Deadwood's Last Stand

So the sad news going into Season 3 of HBO's Deadwood was that the show was apparently to be killed after this season, possibly leaving some dangling plot threads (since the season had been wrapped by that point) and certainly leaving some disappointed fans. I think HBO finally decided to take a stand against the lengthy hiatuses of shows like The Sopranos and Deadwood, and the decision to not renew the options on the contracts of cast members pretty much sealed the deal.

Thanks to some letter writing to HBO and the efforts of David Milch and the network, Deadwood will return for two 2-hour movies next year. I have to say that I'll be very sad to see the show take its final bow, but I'm thrilled at the prospect of it going out on a high note (this season is already looking extremely good). Three seasons seems about the perfect running time for a great series like Deadwood, and I'd like to see the show retain its glow of near-perfection (unlike, say, oh I dunno - The Sopranos which was just pretty bad this past season).