The Terror (2018) s01e04 Episode Script

Where's Minorca? Where's the Battle of the Chesapeake? If there was a waiting room for Sophia Cracroft, would you hang your defeats for everyone to see? You know, it may surprise you to hear me say this, but it gives me great comfort to know that your uncle is with Francis.
This afternoon we'll make our list.
We must see everyone who's written to us out of concern.
We need to prepare the ground.
We could organize many things.
And we must make a special visit to Chester Place and see the Dickenses.
Charles has written to me twice.
He could be our very best ally in times to come.
My dear My dear, what is it? It's nothing.
It's very wet on your cheeks to be nothing.
Oh, don't they know we can hear them? I have made a horrible mistake, Auntie.
It's only that I have been counting the days since you sent your message to the whalers in Baffin Bay.
I was sure that you would have heard word by now.
Oh, yes.
Two replies, in fact.
But, as yet, no one has seen either ship.
How far north did your letters reach? Do we know? Pond Inlet, if that means anything to you.
Lady Jane had supposed Bylot Island, in fact.
I had guessed she was being optimistic.
Not by much, it turns out.
My dears, everything you can conceive of is being considered, but I must remind you, we've not determined any official cause for alarm.
We have confidence absolute in your husband's command of Are you sure that that's merited? All of us in this room know that John was not your first choice to lead this expedition.
- Nor was he your second.
- I don't see how Not even your third.
We all know John.
He's as wonderful as he is fallible.
I'd rather that we helped him now and praised him later, if he has indeed got himself frozen in somewhere.
We feel that you, gentlemen, must do more than consider.
You must enact a plan now.
She could not be more correct.
There's no basis for a determination of anything here.
It's a bold decision, is it not? Do we risk unnecessary expenditure of pounds now, or of men later? Thank you, Sir John.
Gentlemen no doubt most of you were in London for that light snow that we had last month.
One evening after dinner I stepped out into our courtyard.
I was without a coat and even a muffler and I stood in that snow to see how long I could bear it.
Lady Jane, there are two years of provisions.
One hour and a quarter before I was desperate to get back indoors again.
But I made myself stay.
And what's more, I took off my shoes and I stood in that wet snow.
Two minutes more.
Two minutes, and then I was done.
Our men have been out there in unimaginable temperatures for more than a million minutes! No one can convince me that optimism or confidence is warm enough.
One's sense of cold is relative to one's experience.
- I would remind you, madam - I suspect therein lies the problem.
Most of you gentlemen have written your memoirs.
I've read them.
The past tense is a very sturdy thing.
It's earned, but it does take for granted that one has survived.
The present is a different case entirely.
And so I've come here to ask you, what is your plan, and when will it begin? Lady Jane.
I have many friends on those ships, as you know.
Most of us here do, and I promise you it occupies our thoughts as much as it does yours.
And I also promise you that if we have not heard word from them by 1850 I shall go and search myself.
Then we will do it.
Imagine! What our nation will not.
Fund a ship? Is that what you mean? Compared to what your uncle and Francis and the rest of the men must be managing this very hour, asking our set to put down its sherries to write checks is nothing.
He needs us, Sophia.
I can feel it.
As if he were with us here, right now, asking.
And so say all of us And so say all of us And so say all of us For he's a jolly good fellow For he's a jolly good fellow For he's a jolly good fellow And so say all of us And so say all of us And so say all of us For he's a jolly good fellow For he's a jolly good Sorry to interrupt, sir.
Lieutenant Little is asking if you would like to postpone the officers' meeting.
What time is it? It's a minute before four, sir.
We'll proceed at five.
Let them enjoy the birthday.
The party's finished, sir.
First dog watch has already gone up.
Do you know the headlines of the meeting? Me, sir? Jopson, you hear everything.
Well, Mr.
Reid reports that Erebus is steady.
But Terror's bow is up another nine inches.
And Lieutenant Little is wondering at what point we should begin moving Terrors over to berth on Erebus.
He says we can take volunteers first so as not to overtax the flagship, sir.
And Lieutenant Irving has what sounds like a rather pressing report on stores.
What about them? He's concerned the tinned food is turning up spoilt, sir.
There's a problem with the solder on some of the cans.
A new kind of process, apparently.
You see? Have you ever thought of becoming a newsman? - Sir! - Oh, damn it! Check the stern! Be quick! Mr.
Armitage, what do you report? He's still breathing.
- Came over the gunwale, sir.
- Oh, my God.
We didn't see it until it went back over the side.
That will freeze.
Move him down below immediately.
Private Hammond, take the watch.
Up! It's come onto the ship, Edward.
It's got Strong! William Strong, sir.
It took him.
We heard someone yelling for help out on the ice.
Then we realized Strong was missing.
Go below.
Get 30 men into slops as quick as you can.
Have Mr.
Armitage open up the armory.
Shotguns to half.
- Edgar! - Sir.
Maybe it wants us to follow it, sir.
Captain, may I come? - No ship's boys, Evans.
- Sir, please.
You'll be with me.
Is Strong a mate of yours? He's a brick to us boys, sir.
Your muffler, Evans, pull it up.
You won't even feel your nose go.
Evans! Come on up! Evans! Evans! The last of the year.
It feels like an omen.
As I climbed the ridge I was thinking it.
I could see the pattern.
But I couldn't credit an animal with having that You're saying a bear staged a misdirection? I'm saying I ordered that we split up into pairs to cover more ground.
I did.
And then I left him.
I only took him with me because he was scared.
With all you're shouldering, perhaps you should you should curb that for now.
Does one not bring one's habits to Terror? Pardon? Forget it.
Don't let it bother you.
It's not as if we're going anywhere, is it? You're in command.
Of what? You realize that the discovery of the Passage is beyond us now? - That's for someone after - You don't know.
If the ships are still afloat come spring, we will have to retreat to open water and rescue, even with Lieutenant Fairholme's help, should he return in time.
We are not provisioned to speculate even a day Why are you here, Francis? You've never believed in this cause.
No one was ordered to this.
We volunteered.
You volunteered.
I was, in fact, ordered.
By whom? Not by the Admiralty.
You were never Barrow's choice.
Keep Sir John safe and ensure his judgement.
Those were my orders.
It's what she asked me to do.
Lady Jane? No.
I don't owe her a bloody thing.
Sophia.
Miss Cracroft? Miss Cracroft who rejected you? Twice, as I heard it.
You discussed this? Yes.
Sir John discussed it with me.
Well, he Actually, he regretted how it had happened.
Francis he was burdened by it.
Burdened by the thought of a third attempt, no doubt.
That's why you're here.
Good Christ, Francis.
Keep your pity.
You're going to need all the pity you have for what's coming.
Somehow, it seems, he is not failing from his injury.
Then let's proceed without delay in cauterizing the edges of it.
Or are we still in disagreement? We can stop the bleeding.
No.
No, no, no.
He's yours.
Do as you will.
But he lives by the minute, if you ask me.
I see no reason to keep you both any longer.
We can do from here.
I would like to watch, if I might.
To learn.
All right.
Would you heat up the cauters, please? Do you have any sealing wax? For letters, you mean? We can affix the eyes.
In that cupboard there.
It's a pudding, basically.
I would have said "cathedral.
" I suppose it depends on the man.
Everybody is so staggered that he's hanging in there like that.
He's a Royal Marine.
Now, what the bloody hell do people think that means? Hey? No man here knows but us.
Now, we did not ask to be here.
Do we harp on about it? No.
We get no bonus pay, yet we step up to tangle with that thing on the ice, first in line and the first cut down.
Corporal Hedges, Private Daly, Mr.
Hickey, Mr.
Wilson, Seaman Crispe and Seaman Walker, next bell's your watch.
Look out for yourself.
Oh, I will.
Who's that? Crispe! Get below, alert the men.
Now! The Esquimaux girl.
You spotted her camp from the last sledge party.
- What of it? - Tell me where you found it.
Exactly where you found it.
It's two men, sir.
Bottom half is Thomas Evans.
I know who it is.
Despite how sharp this line of separation, this was not done with a blade.
This was a single claw.
They're not mad swipes, either.
Whatever did that made the first cut, then made a second directly above it and then a third, until it was through.
Someone Someone using a claw, then, as an instrument? There's more strength in those cuts than a man could muscle, sir.
There's the matter of the prints, also, sir.
We found the creature's tracks circling Terror.
No others.
No Esquimaux boots? Only Navy-issue, and none near the stern.
Not a man, not a bear.
Then what? Perhaps it would not be a mystery to the indigenous people.
Indeed.
If only there was one we could ask.
That Esqui girl has been camped near us for five months and we don't understand why.
I agree with James.
We should bring her here.
And to the degree that Dr.
Macdonald, Mr.
Blanky and myself are able, question her.
Prepare a party to find her, in the morning.
- Yes, sir.
- The morning? Enough is enough! The bear came when she came, and by most accounts, these people are covetous, treacherous, cruel.
I've ordered her found, James.
It's what I can do for now.
That we cannot discern a connection between the girl and this thing does not mean there isn't one! I'm not sending men out into a squall! Not tonight! We're exhausted.
We're all exhausted.
Gentlemen, do without me for a moment.
I have no intention of becoming a captain's wife.
I've seen that life and it's not one I aspire to.
I'd make you happy.
- I do make you happy.
- You do.
But your station does not.
As unkind as that may seem now, it will spare you my resentment later.
I know with you I can be plain.
With me, you've never hesitated to be plain.
When you're not here, it's because you're gone for years in the world's most perilous of corners.
When you are here, you are on 14 shillings Royal Navy half pay, and mourning every second on dry land.
False.
There's nowhere in the world I'd rather be than here, now.
I have seen your rooms.
You haven't been on a ship in nearly a year but in your dresser of ten drawers, you use only two.
Why? Habit.
Does one not bring his habits to marriage? I will use as many drawers as you require.
I will not always be a captain.
You are Irish.
You're middle-bred.
The Church of England gives you hives.
You have no ear or taste for politics.
You The Admiralty will not refuse me a third time.
They will give me a full command.
And will it be south again, or north, this command of yours? In whichever direction leads to the altar, Miss Cracroft.
Though I expect it will be north.
There is talk again of trying to find the Passage.
I will never understand this this mania for the Passage.
To go thousands of miles to a place that wants you dead.
I will go to sea once more as a first and be knighted for it.
Then I will retire to live out my years with you.
That will not happen.
It must.
Nothing else will do.
Well, then this will be the great tragedy of your life, Francis.
Dearest, you should dress.
Your uncle is already down.
Mr.
Hickey is now missing.
- Missing? - And possibly two of the seamen.
- What is going on? - Get the captain! Make way! Make way! Make way! Make way! Hurry! Hurry! Get off of me! If it wasn't for us being downwind of them, that would have been it for us, too.
Do it, then.
Cut her in half as well! Listen! We brought her to be questioned by the captain.
Let us go down! - Everyone on their knees, right now! - On your knees! There will be no violence towards this woman without charges brought and well proved.
I will not tolerate hysteria.
Marines, at attention.
Anyone who looks like they're considering ignoring that order, arrest them.
Who is responsible for this? - Who is responsible for this? - I am, sir.
Captain Fitzjames and Mr.
Blanky will escort the Esquimaux woman to the Erebus where she will be made comfortable and safe until further order.
The three of you will be questioned below immediately.
The rest of the men will disperse to holystone the lower deck.
That is not all for tonight but that is all for now.
Dismiss.
Come on.
Hartnell here was the first to top the ridge closest to the girl's camp.
He ducked back down immediately.
He gestured for us to be still.
I climbed past him and looked, and we were about 200 yards away from the girl's snow house.
That's when I saw it was there, too.
The wind was blowing the snow in our eyes.
For a moment I thought she had built two snow houses.
But then the thing sat up.
And can you speak to its size? Three times that of any bear we've seen.
With a different set to its head its eyes.
You saw its eyes, Mr.
Hickey? The girl was stood nose-to-nose with it, just about.
You could see its breath blowing the seal fur on her hood.
And she had her hands out, like so.
Like some kind of spell or something.
I watched to see what she meant to do, but it spooked and ran off.
Really? Something spooked it? Yeah, but it wasn't us that did.
It was when the girl tried speaking to it.
- She told it to attack - You were told not to speculate.
I thought you should be the one deciding what happens next, not her.
Now, I know it wasn't by the book, but I figured we would lose our chance to grab her if we didn't act.
Which is why I got Mr.
Manson and Mr.
Hartnell to go along.
And what of the bear's eyes? When it spooked and ran, it looked in our direction.
It looked at me, sir.
Right at me.
But it didn't rush me.
It went south.
Captain, I want to say something, but daren't speak the words.
Oh, speak the words, Mr.
Hickey.
Of all I know in this world, and of this world I tell you, I I do not believe it is an animal we battle.
Yes, Mr.
Hickey.
We know.
The three of you had no orders to leave your posts, or the ship.
Or to subdue the Netsilik girl.
You have therefore committed several acts against the Articles: desertion dereliction of duty, insubordination, brutality disrespect.
I really have my pick here, don't I? - Disrespect to who, sir? - Be silent, Mr.
Hickey! Twelve lashes for each of you.
To be delivered before the ship's company by Mr.
Johnson as soon as he is finished tying a new cat.
In addition, you will be permanently on six-water.
And though you will not be disrated, you will have general duty owing until I see fit to lift it.
- What do you say, gentlemen? - Yes, sir.
Sir, a full court martial is technically required when a ship is lost.
Bring me a chart and I'll show you where we are.
- Disrespect to who, sir? - The girl! - And now to me.
- But she directs it.
You should be prosecuting her, not us who brought - Twenty for him.
- I might have just ended this, sir.
- She had it kill a lieutenant - Thirty.
a Marine, Sir John! Whose name was on that witch's tongue next? I just saved your life! Lieutenant Little tell Mr.
Johnson that Mr.
Hickey will be punished as a boy.
All hands, assemble for punishment! All hands, assemble! Will it hurt? Yes, Manson.
Very much.
That's the point.
For the crimes of insubordination neglect of duty, disrespect, brutality, kidnapping and dirtiness Petty Officer Cornelius Hickey will be flogged 30 lashes, as a boy.
Again.
Again.
Again.
The Terror may be at risk, men.
She sits on a pressure ridge which is becoming precarious.
Any crew who would like to berth on Erebus until the situation has resolved may do so.
Those of you who remain aboard will be permitted to trade up a quarter of your rations for extra grog.
That is all.
You settle yourself, lad.
We need to clean and salt you, then we'll dress these wounds.
Has the pain traveled at all? No, sir.
It's just stuck here.
Well, at least you are spared it being day-bright outside.
If you are still awake when this dries out, Mr.
Goodsir will give you another one.
He'll give you a shot of mandragora as well.
I think you'll be sleeping like Endymion within the hour.
And I am mixing up my Latin and my Greek, Mr.
Morfin, which means it is past my bedtime.
- Dr.
Stanley.
- Sir.
I will brief the officers in the morning, but there's been an incident on Terror.
Men were lashed.
We are We're billeting the Esquimaux girl here for now.
When you're finished, will you see that she's fine and fed? Of course, sir.
Is there anything that you need? Sleep.
Good night, sir.
As much as I'd thrill at the notion of feeding biscuits and soup to an Esqui, I turn that task to you, Mr.
Goodsir.
I know you dream of such things.
I hope the Terror lads are all right.
Have you ever been lashed, sir? No! Good Lord, Morfin.
Have you? Only once, sir.
For what infraction? What do you think, sir? Drink it all.
Just a Just a moment, please, Morfin.
What is it, John? I'm very tired.
I apologize, sir.
Lieutenant Little wanted me to see if you needed anything more.
And to tell you he took a poll of the men to see which of them volunteers to billet on Erebus until Terror's situation is resolved.
All but ten, sir.
I was expecting Corporal Paterson or one of the Marines, sir.
Captain Fitzjames wanted an officer here for the first night.
What do you need, Mr.
Goodsir? I.
.
That's a meal as good as you'd get at the Ladies' Grill Room at the Holborn.
In London, where we live.
"Food.
" "Dinner," in fact.
"Goodsir.
" "Harry Goodsir.
" I heard what happened to you tonight from Mr.
Blanky.
I I'm sorry for all of it.
He told me your language is called "Inuktitut.
" And this region here is called "Nunavut.
" "Inuktitut" and "Nunavut.
" I like those words very much.
I'd like to learn more.
I don't know what's happening here.
I truly don't.
This is not how Englishmen act.
I I don't recognize this behavior.
You must wonder what we're doing here in your part of the world.
We are from England.
Nunavut.
England.
Very far away.
We've come here to find a way through to China and India.
A victory for the Empire, it would be, to find a way.
A passage.
A Northwest Passage.
For our economy.
For trade.
Goodsir.