The screech of the wire against the bottom of the dish combined with the hiss of hot metal cooling in blood ratchet up the tension bit by bit also. It's like nails on a chalkboard.

The show has suffered from a bad case of bloat for the past few seasons. Maybe if they end the season at the Christmas hiatus instead of dragging on for several weeks after, they could tighten up the story line and things wouldn't be so windy.