After the show ended on another major cliffhanger, executive producer Sabrina S. Sutherland has an optimistic update for Twin Peaks season 4. Just over 25 years after it was initially cancelled, David Lynch and Mark Frost's surreal mystery show returned for a mammoth 18-episode season 3 subtitled The Return, which saw Kyle MacLachlan's Dale Cooper still stuck in the Black Lodge and attempting to escape, all while an evil doppelgänger of him begins upending his life in the real world. Despite garnering rave reviews from critics and solid ratings for Showtime, there's been no official word on a season 4 being made.
During a recent Q&A hosted on a Tulpa forum, Sutherland was asked about the intention behind The Return's cliffhanger ending and the chances of a Twin Peaks season 4 happening. Though acknowledging she couldn't speak to Lynch and Frost's goal for the ending, she did give an optimistic update for the show's future, teasing that the former has 'more ideas' for another season.
In the years since season 3 came to a close, Lynch and Frost have both expressed an openness to continuing Twin Peaks with a potential season 4. Lynch, in particular, has said on multiple instances that he felt a story 'calling' to him, but last said in 2020 that 'nothing was happening' to potentially expand the beloved show. Frost recently confirmed in April 2024 that he and Lynch 'haven’t talked about anything going forward'.
One of the biggest hurdles that seems to be in the way of a potential Twin Peaks season 4 is Lynch's overall interest in the project. While Frost is just as vital of a component as his collaborator, Lynch's auteuristic vision could see him remain confident in leaving the show where it is. However, while Sutherland indicates he still has more stories to tell in the world of the show, another major hurdle may be drumming up audience interest.
Holding a 94% 'Certified Fresh' approval rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes, Twin Peaks season 3 does remain the best-reviewed installment from critics, and even though its 83% audience score is a positive one, viewers were much more mixed than prior seasons. Lynch's devotion to more surrealistic storytelling and lack of definitive answers for original characters' fates left many feeling frustrated that the 25-year wait wasn't entirely worth it. And while Showtime indicated at the time that The Return had exceeded their financial expectations, Lynch infamously had conflicts with the network over the season's budget, which could hinder any future plans he has.
In spite of some of these doubts, Sutherland's assurance that Lynch 'has more ideas' for a Twin Peaks season 4 is an encouraging one for those eager to see the show's return, particularly with so many threads left open after The Return. The biggest is that of Cooper and Laura Palmer's fates, with the former seemingly stuck either in a different dimension or somewhere else in time in his effort to prevent the prom queen's murder. Laura, meanwhile, was seen dragged off by an unseen force, and the similar-looking Carrie screaming at an unknown figure as the screen faded into darkness.
Another major Twin Peaks storyline left unresolved after The Return is the fate of Audrey Horne, whose future was left ambiguous after the season 2 finale saw her caught up in a bomb explosion. A book written by Frost confirmed that she survived and was in a coma for a month afterward, during which she was assaulted by Cooper's evil doppelgänger, Mr. C., and gave birth to his son. However, Lynch left her fate up to viewers' interpretation in The Return, particularly with the shot of her in a bright white room indicating she was either in a coma, a psychiatric hospital, or another Lodge.
With The Return also introducing a whole host of new characters with their own storylines left in various states of disarray, including Amanda Seyfried's Becky and Matthew Lillard's Hastings, who led the FBI to the mysterious 'The Zone' prior to his death at the hands of the Woodsman, Lynch has plenty of avenues to take Twin Peaks season 4 down. However, with no guarantees the season will ever be made, fans of the show eager for answers may never get them.
All three seasons of Twin Peaks are available to stream on Paramount+.
Conceived by Mark Frost and David Lynch in 1990, Twin Peaks is a supernatural mystery-drama series that brings FBI Agent Dale Cooper to the quiet town of Twin Peaks to investigate the murder of a young woman named Laura Palmer. As Dale continues his investigation of her death, he learns that Laura's life wasn't as she advertised it, and the town itself is hiding far more secrets than they let on. The show received a revival for a third and final season two decades later to resolve the cliffhanger left at the end of the second season.
