A goodcliffhangerkeeps audiences hooked in and excited for the next development in their favorite TV show, although a truly great one will actually make the whole show better. The reason TV cliffhangers are so exciting is that they up the stakes, as characters’ lives are in jeopardy or major developments change the show forever, meaning that the after-effects of these tense moments ripple through the rest of the show’s run. Fromlong-awaited romancesto life-changing realizations, a good cliffhanger remains in a viewer’s memory forever.
Thebest TV cliffhangershelped elevate shows and led to situations whereeach season improved on the one before it.This has been the case in comedies, dramas, fantasy, and sci-fi series, as no matter what the genre is, every TV show can benefit from a well-executed cliffhanger. Cliffhangers are part of what makes being a TV lover so exciting, and all of these have left their mark on the legacy of their shows.
10Pam And Jim Share A Kiss
The Office (2005 - 2013)
The beautiful romance between Pam Beasley and Jim Halpert was the emotional center ofThe Office. While the Scranton branch of the Dunder Mifflin Paper Company was filled with its share of oddballs and eccentrics,Pam and Jim kept the show grounded in a way few other characters could, and the will-they-won’t-they dynamic of the earliest seasons was a major reason for the show’s incredible success. All of this came to a head in the season 2 finale, when, after countless knowing glances and a deepening connection with one another, Jim finally confessed his feelings.
This was a cliffhanger two seasons in the making, and it was made all the more effective as Pam first told Jim she did not feel the same way before throwing caution to the wind and kissing him. When audiences returned toThe Officefor season 3, the show had gotten even better, as Jim and Pam’s romance was able to grow in a way that was much more overt. Now that the two had finally admitted how they felt to one another,The Officecould transform them into one of the most enduring and beloved couples in TV history.
9The Death of Chuck McGill
Better Call Saul (2015 - 2022)
The fractured sibling relationship between the shady lawyer Jimmy McGill and his uptight brother Chuck McGill was a central focus of the earliest seasons ofBetter Call Saul. WhileBreaking Badviewers had initially tuned in to witness how Jimmy became Saul, what they received was a deeper investigation into the nature of criminality, morality, and identity. While Chuck was an essential figure in understanding Jimmy’s troubled psychology, it was only after he died that the door truly opened for him to transform into Saul.
The absence of Michael McKean as Chuck was sorely felt inBetter Call Saul, although the intense and tragic way he died in a suicidal house fire loomed large over the rest of the show. Jimmy carried great guilt for the death of his older brother, and the pain he carried was one in a long list of grievances that caused him to fully embrace his more sinister nature. Without the consequences of Chuck’s death,Better Call Saul’sfinal seasons wouldn’t have been as impactful.
8Hank Figures It All Out
While it was thrilling to watch Walter White’s shocking transformation into the meth kingpin Heisenberg and witness him take down foes like Tuco Salamanca and Gus Fring, one moment the show had been building toward since the pilot episode was Hank’s discovery of Walt’s secret life. This finally came in the season 5 midseason finale when, while sitting on the toilet of all places,Hank realized that the man he’s been searching for has been his brother-in-law this whole time.
Hank’s life-changing realization set the seeds in motion for the conclusion ofBreaking Badas Walter’s carefully constructed empire began to fall apart in front of his eyes. As Hank did everything he could to take down Walt, audiences witnessed him teaming up with Jesse Pinkman and concocting a plan to put Heisenberg behind bars. Hank’s realization culminated inBreaking Bad’sgreatest episode, “Ozymandias,” when he finally put handcuffs on Walter before meeting an unfortunate end at the hands of Jack Welker.
7Jim Hopper’s Uncertain Fate
Stranger Things (2016 - Present)
While there’s a certain nostalgic charm that means the first season ofStranger Thingsholds a special place in the hearts of viewers, the truth is the show has become increasingly intense and fascinating with each subsequent season. One major cliffhanger that signaled the Duffer Brothers’ willingness to explore darker subject matters was the fate of Jim Hopper at the end of season 3. This was the gut-wrenchingly emotional moment that saw Hopper seemingly disintegrated as the gang sought to close the gate to the Upside Down at the Starcourt Mall.
This was a deeply harrowing moment asviewers were forced to reckon with the death of one ofStranger Things’greatest characters; that was until the episode’s final moments, when it was hinted that Hopper was alive and being kept a prisoner in Russia. This upped the stakes even further for season 4 asStranger Thingsbegan to branch outside of Hawkins, Indiana, and reveal a conspiracy bigger than any of them had imagined. As the threat of Vecna loomed ever longer,Stranger Thingsgot even better in season 4.
6The Fate of President Bartlet
The West Wing (1999 - 2006)
The West Wingwas a fascinating and thoughtful political drama from screenwriting legend Aaron Sorkin. With an astounding ensemble cast led by Martin Sheen as President Jed Bartlet, the series tapped into the complexities of politics and the thrilling games of cat and mouse that go into major political and economic decisions. While this made for clever television, it was not until the big season 1 cliffhanger that the show truly raised the stakes as it delved into the darkest side of politics.
This came in the suspenseful finale “What Kind of Day Has It Been,” which ended with gunfire, and a Secret Service agent asked, “Who’s been hit?! Who’s been hit?!”This shocking moment left the fate of President Bartlet up in the air, and it subsequently shifted the tone of the series into more dramatic and urgent territory. The fallout of this assassination attempt was a crisis for the Bartlet administration, and it madeThe West Wingeven better in season 2.
5The Death of Ned Stark
Game of Thrones (2011 - 2019)
One of the most exciting things about watchingGame of Throneswas that no character was safe, and it felt like anyone could be killed off at a moment’s notice. This stood in the face of the absurd amount of plot armor that other series characters possess, where no matter what happens, viewers know that, at the very least, the protagonist will survive.The shocking cliffhanger of the consequences of Ned Stark’s death at the end of season 1stood in the face of all these presumptions, and the series became all the better for it.
Ned Stark was the driving force behind the first season ofGame of Thrones,and although the show was an ensemble, he was the closest thing the early episodes had to a main character. The fact that he was killed off so blatantly and early in the show’s run was a game-changer that meant the stakes were even higher throughout every subsequent season. While events like the Red Wedding massacre stand out for viewers, it was Ned Stark’s death that first signaledGame of Thronesas a truly unpredictable series.
4Uncle Jr.’s Betrayal
The Sopranos (1999 - 2007)
The first season ofThe Sopranosended with a doozy of a cliffhanger as Tony Soprano survived the failed hit that his Uncle Jr. and mother Livia put on him. This moment changed the dynamic ofThe Sopranosand opened the door for the show to become even deeper and more fascinating with subsequent seasons. While Tony felt betrayed, he also used this moment as an opportunity to fully step into his leadership role in the mob as shifting power structures raised the stakes to new levels.
This significant event saw Tony take on a more hands-on leadership role while allowing Jr. to maintain his title as a strategic move. The betrayal deepened Tony’s therapy sessions with Dr. Melfi as he started to unpack not just his own issues but also the troubled psychology of his mother and family members. As a Shakespearean-level betrayal, Jr.’s betrayal was more than just a plot twist andsignaledThe Sopranosincreasing complexity and appeal.
3Jean-Luc Picard Is Turned Into A Borg
Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987 - 1994)
Star Trek: The Next Generationhas rightfully earned its status as an essential addition to the franchise that arguably surpassed the original series in terms of depth and philosophical intrigue. A defining moment inTNG’stransformation from good to truly great wasJean-Luc Picard getting turned into a Borg. This cliffhanger occurred in the two-part episode “The Best of Both Worlds,” which signaled the series transition from the third into the fourth season as well as the show’s increased willingness to take risks.
This cliffhanger raised the stakes ofTNG, as it showcased that even the show’s main characters were no longer safe, and the Borgs went from a distant threat into truly formidable villains. The fact that it was Picard who was assimilated signaled that anything could happen, as the commanding officer of the Federation starship USS Enterprise was stripped of his agency and free will. This twist was one of the most iconic developments in all ofStar Trekand a key moment in the show’s legacy as a whole.
The Good Place (2016 - 2020)
The Good Placewas truly one of the greatest sitcoms to come out in recent times, due in large part to its willingness to embrace change as the series went on. While the first season was a funny glimpse into a richly imagined afterlife, it was not until after the cliffhanger in the season 1 finale that the show became really interesting. This was the jaw-dropping revelation that Eleanor, Chidi, Tahani, and Jason were not in the Good Place a lot and were actually being psychologically tortured in a sadistic afterlife created by the demon architect Michael.
This major twist changed the show entirely, and from that moment on,the original format of the series no longer worked. While most sitcoms attempt to reset the status quo at the end of every episode,The Good Placewas characterized by constant change as the characters learned more about the afterlife they inhabited and grew emotionally through existential crises. As a show that was deeply philosophically rich,The Good Placeonly truly hit its stride after this major cliffhanger.
1“I’ll See You Again In 25 Years”
Twin Peaks (1990 - 1991, 2017)
While some TV shows end on unresolved cliffhangers, few have managed to come back better than ever before more than a quarter of a century later. This was exactly what the late filmmaker David Lynch did with his long-hoped-for third season of his cult TV showTwin Peaks. This third season picked up on the season 2 cliffhanger that saw Laura Palmer tell Agent Dale Cooper, “I’ll see you again in 25 years,” withLynch and co-creator Mark Frost actually waiting for the time to pass before they gave audiences a resolution.
Twin Peaks: The Returnshowcased that Laura was not speaking metaphorically, as Agent Dale Cooper was trapped in the Black Lodge for 25 years while the evil doppelgänger of Cooper took his place and roamed the world. With Lynch on directing duties for every episode,The Returnfelt even better than the original show as his artistic vision was allowed to be fully released. From the captivating surrealism of its notorious eighth episode to its deeply satisfying and cyclical finale,The Returntruly was Lynch’s magnum opus and an appropriate swan song for the filmmaker.
