11 TV Scenes That Made Me Hold My Breath For So Long I Almost Passed Out

"Hold the door!"

We all love getting deep into a TV show – they can make you feel all sorts of emotions. Sometimes though, you're so caught up in the show that a scene or an entire episode can keep you on the edge of your seat.

Netflix

So, here are 11 TV episodes that got my heart racing:

🚨Warning – this post contains spoilers for the shows mentioned, skip at your discretion!🚨

1. True Detective – "Who Goes There"

HBO

My word, this sequence is what comes to mind whenever I'm thinking about a tense scene. The lead up to it makes you worried anyway, but the way it's shot in that single-shot style increases the tension exponentially. There are so many moving parts and things to stress about, that it just makes you hold your breath. 

2. Breaking Bad – "Crawl Space"

AMC

While it may only be the last few minutes of this episode that ramp up the tension – I remember my heartbeat increasing rapidly. The manic searching, scrambling together the cash, and then finally the somewhat evil laughter... That was one tense ending to an episode.  

3. Game of Thrones – "The Door"

HBO

In a show with countless tense, gruesome, and harrowing moments, this one stuck with me. It was tense already, but then the whole "hold the door" sequence began, and you made the realisation of Hodor... Chills. 

4. Squid Game – "The Man With the Umbrella"

Netflix

The whole point of this show was to create tense, nail-biting moments, and I guess you could include any of the challenges in a 'tense TV show moments' roundup. I think perhaps the most iconic, and the most tense, is the episode with the umbrella. As we see how much he's sweating, with the time running out, you almost feel like you're there with him. 

5. Better Call Saul – "Rock and a Hard Place"

Netflix

This whole season ramped up the tension, and Nacho's exploits in this episode had me on the edge of my seat. Being so invested in what happens to Nacho – this episode was reminiscent of those stressful Jesse Pinkman scenes, one that certainly raised the heartrate. 

6. The West Wing – "In the Shadow of Two Gunmen"

NBC

Both of these two episodes live long in the memory (parts one and two). There are so many elements that they pull together that just make for an enthralling watch. It's excellent writing, but my nerves were absolutely everywhere throughout. 

7. The Bear – "Review"

Disney+

Perhaps the best quality of The Bear was its ability to blend lightheartedness with incredible stress and tension, and this episode was definitely the latter. Each time a metaphorical fire was put out, another, bigger one began. Honestly, the stress of the characters very much transferred itself to me during this ep. 

8. Band of Brothers – "Bastogne"

HBO

This was a brutal episode, and it's the one that stayed with me most from the whole show. The scene with Julian and Babe was rough as hell, and the whole episode was a tense, harrowing watch. 

9. Bojack Horseman – "The View From Halfway Down"

Netflix

This episode ruined me. Perhaps tense isn't quite the word, more like intense. As Bojack revisits his past we're hit with a deep dive into depression, anxiety, and all of the emotional turmoil. 

10. Fargo – "The Crocodile's Dilemma"

FX

Maybe it was just me, but I was shocked by what Lester did in this episode, even though it was quite clearly leading up to it. From that moment, the entire next sequence was incredibly tense – with Vern turning up and what happens afterwards, I had no idea what was going to happen next. 

11. The Sopranos – "Kennedy and Heidi"

HBO

There were some strong elements of foreboding in this iconic and shocking scene, but it was still tense AF nonetheless. I remember audibly shouting when I realised what Tony was about to do, and I'm still not over it, tbh.  

What are the most tense episodes or TV scenes you've ever watched? Let us know in the comment below!