Basic Trope: An episode ends within the middle of a conflict.
- Straight: An episode ends with Agent Hero being captured by Dr. Scientist's minions, and strapped to his Death Machine.
- Exaggerated: Agent Hero almost dies before every Act Break, doing things like getting attacked by enemies, getting hit by a car, or drinking expired milk.
- Downplayed: By the end of the episode Dr. Scientist has discovered Agent Hero's location, but Agent Hero is still not in immediate danger.
- Justified: The episode is a season or series finale. The show needs more ratings.
- Inverted: One episode starts with Agent Hero strapped to the Death Machine.
- Subverted:
- Agent Hero breaks free from the Death Machine and catches Dr. Scientist in the last two minutes of the episode.
- Or alternately, Dr. Scientist actually manages to kill Agent Hero with his death machine!
- Double Subverted: Dr. Scientist's minions rescue him and take Agent Hero prisoner before the episode actually ends.
- Parodied:
- In next week's episode it is revealed that the characters have literally been standing around for a week waiting to continue. Most of the minions have died of dehydration.
- Alternatively, Dr. Scientist is told his Death Machine will take a week to power up. He says Agent Hero can go do whatever during that time but come back afterwards. Agent Hero complies.
- The episode ends with Alice being ambushed by bullies and tied naked to a pole in the school courtyard, 10 minutes before dismissal.
- The episode ends with a close up of a coat hanger hooked onto a protrusion from a cliff.
- Zig Zagged: Agent Hero escapes Dr. Scientist's minions after being captured, but is strapped to the Death Machine by Dr. Scientist himself, only to escape just as the episode ends.
- Averted: Agent Hero catches Dr. Scientist by the end of the show.
- Enforced: The network wants to make sure viewers watch the next episode.
- Lampshaded: At the start of the next episode one of Dr. Scientist's minions asks "Can we kill him already? This is taking forever!"
- Invoked: The Death Machine takes a week to power up.
- Exploited: Dr. Scientist apparently used the week-long wait to kill Agent Hero.
- Defied: It looks like the episode will end on a cliffhanger, but Dr. Scientist suddenly says "Screw it" and shoots Agent Hero the split second the episode ends.
- Discussed: "Aw man! We were just going to end that conflict!"
- Conversed: ???
Will you head back to Cliffhanger? Find out next week!
