James Fitzjames
Background
James Fitzjames is a captain on the HMS Erebus in the Discovery Service for the British Royal Navy.
During the events of The Terror: Season 1 Episode 1 Go for Broke played by Tobias Menzies
John Franklin walks up to Fitzjames who notices the compass is becoming less reliable. Henry Collins tells Franklin that Francis Crozier is requesting an ice report and Franklin tells him to relay to Crozier that he and Fitzjames will be joining him for dinner. At the officer's dinner, Fitzjames tells the diners consisting of Franklin, Crozier, Lt. Edward Little, Dr. MacDonald, Lt. John Irving, and Lt. George Hodgson about the time he was shot in China. Crozier sarcastically asks Fitzjames to recount the time he was assigned to guard bird guano. Franklin mentions that Reid noticed a patch of ice that doesn't appear to be summer break-up ice, but isn't concerned. Crozier has a meeting with Franklin and Fitzjames about David Young when he starts vomiting blood, and Dr. MacDonald tells them Young has dark blood in his stool and he may have tuberculosis. Franklin suggests Dr. Stanley have a look at young and decides to have Young brought to his ship. Fitzjames complains to Franklin about Crozier and his negative attitude.
A large piece of ice hits the Erebus. Franklin calls a meeting of the officers, including Lt. H.T.D. Le Vesconte, and John Gregory tells them about the damage to the Erebus and Crozier warns Franklin that they will be dealing with pack ice ahead. He asks Lt. Graham Gore how many sun dogs he has seen and suggests they explore King William Land to see if it is an island and Thomas Blanky agrees. Franklin decides against his advice and Fitzjames considers Crozier's warning, melodrama. Crozier then angrily points out that only four people at the table are veterans of the arctic, but Franklin again decides to continue on. Six days later, both ships are stuck in the ice and Franklin finds a lead ball in his meat. The next morning they wake up to be surrounded by continuous ice.
During the events of The Terror: Season 1 Episode 2 Gore played by Tobias Menzies
Spring, 1847, Gregory shows Franklin and Fitzjames the engines on the Erebus and they talk about which survey crew will be successful. Franklin speaks with Fitzjames about his meeting to make amends with Crozier and Fitzjames tells him Crozier is a depressive.
During the events of The Terror: Season 1 Episode 3 The Ladder played by Tobias Menzies
June, 1847, while Franklin is out in the hunting blind, the men in the blind start shooting and Franklin starts to stumble away in shock. Crozier uses a spyglass to check on the situation and orders his men to send out the marines. Franklin starts calling out for the Erebus and as Fitzjames and Charles Des Voeux go out to save him, Franklin is grabbed by the Tuunbaq, chewed in half, and dropped into the fire pit with the Shaman. Franklin's remaining leg is brought back to the ship and put inside a coffin by Henry Goodsir. Crozier goes to the Erebus and tells Blanky to start a search party with Lieutenant Fairholme in charge. Fitzjames asks him not to send out the party as Franklin forbade it and Fitzjames asks for one day for the men to grieve. Crozier gives the speech written by Franklin for Gore's eulogy. Crozier finishes the speech and Tozer initiates the 21 gun salute.
During the events of The Terror: Season 1 Episode 4 Punishment, as a Boy played by Tobias Menzies
November, 1847, William Strong and Thomas Evans are also killed by the Tuunbaq. Crozier tells Fitzjames, the Tuunbaq laid a trap and Fitzjames notices how much Crozier is drinking. Crozier then admits he only joined the mission in order to use it as leverage when asking Sophia Cracroft to marry him once more. After a body is found on deck, Dr. MacDonald tells Crozier that the body Hickey found actually consisted of the top half of Strong and the lower half of Evans. Fitzjames thinks a man did it, but Dr. MacDonald tells him it was an animal claw. Little tells them the only tracks they found belonged to the Tuunbaq. After she is forcibly brought on ship, Lady Silence is transferred to the Erebus while the three perpetrators, Cornelius Hickey, Thomas Hartnell and Magnus Mason, are questioned by Crozier and Fitzjames. Crozier orders that they each receive 12 lashes by Johnson. Hickey continues to argue that what he did saved the others and Crozier angrily has him punished as a boy. Fitzjames tells Dr. Stanley that Lady Silence will be staying on the Erebus and Dr. Stanley has Goodsir take over care of Lady Silence.