‘Elementary’ Spoilers: EP Teases Season 5 Finale, Talks Season 6 Renewal Odds

“Elementary” creator Rob Doherty revealed that the upcoming Season 5 finale of the CBS series is going to end with a cliffhanger.

In a recent interview with TVLine, Doherty said that this season’s episode 24 features “a cliffhanger in a couple of respects.” And because CBS has yet to renew the series for Season 6, Doherty pointed out that the final episode of the season was “absolutely” intended as “a season finale,” and not a series ender. In the event the network decides not to pick up “Elementary” for another season, “viewers might be left without closure,” added Doherty.

According to a log line released by CBS for the Season 5 finale, Sherlock Holmes (Jonny Lee Miller) and Joan Watson (Lucy Liu) hunt an elusive criminal as a gang war erupts in New York City. While Captain Gregson (Aidan Quinn), Detective Bell (Jon Michael Hill) and the rest of the New York Police Department works to contain the violence, Sherlock and Joan probe the murder that seems to have triggered the gang war and find out that a familiar face is behind of it all.

READ: How did “Elementary’s” Aidan Quinn prepare for his TV directorial debut?

When asked about the show’s renewal odds, Doherty said: “I’m an eternal optimist. I feel good. I feel like we’ve had a strong season. We’re certainly very pleased with the way it’s wrapping up. And trust me, there’s a lot of ‘Elementary’ left in this humble writing staff. Many, many stories to come.”

CBS has already renewed 19 series for the next TV season, but for the first time since “Elementary” premiered in 2012, the crime drama is not included in the list of early renewals. While that’s pretty alarming for fans, the show still has a good chance to be renewed for Season 6.

According to Deadline, the show is already making writer staffing deals for Season 6. And even though “Elementary’s” linear ratings in the Sunday, 10 p.m. time slot are soft, the show has off-network streaming and subscription deals with WGN America, Hulu Plus and other broadcast stations, which collect up to $3 million per episode. CBS also owns “Elementary” 100 percent, and because ownership plays a big role in renewing existing series, it won’t be a surprise if the show gets picked up for another season.

An all-new episode of “Elementary” (Season 5, episode 20) airs tonight at 10 p.m. EDT on CBS, while the Season 5 finale is slated to air on May 21 in the same time slot.