‘I definitely needed a lie-down after that!’ The most nerve-wracking television episodes of all time
Spooks – I Spy Apocalypse from 2003
The episode begins with the MI5 agents locked down during a training exercise concerning a fictional terrorist event, monitored by two government representatives. As things progress, it appears that there really has been an attack and a chemical agent deployed. The tension ratchets up as messages indicate a disaster happening externally, and escalates as the superior shows signs of exposure, and the two Home Office officials attempt to leave, pushing the protagonist portrayed by Matthew Macfadyen to decide between shooting them or letting them go and risking contaminating the sealed MI5 offices. As this is Spooks, his decision is predictable.
Threads (1984)
Threads had minimal funding but one of the most frightening programmes I have ever watched because of the stark reality and grim official statistics. Watched it about a month ago after seeing the first airing; I often attended the bar in Sheffield shown in the series which underscored the actuality and the glib matter-of-fact official information that aired. Remaining completely frightening after three and a half decades.
Severance – The We We Are (2022)
The season one finale of Severance has to be right up there among intense episodes. I remained for the whole show literally perched nervously, pushing alongside Dylan to maintain his grip on the controls that sustained the Innies’ extended time, while screaming at the Innies to get their truths out there. The concluding高潮 – “she’s alive!” – resembled a outburst.
The 2024 Industry episode White Mischief
Episode five of the third series of Industry made my pulse quicken. I needed to stop and stand and exit the space repeatedly owing to the vast degree of the deliberate ruin I was witnessing. Rishi Ramdani faces serious trouble professionally and personally – buried in financial obligations to illegal creditors due to his addictive betting, taking such risks with a bet on sterling which may result in huge losses for his employer. Inevitably, he starts a gaming binge, does tons of drugs and drink and alternates between success and failure, is severely assaulted. Every time you think it can’t get any worse, it does. There’s hope of redemption by the episode’s conclusion but he squanders the opportunity, resulting in dreadful effects in the season finale. Absolutely had to relax following that!
Peep Show – Holiday from 2007
Peep Show itself isn’t necessarily a stressful show. However, the Holiday episode features such degrees of awkwardness that it’ll have you standing up the whole episode, permeated with worry. The situation intensifies once Jeremy and Mark find themselves needing to deceive regarding the dog they by chance collide with and subsequent attempts to dispose of it. You then occupy the remainder of the episode questioning whether it truly can be worse than incineration, and it is possible!
The West Wing – The Two Cathedrals (2001)
Nothing I have seen has been as tense compared to my initial viewing the concluding episode of The West Wing’s second season. The episode starts with the aftermath of the death (in a traffic accident) of the president’s personal secretary and reaches a crescendo involving a Haitian emergency, and the fallout from the non-disclosure regarding the president’s multiple sclerosis diagnosis, coupled with verification of his aim to pursue re-election. Wonderful television. Never bettered.
The 2018 Bodyguard premiere episode
The opening of the British series Bodyguard, with the hero aboard a train alongside his juvenile boy, is personally a top tense installment. He spots a Muslim woman heading to the toilet and knows something is off. The bomb squad is alerted, board the train, and try to persuade the woman to take off her suicide vest. Anxiety builds to an almost unbearable degree, until, indeed, the vest is disarmed.
The 2001 Buffy episode The Body
Buffy enters her house to find her mum has passed away due to natural factors, which is the rarest form of demise in this paranormal series. The show features no musical score, a sullen tone, and we see the episode through the experience of Buffy’s shock of discovering her mother.
The Sopranos – Made in America from 2007
The concluding moment of the last installment of the series was extremely nerve-wracking. And if you viewed it when it first premiered, you – initially – were uncertain of the reason. Tony’s enemies, real and imagined, were all vanquished. Doesn’t this resemble the season one conclusion? “Remember the little things.” But the mood is bizarrely ominous. Nearly Twin Peaks-like fear. The clan sits in an eatery. Meadow finds a parking spot. Tony sadly tells Carmela difficulties are arising with another member of his team working with the government. Meadow parks the vehicle. Strange people enter the restaurant. Stare at Tony(?) Meadow parks. Tony puts a record on the jukebox. Meadow finds a spot. The bell rings, someone enters the restaurant. It isn’t Meadow, she remains parking. Tony glances upward. Keep going. It stops. My heart dropped from my mouth roughly 20 minutes after.
The Walking Dead – The Last Day on Earth from 2016
I kept late hours to see this show at 2am. It was incredibly tense following the introduction of villain Negan finding the group, mercilessly mocking his targets and then keeping the death a mystery (finished with an unresolved situation). The victim’s POV shot and the muffled sounds – ugh! {We then had to wait for season seven|We then needed to await season
