10 TV Cliffhangers That Were More Frustrating Than Exciting

There’s a delicate balance when it comes to creating the perfect suspense in a movie or television program. A successful cliffhanger creates an air of suspense for the events to come, at the same time drawing the viewer back in, grabbing their emotional investment, and leaving them hungry for more through the use of a shocking or unexpected narrative development. . Walking this fine line is decidedly no guarantee; for every acclaimed outing that produced one of the best cliffhangers of all time, there’s a television show that turned into one of the worst cliffhangers in the history of popular culture.

Cliffhanger film endings are more difficult to implement, on the other hand, since a film’s story typically ends with them. Unlike just starting a new episode, this sense of finality eliminates the possibility of ever resolving the conflict. There is always the more controversial approach of simply leaving the conflict unresolved, but this represents an even finer line to walk, further increasing the potential for ridicule and contempt. Either way, the difficulty in creating a perfect cliffhanger extends to television shows as well, with several notable names appearing. examples that ended up feeling more frustrating than exciting.

10

Cameron steals Abel

Sons of Anarchy (2008-2014)

Portraying the turbulent life and times of an outlaw motorcycle gang, Sons of Anarchy is one of the most successful crime dramas on television. Kurt Sutter channels Hamlet on Harley-Davidsons to stunning effect, with Sons of Anarchy receiving consistently high reviews over seven seasons. With that said, the show was still subject to some notably shaky script writing, with the IRA arms dealer Cameron Hayes’ kidnapping of Jax Teller’s son Abel at the end of season two instantly coming to mind.

For all of Hayes’ anger as the grieving father, the audience never seriously believed that baby Abel would suffer any harm at the Irishman’s hands after he kidnapped him instead of killing him, robbing this development of much suspense. The failure to resolve this loose story thread in season two bled Sons of Anarchy return, dominating the narrative of the third installment with a plot that arguably didn’t need to leave the season two finale. It wasn’t a moment to make viewers give up Sons of Anarchybut it came close.

9

Sherlock survives the Reichenbach fall

Sherlock (2010-2017)

Sherlock Holmes’ apparently fatal fall from the roof of St. at the end of the second season of the hit BBC drama Sherlock is now considered one of the most frustrating cliffhangers in television history; the height of irony, considering the intense speculation surrounding the development of the plot at the time. The self-described high-functioning sociopath’s survival in seemingly impossible circumstances has led to a firestorm of theories about how Benedict Cumberbatch’s protégé survived his devastating fall.

In the end, the closest thing fans came to a solid answer to the thriller after a two-year hiatus was a ridiculous series of events disclosed by Sherlock to Philip Anderson, which cast doubt on the theory almost immediately by instantly pointing out a series of holes in Sherlock’s supposed logic. The lack of clarity surrounding such a monumental cliffhanger seriously undermined the exact air of suspense and intrigue such a development was supposed to cultivate.

8

Will and Hannibal will die

Aníbal (2013-2015)

A Psychological Horror Drama Canceled Long Before Its Time From NBC Hannibal is based on the series of novels by Thomas Harris focusing on the character of the same name. Starring Mads Mikkelsen in the titular role Hannibal it received critical praise, but was canceled after its third season due to low ratings. The end of the show features Hugh Dancy Graham will apparently sacrifice his own life to kill Hannibal dragging him off a cliff, with the pair’s fate being irritatingly ambiguous.

The lack of closure resulting Hannibal the ending was a bitter pill to swallow for many fans who have watched the show since its early days. Although there were rumors that the show might be revived on another network, Season 4 of Hannibal failed to materialize, leaving the conclusion of one of television’s most subtle and complex character dynamics without a clear resolution in one of the most frustrating endings of all time.

7

Jim and Pam kiss

The Office (2005-2013)

The office the long-running romantic chemistry between John Krasinski’s Jim Halpert and Jenna Fischer’s Pam Beesly has apparently paid off. Jim revealing his feelings for Pam and the two kissing at the end of season two, before the credits rolled to leave fans on an almighty cliffhanger. Leaving one of the show’s most important narrative threads unresolved was maddening in itself, but it was nothing compared to how frustrating Desk moments that would follow.

The first episode of season three revealed that Jim had moved out after Pam turned down his advances, seemingly ending any hope of a blossoming romance between the two. A conclusion to the two characters’ “will they or won’t they” dynamic has been teased for so long, only for the cliffhanger to reveal that any excitement was for naught. The pair would end up reuniting at the end of season three, raising the question of why this development was delayed for another season.

6

Archer “Drown”

Archer (2009-2023)

One of the most underrated television comedy shows of all time, the adult animated comedy Archer wasn’t without its flaws before the iconic show ended with its fourteenth season. Chief among the flaws was a notably weak cliffhanger that saw the eponymous secret agent Sterling Archer supposedly killed, after being shot and left to drown in a swimming pool by femme fatale Veronica Deane in the season seven finale. The only problem, in this case, was that showrunner Adam Reed clearly had no intention of killing.Duchess“.

Archer the renewal for an eighth season confirmed the character’s survival beyond any doubt, with the first episode revealing that Sterling’s injuries left him in a coma. To rub salt into the wounds of any fans hoping for a quick resolution to this storyline and a return to the show’s tried-and-tested formula, Archer’s coma spanned three seasons in a series of dream-induced contemporary scenarios, none of which controversially matched up. to the quality of other seasons adhering to the traditional format.

5

Who did Negan kill?

The Walking Dead (2010-2022)

Undead provided the example par excellence of how not to to deal with a moment of anguish with the disappearance of Glen Rhee and Abraham Ford. The walking dead The season six finale ends with an almighty cliffhanger that sees Rick and his group captured by the sadistic Negan and his force of Saviors. The episode ends with the camera switching to a POV position, before Negan begins to brutally beat the mysterious invisible protagonist’s brains out.

After intense speculation, the show’s big reveal in the seventh season premiere handled the matter disastrously. Undead he had already faked Glenn’s death in the previous season and killing him for real seemed like a low blow for such a long-time cast character; a status quo that applied equally to the graphic and humiliating depiction of his death on screen. There was also the fact that the previous episode, incessantly scrutinized, provided no real clues as to the identity of the victim, leaving many feeling foolish for needlessly agonizing over minute details for months.

4

Ross chooses between Rachel and Bonnie

Friends (1994-2004)

This acclaimed comedy featured many excellent cliffhangers in all 10 Friends seasons. Instances like Rachel’s pregnancy reveal at Monica and Chandler’s wedding or Ross saying the wrong name during his vows to Emily are now considered classic moments in the famous show’s history. Unfortunately, these obstacles didn’t always go so smoothly, with Friends’ the season three finale serving as a perfectly frustrating example.

Conflicted between his feelings for Rachel after their breakup and his blossoming relationship with his new girlfriend Bonnie, Ross is undecided between which of the duo’s respective doors to enter. while he goes to bed. Unfortunately, the choice between the love of Ross’s life and a woman he’s been seeing for a few weeks doesn’t feel like a particularly difficult decision, depriving his supposed agonizing choice of any suspense or potential risk in the cold light of day. . Consequently, the subsequent revelation that Ross chose Rachel’s room will have very little emotional impact.

3

The story ends with a cut to black

The Sopranos (1999-2007)

Chronicling the life of a fictional New Jersey mobster, HBO The Sopranos is universally considered one of the best television shows of all time. A near-perfect offering that received rave reviews while garnering multiple awards and nominations across six seasons, The Sopranos’ the only conceivable shortcoming is the overly Controversial choice to end proceedings with an unexpected cut to black. Many fans were understandably frustrated that a show they had so emotionally invested in seemingly ended so evasively.

However, this is where the brilliance of The Sopranos’ the final scene becomes apparent. It may not feature the thrilling payoff that fans typically associate with a cliffhanger, but the show’s cut to black will likely depict Tony’s sudden death at the hands of a killer; an instantaneous transition to eternal oblivion. The Sopranos’ The final cliffhanger is an anomaly in the sense that, although it may have had a more frustrating than exciting effect, it was undoubtedly the right artistic decision to make.

2

Ivar mortally wounds Bjorn

Vikings (2013-2020)

The long-running historical drama Vikings suffered a considerable drop in quality with the departure of Travis Fimmel, from which it has never truly recovered. This status quo was never more apparent than during the climactic episode of Part 1 of the series’ final season. In a battle between two of Ragnar Lothbrok’s formidable sons, the sequel shows Ivar the Boneless dealt a seemingly mortal blow to his half-brother Bjorn Ironside in the heat of battle. Based on what the public saw, Bjorn was clearly a goner; Ivar hit him in the chest with a brutal finality that screamed “fatal“.

The issue was that Bjorn was one of the series’ oldest and most beloved characters, and fans simply couldn’t believe the producers would let him go in such an ignominious way. Surprisingly, Alexander Ludwig’s character duly returned for one last hurray to inspire his troops in the first episode of Part 2, before retiring for good in a way that felt so frustratingly contrived as opposed to thunderously exciting.

1

Jon Snow “dies”

Game of Thrones (2011-2019)

The cliffhanger to supposedly end all cliffhangers, Game of Thrones’ The decision to kill off one of its central characters in Kit Harington’s Jon Snow sent seismic shockwaves rippling through popular culture. Brutally murdered in cold blood by his own menSnow’s death represented an epic cliffhanger for the most popular television show of the time, with speculation instantly beginning about how he could have survived.

Unfortunately, Jon’s”death” ultimately It felt more frustrating than exciting.. Debate over his fate was nothing new, considering the novel’s version of Jon supposedly died in 2011. A clash of kings, only by George RR Martin’s refusal to confirm his death to start the debate. As such, there was already an expectation that “Snow Lord“would come back to life in some form; a situation that was not helped by multiple photo leaks. With your”deathLasting just two episodes and the show utilizing a decidedly unimaginative depiction of his resurrection, Snow’s return from the dead is a frustrating favorite. television program suspense.