Best cliffhanger

[startrekwatcher]

A discussion in another thread made me want to ask about some of Trek's cliffhangers and episodes and the concensus is among fans.

Do you think The Best of BOth Worlds had the better cliffhanger than ENT's Azati Prime, was Damage a better conclusion than The Best of BOth Worlds II and as a two-parter which is the best.

I voted BoBW across the board. And taking it beyond this limited matchup I'd argue it has the best cliffhanger in all of Trek and in all of tv history. Honorable mention however to the end of Call to Arms.

What are your thoughts?

 

[Michael]

I ran a poll about the Trek cliffhangers some time ago. Maybe this helps. Here are the results:

Which are your favorite Star Trek cliffhangers? (Part I)
Users may choose many (473 total votes)

01. TNG | »The Best of Both Worlds« 75 16%
02. DS9 | »Call to Arms« 39 08%
03. DS9 | »The Jem'Hadar« 21 4%
04. DS9 | »Improbable Cause« 20 04%
05. TNG | »Chain of Command — Part I« 18 4%
05. DS9 | »In Purgatory's Shadow« 18 4%
05. DS9 | »Tears of the Prophets« 18 4%
06. DS9 | »The Way of the Warrior (Part I)« 17 4%
06. DS9 | »Favor the Bold« 17 4%
07. DS9 | »Homefront« 16 03%
08. DS9 | »What You Leave Behind (Part I)« 15 03%
09. TNG | »Unification I« 14 3%
10. TNG | »Redemption« 13 3%
10. DS9 | »The Changing Face of Evil« 13 3%
11. TNG | »Descent« 12 03%
12. DS9 | »The Search — Part I« 11 02%
12. TOS | »The Mangerie — Part I« 10 2%
13. DS9 | »Broken Link« 10 2%
14. TNG | »All Good Things ... (Part I)« 10 02%
14. DS9 | »A Time to Stand« 10 02%
15. TNG | »Time's Arrow« 8 2%
15. DS9 | »Behind the Lines« 8 2%
15. DS9 | »When it Rains ...« 8 2%
15. DS9 | »Tacking Into the Wind« 8 2%
16. DS9 | »Past Tense — Part I« 7 1%
16. DS9 | »Image in the Sand« 7 1%
17. DS9 | »'Til Death Do Us Part« 6 01%
17. DS9 | »Strange Bedfellows« 6 01%
17. DS9 | »The Dogs of War« 6 01%
18. TNG | »Birthright — Part I« 5 01%
18. TNG | »Gambit — Part I« 5 01%
18. DS9 | »The Homecoming« 5 01%
18. DS9 | »The Maquis — Part I« 5 01%
19. DS9 | »The Circle« 4 1%
19. DS9 | »Penumbra« 4 1%
20. DS9 | »Emissary (Part I)« 3 1%
21. TNG | »Encounter at Farpoint« 1 00%

Which are your favorite Star Trek cliffhangers? (Part II)
Users may choose many (283 total votes)

01. ENT | »In a Mirror, Darkly« 19 7%
02. VOY | »Scorpion« 16 6%
02. ENT | »Azati Prime« 16 6%
03. ENT | »Shockwave« 14 5%
03. »Star Trek II — The Wrath Of Khan« 14 5%
04. ENT | »The Expanse« 12 04%
04. ENT | »Zero Hour« 12 04%
05. DS9 | »The Adversary« 11 4%
05. VOY | »Year of Hell« 11 4%
05. ENT | »The Forge« 11 4%
06. ENT | »United« 10 4%
07. VOY | »Basics — Part I« 9 03%
07. VOY | »Equinox« 9 03%
07. ENT | »Babel One« 9 03%
07. ENT | »Demons« 9 03%
08. VOY | »Unimatrix Zero« 8 3%
08. VOY | »Future's End« 8 3%
08. ENT | »Awakening« 8 3%
09. ENT | »Countdown« 7 02%
10. ENT | »The Council« 6 02%
10. ENT | »Cold Station 12« 6 02%
11. VOY | »The Killing Game« 5 2%
11. VOY | »Dark Frontier« 5 2%
11. VOY | »Dark Frontier« 5 2%
11. VOY | »Workforce« 5 2%
11. ENT | »Borderland« 5 2%
11. ENT | »Affliction« 5 2%
12. ENT | »Stratagem« 4 01%
12. ENT | »Storm Front« 4 01%
13. VOY | »Caretaker (Part I)« 3 01%
13. VOY | »Endgame« 3 01%
13. ENT | »Broken Bow (Part I)« 3 01%
13. ENT | »Proving Ground« 3 01%
13. ENT | »The Xindi« 3 01%
14. VOY | »Flesh and Blood (Part I)« 2 1%
14. ENT | »Anomaly« 2 1%
14. ENT | »Rajiin« 2 1%
14. ENT | »Exile« 2 1%
14. ENT | »Harbinger« 2 1%

 

[CaptJimboJones]

BOBW had the better first episode, and AP/D had the better conclusion. I've always thought BOBW Pt. 2 was really, really weak - the whole first episode set up the Borg as this unstoppable force, and then, whoop, a quickie technobabble solution finished them off with ridiculous ease in Part 2.

The only really good part of Pt.2 was the very end, with Picard staring out the window with that vacant look in his eyes. That was a chillingly effective shot, and nicely set up the next episode.

 

[blakbyrd]

The Best of Both Worlds I has the better cliffhanger
The Best of Both Worlds has the better conclusion in Part II
The Best of Both Worlds are the better episodes as a whole

 

[greenmystik]

BoBW is a classic.

 

[Smiley]

I voted for BoBW, but I don't feel it is a fair comparison. BoBW was meant to be two parts with a single story, even if the second part was written over the summer. "Azati Prime" has an inconclusive ending, but it and "Damage" are both pieces of an arc and not a standalone pair. There's not even a "To Be Continued..." card at the end of "Azati Prime." A more apples-to-apples comparison would be BoBW and "Shockwave" or "Improbable Cause"/"The Die is Cast."

 

[MarianLH]

I'm sleep deprived and can't think objectively, but I remember feeling particularly affected by BOBW I, in a way that "Redemption" or other TNG and DS9 two-parters didn't equal. I think it's mostly because of the scene with Picard and Guinan, where they soberly talk about the possibility that the Borg will win.


Marian

 

[erastus25]

BOBW for all of the above!

 

[Mistral]

I can sum up the best in two words. Riker: "Fire!"