8 TV Finales That Left Major Unanswered Questions

1. The Prisoner

ITVEpisode: Fallout (1968) Yes, long before Lost or any other of the series on this list, one show beat them to the punch; the 1960s surrealist/spy/ sci-fi/ indefinable show The Prisoner. Whereas all of the other finales in this article either didn't manage or decided not to answer every question, they at least answered some. The final episode of The Prisoner, on the other hand, throws proverbial caution to the figurative wind and resolves virtually none of its big questions. And in doing so creates not just the best ambiguous ending to a TV show ever but also one of the most memorable finales in television history. For those unfamiliar with the show, it revolves around an unnamed Englishman who, after he resigns from his job, finds himself in the mysterious Village, where all the residents are assigned a number - he is Number Six. The head of the Village is the ever-changing Number Two, who regularly foils Number Six's attempts to escape and always refuses to answer his questions. Namely, why has he been brought here? And who is Number One? In the final episode, the Prisoner is said to have passed all the Village's tests and is told all his questions will be answered. After being taken to a tribunal - a bizarre sequence involving a man being brought back to life apparently by being shaved and an impromptu sing-along of Dem Bones - Number Six gets to meet Number One. A man in a white robe and a mask. Under which is... a gorilla mask. Under which is... the face of Number Six himself! Finally having enough, Number Six sets off a rocket situated underneath the Village, causing mass panic. He proceeds to escape and return home. Or does he really? Perhaps realising that an answer to the mystery of the Village that would satisfy all of the audience could not be delivered, the episode offers no answers only a whole lot more questions. In the same vein as the Lost finale - a series that it heavily inspired - the final episode has met with much controversy over the years for its total lack of a resolution. However, whatever your opinion, as with all of the shows featured on this list, the fact that it did not provide all the answers has surely made more of an impact than if it had done, allowing the series to survive in the imaginations of avid fans who like to come up with their own answers to those questions raised by their favourite shows. And the end, aren't those the answers that really matter? No, oh, fair enough. Disappointed by the finale of this list? Have some unanswered questions of your own? Then shout them out in the comments section below!