#terror thoughts

[violletleduc]

Thinking about the "materiality" of John Irving from The Terror today !

Materiality in a sense of characters being easily associated with objects they owned/mentioned though the show. All these objects give them more shapes as characters, giving us some ideas of the person they are, what they like, etc. It holds meaning and symbolism for us and the story.

For example Little lacks this kind of association and ends up being a character associate with sentences, situations and actions more than objects. He suffers from the lack of on screen personal belonging and therefore facts about him.

And so on the other hand Irving is tangible and palpable, he has a strong materiality.

- his (beloved) spyglass goes from hands to hands : from Tozer’s, to Hartnell’s and to the Netsilik’s. The very first mention of Irving’s name is related to this object and the fact that he owns it. Its presence on someone else than him at his death has a huge impact (even if at this point of the story I bet they would have shot the group regardless I think it holds a specific role in Hodgson’s actions, he must have known how important the spyglass was to Irving). It’s here at the beginning of his character and at the very end of it. We don’t even know if any of his crewmates get it after his passing, it disappears with him.

- inventories. His strong materiality can also be seen in him taking inventories, he is quite literally in charge of the possession of the men. This is not a huge point of the characters as it’s not enlightened a lot in the show but I really like the fact that it’s here, those objects were here and he knows about it very well. And I love that it’s surely in reference to real life Irving who was into math.

- carnival. He most likely don’t own the angel costume (sadly) but it’s his choice to wear it (personal take but I can only see this decision tinged with humour on his part, some kind of self deprecating one). Again next to the other Terror’s lieutenants he stands out, he's noticable visually speaking to the viewer but he is also clearly (not really but yk) « marked » by the narrative by the song he sings, the one of his death. So here again Irving is given a repeating pattern.

- coat. Irving is not represented giving interest in the questions of ranks but he’s third lieutenant and his coat is a position indicator. So when Hickey takes it it becomes more important (narratively speaking) because it's someone else’s possession, by stealing it Hickey gives it more right to belong to Irving, but Irving isn’t here anymore. So what’s left of him ? A witness of his assassination bearing deep cuts in its fabrics which weigh on Tozer’s mind (and also Hodgson’s if you ask me, the way he cautiously literally never looks at it ??) If the other objects are here to tell us about John Irving’s life this coat is here to tell us about his death.

Having Hickey /who owns nothing that he can call his (except Billy) and to which he can have an emotional bond/ be directly put in opposition of Irving reinforces all this for me.

[theturntechgod]

There is just one thing I hate about The Terror: Hickey has like a whole ass hour of screen time, but Irving just has like 15 minutes, and 3 of those are being stabbed. I love Irving DX

[rubysharkruby]

We set sail from Greenhithe three years ago with 133 men aboard. Who could have imagined such grief would come to us? We've no choice now but to carry it with us as we go.

Just when I think this show is out of new ways to break my heart. I’m sure I’m not the first person to notice that the transitions to different characters during Crozier’s speech are very specifically chosen: Bridgens and Peglar for loved ones, referencing that beautiful passage from the book (“You are my loved one, Harry.”) and Hartnell for courage because we have seen his bravery, both in facing down Tuunbaq and in working hard to become the kind of man he wants to be instead of letting himself be folded into Hickey’s plans.

When I came back to this scene to make this gifset I had misremembered it as transitioning to Jopson on end, which seemed fitting as his is one of the saddest ends in the show, but the shot only switches to him after that part of the speech has finished. I was confused at first and then I realised: it's Hartnell that Crozier is with at the end ("You did so well, son.") not Jopson. Crozier appears only as an uncaring hallucination that doesn't even turn its head as Jopson cries out and crawls through a banquet, and by the time the real Crozier finds Jopson it is too late. The shot of Jopson falls into the silent space after end, just like Jopson himself will fall between the cracks opening up in this desperate group of men and be lost.

[scurvy-free]

listening to Debonair on the tozer playlist and feeling some kind of way

[boysnberriespie]

This is a very specific and silly idea from my Terror Grad School AU (which is mainly focused on the lieutenants at this point) but Irving’s comfort movie is Sound of Music. Every time George and/or Edward come home and hear Julie Andrews’ melodic voice they know it’s gonna be an evening 🧍🏻🧍🏼