REVIEW: The Terror, Season 1 Episode Ten 'We Are Gone'

 REVIEW: The Terror, Season 1 Episode Ten 'We Are Gone'

Given that the basis for this series revolves around a real life unresolved mystery, it was clear that in this final instalment things were going to go very wrong. The crews of these two ships may not have faced a spiritual entity in reality, but they certainly didn't return home either. The question for this final episode was, therefore, less 'Would they survive?' and more 'How would they die?'.

Early on, we are given a clear indicator of how doctor Henry Goodsir (Paul Ready) would meet his end. He has a rather deep conversation with Captain Francis Crozier (Jared Harris), to say the least, where he asks Francis to return the ring David Young entrusted to Henry to David's sister, upon his hopeful return to London. It appears Henry has become accustomed to the idea that he will die, suggesting he will do something to force it along rather than become a victim of the Tuunbaq. The subtle messaging is clear and concise, and a good method of communicating this idea to the audience without having Henry directly state his plan to purposefully end his own life.

And so Henry deliberately poisons himself, and we see the visions flowing through his mind as death closes in. I love just how surreal these images are; it's a really neat way to show the poison taking effect, almost as though Henry has taken something akin to a dangerous drug, like LSD or ecstacy. You'd have to be in a very dark state to feel that you're only solution from a horrendous situation is to take this way out, and it really shows just how dire things have become.

We get a great confrontation in this episode between Francis and Hickey (Adam Nagaitis), which reveals an impressive amount of detail about Hickey's character. Here we learn that Hickey sees Francis as his equal, and it really gives this impression of Francis and Hickey being two sides of the same coin. Perhaps Hickey is who Francis could have become had he taken a dark path in his life?

Hickey's reaction to Henry Goodsir's death is just pure nasty. This man really knows no bounds in his evil attitudes. Upon learning that this fellow shipmate has died, instead of showing any kind of grief or sadness at the lost, he instead remarks that Henry picked the ideal time to lose his life because it happens to be the crew's 'supper time'. Hickey has absolutely no morals, and he really is a TV villain you just love to hate. It makes it all the more crowd-pleasing when Francis refuses to sit at the table with the rest of the crew happily tucking into their deceased doctor's remains, and makes a point by only eating the sole of Henry's foot as Henry had requested before his death. Francis has truly become the hero this show deserves.

It has become very clear over these past episodes that Hickey is a character who cannot be trusted, but that didn't make the shock revelation in this final episode any less of a surprise. For Hickey is actually an imposter, taking on the name of the real Cornelius. This was a twist I never saw coming, but it feels earned with what we have learned over these past few weeks about this man we believed was 'Hickey'. We know that he is a troublemaker, and therefore this doesn't seem like a stretch at all. It does make you wonder what the 'real' Hickey would have been like; a tad more reasonable, or perhaps just as bad?

The Tuunbaq shows up for one last time in this last episode, and the CGI is a little better than in the past few weeks. It's still not the greatest CGI you will ever see, but it's serviceable and does the job required in these closing moments. These scenes with the Tuunbaq are truly brutal though; I saw another review describe it as like a 15 rated Jurassic Park, and that reviewer has it totally spot on. This final showdown packs a mighty punch with its gore and ferociousness, and I suspect many a viewer may have to look away from the screen once or twice as it does not hold back. It's very hard to watch, but it sells just how dangerous this creature is.

So dangerous in fact, that the only member of the expedition who survives is Captain Francis himself. That poor man is left almost entirely on his own, with only Lady Silence (Nive Nielsen) and her people for company. It's a tragic end, albeit one that was wholly expected (although I must admit, I thought Captain Francis would snuff it too).

Overall, The Terror was an excellent conclusion to the narrative of the previous ten episodes. It concludes in a way that feels extremely befitting of this narrative, whilst allowing one or two surprises along the way, and features a villain in Hickey that you just love to hate. The Terror has proven to be one highly engaging tale, and should the BBC choose to pick it up, it will be interesting to see if the story of The Terror's second season proves just as riveting as the first.

To have future posts delivered direct to your inbox, click the three lines at the top and register for email notifications via the 'Follow by Email' box.

What are your thoughts on The Terror's tenth episode? Let me know in the comments section.