Before the title card fades in, before the theme music rolls, there’s the cold open. It’s that brief, often jarring or mysterious scene that thrusts the viewer directly into a moment—sometimes action-packed, sometimes mundane, sometimes quietly unsettling. What it always aims to do is simple: grab attention and not let go.
The cold open has become a staple of modern storytelling, particularly in television. From crime dramas to comedies, it serves as a powerful tool for establishing tone, introducing conflict, or provoking curiosity. Unlike traditional openings, which often rely on exposition or gradual buildup, the cold open demands immediate investment.
What defines a cold open?
A cold open refers to a narrative technique in which a story begins abruptly without any preliminary context, often prior to the opening credits. Its purpose is to drop the audience into the middle of a scene that intrigues or shocks, compelling them to keep watching.
Unlike traditional prologues or introductions, the cold open isn’t always connected directly to the main plot—though in many cases, it sets up threads that are woven in later. In episodic television, it’s frequently used to set up the mystery or emotional stakes of the episode, then cuts to the show’s title sequence.
Why the cold open works
In an age of shortened attention spans and instant gratification, the cold open serves as a storytelling shortcut to immersion. It bypasses exposition and immediately ignites questions: Who is this? What’s happening? Why should I care?
Several psychological mechanisms are at play here:
- Curiosity gaps: Viewers are wired to seek resolution. A puzzling or suspenseful scene that offers no immediate answers drives engagement by creating tension that demands closure.
- Emotional stimulation: Cold opens often trigger strong emotional reactions—fear, laughter, surprise—which makes the viewer more invested from the start.
- Pattern disruption: Beginning a story unconventionally can break expectations and make the viewer more alert, attentive, and receptive to what’s coming.
By activating these cognitive responses early, creators increase the likelihood that audiences won’t tune out before the main story unfolds.
Genres that use cold opens effectively
While any genre can employ this device, certain formats make especially frequent use of it.
- Crime and mystery: Shows like Law & Order, CSI, and Breaking Bad begin with disturbing or intriguing events—often a crime or unexplained incident—that sets the tone for investigation and resolution.
- Comedy: Sitcoms such as The Office, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, and Parks and Recreation use cold opens for quick gags or awkward situations, independent of the main plot. These moments give a taste of character dynamics or recurring jokes.
- Thriller and horror: Stranger Things and The X-Files often open with eerie or unexplained phenomena, establishing suspense and raising questions that propel the narrative forward.
- Drama: Series like The West Wing or Mad Men use cold opens to throw viewers into political crises or character dilemmas without delay, offering emotional or thematic context upfront.
These openings don’t just set the stage—they often set the stakes.
Memorable examples that nailed it
Some cold opens have become iconic for how effectively they captivated audiences in mere minutes.
- “Breaking Bad” (Pilot): A frantic Walter White drives an RV through the desert in his underwear, gas mask on, gun in hand—then records a goodbye message to his family. Viewers instantly understand they’re watching something unusual and urgent.
- “The Office” – “Stress Relief” episode: Dwight stages a fake fire drill, prompting pure chaos and physical comedy. It’s completely unrelated to the episode’s plot but is one of the most unforgettable comedic cold opens in television.
- “Lost” (Pilot): Jack wakes up in the jungle, disoriented. The camera follows him as he stumbles onto the wreckage of Oceanic Flight 815. Without any dialogue, the stakes are instantly enormous.
- “Better Call Saul” – Season Openings: The series regularly starts each season with a black-and-white scene of Saul living under a new identity, giving viewers a haunting look at the aftermath of Breaking Bad even before the prequel events unfold.
Each of these examples captures a different emotional tone—panic, humor, awe, or melancholy—but shares a common goal: immediate engagement.
Building tension without answers
A successful cold open doesn’t necessarily offer resolution. In fact, ambiguity is often its greatest strength. By posing questions without answers, it sets a narrative hook.
However, this must be done strategically. If the cold open is too confusing or disconnected, viewers may feel lost or manipulated. There’s a delicate balance between intrigue and incoherence. The best cold opens know how to hint at the story without overwhelming the audience.
Film and the cold open
Though more commonly associated with television, cinema has also adopted the cold open technique. James Bond films have long featured action-packed pre-credit sequences, usually independent missions that showcase Bond’s skills and charisma before the main story begins.
Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight opens with a high-stakes bank robbery orchestrated by the Joker—offering no context, just tension, and gradually unfolding layers of the character’s ruthlessness. Similarly, Inglourious Basterds starts with a quiet but terrifying interrogation that reveals both character motivation and stakes without exposition.
These examples demonstrate that cold opens in film often function as mini-movies, designed to set tone, introduce a villain, or showcase thematic direction.
Challenges and risks
Despite its effectiveness, the cold open comes with creative risks:
- Disjointed storytelling: If not integrated well, the opening may feel like a separate vignette rather than part of the narrative whole.
- Pacing imbalance: A fast-paced or dramatic cold open can overshadow slower developments that follow, making the rest of the story feel anti-climactic.
- Unfulfilled expectations: If the tension set up in the cold open isn’t paid off later, viewers may feel misled or disappointed.
Writers and directors must ensure that the cold open isn’t just a gimmick, but a meaningful entry point into the world they’re building.
Why audiences remember the first few minutes
Psychologically, first impressions matter. Viewers are more likely to remember the beginning of a story than its middle, a phenomenon supported by studies on cognitive recall and narrative engagement. A cold open leverages this tendency by front-loading tension, emotion, or mystery—making it more likely to be discussed, rewatched, or shared.
In the age of streaming, where viewers can choose to abandon a show within minutes, the first scene carries even more weight. With hundreds of options available, the ability to captivate instantly is not just a creative advantage—it’s a competitive necessity.
The cold open, when done well, bypasses hesitation. It says, without hesitation, this is worth your time. And sometimes, that’s all it takes.