‘I absolutely had to rest after that!’ Your most nerve-wracking episodes of TV of all time
Spooks – I Spy Apocalypse (2003)
This installment starts with the intelligence unit confined as part of a simulation about a potential terror incident, monitored by two government representatives. As events unfold, it becomes clear a real incident has taken place and a chemical weapon has been unleashed. The tension ratchets up as messages indicate a catastrophe taking place outside, and gets worse as the boss appears to be infected, and the government agents endeavor to depart, pushing the protagonist portrayed by Matthew Macfadyen to choose between firing at them or allowing them to leave and potentially infecting the secure MI5 headquarters. As this is Spooks, it is unsurprising which one he chooses.
Threads (1984)
The production was inexpensive but one of the most frightening programmes I have ever watched due to its harsh realism and dismal official figures. Viewed it recently having watched the original; I frequently went to the Sheffield pub featured in the show which underscored the actuality and the casual, straightforward government details that aired. Still absolutely terrifying decades on.
Severance – The We We Are from 2022
The season one finale of Severance has to be right up there among intense episodes. I spent the entire episode literally perched nervously, straining every sinew with Dylan to keep his hands on the levers that allowed the Innies to remain active, while shouting to the Innies to get their truths out there. The concluding高潮 – “she survives!” – resembled a outburst.
The 2024 Industry episode White Mischief
Installment five in Industry’s third series caused my heart to pound. I was compelled to halt and rise and exit the space repeatedly because of the sheer scale of the reckless self-harm I saw. Rishi Ramdani is in major difficulty in his job and domestic life – up to his eyeballs in debt to loan sharks due to his addictive betting, assuming hazardous chances with a gamble on the pound which could lose his company millions. So of course, he goes on a gambling spree, consumes excessive substances and alcohol and wins, loses, wins, is brutally attacked. Every time you think it can’t get any worse, it does. Redemption seems possible by the episode’s conclusion yet he wastes the chance, leading to terrible outcomes during the season’s final episode. Definitely needed a lie-down after that!
Peep Show – Holiday from 2007
The series Peep Show isn’t typically anxiety-inducing. However, the Holiday episode contains such levels of cringe that it’ll have you standing up for the full show, filled with nervousness. The tension escalates once Jeremy and Mark find themselves being compelled to falsify about the canine they by chance collide with and later efforts to get rid of it. You then occupy the remainder of the episode doubting if it can actually be more terrible than burning, and it is possible!
The West Wing – The Two Cathedrals (2001)
Nothing I have seen has been as tense than the first time I watched the concluding episode of The West Wing’s second season. The installment begins with the consequences of the death (in a traffic accident) of the president’s private assistant and reaches a crescendo with a situation in Haiti, and the repercussions of the secrecy regarding the president’s multiple sclerosis diagnosis, along with affirmation of his plan to pursue re-election. Excellent TV. Unequaled.
Bodyguard – episode one from 2018
The opening of the British series Bodyguard, featuring the main character on a train with his young son, ranks among the most gripping episodes I’ve seen. He observes a woman in Islamic attire entering the restroom and knows something is off. The bomb squad is alerted, enter the train, and attempt to convince the woman to discard her bomb jacket. Suspense rises to a nearly intolerable level, until, indeed, the vest is disarmed.
The 2001 Buffy episode The Body
Buffy comes into her home to realize her mom has deceased of natural causes, which is the least common kind of passing in this paranormal series. The episode has no background music, a somber mood, and we view the installment through the lens of Buffy’s dismay upon uncovering her mother.
The 2007 The Sopranos finale Made in America
The final scene of the final episode of the show was pants-wettingly tense. And for those who saw it during its initial broadcast, you – at first – weren’t sure why. Tony’s enemies, real and imagined, were all vanquished. Doesn’t this resemble the season one conclusion? “Recall the minor details.” Yet the atmosphere is strangely foreboding. Nearly Twin Peaks-like fear. The family gathers in a diner. Meadow parks. Tony sadly tells Carmela there’s trouble afoot with another member of his team cooperating with the officials. Meadow parks. Unfamiliar individuals come into the diner. Look at Tony(?) Meadow continues to park. Tony puts a record on the jukebox. Meadow finds a spot. The bell rings, someone enters the restaurant. Can’t be Meadow, she’s still parking. Tony glances upward. Continue. It stops. My heart sank around 20 minutes subsequently.
The Walking Dead – The Last Day on Earth from 2016
I kept late hours to see this show during the night. It was so intense after the establishment of antagonist Negan discovering the characters, cruelly taunting his victims and then leaving the victim unknown (concluded with a suspenseful moment). The first-person perspective of the victim and the muted audio – argh! {We then had to wait for season seven|We then needed to await season
