cliff-hangers

Nail-biting episode finales

Cliff-hangers is the plural of cliff-hanger, a story or situation that ends at a moment of suspense, leaving the outcome unresolved.

The term comes from serialized fiction where episodes literally ended with a character hanging from a cliff: The season finale was one of television's great cliff-hangers.

Any tense, unresolved situation qualifies: The election remained a cliff-hanger until the final votes were counted.

narrative

suspense

Anxious uncertainty about outcomes

tensionStretched or strained state
serializedReleased in sequential parts
episodesDistinct parts of a series

plot twists · to be continued · unresolved · season finale · page-turner · binge-worthy · storyline · installments · anticipation · hooks

cinematic

films

Projected motion pictures

moviesFeature-length filmed entertainment
action sequencesChoreographed cinematic excitement
edge-of-seatIntensely suspenseful experience

blockbuster · thriller · Hitchcock · climax · stunt · peril · escape · chase · countdown · ticking clock

literal

precipice

Steep rock face

ledgeProjecting horizontal surface
gripSecure manual hold
fallingMoving downward freely

rescue · dangling · clinging · fingertips · rope · harness · perilous · heights · vertigo · abyss

Opposites

narrative resolution

cliff-hangersresolutions

Formal decisions or pledges

conclusions · denouements · closures · wrap-ups · happy endings

emotional effect on audience

cliff-hangersreassurances

Statements restoring confidence

payoffs · releases · relief · certainties

certainty of outcome

cliff-hangersforegone conclusions

Results assumed beforehand

sure things · certainties · anticlimaxes · anticlimax · known quantities

Family

cliffhanger, cliffhangers

Familiarity: Top 100,000
Profile: Known to kids · Used worldwide · Timeless · Everyday, not technical · Rated G