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- As long as they're being made, audiences can expect more TV shows to be canceled in the coming years. Whether it's because they're underperforming, going in a weird direction or even dealing with cast and crew issues, some series will likely never provide fans with answers to their burning questions after major cliffhangers.
A season finale can explore a new territory whether it's a new setting, a new challenge, or even a return of a major character. On the other hand, a series finale should give the characters a proper send-off. This could include the last major battle, a friendly reunion of characters, or characters that have decided to move on.
Not all shows have the chance to finish their storyline, and not all TV shows, like Manifest or You, can be saved by other networks or by their passionate fan base. Some shows get canceled at the very start of their stories like Cursed or Batwoman. What might disappoint viewers just as much as their favorite shows being canceled is when the show ends on a jaw-dropping cliffhanger.
Updated on November 30th, 2022, by Hannah Saab:
As long as they're being made, audiences can expect more TV shows to be canceled in the coming years. Whether it's because they're underperforming, going in a weird direction or even dealing with cast and crew issues, some series will likely never provide fans with answers to their burning questions after major cliffhangers.
'The Glades' (2010 - 2013)
Available to stream on Hulu.
The Glades is a canceled TV show that was a police procedural drama that centered on Jim Longworth (Matt Passmore) a Chicago homicide detective who moved to the Sunshine State, Florida. Each episode focused on a murder investigation where Jim worked with forensic specialists Carlos Sanchez (Carlos Gómez) and Daniel Green (Jordan Wall) to uncover who's the suspects, how did they murder the victim, and why.
The TV series also went beyond just solving the cases and explored Jim's relationship with Callie (Kiele Sanchez). The Glades was canceled after four seasons and its last episode left the protagonist fending for his life as he was shot in the chest and bled on the kitchen floor of an empty home.
'Revolution' (2012 - 2014)
Available to stream on Tubi TV.
Science-fiction shows such as Supernatural finished their 15th season, while other shows like Doctor Who are airing their 37th season. Unfortunately, Revolution won't hold a place among those shows, after being canceled at the end of season 2. The show was about a dystopian future where the United States and the world suffered a blackout. The cause of the blackout was unknown, but it definitely disrupted the social class system.
In season 2, Miles (Billy Burke) and Charlie (Tracy Spiridakos) discovered the reason for the blackout. Aaron (Zak Orth) started to unpack exactly what this foreign nanotechnology was capable of doing. Luckily, viewers had a chance to finally find out what happens in Revolution in the digital book.
'Hannibal' (2013 - 2015)
Available to stream on Hulu.
In Hannibal, Mads Mikkelsen portrayed Dr. Hannibal Lecter, a serial killer whose actions could only be understood by the criminal profiler, Will Graham (Hugh Dancy). Will was able to understand the motives of any serial killer in a murder investigation and help the FBI solve murder cases in Maryland. However, the more Will started to analyze the killers, the more it affected his perception of right and wrong.
Hannibal's influence on Will drove him toward becoming a killer. The grisly mystery show took the term "ending on a cliffhanger" literally as Hannibal and Will were seen hugging and jumping off a cliff at the end of the finale.
'Santa Clarita Diet' (2017 - 2019)
Available to stream on Netflix.
Santa Clarita Diet was a TV show with a lighter comedic take on the zombie trope than the TV series The Walking Dead. Santa Clarita Diet starred Drew Barrymore as Sheila and Timothy Olyphant as Joel Hammond, the neighborhood's friendliest realtors. Sheila started showing signs of becoming a zombie.
Santa Clarita Diet ran for three seasons and ended on a game-changing cliffhanger. Out of the Hammond pair, Sheila was infected with the zombie virus. However, when a creepy-looking spider crawled into Joel's ear, Sheila bit Joel. What left viewers wondering is what would have happened to Joel, would he become a zombie?
'Cursed' (2020)
Available to stream on Netflix.
In the 2020 show, Cursed, those who harness magic were hunted. Based on the book written by Frank Miller and Tom Wheeler, Nimue (Katherine Langford) searched for the legendary sword while on her journey to Merlin. The show was inspired by the Arthurian legend, but it didn't resonate with audiences like other medieval fantasies such as The Witcher or Game of Thrones.
Cursed's cliffhanger ending was foreshadowed at the beginning of the season. It's not until the actual end of the season that viewers find out how exactly Nimue ended up in a pool of her own blood, but there wasn't an answer revealing whether she survived or what happened to the sword.
'Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist' (2020 - 2021)
Available to stream on Peacock Premium.
After a doctor's appointment, Zoey's (Jane Levy) life became a live-action musical in Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist. Only Zoey could see a random flash mob break out in the middle of a coffee shop. The hit songs that the people sang (and that only Zoey) heard gave Zoey insight as to what they were thinking.
Just when Zoey thought she finally learned how to live with her new power, she finds out that she might not be the only one with the power. As she revealed her true feelings to Max (Skylar Astin), she sang her feelings to him. Could it be that Max also had Zoey's power too? Fans will never know.
'Prodigal Son' (2019 - 2021)
Available to stream on HBO Max and The CW.
Being the son of Dr. Martin Whitly (Michael Sheen) notorious serial killer has its disadvantages, but it also has its perks at least for Malcolm Bright (Tom Payne) in Prodigal Son. At first glance, Prodigal Son may be similar to the FBI mystery series Criminal Minds. Unlike the profilers on Criminal Minds, Malcolm was fired from the FBI and hired as a consultant for New York Police Department. Raised by a serial killer, he holds a particular set of skills that makes it easier for him to think like the killer.
Malcolm's past haunted him, and he couldn't completely separate himself from his manipulative father. In the season 2 finale, Malcolm and Dr. Whitly (who escaped from prison) were in Vermont closing in on a final case when Dr. Whitly refused to turn himself in. The series ended on a jaw-dropping cliffhanger as the police finally arrived at the scene and found Malcolm holding a knife covered in blood.
'Cowboy Bebop' (2021)
Available to stream on Netflix.
Netflix's Cowboy Bebop based its story on the original anime. John Cho starred as Spike Spiegel, a bounty hunter who worked with Faye Valentine (Daniella Pineda) and Jet Black (Mustafa Shakir) despite not always agreeing with each other. Set up as a western but in space, these three chased after dangerous criminals within the solar system.
Surprising details were revealed about Spike's past, even if he tried to conceal it and move past it. Even though the series ended with the powerful villain, Vicious, in handcuffs, there is some tension still between the bounty hunters. Sadly, the series finale ended with Spike trying to build his life back up and other characters turning towards the dark side.
'DC's Legends of Tomorrow' (2016 - 2022)
Available to stream on Netflix and Amazon Prime Video.
The CW aired popular superhero shows such as Arrow and The Flash. Even though those shows featured few crossover episodes, there was one series that felt as if it was a crossover show each week. In DC's Legends of Tomorrow, heroes and villains such as White Canary (Caity Lotz), Citizen Cold (Wentworth Miller) and John Constantine (Matt Ryan) teamed up to fight powerful villains.
In DC's Legends of Tomorrow, there was no telling where the heroes would end up when time traveling each season. Though their journey came to an end in March when the TV show aired its season 7 finale. The finale didn't tie up loose ends, as the team ended up being arrested for committing time crimes.
'Salvation' (2017 - 2018)
Available to stream on Amazon Prime Video.
An underrated suspense disaster drama from CBS, Salvation spent two seasons focused on the frantic chaos that ensues after the discovery of an asteroid heading straight toward the earth. As scientists scramble to figure out a way to stop it, the government shows clear incompetence when it comes to bringing innocent civilians to safety.
Except, in the final episode of the second season, eccentric but brilliant billionaire scientist Darius Tanz (Santiago Cabrera) doesn't launch the nuclear missile based on a hunch that they're not actually waiting for an asteroid to hit the planet, but rather the arrival of aliens who stop just between the earth and moon. It's a mind-blowing twist that could have been further explored, but is sadly lost to time.
'My Name is Earl' (2005 - 2009)
Available to stream on Hulu.
The NBC sitcom My Name is Earl is a feel-good crowdpleaser that follows the misadventures of a small-time thief who learns about karma and decides to make a list of every bad thing he has ever done to correct them. As Earl Hickey (Jason Lee) rights his wrongs, he learns some valuable lessons and changes other people's lives, which is a format that keeps viewers excited about every new episode.
Unfortunately, Earl's story is cut short right after an important moment where the protagonist discovers he’s the father of Joy (Jamie Pressly)’s son Dodge, but is not actually related to Earl Jr. The finale even ends with a "to be continued" tease, but it never is since it's unexpectedly canceled by the network. There was a lot of hope that creator Greg Garcia's next sitcom Raising Hope would at least provide some closure to Earl's story, but all fans got was a television playing in the background with a reporter referencing the "small-time crook" and his experiences before the segment abruptly ends with "you'll never guess how it ended."