The 38 most dramatic TV cliffhangers of all time
Done right, a cliffhanger can be the most effective plot device on television.
The best can leave you tearing out your hair, wishing the next episode was available immediately. The greatest offer mystery by teasing answers but never making the outcome obvious. The worst, the ones that make you want to stop watching a show, are often those that “jump the shark”.
For many years, the benchmark for great cliffhangers was the “Who shot JR?” storyline on Dallas, the American TV show that caused a media storm in 1980. So widely talked about was the twist that Jimmy Carter even joked about the fictional murder during his second presidential campaign.
The cliffhanger soon developed into something more than just being a “whodunit”. Sitcoms – such as The Office US and Friends – went on to incorporate the device to tease relationships (Jim and Pam, Rachel and Ross), keeping viewers coming back for resolution. Soaps, from EastEnders to Neighbours, have used cliffhangers to bring viewers back for more day-in day-out.
So, what are the best cliffhangers in television history? The Independent has compiled the greatest in television history.
38. Breaking Bad – “Gliding Over All” (2012)
Karma for killing Gale comes for Walter White in season five. The meth maker believes his days of cooking are long over. Having lunch with his family, everything seems perfect. And then everything goes wrong. So, so wrong. Hank (Dean Norris) goes to use the toilet and picks up a copy of Walt Whitman's Leaves of Grass – a gift from Gale to Walter White. “To my other favorited WW. It's an honour working with you. Fondly, GB.” And with that, as Hank realises Walt’s true identity, the end of Heisenberg’s empire begins.
37. The Sopranos – “Made In America” (2007)
The debate over whether certain final scenes of television shows are actually good will rage on and on. The Sopranos remains front and centre of the conversation. It's a seemingly banal occasion – a restaurant dinner scene. We watch on as Tony sits there, observing other customers. Carmela arrives, then AJ and Meadow, who the last we see, is parking her car outside. A bell rings, Tony looks up and the screen
