Topic: How do you feel about cliffhangers?

[Claimh Solais]

They're considered the worst kind of ending by most people I know (but that title belongs to the ending of Sniper: Ghost Warrior). I like them in most cases, but hate them in others.

If they're not just the kind that cut you off in the middle of the scene and have the credits roll (Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood, anyone?), and instead they build up to the next story in an interesting way (in a way, like Batman Begins), they're a really good kind of ending.

What do you all think?

[Shiroi Koumori]

They are not really the worst ending. The worst ending for me is an ending that I can see coming from several miles away.

My answer to your question is: It depends on the cliffhanger. Usually I would accept them well, if the next part story comes within a year. But if the wait is too long, I would start to hate them.

[Ratty]

Difficult to do well. Assuming we're not talking about "The Lady or the Tiger?" style cliffhangers with no resolution, a good cliffhanger depends as much on the follow up to it as it does the ending itself. If it turns out the story has outright lied to us (like in a lot of old cliffhanger serials from the 1930s and 40s) then it just starts to feel really cheap. Like any other kind of ending they can be good but it really depends on the rest of the story around it and the skills of the author. And in my experience they're harder to pull off than most other kinds of conclusions.

Usually it's really obvious if the writers didn't know how they were going to solve the problem left in the clifffhanger to. Though one of the best done examples of the trope I know of, Star Trek the Next Generation's The Best of Both Worlds 2-parter was designed without a definite conclusion in mind. Part 1 was the final episode of Season 3, Part 2 was the first episode of Season 4. It was created as a way to possibly write Captain Picard out of the show (Picard actor Patrick Stewart was in a contract dispute with the studio at the time) so there was a lot of build up to make first officer Will Riker possibly replace Picard as Captain. Ultimately The Best of Both Worlds got people talking so much that it saved the show, which had been lagging in ratings. There's a story I remember reading in entertainment weekly or somesuch where Patrick Stewart said inbetween season 3 and 4 at a red light a woman recognized him and yelled "Thanks for ruining my summer!" Hah now that's how you do an effective cliffhanger.

[theANdROId]

"Cliffhanger, hanging from a cliff...
...and that's why he's called Cliffhanger!"


Wait, what?  Oh!  Sorry, I couldn't resist.  My opinion varies too.  I kinda don't mind them...I mean, generally I still don't like them but I can "ignore" them...or something like that.  Anyway, the level of my hatred for them increases as "length of time until resolution" increases, as well as with the severity of the cliffhanger.

I much prefer to watch my TV shows on Netflix or something so I don't have to wait...or at least don't have to wait long!

[X]

Cliffhangers are one of those movie instances where you either like it or hate it and in most cases you hate it. For me it's also varied. If done right and very well I won't mind a cliffhanger. But if done terrible then I'd ask to shoot the writer.