Entertainment

Famous Cliffhanger Endings in Television

Name: Famous Cliffhanger Endings in Television
Creator: Community curated
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Who shot J.R.?, The Sopranos cut to black, Lost's hatch — which TV cliffhanger left audiences most shaken?

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Source:Community curated

Updated:3/7/2026

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Cliffhanger↕	Show↕	Season / Year↕	Resolution↕	Known For↕
Who Shot J.R.?	Dallas	Season 3 (1980)	Kristin Shepard revealed as shooter in S4 premiere	Most-watched TV episode in history at the time (83M viewers), sparked global betting pools, cultural phenomenon
The Cut to Black	The Sopranos	Series Finale (2007)	Never resolved — screen cuts to black mid-scene, debate rages forever	Most controversial finale ever, millions thought their TV broke, David Chase's masterful ambiguity
Locke in the Hatch	Lost	Season 1 (2005)	Season 2 revealed Desmond living inside, pushing a button every 108 minutes	Camera peers down the hatch into darkness, 23.5M viewers left screaming, redefined network TV cliffhangers
Red Wedding Aftermath	Game of Thrones	Season 3 (2013)	The Starks stayed dead — no take-backs	Millions of reaction videos, non-book-readers devastated, George R.R. Martin proved no one was safe
Picard Assimilated by the Borg	Star Trek: TNG	Season 3 (1990)	Rescued in S4 premiere 'The Best of Both Worlds Part II'	First true TNG cliffhanger, 'Mr. Worf — fire' then credits roll, longest summer ever for Trekkies
Negan's Victim	The Walking Dead	Season 6 (2016)	Glenn and Abraham killed in S7 premiere	POV death shot, 6-month wait to learn who Lucille hit, fans furious at manipulation, most-discussed cliffhanger of the 2010s
The Countdown	24	Season 1 (2002)	Teri Bauer found dead — Jack too late	Real-time format made the clock ticking unbearable, Kiefer Sutherland's anguished scream, killed the hero's wife
Cartman's Father	South Park	Season 1 (1998)	Trolled audience with Terrance & Phillip episode, real answer delayed months	Deliberately pranked fans with a fake episode, Trey Parker's legendary trolling, April Fools on a cliffhanger
The Hospital Shooting	Grey's Anatomy	Season 6 (2010)	Several characters killed, Derek survived surgery	Two-part finale, Gary Clark's rampage, highest-rated Grey's episodes, Shonda Rhimes at her most intense
Sherlock's Fall	Sherlock (BBC)	Season 2 (2012)	Elaborate fake death revealed in Season 3 (2014), two-year wait	Sherlock jumps off a building, John watches, fans spent 2 years theorizing how he survived
Rick's Banishment	The OC	Season 1 (2004)	Ryan returned in S2 premiere after Marissa drove to get him	Teen drama perfected the summer cliffhanger, 'Mmm Whatcha Say' meme originated from Marissa's later death
The Arrest of Vecna	Stranger Things	Season 4 (2022)	Season 5 (final season) to resolve the Upside Down invasion of Hawkins	Max clinically dies then revives, gates to Upside Down tear open Hawkins, multi-year wait for finale
Michael's Betrayal	Prison Break	Season 1 (2006)	Season 2 became a fugitive chase across the country	The escape succeeds but nothing goes to plan, eight inmates on the run, reinvented the show's premise
Ross Says Rachel	Friends	Season 4 (1998)	Ross and Emily's marriage crumbled, Ross and Rachel didn't reunite until the finale	Wedding vow gaffe heard round the world, live studio audience gasped, 31.6M viewers, peak '90s TV
Omar's Death	The Wire	Season 5 (2008)	No resolution — Omar was simply gone, killed by a kid in a corner store	Most shocking death in prestige TV, no dramatic buildup, David Simon's anti-Hollywood realism, 'All in the game'