The Power of Nightmares backdrop
Documentary

The Worst Episodes of The Power of Nightmares

Every episode of The Power of Nightmares ranked from worst to best. Explore the Worst Episodes of The Power of Nightmares!

Binge this in 3h 0m•Peaking at 8.2/10

Examines how politicians have used our fears to increase their power and control over society.

Airs on
BBC Two
BestEpisodes
WorstEpisodes
BestSeasons
AllEpisodes

Seasons1

All1

Episode Rankings

  1. #1 Worst Episode
    Click to reveal
    The Power of Nightmares Season 1 Episode 2 - The Phantom Victory
    8.1/10(126 votes)

    #1 - The Phantom Victory

    S1:E2

    Islamist factions, rapidly falling under the more radical influence of Zawahiri and his rich Saudi acolyte Osama bin Laden, join the Neo-Conservative-influenced Reagan Administration to combat the Soviet Union's invasion of Afghanistan. They are successful in repulsing the Soviet armies and, when the Eastern Bloc begins to collapse in the late 1980s, both groups believe they were the primary architect of the "Evil Empire's" defeat and thus have the power to carry out their revolutions in their homelands. Curtis instead argues that the Soviets were on their last legs and were doomed to collapse without intervention.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  2. The Power of Nightmares Season 1 Episode 1 - Baby It's Cold Outside
    8.2/10(148 votes)

    #2 - Baby It's Cold Outside

    S1:E1

    In the past our politicians offered us dreams of a better world. Now they promise to protect us from nightmares. The most frightening of these is the threat of an international terror network. But just as the dreams were not true, neither are these nightmares. The first part of the series explains the origins of Islamism and Neo-Conservatism.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  3. The Power of Nightmares Season 1 Episode 3 - The Shadows in the Cave
    8.2/10(128 votes)

    #3 - The Shadows in the Cave

    S1:E3

    Curtis argues that, after their failed revolutions, bin Laden and Zawahiri had little or no popular support, let alone a serious complex organisation of terrorists, and were dependent upon independent operatives to carry out their new call for jihad. The film instead shows the United States government wanting to prosecute bin Laden in absentia for the 1998 U.S. embassy bombings, and needing to prove him to be the head of a criminal organisation to do so. They find a former associate of bin Laden, Jamal al-Fadl, and pay him to testify that bin Laden was the head of a massive terrorist organisation called "al-Qaeda". With the September 11th attacks, Neo-Conservatives in the new Republican government of George W. Bush use this created concept of an organisation to justify another crusade against a new evil enemy, leading to the launch of the War on Terrorism.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

Worst Episodes Summary

"The Phantom Victory" is the worst rated episode of "The Power of Nightmares". It scored 8.1/10 based on 126 votes. Directed by Unknown and written by Unknown, it aired on 10/27/2004. This episode scored 0.1 points lower than the second lowest rated, "Baby It's Cold Outside".