Cliffhangers can be a great way of pumping adrenaline in preparation for the next installment. But when shows are suddenly canceled, or the storyline tapers out, it sucks. Don’t lure us in, then drop us. It hurts.
Let’s look at 18 TV shows that left us in utter turmoil. Expect spoilers.
Lost
We loved the show. We invested in the show. We committed to 92 hours and survived it. When the final caught up with us, we were left wondering whether they were dead or alive. Was any of it real? We’ll never know.
Bloodline
Netflix’s dark drama was full of twists and turns. We tuned in to experience a wealthy family unfurl at the behest of Danny, the black sheep brother. As the show faded to black, we were left clueless about what might happen. We were all given individual perspectives, which wasn’t good enough.
Damages
It was a dark, intriguing series that offered us two strong female leads, and their relationship was as complex as a Rubik’s Cube. Patty’s final expression left us with questions like what was going through her head? Sadly, we were left to make up our minds.
No Tomorrow
Imagine watching a show where a thrill-seeking, self-declared time-looping character declares that an asteroid is heading towards the earth, and the show ends. That’s what happened here. The planet’s demise is a fairly significant cliffhanger.
The Sopranos
When we tuned into the finale of The Sopranos, it felt like we were taking a beating. Did we deserve to be abandoned in a restaurant with a flailing Tony Soprano clutching his chest? Maybe it was the only ending, but losing our precious Tony was too much to bear, and we were rendered speechless.
The Family
One of the Warren family’s kids is kidnapped and returns home a year later. Except the kid that returns home isn’t the real kid but another missing boy. It all got confusing, particularly with numerous sub-plots that were left wide open when the show was dramatically pulled.
Hannibal
We were left wondering whether Hannibal survived in this surprisingly brilliant spin-off series that shouldn’t have been as great as it was. We suspect that he did, but we can’t be sure. What was his overall purpose? How did he feel about Will? We were left with so many philosophical questions that it ate away at our souls.
The Society
Running for just one season, The Society surrounded a bunch of teens who had returned from a field trip, and everyone else had disappeared. Akin to Stephen King’s Under The Dome, a forcefield of dense shrubbery surrounded them. When the series ended, we were left wondering what happened to them. It’s a shame; it had potential.
Prodigal Son
It was a show with great promise, but fans were left wondering if the prodigal son, Malcolm, had killed his serial killer father or not. He pulled out the knife and stabbed him. The rest is unknown.
Star Trek Enterprise
When UPN abruptly canceled the show, producers found themselves having to quickly put together a suitable ending. Instead of wrapping things up neatly, they jumped ahead 100 years to The Next Generation, leaving fans and cast members in uproar. It didn’t land well.
Game Of Thrones
Despite Bran having taken a backseat through much of the final season, the show’s producers caused major controversy by making him King of the Iron Throne. If it was supposed to subvert expectations, it worked. Jon Snow deserved better. Fans were so passionate about the show that they petitioned to change it.
Quantum Leap
Fans of the show held out for Sam to return home to his beloved wife. He didn’t. Instead, after being told that he’d been jumping by his own accord, he still failed to return home. To add insult to injury, the info dump at the end even misspelled his surname. It was anything but satisfactory.
GLOW
It wasn’t a commercial success, but hardcore wrestling fans and loyal viewers were left in limbo when the show abruptly ended. The season folded with the lead character, Ruth, opting to fly to Las Vegas. Will she be coming back? What happens next?
My Name Is Earl
After four seasons, fans were left with a title card reading, ‘To Be Continued.’ It didn’t continue and isn’t likely to. Endings don’t get worse than that.
Medium
The show, which ran for six seasons, was such a light-hearted delight that fans expected a happy ending. Perhaps a show about psychic abilities genuinely required a more convoluted wrap-up, but losing two of the most beloved characters was too painful to bear.
True Blood
As the finest vampire show to ever hit our screens, the finale left us feeling like six seasons worth of character-building had been flushed down the pan. Sookie never ended up with Bill; that was sad enough, but when she ended up with a random guy, what was that about?
Roseanne
In a light-hearted family sitcom that centers around family stability, you’d expect a warm and breezy ending. Not so. Everything about this working-class family was destroyed from the moment The Conners won the lottery. Throw in the random alternate worlds and the loss of Dan, and it was a poor ending.
Dexter
While Showtime was kind enough to humor us with a limited series continuation, the penultimate ending of Dexter was car-crash TV. The prolific killer was seen surviving a 100-foot wave and starting a new life. It was patronizing, embarrassing, and beyond far-fetched. Fans had already given up.
