History Main / Cliffhanger

Compare NoEnding. SuperTrope of SecondChapterCliffhanger (the middle installment ends in a cliffhanger with several PlotThreads still unresolved) and PageTurnSurprise (the resolution is on the next page). See also BolivianArmyCliffhanger, LeftHanging, LiteralCliffhanger, and SequelHook.

Compare NoEnding. SuperTrope of SecondChapterCliffhanger, when the middle installment ends in a CliffHanger with several PlotThreads still unresolved. See also BolivianArmyCliffhanger, LeftHanging, LiteralCliffhanger, and SequelHook.

->'''Knuckles:''' ''"Aw man, a cliffhanger? I hate those."''
-->-- ''WesternAnimation/SonicBoom''

->''"Aw man, a cliffhanger? I hate those."''
-->-- ''WesternAnimation/SonicBoom, Knuckles anytime a episode ends on a cliffhanger''

-->-- ''WesternAnimation/{{SonicBoom,}}Knuckles anytime a episode ends on a cliffhanger''

-->-- ''WesternAnimation/{{Sonic Boom,}}Knuckles anytime a episode ends on a cliffhanger''

-->-- ''Western Animation/{{Sonic Boom,}}Knuckles anytime a episode ends on a cliffhanger''

->''"To be resolved...in two weeks! (because I am an evil motherfucker)"''
-->-- ''Webcomic/{{Shortpacked}}''

The season type of cliffhanger has a flaw: if the show gets canceled, the cliffhanger [[LeftHanging stays unresolved]]. A few such cliffhangers are listed below. It is by far, ''[[ThisIsUnforgivable the very worst thing]]'' a producer/studio/company can do to its fans and viewers alike, since it [[TheResolutionWillNotBeTelevised leaves their work incomplete and unfinished]], ultimately resulting in a unsatisfying experience. This is not to be confused with a BolivianArmyEnding, which is an ''intentionally'' unresolved cliffhanger as an ending. If this happens, the cliffhanger may be resolved in a movie or miniseries later on. Of course, even if the writers do plan on resolving a cliffhanger, they might keep us waiting at a CliffhangerWall while they tell other stories within the work's universe for some last-second worldbuilding (or to stall for time [[WritingByTheSeatOfYourPants while they think of a good conclusion]]). Should any of these occur... well, that's why we have FanFiction.

Compare NoEnding. See also BolivianArmyCliffhanger, LeftHanging, LiteralCliffhanger and SequelHook.

** Cliffhanger/''Series/OnlyMurdersInTheBuilding''

The season type of cliffhanger has a flaw: if the show gets canceled, the cliffhanger [[LeftHanging stays unresolved]]. A few such cliffhangers are listed below. It is by far, ''[[ThisIsUnforgivable the very worst thing]]'' a producer/studio/company can do to its fans and viewers alike, since it [[TheResolutionWillNotBeTelevised leaves their work incomplete and unfinished]], ultimately resulting in a unsatisfying experience. This is not to be confused with a BolivianArmyEnding, which is an ''intentionally'' unresolved cliffhanger as an ending. If this happens, the cliffhanger may be resolved in a movie or miniseries later on. Or, it may not... and that's why we have FanFiction.

* Cliffhanger/{{Other}}