Top 10 Scariest Scenes from Non-Horror TV Shows

Let’s be real here – “Chernobyl” is scarier than most horror shows! In fact, it’s arguably the scariest non-horror show of all time, as we are constantly reminded that these horrific events actually happened. The show is filled with unsettling sequences, like when the plant employees peer into the exposed core, but we have to give this spot to the hospital interviews. The makeup work on Toptunov is stunning, and the scene only hints at the destruction wrought upon Akimov, although Khomyuk later states that his entire face was gone. It’s arguably more effective to leave his state to our imagination, as if the show is sparing us from witnessing the incomprehensible horror that played out in April and May of 1986.

“Fringe” managed to put an original spin on the whole zombie craze. It came in the Season 4 finale, “Brave New World,” when Peter and Nina briefly resurrect Jessica’s mind for important information. The results are… interesting, to say the least. If anything, it uncomfortably proves why the dead should stay dead, as Jessica is most definitely not herself throughout the ordeal. Her voice sounds subtly demonic, her eyes wander in an unnatural fashion, and she spouts some inane sentences that don’t make sense, as if her brain is incorrectly firing and sending mixed signals. “Fringe” often dealt in the supernatural, but nothing was as scary or unsettling as this.

When we heard that Bill Hader was creating a comedy-drama about a hitman who becomes an actor, we were optimistic and excited. But we certainly weren’t expecting it to get so dark! In this scene, Barry’s friend Chris reveals that he will be spilling sensitive information to his wife and the police, prompting Barry to execute him. The scene is deliriously wrought with tension, especially the silent moments immediately following Chris’s realization that he has just doomed himself to death. It also painted Barry in a far more antagonistic light, bringing his moral integrity and dedications into question. If anything, it proves that escaping your past life (especially if you are a hitman) can be far more difficult and complex than it seems.

Stannis and Selyse’s daughter is just a teen when she meets her demise, and that already is scary enough. But the fact that Shireen’s own father is the one who allows Melisandre to set the young princess ablaze at the stake as a sacrifice - reluctantly, mind you - is what makes this scene so disturbing. While it might not necessarily be jump-outta-your-seat scary, the child’s screams of terror and her painful calls for those who are supposed to protect her will chill you to the bone. Meanwhile, Selyse’s last-minute change of heart is too little too late, and her failure to save her little one result in both her own and her husband’s eventual deaths.

“Star Trek” didn’t often veer into horror, but when it did, it veered hard. Season 4’s “Night Terrors” certainly isn’t one of the show’s greatest hours, but it is arguably the scariest, and it contains one of the freakiest scenes in the entire “Star Trek” canon. While Dr. Crusher investigates corpses in the morgue, she hallucinates them sitting up in their clear body bags. It’s nothing spectacularly original, but it’s a good old-fashioned fright, the music is spooky, and it preys on our primal fear of seeing the dead return to life. A lot of children watched this show, and we imagine a good number of them were left traumatized by this!

Many “Better Call Saul” fans were eagerly anticipating Chuck’s downfall, but we weren’t expecting it to be so damned haunting. In the Season 3 finale, Chuck has a mental breakdown and completely destroys his house before setting it, and himself, on fire. The scene is expertly shot and edited, as we see still shots of Chuck’s ruined house while the hissing of the lantern and the rhythmic pulses of Chuck’s kicks can be heard in the background. We then glimpse Chuck’s dimly lit and completely shell-shocked face, and we know that he has hit a new low. Few people genuinely liked Chuck, but he didn’t deserve such a violent, horrific, and painful death.

While “Breaking Bad” was never a horror show, it definitely veered into the horrific on more than one occasion. Season 4 was especially dark, as it started with Gus slitting Victor’s throat and forcing Walt and Jesse to watch him die. It also built to a fantastic crescendo, with Walt having a mental breakdown in the house’s crawl space. This scene is often lauded as one of the series’ best, and it contains masterful acting from Bryan Cranston, who depicts Walt’s breakdown with terrifying and sympathetic clarity. The way the scene is edited is also superb, as it slowly escalates in sound and tension before culminating with a spectacular shot of Walt’s boxed-in and dejected face. It’s spectacular television.

“Lost” aired what is arguably one of the most engaging pilots in television history, and Part 1 culminated in one of the show’s most exciting sequences. Jack, Charlie, and Kate investigate the crashed cockpit when they begin to hear the now famous “oooooos” and mechanical clicks of the Smoke Monster. Of course, we didn’t know what it was at the time, and the scene is kept scarier and more exciting by keeping the threat off-screen. All we know is that there is SOMETHING out there that can make unimaginably loud noises, fell entire trees, and pull fully grown apart like pulled pork. With this scene, we were utterly devoted to “Lost” and its enduring mysteries.

It’s hard to pin down just what “Atlanta” is. According to Donald Glover, it’s “‘Twin Peaks’ with rappers.” But what it is not is a horror show. Until “Teddy Perkins.” Front and center is the unpredictable Teddy Perkins, brilliantly played by a literally unrecognizable Donald Glover. We know from the get-go that something is “off” about Teddy, and we watch in horror as he slowly grows increasingly unhinged throughout the episode. It culminates in a terrifying sequence which sees Teddy threatening Darius with a gun, a brutal murder, and a tragic suicide. We honestly didn't know where this story was going, and it was shocking to see it go in such a violent, scary, and legitimately gruesome direction.

Before we look at the scariest scene, here are a few honorable mentions.

David Picks up a Hitchhiker
“Six Feet Under” (2001-05)

The Gentlemen
“Buffy the Vampire Slayer” (1997-2003)

The Monster at the End of the Dream
“True Detective” (2014-)

Tony Eliminates His Biggest Blunder, Christopher
“The Sopranos” (1999-2007)

Stoning
“The Leftovers” (2014-17)

“Doctor Who” can certainly be corny, and the first season of the revived era has not aged particularly well. That said, the one-two punch of “The Empty Child” and “The Doctor Dances” is one of the series’ greatest accomplishments. The episodes are filled with creepy moments, like the Empty Child showing up after the tape runs out. But perhaps the most chilling and famous sequence is when the doctor’s face transforms into a gas mask. It’s a great piece of CGI, as it convincingly shows the process in all its graphic detail. Those expanding eyeballs still gives us the creeps to this day. In fact, the whole story does. Everyone remembers the Weeping Angels, but this is where the true horror lies.