Writing for television is all about how to keep your audience tuning in.
Cliffhangers are an important part of television history.
Iconic sitcoms, prestige TV shows, and soap operas have used cliffhangers in their storytelling.
Some of the most famous were on "Game of Thrones," "Grey's Anatomy," and "Lost."
One way to do that is to get viewers emotionally invested only to put their beloved characters in mortal peril, emotional hell, or a combination of the two.
In the era of television before streaming, cliffhangers used to be a way to keep viewers tuning in every week. During "sweeps week" — ratings periods held four times a year — networks would bring out their biggest, most shocking storylines to try to lure in the most viewers to boost viewership and, therefore, ad revenue.
Some of the most iconic moments in TV history — including some of the cliffhangers below — took place during sweeps weeks.
However, streaming has changed the game when it comes to retaining viewers, and it seems like almost every episode of a Netflix series ends in a cliffhanger to keep you binging.
Here are some of the most iconic cliffhangers in TV history — not all of which ended up satisfying viewers in the long run. But they all got people talking and kept them watching week after week.
The final shot of "The Sopranos" has been debated for years.
"Game of Thrones" had several cliffhangers throughout its eight-season run, but its most troubling was the stabbing of Jon Snow in season five.
The sixth season of "The Walking Dead" used an inventive camera trick to hide who exactly Negan was beating to death with his beloved baseball bat, Lucille.
You might not think of "Star Trek: The Next Generation" as a show capable of cliffhangers, but when Jean-Luc Picard was turned into a Borg, viewers worldwide were desperate for the next season.
When the door of the hatch was blown off its hinges in the season-one finale of "Lost," it became clear this wasn't just a show about a group of plane-crash survivors.
Two seasons later, the rug was pulled out from under "Lost" fans again. One word: flash-forwards.
In 1980, it was impossible to watch TV without CBS asking, "Who shot J.R.?"
"The Simpsons" poked fun at "Dallas" with its two-part episode "Who Shot Mr. Burns?"
Another cliffhanger involving a shooting is the first season finale of "The West Wing," which ends with a Secret Service agent asking who's been hit.
We should've known that "Scandal," another show about the White House, would also use an assassination attempt as a cliffhanger. But it was shocking just the same.
The final cliffhanger involving a shooting on this list comes from the first season finale of "Twin Peaks" in 1990.
"Greys Anatomy" fans won't forget where they were when they discovered Derek Shepherd had a wife.
And do you remember where you were when Ross said "Rachel" at the altar on "Friends"?
Speaking of will-they-wont-they duos, it seemed the central couple of "Alias" was going to figure it out before a two-year surprise time jump ruined everything.
How could there be a "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" without Buffy? Fans were forced to ask this question after the fifth season finale.
The sixth season of "ER" in 2000 employed a rare midseason cliffhanger when a patient attacked John Carter and Lucy Knight.
After a season of teasing a future wedding, the sixth season finale of "How I Met Your Mother" finally revealed that Barney was the groom.
