The Terror: Season 1 Episode 1 Go for Broke
HMS Terror and HMS Erebus set sail to find a Northwest passage through the Canadian arctic.
Series Index
Characters/Groups
Francis Crozier - Jared Harris
James Fitzjames - Tobias Menzies
Cornelius Hickey - Adam Nagaitis
Lady Jane Franklin - Greta Scacchi
Henry Collins - Trystan Gravelle
David Young - Alfie Kingsnorth
Sir James Ross - Richard Sutton
Sgt. Solomon Tozer - David Walmsley
Netsilik Hunter - Johnny Issaluk
Lt. Graham Gore - Tom Weston-Jones
Thomas Hartnell - Jack Colgrave Hirst
William Strong - Freddie Greaves
Robert Golding - Mikey Collins
Magnus Manson - Stephen Thompson
Dr. MacDonald - Charles Edwards
Charles Des Voeux - Sebastian Armesto
Lt. George Hodgson - Christos Lawton
Sir John Barrow - James Laurenson
Lt. Edward Little - Matthew McNulty
Lt. John Irving - Ronan Raftery
John Morfin - Anthony Flanagan
Lady Ann Ross - Caroline Boulton
Sgt. Daniel Bryant - Richard Riddell
Lt. H.T.D. Le Vesconte - Declan Hannigan
Character thumbnails with links to profiles
Detailed Synopsis
"In 1845, two Royal Navy ships left England in an attempt to finally discover a navigable passage through the Arctic. They were the most technologically advanced ships of their day. They were last seen by European whalers in Baffin Bay awaiting good conditions to enter the Arctic labyrinth. Both ships then vanished."
Sir James Ross and a Translator interview a Netsilik Hunter about the fate of the 1845 arctic voyage. He mentions seeing starving men stumbling in the snow and a man called Aglooka. Sir Ross pulls out three photos of men and the Translator asks the Netsilik Hunter if any of them is the one called Aglooka and the Netsilik Hunter points at Francis Crozier. The Netsilik Hunter tells them what Crozier told him, that he and his men are going home. The Netsilik Hunter continues that the Tuunbaq was following them and that Crozier told him to tell those looking for him not to stay and that they are dead. The Netsilik Hunter then shows them a set of military buttons.
September, 1846, four years earlier, John Franklin is surveying the ice as Henry Collins gives orders to William Strong on training another. Franklin walks up to James Fitzjames who notices the compass is becoming less reliable. Collins tells Franklin that Crozier is requesting an ice report and Franklin tells him to relay to Crozier that he and Fitzjames will be joining him for dinner. Crozier complains to Thomas Jopson about having to have dinner with Franklin and Crozier and predicts Fitzjames will once again talk about his time in Namibia or the time he was shot while in China. At the crew dinner, Strong is eating with Cornelius Hickey, Thomas Evans, Robert Golding, and David Young. 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. Hickey and the others argue what rank the ship's dog, Neptune has. Young starts to cough up blood and Golding calls for a doctor. Crozier has a meeting with Franklin and Fitzjames about Young 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 and Billy Orren falls overboard. John Gregory alerts the rest of the crew and Charles Des Voeux and Collins throw ropes towards Orren, but Orren sinks into the water. Dr. Stanley examines Young and criticizes Young for not coming forward with his sickness earlier. Lt. Graham Gore tells Franklin the status of the ship and that the propeller is jammed with ice. Crozier remembers the time when he attended a play about the Algonquin massacre by the Mohawk, which he attended with Sophia Cracroft, Sir Ross and Lady Ann Ross. During the play, the Presenter announces to the theater goers that Crozier and Sir Ross are in the theater and they are given ovations. Young asks Henry Goodsir not to perform an autopsy on him, but Goodsir can't promise him anything. Goodsir tries to comfort Young as he is dying and Young asks Goodsir to have his ring delivered to his sister. Strong tells Thomas Hartnell and Sgt. Solomon Tozer that Neptune has been barking all night and Hartnell thinks he hears something. Young sees an image of the Shaman standing at the foot of his bed and starts to scream out. Hartnell borrows a spyglass from Tozer and then tells him to wake up Thomas Blanky. Young screams out that the Shaman wants them to run and then dies. Goodsir tells Dr. Stanley about Young passing and what he was screaming about and Dr. Stanley tells him to do an autopsy in the morning. Blanky and Crozier look at the icebergs in front of them and realize it is pack ice due to the snow on top. Collins gets into a dive suit to dislodge the ice from the propeller while Goodsir performs an autopsy on Young. Collins frees the ice and then sees Orren's body floating towards him. Franklin calls a meeting of the officers, including Lt. H.T.D. Le Vesconte, and Gregory tells them about the damage to the Erebus and Crozier warns Franklin that they will be dealing with pack ice ahead. He asks Gore how many sun dogs he has seen and suggests they explore King William Land to see if it is an island and 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. Young's grave is dug by Hickey, Evans and Magnus Manson, while he is buried by Hickey, who is overseen by Sgt. Tozer. As Young is being buried his coffin opens and Hickey steals his ring. Franklin gives a speech to the crew about how they will soon accomplish their journey.
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. Franklin sees Crozier staring at him from across the Terror and the memory of the play is recalled in his mind where he was given applause by the theater goers, including Lady Jane Franklin, Sir John Barrow and George Barrow.