Annabel Nugent and Louis Chilton pick out 15 of the most surprising finales ever to grace our screens – expect major spoilers ahead
There are many things that go into a memorable season finale: mystery; pace; character development.
More often than not, however, audiences want a surprise – something intriguing enough to justify carrying on next season.
Some of the most shocking moments in TV history have come during season finales. With another instalment on the horizon, there’s no need to offer audiences catharsis or resolution – if anything, the best season finales actively deny viewers those feelings. And the most straight-forward way of doing that? A good shock, usually followed up with a cliffhanger: a one-two punch that guarantees return customers.
Shock value – while not always equatable with great storytelling – will always provoke some Twitter conversation in its wake. Look at the recent conclusion to season four of ITV’s Unforgotten – a masterclass in detonating a perfectly timed cataclysmic plot-bomb.
But countless others before Unforgotten have triumphed in the art of shock too. Here’s our selection of the 15 most shocking season finales of all time…
15) Unforgotten, season four
Viewers were left open-mouthed by the conclusion to Unforgotten’s fourth season, which saw DI Sunny Khan (Sanjeev Bhaskar) solve the case of Matthew Walsh’s death, only to learn that his partner, Nicola Walker’s DCI Cassie Stuart, had succumbed to injuries she sustained in a car accident. Shortly after the episode aired, ITV confirmed that the series was renewed for a fifth series, which will see Sunny paired with a new partner – Cassie is gone, but certainly won’t be forgotten.