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Most Terrifying Seasons of Science Fiction TV Shows

There's horror and comedy, but the most terrifying seasons of science fiction TV shows will have you binge-watching them before you even finish reading here.

By Ryan EppsPublished 6 years ago 6 min read
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Now that Thrones is gone, many of us have to turn toward other shows for that same gore and violence. While Stephen King's IT kills it in the box office, there isn't much to be had in the case of horror on television. There are actually so few horror shows out there that other genres tend to pick up the trope and use it to their grandest abilities. Not all shows can pull it off, though, but certain ones have some really disturbing, if not borderline horrifying seasons worthy of praise, but many fall by ignored.

Sci-fi fans rejoice, for the following most terrifying seasons of science fiction TV shows will be scratching that itch for terror that keeps on bothering you. This list isn't just modern day or even classics—we got them all. Specifically, in the case of otherworldly, supernatural, and otherwise monstrous realities associated with the science fiction genre, horror fits inside like a glove. These television seasons proved to be not only sci-fi packed, but riddled with so much fear you'll be wondering if this is really some intense nightmare.

By crafting its second season in such a multi-functional way, the creators of Supernatural made a name for themselves with one of the most terrifying seasons of science fiction TV shows. Brothers Dean and Sam Winchester, moments after finally rediscovering their long lost father, must hunt an extremely violent and demonic entity, which may have killed their own mother.

Packed with some of the craziest and intense scenes, like "No Exit" and "Croatoan," season 2 has an unbelievably rare story, one that pushes the boundaries of both science fiction and the literal sense of the supernatural.

With its famous opening monicker, "There is nothing wrong with your television set," The Outer Limits proved to be one of those sci-fi shows that captured the heart of character development, and no other season displays this more so than its initial run.

The anthology series, in its debut, detailed a number of crazy and wacky, yet all the same terrifying stories, of which have made it one of the most terrifying seasons of science fiction TV shows. One of my favorite episodes, "The Man Who Was Never Born," needs to be your next must see.

Forever the king of science fiction television, The Twilight Zone literally started it all. It's got anything you want, whether it be time travel, twisted realities, angels, haunted small towns, and more. As one of the most terrifying seasons of science fiction TV shows, the fifth installment of the Twilight Zone gives viewers a myriad of fear.

Since you don't really have to watch it in order, I suggest "A Nightmare at 20,000 Feet," but if you're feeling something a little bit more eerie and dark, try "The 7th Is Made Up of Phantoms" or, better still, "The Fear." You can never go wrong with a little The Twilight Zone, but be warned: you're in for a warped sensation unlike any other.

Night Gallery's collection of horror plays has always been a classic among horror series, but its third season fits the bill as one of the most terrifying seasons of science fiction TV shows. "Finnegan's Flight," the eighth episode in the season, tells the story of a prison inmate who undergoes hypnosis from a fellow convict to help him cope. Another terrifying episode is "Doll of Death," which portrays voodoo in its most stunning, and horrific, qualities.

If you love scary shows and need a good binge-worthy classic to brighten up your dull modern television, Night Gallery and its third season will certainly relieve you of that enduring pain, but don't get hypnotized into the ether.

Do aliens walk among us? This is the main premise behind The X-Files and its long list of episodes, which have been renewed of life by FOX once more with a concurrent second season soon underway. With it being not only its longest, but also most terrifying season, the second installment in Mulder and Scully's adventures surely proves that good horror can come from great sci-fi.

Packed with the best protagonist partnership, plus a host of villainous characters that would make Stephen King scream, The X-Files season 2 is one of the most terrifying seasons of science fiction TV shows, because there's always a level of ambiguity left at the end of each episode. Like any great conspiracy theory documentary, you're always left wondering if maybe the truth really is out there...

In its fifth season, Dark Shadows truly pushed the envelope in style, story, and identity. Detailing the life and times of a vampire, whose return home is anything but welcoming, season 5 of Dark Shadows is truly horrifying and is one of the most terrifying seasons of science fiction TV shows.

None of the episodes have names, because the first season aired in 1966. Quentin's theme, the protagonist's highlighting monicker, is one of the creepiest sounds to enter the realm of TV and will remain so for a very long time. One thing's for sure, Dark Shadows season 5 makes any of the 00s sci-fi cult classics look like high school projects.

From murder houses and freak shows, to hotels and even Roanoke, American Horror Story has proven to showcase the modern genre of TV horror with ease and brilliance. The perfected genius riddling season 2, accurately named Asylum, only adds to the central flavor consistently expended by the show's creators.

Personally, I don't think there will ever be anything like this show or season, for that matter, and its only contender right now would have to be Black Mirror. But American Horror Story proves to be in a class all on its own, bringing out a multiplicity of horror tropes that many have failed to encapsulate.

You would be surprised at how disturbing Battlestar Galactica episodes can get. As an odd addition to the most terrifying seasons of science fiction TV shows, Battlestar Galactica's fourth season brought a host of disturbing and horrifying stories to the screen. Episode "Sometimes a Great Notion" expertly portrays how earth in the future can be represented by wayward travelers among the stars.

Even more so, "Blood on the Scales" highlights the importance of human connectivity, when an all-out war breaks out between the military and civilians. Other great episodes that will disturb you are "Shine Qua Non," "Escape Velocity," and "Guess What's Coming to Dinner?"

This campy anthology series based on the EC Comics of the same name brings out a long list of creepy episodes, some of which still haunt my memory. No other season was as fear-conducive as season 3, which is one of the most terrifying seasons of science fiction TV shows.

Tales from the Crypt is unlike most horrors, in that it's hosted by the Crypt Keeper, who introduces the stories being told each episode. From season 3 alone, most frights come from its legendary season finale "The Trap," which was actually directed by Micheal J. Fox and is anything but a Star Wars reference.

As a child, Goosebumps was hard to pass up. If you loved horror and couldn't resist R.L. Stein's brilliant TV adaptation, then you already know the second installation is one of the most terrifying seasons of science fiction TV shows.

Such episodes include "Night of the Living Dummy," "Welcome to the Dead House" and "The Scarecrow Walks at Midnight." It's best to avoid watching these at night, but if you want to time travel back to the days when simple horror could make terrifying stories, Goosebumps season 2 is your go to.

While it still serves as one of the top name TV shows still running on AMC, taking the mantle from Breaking Bad, zombie epidemic The Walking Dead has some of the most terrifying and thrilling seasons ever, but none can be better than its initial run.

Season 1, especially if watched in black and white, is utterly terrifying and only adds to Robert Kirkman's brilliant storytelling. From the moment Rick Grimes wakes up in a hospital bed, to the inevitable fates of his wife and daughter at the end, season 1 is absolutely one of the most terrifying seasons of science fiction TV shows.

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About the Creator

Ryan Epps

A cosmic adventurer rendering wayward letters into infinite lengths of conception and prose, like quantum streams of pneumatic information

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