5 TV Cliffhangers That Had Terrible Resolutions

4. The West Wing, "Twenty Five"

Plot summary: After learning that his youngest daughter, Zoey, has been kidnapped, President Bartlet is distraught. It's unclear if her abduction is an act of terrorism or a simple kidnapping; a faxed ransom note discovered by Donna suggests both possibilities. In private, he confesses to Leo McGarry, his chief of staff, that he's having trouble focusing on his essential duties. Bartlet decides to temporarily step down, invoking the twenty-fifth amendment. Since there is no vice president currently in office, the Speaker of the House is brought in to take his place. The Cliffhanger: As the season ends, Zoey's whereabouts remain unknown, as do the identity and motives of her abductors. President Bartlet steps down from office, and the Speaker of the House €“ now the acting President €“ tells him, "You are relieved, Mr. President." The Resolution: Zoey's abduction is almost an afterthought in the two-part premier of season five. Most of the episodes deal with the conflict between the new (Republican) President and Bartlet's staff (Democrats). Finally, at the end of the second episode, an FBI agent says, "I think we may have found something." It turns out the FBI has found Zoey. Who abducted her? Unidentified "terrorists," all of whom were killed during her rescue, and whose motivations and identities are never explained. The Backstory: Series creator Aaron Sorkin and series director Thomas Schlamme both departed the program after the fourth season, due to conflicts with NBC President Jeff Zucker over script deadlines and budget overruns, amongst other issues. Sorkin had his own ideas about resolving the cliffhanger €“ he wanted it to be the work of a group of Rapturists "at the back of a muffler shop" €“ but ultimately left the show's new writing staff to handle the resolution. They did so by quickly dispensing with the cliffhanger, as well as many of the characters and storylines which had been central to the fourth season, and moving on in their own direction. The series would struggle to find its voice until the sixth season, when it began to tackle the next presidential campaign.