‘I definitely needed a lie-down after that!’ The most gripping television episodes ever
Spooks – I Spy Apocalypse (2003)
The episode begins with the intelligence unit locked down while undergoing a drill concerning a fictional terrorist event, supervised by two Home Office agents. As events unfold, it becomes clear a real incident has taken place with a chemical weapon released. The suspense builds as messages indicate a crisis unfolding beyond their walls, and gets worse as the superior shows signs of exposure, and the government agents endeavor to depart, forcing Matthew Macfadyen’s character to opt for either shooting them or allowing them to leave and risking contaminating the sealed MI5 offices. This being Spooks, it is unsurprising which one he chooses.
The 1984 production Threads
Threads had minimal funding yet among the scariest shows I’ve ever seen due to its harsh realism and grim official statistics. Viewed it recently following the initial broadcast; I used to visit the pub in Sheffield featured in the show which underscored the actuality and the offhand factual official statements which was broadcast. Remaining completely frightening after three and a half decades.
Severance – The We We Are (2022)
The season one finale of Severance ranks highly among intense episodes. I remained for the whole show quite literally on the edge of my seat, straining every sinew with Dylan to keep his hands on the levers that kept the Innies on overtime, while shouting to the Innies to disclose their facts. The final climactic moment – “she’s alive!” – resembled a outburst.
The 2024 Industry episode White Mischief
The fifth episode of Industry’s third season had my heart racing. I had to pause and get up and depart the area multiple times because of the sheer scale of the reckless self-harm I was witnessing. Rishi Ramdani is in deep shit professionally and personally – buried in financial obligations from unscrupulous lenders because of his compulsive gambling, taking such risks on a wager involving sterling which may result in huge losses for his employer. Naturally, he embarks on a betting frenzy, does tons of drugs and drink and experiences wins and losses, is brutally attacked. Whenever you assume the situation cannot deteriorate further, it worsens. Redemption seems possible at the end of the episode but he misses the opening, leading to terrible outcomes in the season finale. Certainly required a rest afterward!
Peep Show – Holiday from 2007
Peep Show itself isn’t necessarily a stressful show. But the episode Holiday features such degrees of awkwardness that it’ll have you standing up the whole episode, riddled with anxiety. The tension escalates once Jeremy and Mark find themselves being compelled to falsify about the canine they accidentally run over and later efforts to get rid of it. You then occupy the remainder of the episode questioning whether it truly can be worse than incineration, and it turns out to be!
The West Wing – The Two Cathedrals from 2001
Nothing I have seen has been as tense than the first time I watched the season two finale to The West Wing. The installment begins with the consequences of the passing (in a road incident) of the president’s private assistant and builds to a peak 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 seek re-election. Superb programming. Unsurpassed.
Bodyguard – episode one (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 spots a Muslim woman entering the restroom and knows something is off. The bomb diffuser experts are called, board the train, and attempt to convince the woman to remove her explosive vest. Anxiety builds to a nearly intolerable level, until yes, the vest is diffused.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer – The Body from 2001
Buffy arrives at her residence 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 gloomy atmosphere, and we witness the episode via the perspective 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 for those who saw it during its initial broadcast, you – at first – weren’t sure why. Tony’s enemies, real and imagined, had all been defeated. This seems similar to the first season’s finale, right? “Think about the small elements.” But the mood is bizarrely ominous. Approaching Twin Peaks-esque horror. The family gathers in a diner. Meadow finds a parking spot. Tony gloomily informs Carmela problems are brewing with an additional associate collaborating with the authorities. Meadow parks the vehicle. Odd persons arrive at the eatery. Look at Tony(?) Meadow is parking. Tony plays a track on the music machine. Meadow parks her car. The door chimes, a person comes in. Can’t be Meadow, she’s still parking. Tony looks up. Continue. It ceases. My heart sank about 20 minutes later.
The 2016 The Walking Dead episode The Last Day on Earth
I stayed up to watch this episode in the early morning. It was extremely gripping after the establishment of antagonist Negan finding the group, mercilessly mocking his targets then not knowing who he killed (finished with an unresolved situation). 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
