As the series finale of Better Call Saul recently proved, a high-intensity show is enough to get viewers to tune in week after week. The history of TV is filled with series that had episodes that really turned up the heat on their audience and left them clinging to the edge of their seats.
From action/horror shows like Scrubs, intensity can come from any series and catch the viewer totally off guard. There have been innumerable intense episodes of TV over the years, but s on Reddit logged on to shout out their absolute favorites.
"Offred" - The Handmaid's Tale (2017-Present)
Occasionally, an intense show can come out of its corner swinging and completely level audience who aren't prepared. The Handmaid's Tale because it was too plausible."
The show's political messaging is the heart of the experience, but to many viewers, it was simply too much to bear. Kicking things off with a bang, the premiere episode doesn't ease into its ideas and instead jumps right into some of the darkest material of the show as society slides further towards its evil patriarchy.
"Why We Fight" - Band Of Brothers (2001)
The harsh realities of war were bound to create intense moments in Band of Brothers, but one episode in particular left viewers shaken. Recalling the details but not the name, Pinky2110 wrote, "Band of Brothers when they find that concentration camp".
The miniseries' penultimate episode features some of the best moments from The Band of Brothers and sees the characters at each other's throats after long months on the front line. The discovery of the concentration camp completely recontextualizes the story and is a harsh reminder for the audience and characters alike that the war was over so much more than ideals.
"The Body" - Buffy The Vampire Slayer (1997-2003)
Buffy the Vampire Slayer could be silly, scary, and fun all at once, but "The Body" ratcheted up the intensity and came completely out of left field. tkcool73 was still bothered by it, saying. "From Buffy...The Body. It was so unexpected and done so realistically that you leave the episode really screwed up."
Death is handled almost flippantly on the show as Buffy and the gang slash their way through vampires and monsters. But the sudden death of Buffy's mother to natural causes was like a punch to the gut. Handled with startling precision, the scene leaves the audience in the cold silence of loneliness as they slowly pick their jaws up off the floor.
"The We We Are" - Severance (2022-Present)
Apple TV+'s groundbreaking series Severance could certainly be categorized as a slow burn, but the final episode of the first season is anything but slow. A deleted had a visceral reaction to the episode when they said "The season finale of Severance. I was on the edge of my couch the whole episode."
With everything coming to a head, "The We We Are" gets the audience's hopes up only to crush them in the last moments. The rollercoaster ride of emotions that the episode takes is almost cruel with the amount of tension it builds, and it brilliantly continues the ideas in a way that assures additional seasons.
"Who Goes There" - True Detective (2014-2019)
Usually considered True Detective great. Herogamer555 didn't have much to say, but instead allowed the episode to speak for itself when they said "True Detective season 1 episode 4".
Going undercover in an unofficial capacity, the audience gets the sense that Cohle has totally lost his connection with reality. While the finale sequence of the episode is applauded for its technical merit, it is also an intense moment that sees Cohle get lost in a criminal raid. Every episode of the show was nail-biting, but "Who Goes There" pushed things to the absolute limit.
"The Day Will Come When You Won't Be" - The Walking Dead (2010-2022)
Whether it was shocking viewers with its gore or frightening them with its zombie hordes, fans always knew they were going to get a gamut of emotions from The Walking Dead. flyboy_za had a particular episode in mind when they wrote, "Start of S7 of The Walking Dead where Negan executes 2 of the main cast."
The show had never shied away from dispatching its lead characters in sudden and violent ways, but "The Day Will Come When You Won't Be" almost reveled in its gruesomeness. The ending of the previous season left things on an intense cliffhanger, and the start of the seventh not only continued the tone but somehow topped it.
"Plan And Execution" - Better Call Saul (2015-2022)
All the shows in the Breaking Bad universe had a knack for making viewers tense, and Better Call Saul continued the tradition. Theboss6k singled out an episode of Better Call Saul when they commented, "Plan and Execution. Episode of Better Call Saul".
Always in way over his head, Jimmy's many plans deviously wove together during the mid-season 6 finale. With highs and lows, the episode sees Jimmy get into a jam before working his way out, only to end up in an even bigger jam than before. From start to finish, "Plan and Execution" never takes its foot off the gas.
"Beyond Life And Death" - Twin Peaks (1990-1991)
Though it is now accepted as one ofTwin Peaks was anything but beloved by the end of its second season. However, elskirvo found something to enjoy when they said, "Season 2 finale of Twin Peaks was the craziest hour of tv I'd ever witnessed...It's super intense."
After essentially squandering its mystery storyline, the show limped on until the finale completely saved it. Delving into the world of metaphysics, Dale Cooper enters a nightmarish dreamscape that left audiences confused and startled. Though the cliffhanger wasn't resolved until decades later, the original finale of Twin Peaks was satisfying in its own way.
"My Screwup" - Scrubs (2001-2010)
Scrubs was very much a hilarious comedy program, but that didn't mean it wasn't capable of absolutely devastating the audience at a moment's notice. FLEXXMAN33 had an intense episode in mind when they wrote, "Scrubs, 'My Screw Up'."
Trying to show the medical profession in a somewhat realistic light, Scrubs showed the good, the bad, and the ugly parts of the job. Death is a natural part of working in a hospital, but J.D. was put under extra pressure because of a perceived mistake. The sudden tonal shift left audiences in shambles, and there were a fair amount of tears to go along with the laughter.
"Ozymandias" - Breaking Bad (2008-2013)
The final season of Breaking Bad might just be the most perfect stretch of television in history, and it had a firm grip on the hearts of the viewer week in and week out. NehzQk wrote the understatement of the century saying, "Oxymandias from Breaking Bad was pretty intense as an episode."
With all of Walt's schemes crashing down, the episode sees him become the fully-realized villain of the story. The ticking clock element is enough to give viewer's palpitations, and each new wrinkle is like a twist of the knife in the hearts of fans. Like the best thrill-ride in the world, "Ozymandias" was the definition of pulse-pounding.
