Variations on the cliffhanger

serial narrative and consumption

Abstract

In this article, I investigate the cliffhanger as one of the distinctive elements of the serial form. From literature to audiovisual series, the cliffhanger has been used to manage the audience’s desire, leading them to consume the next episode and prolonging the narrative pleasure. I address the dualities and meanings of this feature and the permanence and updating of the technique in contemporary series, whose distribution and release context often abolishes the pending time between episodes. The example analysis demonstrates that, in current series, the cliffhanger is a device that allows the exploration of narrative complexity and a self-conscious and ironic way of playing with the viewer.