Sean McGahan:
The best cliffhanger was one followed by nothing at all.
You could cut the tension with a knife. A nation is glued to their sets, watching in anguish as a 20-something female struggles to parallel park her car. The same masses collectively ponder why someone would eat an onion ring in one swallow.
A strange man walks to the bathroom. A bell rings. The Pavlovian dog in all of us is classically conditioned for the impending climax.
And then…darkness.
Did the power go out, rendering the television useless?
No, the lights are still on.
Did the cable go out, rendering the television useless?
No, the box is still tuned to channel 301.
Did David Chase cop out, rendering the last six seasons of his popular television show useless?
No, he gave the audience its first insight into what it truly feels like to be Tony Soprano.
Like many, I felt considerably gypped when I saw the credits come up at the penultimate moment of my then-favorite show without any answers. But after some retrospect, I enjoyed the “Sopranos” finale for the same reason I loved the show — you got into the character’s heads.
For the first time, I understood the grief and paranoia Tony Soprano deals with on a daily basis. This was the first time the viewer could be fooled into thinking he was about to die.
Although I lost a bet that he would die with this uncertain ending, Chase gave his loyal viewers a true cliffhanger they can only work to finish with their imaginations.
Christian Holt:
Last season’s Grey’s Anatomy finale had me on the edge of my seat, biting my nails and crying like a baby. I mean, come on, it really doesn’t get much better than a house lined out in candles and Meredith finally being a grown-up and committing to a relationship with Derek. When he went away to go break up with Rose, I almost screamed because I was so into the show, I had forgotten it wasn’t reality. I literally counted the days until the new season started. It was almost too much to bare.
Amber Fijolek:
I’m not sure if it’s for the high-fashion gowns or the comedic hosts, but if ever there’s an awards show on TV, I’m glued from beginning to end.
