I think at that point they didn't know how the already-filmed stuff was going to be split up, if at all. 

I believe the 18 we get will be all we get. Much as we love it, I don't think it's killing in the ratings. I could be wrong, of course.

Posted by: James M Sweeney

I think at that point they didn't know how the already-filmed stuff was going to be split up, if at all. 

I believe the 18 we get will be all we get. Much as we love it, I don't think it's killing in the ratings. I could be wrong, of course.

Thanks, James. Both observations seem likely to me as well ...  which makes me inclined to flog a dead horse by ... whispering quietly to myself how precious The Return is-- I mean that in the most literal sense of the word.

Consider:

Mulholland Drive only happened because a pair of French production companies picked up the project after ABC rejected the TV pilot Lynch had produced. 

Inland Empire (again, Studio Canal+) .  The fact that it received a wide cinematic release likely had more to do with the prestige of Mulholland Drives Cannes/Oscar's  award/nomination than anything else, IMO.

Given how risk-averse broadcast television remains, I'm inclined to attribute the fact that we got The Return at all to Showtime's ambitions to rival HBO's prime position as the home of "prestige TV," more of a trophy/loss leader for Showtime than something they expect/expected to renew... I'm speculating here, of course...

... Most of all, however, it's the actual nature of the The Return thus far that makes me think it will be one and done.  It's replete with allusions to every film Lynch has ever made. This looks like a career retrospective gesture.

The Return will no doubt win recognition/acclaim (Mulholland Drive has appreciated considerably since 2001, recently named the Best Film of the 21st century in a BBC poll of 177 critics...) regardless of whether its deemed a financial success.

If I were Lynch, I'd be happy to go out strong, given how unappreciated/underappreciated Inland Empire proved to be... A box-office flop, I think would be the word...

I think the series will slowly build up s much larger appreciation / following. 

One thing I would say, is even if the networks and viewers loved the show, if lynch and frost felt they had told the story to satisfaction, then I don't think another series would be filmed anyway. 

"If I were Lynch, I'd be happy to go out strong, given how unappreciated/underappreciated Inland Empire proved to be... A box-office flop, I think would be the word..."

Also it's a LONG film. Long movies have never been enormously popular in theatres.