Sighed I

That conversation in the first episode was actually between Jopson and Crozier, not Edward and Crozier. Nevertheless, I agree it was a callback to that conversation, for the audience at least. It really is wonderful how much care they put into pretty much every aspect of the show. It's incredibly multilayered and eminently rewatchable. It's a fanboy/fangirl's dream. LOL

I started listening to the audiobook of the novel again and am up to Chapter 16. It's pretty good and densely detailed, but so far I like the show, and especially the characters, better than the novel. Since the thread is marked for spoilers, I won't hide my comments here, but to be on the safe side I'll leave some spoiler space. S P O I L E R S The biggest difference are the characters. They're all pretty racist, including Goodsir, who refers to the Inuit as savages; he and either Dr. Stanley (who's not a dick) or Dr. McDonald are the ones who dump Lady Silence's father down the fire hole and he speaks nonchalantly about it, which was a bit jarring. I realize their attitudes are reflective of the times, but I like the show's approach better. They are still men of their times on the show, but there's some variability in their points of view which I found realistic. Of course there would be men like Goodsir, who would be curious and fascinated by foreign cultures, for intellectual reasons at least. Of course there were men with extensive enough experience they would learn to communicate with the indigenous people and even have respect for their ability to survive such a harsh environment. Crozier doesn't speak the Netsilik tongue. Maybe the real Crozier wasn't one of those people and that's why the author characterized him in the way that he did (I've got to read his biography). Crozier refers to Lady Silence/Silna as a witch, wench and a bitch. She (and another Native woman in one of Franklin's backstories) is rather sexualized, or at the very least objectified--both he and Franklin are, shall we say, distracted when they accidentally see her naked, Franklin especially. In the book, these two women are the only naked women he's ever seen. How the heck does a man who's been married twice and fathered a child never see either of his wives naked? I knew they were uptight about sex back then, but I didn't realize it was that bad. Sheesh. Franklin also comes off as a bit of a simpleton and is clearly incompetent. He's incompetent where it counts on the show as well, but I don't get the sense he's completely clueless so much as too arrogant to see beyond personal ambition. Silna's tongue is already missing when we meet her, which I think was a misstep on the part of the author. It makes it extra difficult for any kind of character development, not only for her but for Crozier and the other men who interact with her. So far she seems to be more or less a prop or a plot device rather than a character in her own right. Of course this could change as I get further along, but right now it feels like a missed opportunity. It reminds me a bit of the Lord of the Rings novels vs. the movies. I have been a fan of the books since I was a kid, but I prefer the characterization in the movies for several characters, notably Aragorn and Boromir. In the books, Boromir is much less sympathetic, so his sacrifice doesn't really mean all much to me. Aragorn comes off entitled and egotistical, so I never really feel like he's worthy of following beyond it being his "destiny". Bleh. You gotta earn my loyalty. ;) Of course we wouldn't have the show if it weren't for the novel so I can't be too hard on it. It certainly provided a great framework for the series, so for that alone it has my respect. Granted, I'm not very far into the story yet, but from what I've heard so far, I feel the show's adaptation captured the essence of the novel and improved upon it. I will say Tuunbaq is much more interesting and scary in the novel. I like how he not only blends into the environment, but is part of the landscape itself. The first thing you see are the eyes, only you're not sure what they are at first. By the time you figure out they are eyes, it's already too late. Anyway, I'm enjoying the novel, though I am glad I saw the show first. One disadvantage to listening to it rather than reading it is the voices are so different. I can't help but associate the actors' voices with their respective characters, so hearing things like Fitzjames lisping and Crozier growling is kind of weird. I'd love to hear a version with the actors doing the voices, but the chances of that happening are virtually nil, I'm sure.

I'm watching episode one as I write. After seeing the scene in the finale of Ross and the interpreter with the Netsilik leader in the finale, I wanted to rewatch the scene which started it all. Naturally I got sucked in, so here I am again. LOL This time through I'm going to pay special attention to the theme song. Someone mentioned in the episode thread that the showrunners said there were variations to the theme throughout. I personally only remember it sounding different twice--in the 6th or 7th episode (I think) and in the final one--but with as much care as they've put into just about every other aspect of the show, it wouldn't surprise me if there were subtle differences I missed. I feel like such a fangirl sometimes gushing over the show, but I just can't help myself. It's one of those series that's even better when you watch it again; honestly, I think you could watch it ten times and pick up something new every single time. Knowing something about the real expedition ratchets it up another notch. It's Oscar caliber, if TV shows were eligible for such awards. I really, really hope it gets the recognition it so richly deserves.

Marcus Fjellström did indeed compose the music for Collins' dive scene. I believe he composed most, if not all, the original music for the show. It had a very distinctive sound, haunting and slightly discordant. I really loved it; the story wouldn't have been the same without it. I'm sorry you were disappointed in the finale. I know how much you've enjoyed the series, so for it to end on a low note must be a real let down. Maybe in time, upon rewatch, you might like it a bit more. I really like your idea of Tuunbaq being a mass hallucination. I believe it was @slothgirl who suggested it might have been cool if he'd been non-corporeal. Perhaps some combination of the two could have worked. I like the idea of their fear temporarily giving him corporeal form, just long enough to take them out before disappearing into the wind. Too bad the writers didn't consult with us here on the forum when they were writing this thing; there are a lot of smart cookies here with good ideas. ;) ETA: Just a general comment. The little ship Silna carved for Crozier was yet another shout-out to real life. One of the artifacts found from the actual expedition was, you guessed it, a little ship someone had carved. I thought that was a neat touch. :)

Amen. I was really disappointed the writers have chosen not to return, should we get another season. Hopefully, though, TPTB can see there's an audience hungry for intelligent, high quality storytelling and bring on writers of similar caliber. Whatever they do, they've set a very high bar. Don't let us down, AMC!!

Indeed, it was Jopson.

I interpreted it similarly, as a sign of life (and therefore, hope) and possibly open water ahead. Mostly, though, I interpreted it as dinner. ;)

I really enjoyed the last episode, though admittedly, I watched it a second time right away as I was a little thrown off. I felt there was a slight shift in tone compared to the previous nine. Given that we start with 130-odd men and end with one, for this last one to be slightly askew from the rest seems strangely appropriate. I'm not ashamed to admit I let out a little cheer when Tuunbaq chomped off Hickey's arm, followed by tearing him in half. I may be philosophically optimistic about humanity's potentials and capabilities at times, but I'm not above some well-deserved karmic justice. LOL ;) In any case, it was nice to have the last half hour belong to Crozier, and Silna (what a pretty name! :). I'm very sorry she was exiled. She must have known it was coming, which makes her rescuing Francis and bringing him to her people that much more poignant. Despite everything they put her through, I think she grew to care about many, or at least some, of these men and was not immune to their suffering, but her ability to do much of anything was extremely limited. At best, she could have helped a tiny handful of them, and if I were her, it would not include a group with the likes of Hickey among them, short of anyone she didn't already have a relationship with, like Goodsir. I thought she was shocked and devastated when she saw Harry's body. Personal romance fantasies aside ;)--and truthfully, their relationship seemed more akin to that of siblings than of star-crossed lovers)--it wouldn't have been in character for her to be wailing over him, so her standing there frozen seemed perfectly fitting to me. I hated Harry's death, of course, but if he had to die I'm glad it was of his own choosing and not from being victimized by Hickey, as I feared might happen. I loved that his last thoughts reflected his wonder and intellect. It was beautiful in its simplicity and an interesting contrast to the understandable chaos of Franklin's final moments. Like others here, I found Jopson's end perhaps the most devastating of all. I hate the thought of him dying believing Crozier broke his promise. :`( I cried when Francis found him and stroked his head. As mentioned upthread, Edward's gruesome self-piercings were a shout-out to real life events. I read (elsewhere, I believe) this was something some sailors/pirates did when they knew they were doomed, in hopes of bribing the discoverer to bury their corpse. It's sad that Crozier was right--Edward did intend to stage a rescue (but was overruled)--and Edward was right as well--they needed the Captain's expertise. Hickey knocked out Tozer because as the best shot and the one who broached the topic of returning to the ship, he would have been a threat to Hickey's plan. That's also why he chained Hodgson and Crozier to the boat as well. Did anyone notice he called Armitage, who's not a Marine, "Private"? Not unlike his rescuing Manson from Dead Room duty, he used the man's weakness (in this case a physical disability preventing him from becoming a soldier) as a means of controlling him. It got to where I hated Hickey and was glad to see him gone--I was positively dreading the thought of the last few minutes being a showdown between him and Francis--but I have to say I did enjoy his last monologue. Crozier's "You could have just joined up" and the rest of the men gawking at him like WTF (shoot him already!!) when he went completely off the rails were highlights, and the former made me chuckle. XOXO, Francis. I thought the last shot was haunting, and gorgeous, and agree with those who interpreted it as Crozier seal hunting, and a callback to his conversation with Goodsir about how long and difficult a skill it is to develop. I personally thought it took place years after Ross and the interpreter showed up at the Netsilik camp, but I'm not sure it matters. When I first started watching this show, I got so into it I read as much as I could about the real expedition, so I knew at least some men were spotted years later, suggesting a few may have survived long(er) term. I remember wondering if any of them did survive, but at the time I brushed it off, thinking why would anyone who wasn't born there want to stay in that wasteland? Of course now it makes perfect sense. After everything he's lost, why would Crozier go back? No one could possibly understand what they went through there, even other survivors of previous expeditions. He would have to spend the rest of his life being interrogated and judged by the ignorant and the foolish, and it would've just spurred men like Barrow to send even more men to their deaths. At least in the Arctic, he could find some semblance of peace, such as it is. That scene between Ross and (presumably) Barrow's son said so much with so little. Even the loss of 129 men wasn't enough to quell hubris and greed, though it does mark the slide of an empire in decline. Pride goeth before the fall. It's a cautionary tale, even today, though given the cycle of history keeps repeating itself, a lesson which remains unlearned.

Might want to grab some tissues, too. ;)

Normally after each episode, I have so much to say I don't know where to begin. This time I don't know where to begin because it's still sinking in. It brings to mind the final shot, alone with one's thoughts, yet not alone, surrounded by everything and nothing at all. This is going to linger with me for a long time. Bravo, gentlemen and ladies, bravo. One thing I do want comment on is the opening theme. I don't remember which one it was, but several episodes back I remember hearing the theme and thinking it had changed somewhat, but it was a subtle enough difference I thought maybe I was imagining it. After hearing how altered it was last night, I realize it wasn't my imagination after all. This show is so multilayered with so many beautiful touches. Start to finish, The Terror is sublime.

I don't think I could bear not watching it tonight. LOL I was really hoping we'd get a longer episode tonight. It looks like it's going to run an extra 15 minutes, but half of that's likely to be commercials. From what I've read about the real-life expedition, there are a number of events or incidents which haven't been shown yet, and I'm wondering how they're going to fit it all in. I realize they can't fit it all in, but there were some interesting findings and I'd love to see the writers' take on it. I wouldn't have minded another episode or two of this part of the story as it's felt a little abbreviated. I'm not feeling the passage of time in the same way I did when they were on the ships, and I'm wondering if it has to do with trying to cram too much into too few episodes. Unfortunately, I think the issue of getting spoiled before episodes broadcast is going to become more pervasive as networks/streaming providers try to draw subscribers by making entire seasons available on demand. For the most part, viewers of this particular show have been pretty thoughtful about not letting stuff slip (and I'm referring to the Web in general, not just here), but I, too, have been spoiled at various points by offhand comments and it really sucks when you're trying to avoid spoilers. :(

For fans of the show's writers, this is a bummer: http://www.tvguide.com/news/the-terror-season-2-amc/ Thanks for the link to the artist's drawings. I especially like the her depiction of Lt. Hodgson. Very haunting.

Hm, well darn, I was hoping for some esoteric meaning I might've missed. Hadn't thought it might just be a practical thing. LOL

I'm glad there are others here who aren't quite ready to say goodbye to our crew. This show has touched me in a way like no other has in a long time. I've also found the discussions each week very rewarding. Speaking of which, @Captanne, your post in another thread when you said, "Blah, over-educated, blah" cracked me up. LOL! It's really nice to be able to delve deeply into some of the philosophical questions without feeling like you're looking too much into it or whatever. More than most, I feel this show invites you to examine the story from many angles, including existential ones. That shit's right up my alley. ;) I looove that whole sequence with Collins' dive intercut with Goodsir's autopsy of David Young. It's so haunting and still one of my all-time favorite scenes. The music is spot-on too. Fitzjames said Sir John was burdened by what happened with Crozier and Sofia, so it's conceivable he did feel guilty, and significantly so for it to be one of the last things he thinks of in his death throes. At the very least it must have been something he'd been ruminating about recently. I suspect, however, it was more for dramatic reasons and a little bit of a "Hah, hah" /Nelson Muntz irony kind of thing on the part of the writers. This sequence is one of my favorite parts of episode three. It tells us so much about Franklin's character. He knows he screwed up big time. Given his response when Crozier requests to send out the rescue party, though, it's clear he's still deeply in denial, and/or too arrogant to admit it. Although containing elements of truth, his dress down of Crozier is 95% projection. One of the things I most enjoy about rewatching the show is following the storylines of minor or secondary characters. I have a soft spot for Tom Hartnell, for example. He's actually involved in a lot of major events throughout the story. He's a decent man, representing the grunt contingent, who would presumably be in the background as opposed to the officers, and a good counterpart to Hickey.

Great idea for a thread! Irving: Man's worst urges can be satisfied through Christian pleasures and graces--singing with friends, watercolors, study, climbing exercises..." Hickey: Climbing, sir? Sir James Ross: If you believe that depiction, you've dropped a stone at least since we've been back. Crozier: And seen a dentist as well, apparently. Sofia: I know with you, I can be plain. Crozier: With me, you've never hesitated to be plain. John Morfin: Have you ever...been lashed, sir? Goodsir: No! Good Lord, Morfin. <pauses> Have you? John Morfin: <sniff> Only once, sir.