The episode begins with the Spooks team restricted during a training exercise relating to a hypothetical terrorist attack, monitored by two government representatives. As the situation develops, it becomes clear a real incident has taken place and a chemical weapon has been unleashed. The anxiety increases as incoming communications show a catastrophe taking place outside, and escalates as the superior shows signs of exposure, and the government agents endeavor to depart, pushing the protagonist portrayed by Matthew Macfadyen to choose between firing at them or permitting their exit and risking contaminating the sealed MI5 offices. Given it’s Spooks, the outcome is expected.
Threads had minimal funding but one of the most frightening programmes I’ve ever seen because of the stark reality and dismal official figures. Saw it not long ago having watched the original; I used to visit the pub in Sheffield from the programme which emphasised the reality and the offhand factual official statements which was broadcast. Still absolutely terrifying 35 years later.
The first season finale of Severance deserves a top spot in terms of gripping installments. I remained for the whole show actually sitting tensely, straining every sinew with Dylan to keep his hands on the levers that sustained the Innies’ extended time, while shouting to the Innies to get their truths out there. The ultimate peak – “she is living!” – resembled a outburst.
The fifth episode of Industry’s third season caused my heart to pound. I had to pause and get up and exit the space repeatedly due to the immense extent of the wanton self-destruction I saw. Rishi Ramdani is in deep shit at work and home – buried in financial obligations from unscrupulous lenders because of his compulsive gambling, engaging in dangerous ventures with a bet on sterling which could lose his company millions. Inevitably, he starts a gaming binge, consumes excessive substances and alcohol and wins, loses, wins, is severely assaulted. Whenever you assume it can’t get any worse, it does. Redemption seems possible at the end of the episode but he misses the opening, leading to terrible outcomes during the season’s final episode. Definitely needed a lie-down after that!
Peep Show itself isn’t necessarily a stressful show. But the episode Holiday contains such levels of cringe that it can cause you to stand for the full show, permeated with worry. It all ramps up when Jeremy and Mark realize having to lie about the dog they by chance collide with and subsequent attempts to dispose of it. You subsequently use the rest of the installment questioning whether it truly can be worse than incineration, and it turns out to be!
No other viewing has been as gripping as when I first saw the concluding episode of The West Wing’s second season. The show opens with the fallout of the passing (in a road incident) of the president’s confidential aide and builds to a peak with a situation in Haiti, and the repercussions of the secrecy of the president’s MS diagnosis, coupled with verification of his aim to seek re-election. Wonderful television. Unequaled.
The beginning of the UK show Bodyguard, featuring the main character on a train accompanied by his small son, ranks among the most gripping episodes I’ve seen. He notices a Muslim female going into the loo and knows something is off. The bomb squad is alerted, enter the train, and try to persuade the woman to take off her suicide vest. Anxiety builds to an almost unbearable degree, until yes, the vest is diffused.
Buffy comes into her home to find her mum has passed away of natural causes, which is the rarest form of demise in this supernatural show. The episode has no background music, a somber mood, and we witness the episode via the perspective of Buffy’s astonishment upon finding her mother.
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 foes, genuine and fictional, had all been defeated. Doesn’t this resemble the season one conclusion? “Think about the small elements.” But the mood is bizarrely ominous. Nearly Twin Peaks-like fear. The family gathers in a diner. Meadow stops the car. Tony sadly tells Carmela problems are brewing with another member of his team cooperating with the officials. Meadow secures a parking space. Odd persons arrive at the eatery. Stare at Tony(?) Meadow parks. Tony selects a song on the jukebox. Meadow parks her car. The door chimes, a person comes in. It isn’t Meadow, she remains parking. Tony looks up. Don’t stop. It stops. My spirit fell around 20 minutes subsequently.
I remained awake to view this installment at 2am. It was extremely gripping following the introduction of villain Negan discovering the characters, savagely teasing his prey and then keeping the death a mystery (concluded with a suspenseful moment). The point-of-view shot from the victim and the muffled sounds – argh! {We then had to wait for season seven|We then needed to await season
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