🔗 Share this article

The 2003 Spooks episode I Spy Apocalypse

The episode begins with the MI5 agents confined as part of a simulation concerning a fictional terrorist event, monitored by two government representatives. As things progress, it becomes clear a real incident has taken place and a chemical weapon has been unleashed. The anxiety increases as reports reveal a catastrophe taking place outside, and escalates as the boss appears to be infected, and the two Home Office officials attempt to leave, forcing Matthew Macfadyen’s character to opt for either shooting them or allowing them to leave and endangering the sterile MI5 environment. This being Spooks, it is unsurprising which one he chooses.

The 1984 production Threads

Threads had minimal funding but arguably the most terrifying series I have viewed due to its harsh realism and grim official statistics. Viewed it recently following the initial broadcast; I often attended the bar in Sheffield shown in the series that highlighted the truth and the glib matter-of-fact official information which was broadcast. Still absolutely terrifying after three and a half decades.

Severance – The We We Are (2022)

The first season finale of Severance has to be right up there among intense episodes. I spent the entire episode actually sitting tensely, pushing alongside Dylan to keep his hands on the levers that kept the Innies on overtime, while yelling at the Innies to get their truths out there. The final climactic moment – “she’s alive!” – felt like an explosion.

Industry – White Mischief (2024)

Episode five of the third series of Industry caused my heart to pound. I needed to stop and stand and leave the room several times due to the immense extent of the wanton self-destruction I observed. Rishi Ramdani is in deep shit at work and home – buried in financial obligations from unscrupulous lenders owing to his uncontrollable gaming, taking such risks with a bet on sterling which could lose his company millions. Naturally, he embarks on a betting frenzy, consumes excessive substances and alcohol and wins, loses, wins, is brutally attacked. Each instance you believe the situation cannot deteriorate further, it worsens. There’s hope of redemption as the installment closes yet he wastes the chance, leading to terrible outcomes in the concluding part of the season. 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 features such degrees of awkwardness that it will make you rise for the full show, filled with nervousness. The tension escalates once Jeremy and Mark find themselves needing to deceive regarding the dog they by chance collide with 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 can be!

The West Wing – The Two Cathedrals from 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 installment begins with the consequences of the passing (in a road incident) of the president’s confidential aide and builds to a peak involving a Haitian emergency, and the repercussions of the secrecy of the president’s MS diagnosis, coupled with verification of his aim to pursue re-election. Superb programming. Never bettered.

The 2018 Bodyguard premiere episode

The beginning of the UK show Bodyguard, with the protagonist on a train alongside his juvenile boy, is personally a top tense installment. He spots a Muslim woman heading to the toilet and senses something is wrong. The bomb diffuser experts are called, board the train, and attempt to convince the woman to take off her suicide vest. Anxiety builds to a nearly intolerable level, until yes, the vest is diffused.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer – The Body from 2001

Buffy comes into her home to realize her mom has deceased from natural reasons, which is the rarest form of demise in this supernatural show. The installment lacks any soundtrack, a somber mood, 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 ultimate sequence of the series finale 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 foes, genuine and fictional, were all overcome. Doesn’t this resemble the season one conclusion? “Remember the little things.” Yet the atmosphere is strangely foreboding. Nearly Twin Peaks-like fear. The clan sits in an eatery. Meadow finds a parking spot. Tony sadly tells Carmela difficulties are arising with yet another of his crew collaborating with the authorities. Meadow parks the vehicle. Strange people enter the restaurant. Look at Tony(?) Meadow continues to park. Tony plays a track on the music machine. Meadow parks. The bell rings, someone enters the restaurant. It cannot be Meadow, she is still parking. Tony looks up. Keep going. It stops. My heart sank around 20 minutes subsequently.

The Walking Dead – The Last Day on Earth from 2016

I stayed up to watch this episode during the night. It was so intense after the establishment of antagonist Negan discovering the characters, cruelly taunting his victims and then keeping the death a mystery (concluded with a suspenseful moment). The victim’s POV shot and the muted audio – argh! {We then had to wait for season seven|We then needed to await season