‘I absolutely had to rest after that!’ The most intense TV episodes of all time
Spooks – I Spy Apocalypse (2003)
The episode begins with the Spooks team confined while undergoing a drill relating to a hypothetical terrorist attack, overseen by two Home Office officials. As the situation develops, it becomes clear a real incident has taken place with a chemical weapon released. The suspense builds as messages indicate a catastrophe taking place outside, and intensifies as the boss appears to be infected, and the two Home Office officials attempt to leave, compelling the character played by Matthew Macfadyen to decide between shooting them or letting them go and potentially infecting the secure MI5 headquarters. This being Spooks, the outcome is expected.
Threads from 1984
Threads had minimal funding but one of the most frightening programmes I have ever watched because of the stark reality and bleak government data. Watched it about a month ago after seeing the first airing; I used to visit the pub in Sheffield featured in the show that highlighted the truth and the glib matter-of-fact official information that were transmitted. Remaining completely frightening 35 years later.
Severance – The We We Are (2022)
The season one finale of Severance deserves a top spot as a tense chapter. I spent the entire episode actually sitting tensely, exerting with Dylan to maintain his grip on the controls that kept the Innies on overtime, while yelling at the Innies to reveal their realities. The ultimate peak – “she survives!” – resembled a outburst.
Industry – White Mischief from 2024
The fifth episode of Industry’s third season caused my heart to pound. I had to pause and get up and depart the area multiple times because of the sheer scale of the deliberate ruin I was witnessing. Rishi Ramdani is in major difficulty professionally and personally – buried in financial obligations to loan sharks owing to his uncontrollable gaming, taking such risks with a gamble on the pound which could lose his company millions. Inevitably, he starts a gaming binge, consumes excessive substances and alcohol and wins, loses, wins, gets beaten to a pulp. Every time you think things cannot decline more, it deteriorates. Redemption seems possible as the installment closes yet he wastes the chance, resulting in dreadful effects during the season’s final episode. Definitely needed a lie-down after that!
The 2007 Peep Show episode Holiday
Peep Show itself isn’t necessarily a stressful show. But the episode Holiday contains such levels of cringe that it can cause you to stand the whole episode, filled with nervousness. The tension escalates as Jeremy and Mark discover needing to deceive regarding the dog they unintentionally hit and following tries to eliminate it. You then spend the rest of the episode questioning whether it truly can be worse than incineration, and it is possible!
The West Wing – The Two Cathedrals (2001)
No other viewing has been as gripping as when I first saw the concluding episode of The West Wing’s second season. The show opens with the fallout of the death (in a traffic accident) of the president’s confidential aide and reaches a crescendo with a situation in Haiti, and the repercussions of the secrecy of the president’s MS diagnosis, with confirmation of his intention to seek re-election. Excellent TV. Never bettered.
Bodyguard – episode one from 2018
The beginning of the UK show Bodyguard, with the hero aboard a train with his young son, ranks among the most gripping episodes I’ve seen. He notices a Muslim female heading to the toilet and realizes something is amiss. The bomb diffuser experts are called, enter the train, and attempt to convince the woman to take off her suicide vest. Tension escalates to an almost unbearable degree, until, finally, the vest is neutralized.
The 2001 Buffy episode The Body
Buffy arrives at her residence to realize her mom has deceased due to natural factors, which is the rarest form of demise in this paranormal series. The episode has no background music, a gloomy atmosphere, and we view the installment through the lens of Buffy’s shock of discovering her mother.
The 2007 The Sopranos finale Made in America
The concluding moment of the last installment 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? “Remember the little things.” However, the vibe is oddly threatening. Nearly Twin Peaks-like fear. The family gathers in a diner. Meadow parks. Tony sadly tells Carmela there’s trouble afoot with an additional associate cooperating with the officials. Meadow parks the vehicle. Odd persons arrive at the eatery. Gaze at Tony(?) Meadow is parking. Tony plays a track on the music machine. Meadow finds a spot. The bell rings, someone enters the restaurant. It cannot be Meadow, she is still parking. Tony raises his gaze. Continue. It halts. My heart dropped from my mouth roughly 20 minutes after.
The Walking Dead – The Last Day on Earth (2016)
I remained awake to view this installment in the early morning. It was extremely gripping following the introduction of villain Negan locating the survivors, cruelly taunting his victims and then keeping the death a mystery (ended on a cliffhanger). The point-of-view shot from the victim and the muted audio – oh no! {We then had to wait for season seven|We then needed to await season