‘I truly required a break after that!’ The most gripping episodes of TV of all time

Spooks – I Spy Apocalypse from 2003

This installment starts with the Spooks team locked down while undergoing a drill concerning a fictional terrorist event, supervised by two Home Office agents. As the situation develops, it seems an actual attack has occurred with a chemical weapon released. The anxiety increases as messages indicate a crisis unfolding beyond their walls, and gets worse when the leader seems contaminated, with the two officials trying to exit, compelling the character played by Matthew Macfadyen to decide between shooting them or allowing them to leave and endangering the sterile MI5 environment. Given it’s Spooks, his decision is predictable.

Threads from 1984

Threads had minimal funding but one of the most frightening programmes I have viewed owing to its grim authenticity and grim official statistics. Saw it not long ago following the initial broadcast; I often attended the bar in Sheffield featured in the show that highlighted the truth and the casual, straightforward government details that aired. Continuing to be utterly horrifying after three and a half decades.

The 2022 Severance episode The We We Are

The season one finale of Severance has to be right up there among intense episodes. I was throughout the episode literally perched nervously, exerting with Dylan to maintain his grip on the controls that allowed the Innies to remain active, while screaming at the Innies to get their truths out there. The ultimate peak – “she’s alive!” – resembled a outburst.

Industry – White Mischief from 2024

Episode five of the third series of Industry had my heart racing. I had to pause and get up and depart the area multiple times because of the sheer scale of the wanton self-destruction I saw. Rishi Ramdani is in major difficulty professionally and personally – overwhelmed by debt from unscrupulous lenders due to his addictive betting, taking such risks with a bet on sterling that might cost his firm millions. So of course, he goes on a gambling spree, 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. Redemption seems possible by the episode’s conclusion but he misses the opening, with horrifying consequences in the concluding part of the season. Absolutely had to relax following that!

Peep Show – Holiday (2007)

Peep Show is not inherently a tense series. However, the Holiday episode includes such amounts of embarrassment that it will make you rise for the full show, permeated with worry. The situation intensifies as Jeremy and Mark discover needing to deceive regarding the dog they accidentally run over and following tries to eliminate it. You subsequently use the rest of the installment wondering if it might be more awful than cremation, and it is possible!

The West Wing – The Two Cathedrals from 2001

Nothing I’ve watched has been more intense than the first time I watched the second season finale of The West Wing. The installment begins with the consequences of the passing (in a road incident) of the president’s confidential aide and escalates to a高潮 with a crisis in Haiti, and the repercussions of the secrecy of the president’s MS diagnosis, coupled with verification of his aim to run for another term. Wonderful television. Unequaled.

Bodyguard – episode one from 2018

The beginning of the UK show Bodyguard, with the hero aboard a train with his young son, ranks among the most gripping episodes I’ve seen. He observes a woman in Islamic attire going into the loo and knows something is off. The bomb squad is alerted, get on the train, and attempt to convince the woman to discard her bomb jacket. Tension escalates to a nearly intolerable level, until yes, the vest is diffused.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer – The Body (2001)

Buffy enters her house to discover her mother has died from natural reasons, which is the rarest form of demise in this paranormal series. The show features no musical score, a sullen tone, and we see the episode through the experience of Buffy’s shock of discovering her mother.

The Sopranos – Made in America (2007)

The concluding moment of the last installment of the program was incredibly anxious. 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 overcome. Surely this has the feel of the season one ending? “Think about the small elements.” But the mood is bizarrely ominous. Nearly Twin Peaks-like fear. The family sit in a restaurant. Meadow parks. Tony sadly tells Carmela problems are brewing with an additional associate collaborating with the authorities. Meadow secures a parking space. Odd persons arrive at the eatery. Stare at Tony(?) Meadow is parking. Tony selects a song on the jukebox. Meadow parks her car. The bell sounds, an individual enters. It isn’t Meadow, she remains parking. Tony raises his gaze. Keep going. It ceases. My heart sank about 20 minutes later.

The Walking Dead – The Last Day on Earth (2016)

I stayed up to watch this episode at 2am. It was so intense after the buildup of bad guy Negan finding the group, savagely teasing his prey and then keeping the death a mystery (concluded with a suspenseful moment). The first-person perspective of the victim and the subdued noises – oh no! {We then had to wait for season seven|We then needed to await season