10 Best TV Pilot Cliffhangers Ever
1. Game Of Thrones - Bran Takes A Tumble
It might feel like a false memory now, but there was a time Game of Thrones had the entire world enthralled with the politics, war and magic of a fantasy kingdom. Seldom has a show of such high wit had that much mainstream crossover appeal. And yet…
To rake over the coals of Game of Thrones frankly awful eighth season would be kicking a very, very dead horse. The “Stop! Stop! He’s already dead” line from the Simpsons springs to mind.
Obvious show running mistakes aside, there is a good reason Game of Thrones managed to ensnare so many people from the get-go. The show’s opening episode, whilst packed to the brim with almost incomprehensible amounts of world-building, was compelling nonetheless due to the shrewd casting choices, interpersonal drama and the inclusion of cute little wolf puppies.
This alone would not have been enough to keep people going, however. So Benioff and Weiss threw us possibly the greatest curveball we’ve ever seen in a TV show’s debut. Little Bran Stark climbs a perilous tower, only to find the Lannister siblings in a… compromising position.
He’s seen too much and his fate is sealed; Jaime Lannister pushes him out of the window in the name of love and the screen cuts to black. Surely no one could survive such a fall? Will they get away with it? WHY WERE THE BROTHER AND SISTER GETTING IT ON? And just like that, we were invested for the next eight whole years.