I think this is an updating of the cliché from serial adventure stories for boys, where an instalment would end with a cliffhanger, the hero facing certain death. The following instalment would resolve the matter by saying "With one bound, Jack was free." Whether those exact words were ever written is unclear from Google, but it's a well-known form of lazy plotting. If it isn't already on TVTropes, now's your chance.
Wouldn't that fall under "Cliffhanger Copout"?
Happy New Year! Here's the latest and greatest installment of rationality quotes. Remember: