A cliffhanger or cliffhanger ending is a plot device in which a movie, novel, or other work of fiction contains an abrupt ending, often leaving the main characters in a precarious or difficult situation. This type of ending is used to ensure that if a next installment is made audiences will return to find out how the cliffhanger is resolved. The phrase comes from the common end of episode situation of the protagonist left hanging from the edge of a cliff. Some serials end with the caveat "To be continued" (Duckman and Clone High parodied this caveat). In television series, the following episode usually begins with a "Previously...".
Although a cliffhanger can be enjoyable as a page turner at the end of a chapter in a novel, a cliffhanger at the very end of a work can be frustrating. Cliffhangers can build anticipation (and, subsequently, profits) for sequels. However, if no sequel follows, effective suspension of disbelief can leave the audience or readership wondering what happened in the work's fictional realm. Sometimes (for example at the end of Blake's Seven) that goes so far that people write fan fiction (or even publish a novel) deciding what happens next.
In the case of the cliffhanger in The Next Generation Season 3 finale Best of Both Worlds which leaves Captain Picard held by the Borg, some television stations have decided that that cliffhanger inflicts too much mental cruelty on the audience, and show the cliffhanger episode and the next episode strung together in one session.
More on [ Cliffhanger ]

Allwatchers Cliffhanger Spotlight - Detailed analysis of the Sylvester Stallone film, and links to similar movies. Sign up to be a movie scholar on the site.
Meta Description: [ Movie review site filled with extremely detailed description of plots, settings, characters, and themes. ]
IMDb: Cliffhanger (1993) - Contains a plot outline, cast list, and user comments.
Meta Description: [ Cliffhanger - Cast, Crew, Reviews, Plot Summary, Comments, Discussion, Taglines, Trailers, Posters, Photos, Showtimes, Link to Official Site, Fan Sites ]
| Cliffhanger 1993 Part 1 | |
| Next Video | |