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Cliffhanger
 

A cliffhanger or cliffhanger ending is a plot device in which a movie, novel, or other work of fiction contains an abrupt ending, often leaving the main characters in a precarious or difficult situation. This type of ending is used to ensure that if a next installment is made audiences will return to find out how the cliffhanger is resolved. The phrase comes from the common end of episode situation of the protagonist left hanging from the edge of a cliff. Some serials end with the caveat "To be continued" (Duckman and Clone High parodied this caveat). In television series, the following episode usually begins with a "Previously...".

Although a cliffhanger can be enjoyable as a page turner at the end of a chapter in a novel, a cliffhanger at the very end of a work can be frustrating. Cliffhangers can build anticipation (and, subsequently, profits) for sequels. However, if no sequel follows, effective suspension of disbelief can leave the audience or readership wondering what happened in the work's fictional realm. Sometimes (for example at the end of Blake's Seven) that goes so far that people write fan fiction (or even publish a novel) deciding what happens next.

In the case of the cliffhanger in The Next Generation Season 3 finale Best of Both Worlds which leaves Captain Picard held by the Borg, some television stations have decided that that cliffhanger inflicts too much mental cruelty on the audience, and show the cliffhanger episode and the next episode strung together in one session.

In 1001 Nights, Queen Scheherazade tells stories every night to her mad husband, King Shahryar, stopping at dawn with a cliffhanger, so the king will postpone her execution in order to hear the rest of the tale.

Cliffhangers were especially popular in 1930s serials when movie theaters filled the cultural niche now primarily occupied by television.

Cliffhangers are often used in television series, especially soap operas which end each episode on a cliffhanger. Prior to the early 1980's, season-ending cliffhangers were rare on U.S. television (the first such season-ender on U.S. TV was in the comedy send-up of soap operas Soap in 1978), although several Australian soap operas which went off air over summer such as Number 96 and Prisoner had ended each year with major and much publicised catastrophies such as characters being shot in the final seconds of the closing episode for the year.

In the US it was the phenomenal success of the "Who shot JR?" season ending cliffhanger on Dallas, which closed the show's third season, that led the cliffhanger to become a popular staple on television dramas and later situation comedy series as well. Another notable cliffhanger was the "Moldavian Massacre" on Dynasty in 1985, which fueled speculation throughout the summer months regarding who lived or died (in the story, almost all the characters attended a wedding in the country of Moldavia, only to have revolutionaries topple the government and machine-gun the entire wedding party). The "Best of Both Worlds" episode of The Next Generation in 1990 is also cited as a reason that season-enders are popular today.

Cliffhangers are also used to leave open the possibility of a character being killed off due to the actor not continuing to play the role. The aformentioned Star Trek season finale worked around the possibility of Patrick Stewart's contract expiring. Between seasons, his contract was renewed and as a result, the character of Captain Picard survived the cliffhanger.

Cliffhangers are also sometimes deliberately inserted by writers uncertain of whether a new series or season will be commissioned, in the hope that viewers will demand to know how the situation is resolved. Such was the case with the second season of Twin Peaks, which ended in a cliffhanger similar to the first season with a high degree of uncertainty about the fate of the protagonist. However, the cliffhanger could not save the show from being cancelled, resulting in the unresolved ending.

Due to the multi-part storylines becoming the norm in comics (instead of self-contained stories) the cliffhanger has become a genre staple.

Commercial breaks can be a nuisance to script writers because some sort of incompleteness or minor cliffhanger should be provided before each to stop the viewer from changing channels during the commercial break.

Sometimes (for example Invasion Earth) a series ends with an unintended cliffhanger caused by a very abrupt ending without a satisfactory dénouement, but merely assuming that the viewer will assume that everything sorted itself out.

The ending to The Italian Job (1969) was quite literally, a cliffhanger. It depicted the main character's escape vehicle hanging halfway off a cliff in the Swiss Alps. Since then, no sequel has been made, with a remake that was not linked in any way.

Examples of films with cliffhanger endings

Examples of television series which regularly do cliffhangers

Of course, cliffhangers are the main "hook" of soap operas. Other genres also use them as well, as can be seen here.
  • 24 - drama/action: Almost every episode ends with a cliffhanger.
  • Alias - the structure of episodes in the first season had the last ten-fifteen minutes spent on setting up the next episode with a cliffhanger, usually with the main character(s) in life-threatening jeopardy.
  • Doctor Who - British science fiction television show. In its original run (1963–1989), most stories were comprised of four to six episodes. All but the last episode of a story would end on a cliffhanger. One episode ended with the Doctor literally hanging from a cliff by his umbrella. The new series (2005–current) has also used cliffhangers, but less frequently, with three two-parters per series, where the first part would end on a cliffhanger to be resolved in the following episode.
  • Green Wing - Literal cliffhanger, with Guy, Mac and Martin all stuck in an ambulance hanging over the edge of a cliff.
  • Inuyasha - Some episodes have cliffhangers (mostly 2 to 3 part episodes)
  • JAG - often featured cliffhanger episodes at the end of seasons.
  • King of the Hill - The second and third seasons ended with cliffhanger episodes.
  • Lost - drama/action: most episodes end with a cliffhanger, as did the first and second season finales.
  • One Piece - Every single episode ends with a black screen upon which the words "TO BE CONTINUED" are displayed in large letters which fill up the screen. Almost all episodes are cliffhangers, and those that aren't still have the "TO BE CONTINUED" screen at the end, implying that even if this episode's story has been resolved, the larger quest for Gold Roger's treasure continues.
  • Quantum Leap - Each episode ended with a minute or so long intro to the next episode's storyline.
  • Smallville - A season of this show can be divided into thirds: September-December, January-March, April-May. Each third of the season (consisting of about 6-9 episodes) usually ends with a cliffhanger, with the most intense cliffhangers reserved for the season-ending episode(s) in May.
  • Star Trek series - Since Star Trek: The Next Generation, most of the seasons of the various series have ended with a cliffhanger.
  • Stargate SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis - Every season of each of these series has ended on a cliffhanger (Save for Season 8 of SG-1), sometimes the second part of a three-part episode. Most seasons have also featured a mid-season cliffhanger to ensure audience interest between the two halves of the season.
  • The West Wing - political drama.
  • The X-Files - regularly had season-ending cliffhangers.
  • Xena: Warrior Princess - several episodes end with a cliffhanger
  • Xiaolin Showdown - Seasons 1 and 2 end with one of the Xiaolin monks having been temporarily turned to evil. Season 3 ends on a possible cliffhanger.
  • Friends - Every season but season 2 and the series finale ended on a cliffhanger, with many episodes having a cliffhanger that would be picked up on the next week.
  • Red Dwarf - Series 2, 6, 7 and 8 all ended on cliffhangers (Especially 6 and 8).

Unresolved TV (and other media) cliffhangers

Some TV shows were cancelled in between seasons, and viewers were left wondering what happened. In addition some other media also have shown unresolved cliffhangers.

  • The Animorphs series of children's books also ends with a cliffhanger, which disappointed many fans.
  • Angel - The show's finale episode was written with the knowledge that it would be the last, but still creator Joss Whedon decided to end with a cliffhanger, involving the main characters about to square off with an army of demons, ending the series with "Let's get to work."
  • Benson - The famous "Who Won?" cliffhanger featuring a gubernatorial race between the title character and his former employer was never resolved.
  • Blake's 7 - The last season is the 4th season, which ended with the lead characters apparently being all caught and shot by a Federation security squad. Those characters whose actors stayed in the series were intended to survive in the cancelled 5th season. This frustration inflicted on the audience led to much fan fiction and a novel showing what happened next.
  • Capitol - Sloane Denning is facing execution by firing squad, and as soon as the executioner says "fire," the episode ends with no resolution of what happened.
  • Caroline in the City - This sitcom ended with the sudden appearance of Richard Karinsky (Malcolm Gets) at Caroline's wedding.
  • Cliffhangers - Perhaps the definitive cliffhanger program. An hour-long show composed of three segments per week. Each weekly segment ended in a cliffhanger. The series was cancelled with two of the three storylines incomplete.
  • Clone High - The series ended with most of the cast being frozen in a meat locker by Principal Scudworth.
  • The Series finale of Crime Story.
  • Crusade, as it was cancelled before the main thrust of the plot could even begin to unfold, much less come to fruition.
  • Dallas - A close up of Patrick Duffy's character saying "Oh my god" in reaction to entering JR Ewing's room from where a gunshot had just been heard ended this primetime soap's final episode in 1991. It was not until 1996 that it was revealed what happened (JR Ewing shot a demon-possessed mirror instead of committing suicide).
  • Darkwing Duck ends on a cliffhanger, which was intended to be resolved, but was canceled before production of next season.
  • Dead Like Me ended with a number of "loose ends" especially as concerned the status of the relationship between Georgia Lass, the main character, and her mother and younger sister.
  • Duckman - In the final episode, Duckman's supposedly deceased wife, Beatrice, appears during his second marriage unexpectedly. It is soon revealed that Cornfed knew Beatrice was still alive the entire time.
  • Dynasty - This soap ended with a multitude of cliffhangers; for example, Alexis falling off a balcony and Blake getting shot.
  • Emerald Point NAS ends on a cliffhanger, which was intended to be resolved, but was canceled before production of next season. One of the principal characters (played by Maud Adams) is kidnapped by a former lover (Michael Brandon) on the eve of her wedding to Dennis Weaver, who finds her wedding gown stuck to the wall with a knife in the final scene.
  • Exosquad ends with a cliffhanger when an alien race of enormous power unexpectedly attacks the Solar System shortly after the end of the war between Neosapiens and humans.
  • Farscape ends with the main character and his fiance being turned into crystal shards, then the words 'To Be Continued' appear on the screen.
  • Final Fantasy VIII - Although Ultimecia was slain, many things were left unexplained in the game: Seifer had seemingly returned to his old self, while its never explained why he sells himself out to a dark path. After NORG had been defeated by Squall Leonheart and his party, he turns into a cocoon. It later hatches, but what he becomes next is never revealed. Esthar had the Lunar Cry summoned upon it, while nothing had to be done about it other than fight off the monsters that it brought. All of this and more which was left in ambiguity has become the product of much fanfiction by those who have played the game through the entire storyline and are not satisfied with the seemingly abrupt ending.
  • First Monday - As law clerk Ellie Pearson and Justice Deborah Szwark's CIA attorney daughter walk to a restaurant, Szwark's daughter is struck by a car. Ellie cradles her and screams for help, as the season (and the series) ends with a cliffhanger ending.
  • Flamingo Road - The primetime soap ended in May 1982 with the murder of villain Michael Tyrone. At the very end of the series finale, Michael rises from the dead in a burning barn.
  • Gabriel Knight III ended on a cliffhanger, as Grace leaves Gabriel and goes to India. The story would have continued in the next Gabriel Knight game, but shortly after the release of Gabriel Knight III, Sierra officially stopped making adventure games.
  • Grown Ups - J. inadvertently proposes to his on-again-off-again girlfriend Melissa.
  • Half-Life - This series of games is perhaps the best known for its clever and even weird cliffhanger endings, with the games always ending with the hero being transported to an indeterminate dimension in the middle of a high climax for a meeting with the "G-man," who then congratulates the hero and cryptically briefs him for his next adventure.
  • Halo - while not as overt as the ending to is sequel, the ending to the original Halo game left the Master Chief and Cortana stranded in space on a single Longsword space fighter, with an ominious note that indicated that the story was not over, the Master Chief stating "No, I think we're just getting started."
  • Halo 2 - the game ended with the Master Chief ordering the UNSC fleet to cease fire on the Forerunner ship that he had stowed away on, to "finish this fight." The sequel will be released in 2007.
  • Invasion - The first and only season ended with two major cliffhangers: the fate of Larkin and her baby; and the outcome of the hybrid pregnancies.
  • John Doe - In the unplanned series finale, the Stocking Cap man seemingly in charge of the evil Phoenix Organization is revealed in the last seconds as "Digger", one of John Doe's closest friends.
  • Last Man Standing - The show was cancelled on a cliffhanger, with Cam about to confront Adam having just remembered a drunken conversation about his affair with Zoe.
  • League of Extraordinary Gentlemen - The movie adaptaion of the graphic novel ends with Alan Quatermain supposedly rising form his grave.
  • The New Adventures of Superman - This ended with then married Lois and Clark finding a baby left in their living room, with a note "Lois and Clark - This baby's for you".
  • Malcolm & Eddie - After the 50/50 Club is wrecked in an accident, Nicolette offers Malcolm and Eddie money to rebuild it on the condition that she becomes a full partner.
  • Models, Inc. - In the finale that originally aired on FOX, the series ended with a hired assasin aiming his gun at a wedding. Because people were moving, the gun was shown pointing at several cast members and then the gun was shot. It ended in slow motion panning to the assasin's face with, "To Be Continued..." The show was cancelled soon after, but there was an alternate ending that later aired on international distribution and in repeats on E! cable network. The shot killed Emma Samms' character Grayson and showed Hillary Michaels (Linda Gray) announcing to the models that she was closing Models, Inc. The show ended with Gray turning off the lights to each model's photo on the wall in the lobby and the office going dark and zooming up to the Models, Inc. logo in the hallway. However, the one cliffhanger that wasn't resolved on either endings was the ending of the character of Carrie (Carrie-Anne Moss). Grayson had her kidnapped and in a scene saying "Somewhere in Central America" she woke up tied and was in "Hooker Hell."
  • Moesha - The show was cancelled on a cliffhanger, with Moesha's younger brother Miles having been kidnapped and a positive pregnancy test suggesting that one of the girls in Moesha's dorm was pregnant. The cliffhanger was originally planned to be solved on the Moesha spinoff The Parkers, but the writers of the show ultimately declined, feeling that the spinoff had a cliffhanger of its own to solve with the season premiere.
  • Conquest, due to the cost of making the show, it ended with only one season being made, despite its popularity. The series ended with all the major cast dead and Shao Kahn being victorious is pulling off his plan to get rid of his foes. The next season was suppose to start with the Elder Gods resetting everything because Shao Kahn broke the rules.
  • Over There was canceled immediately after its one and only season concluded, leaving a number of "loose ends" including the future of Bo Ryder, one of the principal characters, who hoped to recover from the loss of his right leg and return to active duty with his unit in Iraq.
  • Peyton Place - When this evening soap opera was cancelled in 1969, the final episode made no attempt to tie-up the various story threads in the expectation another network would pick-up the show.
  • Popular - This show's second season finale ends with a cliffhanger that was never resolved due to an unexpected cancellation by the network after the episode was already shot. In the cliffhanger, Tammy Lynn Michaels' character runs over a former friend of hers (played by Leslie Bibb) with her car and it is unclear if the latter survives the hit or not. Also, it was revealed a drag queen (RuPaul) was the father of Leslie Grossman's character.
  • ReBoot - In the end of the last season, it is revealed that the clone of Bob is an upgraded version of the virus Megabyte, who is inside Mainframe's core office, and in a position to destroy it.
  • Return to Eden - Ended on a dramatic cliffhanger in Australia. For subsequent international sales, a specially shot new ending hurriedly tied-up the unresolved story threads.
  • Shenmue II - The saga is abruptly cut off shortly after the main protagonist Ryo Hazuki travels to Guilin China and meets the girl he was destined to encounter, Ling Shenhua. They discover giant replicas of the two mystical mirrors as the screen fades to black with text 'the story goes on...' A third game is yet to be announced.
  • Silver Surfer - After 13 episodes the story was cut as Silver Surfer starts his battle with Thanos for the existence of the universe leaving the viewers with a white screen and a yellow "The End?" sign.
  • Sliders - In the last episode (The Seer), Rembrandt Brown went to Earth Prime to defeat the Kromaggs, while the other sliders remained on the previous parallel earth, not knowing if Rembrandt would live or die.
  • Soap - The show ended on several cliffhangers, not least of which was the fate of Jessica Tate, who was facing execution by firing squad.
  • Sonic the Hedgehog (SatAM) - The final scene set up the introduction of a new villain for the next season. It was revealed in 1999 that Ixis Naugus was the mystery villain being set up. A third season was planned and a plot put out eventually after the show ended. The reason for there not being a third season was explain that it was due to a scene from the Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog being sold at auction without SEGA's permission.
  • Above and Beyond - The final episode ends in an open-ended fashion, where T.C. McQueen is badly injured and most of the major cast is apparently killed or missing, with only Cooper Hawkes and Nathan West remaining. Yet with the Earth force in a much better strategic position, there is the motif of hope through initiative, despite losses and sacrifices.
  • Deep Space 9 - In the last episode, Benjamin Sisko is taken by the Bajoran Prophet into the Celestial Temple, leaving his son and pregnant wife behind on DS9. As this was an actual planned finale, and references were made to Sisko being back "in a year," there was early speculation of a theatrical movie in the works.
  • Strip Mall - In what nobody realized would be the series finale, Tammi gets thrown out of an airplane by Barry, who then yells, "Goodbye Tammi Tyler!" It wasn't until June 2001 that Comedy Central made a cost-cutting move due to a rough economy by cancelling both Strip Mall and That's My Bush!
  • Stroker & Hoop - this animated comedy on Adult Swim ended with the titular characters falling to their presumed deaths.
  • The Big O - In the last episode, Angel becomes the Fourth Big, Big Venus, and begins removing Paradigm City from reality. Roger and Big O attempt to negotiate with her on the survival of humanity. Afterwards, Big Venus and Big O walk towards each other and the screen fades to white. In the last few minutes, the opening of the first episode is shown, with Dorothy and Angel watching Roger drive off unlike in the original footage. This does not tie up any plot threads, and simply confuses people further, as not only was Roger driving off to rescue Dorothy in the first place, but Angel should not appear until Episode 3. The cryptic ending is the rushed result of the series being cancelled unexpectedly, instead of being extended to a third season.
  • The Simpsons - Many episodes find their ending in a literal cliffhanger when some character or obscure scene ostensibly leaves the audience unsatisfied, often with subtle allegations. Occasionally subtle references to these episodes are made in future episodes, often resolving the cliffhangers in unexpected ways or further perpetuating the mystery of their outcome.
  • Travels With My Aunt - The 1972 movie adaptation's dying moments come with a coin toss that will decide the future of one of the characters. The movie ends with the coin in mid-air.
  • Twin Peaks - Two words: "How's Annie?"
  • WKRP in Cincinnati - The final episode hinted at a secret deal struck between radio station owner Mama Carlson and program director Andy Travis, in exchange for Travis' efforts to prevent station workers from unionizing. The show's cancellation meant the terms and consequences of this deal would remain unrevealed.
  • XIII In the last ten seconds of the game, the ultimate conspirator is revealed and the hero is left in a potentially deadly situation. Poor sales of the game led to the conclusion that the story would not be completed, in game format at any rate.

See also

External links

Narratology | Television terminology | Plot devices

Cliffhanger | Cliffhanger | Cliffhanger | קליף האנגר | Cliffhanger | クリフハンガー (ドラマ) | Cliffhanger | Cliffhanger

 

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