The Terror: Limited Series (AMC)

I have this feeling that Goodsir is going to go medieval on them all...

 

So, to not spoil anything (again), what’s the question about Goodsir? That he left with the mutineers? He didn’t do it willingly. He was forced.

 

I sort of figured. He was made to do a few things he really didn't want to fo.

 

In the book, he does the same thing. He’s the only semblance of a doctor left on the expedition. Outside of Crozier, perhaps, he’s the most valuable member of who’s left. Hickey knows that.

 

Sorry to bug you, I'm sure you've listed it before, but which book is that? I know there are a few available on the subject, trying to decide which one to grab.

 

The novel The Terror written by Dan Simmons from which this series is based on. The other non fiction books are all speculatory in terms of what happened to the crew. They all died so nobody knows.

I do believe there is another novel on the expedition that I’ve read (minus the horror element) but I don’t remember the name of it at the moment. I’ll see if I can find the title.

 

Thank you!

 

Was this in the previous episode? If I remember, he ran into his tent & hunkered down at the height of the attack, so it came as a surprise when he was with the mutineers in last night's episode.

 

The novel I was referring to is “Broken Lands: A Novel of Arctic Disaster” by Robert Edric. It’s not particularly good, but does a decent job of extrapolating what might have happened to the crew with the evidence that is known. There are actually a few novels on the topic. “The Rifles” by William T. Vollmann deals, in part, with the Franklin Expedition. It’s kind of all over the place, though.

 

I believe in ep 8 or 9 someone mentions that Gooodsir is gone and it’s implied that he did not go willingly. As I said, he was the only semblance of a doctor left. He’s definitely forced in the book.

 

Okay, I thought he lost his marbles or something. Anyway, it was quite an episode last night. Poor Captain Crozier. This cannot go good for him, being captured by Hickey & the mutineers. The first thing I thought was "punished as a boy."

 

Jeez...the streaming is all jacked up on this tonight. Anyone else having issues with this episode?

 

These last two episodes have been just as good as anything out there. Seriously good. Exceptionally good!

So, would it be fair to say that this whole series has had its good episodes (see, middle of the road), and its fantastic episodes?

Good god, the whole cannibalism thing (I can understand)! Fitzjames, who ended up a likeable character after all. His death, and the way Crozier interacted with him was heartbreaking. Then there was what's-his-nut's monologue to Goodsir, which was poignant.

Blanky! What a man's man! His whole conversation with Crozier bent my mind, as well. Blanky found the Northern Passage. Who would have thought.

***Spoiler***

Nobody gets out of here alive.

 

So, as you can see, Goodsir, being an anatomist, was taken by the mutineers because he knows how to chop up bodies. The idea of cannibalism was already on Hickey's mind as a means of survival when they killed the dog Neptune and ate him. Then he's talking with Hodgson about what's really in the cans? They're labeled "Veal Cutlets Tomato" but as he says, "is it horse meat? dog? who knows?"

I've found almost every episode to be good to great. Jared Harris's acting has been amazing. If he's not nominated for an Emmy then I don't know what to say. I thought his reaction to death of Fitzjames (now it's not a spoiler) plus knowing he was going to lose Blanky, too, was just incredibly well done in terms of conveying the sorrow, loss, and loneliness. He's the last man standing, essentially, and is under immense pressure and strain, but handles it. I thought Tobias Menzies did a great job of turning Fitzjames into a sympathetic and likable character at the end. I was sorry to see him go.

 

As a final observation, I didn't think the scene with Blanky finding the NP was that good. I mean, obviously, you want to give the guy a victory and he's a dependable and great character throughout, but for him to just sit his butt down, pull out a map, and look across a vast sea of ice, with limited visibility, and declare that was the route didn't ring exactly true to me. It's a small detail, though, in an otherwise well done show. I did like the idea of wrapping himself in forks. An ironic and symbolic measure and had to have made him less appetizing by the Tuunbaq!

 

Yeah, this passage bit was forced. I can see they tried really hard to get it in there before it's all over for everyone. But damn sometimes those little things break the immersion for me.

 

Oh man, I don't think Blanky finding the Northern Passage was forced or shoehorned in at all.

I'm a big stickler against overt contrivances, and the way that he sat down, looked, then he squinted, took out the map, looked again, unfolded the map, and then checked the map against the terrain, seemed very convincing. Sometimes things like that happen in life.

It's like that day that I woke up, and decided that I needed a Japan for USA copy of Pink Floyd's The Final Cut, a fairly scarce early copy, without pre-emphasis. One usually has to find them from somebody who's selling one. But, I pulled into the first Half Price Books by my home, walked in, went straight to the P section of the used CDs, and the first CD I pulled up was a Japan for USA Pink Floyd's The Final Cut. How does one even explain that?

Still, just because Blanky thought he had found the Northern Passage doesn't make it so. As long as Blanky thought he did, that's all that matters.

 

Good post. Well said; especially the last part. Congrats on the Floyd find

 

Whew...

Were those Fitzjames boots that Crozier saw Hickey wearing?

Goodsir remained a decent caring man until the end. Nice to see that even in the very worst of times, surrounded by monsters, both real and legendary, he didn't become one himself. And it was heartbreaking to see the way he went.

Hickey's calm cruelty makes him one of television's greatest villains.

Seeing the clearly bad FX Tuunbaq... and his cartoon man face in all of its glory... was forgivable given his last meal.

Did Lady Silence... nay...Silna feed Crozier a tasty morsel of Goodsir while he was recovering?

Yikes. Pierce-y Face. Like he needed to die with even less dignity. WT actual F.

A most satisfactory ending to a story well told. Beautifully filmed. In spite of its flaws. I'm glad I watched this.

One last thing... it said in the corner on the screen... season finale instead of series finale. I can't imagine there's more to this story to be told.

 

I didn’t quite get that part. Had they just descended into even further madness resulting in the face piercing?

 

If Jared Harris doesn't get an Emmy, I'm through with award shows.

 

That was my thinking. Or that being he was the last remaining officer, the crew turned on him and pierced his face, but I tend to think it was just pure madness.

Silna feeds Crozier seal blubber. That’s what that was.

Yes, those were Fitzjames boots; meaning they had exhumed his body and, likely, eaten it and took his boots.

The Terror was a “limited series” so the season finale is the end. There’s nothing more to do with this series. The story was told.

Brilliant job IMO.

 

I liked it overall, despite some hiccups along the way. Not sure about the final monster battle yet, but I guess in all the madness nothing seems crazy anymore. The ending had a nice flashback to the first episode.

 

I really enjoyed this mini-series. The acting was wonderful and the storyline held my interest. Of course it was going to end with men turning on each other as they starved and went insane. The last scenes of the desolate camps were sad. The idea that someone from the expedition may have actually survived but never revealed himself nor tried to return to England is compelling.

So I guess Gibson stole the ring from Goodsir?
Why was Hodgson still sitting apart from the other diners? Was he being ostracized in a way or were they still observing officer ettiquete?
Why did Tuunbaq get ill- did the forks harm him? His rejection of Hickey’s offer (and Hickey’s expression) was awesome.

 

It could be he was poisoned. The men he was eating were slowly being lead poisoned by the canned meat they've been eating for years. And... they just got done eating a man who literally poisoned his own skin knowing he was going to be devoured.

But it also looked like he was choking on Hickey. That could have contributed.

The fork jacket couldn't have helped.