Cliffhanger

A cliffhanger or cliffhanger ending is a plot device in fiction which features a main character in a precarious or difficult dilemma, or confronted with a shocking revelation at the end of an episode of serialized fiction. A cliffhanger is hoped to ensure the audience will return to see how the characters resolve the dilemma. Some serials end with the caveat "To Be Continued..." or "The End?" In movie serials and television series the following episode sometimes begins with a recap sequence (e.g., "Previously on L. A. Law").