In this episode the relationship between Captain Francis and Sir John comes to a head. They have, to call it a fight is not quite fight, but it is a confrontation.
Note this review will have major spoilers.
The episode begins with the undignified burial of the dead intuit man. He's dumped into a hole they use for water. One of the men objects since according to what he knows, the intuit feel sensation after death and what they're doing is not in the dead man's custom. No one else cares and the dead body is dumped down the hole.
Captain Francis wants to send 8 men out to the Hudson Bay trading company which is hundreds of miles away. It's a multi month journey. The purpose? To let folks know where they are so they can ask for rescue. Sir John is appalled, at this point he's lost 6 men and hates it, and would consider these 8 men losses as well.
Sir John calls Francis the worst kind of second in command. Points out how he's tried to keep friendship between them, how Francis has kept away both from him, and from the men. How his lack of confidence, his pessimism has lead to his men on the Terror having lower morale than those on Erebus.
And it's easy to sympathize with both these men. If Francis had been listened to in episode 1, they wouldn't be in the mess they are. They would have lost zero men, but they would have zero glory and been yet another crew that failed to find a passage through the ice. Sir John points out how the catastrophes Frances predicts don't happen, which isn't true. He predicted they'd be stuck in the ice, which they have been for over a year at this point. And with no sign of a thaw, its another year and they do not have provisions for that since many canned provisions are spoiled. So yeah, Sir John is jovial despite the circumstances, he's optimistic, but his optimism is what caused the problem of everyone being stuck surrounded by ice for a year(and probably for another). Francis is a pessimist that John sees as a problem, as a drain. Like he's against glory.
And that's the crux of it, becuase finding the passage is about glory for the people in charge, except Francis who sees it as his job to keep things real as it were. If it weren't for glory seeking they would have listened to Francis in episode one and no one would be dead. (and it'd have been a terrible show lol)
After this we see a flash back to Francis courting Sophia, Sir Johns niece and charge(her parents died and she lives with them) and she rebuffs his proposal because she refuses to be a captain's wife and knows Francis is a sailor at heart. He says he's ready to retire. Sir john and his wife do not approve of the match despite Francis making her happy. This flash back is also the only time I've seen Francis smile. One thing the show does so well in this episode, and all the flash backs is how much more vibrant the colours are. It makes the grey lighting of the tundra's endless twilight hit all the harder.
Which brings something else to mind is the subtle sounds used to make the setting feel cold. The quite whistle of wind, the soft pitter patter of ice hitting the hull, all of it ads up to it feeling cold despite not being able to effect the temperature where it is.
The major thing that happens in this episode focuses on the monster. The marines have set up a hunting blind with rats as bait. The scene begins with Sir John and surgeon Goodsir visiting the blind to bring provisions and check on the men. Despite the circumstance the men are joking, and in good spirits doubly so when John gives out rum. His ease, and conversation with the men as they ask him to stay a while and offer him a gun so he could shoot the beast shows how he's endeared himself to the men. They enjoy the momment, until the monster attacks, pulling one of the marines up along with most of the blind.
And here Sir John falters. While his men are spreading out tactically, guns raised and ready, he panics. He's dropped the gun and never draws his pistol.
Main while on the Terror Francis hears the fight and snaps orders and joins the force himself. He also shows compassion to a ship's boy who wants to help. At first he tells him to stay on the ship where it's safer but the kid wants to fight, he's terrified of being alone on the ship. So Francis takes the kid with him. There's also a delightful small detail that when he uses a metal spy glass it sticks to his face due to the cold. The show does such a good job reminding the watcher just how brutal the temperatures are.
What follows is some masterfully done "Show the monster being terrifying without showing the monster. Man are grabbed, left dismembered, and the final bit is from Sir John's perspective as he's hauled around by the beast. We see flashes of the landscape, his bleeding stump of a leg, then the frame around the hole as he's dumped in by the beast. All with the sounds of dragging and his panicked breathing. It was so well done.
Then there's the aftermath and Francis is calm. Gets men out looking for the injured and dead. And when he finds out Sir John is among the dead we can see it guts him. His posture normally stiff breaks, his expression makes it clear he is close to tears.
Later there's a Eulogy, where Francis gives a speech, one Sir. John meant to give for another dead sailor, and it's a beautiful scene. The way Francis' voice breaks but he keeps going, the way the man are clearly fighting to stay stoic is heart rending. Even more so when followed by a scene of the men below decks who sing a dirge for the dead captain.
Watch the speech and tell me that's not an outstanding bit of theatre.
This was my favourite episode so far.
The loss of Sir John shifts the minds of people from their journey being one of hope, exploration and glory, to one of brutal survival.
The very last thing we see is the intuit woman in an igloo looking kinda really freaked out while the sound of the beast comes from outside. Then the sound of it leaving. She goes outside to find the carcass of a seal the creature has left with her.
In some ways I feel like Sir John got off easy considering if he'd listened to Francis the men wouldn't be in the mess at all. He harped on about saving the lives of his men, but every single one of them is his fault. While he signed up for the expedition, many of the men didn't. Conscription or press ganged into the navel service with no choice in where they went.
Rating: 90/100
Originally posted through scrobble.life/tv.
