The Terror: We Are Gone
May 21, 2018 7:19 PM - Season 1, Episode 10 - Subscribe
The expedition's epic journey reaches its climax as men find themselves in a final confrontation with the Inuit mythology they've trespassed into. (IMDB)
Holy shit Goodsir, that was amazing. Just amazing. That final shot, though!
As horrifying as all of that was, I'm going to go lie down now and meditate on the poetry of it all.
posted by Unicorn on the cob at 9:34 PM on May 21, 2018 [1 favorite]
As horrifying as all of that was, I'm going to go lie down now and meditate on the poetry of it all.
posted by Unicorn on the cob at 9:34 PM on May 21, 2018 [1 favorite]
Johann Johannsson's work on this show has been tremendous. What a loss.
posted by the duck by the oboe at 4:53 PM on May 22, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by the duck by the oboe at 4:53 PM on May 22, 2018 [1 favorite]
I’m sorry to laugh, but in my google search for more info on Little’s face jewelry, the first auto complete to “the terr” was “The Terror season 2.”
Who on earth watched that last episode and was like “Wow! What? No episode 11? Well, when’s season 2, then?”
In season 2, we find out that the lead in the cans caused a mass hallucination and our intrepid heroes are all still back on the ships, recovering. *whew*
Or possibly they all wake up in the medium place?
posted by greermahoney at 10:54 PM on May 22, 2018 [3 favorites]
Who on earth watched that last episode and was like “Wow! What? No episode 11? Well, when’s season 2, then?”
In season 2, we find out that the lead in the cans caused a mass hallucination and our intrepid heroes are all still back on the ships, recovering. *whew*
Or possibly they all wake up in the medium place?
posted by greermahoney at 10:54 PM on May 22, 2018 [3 favorites]
I was telling my boyfriend about Countess Elena's synopsis of the book's ending (Crozier the great white shaman and his happy family w/Silna) and he said, "THERE'S your Season 2!" It could be a sitcom, even.
But seriously, I loved this show so much. It's weird to say I'm going to miss that place, but it's how I'm feeling right now.
posted by queensissy at 12:40 PM on May 24, 2018 [2 favorites]
But seriously, I loved this show so much. It's weird to say I'm going to miss that place, but it's how I'm feeling right now.
posted by queensissy at 12:40 PM on May 24, 2018 [2 favorites]
Turns out Dan Simmons said he was okay with a new ending, just sad because he's "sentimental," and wanted Crozier to have someone. That's very sweet, considering the relentless darkness of the rest of Simmons' work, but I just didn't see the ship myself.
Apparently the hooks are a genuine mystery, possibly related to a sailor's hopes that someone would take his jewelry in exchange for burying his body.
posted by Countess Elena at 1:28 PM on May 24, 2018 [3 favorites]
Apparently the hooks are a genuine mystery, possibly related to a sailor's hopes that someone would take his jewelry in exchange for burying his body.
posted by Countess Elena at 1:28 PM on May 24, 2018 [3 favorites]
This series was just incredible. I am going to miss it.
Gorgeous to look at, uncomfortable in all the right ways, the acting, the music, the cinematography, the writing. Just awesome.
And the ending and final shot....perfect.
posted by biscotti at 4:00 PM on May 25, 2018 [1 favorite]
Gorgeous to look at, uncomfortable in all the right ways, the acting, the music, the cinematography, the writing. Just awesome.
And the ending and final shot....perfect.
posted by biscotti at 4:00 PM on May 25, 2018 [1 favorite]
He instantly goes from having contempt for her body to deciding that they are now spiritually married, which turns out to be true, and he becomes a tongueless shaman himself and raises children with her.
WHAT
Oh my god, I would have HATED the book, I guess. I could barely retstrain myself from yelling at the TV anytime the bullshit giant arctic monkeybear appeared on screen. It is somewhat amazing to me that the show was so excellent. There are umptybillion written versions of this story that avoid the othering traps Mr. Simmons obliviously set for himself as an author and which appear to have helped the damn book become a best-seller.
Still, I strongly admire the show. I certainly envision it as improved in an imaginary recut with no damn magic behemoth, because the only magic behemoth that killed those men was imperialist racism and crony capitalism in the specific form of lead, our very own invisible hand.
posted by mwhybark at 9:20 PM on May 27, 2018
WHAT
Oh my god, I would have HATED the book, I guess. I could barely retstrain myself from yelling at the TV anytime the bullshit giant arctic monkeybear appeared on screen. It is somewhat amazing to me that the show was so excellent. There are umptybillion written versions of this story that avoid the othering traps Mr. Simmons obliviously set for himself as an author and which appear to have helped the damn book become a best-seller.
Still, I strongly admire the show. I certainly envision it as improved in an imaginary recut with no damn magic behemoth, because the only magic behemoth that killed those men was imperialist racism and crony capitalism in the specific form of lead, our very own invisible hand.
posted by mwhybark at 9:20 PM on May 27, 2018
We just finished watching it tonight, and loved the entire thing -- but yes, the whole series seems like it would have taken very little extra work to do it without the Juggalo polar bear.
posted by Shepherd at 6:26 PM on June 2, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by Shepherd at 6:26 PM on June 2, 2018 [1 favorite]
What a fantastic story, well told, and brutally insane.
I appreciated Crozier’s reaction to being told, “so now you gotta deal with who you are.”
And his deciding to disappear into the community. Can you imagine ... any of that experience, from either side?
I thought the ‘bear’ was vitally important to the story - it serves as the point of conflict between these two cultures, made flesh. The one side trying to dominate and kill it the other manage it. (Much like the reaction of both cultures to the cold.)
I loved the sound design - made me think of “Legion” most recently and David Lynch movies from back then.
and the bracing madness of Hickey, which once the order that governs the ship breaks down is able to blossom in all its putridness.
And hat tip to the writers of the last few episodes - in each there was a moment where I sat up and said “what the hell!” impressed with the audacity of the storytelling (the fire, Fitzjames’ biography, etc)
posted by From Bklyn at 8:35 AM on June 4, 2018 [2 favorites]
I appreciated Crozier’s reaction to being told, “so now you gotta deal with who you are.”
And his deciding to disappear into the community. Can you imagine ... any of that experience, from either side?
I thought the ‘bear’ was vitally important to the story - it serves as the point of conflict between these two cultures, made flesh. The one side trying to dominate and kill it the other manage it. (Much like the reaction of both cultures to the cold.)
I loved the sound design - made me think of “Legion” most recently and David Lynch movies from back then.
and the bracing madness of Hickey, which once the order that governs the ship breaks down is able to blossom in all its putridness.
And hat tip to the writers of the last few episodes - in each there was a moment where I sat up and said “what the hell!” impressed with the audacity of the storytelling (the fire, Fitzjames’ biography, etc)
posted by From Bklyn at 8:35 AM on June 4, 2018 [2 favorites]
Way late to this but there will be second season next year, set during WW2. I did not expect that.
posted by the duck by the oboe at 9:01 PM on December 19, 2018
posted by the duck by the oboe at 9:01 PM on December 19, 2018
I am absolutely up for a series like that, but making it season 2 of The Terror is inexplicable. There’s no connection except in the sense that they are both about scary things. They might as well have called The Haunting of Hill House season 2 of The Terror.
Probably there’s a racial dynamic here that I’m not seeing. I wouldn’t be surprised if someone had been trying to get this made for years, but wasn’t able to sell an Asian-centered show, much less one in which white Americans were the bad guys during WWII.
posted by Countess Elena at 9:03 AM on December 22, 2018
Probably there’s a racial dynamic here that I’m not seeing. I wouldn’t be surprised if someone had been trying to get this made for years, but wasn’t able to sell an Asian-centered show, much less one in which white Americans were the bad guys during WWII.
posted by Countess Elena at 9:03 AM on December 22, 2018
Fwiw, we just watched s02e01 of the Takei-affiliated The Terror and I am 100% looking forward to the rest of the show. The story of the camps needs to be told in genre form and hybridizing it with spooky Japanese spirits seems challenging and fun and maybe even inline with what the original book author thought he was doing (but did not).
So take a look maybe. I do not have time to lead any FF season or episode threads these days (I was hoping to do so for Strange Angel, but I have no free time). See you around!
posted by mwhybark at 10:10 PM on August 19, 2019
So take a look maybe. I do not have time to lead any FF season or episode threads these days (I was hoping to do so for Strange Angel, but I have no free time). See you around!
posted by mwhybark at 10:10 PM on August 19, 2019
I've just watched season one on BBC iPlayer, and although it was made pre-pandemic there hardly seems to be a better metaphor for the winter lockdown the UK has just endured: everyone trapped in place in the cold, while a nightmare waits outside and picks off people one by one. Not to mention those in charge underestimating the scale of danger at the beginning, ignoring the warnings of saner voices, and acting too late.
The casting and performances were a wonder, as were the landscape and sets. Tuunbaq was slightly anticlimactic once you got a good look at him, but his scenes of havoc were still terrifying.
I was drawn to the series in part because I grew up on a road named after Sir John Franklin, who at one point was governor of my home state. Even though he didn't actually get eaten by a giant mythical bear-thing, you can't help feeling sorry for the man and his men. The traces they left behind are consistent with these final episodes in all their horror.
It's so impressive to think that Jared Harris made this and Chernobyl within a year of each other. What a resumé.
posted by rory at 3:07 AM on March 24, 2021
The casting and performances were a wonder, as were the landscape and sets. Tuunbaq was slightly anticlimactic once you got a good look at him, but his scenes of havoc were still terrifying.
I was drawn to the series in part because I grew up on a road named after Sir John Franklin, who at one point was governor of my home state. Even though he didn't actually get eaten by a giant mythical bear-thing, you can't help feeling sorry for the man and his men. The traces they left behind are consistent with these final episodes in all their horror.
It's so impressive to think that Jared Harris made this and Chernobyl within a year of each other. What a resumé.
posted by rory at 3:07 AM on March 24, 2021
The actor who played Hickey was in Chernobyl too, as one of the (extremely unfortunate) firemen.
posted by chimpsonfilm at 5:51 PM on March 24, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by chimpsonfilm at 5:51 PM on March 24, 2021 [1 favorite]
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I am very sorry that it took what it took for us to see Goodsir shirtless, but he did the finest thing. After his death, he was laid out and butchered in a way that reminded me of the bodies in the movie of Alive, which was probably not an accident.
Why were there hooks in poor Little's face? Was he caught by Cenobites? Or were the golden chains a commentary on colonialism? I don't remember whether that was in the book.
I was saddened by Silna's ending, but I thought it gave her the dignity she deserved, unlike the book's ending for her. In the book, she takes off all her clothes and climbs on top of Crozier when he's barely healed. He instantly goes from having contempt for her body to deciding that they are now spiritually married, which turns out to be true, and he becomes a tongueless shaman himself and raises children with her. That is too much of a going-native fantasy for me. In this show, Crozier seems to be accepted as a resident in the tribe without being a white savior. It's a big improvement.
This show was a gem, and I hope it's remembered as long as it deserves to be.
posted by Countess Elena at 7:28 PM on May 21, 2018 [8 favorites]