In the age of streaming and rampant TV show cancelations, cliffhangers have become incredibly prevalent. What's become particularly common is for them to be used in stories that ultimately don’t need them, and I'd argue that that they've become ubiquitous. I'm sure I'm not the only one who feels that way, too. That seems to be partially why Sex Lives of College Girls EP Justin Noble decided against including one in the show’s Season 3 finale, which just aired amid the 2025 TV schedule. Noble shared some insight into the decision, and I hope more shows take note.
Justin Noble, who co-showruns the Max original series and co-wrote the Season 3 finale episode alongside Caroline Goldfarb, deviated from the past seasons' trend of ending on major, life-altering cliffhangers. Instead, he chose to end on a happier, less dramatic note. This was such a shocking change that many fans have expressed their concern that it’s the show's finale. However, Noble made it abundantly clear to THR that he was not asked to “wrap up the show.” From there, he shared his keen logic on the capper:
I think just me as a creator, I’m losing interest in cliffhangers. I think it’s longer than ever between seasons for logistical reasons within the industry, and frankly, I don’t think audiences like cliffhangers the way that they used to. I think intrinsically, shows are what they are. We don’t want tons of change on our shows, especially in comedy, which makes cliffhangers risky and temporary, and a lot of the times it’s like, ‘uh oh,’ and then two episodes into the new season, it’s like, ‘and we’re back to normal.’
As a fan of the show and one who shares Noble’s disinterest in cliffhangers, I couldn’t agree more. Nothing is more frustrating as a viewer than watching a character make a life-changing decision that they’re not going to follow through simply in an attempt to keep fans hooked. Take this season, for instance; the writers spent nearly two entire episodes trying to get Whitney and Kimberly to make up after the Season 2 cliffhanger, which wasted time that could have been spent on new storylines and introducing viewers to the new characters more quickly.
In fact, given fans have been conditioned to expect a dramatic cliffhanger, having the opposite happen was even more shocking and rewarding. For one, it was a good tonal shift to an intense episode packed full of dramatic revelations and the loss of Reneé Rapp's Leighton as she pursued other academic goals. Also, this gave the girls a rare win in a season that was full of struggles. On top of that, the best part is that there’s still more story to be told even though things seem great now.
To put it simply, I really hope more writers and EPs take note of how well-received the Season 3 finale of The Sex Lives of College Girls was and implement cliffhanger-less endings in their own shows. Perhaps, then, the storytelling device will become a novelty again and hold the apt amount of weight for viewers when they do happen.
While you wait for news on a Season 4 renewal for The Sex Lives of College Girls, stream Season 3 -- along with the previous two seasons -- with an active Max subscription.
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