Finale Shocks: The 10 Biggest Cliffhangers and Their Potential Resolutions

It’s never too early to look ahead at the Fall TV season. Broadcast’s biggest series are currently on hiatus after delivering cliffhangers of the deadly, cryptic and romantic variety. One Chicago-set NBC drama even left viewers with a paternity twist mystery.

Below are 10 of the biggest primetime finales to air last season, with a quick recap of the major developments in those season-ending episodes. More importantly, we’ve also gathered intel on how those aforementioned cliffhangers will be addressed and what else is ahead when the 2025-26 season resumes for One Chicago, Grey’s Anatomy, Fire Country and plenty more shows.

What Happened: Athena put her and Bobby’s house on the market and drove away; Hen and Karen officially adopted Mara; Maddie and Chimney welcomed a son, named after Pete Krause’s late character; Hen passed on the promotion to captain, opening the door for Chimney to take on the job; and Eddie and Christopher moved back into in their old apartment… and Buck went looking for a new place to live.

What’s Next: Season 9 will have to answer several major questions, like: Did widowed Athena leave not just her home, but also her job and her city? And how will Bobby’s death continue to impact his family, friends and colleagues? Producers are keeping mum on details, even with star Angela Bassett, who told Good Morning America that the show bosses are “being very vague” about what’s next for her character. “I said, OK, I’m going through therapy, I’m processing it, so I’ll wait,” Bassett shared. Then there’s the question of whether Chimney will officially become captain. And will the show finally go there with Buck and Eddie? For his part, Oliver Stark is hoping that Bobby’s death will push Buck to mature and come out more “grounded worldly,” the actor told TV Insider.

Return Date: Fall 2025; exact date TBA

What Happened: Stella revealed to hubby Severide that they’re pregnant; Carver gave Violet the cold shoulder, explaining that he applied for a job with the Denver Fire Department… then later kissed her and told her he loves her; Chief Pascal was cleared as a suspect in the death of the man who killed his wife; and Herrmann stepped down to be a regular firefighter so that Mouch could become Engine’s lieutenant.

What’s Next: With Jake Lockett and Daniel Kyri not returning as series regulars next season, and the open-ended nature of their characters’ storylines – the finale didn’t offer any hints about how Kyri’s Ritter will exit – there’s still a lot that needs to be wrapped up next season. Thankfully, showrunner Andrea Newman hinted that both actors might be back in the fall in some capacity to give closure to their arcs. Looking ahead, Carver “has a big decision to make, and if he makes one to stay, does that put this onus suddenly on Violet, like he stayed for her, and if he can’t stay well and stay clean when he’s there, is it her fault?” Newman told our sister site TVLine. “So it’s this beautiful coming together, but it brings up all these questions and impossibilities. So we’ll see how that shakes out.” Meanwhile, Stella and Severide’s forthcoming bundle of joy will put the couple in a tough situation as they navigate their new reality. “The difference between when a male firefighter gets pregnant and when the female firefighter is pregnant, I think, is really interesting to explore and how each are affected,” Newman notes, adding that “when they’ve got a baby, the stakes go through the roof.” Newman also confirmed that Dermot Mulroney’s Dom Pascal will remain battalion chief – “until the CFD axe starts lurking above his head.” And there could be even more cast changes as the department starts restructuring and implementing layoffs: “We’re going to have a lot of turnover, and a lot craziness going on in the CFD from the top, where people are being cut and moved, and everything’s going to get shaken up next season,” Newman previewed, teasing that “there will be hellos, and there will be goodbyes.”

Return Date: Fall 2025; exact date TBA

What Happened: A pregnant Hannah knocked on a door to, presumably, tell the father about the baby. Her ex Mitch Ripley came bounding down the stairs, but when he opened the door, it was Sadie, the woman he rescued from the well, on the other side. As for the door that Hannah was at, it belonged to Dean Archer! “We need to talk,” she announced. Elsewhere, Sharon broke up with her boyfriend; Dr. Charles opened up to his daughter Anna about his father’s suicide after she tried to take her own life; and Dr. Lenox found out she tested positive for the same disease that took her mother’s life.

What’s Next: Solving the mystery of who is Hannah’s baby daddy, of course! “There’s more things coming up in the fall” with regards to that question, showrunner Allen MacDonald told TVLine, while keeping mum on whether Hannah showing up at Dean’s home implies that something happened between them, perhaps when she comforted him after his ex-wife died. Meanwhile, Sadie’s surprise return and her flirty vibe with Mitch hints at the possibility of new romantic relationship, and Lenox’s devastating test result will have “a profound effect on how she chooses to live her life,” MacDonald shared with TV Insider. Fans can also expect to see some OGs return to the series: “I intend to bring back another original cast member or two, like I did Sarah Reese, and that is in the works,” MacDonald revealed to TVLine. (For the record, the show’s departed Season 1 stars include Colin Donnell, aka Dr. Connor Rhodes; Nick Gehlfuss, aka Dr. Will Halstead; Torrey DeVitto, aka Dr. Natalie Manning; Brian Tee, aka Dr. Ethan Choi; and Yaya DaCosta, aka nurse April Sexton.)

Return Date: Fall 2025; exact date TBA

What Happened: Intelligence operations were suspended by dirty Deputy Chief Reid, forcing Voight and his team to take down Reid on the downlow. Taking desperate measures, Voight set off a chain of events that, eventually, led to Reid being shot and killed by the son of his victim. Chapman confronted Voight about what he’d done as Burgess and Ruzek finally got married. “It’s not who you are. I know you. You told me you believed there could be more,” Chapman pleaded, but Voight only replied, “I don’t get more.”

What’s Next: Voight’s actions indicate that he could be back on a road to the dark side and that he may have, as Chapman put it, done something he can’t come back from. It’s a question that will plague the Sargent, who “has this capacity — and it’s not the best capacity — that he can go to these dark places, and he can make these choices, but can he always live with them?” showrunner Gwen Sigan told our sister site TVLine. So forget about a budding romance with Chapman, because what Voight set into motion “is something that she can’t stand by,” Sigan said. By the end of the finale, “she’s realizing that any other hope of anything else is not going to happen.” And although Voight told the team that the investigation into Intelligence will likely be dropped now that the truth about Reid has been exposed, it remains to be seen whether the unit will return to their old job positions when the new season picks up, Sigan shared with TV Insider.

Return Date: Fall 2025; exact date TBA

What Happened: Isobel narrowly escaped death from the phone bomb that killed ADIC Reynolds… only to collapse at the end of the episode as Maggie declared that she didn’t have a pulse.

What’s Next: Star Alana De La Garza isn’t spilling if that harrowing finale twist spells the end for her character. “Literally, you have to tune in to see,” the actress told TV Insider. “It is a legit cliffhanger. It was very exciting and very fun to play, unlike anything I’ve ever played before for sure. So that was fun.” Her co-star Jeremy Sisto added that if Isobel were to die, “it would be a huge blow to the office and to Jubal and to, obviously, the show, as well. We are all hoping that that is not the case.”

Return Date: Fall 2025; exact date TBA

What Happened: Bode’s grandfather’s memory care facility caught fire, leading the roof to collapse… while Bode’s parents, Sharon and Vince, and his grandpa Walter were still instead the burning building! Elsewhere, Bode’s girlfriend Audrey turned herself in for shooting Gabriela’s stalker, Finn, claiming it was self-defense. Finally, Sharon encouraged Manny to apply for the Station 42 Captain position, and the Three Rock camp was destroyed by fire.

What’s Next: Vince’s chances of survival are looking slim after the news that his portrayer Billy Burke is leaving the series. And with Vince saying goodbye, Jake – who had taken a captain job in a neighboring town – appears poised to become battalion chief at Station 42. Additionally, Stephanie Arcila will not return as a series regular, but the show’s executive producers are hoping to bring the actress back as a guest star to continue Gabby’s journey. “We are committed to saying that the Bode-Gabriela story does not end here, it goes on,” EP Tony Phelan told our sister site Deadline. Added showrunner Tia Napolitano: “We hope to see her back very soon, to give her a proper not goodbye, but see you later.” As for Bode and Audrey, “finding out what’s going to happen to her, and how Bode and she are going to negotiate that is the meat of early next season,” Phelan previewed. Last but not least, “Eve’s big arc in Season 4 is how to reconstitute” the lost Three Rock.

Return Date: Fall 2025; exact date TBA

What Happened: The distressed mother of a young patient took Amelia (and Simone and Lucas) hostage, forcing her to operate on her daughter. After Amelia successfully completed the procedure, the mom revealed that the highly flammable tank she brought into the OR as leverage was empty, but unbeknownst to her, it was actually leaking the whole time. Boom goes the OR floor, putting several docs’ lives in jeopardy! Elsewhere, Simone slept with a new intern just before Lucas announced he wanted to get back together; Jo told Link they’re having twin girls; after confronting Owen, Teddy announced that she was choosing herself; Ben was, potentially, out of a job; Winston admitted to Jules that the lines were getting blurred between them; and Meredith worked out a deal where she’ll continue to visit/operate during the summers.

What’s Next: As the only two outside the hospital, Meredith and Ben are, seemingly, safe after that explosive cliffhanger, but every other character is in danger, with things looking particularly dire for Link and Bailey, who were seen on the OR floor. “Everybody is up for grabs,” showrunner Meg Marinis told our sister site Deadline, adding that “with an ending like this, someone might not come back.” As for Teddy and Owen’s future, Marinis isn’t ruling out a reconciliation, “but I do feel like they will be apart for a second,” she said, while also expressing her desire to have Nora and Cass return. Meanwhile, the Lucas/Simone/new intern situation is poised “to be messy in so many different ways,” and Winston will try to keep things professional with Jules, but “it’s going to be difficult.” Finally, Jo and Link aren’t out of the woods when it comes to her high-risk pregnancy. “I feel like this is a calm before another storm for them,” Marinis teased. The EP also hopes to see more of Meredith in Seattle and in the OR.

Return Date: Fall 2025; exact date TBA

What Happened: To protect Gibbs, Lala told Military Police investigator Lara Macy that she helped Gibbs with his vengeance plot and that she was there when he shot cartel boss Pedro Hernandez. After Macy agreed to look the other way, Lala got in her jeep to tell Gibbs that she had “saved” him, but in a devastating turn of events, she got into a (fatal?) car accident before she could deliver the news, leaving Narrator Gibbs to conclude, “I loved her all along. I still do… This is a story I don’t tell. I can’t find the words. But it never stops running through my head — the story of her.”

What’s Next: Lala’s body was looking awfully lifeless at the end of the finale, but “I won’t officially say that Lala is dead,” co-showrunner David J. North told our sister site TVLine. Added co-showrunner Gina Lucita Monreal: “And though we don’t know the fate of Lala yet, no matter what happens with her, there are going to be shock waves throughout the people in her life.” (The fact that they never confessed their feelings for each other will surely be weighing on Gibbs.) Elsewhere, Diane – who made her debut in the finale while commenting on Gibbs’ “gorgeous” eyes – will become a part of her future husband-turned-ex’s life; and the reveal that Franks’ brother is alive and Franks knew, hinting at a rift between them, will be further explored.

Return Date: Fall 2025; exact date TBA

What Happened: In a frustrating moment for “Chenford” fans, Tim asked Lucy to move in with him, not realizing that she had fallen asleep on the couch and missed his big speech. Elsewhere, Monica leveraged government intel to get a full pardon, leaving Nolan, Gray and FBI Agent Garza to watch as Monica walked away a free woman.

What’s Next: Executive producer Alexi Hawley isn’t anticipating a major time-jump when Season 8 picks up. “I think it’ll be fairly continuous — not literally next day, but within a fairly short amount of time,” Hawley told our sister site TVLine. “There’s some time-sensitive stuff that we left hanging, that feels like we should [resolve soon] for the audience.” For starters, Tim and Lucy will likely get a do-over on that all-important relationship discussion. “I do think that the conversation should be had, ultimately,” Hawley said, adding that “we definitely need her side of it.” Meanwhile, Monica’s immunity deal will be a difficult thing for the show’s cops to swallow. “The repercussions of that next season will be interesting,” Hawley previewed.

Return Date: Midseason 2026; exact date TBA

Tracker (CBS)