As January comes to a close, mid-season finale cliffhangers of long-season television shows are finally being resolved. Audiences of dramas and sitcoms alike are calming down from waiting a month for resolutions to beloved characters' sticky situations.
Whether cliffhanger resolutions are unsatisfying or not, they can still shake viewers to their very cores. Especially during intense waiting periods between episodes, when all audiences can do is speculate. Comedy shows are particularly clever with cliffhangers by switching their lighthearted tones for dramatic ones - leaving their viewers with unanswered questions.
Friends - Ross Says Rachel
One of the single-most jaw-dropping TV cliffhangers of all time is the season 4 finale of Friends. It lured viewers in with the prospect of a Monica/Chandler relationship then shocked viewers when during his wedding to Emily, Ross says Rachel's name.
This finale has since defined television and created a cliffhanger standard for all sitcoms following. For four months, viewers were left wondering what would happen next. They questioned whether Monica and Chandler would become a couple or if Rachel would declare her love for Ross like she intended. Fortunately, viewers nowadays simply wait until the next episode loads, only imagining the patience that those in 1998 had.
Brooklyn Nine-Nine - Jake And Rosa Sentenced To Prison
The good guys are supposed to win is an inevitable television trope and for the most part, one that Brooklyn Nine-Nine has followed. That is until the season 4 finale which saw Jake and Rosa wrongfully sentenced to prison where viewers felt the show's reliably upbeat attitude change completely.
Though each season finale ends on cliffhangers, with the previous finale sending Peralta and Holt into witness protection, this was the first to truly change the overall tone of the show from chasing the bad guys to being the bad guys. While a risky choice, the show raised the stakes and was rightfully commended.
Star Trek: Lower Decks - Captain Freeman Is Arrested
The season 2 finale balanced the action-packed plot with witty humor when the Cerritos crew has to save another Starfleet ship. Amidst the action, the origins of Rutherford's cybernetic implant are questioned when he discovers a buried memory of it being given to him by shadowy scientists. The final twist in the last moments of the Star Trek: Lower Decks finale is that instead of leaving for a promotion, Captain Freeman leaves in handcuffs.
While audiences immediately agreed that fan-favorite Carol Freeman is innocent, they still wonder who framed her - as well as wondering which character will sit in the Captain's chair next season. Fans also are speculating that Rutherford could be an unwilling Section 31 mole and if the two hanging plots are connected. Audiences have already deemed the season 2 finale as the show's best episode yet and are wondering how many rules Mariner will break to prove her mother is innocent.
Miranda - Two Proposals
In the British sitcom that inspired Mayim Bialik's Call Me Kat, Miranda is stuck between a rock and a hard place when she receives two marriage proposals. Gary finally declares his feelings for Miranda only for her ex-boyfriend to unexpectedly return and propose. To contest, Gary proposes as well.
Fans worried if there would even be a conclusion to this cliffhanger as there was no season 4 confirmation. Though most begged Miranda to choose Gary, viewers all over worried most that she would never get a happy ending - married or otherwise. Fans had to wait almost two years for the finale special to air and receive the resolution to such a shocking cliffhanger and the highly-anticipated wedding in the following episode.
The Good Place - It's The Bad Place
The Good Place was actually The Bad Place has been heralded as one of the ultimate plot twists in contemporary television. This immaculately timed twist is cemented by the following cliffhanger where Micheal reveals that he can wipe Eleanor, Chidi, Jason, and Tahani's memories and start the torture over again.
This shocking cliffhanger had viewers questioning reality and praising Eleanor for her quick thinking with the note she hid in Janet's mouth. The Good Place fans still re-watch season 1 episodes for clues that foreshadowed this twist. Though praised for its ingenuity, fans initially worried that this revelation could fundamentally change the tone of The Good Place and some viewers believe that the writers were not able to top this episode.
One Day At A Time - Schneider Reaches For The Bottle
When Schneider's father visits, he becomes desperate to win his approval and even considers going against the Alvarez family to get it. While the audience think it's a win when Schneider kicks his father out, the thought is quickly soured when Schneider - who had just received his 8-year sobriety chip - gets out the rum his father ignorantly gave him.
This Latinx remake of the classic '70s show has never shied away from realistic stories of mental illness, racism, homophobia, and other contemporary issues. Often it's One Day At A Time's penultimate episodes and finales that end in gut-wrenching cliffhangers but such plot devices are rarely used in the rest of the season. Viewers were shocked to see the episode ending on such a sour note and wondered whether Schneider would drink or not. The resolution is not immediate but instead chooses to tell a realistic story of addiction and how difficult it can be to stay sober.
The Big Bang Theory - Amy Breaks Up With Sheldon
Just five years after their first date, Amy decides to re-evaluate her relationship with Sheldon. Then a heartbroken Sheldon crushes viewers' even more when he reveals to Gollum that he was going to propose to Amy.
Past season finales of The Big Bang Theory have often left viewers exasperated by the lack of tension and loose plot threads. However, this episode concluded with actual conflict and a dramatic cliffhanger. The finale not only left its viewers wondering what would happen next but not even the cast knew whether or not the new season would bring Amy and Sheldon back together.
Superstore - Mateo Gets Caught By ICE
Since Mateo found out in the season 2 premiere that he is actually an undocumented immigrant, Superstore viewers have been waiting for the other shoe to drop. In the season 4 finale, Cloud 9 corporation hears of union activity from the branch and decides to send in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to raid their store. In a heartbreaking moment, Mateo turns himself in to Immigration.
From catastrophic weather to workers' rights, Superstore has never held back from tackling serious issues. But audiences did not expect the show to go as dark as potentially deporting a main character. This finale was not easily resolved by the season 5 premiere and led to further episodes that defined Mateo's character arc.
BoJack Horseman - Sarah Lynn Dies
Sarah Lynn is nine months sober when she is convinced by BoJack Horseman to go on a bender. After spending months causing chaos, Sarah Lynn finds the BoJack Kills heroin from a previous episode and a dark episode turns more tragic when she overdoses.
In this episode, viewers are reminded that BoJack, while the protagonist, is not a good guy. A shocked audience watched as Sarah Lynn's fate is set by BoJack dumping his problems on her. This episode defined the rest of BoJack Horseman and its titular character. Fans knew that Sarah Lynn's death would change everything as it sent BoJack spiraling further and even defined the show's last season.
Fleabag - The Priest Can See The Fourth Wall Breaks
While it is awkward when the Priest admits he likes Fleabag back but that they can't do anything, it becomes more uncomfortable and shocking when - in a moment of meta meta-fiction - it turns out that the Priest can now see Fleabag breaking the fourth wall.
Through Fleabag's fourth wall breaks, the audience learn who the titular character really is when she's not guarded by her emotional walls. Viewers speculated it was their growing relationship and romantic feelings for one another that allowed The Priest to notice these wall breaks. Either way, fans found it odd and unnerving particularly as it just kept happening throughout the rest of the season.