Warning: The following article contains spoilers for various Star Trek seasons.
There are very few shows that have managed to nail the cliffhanger as well as Star Trek. Ever since “The Menagerie Part I” and its follow-up episode aired as part of The Original Series, there have been dozens of excellent endings that leave the audience wanting more. Of course, in a pre-internet age, fans of the show would be desperately discussing these unresolved endings throughout the week with their small groups of fellow Trekkies. In some cases, it would be months if the cliffhanger happened to be at the end of the season or just before a mid-season break. Now, we have a whole online infrastructure dedicated to wondering what the writers have been up to, but that hasn’t stopped the more modern shows that make up the franchise continuing to leave viewers wanting more.
While many consider The Next Generation to have been the cliffhanger high point of the Star Trek universe, there have been some absolutely cracking two and three-part episodes scattered throughout the multiple seasons of the various iterations of the show, some of which are as good as anything Patrick Stewart and his fellow cast members blessed us with. If you’re a fan of nail-biting endings and thankful for the “Play Next” button, you’ll want to que up the 10 greatest cliffhangers in Star Trek.
10. Discovery: “But to Connect”
We begin our list in one of the more modern Star Trek shows, with the season four episode of Discovery “But to Connect.” In spite of all the futuristic tech shown throughout the series, the episode begins with what is effectively a computer error as Zora refuses an order. That’s kind of big no no, as Starfleet doesn’t want any sentient AI as part of its vessels, and something many fans saw as an homage to 2001: A Space Odyssey. The episode also functioned as the beginning of a mid-season break, which is why it was so perfectly placed for a classic Star Trek cliffhanger.
“But to Connect” includes some new alien races, a Federation assembly, and the classic politicking that is a major part of many Star Trek plot points. Ruon Tarka is at the center of the cliffhanger, stealing a spore drive to head to another universe where he can reunite with a fellow scientist, leading Book to jump to an unknown universe and leaving fans guessing as to what would happen when the show returned.
9. Picard: “Monsters”
Part of Star Trek’s enduring appeal is, ironically, its incredibly human approach to characters. In no episode is this more obvious than “Monsters” in season two of Picard. A large proportion of the show is set in a young Jeal-Luc’s memories, and we get a unique look into the young captain’s mind, delving deep into his childhood and his relationship with his parents. Of course, in classic Picard fashion, we only begin to scratch the surface, so anybody hoping for a therapy breakthrough isn’t going to get it.
The cliffhanger, however, is a lot more shocking than a revelation about the captain’s past, as the episode ends with federal agents bursting into the Ten Forward and arresting Picard and Guinan in the middle of their conversation.
8. DS9: “The Jem’Hadar”
Although TNG is officially the longest running Star Trek series, Deep Space Nine ran for just two episodes less, and as a result has just as many significant and shocking moments as its predecessor. One thing DS9 definitely did just as well as TNG was the cliffhanger, and there are few episodes this is more obvious than “The Jem’Hadar,” episode 26 of season two.
This episode is also famous as it introduces The Dominion to the Star Trek universe, an organisation that’s more powerful, and much more terrifying, than the Federation, and ends up being a huge part of future seasons. On an ill-advised camping trip, Sisko and Quark are kidnapped by the Jem’Hadar, the soldiers of The Dominion. They find themselves captive with a woman named Eris, who allegedly has telekinetic powers that are being suppressed by a collar. While this is all going on, DS9 comes under attack from The Dominion. With a little bit of luck, Sisko, Quark, and Eris escape, eventually being beamed back into safer territory only for Quark to discover that Eris’s collar was a fake, and she was a spy. She admits to her role before teleporting out of danger, leaving our heroes with the horrifying knowledge their battle with The Dominion has just begun.
7. TNG: “Unification”
Our first TNG entrant on our list, but definitely not the last. The cliffhanger was a staple of the second iteration of the Star Trek universe, providing some of television’s most talked about moments throughout its 178 episode run. One of the best of these was season five’s “Unification.” The episode had one of the highest viewing figures for TNG when it was first aired, with over 25 million tuning in.
“Unification” saw the return of TOS lead Leonard Nimoy as Spock, which only adds to its special place in the pantheon of all-time Star Trek episodes. In part one, the crew are told that Ambassador Spock may have defected, leading to Picard and Data disguising themselves as Romulans and heading to Romulus to see what’s happened to Nimoy’s character. Their disguises fail, but just as the episode reaches its climax Spock appears, followed by the famous “to be continued…” that earmarked so many of these classic cliffhanger episodes.
6. TOS: “The Menagerie”
The cliffhanger love started early in the Star Trek universe, with episodes 11 and 12 of season one of TOS, “The Menagerie.” Despite being one of the first Star Trek episodes to garner critical acclaim, even winning a Hugo Award, “The Menagerie” was conceived because the show’s production company was worried they wouldn’t be able to produce enough content in time to fulfill their commitments to NBC. They used old footage from the unaired 1965 pilot, “The Cage,” as part of the episode, and the rest, as they say, is history.
In “The Menagerie,” Spock gets involved in abduction, the intergalactic equivalent of grand theft auto, and even ends up being court marshaled. However, the first part of the episode ends on a particularly intriguing note as we’re unaware if Spock will actually be heard out by those putting him on trial.
5. Enterprise: “Shockwave”
Another more modern entry, again proving that the post-2000 Star Trek writers love a good cliffhanger just as much as their predecessors. What made this gripping ending even more tantalizing was the fact that part one was the season one finale, meaning fans had to wait nearly half a year before anything was resolved.
The first part of “Shockwave” is full of everything we know and love about the Enterprise universe — action, intrigue, and multiple timelines. As the episode ends, Captain Archer is left in a seemingly helpless situation, stuck in what seems to be a post-apocalyptic world in the 31st century with no equipment to help him get back and nobody who can help him.
4. SNW: “All Those Who Wander”
For some long-term Trekkies, Strange New Worlds hasn’t quite found its feet yet, but most viewers are still gripped by the newest iteration of the franchise. Part of that is thanks to fantastic episodes like “All Those Who Wander,” which was the penultimate episode of season one. Not only do we get a whole host of incredible action involving all the crew, but we also see the return of the Gorn, one of the favorite villains of previous Star Trek shows.
The episode has some shocking deaths that many fans of Ridley Scott will love to see, but the real emotional punch is La’an’s departure from the crew at the end of the episode, as she seeks to help a young woman find her family. When La’an doesn’t return in the next episode, we’re left wondering: Will we ever see her again?
3. VOY: “Scorpion”
Another between-season cliffhanger, the final episode of season three of Voyager saw the first part of “Scorpion,” which aired to rave reviews and plenty of speculation as to what would happen when the series resumed four months later. The title is a reference to the famous parable of the scorpion and the frog, which gives you a sense of the peril in this episode. The second part of the episode also saw the introduction of Seven of Nine, a Borg who became a regular in Voyager.
In part one, the crew are forced to weave their way through Borg territory where they discover Species 8472, an enemy of the Borg who have massacred several of the cybernetic organisms. When confronted with this new, terrifying enemy, the crew have to make a deal with the devil and align with the Borg, barely escaping alive after some Species 8472 bioships destroy the planet they’re on. It left the audience to ponder, who can the crew really trust?
2. DS9: “Call to Arms”
When it comes to epic, multi-episode story arcs, there are few better examples on television than the narrative that begins with the DS9 episode “Call to Arms.” The final episode of season five has it all, culminating in The Dominion managing to take control of some of The Federation’s most prized assets. What’s more is Captain Sisko realizing his son has been left behind on DS9 to serve as a reporter for the Federation News Service under The Dominion’s rule.
The first six episodes of season six saw an epic war that many fans consider to be some of the finest Star Trek content ever produced. Without the incredible way “Call to Arms” set it up, there’s no telling if it would have had the same impact. A must-watch for anybody who wants to explore the Star Trek universe.
1. TNG: “Best of Both Worlds”
Widely considered one of the best cliffhangers of all time, “Best of Both Worlds” is the sort of episode film and media students learn about thanks to its mastery and cultural impact. The two-part episode has been cut and edited into a full-length feature film thanks to its enduring popularity. Part one was the TNG season three finale and was rewarded handsomely with two Emmy Awards and is often listed as essential watching by outlets like Empire.
In part one, the Enterprise seeks to confront a Borg cube after a nearby Federation colony is found to have been assimilated by the cybernetic race, only for Picard to end up abducted. The episode ends with the crew going for an eerie run through a Borg cube. They are ignored by drones who should be attacking them, only to see a fully assimilated Picard, who refers to himself as Locutus of the Borg. Audiences were left stewing for three entire months. Was Picard now the enemy? Could he be saved? Only time would tell.
