Creating TV shows is surprisingly difficult. Unexpected cancellations, problems with actors, and feedback from networks can drastically change a show’s original vision. These factors often mean shows don’t end the way their creators planned, which is why many finish with unresolved storylines and cliffhangers.
As a TV fan, I really hate cliffhangers! It’s so frustrating when a show leaves you hanging with a big question, especially knowing it might never get answered. So many shows seem like they’ll be renewed, but then get canceled, leaving that cliffhanger unresolved. It’s honestly one of the worst things about watching TV, and unfortunately, it happened to these 10 shows – they ended on a cliffhanger and we never got closure.
10) Raised by Wolves
Raised by Wolves is a science fiction series on HBO Max about two androids tasked with raising a human child on a distant planet. Although it ran for two seasons, the show was cancelled after the second, leaving the story unfinished. The final episode, ‘Happiness,’ featured confusing imagery and a complex ending that hinted at the real motivations of the humans, but these questions were never answered.
9) Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles
The popular Terminator movies continued as a TV series called Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, focusing on Sarah Connor’s ongoing fight to prevent the rise of Skynet. The show’s final episode saw John Connor travel to the future, only to discover that changing the past had unintended consequences. He found that without him, the future was worse: he wasn’t the leader of the resistance, and the disastrous Judgement Day still occurred.
After low ratings for its second season, Fox cancelled the show, leaving a major plot point hanging. It’s now been revealed that a potential third season would have jumped between timelines, following Sarah in the present and John in the future. The story would have eventually shown John encountering an older Sarah who had survived the events of Judgement Day.
8) iCarly
The new version of Paramount’s iCarly took a more mature approach, growing up with its original audience. The third season came out in 2023, and the series concluded with the episode “iHave a Proposal,” which featured a wedding. In a surprising ending, Carly’s mother made her first-ever appearance on the show.
Viewers of both the original ‘iCarly’ series and the revival have long been curious about what happened to Carly’s mother. The season three finale hinted that season four would reveal the answer, but the show’s cancellation prevented that storyline from being explored.
7) Spider-Man: The Animated Series
It’s hard to imagine a popular franchise like Spider-Man being cancelled today, but that’s what happened with Spider-Man: The Animated Series. The show ended with a storyline called “Spider Wars,” and the final episode, “Chapter II: Farewell Spider-Man,” showed Madame Web sending Spider-Man into the multiverse to find and save Mary Jane.
Unfortunately, the show never made it to a sixth season. Fox Kids cancelled it after season five, leaving a planned storyline unfinished. While X-Men ’97 hints that Spider-Man saved Mary Jane, that rescue was never actually shown or explained.
6) Santa Clarita Diet
Okay, so I just finished watching the finale of Santa Clarita Diet, and wow, things got intense! The show centers around Sheila and Joel, a couple of real estate agents, but their lives are turned upside down when Sheila… well, becomes a zombie with a serious craving for people. The final episode, “The Cult of Sheila,” is a real emotional rollercoaster. Joel makes this huge decision to also become undead just to stay with Sheila forever, which is pretty sweet, but then… total cliffhanger! This creepy guy, Mr. Ball-Legs, actually burrows into Joel’s head right at the very end. Seriously, what?! It leaves you desperately wanting more, and a little bit disturbed, which I guess is a good thing!
Man, I was so bummed when Netflix cancelled Santa Clarita Diet after only three seasons! It left us with this huge cliffhanger, and honestly, Netflix rarely reverses its decisions. It’s pretty much a guarantee that we’ll never get closure on that story, which really stinks.
5) 1899
1899 is a German mystery series on Netflix that begins with a ship full of immigrants traveling to New York City discovering an empty, lost vessel. The show received positive reviews when it premiered, and fans were eager for a second season. The first season concluded with Maura unexpectedly finding herself on a spaceship, seeing her companions in suspended animation, and learning she’s actually in the year 2099.
Unfortunately, the show’s biggest mystery was never explained. Netflix cancelled 1899 after just one season, and didn’t offer any explanation, leaving fans frustrated and meaning the story will likely remain unfinished.
4) Mindhunter
David Fincher’s Mindhunter is widely considered a standout original series on Netflix. The show centers around two FBI agents who pioneer the practice of profiling serial killers. While investigating various cases, the BTK Strangler operates in the shadows, continuing to commit murders. The season 2 finale hints that the BTK Strangler will be the primary villain in a potential third season, showcasing his disturbing collection of keepsakes taken from his victims.
We didn’t get a complete look into the BTK Strangler case with Mindhunter. While the show’s creator, David Fincher, initially envisioned five seasons, he paused work on season three to focus on his 2020 film, Mank. Eventually, Netflix allowed the actors’ contracts to expire, as Fincher was occupied with other projects, and Mindhunter was ultimately canceled, leaving viewers with an unresolved ending.
3) My Name is Earl
The TV show My Name is Earl follows Earl Hickey, a man who decides to make amends for all his past mistakes hoping to improve his luck. The show ran for four seasons, and the final episode revealed a surprising family connection: Earl is Dodge’s father, and Earl Jr. was the result of an affair. Although the finale ended with a cliffhanger suggesting the story would continue, it never did.
The TV show My Name is Earl ended after four seasons when NBC decided not to renew it. This left Earl’s list unfinished, disappointing many fans. Although the show’s creator, Greg Garcia, has shared how the story would have ended, that ending was never actually filmed.
2) Ash vs. Evil Dead
The Evil Dead series is famous for being bizarre, but the ending of the Ash vs Evil Dead TV show is particularly strange. In the season three finale, “The Mettle of Man,” Ash battles Kandar and stays behind to hunt down a remaining Deadite with a tank. This fight puts Ash in a coma, and he wakes up hundreds of years later in a ruined, post-apocalyptic world. He’s greeted by Lexx, a cyborg, who informs him that the Dark Ones have returned and they need to fight Deadites again. Ash responds with his catchphrase, “Groovy,” seemingly setting up the story for a fourth season.
Unfortunately, a fourth season of Ash vs. Evil Dead was never made. The show was cancelled after three seasons because fewer people were watching, which meant the planned continuation of the Army of Darkness story never happened. While there was some discussion about continuing the story as an animated series, that idea didn’t work out, leaving the show with an unfinished ending and a cliffhanger.
1) The Sopranos
Most of the shows on this list ended abruptly due to cancellation, leaving viewers with unresolved storylines that weren’t the creators’ intended finales. But the cliffhanger ending of The Sopranos is different – showrunner David Chase deliberately chose to end the series that way, making it a uniquely captivating conclusion.
The final episode of The Sopranos, titled “Made in America,” leaves many questions unanswered. Tony is still navigating the challenges of leading a criminal family and is increasingly concerned about his uncle Junior’s worsening dementia. The episode ends with the Soprano family gathering for a meal at a diner. A tense Tony carefully watches everyone who comes in, and as Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing” plays, the scene abruptly cuts to black.
The final moments of The Sopranos continue to be debated by fans. Some believe Tony was shot by a fellow mobster in the diner, and the abrupt cut to black represents his death. Others think the ending shows Tony’s constant fear and anxiety, explaining the sudden stop. Ultimately, what happened to Tony remains a mystery, and this ambiguous ending is considered a fitting conclusion to the series.
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2026-02-22 22:14