Cliffhangers are one of the most powerful storytelling tools in TV shows. They’re a fantastic way to maintain hype, and many writers use them to get viewers emotionally invested in the drama unfolding onscreen. Many TV shows also use them to boost viewership. What better way to convince people to tune in next week than to leave the plot unfinished?
In the past, cliffhangers played a huge role in improving ratings. The era of “Sweeps Week” rating periods saw tons of great TV moments that left audiences on the edge of their seat. Cliffhangers are still a part of modern television, but streaming and binge-watching made them far less prominent. Fortunately, we can look back on some of TV history’s most jaw-dropping cliffhanger moments. Here are 15 that made a stamp on the small screen.
1. This Is the Bad Place! – “The Good Place” (2016-2020)
“The Bad Place” was a unique concept for a show. The first season depicted Kristen Bell’s Eleanor Shellstrop living in the Good Place, a fictionalized version of the afterlife where everything is perfect. However, the entire show up to that point makes viewers believe that Shellstrop mistakenly got into the Good Place, deserving instead to go into the Bad Place, the show’s version of hell.
When hijinx ensues in the first season’s final episode, Eleanor realizes something big. She’s been in the Bad Place this entire time! The shocking twist was a huge cliffhanger because it turned the show’s whole premise on its head, and viewers didn’t know what to expect for season 2.
2. Did Jon Snow Actually Die? – “Game of Thrones” (2011-2019)
“Game of Thrones” is prestige TV at its finest. Every episode was a cinematic masterpiece with great storytelling. The show’s writers didn’t shy away from cliffhangers throughout its run, but the season five finale was one of the most shocking.
We spent years following the journey of Jon Snow. But he’s suddenly stabbed to death by so-called “brothers” in The Night’s Watch. We watched the most important character in the show die and had to wait almost a year with that cliffhanger until we saw him come back to life!
3. Negan and Lucille – “The Walking Dead” (2010-2022)
“The Walking Dead” had many great villains throughout its run. However, one of the most terrifying was Negan. He was a tough monster who used a barbwire-wrapped bat named Lucille to make an example out of his enemies. Unfortunately, Rick’s gang got on Negan’s bad side.
In the season six finale, Negan uses Lucile to pulverize someone. However, we don’t see who it is until the seventh season premiere. Unfortunately, the two unfortunate victims were a lovable character and a fan favorite from the show’s beginning.
4. The Flashforward Reveal – “Lost” (2004-2010)
“Lost” became synonymous with its twists and cliffhangers. We could mention many great moments, including the end of season one when the hatch opens to unveil that this isn’t just a show about survivors of an airplane crash. However, one of the most famous cliffhangers is at the end of season three.
Throughout the show, viewers saw off-island scenes that most assumed were flashbacks. However, this cliffhanger saw Evangeline Lilly’s Kate approaching Matthew Fox’s Jack at an airport. Their conversation unveils that those flashback scenes were actually flash-forwards! The season finale left viewers wondering where the show would go next.
5. The First Kiss – “The Office” (2005-2013)
The first two seasons of “The Office” featured a forbidden love-style romance between John Krasinski’s Jim and Jenna Fischer’s Pam. Pam was already engaged, but her adoration for Jim was evident. The “will they won’t they” storyline throughout those first two seasons culminated in the season two finale when Jim finally kisses Pam.
However, we don’t see what happens next until season three! Viewers spent two years watching this love blossom but had to wait even longer to see if the two could become more.
6. Who Shot J.R.?” – Dallas (1978-1991)
The phrase “Who killed J.R.” became a pop culture phenomenon. You’ve likely heard the catchphrase before, and it all came from a TV cliffhanger! The show “Dallas” was a drama-filled romp full of characters you love to hate. In the season three finale, the patriarch of the Ewing family gets shot. The show doesn’t show who shoots Larry Hagman’s J.R. Instead, viewers had to wait eight months!
It’s one of the most iconic cliffhangers in TV history. Over 83 million people tuned into the season four premiere to see who the perpetrator was.
7. Cooper’s Shooter – Twin Peaks (1990-1991, 2017)
Here’s another whodunnit cliffhanger. “Twin Peaks” was a cultural phenomenon thanks to its crazy twists and mysteries. It’s an oddball show that captivated millions.
At the end of the show’s first season, Copper, portrayed by Kyle Maclachlan, gets shot. Like “Dallas,” we don’t see who the gunman is. Fans went into full detective mode between seasons one and two, trying to figure out who did it.
Even after the reveal, theories about this event still ran rampant!
8. Ross says “Rachel” – “Friends” (1994-2004)
“Friends” is one of the most popular sitcoms of all time, and the show did its fair share of cliffhangers to bring the drama. The countless love triangles and complex relationships between the characters created many opportunities for them. One of the most shocking cliffhangers happened during the wedding between Ross and Emily.
Rachel tries to tell Ross she loves him, but she chickens out at the last minute. However, Ross accidentally calls his bride-to-be Rachel at the altar!
9. A Surprise Time Jump – “Alias” (2001-2006)
The season two finale of Alias changed the show’s trajectory. We watched the blossoming relationship between Jennifer Garner’s Sydney and Michael Vartan’s Michael Vaughan. But Syndey gets into a brutal fight with someone impersonating her long-dead friend. She gets knocked out and wakes up in Hong Kong.
Sydney has no idea how she got there and requests to see Michael. When he arrives, he’s wearing a wedding ring. He reveals that Sydney was missing and presumed dead for two years, and Michael moved on. The huge twist left people clamoring to see what happens next.
10. Buffy’s Sacrifice – “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” (1997-2003)
Can you have a show without its titular vampire slayer? This campy romp did the classic hero’s sacrifice character arc. At the end of season five, Buffy jumps into a demonic hurdle to save her friends and humankind.
Viewers initially thought that there was no way she could die. However, the episode ends with a shot of Buffy’s tombstone! Of course, the show brought her back the next season, but that was after months of speculation and theories in the fandom.
11. A Shocking Attack – “E.R.” (1994-2009)
“E.R.” chronicles the lives of patients and emergency room staff. As you can imagine, a medical drama has countless opportunities for cliffhangers. However, this one was unexpected.
Kelly Martin’s Lucy spends an entire episode of season six voicing concerns about a patient she believes to have schizophrenia. There’s an overwhelming sense of dread and anxiety. While that’s common in a show like this, things were different. Noah Wyle’s Carter later enters the room looking for Lucy, only to find her on the floor in a pool of blood after the patient stabs him.
12. An Assassination Attempt – “The West Wing” (1999-2006)
Drama and politics go hand in hand, and no show depicted the craziness of it all more than “The West Wing.” The show had its fair share of dramatic moments, but the season one finale takes the cake. We see an unseen gunman open fire. The Secret Service members scramble, and we hear them question who was shot.
It was an assassination attempt on the president, played by Martin Sheen. The episode ended on a cliffhanger, so audiences had to wait to see if the president made it out alive.
13. Dr. Dreamy is Married? – “Grey’s Anatomy” (2005-Present)
This long-running show has plenty of great dramatic moments worthy of discussion! However, season one’s finale was a jaw-dropper. This cliffhanger had nothing to do with medical drama. It was all relationship woes! Viewers spent the first season watching Ellen Pompeo’s Grey fall in love with her boss, Shepherd, played by Patrick Dempsey.
In the episode’s final moment, we see Dr. Dreamy’s wife confront Grey! The fact that Shepherd was married was a huge twist, and audiences had to wait months to see how things played out.
14. The Gun – “Degrassi: The Next Generation” (2001-2015)
Here’s a rare dramatic cliffhanger from a show made for teens. “Degrassi” wasn’t scared to discuss difficult topics, but this season four moment was one of the toughest. It shows a troubled character being the target of extreme bullying. Rick Murray, played by Ephraim Ellis, wasn’t sympathetic due to past actions. However, the bullying reached a head in this mid-season episode of the show’s fourth year.
After being publicly humiliated, Rick returns home to get his father’s gun. The episode’s final shot lingers on the weapon, creating a sense of dread for what’s to come.
15. The Boxcar Explosion – “The X-Files” (1993-2019)
You never knew what to expect with “The X-Files.” The show focused on two special agents investigating the paranormal. As David Ducovony’s Mulder discovers bodies in a train boxcar, the door slams shut. The show’s antagonist, the Shadow Man, arrives with soldiers. However, Mulder suddenly disappears. The soldiers blow up the boxcar anyway, and it seems like the character has no way to survive.
Fans of the show spent months speculating if Mulder survived. Theories ran rampant as viewers tried to determine whether it was even possible for him to escape.
Cliffhangers That Keep You Hooked
As you can see, great cliffhangers are the stuff of TV legend! While some cliffhangers are cheap marketing ploys to maintain interest while a show goes off the air, the ones we covered above made a huge impact on audiences. They took the stories to another level, creating drama that made these moments stand the test of time.
