‘I absolutely had to rest after that!’ Your most gripping television episodes ever
Spooks – I Spy Apocalypse from 2003
The episode begins with the Spooks team locked down while undergoing a drill relating to a hypothetical terrorist attack, supervised by two Home Office agents. As things progress, it appears that there really has been an attack and a chemical weapon has been unleashed. The suspense builds as incoming communications show a disaster happening externally, and gets worse when the leader seems contaminated, and the two Home Office officials attempt to leave, forcing Matthew Macfadyen’s character to choose between firing at them or letting them go and risking contaminating the sealed MI5 offices. Given it’s Spooks, his decision is predictable.
Threads (1984)
Threads had minimal funding yet among the scariest shows I have viewed due to its harsh realism and bleak government data. Watched it about a month ago having watched the original; I often attended the bar in Sheffield featured in the show which underscored the actuality and the offhand factual official statements that were transmitted. Remaining completely frightening decades on.
Severance – The We We Are from 2022
The season one finale of Severance ranks highly as a tense chapter. I was throughout the episode quite literally on the edge of my seat, exerting with Dylan to keep his hands on the levers that sustained the Innies’ extended time, while shouting to the Innies to reveal their realities. The final climactic moment – “she is living!” – resembled a outburst.
Industry – White Mischief (2024)
Episode five of the third series of Industry had my heart racing. I needed to stop and stand and exit the space repeatedly due to the immense extent of the wanton self-destruction I observed. Rishi Ramdani is in deep shit professionally and personally – overwhelmed by debt to loan sharks because of his compulsive gambling, taking such risks with a gamble on the pound which may result in huge losses for his employer. Naturally, he embarks on a betting frenzy, consumes excessive substances and alcohol and wins, loses, wins, gets beaten to a pulp. Every time you think it can’t get any worse, it does. Redemption seems possible as the installment closes yet he wastes the chance, with horrifying consequences in the season finale. Absolutely had to relax following that!
The 2007 Peep Show episode Holiday
Peep Show is not inherently a tense series. But the episode Holiday includes such amounts of embarrassment that it will make you rise throughout the entire episode, permeated with worry. The tension escalates when Jeremy and Mark realize needing to deceive regarding the dog they unintentionally hit and following tries to eliminate 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 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 demise (in a car crash) of the president’s private assistant and escalates to a高潮 with a crisis in Haiti, and the fallout from the non-disclosure about the president’s MS condition, coupled with verification of his aim to seek re-election. Superb programming. Unequaled.
The 2018 Bodyguard premiere episode
The beginning of the UK show Bodyguard, with the hero aboard a train accompanied by his small son, is personally a top tense installment. He spots a Muslim woman heading to the toilet and realizes something is amiss. The bomb squad is alerted, enter the train, and endeavor to coax the woman to remove her explosive vest. Anxiety builds to an almost unbearable degree, until, finally, the vest is neutralized.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer – The Body from 2001
Buffy comes into her home to discover her mother has died from natural reasons, which is the rarest form of demise in this supernatural show. The installment lacks any soundtrack, a somber mood, and we see the episode through the experience of Buffy’s shock of discovering her mother.
The 2007 The Sopranos finale Made in America
The final scene of the final episode 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, had all been defeated. Surely this has the feel of the season one ending? “Think about the small elements.” Yet the atmosphere is strangely foreboding. Nearly Twin Peaks-like fear. The family sit in a restaurant. Meadow finds a parking spot. Tony sorrowfully notifies Carmela problems are brewing with an additional associate working with the government. Meadow parks the vehicle. Unfamiliar individuals come into the diner. Gaze at Tony(?) Meadow continues to park. Tony plays a track on the music machine. Meadow finds a spot. The door chimes, a person comes in. It isn’t Meadow, she remains parking. Tony glances upward. Keep going. 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 in the early morning. It was extremely gripping after the establishment of antagonist Negan discovering the characters, savagely teasing his prey and then leaving the victim unknown (ended on a cliffhanger). The victim’s POV shot and the muted audio – oh no! {We then had to wait for season seven|We then needed to await season
