Cliffhangers have long been a device for generating suspense, and hooking the reader/viewer into continuing to pay attention. The desire to know what happens next out weighs their frustration at not being told up front. In the hands of a master, this technique can drive a reader to stay awake all night till they finish the book, or stir the viewer into frothy anticipation for the next episode. But more and more I'm seeing terrible abuse of this tool and it's no longer suspenseful... it's just cruel teasing.

I was watching an episode of BBQ Pit Masters today at lunch, and they dragged out the reading of the winner's name off the card over one commercial break and half a segment between commercials. As annoying as it was, it still wasn't as bad as an acapella competition I saw which actually dragged it out over two commercial breaks. Now when I mean "dragged out", I start counting from when the host has the card in their hand and have uttered the phrase "And the winner is..." till the time at which we actually find out the name that completes that sentence.

I used to think this counted as False Suspense, but it's not. Not unless they were announcing who was being eliminated, and then after much ado revealed that nobody has to leave. That's false suspense. This is just needless time wasting.

But it's not just reality tv game shows that are laying it on a bit thick. Series dramas are going over the edge with their cliffhangers as well. Let's take the popular show True Blood for example. The main heroine in the show is Sookie Stackhouse. Apparently she's got more than just mind reading powers. The big question is, "What is she?" The writers "keep the suspense" by keeping it a secret from the viewer, even though the characters are finding out.

I think, if you end the majority of your scenes with the lead up to a big reveal, then cut away to some other thing, you're just being mean. Far more potent in my opinion is delivering the reveal and leaving the audience in awe over the implications.