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The Terror Season 1 Review

The Terror is a supernatural horror thriller period series that premiered its first season on AMC in 2018. This is a phenomenal show that in its first season fired on all cylinders.

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“This place wants us dead“

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The first season follows the crew of the titular ship as they head toward uncharted territory in the Arctic. They must survive the harsh environment and each other while being stalked by a menacing creature. This screenplay was based on an actual event that happened back in the 1840s and it is utterly bewildering and eerie that the explorers uncovered the remains of these two ships just before the show aired.

First off, the genre of this show is questionable, which is always a good thing. Yes, it has horror elements, but those are only spare and more metaphorical in nature. The psychological thriller elements with the crew going crazy and against each other were much more pronounced. And of course all of this is happening concurrently with the immensely accurate and detailed depictions of their voyage, which makes the show a sumptuous period piece unlike no other on television.

The creature is done in solid CGI and his scenes are pretty good, though far from the best on the show. But this element works when you realize that he stands as a metaphor for the nature going against these settlers. The second half of the show suddenly turned into pure psychological examining of the many characters’ profiles through great backstories and adrenaline-filled tension with the villain being extremely memorable. The first half was all build up, but it was worth it as the conclusion was thrilling. The finale was even poetic and unexpectedly dark.

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Jared Harris was phenomenal as Captain Crozier. He is a fantastic character who is a flawed captain, but ultimately his care for each crew member was admirable and his connection to them was so moving. Tobias Menzies was another standout as James, an initially unlikable, arrogant man who is eventually humanized with a truly outstanding backstory. The two share such a beautiful friendship that is the heart of this season.

Doctor Goodsir is the most human and admirable character of the bunch. He is almost unrealistic how good-natured and caring he is, but it is undeniable that his heart was the beating heart of the entire crew. His eventual doom was heartbreaking. Lady Silence is an intriguing presence too and the show’s depiction of the Eskimos was quite good, though they needed more screen time. The standout is of course Hickey, who is one truly unforgettable villain. He is so conniving and so manipulative that he seemed very much real. The eventual revelation about his past made sense and was quite creepy.

The Terror is also commendably crafted technically. It features excellent cinematography and stupendous production design that at times was movie-level in terms of quality. How the ship looked and how the icy island was utilized was all tremendous. I just wished that the score was better as it sounded overly modern for this story, but the sound is great as is the editing and the directing. It’s a show that fired on all cylinders in this first season and it’s rare to find such a psychologically complex series that deals with the impending doom and all of the worst feelings of humans while never plunging into utter nihilism, which was truly impressive.

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