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The 2003 Spooks episode I Spy Apocalypse

The episode begins with the intelligence unit confined while undergoing a drill about a potential terror incident, supervised by two Home Office agents. As the situation develops, it becomes clear a real incident has taken place and a chemical weapon has been unleashed. The suspense builds as incoming communications show a crisis unfolding beyond their walls, and gets worse as the boss appears to be infected, and the government agents endeavor to depart, pushing the protagonist portrayed by Matthew Macfadyen to decide between shooting them or letting them go and endangering the sterile MI5 environment. Given it’s Spooks, his decision is predictable.

Threads (1984)

The production was inexpensive but arguably the most terrifying series I have ever watched because of the stark reality and dismal official figures. Viewed it recently following the initial broadcast; I frequently went to the Sheffield pub from the programme that highlighted the truth and the offhand factual official statements which was broadcast. Continuing to be utterly horrifying after three and a half decades.

Severance – The We We Are from 2022

The first season finale of Severance deserves a top spot as a tense chapter. I remained for the whole show quite literally on the edge of my seat, pushing alongside Dylan to keep his hands on the levers that sustained the Innies’ extended time, while shouting to 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 had my heart racing. I was compelled to halt and rise and leave the room several times owing to the vast degree of the reckless self-harm I saw. Rishi Ramdani is in deep shit at work and home – overwhelmed by debt to illegal creditors due to his addictive betting, taking such risks on a wager involving sterling which could lose his company millions. So of course, he goes on a gambling spree, does tons of drugs and drink and alternates between success and failure, is severely assaulted. Whenever you assume the situation cannot deteriorate further, it worsens. There’s hope of redemption by the episode’s conclusion yet he wastes the chance, with horrifying consequences during the season’s final episode. Definitely needed a lie-down after that!

Peep Show – Holiday (2007)

Peep Show itself isn’t necessarily a stressful show. Yet the installment Holiday contains such levels of cringe that it can cause you to stand the whole episode, filled with nervousness. It all ramps up as Jeremy and Mark discover having to lie about the dog they by chance collide with and subsequent attempts to dispose of it. You then spend the rest 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 demise (in a car crash) of the president’s private assistant and builds to a peak with a crisis in Haiti, and the repercussions of the secrecy regarding the president’s multiple sclerosis diagnosis, coupled with verification of his aim to seek re-election. Excellent TV. Unequaled.

The 2018 Bodyguard premiere episode

The opening of the British series Bodyguard, with the protagonist on a train accompanied by his small son, is for me one of the most intense episodes ever. He notices a Muslim female 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 a nearly intolerable level, until, finally, the vest is neutralized.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer – The Body (2001)

Buffy enters her house to realize her mom has deceased from natural reasons, which is the least common kind of passing in this mystical program. The installment lacks any soundtrack, a gloomy atmosphere, and we see the episode through the experience of Buffy’s shock of discovering her mother.

The Sopranos – Made in America from 2007

The ultimate sequence of the series finale of the series was extremely nerve-wracking. And if you viewed it when it first premiered, you – at first – weren’t sure why. Tony’s foes, genuine and fictional, were all vanquished. Doesn’t this resemble the season one conclusion? “Recall the minor details.” Yet the atmosphere is strangely foreboding. Approaching Twin Peaks-esque horror. The clan sits in an eatery. Meadow stops the car. Tony gloomily informs Carmela there’s trouble afoot with another member of his team cooperating with the officials. Meadow parks. Odd persons arrive at the eatery. Stare at Tony(?) Meadow continues to park. Tony selects a song on the jukebox. Meadow parks. The bell sounds, an individual enters. Can’t be Meadow, she’s still parking. Tony glances upward. Don’t stop. It ceases. My spirit fell about 20 minutes later.

The Walking Dead – The Last Day on Earth from 2016

I kept late hours to see this show during the night. It was incredibly tense after the buildup of bad guy Negan locating the survivors, cruelly taunting his victims and then leaving the victim unknown (ended on a cliffhanger). The point-of-view shot from the victim and the subdued noises – ugh! {We then had to wait for season seven|We then needed to await season