1. Star Trek: The Next Generation - Season 3 Finale (The Best Of Both Worlds Part 1)
A cliffhanger so bold it changed the way you saw television. The shooting of JR Ewing may have been one of the earliest of the memorable cliffhangers, but the third season of Star Trek: The Next Generation set the template not just for Star Trek, but US TV in general. The Borg were unleashed in spectacle style, scooping up whole colonies as they began their deadly assault on the Federation. As the show headed towards it final minutes things took a turn for the worse as Picard was captured, assimilated and turned into Locutus, the spokesperson for the enemy. The cliffhanger to The Best Of Both Worlds is still shocking now, even knowing that the pay-off in the opening moments of part 2 isn't quite as spectacular as we imagined it would be. The captain was worse than dead - he had become the enemy and you could see the angst on everyone's faces as Riker gave the order to fire with a weapon that could potentially destroy Picard. At the time, there was the potential that Patrick Stewart would not return to the show; as tragic as that would have been, this cliffhanger gave a glimpse of how he might have left Star Trek: The Next Generation. Even knowing Picard survived, the end of season three is still one of the most dramatic moments in Star Trek - and TV - history. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kh9GDlGZm7Y What was your reaction to watching these season cliffhangers for the first time? How important is the pay off? Do you agree with these choices or are there other season cliffhangers you think are worthy of a place on this list? Please let us know your thoughts in the comments below.i
A writer for Whatculture since May 2013, I also write for TheRichest.com and am the TV editor and writer for Thedigitalfix.com . I wrote two plays for the Greater Manchester Horror Fringe in 2013, the first an adaption of Simon Clark's 'Swallowing A Dirty Seed' and my own original sci-fi horror play 'Centurion', which had an 8/10* review from Starburst magazine! (http://www.starburstmagazine.com/reviews/eventsupcoming-genre-events/6960-event-review-centurion) I also wrote an episode for online comedy series Supermarket Matters in 2012. I aim to achieve my goal for writing for television (and get my novels published) but in the meantime I'll continue to write about those TV shows I love! Follow me on Twitter @BazGreenland and like my Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/BazGreenlandWriter
