The Deuce is coming back for a third and final season on HBO, David Simon announced on Twitter Thursday.
We’re always conjuring the last scene before we write the first. So much the better when we work for people who allow us to consistently plan, arc and execute as intended. Thanks, @HBO, for the third and final season renewal and the chance for #thedeuce to tell its full story. pic.twitter.com/B1cOuady1X
— David Simon (@AoDespair) September 20, 2018
We mostly have just Simon’s Twitter thread to go on so far, which reveals that the final season will run eight episodes and take place in 1985, a time jump for the 1970s Times Square-set porn industry drama starring James Franco and Maggie Gyllenhaal, which Simon co-created with his The Wire collaborator, crime novelist George Pelecanos.
It appears as if Simon made a mutual decision with HBO to end The Deuce after three seasons, though, as he thanked the network and said a three-season run was always the plan for the series. Simon’s unparalleled but sorely under-watched The Wire managed to run for five seasons on the network before developing a cult following, and New Orleans jazz drama Treme ran for four.
We’re glad to hear that The Deuce is going out on what appears to be its own terms, and we should expect to get more details as production gets started on the final season.
Check out Paste TV Editor Matt Brennan’s essay on the 1970s New York of The Deuce’s first season here, and read our review of the show’s latest episode here. New season two episodes air on HBO Sundays at 9 p.m. ET.