5 Television Cliffhangers We Still Can't Stop Thinking About (& What Happened Next)
Plot twists and subsequent cliffhangers are expected in TV shows. You can almost always anticipate them during mid-season and season finales. They keep fans guessing during hiatuses that can last months, or for some streaming shows, years. Whether it be a world-altering reveal or a character death, these storylines can change the trajectory of a show forever.
Ideally, it’s for the better, as it takes the show in an exciting direction. Sometimes, though, it can make a once-loved show unrecognizable. From dramas and sitcoms, there are some cliffhangers that have become extremely well-known, like the ones in Breaking Bad (2008), Friends (1994), and Lost (2004). I wanted to write about a few of my favorites that, perhaps, are a bit more underrated. You can watch these shows on Hulu, Netflix, and more!
Addison Forbes Montgomery Makes Her ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Entrance
I don’t think I watched Grey’s Anatomy (2005) Season 1 Episode 9, “Who’s Zoomin’ Who?” until a decade after it aired. Somehow, I got very lucky that nothing was spoiled. So, everything about this season finale was jaw-dropping, and I love it even more now, with a deeper understanding of TV writing. I’m also appreciative of it because without this season finale introducing Addison Forbes Montgomery (Kate Walsh), I never would’ve gotten the Prive Practice (2007) spinoff. That show is one of my all-time favorites. So, thanks, Grey’s Anatomy!
Really, “You must be the woman who’s been screwing my husband” has to be one of the best first lines from a TV character. It’s shocking after a season of Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo) and Derek Shepherd (Patrick Dempsey) tiptoeing around taking their relationship seriously. It’s a wild plot twist that Derek has been deceptive—he’s married to Addison. So, a cliffhanger like that opens Grey’s Anatomy up to a love triangle with longevity. It then becomes a love square with the introduction of another one of my favorite characters, Mark Sloan (Eric Dane).
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Elena Has Vampire Blood in Her System in ‘The Vampire Diaries’ Season 3
I can’t remember a season finale that caused me more emotional turmoil than The Vampire Diaries Season 3 Episode 22, “The Departed.” So much so, I think this episode is one of my core memories as a TV fan. I was distraught as the cliffhangers just piled on top of each other. Alaric Saltzman (Matt Davis) was potentially dead for real. Relatedly, the same looked to be true for the show’s best villain, Klaus Mikaelson (Joseph Morgan). I was beyond stressed!
The most paramount of the cliffhangers, of course, was that Elena got into a car accident on Wickery Bridge, and her heart stopped with vampire blood in her system. Dr. Meredith Fell (Torrey DeVitto) had given it to Elena previously to help her heal from a brain hemorrhage. The unintended fallout of that choice is that if Elena woke up after the car accident, she would be in transition to become a vampire. The hiatus between seasons left the show’s lead’s fate hanging in the balance. When it returned for Season 4, The Vampire Diaries was forever changed as Elena became a vampire, setting the supernatural teen drama on a very different course.
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‘The Good Place’ Has Really Been the Bad Place All Along
I almost feel bad writing about this cliffhanger. I don’t want to ruin the plot twist that comes with it for anyone. I know that’s a bit bonkers since The Good Place (2016) premiered a decade ago, and the Season 1 finale, “Michael’s Gambit,” aired nine years ago. Nevertheless, I view it as one of those great episodes of TV. It’s done so incredibly well, which shouldn’t come as a shock since it was written and directed by Michael Schur. He has no shortage of great shows attached to him—Parks and Recreation (2009) being one of them.
Over the course of the 13-episode season, Eleanor (Kristen Bell) comes to the seismic conclusion that they’ve actually been in the Bad Place the entire time. It’s so clever that The Good Place doesn’t make this season finale an entirely frustrating viewing experience. Yes, Michael (Ted Danson) wipes everyone's minds so they can start his experiment all over again. However, Eleanor leaves herself a note to find Chidi (William Jackson Harper). In that, there’s hope in their central relationship and the characters’ fate for Season 2 and beyond. Thankfully, there is a rather emotional and satisfying series finale ahead of them.
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‘The O.C.’ Changes Everything with Marissa Cooper’s Death
Marissa Cooper (Mischa Barton) dying in The O.C.’s (2003) Season 3 finale is one of the biggest twists and, in turn, cliffhangers in a teen drama. Even beyond the subgenre, it’s truly one of the most unexpected (to me) developments. It’s so difficult to imagine the show without her that I tried to convince myself that what I was seeing couldn’t possibly be happening.
It’s also such an emotionally devastating blow to have Marissa die in Ryan Atwood’s (Ben McKenzie) arms. I can’t imagine a more tragic end for their relationship, which is such a cornerstone for the series until that point. Actually, it remains incredibly important to Ryan when the show returns for its fourth and final season. His and Summer Roberts’s (Rachel Bilson) grief over Marissa carries weight. I’ve had conversations with friends who think that Summer’s grief isn’t given that much focus, but I’d argue the opposite. Losing her best friend changes Summer. It changes all of them and sets The O.C. up for a final season with a rather somber tone.
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Michael Is Alive in ‘Jane the Virgin’
I don’t know that I can write any list about TV cliffhangers without including at least one from Jane the Virgin (2014). This show had no shortage of them in its five-season run. One of my favorites was the reveal that Michael Cordero Jr. (Brett Dier), Jane’s (Gina Rodriguez) late husband, is actually alive. Jane the Virgin reveals that twist in the final seconds of its Season 4 finale, leaving me reeling for months until the show returned with its final season.
Jane the Virgin is one of the few shows where I appreciate both sides of the love triangle. Surprisingly, The Summer I Turned Pretty (2022) is another show like that. So, I was on board with Jane and Rafael (Justin Baldoni). I was excited to see them get engaged—only for Michael to show up. My mind raced through all the possibilities during that hiatus. The truth that awaited me in Season 5 was that Michael had been living as Jason in Montana after the show’s villain, Rose Solano/Sin Rostro (Bridget Regan), faked his death and wiped his memories. When Michael gets his memories back (because, of course, he does), he and Jane have grown apart. But the emotional rollercoaster in the meantime is one I’ll never forget.
