Which term describes the unresolved ending designed to entice continued viewing or reading?

• A. Cliffhanger
• B. Flashback
• C. Chekhov's gun
• D. Aphorism

Answer: (A)

The idea being tested is the cliffhanger. A cliffhanger ends a scene or chapter at a tense, unresolved moment, leaving a central question hanging in the air. This setup creates suspense and motivates the audience to keep watching or reading to find out what happens next.

Flashback refers to shifting the narrative back to a past event to add context or reveal character history; it’s not about leaving the story unresolved. Chekhov’s gun is a principle about every introduced detail having a payoff later, which is about coherence and payoff rather than tempting ongoing engagement with an unresolved ending. Aphorism is a concise, often witty statement expressing a general truth, not a narrative device used to propel a sequence of events.