen, about the murder, including unreleased information about the necklace, and that the lawmen were searching for the other half, possibly in the killer's possession. Donna overhears this and sneaks out to meet with James, requesting her sister, Harriet cover for her. Bobby and Mike then turn up at the Hayward residence, looking for Donna. Dr. Hayward goes up to get her, discovering that she is gone, and he requests that they help search for her. Bobby and Mike, having suspicions that Donna is seeking to meet James, head up to the Roadhouse. Lucy then patches a call from Hayward to Harry and Cooper, informing them of Donna's absence while they stake out the Roadhouse. Harry puts out an all-points-bulletin for her.
At the Roadhouse, Ed and Norma meet to discuss their plans to leave their respective spouses so they can be together. Bobby and Mike then arrive, with their entrance being observed by James' biker friends, Joey and Scotty. Meanwhile, outside, Cooper and Harry observe Donna slipping into the bar and decide to call in backup and report that Donna had been found. When Donna goes inside, Mike aggressively goes to her, sparking a bar fight. Bobby knocks out Ed when he tries to interrupt the fight, and other patrons get involved as Joey escorts Donna away from the fight. They ride off with Cooper and Harry in pursuit.
The lawmen eventually lose the trail until they hear motorcycle engines. Joey takes Donna to James, and James tells her about Laura the previous night, that she was as if she were a completely different person. As James breaks down crying, Donna tries to calm him and they end up kissing. They hear sirens, and Donna tells James that the police are looking for the other half of Laura's necklace, cautioning that he might become a suspect if they find it on him. They then decide to bury the necklace half, hiding it under a rock. James starts to take Donna home until they are stopped by Agent Cooper and Sheriff Truman. James is taken into custody for questioning while Donna is released to her father, but her presence is requested for more questioning the next morning.
Harry goes to the Blue Pine Lodge to see Josie, his lover. Catherine informs Ben Horne of the sheriff's arrival and they plan to meet. Harry and Josie look out on where Laura's body was found, supposing that the murder must have happened 24 hours prior.
Back at the Palmer residence, Sarah is sleeping uneasily, as she suddenly has a vision of a gloved hand digging up James' half of the necklace, she wakes up and screams. And there's someone... or something, observing her from the wall mirror...
Tropes:
- Awesomeness by Analysis: Donna has a Tearjerker one that also qualifies as Fridge Horror when she realizes her best friend is dead just by everyone's attitude and Laura's absence.
- Cooper wins Sheriff Truman and Hawk's respect by noticing James Hurley's motorcycle in Laura Palmer's reflection.
- Characterization Marches On: Cooper is noticeably more standoffish and reserved than in every subsequent episode. Granted, he's meeting everyone in the town for the first time, but he's already become much more friendly and gregarious by the following episode, which takes place the next day. It also makes sense for him to try and get as much information as he can while the case is still a little warm, given how much harder the location and that era's technology would make things.
- Drop Dead Gorgeous: Laura Palmer is perhaps the most famous example in fiction.
- Early-Installment Weirdness: Cooper is as likely to (excessively, to the point of momentary obsession) express dislike and pickiness as to express liking, seems to largely lack self-awareness, and his social manner is weird to the point of being somewhat creepy. He later became the perfect role model of social grace, and less prone to childlike wonder at the sight of snowshoe rabbits. Also, whatever the conflict was between James and Bobby seems to vanish, along with the other bikers and random bar fights.
- Establishing Character Moment: Cooper's iconic first scene chatting into his tape recorder, praising the trees near Twin Peaks, listing off the expenses of his drive, and obsessing over the food he's enjoyed. It quickly establishes his quirks, his dedication and dutifulness as an agent, and his instant affection for everything, especially for Twin Peaks.
- Good Adultery, Bad Adultery: Shelly's adultery is treated significantly more sympathetically than Ben Horne's.
- Jurisdiction Friction: Resoundingly averted. Cooper kindly explains that he'll be in charge of this case and hopes the Sheriff doesn't mind. Harry S. Truman doesn't resist in the slightest and is glad Cooper is there to take over.
- Meaningful Background Event: Look closely at the wall mirror in the final scene. That man is BOB.
- Missing White Woman Syndrome: A Played with example. Laura Palmer's death reduces the entire town to misery and horror. However, Ronette Pulaski is all but ignored, although it could be noted that Ronette is still alive despite being horribly traumatized compared to Laura's death.
- Rape Is a Special Kind of Evil: Especially for the time period, the subject matter was especially grim for primetime television. This was before Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.
- Rule-Abiding Rebel: James Hurley looks the part of a dangerous biker and loner but he's one of the nicest characters in the show.
- Town with a Dark Secret: Pretty much the entire theme of the first episode is the town's picturesque landscape hides a horrifying underbelly.
- Troll: Audrey ruins a business deal her father has set up with some Norwegian businessmen looking for a relaxing retreat by saying a young woman has recently been murdered there.
- Wrong Genre Savvy: On both sides. Despite the effort Donna and James put in to evade the police, Cooper and Truman easily capture him. They point out they only wanted to ask him some questions as there's no evidence he had anything to do with Laura Palmer's death other than the fact James was the last person to see her. Cooper and Truman are clearly bemused by the teenagers' paranoia. James is let go immediately after his interrogation and they even go so far as to warn Bobby and Mike not to go after him.
