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Spooks – I Spy Apocalypse (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 events unfold, it becomes clear a real incident has taken place and a chemical weapon has been unleashed. The suspense builds as reports reveal a catastrophe taking place outside, and gets worse when the leader seems contaminated, and the two Home Office officials attempt to leave, compelling the character played by Matthew Macfadyen to opt for either shooting them or allowing them to leave and potentially infecting the secure MI5 headquarters. This being Spooks, his decision is predictable.

The 1984 production Threads

Threads had minimal funding but arguably the most terrifying series I have viewed due to its harsh realism and bleak government data. Watched it about a month ago having watched the original; I used to visit the pub in Sheffield featured in the show which emphasised the reality and the casual, straightforward government details which was broadcast. Remaining completely frightening decades on.

Severance – The We We Are (2022)

The season one finale of Severance deserves a top spot as a tense chapter. I remained for the whole show actually sitting tensely, pushing alongside Dylan to keep his hands on the levers that sustained the Innies’ extended time, while screaming at the Innies to reveal their realities. The ultimate peak – “she’s alive!” – resembled a outburst.

The 2024 Industry episode White Mischief

The fifth episode of Industry’s third season caused my heart to pound. I was compelled to halt and rise and depart the area multiple times owing to the vast degree of the wanton self-destruction I observed. Rishi Ramdani is in deep shit in his job and domestic life – up to his eyeballs in debt from unscrupulous lenders owing to his uncontrollable gaming, assuming hazardous chances with a bet on sterling that might cost his firm millions. Naturally, he embarks on a betting frenzy, does tons of drugs and drink and alternates between success and failure, gets beaten to a pulp. Whenever you assume things cannot decline more, it worsens. There’s hope of redemption at the end of the episode but he misses the opening, leading to terrible outcomes in the concluding part of the season. Certainly required a rest afterward!

Peep Show – Holiday (2007)

The series Peep Show isn’t typically anxiety-inducing. But the episode Holiday includes such amounts of embarrassment that it will make you rise the whole episode, filled with nervousness. The situation intensifies as Jeremy and Mark discover needing to deceive regarding the dog they accidentally run over and subsequent attempts to dispose of it. You then occupy the remainder of the episode wondering if it might be more awful than cremation, and it turns out to be!

The 2001 The West Wing episode The Two Cathedrals

Nothing I’ve watched has been more intense 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 reaches a crescendo with a situation in Haiti, and the repercussions of the secrecy about the president’s MS condition, with confirmation of his intention to pursue re-election. Excellent TV. Never bettered.

Bodyguard – episode one (2018)

The beginning of the UK show Bodyguard, with the hero aboard a train accompanied by his small son, is for me one of the most intense episodes ever. 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 discard her bomb jacket. Tension escalates to an almost unbearable degree, until, finally, the vest is neutralized.

The 2001 Buffy episode The Body

Buffy enters her house to find her mum has passed away of natural causes, which is the most unusual type of death in this mystical program. The installment lacks any soundtrack, a gloomy atmosphere, and we witness the episode via the perspective of Buffy’s astonishment upon finding 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 – initially – were uncertain of the reason. Tony’s foes, genuine and fictional, were all vanquished. This seems similar to the first season’s finale, right? “Think about the small elements.” However, the vibe is oddly threatening. 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 working with the government. Meadow parks. Strange people enter the restaurant. Gaze at Tony(?) Meadow parks. Tony puts a record on the jukebox. Meadow parks her car. The bell rings, someone enters the restaurant. It cannot be Meadow, she is still parking. Tony looks up. Don’t stop. It halts. My spirit fell about 20 minutes later.

The 2016 The Walking Dead episode The Last Day on Earth

I stayed up to watch this episode during the night. It was incredibly tense after the establishment of antagonist Negan finding the group, mercilessly mocking his targets and then keeping the death a mystery (finished with an unresolved situation). The point-of-view shot from the victim and the muffled sounds – ugh! {We then had to wait for season seven|We then needed to await season