You know a show is good when it makes you think about it for months after each installment. To do this, showrunners often include shocking cliffhangers in season and mid-season finales. But some of them do it so well that the wait for resolution becomes almost too painful.
Here are five cliffhangers that absolutely killed us with the wait and resurrected us with their resolutions. And one that still drives us crazy.
Who Shot Mr. Burns?
Show: The Simpsons
The Simpsons had done it all, including a mind-blowing interseason cliffhanger. In the Season 6 finale, which aired in May 1995, Mr. Burns was shot by an unidentified assailant, and fans were buzzing with possibilities all summer until the Season 7 premiere in September finally provided the answer.
The storyline references another popular cliffhanger that became a worldwide phenomenon in 1980. At the time, CBS promoted Dallas with the tagline 'Who shot J.R.?' referring to the assassination attempt on the show's main antagonist.
Toilet Realization
Show: Breaking Bad
The final season of Breaking Bad was filled with suspense and drama. The cliffhanger that killed millions of viewers came in the mid-season finale when Hank found Walt Whitman's Leaves of Grass, which Gale had given to Walt, while using his brother-in-law's bathroom and finally put all the details together.
The creators absolutely knocked it out of the park with that cliffhanger and nailed the follow-through a year later.
Dean In Hell
Show: Supernatural
Season 3 of Supernatural ended on a devastating note for all fans. Until the very end of No Rest for the Wicked, we were sure that Dean would break his contract and escape damnation. When that didn't happen, the scene of him hanging between chains and meat hooks, screaming in vain for Sam to help him, sent an electric shock through our veins.
'We have to go back'
Show: Lost
You may have successfully forgotten most of Lost over the years, but the 'Not Penny's Boat' moment from the Season 3 finale has to be forever etched in your memory. The ensuing cliffhanger with Jack telling Kate that they have to go back to the island was absolutely mind-blowing. To be honest, the Lost creators did cliffhangers like no one else.
Mutually Assured Destruction
Show: Sherlock
You might think that Sherlock stepping off the roof was a devastating cliffhanger, but we say the final scene of Season 1, where Sherlock seems to have no choice but to shoot John and detonate his explosive vest to make sure Moriarty doesn't leave the room alive, was much worse. We had to wait two years for Season 2, and that was painful.
'She's alive!'
Show: Severance
The cliffhanger that is driving us crazy right now is the one left by Severance Season 1. The innies of Irving, Helly and Mark learned a lot about their outtie's life and Mark even tried to tell his sister that his wife is alive. But then it all faded to black and we've been waiting for over 20 months to find out what happens next.
The Hollywood strikes have slowed the production down, so we may have to suffer another year before Severance Season 2 finally hits Apple TV+. That, or our outties have already had all the fun and watched the new episodes.